This ESO Class Guide will help you discover the Classes of The Elder Scrolls Online and pick the right Class for your preferred role and play style. Picking the right Class for your character is one of the most important decisions you can make in The Elder Scrolls Online! Every Class in ESO can fulfill every role with success but some are better than other!
Each Class comes with its own unique Skills and Identity that will allow you to perform specific roles better or simply easier than the others. If you are looking for the right Race for your character, you can take a look at my ESO Race Guide. For Solo Gameplay you can take a look at my ESO Best Solo Class Guide! If you are a new player you can take a look at my ESO New Player Beginner Guide.
Table of Contents
- ESO Classes
- What Class to Play? Classes Pros and Cons
- Arcanist
- Sorcerer
- Nightblade
- Dragonknight
- Templar
- Warden
- Necromancer
- What is the Easiest Class to Play
- Summary
- More Guides to Read
ESO Classes
In total there are seven Classes in ESO, four available with the base game(Dragonknight, Nightblade, Sorcerer, Templar) and three available to purchase(Arcanist, Necromancer, Warden). The available ESO Classes are:
- Arcanist
- Dragonknight
- Necromancer
- Nightblade
- Sorcerer
- Templar
- Warden
Every Class can fulfill the role of Stamina Damage Dealer, Magicka Damage Dealer, Tank or Healer. Hybrid Builds are also quite popular right now. The role you can play with each class depends on the allocation of your Attribute points and the Skills you choose.
Going all Magicka or Stamina is the best option for Damage Dealers and Healers while Tanks can benefit from a mixed setup. Hybrid Builds will also benefit more from one strong attribute setup(Magicka or Stamina). Some Classes are better as Stamina Damage Dealers(DPS), other are better as Tanks or Magicka Damage Dealers(DPS). They may not be the best in every role but they can fulfill them all to a certain degree.
ESO Which Class to Play? Classes Pros & Cons – ESO Class Guide
Each ESO Class has its own Pros and Cons that make it special and able to fulfill certain roles. On the table below you can see the Tier of every Class in different roles and gameplay! S Tier is the best while C is the Worst.(S>A>B>C).
| Class | Magicka DD | Stamina DD | Tank | Healer | Solo Magicka | Solo Stamina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcanist | B | S | A(S) | S | B | A |
| Sorcerer | S | S | B | A | S | S |
| Nightblade | B | A | C | B | S | S |
| Dragonknight | A | B | S | C | B | A |
| Templar | B | B | B | A | A | S |
| Warden | B | S | A | S | B | A |
| Necromancer | C | A | A(S) | A | C | A |
Arcanist – ESO Class Guide
The Class of Eldritch Horror and Magic Damage! The Arcanist is a flexible Class with its own unique feature, the Crux System! Certain Arcanist Skills generate Crux while other can consume it to strengthen their effects. Utilizing Crux is vital for an effective Arcanist Build but also makes the Class dependent on this system. Several strong Arcanist skills use your primary resource, which makes them great for both Stamina or Magicka based Builds!
The Class relies a lot on Magic Damage based abilities and can make strong Damage Dealers in every setup. The Arcanist though shines as a support Class thanks to its many buffs and debuffs. Tank and Healer Arcanists have several tools to assist their group and can be an asset in harder content. For a better understanding of the Arcanist Class you can take a look at my Arcanist Beginner Guide.
Arcanist Skill-Lines
The Arcanist Skill lines are:
- Herald of the Tome, focusing on offense
- Soldier of Apocrypha, focusing on defense
- Curative Runeforms, focusing on healing
Arcanist Pros and Cons – ESO Class Guide
The Arcanist is the only Class with its own unique Crux System that allows you to create powerful skill combos. Several Arcanist Class skills can use your primary resource, which makes them perfect for Magicka and Stamina based Builds! If you enjoy Magic based damage in ESO, then the Arcanist is one of the best Classes to pick. Finally they make strong DPS Builds but they are also amazing in both Support roles, as Tank or Healer.
Their Crux system is great for creating strong damage combinations but also makes the Class dependent on it. You will have to follow this type of gameplay to maximize your potential as an Arcanist. Generating Crux to consume and deal more damage or get additional effects is the only way to perform well. The Magicka Arcanist can also face sustain issues if you decide to play without relying on Fatecarver and its morphs as your main form of damage.
Arcanist Class Pros:
- Skills that use the primary resource
- Great Combos thanks to the Crux System
- Strong Magic Damage
- Good Support Class with Buffs and debuffs
Arcanist Class Cons:
- Dependent on the Crux generation-consumption circle
- Magicka Arcanist has sustain issues
Sorcerer – ESO Class Guide
The Class of Lightning, Shock AOE Damage and Daedric Pets. Sorcerers make great Magicka and strong Stamina Damage Dealers. They can deal Shock Damage and have the ability to summon Pets to do their bidding. Sorcerers can play with or without their Pets and in general are easy to learn. When using their Pets, the Magicka Sorcerer can be very Beginner Friendly and one of the easiest Classes to start playing ESO with. Magicka Sorcerers are great for Solo PVE Gameplay as well.
Stamina Sorcerers are slightly more difficult to master and rely too much on Weapon abilities but they can be very strong. For a better understanding of the Sorcerer Class you can take a look at my Sorcerer Beginner Guide.
Sorcerer Skill-Lines
- Dark Magic, protection, defense and sustain spells mostly
- Daedric Summoning, Pets to summon to attack, draw attention and heal
- Storm Calling, shock damage based skills and support spells
Sorcerer Pros and Cons – ESO Class Guide
The Sorcerer is an amazing Class and the most beginner friendly Class in ESO! New players can play it effectively early in their ESO life and be able to discover what Tamriel has to offer easier. It is also a quite flexible Class to play that allows you to summon Pets to assist you or adventure alone. If you want to create a Shock Mage type of character, then the Sorcerer is your best bet. Magicka Sorcerers are great for that type of gameplay but Stamina Sorcerers can offer Shock damage options as well.
They are powerful as DPS and very good in Support roles, Tank or Healer, thanks to Vibrant Shroud and Daedric Refuge skills. The only drawback the Sorcerer Class has, is that relies a lot on its Shields to survive harder content. This affects Magicka Sorcerers more and of course depends on your level of expertise with the Class and ESO content!
Sorcerer Class Pros:
- Beginner Friendly
- Summon (permanent)Pets to help
- Shock AOE Damage
- Strong Damage Dealers in PVE and PVP(great Hybrid potential)
- Powerful for Solo Gameplay
- Good in Support Roles
Sorcerer Class Cons:
- Need Shields to survive harder content (Magicka Sorcerer)
Nightblade – ESO Class Guide
The Class of Stealth and Shadow. Nightblade is the rogue/assassin-like Class of ESO. The only Class with an ability to cloak in-game. Nightblades make great Magicka and Stamina Damage Dealers as well as decent Tanks and Healers. One of the hardest classes to learn and the least Beginner friendly. Playing a Nightblade can be very rewarding though for experienced players.
Because of their ability to cloak they are also the best Thieves in-game. Playing as a Thief is the closest to a Pacifist play style in The Elder Scrolls Online. Thanks to their Stealth capabilities they are also perfect for “Gank” (surprise attack) PVP Builds. A popular Class because of their stealth and rogue-like elements that is not very Beginner Friendly for Solo/ Group PVE or PVP. For a better understanding of the Nightblade Class you can take a look at my Nightblade Beginner Guide.
Nightblade Skill-Lines
- Assassination, a mix of offensive and support skills
- Shadow, dedicated to stealth, shadow and fear skills
- Siphoning, a mix of support and health-absorbing spells
Nightblade Pros and Cons – ESO Class Guide
The Nightblade is the Class of Stealth and the rogue-like, Assassin Class archetype in ESO! Thanks to their superb self-healing and passive sustain, Nightblades are great for Solo gameplay and good for DPS roles. Their arsenal excels in attacking and executing single targets. If you are into stealth PVP, then the Nightblade Class is the Best option for you. Thanks to Shadowy Disguise, you can stay hidden and strike at the right moment. Finally they make excellent Thief Builds in ESO! Stealing in the game is fun and can help you earn a small fortune, so picking a Nightblade is the best way to follow this play style! Playing as a Thief is also the closest you can get to a Pacifist Gameplay in ESO.
The Nightblade Class is the least Beginner friendly option in ESO. This is mainly because of how reliant they are on proc skills and Light Attack Weaving to deal good damage. They need their stealth skill to survive in PVP which makes them limited to Gank style PVP Builds most of the time. Finally they are not the best for support roles and you will need a lot of experience to make them work as a Healer or Tank!
Nightblade Class Pros:
- Stealth Skills, Easy to escape fights
- Great for Solo Gameplay
- Hard-hitting single target abilities and execute
- Strong Gank PVP Builds
- Excellent Thieves – Pacifist Gameplay
Nightblade Class Cons:
- Hard to Master, Not Beginner Friendly
- Rely on proc skills/Light attack weaving a lot
- Need Stealth to survive in PVP
- Not the best Tanks or Healers
- Kind of limited to Gank PVP play style
Dragonknight – ESO Class Guide
The Class of Fire, Poison and Earth. Dragonknights make excellent Tanks, very strong Magicka and Stamina Damage Dealers but poor Healers. A quite sturdy and Beginner friendly Class, especially if you are into Tanking. The Class has access to Fire, Earth and Poison Damage based skills. Each element suits a specific role better and help you create appropriate Builds. Fire for Magicka Damage Dealers, Poison for Stamina Damage Dealers and Earth for Tanks.
Dragonknight can also be a great choice for Damage over Time abilities based Builds. Magicka Dragonknight is the closest to a pure Fire Mage in ESO. For a better understanding of the Dragonknight Class you can take a look at my Dragonknight Beginner Guide.
Dragonknight Skill-Lines
- Ardent Flame, Fire and Poison Damage based offensive skills
- Draconic Power, Tank oriented skills
- Earthen Heart, Group and Healer support
Dragonknight Pros and Cons – ESO Class Guide
The Dragonknight is another easy and Beginner friendly Class, especially if you wish to Tank in ESO! Dragonknights make also great Damage Dealers(DPS) Builds. Thanks to their multiple sources of Elemental Damage, a Dragonknight can be a powerful Fire Mage or a devastating Poison based warrior! The Class also has access to powerful Damage over Time abilities which allows you to explore this type of gameplay rather well too.
Dragonknights do not make good Healers though, they simply lack the appropriate skills to perform well in that role. Their skills are quite resources consuming as well and they have to cast their Ultimate often to restore resources. Which by itself is not a problem but you will have to take this aspect of the Class into consideration when creating your character. Finally both Melee based or Mage Dragonknights perform better when they are in melee range from their target. Which might be a problem if you wish to play as a ranged Magicka Dk!
Dragonknight Class Pros:
- Excellent Tank
- Strong Magicka and Stamina Damage Dealer for PVE and PVP
- Sturdy and Beginner Friendly
- Fire, Poison, Earth based skills to choose from
- Great for Damage Over Time based Builds
- Good for Solo PVE gameplay, thanks to their skills
Dragonknight Class Cons:
- Mediocre Healer
- Sustain issues, requires clever use of Ultimate Skills to sustain properly
- Magicka Damage Dealers need to be in melee range to perform well
Templar – ESO Class Guide
The Class of Light and Healing. Templars make excellent Healers, strong Magicka and Stamina Damage Dealers but mediocre Tanks. Templar has access to mostly Magic damage based spells and several support skills to assist you and your group. Very good class for Solo PVE Gameplay and quite beginner friendly, especially if you are into Healing.
Even though Templar is not the best Class for Tanking, it is still the closest to a Paladin-like Class in ESO, thanks to all its healing and support spells. Both Stamina and Magicka Damage Dealers rely too much on Puncturing Strikes and its morphs for damage. For a better understanding of the Templar Class you can take a look at my Templar Beginner Guide.
Templar Skill-Lines
- Aedric Spear, a mix of offensive and support skills
- Dawn’s Wrath, mostly Magic based offensive spells
- Restoring Light, dedicated to Healing
Templar Pros and Cons
The Templar is an excellent Support Class in ESO, that can also deal good damage as Stamina or Magicka DPS! Either setup shines in Solo gameplay and since the Class is easy to learn, picking a Templar as your first character will help you complete almost every type of content with success. Like the Arcanist, Templars deal Magic damage as well and offer several Area of Effect strong skills for Damage or Support. The Templar is the only Class in ESO that can create a Paladin-like Build!
Despite their similarities to Paladins however, the Templar is not that great of a Tank in ESO. For offense as a Templar you will rely a lot on Puncturing Strikes and its morphs to deal decent damage. Which can become old fast.
Templar Class Pros:
- Excellent Healer
- Decent Magicka and Stamina Damage Dealer
- Magic Damage based skills and Support Spells
- Good for Area of Effect Damage based Builds
- Paladin-like Style and Gameplay
- Great for Solo PVE Gameplay
Templar Class Cons:
- Mediocre Tank
- Depends too much on one offensive skill (Puncturing Strikes)
Warden – ESO Class Guide
The Class of Nature and Ice. Wardens make decent Stamina and Magicka Damage Dealers as well as great Tanks and Healers. An easy Class to learn with access to several helpful Heals, Buffs and Debuffs. The Class’ Frost based abilities can help you create fun Frost Warden Mage and Frost Tank Builds. Warden needs a Frost Staff to achieve its best damage.
Overall a good Class for every role in PVE or PVP gameplay. Very good Solo PVE Class as well. Beginner friendly thanks to their several support skills. Their Bear Ultimate is great for damage but can act weird some times! They can mix and match Stamina and Magicka based skills with success, which makes them perfect for Hybrid Builds. For a better understanding of the Warden Class you can take a look at my Warden Beginner Guide.
Warden Skill-Lines
- Animal Companions, offensive skills based on Morrowind animals
- Green Balance, healing focused skill-line
- Winter’s Embrace, Frost based offensive and support skills
Warden Pros and Cons
The Warden is an amazing Class if you are a fun of Frost Damage! The only class in ESO that can create reliable Frost DPS Builds or Frost based Tanks! Wardens make excellent Healers as well, along with the Templar and Arcanist Classes. They are a potent Class to use in Group content PVE, Solo PVE or PVP. Relatively easy to learn as well with access to several Buffs and Debuffs.
The Warden Class major drawbacks are their Bear Ultimate and the need to use a Frost Staff to deal their best damage. Their Bear Ultimate is strong but requires two slots to work and there is not any other reliable alternative to use. To deal their best damage, Wardens are forced to use a Frost Staff because of one of their Passives, the Piercing Cold Passive Skill. Obviously this affects mostly the Magicka Warden(if you are focusing on Frost Damage) and less the Stamina Warden that is focusing more on Bleed Damage and its Status Effect.
Warden Class Pros:
- Excellent Healers, Great Tanks and Good Damage Dealers
- Frost Mage and Frost Tank Builds
- Ice Damage
- Very Strong in PVP and PVE
- Good Solo PVE Class
- Easy to learn with access to several Buffs and Debuffs
- Magicka Warden is a great Crowd Control Class in Group PVP
Warden Class Cons:
- Rely too much on the Bear Ultimate for good damage in PVE
- Need to use a Frost Staff to deal great damage
Necromancer – ESO Class Guide
The Class of Death and Elemental Damage. Necromancer has access to every Elemental Damage type in-game, Fire, Shock and Ice as well as to Poison and Disease Damage based Skills. It can also summon Minions (Pets), like the Sorcerer, to assist in combat. Necromancer’s Minions are not permanent though, they only last for a few seconds which requires significant micromanagement and makes the Class harder to learn.
Necromancers make great Tanks, Healers and decent Stamina and Magicka Damage Dealers. The Class has access to several support skills to help you fulfill every role successfully. They do rely a lot on the Blastbones skill to deal damage however. A skill that can be unreliable at times. Decent for Solo PVE Gameplay. For a better understanding of the Necromancer Class you can take a look at my Necromancer Beginner Guide.
Necromancer Skill-Lines
- Grave Lord, offensive skills and minions for Magicka and Stamina Builds
- Bone Tyrant, Tank oriented skills
- Living Death, Healing focused skill-line
Necromancer Pros and Cons
The Necromancer is a summoner Class like the Sorcerer but without permanent Pets to summon. Necromancers make decent Damage Dealers but with a complex rotation because of the constant minions re-summoning. You also get access to several Types of Damage and their Status Effects as a Necromancer. The Class is quite good in Support roles too.
The micromanagement you get because of constant re-summoning of Minions is the Class’ biggest drawback. To deal significant damage a Necromancer is also forced to use the Blastbones ability, which needs to cast after every two skills, making things even more complicated. Because of this, the Necromancer is not an easy Class to learn nor Beginner friendly.
Necromancer Class Pros:
- Good Damage Dealer(requires practice)
- Good Tank and Healer
- Access to Elemental, Poison and Disease Damage based skills
- Can summon Minions (Pets) to attack and heal
- Flexible Gameplay
Necromancer Class Cons:
- No permanent Pets
- Too much micromanagement because of Minions
- Hard Class to master
- Rely too much on Blastbones skill for damage
What is the Easiest Class to Play in ESO
The Easiest Class to Play in ESO is the Magicka Sorcerer! A very Beginner Friendly Class with permanent Pets that assist in combat. The Magicka Sorcerer is a powerful Class for almost every role in The Elder Scrolls Online, that is also flexible. You can play as a summoner, commanding a small army of Pets like my Overlord Build or enjoy ESO Solo without Pets, focusing instead on Shock Damage, like my Stormborn Build! In terms of difficulty these are the Easiest ESO Classes to pick:
- Arcanist
- Dragonknight
- Sorcerer
- Templar
- Warden
The most difficult ESO Classes to pick are:
- Necromancer
- Nightblade
To find out which Class is the Best for Beginners in ESO for every role, you can read my ESO Best Beginner Class Guide!
ESO Class Guide Summary
Every Class in ESO can perform every role successfully but some will be more effective in specific roles than other. Which Class you should play in ESO, depends on your favorite play style and the tools each Class offers you to pursue it! There are Seven available Classes in ESO at the moment:
- Arcanist
- Dragonknight
- Necromancer
- Nightblade
- Sorcerer
- Templar
- Warden
Each Class has three unique Skill lines that can assist you in DPS or as Tank and Healer. The Magicka Sorcerer is the easiest Class to pick in ESO right now. A flexible Class that can play with Pets or without and clear any type of Solo or Group content! Out of the Seven Classes the Arcanist, Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Templar and Warden are easy to learn and quite powerful in specific roles. Finally the Necromancer and Nightblade are harder to get into but very rewarding if you do not mind the extra practice.
FAQ – ESO Class Guide
What is the Strongest Class in ESO?
The Strongest Class in ESO is the Stamina Sorcerer at the moment! The Magicka Sorcerer is also quite strong and more beginner friendly. To better understand how Classes work in ESO, you should read this ESO Class Guide!
What is the Best Class for Beginners in ESO?
The Best Class for Beginners in ESO is the Magicka Sorcerer. A potent Class with several helpful tools that allow you to experience everything ESO has to offer! To learn more about Beginner Classes in ESO, you can read this ESO Best Beginner Class Guide!
More Guides to Read
- Best Solo Class Guide
- Best Beginner Class Guide
- Race Guide
- ESO PVP Build Guide
- New Player Beginner Guide
- ESO How to Make Gold
- ESO Leveling Guide
- Undaunted Pledges Guide
- ESO PVE Build Guide
- Transmute Crystals Guide
- Champion Points Guide
- ESO Daily Routine
- Best Addons Guide
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