How to Amass a Fortune in The Elder Scrolls Online

So, you want to swim in gold in The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)? You’re not alone! Cracking the code to accumulating wealth in Tamriel can seem daunting, but it boils down to understanding the game’s economy, dedicating time to profitable activities, and a healthy dose of market savvy. The core strategies revolve around crafting, trading, farming, and even embracing a life of virtual crime (with caution!). The fastest way to amass significant gold in ESO is by combining several of these methods, constantly evaluating the market, and optimizing your gameplay. Let’s dive into the specifics.

Mastering the ESO Economy: Your Path to Riches

1. Guild Traders: Your Gateway to Market Dominance

Joining a guild with a guild trader is non-negotiable. These traders act as your storefront, allowing you to buy and sell goods to other players. Research which guilds have prime locations and low dues. Location matters! A trader in a popular city like Elden Root, Mournhold, or Wayrest will see significantly more traffic than one in a remote zone. Once you’re in a good guild, list your items strategically.

• Pricing: Research the going rate for items using Tamriel Trade Centre (TTC) add-on (PC) or by carefully observing prices on guild traders. Undercut the competition slightly to move your goods quickly, but don’t sell yourself short.
• Inventory Management: Don’t let your trader slots go to waste. Regularly replenish your stock with high-demand items.
• Reselling: Buy low, sell high. Monitor guild traders for mispriced items or deals, and then relist them for a profit.

2. Crafting: The Art of Making Gold

Crafting is a cornerstone of the ESO economy. Leveling all crafting skills is highly recommended for daily writs, which offer substantial rewards.

• Jewelry Crafting: As mentioned, Zircon and Chromium materials are valuable. Aim to refine raw materials and sell the resulting ingots or complete jewelry pieces. Don’t underestimate the value of trait stones like Nirncrux.
• Alchemy and Provisioning: Consumables like potions and food are always in demand. Focus on crafting recipes that provide significant buffs and sell them in bulk.
• Enchanting: High-level glyphs, especially weapon damage and magicka/stamina recovery, are consistently sought after. Collect runes efficiently by running surveys and hirelings.
• Blacksmithing, Clothing, and Woodworking: While perhaps not as instantly lucrative as Jewelry Crafting, these professions offer a steady income through writs, set piece crafting, and selling upgrade materials.

3. Farming: Patience is a Virtue

Dedicated farming can be quite lucrative, especially if you target specific high-value items.

• Set Pieces: Research which dungeons and zones drop in-demand sets. Examples include Mother’s Sorrow in Deshaan, or Burning Spellweave in City of Ash I & II. Run these dungeons repeatedly (either solo or in a group) to collect and sell the set pieces.
• Motifs: Rare motifs can fetch a hefty price. Identify zones or activities that reward specific motifs and grind them out. Keep an eye on which motifs are trending as new content is released.
• Crafting Materials: Harvest nodes strategically. Use a resource map add-on to locate rich nodes of valuable materials. Refining raw materials provides a chance to obtain gold upgrade materials.

4. The Dark Side: Embracing the Thief Life

While morally questionable for some, stealing can be a surprisingly profitable venture.

• Thief Builds: Create a dedicated thief character with skills and gear optimized for stealth, pickpocketing, and opening safeboxes.
• High-Value Targets: Focus on stealing in newer zones, as the items tend to be worth more. Look for valuable motifs in safeboxes.
• Laundering: Launder stolen goods at outlaws refuges to make them sellable.
• Bounty Management: Be aware of your bounty level and avoid guards or pay the fine when necessary. Cyrodiil is a great place to go and avoid guards, because it is a lawless area.

5. Utilizing Alliance Points (AP)

Participating in PvP in Cyrodiil can indirectly generate gold.

• Rewards for the Worthy: Obtain Rewards for the Worthy mail from PvP activity to have a chance to receive gold tempers or high value motifs.
• Golden Vendor: The Golden Vendor in Cyrodiil sells monster set shoulders for AP, which can be resold for gold.
• Tel Var Stones (Imperial City): Enter the Imperial City and collect Tel Var stones, which can be traded for valuable crafting materials and then sold.

6. Writ Vouchers: Convert Service to Profit

Completing master writs for crafting professions can be incredibly lucrative.

• Obtaining Vouchers: Earn writ vouchers by completing daily crafting writs. The more you invest into crafting, the more of these writs you are able to complete
• Crafting Stations: Buy Attunable Crafting Stations with writ vouchers and sell them to other players.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the fastest way to make gold as a beginner in ESO?

Focus on daily crafting writs. They provide a reliable income stream, especially if you level all crafting skills. Sell any valuable materials you obtain while gathering for writs.

2. Is it better to sell raw materials or refined materials?

Generally, refined materials sell for more because they are more convenient for crafters. However, raw materials can still be profitable, especially if you don’t have the time or skill points invested in refining.

3. What are some good zones to farm for crafting materials?

• Auridon, Grahtwood, and Stonefalls are excellent for low-level materials.
• Malabal Tor and Alik’r Desert offer a mix of mid-level resources.
• Craglorn is a great choice for high-level materials.

4. Are there any add-ons that can help me make more gold?

Absolutely!

• Tamriel Trade Centre (TTC) is essential for price checking.
• HarvestMap tracks resource nodes.
• Master Merchant analyzes guild trader data.

5. Should I sell my valuable items immediately or wait for the price to go up?

This depends on the item and market trends. Research the item’s price history on TTC. If the price is stable or trending upwards, it might be worth waiting. However, remember that market fluctuations can be unpredictable.

6. What is the best way to get rare crafting motifs?

Some motifs drop from specific activities like dungeons, trials, or daily quests. Others can be found in containers or purchased from vendors. Check online guides to determine the best farming methods for specific motifs.

7. Is it worth it to invest in crafting hirelings?

Yes! Hirelings provide a steady stream of materials, including rare ones, which can be sold for profit. Level up your crafting skills to unlock higher-level hirelings.

8. How can I maximize my profits from selling set pieces?

Identify sets that are currently in demand due to meta builds or new content. Farm dungeons and zones that drop those sets, and list the pieces at competitive prices on your guild trader. Selling complete sets is often more profitable than selling individual pieces.

9. What is the best way to avoid getting caught when stealing?

• Increase your sneak skill and wear gear with stealth-enhancing traits.
• Pay attention to the NPCs’ vision cones and patrol routes.
• Pickpocket when NPCs are distracted or facing away from you.
• Use Shadow Cloak to become invisible.

10. Is it against the rules to buy gold from third-party websites?

Yes, buying gold from unauthorized sources is against the ESO Terms of Service and can result in a ban. It’s always best to earn gold through legitimate means. The article said: choosing a safe place to buy Elder Scrolls Online Gold will not ban your account. What we know is that Elder Scrolls Online Gold has a certain role in the game and is used to purchase equipment and materials, so it is completely legal to purchase Elder Scrolls Online Gold correctly.

11. What should I do with my unwanted gear?

Deconstruct it at crafting stations to gain crafting experience and materials. Sell valuable traits you learned from deconstructing the gear in the guild stores.

12. How does the Undaunted Pledge system affect gold making?

Completing Undaunted Pledges rewards you with keys, which can be used to open chests containing valuable monster set pieces. Selling these monster set pieces can be a reliable source of income.

13. Should I focus on one type of gold-making activity or diversify?

Diversification is key! Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Engage in a variety of activities, such as crafting, farming, and trading, to maximize your income potential and adapt to market fluctuations.

14. How do I get Divine Gold dye in ESO?

To get your Divine Gold dye, instead of upgrading a piece of jewelry you are using, instead, buy a Legendary Jewel Crafting Master writ that gives 461 vouchers, and upgrade that, then, buy x2 Attunable Crafting Stations for 250 Vouchers each and sell those for 175-200k each to recoup the cost.

15. What is the Games Learning Society?

The Games Learning Society is a community of researchers and educators who explore the potential of games for learning. You can find out more about them at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Final Thoughts: Persistence and Knowledge are Your Allies

Making a lot of gold in ESO requires dedication, research, and a willingness to adapt to the ever-changing economy. Master the crafting system, dominate the market, and embrace the grind, and you’ll be swimming in gold in no time. Happy adventuring, and may your pockets always be full!