No one gets out of ESO alive without potions, but lucky you, we have pulled together a vetted “Best of the Best” list to see you through all of your scariest battles. Each potion listed you will be able to make yourself once you can make 4-part recipes, so start hunting ingredients and spending skill points in Alchemy now. If you are not quite to that level yet ( Level 50, CP 150 for these), never be afraid to reach out in Area Chat to see if you can purchase them or commission them to be made by someone with more alchemical experience. BONUS: The recipes given here have few if any of the negative side-effects that other ingredients might bring to the table.
10. Essence of Detection
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“Oh, so you’re using Detection now, huh? So glad I put on pants today.” – Neal the Necro
This is probably not the potion you need when you are facing down an entire battle hoard, but it will definitely help you sniff out those pesky Night Blades lurking in the shadows. So if and when you find yourself being lacerated by some unseen attacker, swallow one of these for sure. Along with a solvent of high enough quality, combine these other three ingredients:
Corn Flower
Torchbug Thorax
Lady’s Smock
What you will then experience is the sudden ability to see further and also that which is hiding from you. *Poof!* Watch out, Night Blades! Here is a list of all the tasty abilities Essence of Detection will give you:
Increase Stealth Detection by 20 meters for 15.7 seconds
Grants Major Sorcery (Increased Spell Damage by 20% for 47.6 Seconds)
Restores 7582 Magicka restored immediately
Grants Major Intellect (Increased Magicka Recovery by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
9. Essence of Armor
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Francis didn’t know what he was more excited about: The 25 Essence of Armor jingling in his pocket or the 8 seasons of Letterkenny he had to go home to.
There is a big, bad boss-type who has been kicking your rear and maybe you just don’t feel like getting pummeled for the eighty-millionth time. Never fear, you have a couple of Essences of Armor burning a hole in the bottom of your knapsack. Popping one of these will allow you to get closer to him to deal some actual damage, watch! The ingredients we’re using with our solvent this go, are:
Nightshade
Mudcrab Chitin
Mountain Flower or Imp Stool, (your choice)
This is one of the very few of the high-potency potions included in this list that has any physical drawbacks, but you will have to tango with Minor Defile, which has reduced healing effects. Truthfully, that is such a small price for both the Resolve and the Protection you receive:
Grants Major Resolve (Physical Resistance increased by 5280 for 47.6 seconds)
Grants Minor Protection (Reduced Damage taken by 8% for 15.7 seconds)
Grants Minor Defile ( Reduces Healing by 15% for duration of 45 second cool-down)
8. Essence of Speed
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Leopold takes Essence of Speed as a supplement so he can run as fast as he did for his High School track team.
This one goes out to anyone rocking the light-armor, to those extra-speedy Khajiits, and yes, even those faster-than-light Knightblades, too! You all have a need for speed that few understand, but someone did because here is your “lightning in a bottle”:, also known as Essence of Speed. Because those whom stand still for too long get cut to bits and caught on fire. Here is the recipe you need in order to win the race:
Blessed Thistle
Dragonthorn
Namira’s Rot or Scrib Jelly (dealer’s choice)
Now that you have turned your head back and emptied the contents of your dram or bottle, I bet you’re ready to zoom around those bigger, slower, heavier opponents, right? For those in PVE and PVP, this may appear to be the liquid version of the popular Assault Spell, Rapid Manuever – affectionately known as “Rapids”- but it is not. It is so much more, as you can see for yourself:
Grants Major Expedition (Movement Speed increased by 30% for 47.6 seconds)
Grants Major Brutality (Weapon Damage increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 7582 Stamina Immediately
Grants Major Endurance (Stamina increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
7. Essence of Weapon Critical
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Ed just loves swinging his Warhammer. “Swingy, swingy, swing!”
Ask an honest question about Weapon Critical in an ESO forum, and it is going to become very obvious that our friends, the Nightblades, do stand to benefit the most from it. That being said, any build would benefit from having an Essence of Weapon Critical. What this does in gameplay is increases the player’s chance or widens the window of opportunity, for a critical hit or possibly even death blow. The “Death Blow” recipe includes:
Dragonthorn
Water Hyacinth
Mountain Flower
On second look, this is an incredibly powerful little cocktail, granting the player Major Savagery and Endurance, plus replenishing the stat bars of both Health and Stamina. And while general consensus thinks it’s an elixir for the NBs, everyone should have at least a few of these stuffed somewhere. See for yourself:
Grants Major Savagery (Weapon Critical increased for 2191 for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 8369 Health immediately
Grants Major Fortitude (Health Recovery increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 7582 Stamina Immediately
Grants Major Endurance (Stamina Recovery increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
6. Essence of Spell Critical
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“Dang it! I hope no one saw me do that!” - Jason the Magcro, the night of his first arrest.
Much in the same way that Weapon Critical can be increased along with many other attributes, Essence of Spell Critical is a surefire way to increase your chances of your bigger spells making their target feel the pain. Wardens, Necromancers, Paladins, any magic user will want to have a few dozen of these around at any given time. What you need to make them:
Bugloss
Lady’s Smock
Water Hyacinth
As we get closer and closer to Number One in our list, there is a sharp increase in the amount of attributes each potion increases. Some are even surprising, as in this case where Prophecy, Fortitude and Endurance are favored.
Grants Major Sorcery (Spell Critical increased for 2191 for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 8369 Health immediately
Grants Major Fortitude (Health Recovery increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 7582 Stamina Immediately
Grants Major Intellect (Major Recovery increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
5. Essence of Immovability
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Nancy had always wanted her own cooking show on HGTV.
A favorite amongst those who are frustrated by being pushed around by heavier hitting players, such as a Dragon Knight intent on knocking others back by leaping about, Essence of Immovability gives one peace of mind. Essentially it is “walking softly but carrying a big stick”, and there are many different combinations of this potion with equally helpful attributes. But for purposes of highlighting a clear choice, one that is personally preferred, here is what you will need:
Columbine
Mountain Flower
Wormwood
Let those big guys take their best shot! You’re not going to budge…at least not for 10.4 seconds, that is. While it has been tested when dealing with those pushy Dragon Knights, it is great fun to find an area with many River Trolls or Mammoths expressly for the joy of pushing them around for once and grinding through for some XP. Here is what is in those tiny, powerful bottles:
Become Immune to Knockback and disabling effects for 10.4 seconds
Restores 8369 Health immediately
Grants Major Fortitude (Health Recovery increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 7582 Stamina Immediately
Grants Major Endurance (Stamina Recovery increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
4. Essence of Spell Protection
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“Essence of Protection…never leave home without it!”
Trust us, there will be plenty of opportunity and want for you to build up your Spell Resistance. In a way, Essence of Spell Protection is a type of insurance for both you and your magic attacks. More of a defensive stance when it comes to potions, like Essence of Armor, there will be times when this potion is the only thing that is going to give you a moment’s peace to cook up your next attack. And this is one of the mixtures with a small drawback hidden in its ingredients:
Mudcrab Chitin
Nightshade
White Cap
So when should a player consider imbibing this elixir? Definitely before facing down say Lady Solace or anyone else with a long Health Meter and a proper title given to them. Generally that means you are very much out-manned on your own, or at least without your liquid insurance agent in your pocket. Just remember that Minor Defile is part of this whole dance, as seen below
Grants Major Ward (Spell Resistance increased by 5280 for 47.6 seconds)
Grants Minor Protection (Reduced Damage taken by 8% for 15.7 seconds)
Grants Minor Defile (Reduces Healing by 15% for duration of 45 second cool-down)
3. Essence of Weapon Power
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“No, no…It’s my turn. I’ll go first.”
If you are the Big Dog on the block when it comes to PVP, chances are you already utilize this potion. If not, you certainly should be, you big brute! These ingredients are not incredibly rare, so there really is zero excuse to not have a few of these on hand anywhere you go.
Blessed Thistle
Dragonthorn
Wormwood
What’s there not to like about a sippable Weapon Damage, Weapon Critical and a charge of health all in one bottle? Sounds like a party, especially for maybe some of our more hulking characters of the Nord or Orc persuasion, but any build can benefit from this potion. Play to your strengths always, and brute strength does well to concentrate on their weaponry.
Grants Major Brutality (Weapon Damage increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
Grants Major Savagery (Weapon Critical increased by 2191 for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 7582 Health immediately
2. Essence of Spell Power
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When not raising minions from the underworld, Alex still spins at his old college chums’ parties as DJ Balz O’ Death.
Near the tippy-top of our list is Essence of Spell Power. This spell is worth more than its weight in gold, especially if you have filled your Skill Bar with spells meant to replenish your other stats. Sorcery requires commitment and it requires vigilance. Thankfully, it requires few and not-so-rare ingredients to accomplish a lot with this combination.
Corn Flower
Namira’s Rot
Lady’s Smock
Before you rush to the edge of the skirmish, battle-thirsty, Restoration Staff waving in the wind, please do yourself a favor and pop a couple of these open. Do not leave the house with fewer than a dozen of these at any given point, and you will have a near endless supply of firey, terrifying spell-casting energy at your fingertips.
Grants Major Sorcery (Spell Damage increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
Grants Major Prophecy (Spell Critical increased by 2191 for 47.6 seconds)
Grants Major Intellect (Magicka Recovery increased by 20% for 47.6 seconds)
Restores 7582 Magicka immediately
1. Essence of Health, AKA “Tri-Pot”
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Deep down under that linebacker physique and expensive armor, Tyler is still just a regular, nice guy who loved the holidays at his mum’s and kitten videos.
Finally, we come to the “workhorse” of all potions within the great land of Tamriel. When your Argonian Stam-Tank DK is on their knees, not a lick of green left in your Stamina bar, the blue of your Magicka is flickering like a sputtering candle, and the gas indicator that is your Health says you should have filled up three exits ago, DO NOT PANIC. What I’m going to need you to do is pull the trigger on one of those liquid “Hail Mary Passes” you have in your inventory, better known as Essence of Health. The combination best suited with the fairest results are:
Bugloss
Columbine
Mountain Flower
A bit of a misnomer, though, isn’t it? This Health potion does so much more than just help you recover from the edge of death, it restores all three of your major stats. That, and it also increases their ability to recover:
Restores 8369 of Health immediately
Restores 7582 of Stamina immediately
Restores 7582 of Magicka immediately
Grants Major Fortitude (20% increased Health Recovery),
Grants Major Intelligence (20% increased Magicka Recovery)
Grants Major Endurance (20% increased Stamina Recovery)
Now, don't you feel better? All three bars on your screen are filling up so quickly, and look! Your super-tanky lizard friend has just gotten up and leapt right back into the fray! Bravo, super-tanky lizard friend. Bravo.
A suitably parallel potion is the Tr-Restoration potion that you may receive in your Daily Rewards, or you can purchase online through the Store in small batches or win from Crown Crates. That is a very expensive habit, however. Better to learn how to make them yourself. Now, go forth and concoct to your heart’s content and remember it is always better living through alchemy!
Like most modern, Half-Elf females, Kir finds the strength to fight the Big Boss battles flanked by her constant companions: Tolkien (her son), and their familiar, Barry White the Manx.
Gamer Since:
1984
Favorite Genre:
RPG
Currently Playing:
Borderlands 3, Fortnite, previewing Grounded
Top 3 Favorite Games:
The Elder Scrolls Online, Alice: Madness Returns, Borderlands 2
