The MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) offers you many opportunities to succeed as a group. However, it also places a strong emphasis on solo play. In this guide, we want to give you some tips on how to tackle dungeons solo and which ones you can start with.
What makes ESO so good for solo players? ESO is, as the name suggests, part of the Elder Scrolls series. These games, with well-known titles like Skyrim or Oblivion, were typically designed for solo players.
When The Elder Scrolls Online was released, it wanted to distinguish itself from traditional games in the genre. And with the upcoming Greymoor expansion, the plan with Skyrim Online has come to fruition.
In ESO, you have a completely open and vast game world without level limits. Every character is scaled to the maximum level, and only the skill points and equipment distinguish them. With each expansion, a new area of Tamriel is introduced, along with another story that you can explore solo or in a group.
This gigantic “Online-Skyrim” means that solo players will never get bored. There are masses of content to discover that you don’t need a group for. Hardly anything stands in the way of your exploration, and exploring has always been a hallmark of the TES games.
Better alone than in a group
One of the few contents that seems to hinder your solo experience is dungeons. Although there are public dungeons that can be easily played alone, the instanced dungeons are actually designed for groups. However, you can also tackle them solo.
What are the advantages of solo rounds?
- You are not reliant on others and can just start
- There are no issues with the group finder
- You can set the pace
- Therefore, you can calmly gather all lore books or check out other things
This is not to say that a dungeon is not fun when played in a group. For my part, I prefer to play together with my guildies. But for all players who would like to try solo, we have some tips ready.
We also want to suggest dungeons for you to start with. Almost all dungeons can be done solo, but we have a few recommendations for which ones you could start with and what you need for them.
A coherent setup makes your life easier
Because of the scaling to the maximum level in ESO, your character always adapts. You cannot just overlevel and run through. Therefore, you need a setup tailored to your character with set bonuses, enchantments, and buff food.
Which character should you choose? The class you use is not necessarily decisive. Despite all scaling, a Level 50 character is highly recommended. With him, you have your necessary skill points, also the experience, and equipment.
You should mainly start with the character you can play best. When you run through a dungeon alone, you don’t have time to think extensively about your hero’s playstyle. You have to replace several group members after all.
What weapons are recommended? Depending on your character choice, different weapons are sensible. However, you should have sufficient area damage ready. Therefore, weapons like the destruction staff or a combination of sword and shield with a bow are a good option.
Which set bonuses should you have? It greatly helps you if you have certain gear ready for solo play. One or more suitable sets make your life easier. In ESO, there are dizzyingly many sets. Some are easier to reach than others. Here are some set bonuses you can easily obtain:
- You should strengthen your primary resource and maximize critical hits. For example, you can do this with “Mother’s Tears” for magic classes or “Hunding’s Rage” for stamina.
- Additionally, bonuses that replenish or save resources are recommended. This can be achieved with “Magnus’ Gift” for magic classes and with “Siphoning Revenge”.
- Skills that grant you a shield are always helpful. With “Iceheart”, you get one when you land a critical hit.
You should also have good self-healing. After all, you are tank, DPS, and healer at once on your solo mission. If you lack self-healing, there are tricks against it:
- Set bonuses like “Thornheart” grant you healing for critical hits.
- In the PvP area Cyrodiil, you can unlock the skill “Momentum”, which provides you healing.
What enchantments are useful? You should also enchant your equipment if possible. For your armor, improvements to your primary resource are recommended, for example, “Glyph of Magicka”. You can enchant your jewelry with increased magic or weapon damage.
Which buff food should you use? In ESO, you also have a large selection of food. In solo play, improvements to magicka, stamina, and health support you. A readily available buff food for this is the “Longfin Pasty with Melon Sauce” (via Wiki).
Start the solo career relaxed
If you are attempting a dungeon solo for the first time, the base game dungeons are recommended. These are often available at level I and II and always in veteran mode. You should start with the first level to assess your capabilities.
It’s very important that you don’t get frustrated. It’s completely normal to die sometimes. Especially against some bosses, this fate will quickly befall you. If you make it through without dying, that’s even better.
Go in, see how far you get and you’ll quickly notice which abilities or skills you are missing. This way, you can gradually create a solo character and then tackle more difficult dungeons.
These are good dungeons for starting:
- Mushroom Cave I
- The Mushroom Cave can be one of the first dungeons you encounter. At the same time, it is the easiest. You will encounter cool goblins here and should have little trouble getting through solo.
- Spindle Depths I
- The Spindle Depths are also a very easy dungeon. However, you should not be afraid of spiders, as they are abundant here.
- Canalization of Wayrest I
- Also a very easy dungeon. There are hardly any special mechanics to consider here.
A few more recommendations would be:
- Banished Cells I
- Darkshade Caverns I
- Arx Corinium
- City of Ash I
There are even more possibilities
What’s the deal with level-II dungeons? If you feel more confident, you can try the level II dungeons. These continue the story from level I. The enemies there have more health, deal more damage, and there are a few additional mechanics.
It gets a bit more challenging, but also more rewarding gear-wise, in veteran mode. However, it is advisable to first attempt this in a group and only try solo later. If you want another solo challenge, you can take on world bosses, which are sometimes tougher than a vanilla dungeon on normal.
Which dungeons have you soloed or do you have tips for beginners? Let us know in the comments!
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