ESO Group Dungeons: Risks and Rewards

Learn more about ESO group dungeons in this basic walkthough.

For anyone comfortable with The Elder Scrolls Online or MMORPGs in general, you readily know that PVE clearing and fighting is rather the heart of the sport – after all, it is the grist that compels great MMORPGs, and provides both experience and loot.

Well, in The Elder Scrolls Online you’ll undoubtedly be spending time in group dungeons. ESO group dungeons (as opposed to solo dungeons) are delves that should be cleared as a team as an awesome way to rack up experience, rare treasure and large gold loots. Group dungeons are “instanced” to yourself and your team, meaning that other players won’t be randomly running about.

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ESO Group Dungeons

ESO group dungeons can be found on the mini map via the flaming torch icon. The dungeons exist in every major alliance zone and in Coldharbour. The dungeons are reachable to any player, and are darn near impossible to clear if you’re alone. ESO group dungeons have been planned and populated for teams of players (a typical group size of 4). Mobs and bosses are tough, and the dungeons are insanely difficult to solo, even if you’re over-leveled. Try to solo at your own peril!

ESO Group Dungeons List

At the time of launch, The Elder Scrolls Online has a total of 16 group dungeons in the following areas:

Aldmeri Dominion

1. Banished Cells
2. Elden Hollow
3. City of Ash
4. Tempest Island
5. Selene’s Web

Daggerfall Covenant

1. Spindleclutch
2. Wayrest Sewers
3. Crypt of Hearts
4. Volenfell
5. Blackheart Haven

Ebonheart Pact

1. Fungal Grotto
2. Darkshade Caverns
3. Arx Corinium
4. Direfrost Keep
5. Blessed Crucible

Coldharbour

1. Vaults of Madness

Clearing ESO Group Dungeons

As challenging as ESO group dungeons are, the delves are somewhat consistent and can be expected to have the following present:

• Mobs
• Bosses (both big and mini)
• Traps

That said, understand that mobs in ESO behave in a different ways than other MMORPG mobs you may be used to. By way of example, a snare oil canister can be dropped by one mob and be lit by another. Also, mobs can sense when there’s nearby fighting and will hasten over to assist their pals – the AI is deviously programmed in a way to have mobs work together in order to destroy you!

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Big and mini-bosses are tough, and it takes a team effort to vanquish the enemy. As a general rule, ESO group dungeons require at least a few DPS members as well as a healer. The fighting will be fast and furious, and the team can expect to take a lot of damage during an encounter.

As if mobs and bosses weren’t enough, traps in ESO group dungeons can be deadly (and extremely frustrating). Traps can stun, allowing powerful mobs to assault you, unleashing their stabs on your open your defenses. Again, the group will need a healer to help mitigate the damage inflicted.

So are ESO group dungeons all doom and gloom? Hardly. Group delves in The Elder Scrolls Online follow this constant: the tougher the dungeon, the better the loot. The risk is well worth the reward in regards to monetary gain. Besides, ESO group dungeons provide a great way to gain experience with fellow players, and gives a fun opportunity to work with others as a team — something impossible to do in a typical stand-alone game.