Arcanist - beam build

In update 46 there’s no way around beam builds for the combination of good damage and ease of use. Personally I find the one where you add Templar execute beam to the mix to be the most enjoyable one.

Updated for: U46

There are several possible configurations, this guide is a straightforward Dawn’s Wrath spec which you can use for more or less any content in the game. It shines in fights where you need a strong execute. I will not try to take credit for this setup, it quickly became one of the meta ones when subclassing dropped on PTS. But meta is meta for a reason, and the build has served me well in both dungeon and trial hard modes so far.

The build

Skill lines: Herald of the Tome - Assassination - Dawn’s Wrath

It’s important to have Arcanist as core because we will use the Class Mastery signature script for the extra crux generation. I put all points into magicka because I find it easier to sustain, but you can also opt for all points in stamina. If you go the stamina route you probably need the Radiant Glory morph of the Templar execute.

You’ll find the build on my ESO-hub page with all details as well as suggested gear and skill setups for boss, trash and beginner/crafted.

Soul Harvest/Incap needs to be on the front bar to proc Nightblade passives. Relentless Focus is only slotted for passive effect, let it sit on 10 stacks. Inspired Scholarship is your source major Brutality and Sorcery.

Flex spots: Quick Cloak and Carve. Swap Stampede for Elemental Blockade if Destruction Staff back bar and Endless Hail if Bow back bar.

Variations and morphs

Choosing morphs and skills is usually a trade-off between damage and sustain and/or survivability. Go for whatever you feel comfortable with.

Fatecarver - exhausting vs. pragmatic:
Although Exhausting Fatecarver will give slightly more damage, I personally find the added survivability and easier sustain of Pragmatic Fatecarver worth it in almost any situation. The damage gain is quite small, and I feel considerably safer with Pragmatic.

Radiant - oppression vs glory:
On the Templar beam I have come to the opposite conclusion, for this one I find the added risk to be worth it so I can swap beams earlier. At the very end of the fight they both do the exact same damage, though, the difference is that Radiant Oppression starts scaling slightly earlier so it is worth swapping to it somewhere around 30% health while Glory should wait until 25-20%.

Ultimate: Soul Harvest vs Incapacitating Strike:
Soul Harvest will be a damage loss in itself, especially when cast at more than 120 ultimate, but it will be a significant boost to your ultimate generation. Incap is definitely better on dummy, but in content I tend to opt for Soul Harvest, especially if I know I am going to use my backbar ult (which is the better option when fighting several stacked enemies).

Banner Bearer:
Here is where things become a bit more complicated. The easy part is the signature script, that should always be Class Mastery. The focus and affix scripts might change depending on your needs and situation.

Using shock as your focus script will boost most of your damage and is best in a pure single target fight where you only use your front bar ultimate. Languid Eye will not be boosted by it, though, so if you primarily use your back bar ult you might want to swap it for the magick damage focus script, which will basically boost all your abilities, including Languid

Swapping out gear:

For gear you will always want Velothi Ur-Mage’s Amulet and a one piece crit chance monster set like Slimecraw. For most content it is good to pair it with Ansuul’s Torment and Deadly Strikes. For strictly single target fights Tide-Born Wildstalker and Slivers of the Null Arca is a great combination. For a single target fight where you don’t have to move much you’ll want Highland Sentinel and Null Arca - this is the preferred parse dummy setup, but is also viable in some fights in content, like the first two bosses in Kyne’s Aegis.

For trash you can use Sul-Xan’s Torment + Deadly Strikes, and if you are just starting out and only have access to crafted sets you can try something like Order’s Wrath and Tide-Born.