Winter's Dawn - 57k@3M, OneBar, Solo, Ultimate spam W13T2: WoE(Solo2: fewer enemies) - Gardien Construire PvE - ESO

• Build Concept
• Core Mechanic
• Situations
• CP(Slottable)
• Skill Swap
• Gear Set & Alternatives
• Training Dummy
• Tips / Addon Advice

Build Concept

This build operates in two main ways:
A. Standard Frost Oaken Build
B. Ultimate AoE Chill Build
Players can freely adjust the build's focus between A and B.
This guide will primarily focus on the AoE Chill Build (Point B).

For example, this build has recently been used to nearly solo Ghishzor(Event Version) without relying on stacking outside the walls (and also all Solstice WBs and Apocrypha WBs).
In this particular battle, Permafrost's uptime was near 90% at its peak". (Permafrost means Sleet Storm's morph.)

※ (In-game tooltip) Permafrost: dealing 650 Frost Damage every 1 second for 13 seconds to enemies around you and reducing their Movement Speed by 70% and applying the Chilled status effect.

Previous Build with a similar concept: 
Ice Dancer
https://eso-hub.com/en/builds/shinntarou4649/9d28b7fa-b7b2-4305-a595-3c243853d1b1/ice-dancerone-bar-solo-cheap-gear-can-vet-arenasbefore-subclass-no-more-updated
※ I'll change the build's access from public to 'only accessible to people who know the link.' It's outdated. 

Core Mechanic

The Chill status effect is the most critical component of this build's performance.
Chill triggers Baron Zaudrus, which is essential for cycling your Ultimate ability. 

Permafrost, Arctic Blast, and Elemental Susceptibility apply Chill.
Shimmering Shield, Prism, Restoring Spirit, and Savage Beast provide a direct boost to Ultimate.
All three relevant class skill lines—Animal Companions, Winter's Embrace, and Dawn's Wrath—are tightly interwoven and mutually dependent.

Simply put, this build can only truly spam its Ultimate skill when using Permafrost. 
I think the build is fun to play. 
Warden is fun.

Situations

• Melee range:
  Set your skills, focus on the main enemy, and guard.
  Frost staff LA weaving can be extremely solid(LClick → Push skill button(LA animation cancellation) → RClick guard (Skill animation cancellation)). Even though you are attacking, you can guard most attacks until your magicka runs out.
  If Magicka is low, perform HA weaving (LHold → HA start → HA launch & LRelease & Push skill button → RClick guard). You gain a shield and magicka.
  Frost build is advantageous during a resource-draining battle. This is why Frost build is strong against WB.
  ※ For this specific aspect, HA Sorc is better than this Frost build. Sergeant's Mail's HA damage and class skill combo can yield more DPS and a greater shield.
• Out of Melee Range / Running in Melee range:
  In glorious battle, sometimes you must run around the battlefield to handle mechanics, to avoid deadly attacks, and so on. Warden's skills perform well in the situation. 
  Cast Subterranean Assault and run; after 3 seconds, turn back to face the enemies. Spamming Blue Betty removes your negative effects and heals you via Bond with Nature. Crystallized Shield is the best shield for dealing with ranged attacks.
  Warden's skills can continue dealing damage to enemies and easily counter escape prevention mechanics (such as [Tanking aim], snare effects) if you are running around.
  In my opinion, some commonly used high-DPS solo builds(Sergeant's Mail HA, Ring of the Pale Order Beam) slightly lack these properties.

CP(Slottable)

• [Deadly Aim] & [Master-at-Arms]: Basic options. Chill is a type of “Direct damage” and “Single target” effect. If you really need another star for any reason, [Deadly Aim](Single Target) should be rejected first due to other main damage sources(Subterranean Assault).
• [Reaving Blows]: This star is effective in this build because the majority of your damage comes from Direct Damage sources. In most cases, the heal value nearly equals that of Living Dark.
  2025/11/9 Confirmed Chill NEVER triggers Reaving Blows.
• [Occult Overload]: This is a good potential source of damage for only one slot. It also applies other status effects.
• [Siphoning Spells] & [Shield Master]: As enemies become stronger, your Magicka depletes faster due to the need for longer periods of guarding and more frequent casting of Shimmering Shield. [Rejuvenation] can't solve the problem.

Skill Swap

The Weapon skill and Subterranean Assault are considered fixed. I recommend keeping the 3rd to 5th skill slots easily swappable.

3rd Skill

• Living Dark: A defensive option.
• Power of the Light: An offensive option.

4th skill

• Blue Betty: Offensive. Removing negative effects is important when fighting DoT-heavy enemies (e.g., Dragons). Spam Netch!
• Shimmering Shield: For Ultimate. In 1vMany situations, this skill can perform well.

5th skill

• Arctic Blast: Default choice. It provides AoE Direct Damage and Self-Healing. To maximize Baron Zaudrus's performance, you should maintain the uptime of at least one Chill-applying skill at all times.
• Torchbearer([Chilling Torch]): Stamina cost AoE skill. If you want to save Magicka and if Permafrost's uptime is high enough, Banish the Wicked earns Ultimate nearly equal to Arctic Blast.
• Winter's Revenge: Ranged Chillable skill, proccing every 1 second (compared to Arctic Blast's 2 seconds). Due to Baron Zaudrus's 1-second cooldown, using both Arctic Blast and Winter's Revenge simultaneously is not efficient for this build.
• Radiant Oppression: If you are in party. You can deal the highest Maximum damage, but the average DPS doesn't change much.

Ultimate

• Permafrost: Default for 1vX.
• Wild Guardian: Default for DD.
• Eternal Guardian: 
  Because the build doesn't have skills that heal your ally, an auto-respawn bear is a good choice.
  Additionally, the execution damage bonus is higher than that of Wild Guardian. If you are aiming for the highest dummy score, the bear is probably optimal.

Weapon Skill / Scribing Skill's Tweak / Etc

• Elemental Susceptibility: Major Breach, Status effects*3 per 7.5sec.
  As you know, recasting the skill on the same enemy reapplies 3 status effects. Therefore, the skill is a little bit of a DPS skill for solo.
• Destructive Reach: Status effect*1, grants 600 weapon/magic damage(via Perfected Destructive Impact)
• Crushing Shock: Status effect*3 per 2casts (by Concentrated Force)
• Subterranean Assault:
  In my opinion, considering the conditions(PvE, magicka build), Deep Fissure is rarely required. It's also important to adjust recast times to match Power of the Light's 6-second duration. Deep Fissure's recast time is 9 seconds.
• Soul Burst([Chilling Burst]): Affix: Interrupt
• Torchbearer([Chilling Torch]): Signature: Class mastery
  You would better setting at least one Class Mastery skill on your bar when facing severe battles. The specific skill that carries the signature is not important.
  I usually use the affix slot for Minor Breach. If you love Deep Fissure, an Affix such as Minor Resolve or something else is better. Consider your penetration and the content you plan to run.

Penetration
Overland .. 9100, Dragons … 13650, Instanced … 18200, IA … 9100 or 18200(Arc Final Boss)
https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Infinite_Archive
https://hyperioxes.com/eso/tools/penetration-calculator

• Default(7 light Tide-Born Wildstalker + Major Breach): 8761 + 5948 = 14709 (17683 with Minor Breach)
• WoE(Perfected Wrath of Elements + Major Breach): 9951 + 5948 = 15899 (18873 with Minor Breach)
• Heavy(1 light + Major Breach + Minor Breach): 1639 + 5948 + 2974 = 10561

Gear Set & Alternatives

5Set

• Tide-Born Wildstalker: for Solo, DD in PT. Offensive. Trait: Divines Enchant: Magicka
  This is the best damage set for this build because the majority of your damage comes from Direct Damage sources.
• Heartland Conqueror: for IA, Defensive. Trait: Sturdy Enchant: TriStat
  I recommend creating the heavy pieces of this set. The set can play multiple roles via your weapon trait. 
  If the Charged trait is used, the effect increases from 235% to 470%. If the Decisive trait is used, it accelerates your Ultimate cycle. In this build, alternative sets are required to boost Chill or boost Ultimate. If you spare the gear, you don't need to bring additionally other sets(Akaviri Dragonguard Glacial Guardian Symmetry of the Weald).
• Frostbite: Outdated. 
  If you convert to the set from Tide-Born Wildstalker, your 3Mdummy score will drop by about 2k.

Weapon Set

• Blessing of the Potentates: Enchant: Absorb Magicka Trait: Decisive
  Against many enemies. 
• Vengeance Leech: Enchant: Frost Trait: Decisive
  Sometimes, you don't need to actively generate ultimate(e.g. in case IA's Verse generates ultimate enough).
• Perfected Wrath of Elements: Enchant: Frost Trait: Charged
  For fewer enemies (or Single Target). Of course, the overall DPS without Ultimate is better than that of Potentates.
• Perfected Destructive Impact: Enchant: Frost Trait: Precise
  For pure DPS. 
• Concentrated Force: Enchant: Frost Trait: Decisive
  Low DPS and high cost. However, if you need both DPS and interrupt, it is probably better than other weapons with Crushing Shock or Soul Burst.

Monster Set

• Iceheart: for PT, Non-Ult, Offensive. Enchant: Magicka
  Considering Glacial Presence, it is the best choice for this build's damage profile.
• Baron Zaudrus: for Ult. Enchant: TriStat
  I feel that if Permafrost's uptime is about 70% over, Baron's DPS is better than Iceheart's.

Jewelry

• Armor of the Trainee: Trait: Infused Enchant: Weapon damage
  Use one or two pieces. You can gain the set bonus from only a single Trainee piece. Additionally, the value of the set bonus itself is higher than that of other sets.
• Eagle Eye: Trait: Bloodthirsty Enchant: Weapon damage
  Use two pieces. Any 2-piece set providing Critical Chance is acceptable.

Required Gear: 15 items, 11 equipped slots and 4 inventory items
Oaken 1, Tideborn 5, Trainee 2, Baron Zaudrus 2, Iceheart 2, Potentates 2, Destructive Impact 1.
Optional Inventory Gear: 13 inventory slots
HeavyArms(Heartland) 5, Vengeance Leech 2,  Wrath of Elements 1, Concentrated Force 1, Eagle Eye 2, Baron Zaudrus(Heavy) 2.

Training Dummy

57k on a 3M dummy (Destructive touch). See Screenshot (SS).

For beginners, I must stress that the dummy score is strictly for reference purposes. These dummy scores were recorded in ideal training dummy conditions.

※ [Backstabber] only works better than [Fighting Finesse] when the tank perfectly taunts the boss and the DD remains behind the boss at all times. Deep Fissure & Fetcher Infection are redundant in PT because common tanks apply Major Breach, Minor Breach, and Minor Vulnerability. If these abilities were excluded, the dummy score would drop to 50k; however, your DPS in real PT probably won't drop. (if you use these skills, your DPS in PT won't rise significantly.) 
The difference in DPS reflects the cost of being able to adapt to different situations and ensure safety in real boss battles.

※ In my experience, using a lightning staff tends to boost the DPS by about 2k-3k.

Tips / Addon Advice

Skill Swapping
This build is designed for the player to adjust the Weapon, the 3rd to 5th skills, and the Ultimate based on the content. 
To facilitate swapping, I created multiple Dressing Room presets, each containing only one specific skill.
See the image for an example. (Potentates Page, Tips: How to swap skills quickly (Dressing Room))

Dressing Room 2018
https://www.esoui.com/downloads/info1911-DressingRoom2018.html