The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online will receive the major expansion Blackwood in June 2021. To start the new chapter well, MeinMMO lists 5 things you can do to prepare now.
What is it about? On June 1, 2021, the new chapter Blackwood will be released. In this guide, we explain what you can do now to dive in properly.
On one hand, you can level the skill lines of the Antiquarian Circle or gather Champion and experience points. But you should also have enough Transmutation Crystals and look for groups or guilds for the new content.
Unlocking the Antiquities System
Why is it so interesting? With the chapter Blackwood, there will also be new items that you can dig up, including Mythic and Housing Items, which you can only obtain through the Antiquities System. To do this, you need to level the skill lines of Scouting and Excavation. You can start doing that right now.
This is how it works: You can unlock the two skill lines in the Antiquarian Circle in Solitude (Western Skyrim). There, you need to accept and complete the quest The Antiquarian Circle from Verita Numida.
The quest will also explain how Scouting and Excavation work, similar to a tutorial.
Additionally, with the passive ability “Trained Eye: Treasure Chests” from the Excavation skill line, you’ll be able to hunt for loot much better. The treasure chests will then be surrounded by a noticeable shimmer.
How the Antiquities System in ESO works, we explain here.
This is what Scouting looks like! 
This image awaits you during Excavation. 
Verita Numida is already waiting for your work in the Antiquarian Circle! 
Location of the Antiquarian Circle in Solitude.
Farming Transmutation Crystals
What is it? Transmutation Crystals are a type of currency that is not tradable. They are used to change the trait of a piece of equipment or a weapon.
Since the Markarth chapter, there is another interesting feature:
- Each set piece of equipment is added to the collection (U) as soon as it is bound.
- You can now recreate collected set items at a Transmutation Station.
- This costs you Transmutation Stones.
- The cost decreases with the increasing number of pieces of a particular set.
Why is this particularly important? With Blackwood, several new interesting sets are coming. To avoid searching for the matching piece with the suitable trait too long, gather enough Transmutation Crystals.
With the set collection, you can then use these to craft the set pieces with the correct trait. This way, you’ll get your desired equipment much faster.
Where can you get Transmutation Crystals the fastest? A particularly effective method is the reward level in the Alliance War of the PvP area (Cyrodiil).
Once you’re at reward level 1, you get 50 crystals for the large and 10 crystals for the small campaigns. However, you have to wait until the end of the campaign.
If that’s too long for you, you can complete random dungeons. Once a day, you receive 10 crystals as a reward. You can do this on any character.
Transmutation Crystals can also be obtained as a reward for the daily dungeon quests with the Undaunted. And for the very diligent among you, you can find additional crystals in the weekly rewards of the trials. It doesn’t matter which difficulty you choose.
Grinding Champion Points (CP)
What do you need them for? Simple answer: They make you stronger and more resilient beyond level 50! With the update Flames Of Ambition, the Champion Point system was fundamentally revised, allowing you to allocate significantly more than the previous 810 CP.
In addition, you now have to choose 4 active points per attribute. For this reason, it is also advisable for veterans with a Champion Point level over 810 to continue gathering experience.
Skills: Here you can use your points to earn more gold. 
Power: Increases all your offensive stats, among other things! 
Might: More maximum health?
How to effectively gain a lot of experience points? Since May 13, 2021, there have been double experience points during the Explorer celebrations (via ESO News).
So if you are still missing some Champion Points, visit these places where you can farm experience points particularly quickly, or earn the reward from the daily random dungeons! The event lasts until May 20, 2021, 4 PM CEST. So make use of the last days.
Currently, many players can be found grinding in a group of 2 in the group arena Black Rose Prison (Murkmire) in normal mode.
Make sure you always wear training gear and also use a potion or scroll that increases your earned experience again.
It could also be compared with the term “farming.” This means the routine gathering and searching for items or experience points.
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Find a Group or Guild
With Blackwood, a new trial for a group of 12 players is coming again. If you’re curious, keep an eye out for a guild or group with which you can visit the new dungeon.
Moreover, guilds not only have the advantage that you can master group content together. The community is known to be very friendly and open-minded. Guilds are also helpful if you are complete newcomers.
Fellow guild members can even become long-term friends who make wild ideas come true in Tamriel with you. Just like this guild that scores with its Easter event and colorful fun raids.
Inform yourselves now about the Companions
What are the Companions? They are another feature being introduced in Blackwood. Specifically, they are NPCs (engl.: non-player characters) that accompany you as allies in your adventures in Tamriel. You can also summon them in dungeons or trials.
How do you get the Companions? You must complete a corresponding quest in Blackwood. Once you have done that, you can select the respective companion under your collection (U) under the Allies → Companions section.
Don’t wait too long, but inform yourselves now in our guide about the Companions, in which we explain how to unlock them and how to utilize them in combat.
Bonus Tip: Prologue Quest
You can already do this now: If you are already eager for the new quests and adventures in Blackwood, you don’t have to wait until the release. You can currently already play the introductory prologue quest for the upcoming chapter.
We would recommend completing this quest before starting the main quest in the new chapter!
Questing in Tamriel can sometimes be confusing. Where do I start? Where do I continue? MeinMMO has come up with something for this problem!
In this guide “How to play ESO ‘correctly’ – The optimal order for all 17 DLCs and chapters” you will get precise instructions on the best order to complete the quests!
