ESO Class Guide

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. Classes are the core gameplay of ESO and define your overall in-game experience! 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 allow you to perform specific roles better than others. More Guides you can read:

• ESO Best Solo Class Guide
• ESO Race Guide
• ESO New Player Beginner Guide

How Many Classes there are in ESO?

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:

1. Arcanist
2. Dragonknight
3. Necromancer
4. Nightblade
5. Sorcerer
6. Templar
7. Warden

Every Class can fulfill the role of Stamina Damage Dealer, Magicka Damage Dealer, Tank or Healer. Hybrid Builds are also quite popular. 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.

Subclassing allows you to mix and match skill lines from up to three Classes, in order to create powerful Builds for every role! Each Class has its own unique tools that will help you fulfill your favorite role.

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. This is what you can expect from all available Classes.

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!

This Class relies a lot on Magic Damage based abilities and can create strong Damage Dealers in every setup. The Arcanist also 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.

The Arcanist is an amazing Class for Subclassing DPS Builds, thanks to their Herald of the Tome skill line and the Fatecarver beam skill. Soldier of Apocrypha and Curative Runeforms also offer several skills for Support roles. For a better understanding of the Arcanist Class you can take a look at my Arcanist Beginner Guide.

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
• Great for Subclassing

Arcanist Class Cons:

• Dependent on the Crux generation and consumption circle
• Magicka Arcanist has slight sustain issues when not using the Beam

Dragonknight – ESO Class Guide

The Class of Fire and Earth. Dragonknights make excellent Tanks, very strong Magicka and Stamina Damage Dealers but mediocre Healers. A quite sturdy and Beginner friendly Class, especially if you are into Tanking. The Class has access to Fire skills for damage but also offers a few Earth based abilities for defense. Magicka Damage Dealers make excellent Fire Mages in The Elder Scrolls Online.

Dragonknight is also a great choice for Damage over Time abilities based Builds, Pure or Subclassing, that rely on fire damage. Ardent Flame is their best Skill line but Draconic Power and Earthen Heart also offer good options. For a better understanding of the Dragonknight Class you can take a look at my Dragonknight Beginner Guide.

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 good Damage Dealers(DPS) Builds. Thanks to their Fire Damage, a Dragonknight can be a powerful Fire Mage or a devastating Fire warrior! The Class has access to powerful Damage over Time abilities which allow you to explore and enjoy this type of gameplay.

Dragonknights do not make the best Healers though. They simply lack the appropriate skills to perform well in that role. Their abilities are quite resources consuming 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.

Dragonknight Class Pros:

• Excellent Tank
• Strong Magicka and Stamina Damage Dealer for PVE and PVP
• Sturdy and Beginner Friendly
• Fire skills for Damage, Earth skills for Defense
• Great for Damage Over Time based normal and Subclassing 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

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. They can also summon Minions(Pets) like the Sorcerer, to assist them in combat. The 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 DPS 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. The Necromancer is another amazing Class for DoT Subclassing Builds thanks to their Grave Lord Skill line. For a better understanding of the Necromancer Class you can take a look at my Necromancer Beginner Guide.

Necromancer Pros and Cons

The Necromancer is a summoner Class like the Sorcerer but without permanent Pets. 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 as well.

The minions micromanagement is the Class’ biggest drawback. To deal significant damage a Necromancer is forced to use the Blastbones ability, which you need 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
• Good DoT Subclassing Builds

Necromancer Class Cons:

• No permanent Pets
• Too much micromanagement because of Minions
• Hard Class to master
• Rely too much on Blastbones skill for damage

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 and Group PVE or PVP Gameplay. The Nightblade is an amazing Class for Subclassing, thanks to their Assassination skill line and its great skills. They are also a great option for Solo Builds because of their Siphoning skill line. For a better understanding of the Nightblade Class you can take a look at my Nightblade Beginner Guide.

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. But you will have to practice and learn how to use your Toggle Stealth ability properly.

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
• Amazing Class for Subclassing Builds

Nightblade Class Cons:

• Hard to Master, Not Beginner Friendly
• Rely on proc skills and 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

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 but they are very strong and can use a mix of Class and Weapon abilities. The Sorcerer skill lines are not the best for Subclassing but they do make great Pet based Builds! The Sorcerer is a great Class for Subclassing Setups, thanks to their Pets and Storm Calling skill line! For a better understanding of the Sorcerer Class you can take a look at my Sorcerer Beginner Guide.

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
• Good for Pet and general Subclassing Builds

Sorcerer Class Cons:

• Need Shields to survive harder content (Magicka Sorcerer)

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. The Templar is not a great Class for Subclassing Builds. You can use Burning Light from Aedric Spear or healing skills from Restoring Light in your Builds but there are better options. For a better understanding of the Templar Class you can take a look at my Templar Beginner Guide.

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 also deal Magic damage 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 strong as 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)
• Not the Best for Subclassing Builds

Warden – ESO Class Guide

The Class of Nature and Ice. Wardens make amazing Stamina DPS and Magicka DPS Builds 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 DPS and Frost Tank Builds.

A good Class for every role in PVE or PVP gameplay. Very good for Solo PVE and Beginner friendly thanks to their several support skills. Their Bear Ultimate is great for damage but can be unreliable! They can mix and match Stamina and Magicka based skills with success, which makes them perfect for Hybrid Builds.

The Warden is a nice Class for Subclassing that offers a good alternative offensive line, Animal Companions. They are also amazing for Healing Builds, thanks to their Green Balance skill line. For a better understanding of the Warden Class you can take a look at my Warden Beginner Guide.

Warden Pros and Cons

The Warden is an amazing Class if you are a fan 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.

Their major drawback is their Bear Ultimate. Which is strong but requires two slots to work and there is not any other reliable alternative to use. Magicka Warden can deal both Magic and Frost Damage while the Stamina Warden 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
• Good for Subclassing Builds

Warden Class Cons:

• Rely too much on the Bear Ultimate for good damage in PVE

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 and flexible Class that can fulfill almost every role in The Elder Scrolls Online. You can play as a summoner, commanding a small army of Pets 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!

FAQ – ESO Class Guide