When I play an MMO game like Elder Scrolls Online, it’s helpful for me to have a map of where I should be progressing. This is also a frustration I see with newer players as they struggle figuring what they should be doing with their characters.

You must always remember, the map is not the territory.

The following is a map of what you’d expect to focus on as you progress to CP810 and endgame content. This is not a prescriptive list of things you must do. These are only guidelines meant to be used to see if you’re heading in the right direction. You must remember, the map is not the territory.

The Map

The descriptions in each level are meant to be short to keep the post from getting too lengthy. If you have any questions or need clarity, feel free to ask in guild chat. The DPS numbers included are based on the 3 mil dummy.

Level 0

Pick your race and class combo. Some races have passives that lean more towards magika or stamina. There are other races (i.e. khajiit and dark elf) in the middle and can go either way. You can race change your character later, but you cannot change your class.

The goal from this point forward is to get from level 1 to CP160. This is because the gear cap in the game is “Level 50 CP 160.” Your character will quickly out-level its gear, so you’ll need to reach CP160 to have the best gear your character can wear.

Levels 1 - 10

Get yourself some training gear. The crafters in the guild can get you set up. Use the #crafting-request discord channel to make a request. Training gear is crafted with the training trait, which increases experience earned through kills.

Level 10

You can now run dungeons and battlegrounds. Find a group using in-game guild chat, or worst case, use the “Activity Finder.” Make sure to run your daily random everyday! You can also do battlegrounds, which is 3 teams of 4 players competing in different game modes. You need to place in first or second to get the experience bonus. Ask in guild chat for people to join your group!

Level 15

You get access to your “back bar.” Up until now, you’ve been using your “front bar.” This is another set of 5 skills and weapons you switch to during a fight. The common practice is for people to place their buffs and defensive skills on their back bar and their primary skills on the front bar. You’ll want to slot at least one skill from your back bar on your front bar and vice versa. This is a trick experienced players use to ensure they quickly level both bars. I’ll write a follow-up post to explain how to do this. Ask in guild chat if you need more guidance.

Level 15 - 45

Do zone quests, side quests, dungeons, learn your class, and have fun. Start to get a feel for how to switch between your bars. This is an excellent time to practice “light attack weaving.” I’d recommend working your way through the “How to Get Good” series by Xynode gaming. You may need a new set of training gear to replace your old equipment. Training gear is suitable for about 20 levels and then starts to become noticeably ineffective.

Level 45 - 50

You’ve unlocked undaunted pledges! These are 3 daily quests that involve completing a specific dungeon. An invite will arrive in your mailbox that starts this quest. Travel to your capital city to complete the quest and get introduced to the undaunted quest givers. You’ll want to try and complete these daily so you can collect undaunted keys. Undaunted keys are rewarded for completing the daily and used as a type of currency to “roll” for your 2 piece monster set. The two-piece monster set becomes more critical when you hit CP160. Save all your undaunted keys for when you are CP160!.

Faction and capital cities:

• Aldmeri Dominion: Grahtwoot
• Ebonhart Pact: Mournhold
• Daggerfall Covenant: Wayrest

CP1 - CP160

You become enlightened! What this means is you’ll level a whole lot quicker. Enlightenment is bonus XP for your Champion Point (CP) progression. This will feel a lot like when you first started and were leveling super quickly. You should have enough enlightenment to carry you very close to CP160. You are almost there!

CP160 - CP200

Congratulations, you’ve hit the gear level cap! This is the highest level gear that you will find in the game. Enjoy the moment and feel the glory. However, you are not done progressing, young adventurer. This is when the fun really begins. The new star to shoot for is CP810 but don’t worry so much about grinding levels. The priority now is figuring out what gear you need and how to play your class. You can also get crafted CP160 gear, which is expensive to make. Use the #crafting-requests channel to get set-up.

• Get monster helm
• Use undaunted keys to get shoulder piece
• Farm dungeon gear
• Complete Dragon Star Arena
• Trait out your gear and improve it to epic (purple).

CP200 - CP300

You are ready for non-DLC veteran dungeons and normal trials. If you are a DPS, you’ll want to be around 15k DPS. Use the 3 mil parse dummy in the guildhall to practice your rotation.

• Run normal Maelstrom Arena (nma)
• Run normal Craglorn trials.
• Farm trial gear you need.
• Continue to farm dungeons if needed.

CP300 - CP450

DLC veteran dungeons are now available. Focus on getting BiS gear for your build with the right traits. Typically a trial set, monster set, and dungeon/overland set. If you are a DPS, you’ll want to be around 20k+ DPS.

CP450 - CP550

You should be doing pretty good in non-DLC veteran dungeons and starting in on some of the easier DLC veteran dungeons. You’ll want to focus on improving your main set of gear to legendary. If you’re a DPS, you’ll want to be hitting around 25k+ DPS.

CP550 - CP720

At CP550, you should be ready for the easier veteran trials. If you’re a DPS, you’ll want to aim at hitting around 30k+ DPS.

CP720+

You’re ready for the harder veteran trials. If you’re a DPS, you’ll want aim at hitting around 35k+ DPS.

After thoughts

If you’re a support role there isn’t a lot of guidance on where you should be. That’s because it’s tough to determine. Tanks and healers can typically get into harder content at lower levels if they know how to play their character. My suggestion is you follow the same kind of trajectory and feel out if you can handle harder content.

This map isn’t intended to be doctrine. Feel free to play the game how you want – that’s the beauty of ESO. For example, at the time of this writing, I’m over CP700 and I haven’t completed a single veteran trial. Instead of focusing on veteran trials I decided to create this guild. I hope this helps you navigate the leveling aspects of ESO and any feedback or suggestions are appreciated.

Wish you all the best!

Mr. Miagee

Update log

12/23/20

• Fixed bullets under CP160 header.
• Changed wording on a few things.
• Made the After thoughts section clearer.
• Added capital cities for level 45 undaunted dailies