ESO Werewolf Guide – How to become a powerful Werewolf!

by JFFK · April 25, 2025

Welcome to the ultimate ESO Werewolf Guide – your complete resource for mastering lycanthropy in The Elder Scrolls Online. Whether you’re just beginning your transformation or looking to optimize your feral fury for endgame content, this guide covers everything you need to know.

Table of Contents:

We’ll walk you through the entire Werewolf experience, from how to become one, to unlocking every skill, passive, and transformation mechanic. You’ll learn how to dominate in both PvE and PvP, select the best sets and races, and unleash devastating combos that leave enemies in ruins.

Werewolves are more than just a cool gimmick — they’re fast, brutal, and incredibly rewarding when played right. If you’re ready to howl under the moonlight and rip through foes with primal rage, you’re in the right place.

Introduction to Werewolves in ESO

ESO Werewolf Guide Werewolf Transformation

In The Elder Scrolls Online, the Werewolf is one of the most iconic and primal transformations available to players. Far more than a cosmetic or roleplay choice, becoming a Werewolf unlocks a unique combat style that trades versatility for raw, savage power. This guide is your complete roadmap to understanding and mastering the beast within — whether you’re looking to tear through dungeon mobs or ambush unsuspecting players in Cyrodiil.

From blood-curdling howls to adrenaline-fueled rampages, the Werewolf playstyle delivers a fast-paced, stamina-focused experience unlike anything else in ESO. But make no mistake — mastering it requires more than just mashing buttons. You’ll need to balance form uptime, feeding mechanics, gear choices, and Champion Points to become a true apex predator.

What Is a Werewolf

ESO_Werewolf_icon_500x500

A Werewolf in ESO is a special type of transformation that allows your character to temporarily become a powerful beast with access to a new skill bar, enhanced stats, and brutal melee abilities. Unlike classes, the Werewolf form is layered on top of your character build and is available to any race or class, provided you’re infected with the Lycanthropy curse.

Once transformed, your basic attacks become savage swipes, your stamina regenerates faster, and you gain access to unique active and passive abilities focused on ferocity and mobility. You’ll be trading out your regular weapon and class skills for a dedicated Werewolf toolkit, and success depends heavily on managing transformation uptime and timing your feeds correctly to stay in beast form as long as possible.

Pros and Cons of Being a Werewolf

The ESO Werewolf has a lot of great strengths but also weaknesses. Being aware of the pros and cons of a Werewolf will allow you to create an even better Werewolf Build.

Pros

Werewolves in ESO benefit from several powerful bonuses while transformed, making them incredibly durable and aggressive combatants. Once in Werewolf form, players receive a substantial boost to both Physical and Spell Resistance, greatly increasing survivability, especially in melee-heavy encounters. Movement speed is also enhanced, with a 30% increase to Sprinting Speed, allowing for fast repositioning and mobility in both PvE and PvP.

Additionally, Werewolves enjoy increased Stamina Recovery and a significant bonus to Maximum Stamina, improving sustain and overall damage output. While transformed, they automatically gain both Major Brutality and Major Savagery, which increase Weapon Damage and Weapon Critical, respectively, without needing external buffs.

Importantly, most active buffs, weapon enchantments, and set bonuses that were applied in human form persist into Werewolf form. This allows players to take full advantage of their pre-transformation setup, maintaining offensive and defensive buffs seamlessly through the shift.

Major Resolve 5948 Physical/ Spell Resistance
Unique 18% Weapon/Spell Damage Increase
Major Brutality/Sorcery 20% Weapon/Spell Damage
Major Savagery/Prophecy 10% Weapon/Spell Critical
+30% Max Stamina
+30% Increased Sprinting Speed
+15% Stamina Recovery
50% extra Resource restore on Heavy Attacks

We recommend carefully reading all the Werewolf active and passive skills to find all the juicy buffs that you will get!

Cons

Despite their immense power, Werewolves come with notable drawbacks in ESO. Their large size makes them easy to spot, often drawing enemy focus immediately after transformation in PVP. They also take 25% more damage from Poison attacks and 20% more from Fighters Guild abilities, making them vulnerable to common counters in PvP and certain PvE scenarios.

Additionally, Werewolf abilities are very stamina-intensive, requiring strong sustain through heavy attacks, feeding, or gear bonuses. Without proper management, you risk dropping out of form early and losing effectiveness.

+25% Damage from Poison attacks
+20% Damage from Fighters Guild Skills
High ability cost

How to Become a Werewolf in ESO

Becoming a Werewolf in ESO is a thrilling milestone that opens up a new layer of gameplay. You’ll need to get bitten to be infected with Lycanthropy — and prove yourself worthy of the beast within.

Here are three ways of how to become a Werewolf in ESO:

Ask a friend/guild member for a Werewolf bite at the shrine
Crown Store Werewolf bite (way too expensive)
Search Werewolf NPC during specific time window

Shrine Locations

To either receive a Werewolf bite from a friend or guild member in ESO, you’ll need to visit one of the Ritual Shrines, located in faction-aligned zones, here are the map links:

These shrines are marked by large stone structures and glowing ritual symbols, usually nestled in remote or forested areas. Once there, players can either receive a bite from another player or interact with the shrine after contracting Sanies Lupinus to begin the quest.

Werewolf Quest

After being infected and visiting a shrine, you’ll be granted the quest “Hircine’s Gift.” This short but atmospheric quest takes you into a vision realm where you must prove your worth to Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt. You’ll hunt down prey, test your combat instincts, and embrace the savage nature of the beast.

Completing the quest not only initiates your transformation but also unlocks the Werewolf skill line, allowing you to begin leveling and slotting Werewolf abilities. Once finished, you can transform into a Werewolf anytime you have your ultimate ready, and the carnage begins.

Curing Lycanthropy in ESO

Cure Lycanthropy in ESO Werewolf

Changed your mind about being a Werewolf in ESO? You can cure Lycanthropy by visiting a Prelate Sabinus (Found inside the Mages Guild of the main city where the shrine is located) in the same zone where you originally received the curse — Reaper’s March, Bangkorai, or The Rift. For a small gold fee, they’ll cleanse you of the beast within.

Curing Lycanthropy will remove the Werewolf skill line from your menu. However, the progress you made isn’t lost. When you decide you want to be a Werewolf again you can pick up right where you left!

Leveling Your Werewolf in ESO

Unlocking the full power of your Werewolf form means leveling up the skill line, and thankfully, it’s faster than you might think. Whether you’re grinding mobs or running dungeons, every transformation brings you closer to maxing out your Werewolf skill line.

How to Level the Werewolf Skill Line

The Werewolf skill line levels up based on kills earned while transformed. This means as long as you keep killing loads of enemies, you will level up.

Rank	Kills Required for Next Rank	Total Kills
1	25	0
2	50	25
3	75	75
4	100	150
5	125	250
6	150	375
7	175	525
8	200	700
9	225	900
10	–	1125

How to Max Out Werewolf in 20 Minutes!

Best Werewolf Grind Spot

Leveling up the Werewolf skill line is a quick and straightforward process, typically taking around 20 minutes.

To gain experience, you’ll need to defeat as many enemies as possible while transformed. The total experience value of each kill is irrelevant; what matters is the number of individual enemies defeated. For optimal efficiency, focus on areas with high enemy density and low-health targets that can be eliminated in one or two hits.

You can devour corpses thanks to the Devour passive that you automatically have from Werewolf rank 1. This allows you to extend time in Werewolf form. More importantly, make sure to get the Blood Rage passive as fast as possible (unlocks at rank 4) so you gain Werewolf time by killing enemies, allowing you to stay in Werewolf form infinitely.

In this older video, I show you how to do the 20-minute max leveling for Werewolf.

ESO Werewolf Mechanics Explained

ESO Werewolf Mechanics Explained
Understanding the core mechanics of Werewolf form is essential if you want to dominate in combat. From how long you stay transformed to how feeding works, mastering these details will help you unleash the full fury of the beast.

Transformation & Duration

You can only enter Werewolf form by activating your Ultimate, you will be unable to move for a second (see video). Once transformed, you remain in beast form for a limited time, typically around 30 seconds, unless extended by feeding, passives or Werewolf-specific sets. Additionally, you can do the following while transformed.

You can resurrect other players while transformed.
You can use Synergies while transformed.
You can use Siege Weapons while transformed (PVP).

Werewolf Ultimate Cost & Ways to Reduce Cost

Transforming into a Werewolf costs 300 Ultimate by default. You can reduce the cost with the Salvation Set or the Shafpeshifter’s Chain Mythic Set.

Alternatively, instead of reducing the cost you could also equip ultimate generating sets such as Dead-Water’s Guile that gives you a lot of Ultimate Points per kill, which is perfect for our Werewolf! The Bloodspawn Monster Set is also a great way to increase Ultimate gains. When you get hit you have a chance to get Ultimate points. For farming I do recommend anything that gives points on kills. Because most of the time any monster is dead before it touches you!

How to Extend Werewolf Form & Feeding

ESO Werewolf Devour corpses

Once in form, you can feed on corpses to restore health and extend your transformation thanks to the Devour passive.

Feeding is the primary way to extend your Werewolf timer. Each feed adds additional seconds to your form. You can further boost your duration with passives like the Blood Rage passive, which adds time when you take damage, allowing for longer, more aggressive engagements in WW Form.

Werewolf Skills Overview

ESO Werewolf Skills Overview

The Werewolf skill line in ESO offers a completely unique set of abilities that become available only while transformed. These skills are focused on high mobility, area damage, sustain, and crowd control — ideal for aggressive playstyles in both PvE and PvP. Below is a breakdown of all the tools at your disposal while in beast form.

Active Skills

Werewolves gain access to five powerful active abilities that replace your normal skill bar during transformation. These include brutal AoE swipes, fear-inducing roars, and even pack-based buffs. Key skills like Claws of Anguish can apply healing debuffs, while Ferocious Roar offers both CC and utility. Choosing the right morphs for your playstyle, whether offensive or supportive, is essential.

Pounce

Leap onto your target from a distance with Pounce, closing the gap quickly and dealing damage on impact. This skill is great for chasing down fleeing enemies or diving straight into the fight. Once morphed, it can be enhanced to deal extra damage to low-health enemies or add a second strike after landing.

Pounce (Base)
1. Brutal Pounce (Morph)
2. Feral Pounce (Morph)

Hircine’s Bounty

Hircine’s Bounty is your main healing ability as a Werewolf. It restores a large chunk of your health when you’re hurt. If you’re already at full health, it instead gives you a boost to your Stamina, keeping you fighting longer. It’s a powerful way to survive tough battles without relying on other players for healing.

Hircine’s Bounty (Base)
1. Hircine’s Fortitude (Morph)
2. Hircine’s Rage (Morph)

Roar

Roar unleashes a terrifying scream that scares nearby enemies, causing them to run away briefly. It also knocks them Off Balance, making them easier to stun or interrupt. Roar is perfect for disrupting groups of enemies or buying yourself a few seconds to recover or launch a deadly combo.

Roar (Base)
1. Deafening Roar (Morph)
2. Ferocious Roar (Morph)

Piercing Howl

Piercing Howl is a ranged attack where you let out a powerful shout that damages a single enemy. If the enemy is already scared (like from Roar), Piercing Howl hits even harder. This skill is great for picking off enemies who are trying to escape or softening up tougher targets from a distance.

Piercing Howl (Base)
1. Howl of Agony (Morph)
2. Howl of Despair (Morph)

Infectious Claws

Infectious Claws is your main area attack as a Werewolf. You slash multiple enemies in front of you, infecting them with a disease that damages them over time. It’s a strong choice for dealing with groups, and the disease effect can weaken enemies, making them easier to defeat.

Infectious Claws (Base)
1. Claws of Anguish (Morph)
2. Claws of Life (Morph)

Passive Skills

The Werewolf passive abilities provide major boosts to Stamina recovery, weapon damage, and transformation sustain. Passives like Blood Rage extend your form duration every time you deal damage, while other things restore more stamina on heavy attacks and make you move faster!

Ultimate Skill

The core of the Werewolf skill line is the Werewolf Transformation Ultimate. Activating it turns you into a feral beast, unlocking your alternate skill bar and triggering a surge of bonus stats. The Ultimate can be morphed into either Packs Leader for tanky group utility or Werewolf Berserker for raw damage output.

Werewolf Transformation (Base)
1. Pack Leader (Morph)
2. Werewolf Berserker (Morph)

Advanced Werewolf Tips

Here are some more advanced Werewolf Tips for ESO if you want continue improving with it after you maxed out all the skills. Having the correct gear sets or race can make a big difference if you want to optimize your Werewolf form.

Best Races

Choosing the right race can significantly enhance your Werewolf form in The Elder Scrolls Online. While almost any stamina-based race can perform well, some stand out due to superior sustain, damage, or survivability. If you’re serious about PvE or PvP performance, picking the right racial passives will give you an important edge. Below is an overview of the top choices for Werewolf gameplay.

Read our ESO Race Guide if you want detailed information about every race.

Orc: One of the strongest overall choices. Increased Weapon Damage, Max Stamina, Max Health, and sprint speed make Orcs deadly and mobile, especially for PvP.
Redguards: Masters of sustain. Redguards reduce the cost of weapon abilities and restore Stamina when dealing direct damage — perfect for longer fights.
Wood Elf (Bosmer): Excellent for stealthy, mobile builds. High Stamina Recovery, bonus Max Stamina, and movement buffs after dodge rolling make them agile predators.
Khajiit: Great critical damage bonuses and solid base stats for hybrid or ganking setups. Khajiit also have better stealth capabilities thanks to reduced detection radius.
Dark Elf: A versatile hybrid option with bonus Weapon and Spell Damage. Great for players who might switch between stamina and magicka builds.
Argonian: More suited for tanky Werewolf builds. They offer strong healing bonuses and excellent resource recovery when using potions.
Imperial: High Max Health and Stamina, plus universal cost reduction — including Ultimate abilities. A solid choice for sustainability-focused Werewolves.
Nord: Ideal for tankier setups. Bonus resistances, Health, Stamina, and bonus Ultimate generation make Nords tough and reliable in any content.

In short: For pure PvP dominance, Orc is often considered the best due to their speed and burst power. In PvE, Khajiit shines thanks to their critical damage boost. However, any stamina-focused race will perform well with a good setup.

Best Classes

Some ESO classes are better suited for Werewolf. Here you can find a list of what passives and abilities you benefit from as a Werewolf. Pre-buffing is a very powerful tool, make sure to use all your utility buffs before you transform, because those effects will stay on you even in Werewolf form for their duration. Most classes have good perks that you can use successfully in combination with Werewolf.

Check out our Ultimate ESO Werewolf Build for all Classes to understand how to build a powerful Werewolf Build for each class.

Sorcerer Werewolf

-5% cost on Stamina and Magicka abilities
-15% cost on Ultimate abilities
+10% Magicka Recovery
+5% Physical Damage

Templar Werewolf

+6% Weapon Damage
+1320 Physical and Spell Resistance
-5% Stamina, Magicka and Ultimate cost
+20% increased resurrection speed. Resurrected allies revive with 100% more health.

Dragonknight Werewolf

+10% Block Mitigation
+1650 Physical and Spell Resistance
Replenish 13,800 Stamina, Health and Magicka when transforming
On Poisoned Status Effect application, you restore 1000 Stamina, 3s cooldown (Combustion Passive)
On Burning Status Effect application, you restore 1000 Magicka, 3s cooldown (Combustion Passive)

Nightblade Werewolf

+15% Health Recovery
+15% Stamina Recovery
+15% Magicka Recovery

Warden Werewolf

-15% snare effectiveness
+10% HP if maturation passive procs

Necromancer Werewolf

10% more damage with damage over time effects.
Whenever an enemy you are in combat with dies within 28 meters of you, restore 666 Magicka and Stamina.
1250 Max Health.
While you have a negative effect on you, your Healing Done is increased by 8%.

Arcanist Werewolf

5% More Weapon Damage
18% Stamina and Magicka Recovery

What is the best Class for Werewolf?

PvP wise Sorcerers synergize best with Werewolf due to cheaper Ultimate cost, Ability cost reduction and increased physical damage. In addition, abilities like Hurricane and Critical Surge also carry over to Werewolf if you pre-buff the abilities and give you additional healing and damage. PvE wise Templars and Sorcerers have the best offensive perks.

However, like mentioned before, all classes are suitable for Werewolf. Wardens for example do not have a lot of extra perks in Werewolf form, but you will be able to gain ultimate in human form faster than any other class due to Shimmering Shield which applies Major Heroism so your Werewolf Ultimate will be ready to go in no time.

Top Gear Sets for Werewolf

Choosing the right gear set can dramatically enhance your Werewolf build in The Elder Scrolls Online, improving your damage, sustain, and uptime while transformed. Below are five of the most effective sets for PvE and PvP Werewolf play, each offering unique strengths to support your feral rampage.

Generally, it is recommended to follow a cookie-cutter max DPS build PVE like the ESO Werewolf Build for all Classes. Here are some good other choices.

Rage of the Ursauk (PvE DPS)
1. This set boosts your damage whenever you use a Stamina-based AoE, making it a perfect match for Infectious Claws. It’s ideal for dungeon and trial content where consistent AoE pressure matters.
Clever Alchemist (PvP Burst)
1. When you drink a potion, this set gives a massive boost to Weapon and Spell Damage for a short time. Pair it with a potion before transforming to unleash devastating burst combos in PvP.
Blood Moon (Werewolf-Specific)
1. Designed specifically for Werewolf builds, this set greatly increases your Light Attack damage while in Werewolf form and boosts attack speed — ideal for aggressive playstyles focused on shredding enemies quickly.
Salvation (Ultimate Cost Reduction)
1. Salvation is good if you want to have reduced Ultimate cost and you also gain a small amount of Weapon Damage (150). However, keep in mind that you do not often immediately transform into Werewolf when your ultimate is about to be ready, therefore there are better options than this set. In PvP or PvE it often happens that you reach 400+ ultimate to transform in the right moment, then basically rendering this set useless.
Bone Pirate’s Tatters (Max Resource and Recovery)
Bone Pirate’s Tatters in combination with Dubious Camoran Throne Drink (or any drink) also offers both maximum stamina and stamina recovery which can lead to some serious balanced stats for both recovery and overall maximum stamina.

Visit the ESO Sets Database to view all available ingame sets.

Best Werewolf Builds

Max DPS WW Build (All Classes): We have an optimized ESO Werewolf PvE Build for all Classes. It uses the best available gear sets and skill setups to maximize damage and Werewolf uptime.
Tanky WW Build: The Solo ESO Werewolf Build is specifically made to allow for mistakes and favors tankyness and healing over raw damage output.
Sorcerer Werewolf PVP Build: The ESO Sorcerer Werewolf Build is made for PVP and favors high burst damage and speed.
Werewolf Build Database: Check out the full ESO-Hub Builds Database with the searchword Werewolf to find plenty of community Werewolf Builds!

Light & Heavy Attacks as a Werewolf

Understanding how Light and Heavy Attacks work is essential to mastering Werewolf combat in The Elder Scrolls Online. Unlike regular weapon builds, Werewolves have unique attack animations and scaling that directly impact your damage and sustain.

Light Attacks

Light Attacks are your fastest and most frequently used attack in Werewolf form in ESO. They cost no resources and are excellent for weaving between your active abilities to maximize DPS. Thanks to the Werewolf passive Savage Strength buffing all your damage, your Light Attack damage is significantly increased, making it a core part of your rotation, especially when using the Blood Moon set, which further buffs Light Attack damage while transformed.

Heavy Attacks

Heavy Attacks take longer to charge but hit harder and, more importantly, restore Stamina. Thanks to the Pursuit passive you also get increase Stamina restore. This makes them critical for sustain during longer fights. If you’re running low on resources while transformed, weaving in a few heavy attacks can keep you going without needing to exit Werewolf form early.

You can see in the video above how fast my stamina recharges when doing Heavy Attacks in Werewolf.

Attack Weaving

To get the most out of Werewolf form, you’ll want to weave Light or Heavy Attacks between each skill cast (Animation Canceling). This not only boosts your damage output but helps keep Stamina flowing. Light weaving is ideal for consistent pressure, while Heavy weaving is key when you feel your stamina pool dipping.

Whether you’re chasing down a target in PvP or clearing waves of enemies in PvE, mastering your Light and Heavy attack timing will drastically improve your Werewolf gameplay.

Quick Tips for Werewolf

Light Attacks deal serious damage — always weave Light or Heavy Attacks between your abilities to maximize your DPS.
Use Heavy Attacks strategically to restore a large chunk of Stamina in one hit, especially during longer fights.
Time your dodge rolls and blocks wisely. Avoid spamming dodge or holding block constantly — doing so will drain your stamina quickly and leave you vulnerable.
If you’re in a group with multiple Werewolves, you can stay transformed indefinitely by chaining kills and feeding off enemies.
Keep an eye on your Magicka pool so you can cast Hircine’s Rage when you need a quick heal in combat.
Share the gift! If another player is looking to become a Werewolf, offer them a free bite when your cooldown is ready.
Lastly, don’t get discouraged. Werewolf gameplay can feel challenging at first, but with time and practice, you’ll become a true apex predator.

Werewolf vs Vampire Comparison

Werewolf vs Vampire Comparison ESO

Both Werewolf and Vampire offer unique playstyles in ESO, but they couldn’t be more different in terms of strengths, weaknesses, and combat mechanics. Choosing between them depends heavily on your build goals, preferred content (PvE or PvP), and whether you enjoy aggressive, in-your-face gameplay or a more tactical, passive-enhancement style.

Aspect	Werewolf	Vampire (Blood Scion)
Transformation	Werewolf Transformation	Blood Scion (Vampire Lord)
Combat Style	Melee-focused, high stamina usage	Balanced between melee and ranged, magicka-based
Sustainability	Requires managing stamina and feeding	Enhanced healing through damage dealt
Strengths	High burst damage, speed, and self-healing	Versatility, stealth, and powerful ultimate form
Weaknesses	Vulnerable to poison and Fighters Guild abilities	Increased fire damage taken, reduced health recovery
Builds	PVE Max DPS Werewolf Build for all Classes PVE Tanky Solo Werewolf Build PVP Sorcerer Werewolf Build	PVE Vampire Necromancer Build PVE Vampire Arcanist Build PVE Vampire Nightblade Build

Both Werewolf and Vampire builds offer unique advantages and cater to different playstyles. Werewolves excel in close-quarters combat with high burst damage and mobility, making them formidable in PvP scenarios. Vampires, especially with the Blood Scion transformation, provide a versatile approach with strong sustain and utility, suitable for both PvE and PvP content.

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