Update: With U51 now in the works Ele Sus has been given a fairly expensive Magicka cost. As our sustain is already fragile we'll be swapping to Crushing Shock on the backbar instead. This will offer utility in ranged interrupt and still reliably proc all four (Burning, Chilled, Concussed, and Overcharged from the enchant) in one weave at a lower cost.
We're stacking raw damage and letting Onslaught carry the penetration. Even then after Force of Nature and Deep Fissure we're sitting at about 14k penetration, so we can still kill without an ult. Warden is innately a critical based class, but has terrible crit chance, so the Thief mundus will push us to 35.5% crit chance which is plenty. If you want more crit chance drop nirnhoned and go precise. I've tested both and it works just as well so it's your preference of consistency vs. potency.
We're running Green Keeper's Hide for the raw percentage mitigation. It's extremely potent and the quality of life on Warden is insanely different without it. I would say this is non-negotiable.
Nibenay because damage is high, DK wings are everywhere, and it negates Leaps. We chose this over Chudan because not only do we lose the minor protection from our Ice Fortress we lose the Major Maim passive it provides on the backbar. And no, we can't slot Northern Storm for the passive because Bear is giving us 20% recovery on the backbar. I've done a lot of testing and this was the best bar setup I could muster. Not having the Bear ult on the backbar is extremely noticeable when your sustain drops on the backbar. 20% is huge. If we ever don't have to rely on status effects we could simply drop Ele Sus, but that defeats the entire purpose of Warden right now.
Gryphon's Ferocity to hit the 125% crit cap and the extra movement speed is crucial for Warden for mobility. A slow Warden is a dead Warden.
Serpent's Disdain because the devs forced it upon Warden, so here we are. Best class mastery uptime. There is no alternative for now.
Monomyth because damage and major protection. We can't hit crit cap without it, and we're stacking a LOT of percentage based mitigaton which is why we can afford to let our resistances a little below 30k. The minor vitality is also nice since Warden's self healing is pretty meek.
Charged Absorb Magicka enchant on the backbar because the magic sustain is rough without it. One prismatic recovery on the jewelry is crucial, and if you're not comfortable with Warden I'd suggest at least two prismatic recoveries.
Orzorga's Smoked Bear Haunch for HP stacking as this greatly buffs our Polar Wind burst heal and the HoT it gives. If your sustain is still feeling wonky I'd suggest using blue drinks like Honest Lassie Honey Tea and shuffle around your Attribute Points to whatever feels comfortable for you.
No, it can't 1v1 DKs or WWs. Warden has a lot of issues currently, but the sustain and crit chance are pretty bad so we have to cater to them for now. Cross your fingers for a 2027 rework