Of the four Trial Elder Scrolls Online armor sets introduced with the High Isle Chapter, the Pearlescent Ward is the most obviously geared towards Tanks. It has decent lead-up equip bonuses for Health and defenses, and a full set bonus with two effects that scale on an odd statistic: the number of living players in the party.
While the set does depend on your fellow group members dying, the two effects of the Pearlescent Ward set reduce the impact on the rest of the party when someone dies, and enhance their effectiveness if everyone stays alive. It's an Elder Scrolls Online armor set with a very unique effect, one worth testing out with your group's Tank in Trials and dungeons where players regularly die.
Pearlescent Ward Set Bonuses and Effects
|
2 Pieces |
3 Pieces |
4 Pieces |
5 Pieces |
Perfected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
+1206 Max Health |
Grants Minor Aegis |
4% increase to Healing Received |
The entire party gains Pearlescent Ward, which increases Weapon and Spell Damage based on the number of living group members and reduces Incoming Damage based on how many are dead |
+1206 Max Health |
The Pearlescent Ward armor set is a Heavy armor set with a full equip bonus that changes based on the number of group members still alive. With two pieces equipped, players gain 1206 Max Health, while three pieces equipped grants the Minor Aegis passive to reduce incoming damage by 5% in Arenas, Dungeons, and Trials. The full set bonus is a bit more complicated.
Every party member of a player with a full Pearlescent Ward set gains the Pearlescent Ward passive. Based on the number of living group members, this passive increases Weapon and Spell damage. On the other end, it reduces incoming damage by up to 66% based on the number of group members that are dead. Because the set relies on something as important as keeping group members alive, a Tank's main goal with this set should be to grant extra damage to your party members. The reduction in damage based on dead group members is just a nice bonus.
How To Get The Pearlescent Ward Armor Set
The Pearlescent Ward armor set is one of four High Isle armor sets that can be acquired in the Dreadsail Reef Trial. Dreadsail Reef, located in the northwest of High Isle itself within the High Isle and Amenos zone, was added with the High Isle Chapter and can only be completed with a group - but you won't find it in Dungeon Finder. Pieces to the Pearlescent Ward armor set drop throughout the Trial, from each of the three major Bosses in Dreadsail Reef.
The Perfected version of this set, and all Trial-based armor sets, can be acquired by completing the harder version of Dreadsail Reef - Veteran Dreadsail Reef. Enemies hit harder, have more health, sometimes gain new moves, and the Trial's difficulty in general is much harder. Only attempt to get the Perfected version of this set with a well-geared party that knows the Trial in and out.
The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Stadia, and Xbox One and Series X|S