A one-bar tank build for the Night Market, Argent bosses, dailies, and normal dungeons. Nightblade with Oakensoul Ring, craftable Fortified Brass, and Powerful Assault. No rotation, no bar swap, won't die even when your pug group lets you down.

Who This Build Is For

If you've ever queued into the Night Market hoping for a competent group and gotten the opposite, this build is for you. It's a cheap, one-bar setup that acts like an absolute cockroach — it uses gear you probably already have, takes zero effort to play, and refuses to die even when your group lets you down. Built for Night Market skirmishes, Argent bosses, dailies, and normal dungeons. Not an endgame tank — don't take this into a vet trial or DLC dungeon expecting to carry.

Character & Consumables

Nightblade, Khajiit race for the bonus critical healing and recovery (any race works — this is econo). All 64 attribute points into Health. Atronach Mundus for Magicka Recovery. Orzorga's Red Frothgar food for 5,395 Max Health and 493 Magicka Recovery — cheap to craft or grab off a guild trader.

Subclass Setup

Three skill lines: Siphoning (Nightblade — Siphoning Attacks sustain engine), Winter's Embrace (Warden — Polar Wind self-heal), and Soldier of Apocrypha (Arcanist — Gibbering Shelter ult and Runeguard of Still Waters for dungeons).

Why These Gear Sets

The specific sets aren't the point — the point is you probably already have something in your bank that works. Fortified Brass is craftable from Clockwork City with only 4 traits researched, and the 5-piece stacks Armor for an extra 3,460. Powerful Assault is a Tel Var Imperial City set but very cheap on guild traders — its 5-piece bonus grants 307 Weapon and Spell Damage to you and up to 5 group members for 15 seconds whenever you cast an Assault ability (like Echoing Vigor). Tank and support in one button. If you don't have these, swap in Torug's Pact, Trial by Fire, Wretched Vitality, Spell Power Cure — any tanky or support set works.

The Oakensoul Difference

Oakensoul Ring locks you to one bar but grants 17 permanent buffs: Major Resolve, Major Brutality, Major Sorcery, Major Prophecy, Major Savagery, Minor Berserk, Minor Courage, Minor Force, Minor Protection, Minor Mending, Minor Fortitude, Minor Intellect, Minor Endurance, Minor Heroism, Minor Slayer, Minor Aegis, and Empower. You don't maintain any of them. That's what makes this the laziest tank in the game.

Gameplay Loop

Hold block. Taunt with Shield Throw. Press Echoing Vigor when health dips or you want to buff group damage. Polar Wind if things get spicy. Siphoning Attacks keeps resources topped off passively. Race Against Time to reposition. No rotation, no bar swap. The build assumes your pug group will let you down and plans accordingly.

Pair With the Stealth Build

This tank lives on the same Nightblade character as the Night Market Stealth build. One armory swap — stealth for solo Night Market exploration, tank for group content. That's the Pug Life.