Almost One-Bar Arcanist DPS with Pocket Heals - Arkanist Baue PvE - ESO

Turn the BFG Nerf into an Upgrade by trading in your Oakensoul Ring for Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet!  This build takes advantage of the “on either bar” passive buffs to make a decent one-bar setup for your front bar, with solid survivability options on the backbar.

If you do not have access to that mythic, you can still try this build out with Balorgh or Molag Kena for a conditional Weapon and Spell damage boost. Or, simply use 1-piece from two different monster sets that give +129 Weapon/Spell Damage. If you have Mighty Chudan this will instead give you that last bit of Oakensoul Ring tanky boost that this build lacks.

Base Class: This assumes Arcanist, so you can benefit from [Class Mastery] on Banner Bearer for an extra crux, and for a steady stream of Ultimate when you have a crux. That said, this could work with Templar or Nightblade, with alternate Banner Signature scripts of [Sage's Remedy] for a heal over time or [Warmage's Defense] for a damage shield.

Race: High Elf may be Best in Slot thanks to Spell Recharge triggering Harnessed Quintessence  for an extra 284 Weapon/Spell damage every time you trigger a skill. But that's just gilding an already blooming lily if you keep up with your own synergy on Luminous Shards.  Any race works, but if you're chasing the margin, races that give a boost to weapon/spell damage or crit do a little better. That said, the tankier races can last longer soloing tougher content.

Mundus: [The Thief] for that extra crit-tastic boost

Gear: All Medium armor, Divines trait, Stamina enchant. Jewelry is Bloodthirsty with Increase Magical Harm, to help keep up Banner Bearer magicka usage given that your points are all in Stamina.

• Mythic: Velothi Ur-Mage's Amulet for Minor Force (+10% crit damage), and unnamed buffs of a hefty 1650 boost to Penetration and 15% damage to all monsters.
• Monster: Nerien'eth or another +Weapon and Spell Damage; could switch to Armor of the Trainee if you find you really need a little more health
• Set 1: Deadly Strike for weapon/spell damage, crit chance, and a 15% boost to DOT and Channeled attacks, the latter of which includes your beam
• Set 2: Tide-Born Wildstalker for weapon/spell damage, penetration, crit, and another +12% damage to direct attacks, which also includes your beam
• Weapon: Lightning Staff, for the destruction staff passives Elemental Force (increased status effect) and Ancient Knowledge for yet another +12% to your direct damage and channeled abilities… which again includes your beam
  • Recommended Glyph: [Glyph of Poison]

Playing

1. (Optional) Backbar: Activate Recuperative Treatise and try to keep it up for optimal damage and sustain
2. Main Bar: Throw Reaper's Mark onto your main target, or a squishy target when you want to heal to full and get Major Berserk for an extra +10% damage for 10 seconds
3. Throw down Luminous Shards below your target/trash group
   • Remember to trigger the synergy for your own sustain, and to trigger Harnessed Quintessence with that sweet 284 Weapon and Spell Damage
   • This also triggers the Spear Wall passive for Minor Berserk and Minor Protection for 6 seconds
4. Use Cephaliarch's Flail, twice if you need to for 3 crux
   • This triggers Fated Fortune, increasing your Critical Damage & Healing by 12%
5. Throw out a quick Light Attack for ultimate and to build up charges for Merciless Resolve on your backbar
   • This also has a small chance to apply your damage glyph
6. Pragmatic Fatecarver beamtastically
7. Soul Harvest when ready, which will be often thanks to the “nerf” to [Class Mastery]

When You're Hurting:

1. Remember Reaper's Mark heals you to full when the target drops
2. Keep up the light attack habit so Merciless Resolve accrues stacks, and trigger it in melee range for a heal
3. Ulfsild's Contingency and Soul Burst are on your backbar for just such an occasion – don't skimp on them!
   • These also can help you pocket heal in a PUG. All that crit-tastic boost to your damage will help your heals, too!

Further Customization

With three whole scribed skills in your build, you have a ton of options to customize this build to your specific playstyle. For example: 

• If you need a Cleanse, Soul Burst can drop the heal over time from [Sage's Remedy] and use [Crusader's Defense] to cleanse 1 effect.
• If you are using your back bar often, you can move the Minor Courage script from Banner Bearer to Soul Burst and add Minor Heroism to your Banner. 
• If you are using Templar or Nightblade as a base, Minor Heroism on the Banner will also help replace the lack of ultimate from Oakensoul or the Arcanist's Class Mastery… but only if you are getting Minor Courage from elsewhere (such as Soul Burst).
• If you play in groups with strong healers, Soul Burst can instead use the [Shock] script for more lightning damage, which may apply [Concussion] and therefore apply Minor Vulnerability for 4 seconds… if your group isn't already laying it down.