Elder Scrolls Online Witches Festival 2023: Event Guide and Rewards

Seeking breakthroughs should be something that any MMORPG that wants to persist in operation must do. Even if the current game development trend is good, it will soon be eliminated by other competitors without maintenance and updates. That is why, in the current prosperous game market, the classic MMORPG Elder Scrolls Online follows the rules and trends and ushered in a new era of its own in 2025. As the first year after the game held its 10th anniversary event, 2025 has naturally become the best time node for ESO developers to implement various new plans. In fact, at the end of last year, the game gradually announced a number of new plans, such as the game update mode changed from a major annual update to a new season every few months, and the plan will be implemented through the launch of update 45 and the new DLC Fallen Banners. As time goes by, three or four days ago on March 10th, you can finally start to experience update 45 and the new DLC in ESO first through the PC/Mac platform (Xbox and PlayStation login will have to wait until March 26th). It is worth noting that update 45 is free for all subscribed players, but the new DLC has changed the old mechanism and needs to be obtained separately. Therefore, in order to help you consider whether to experience this DLC, we will focus on introducing you to the overview of the two dungeons in it. DLC Fallen Banners Overview The two new PVE dungeons in Fallen Banners DLC are Lep Seclusa and Exiled Redoubt. Although their exclusive plots are different, they have something in common: they will reward you with ESO Gold or other items necessary for playing the game after you complete the relevant tasks. Generally speaking, as long as you are a subscriber to Elder Scrolls Online, you can enjoy all DLC for free before, but perhaps due to the chain reaction caused by changes in the seasonal update mechanism and other aspects, you must currently have an ESO Plus membership to access the dungeons in Fallen Banners. Or you can just wait and see until the developers reveal other ways to get the DLC during ESO Direct on April 10. Dungeon 1 Lep Seclusa Most PVE dungeons in RPGs have a storyline all their own, and Lep Seclusa is no exception. It’s actually home to a little-known group of Redguard monks called Hel Netu, who have long been dedicated to erasing any knowledge of Hel Netu from the rest of Tamriel, making Lep Seclusa the perfect place to hide Elder Scrolls. It’s a method that worked for a long time, as Tamriel all but forgot about Lep Seclusa, Hel Netu, and the mysterious scrolls they held. But as you might guess, there are no secrets that last forever. As the dungeon content unfolds, Orpheon the Tactician and his deserter army have somehow learned about Lep Seclusa, and they believe that the prophecy on the scroll hidden here is the key to their control of Ruby Throne and the empire, so they will use all means to obtain the scroll, and what you have to do is to stop Orpheon and his army when they attack and defend Lep Seclusa with Moth Priests together. Dungeon 2 Exiled Redoubt Unlike Lep Seclusa’s own mysterious story, the relevant plot of Exiled Redoubt is much simpler and the difficulty level will be more friendly. Exiled Redoubt is the underground fortress of a former noble Cato Albus in ESO. He seems to be planning some ulterior conspiracy here, because the plot will tell you that many Alliance War veterans have disappeared here. What you have to do next is to fight in the dungeon with Battlemage Lucilla while investigating, find out the reason for the disappearance of veterans, and crush Cato Albus’s plan. After completing the dungeon, you will receive gold, unique dye, a monster mask, and three armor sets for each class of equipment as rewards. Don’t Miss ESO Direct! In order to let players know the next plan of the game in 2025, as well as the effects and feedback of the recent update rhythm and content changes, Elder Scrolls Online plans to hold an ESO Direct starting at 3:00 pm on Thursday, April 10. The reason why you are recommended not to miss this Direct and related programs is that on the one hand, it should reveal more new information about Fallen Banners DLC, as well as some content related to update 46; on the other hand, after watching the Direct and the program, you will have the opportunity to get Twitch Drops, including 150% XP scrolls for watching the live broadcast for 15 minutes and Skill Respecification scrolls for watching the program for 30 minutes. In addition, the one-year ESO 10th anniversary celebration, which started in April last year, has not yet ended, so the event will announce the bonus code set in this live broadcast, which you can use to redeem the 10th anniversary exclusive monkey pet in the game! In short, whether you are a new or old player of ESO, 2025 is definitely the year you should pay the most attention and energy to the game. I hope you can have a great gaming experience!

Some time ago, ZeniMax, the developer of Elder Scrolls Online, announced that this game, which has been released for more than ten years, will introduce a very big change in 2025, that is, abandoning the previous Chapters and turning to a Seasonal System that is updated every 3-6 months, and no longer yearly expansions. As soon as this news came out, ESO immediately became the focus of discussion among players. Some loyal players of this game find it difficult to accept such frequent updates to the game content, thinking that this will make the entire game with a very deep foundation become neither fish nor fowl. Other players who strive to try new things strongly support this improvement, because it will add a lot of theme story content, activities, store items and dungeons to ESO, and will also give players more fresh game experience. But in fact, this controversial change will greatly revitalize this long-standing massively multiplayer online role-playing game, because it will not only give players who originally explored it a high-quality gaming experience, but also make some players who have never tried Elder Scrolls series of games interested in it and even start exploring it. For Original Players As just introduced, after Elder Scrolls Online is updated with the Seasonal System, you will have more new gaming experiences every 3-6 months, such as the currently confirmed Cyrodiil and some zones in the base game, which will provide you with some new tasks and activities, so that you can farm ESO Gold or items in the fresh game content. In addition, each new content added is permanent, and you don’t have to worry about all the tasks, stories and new areas being deleted after the season ends when exploring in games like Diablo 4. So even if you unfortunately miss one season, you will not miss all the new content in that season. Some players may worry that all the new content promised by the developers will not be released all at once in the latest update, so that players may need to spend more time waiting for the next seasonal game content. This is actually completely unnecessary, because ZeniMax has publicly stated that a large new continent will be added to ESO intermittently, so we can fully expect this very courageous developer to bring a new area with high quality for players to explore in the following year. In Seasonal System that ESO will use this year, you will not only see the addition of new game content but also the return of some familiar characters, such as Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, Fighters Guild and other organizations, as well as their more content related to the existing storyline. What’s more, the game tools and functions that the original ESO players have always criticized have also been solved to a certain extent with the help of Seasonal System, such as the performance issues of the guilds and Cyrodiil that have been requested to be added. At this stage, Elder Scrolls Online Direct has been confirmed to start on April 10, so these detailed changes and the game content in Season 1 may not be revealed until then. For New Players In fact, in the community of this massively multiplayer online role-playing game, you can often see some players who have never tried this series of games expressing their interest in exploring it, but they were usually discouraged by the huge amount of game content in this game before. But with the new Seasonal System, these new players will have an easier time exploring ESO, because the shorter update content will allow players to only focus on the new content added in this season, instead of having to explore the current updated chapter and all the game content added before, which is a huge workload. More importantly, after more than ten years of refinement, Elder Scrolls Online has become a very mature game. It will listen to players’ opinions and suggestions in a timely manner and make corrections to ensure that its player base will not be lost. For example, the performance of PVP that players have been calling for has been modified recently, as well as the wrong achievements such as Ascending Tide Scout, etc. So you can have a very comfortable game experience of farming ESO Gold or grinding experience points in it, because it is tailor made for players. Additionally, Elder Scrolls Online in 2025 will have a better onboarding system and some guidance, allowing these new players to dive into this fantastic MMO after their first try, something that many long-standing MMOs have not realized. In general, Seasonal System introduced by Elder Scrolls Online in 2025 may make some long-time players uncomfortable, but this is also a very correct change made by this old game to adapt to the current game market. We can indeed look forward to whether the addition of this system will make the entire game more vibrant. I wish you a happy game!

Welcome, fellow players! This time, I'll be reviewing some of the tank-related changes that appear in the upcoming Gold Road chapter in the patch notes of Elder Scrolls Online. Let me start by telling you that the Necromancer's Restoring Tether ability is receiving a 14% healing boost, aiming to align it more closely with similar healing abilities according to ESO spreadsheets. Blood Magic The Sorcerer's Blood Magic also receives a significant buff. Previously, this passive restored 10% of max HP whenever you dealt damage with a dark magic ability. From a tank's perspective, this meant you'd only proc Crystal Weapon, and then your next 2 light attacks would heal you for 10% of max HP. Now, it triggers whenever you cast a non-free dark magic ability. While it's a slight nerf for Crystal Weapon as it only procs once per cast instead of twice, you'll now also heal for 10% whenever you cast Firebrand, Shout, Dark Deal, and Daedric Refuge, which adds up, especially since Dark Deal and Vibrant Shroud already provide healing. Ayleid Refuge Let's begin with a discussion on sets, starting with the Ayleid Refuge. This heavy set, obtainable from Overland in West Wield, offers an intriguing perk: an 11% damage reduction for 3 seconds after blocking an attack. It's worth noting that tanks typically shy away from defensive item sets, largely because of the lack of compelling options in this category. However, the Ayleid Refuge shows some promise, albeit modest. While additional damage mitigation against blockable attacks may seem redundant, the set's potential lies in its ability to mitigate damage from other sources, such as DoT effects, following a successful block. Therefore, while it may not revolutionize tanking strategies, it could still prove beneficial in certain encounters. Lucent Echoes The next set I'll introduce is Lucent Echoes, originating from the new trial Lucent Citadel. Above 50% HP, it boosts allies' critical damage and healing by 11%. Below 50% HP, it grants a hefty 20% damage mitigation buff to the wearer. It's also essential to prepare for some ESO Gold in advance before the new chapter. This set may replace the Elemental Catalyst in trial compositions. While its crit damage bonus is slightly lower than Elemental Catalyst's potential 15%, it's manageable since some groups only require crit damage from 2 elements. With Lucent Echoes, we're at 101% of the crit damage cap of 125%. Arcanists reach 12% from Fated Fortune passive, while Wardens achieve similar values with 3 Animal Companions abilities. Templars and Nightblades gain 10% crit damage from class passives, reaching the cap with 7 medium pieces. Xoryn's Masterpiece Everything discussed regarding the replacement of the Elemental Catalyst remains valid. Xoryn's Masterpiece, the light healer set from the new trial, is unlikely to be utilized on tanks, but I included it for consideration as fitting support sets in team compositions is a collaborative effort. While it may occasionally land on a tank, its primary function is to grant 1,667 max stamina and magicka to all allies within 28 meters, equivalent to 158 weapon and spell damage. This makes it a weaker version of the Perfected Vestment of Olorime. Rourken Steamguards Next, let's discuss the Rourken Steamguards. While they might initially seem useless, the concept behind them was fascinating, despite their poor execution. These Mythic gloves introduce a Parrying mechanic to blocking, rewarding players for raising their block right before an attack hits. Ideally, this mechanic would be an innate part of ESO combat rather than limited to a Mythic item. However, the issue lies because this Mythic only grants increased damage mitigation for a brief period. At that point, it seems more efficient to dodge the attack entirely. A successful Parrying mechanic with Mythic should offer additional benefits, such as resource restoration, buffs, or enemy debuffs, rather than just providing a temporary damage reduction. The 10-second cooldown further diminishes its effectiveness, as players would need to refrain from blocking for a significant period.

As the year draws to a close, Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) enthusiasts can look forward to enhancing their in-game homes with an array of captivating items from the December 2023 Crown Store. The curated selection, available for a limited time, promises to transform your virtual abode into a realm of aesthetic wonders. Let's delve into the exclusive offerings awaiting Tamriel's residents: 1. Exclusive Free Items: Painting - The Endless Library   - Depicting one of the countless studies within the Endless Library of Hermaeus Mora.   - Free for ESO Plus Members from November 22, 2023, to January 4, 2024. 2. Furnishing Pack: Druidic Gathering (Available: Dec 21, 2023, to Jan 4, 2024)   - Immerse yourself in nature's glory with lush foliage, rustic huts, and outdoor furnishings.   - Create a space for wild celebration in your ESO home. 3. Furnishing Pack: Dwarven Pipes (Available: Dec 7 to Dec 21, 2023)   - Add a touch of Deep Elf ambiance with Dwarven pipes, ducts, and conduits.   - Exclusive discount for ESO Plus Members. 4. Furnishing Pack: Forge-Lord’s Great Works (Available: Dec 7 to Dec 21, 2023)   - Channel Dwarven pride with furnishings inspired by the Forsaken Red Mountain.   - Exclusive discount for ESO Plus Members. 5. Furnishing Pack: New Life Festival (Available: Dec 11, 2023, to Jan 3, 2024)   - Welcome the festive season with New Life decorations, including ice sculptures and hearths.   - Exclusive discount for ESO Plus Members. 6. Houseguests: Hildegard and Kor (Available: Dec 21, 2023, to Jan 4, 2024)   - Host the Dark Brotherhood duo and explore Hildegard's dual nature and Kor's life experiences. 7. Houseguests: Stibbons (Available: Dec 7 to Dec 21, 2023)   - Offer a respite to the long-suffering Stibbons, Lady Laurent's servant.   - ESO Plus Members enjoy an exclusive discount. 8. Houses: Enchanted Snow Globe Home (Available: Dec 11, 2023, to Jan 3, 2024)   - Experience a miniature Snow Globe Home with a perpetual gentle snowfall.   - Available in furnished and unfurnished versions. 9. Houses: Gladesong Arboretum (Available: Dec 21, 2023, to Jan 4, 2024)   - Immerse yourself in the soothing sounds of a waterfall and druidic settlement.   - Available in furnished and unfurnished versions. 10. Houses: Stone Eagle Aerie (Available: Dec 4 to Dec 21, 2023)    - Enjoy breathtaking views above Markarth with water features and Dwarven stonework.    - Available in furnished and unfurnished versions. 11. Music Box: A Frost Melt Melody (Available: Dec 11, 2023, to Jan 3, 2024)    - Activate a music box playing the traditional New Life Festival song.    - Exclusive discount for ESO Plus Members. 12. Music Box: Deeproot Dirge (Available: Dec 21, 2023, to Jan 4, 2024)    - Activate a music box playing the meditative "Deeproot" composition.    - Exclusive discount for ESO Plus Members. 13. Tree: Seasons of Y’ffre (Available: Dec 21, 2023, to Jan 4, 2024)    - Embrace seasonal transitions with the Tree of Y’ffre, adjusting to spring, summer, fall, or winter.    - Exclusive discount for ESO Plus Members. Prepare to adorn your ESO home with these enchanting additions. Mark the release dates on your calendar and dive into the world of Elder Scrolls Online's December 2023 Crown Store offerings!