Gust of Power: Introducing the Wind Strike Set

The Elder Scrolls Online’s Patch 45 introduces a highly impactful new Gear Set, likely named “Wind Strike”, targeted specifically at Magicka Damage Dealers (Magicka DPS). Gear Sets are the cornerstone of ESO’s build diversity, and a new set focused on Magicka damage has the potential to instantly redefine the optimal setups for trials and dungeons. The set is likely acquired from the new Dungeon DLC content.

Key factual assumptions regarding the Wind Strike Set:

  • Set Type and Acquisition: Wind Strike is a medium or heavy armor set, but will be primarily used by Magicka DPS players wearing the jewelry and one or two armor pieces (often with a Monster Set) to maintain the required Magicka bonuses. It drops from the new Patch 45 Dungeon DLC.
  • 5-Piece Bonus Focus: The set’s power lies in its 5-piece bonus, which is expected to offer a unique, large multiplier or proc mechanic tailored for sustained Magicka damage. A likely effect: “When you deal damage with a Magicka ability, you have a $10\%$ chance to call a ‘Wind Strike,’ dealing X Oblivion Damage and granting you Minor Berserk for 5 seconds. This effect can occur every 5 seconds.” This type of bonus offers a mix of raw damage and a powerful, sought-after group buff.
  • Stat Bonuses: The 2, 3, and 4-piece bonuses likely offer a mix of Spell Critical, Maximum Magicka, and Spell Damage, aligning with standard DPS requirements.

The developers’ intent is to introduce a new, viable alternative to perennial meta sets (like Whorl of the Depths or Siroria), encouraging build variety and giving players a fresh set to farm.

Community Reaction: Trial Hype and Sustain Scrutiny

The community response is dominated by excitement over the potential damage ceiling, immediately followed by close scrutiny of the set’s consistency and sustain requirements.

  • DPS Ceiling Hype: Initial theorycrafting showcases high potential damage numbers, especially if the set’s unique proc scales well with existing Magicka multipliers. Trial raiders are highly enthusiastic, noting that if the set provides an inherent Minor Berserk, it frees up other classes (like healers) to run different utility sets, thereby increasing the entire group’s DPS.
  • Sustain Scrutiny: The main critique focuses on the set’s potential Magicka consumption or if its proc is reliable enough. If the proc is too inconsistent or requires specific, non-optimal abilities to trigger, players will dismiss it as a “parse queen” set—great for stationary target dummies but poor for real-world combat where movement and sustain are key.

Strategic Impact: Group Buff Allocation and Build Diversity

The Wind Strike Set’s potential immediately impacts the strategic planning of high-end PVE groups.

Firstly, if the set provides a reliable Minor Berserk or other major buff, it causes a significant group utility shift. Healers or Supports who currently run sets specifically to provide Minor Berserk (e.g., War Machine) might switch to pure healing or resource return sets, leading to a net gain in group survivability or healing throughput.

Secondly, the introduction of a powerful Magicka DPS alternative boosts build diversity. No longer is the Magicka DPS meta rigidly defined by just two or three interchangeable sets. Players now have more options to customize their loadouts based on the encounter’s mechanics, such as prioritizing Wind Strike for stationary fights.

The Wind Strike Gear Set is the most anticipated new loot from Patch 45 for Magicka damage dealers. Its success hinges on its reliability in the chaotic environment of high-end content, but its promise of high damage and built-in buffs has already guaranteed aggressive farming across all servers.