eso best pvp class tier list
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ESO Best PVP Class Guide

Welcome to my ESO Best PVP Class Guide! The Guide is focusing on Battlegrounds PVP and will show you how each Class performs in The Elder Scrolls Online. Every Class has its own identity and unique skills, that affect their gameplay. All available ESO Classes can perform well in PVP but some are simply better and easier to use. How good a Class is for this type of gameplay depends on the various tools it offers. Tools that will help you protect yourself, heal and defeat other players. This mostly means the Class Skills you have access to but also other factors that affect their identity. If you are new to PVP, you can read my ESO PVP Beginner Guide!

This Guide ignores Subclassing! Keep an eye for a future Update!

Table of Contents

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What is the Best PVP Class in ESO – Tier List

The Best PVP Class for Battlegrounds in ESO is the Sorcerer at the moment. The Best PVP Class Tier List for ESO is:

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

How Scribing affects PVP Gameplay in ESO

Scribing adds new skills to ESO called Grimoires, that you can customize with Scripts. The combination of skills you can create with this system is endless and some are very helpful for PVP gameplay. This is because Scribing abilities offer a variety of effects that a Class may be lacking and as a result they can complement many PVP Builds in ESO!

Best Mythic Sets for PVP Gameplay in ESO

Mythic Sets are powerful One Piece Sets that offer a major advantage to your character. To provide balance they usually also come with a significant drawback. Some of these Mythic Items are great to use in Battlegrounds and PVP gameplay in general. The Best Mythic Sets for PVP Gameplay are:

  • Gaze of Sithis
  • Death Dealer’s Fete
  • Oakensoul Ring
  • Sea-Serpent’s Coil
  • Saint and Seducer
  • Markyn Ring of Majesty

Gaze of Sithis offers better Health, Health Recovery and Armor at the cost of zero Block Mitigation. Its bonuses make it one of the best Mythic Sets for Battlegrounds! The Sea-Serpent’s Coil is another strong option that boosts damage but snares you at the same time. Great Item to use with mobile Classes like the Sorcerer. Death Dealer’s Fete offers a boost to resources when you are in combat while the Oakensoul Ring makes One Bar Builds powerful in PVP as well.

The Saint and the Seducer is another interesting item that offers a variety of Buffs and debuffs when you are in combat. Markyn Ring of Majesty boosts your Damage and Armor for every set you are wearing at least three or more pieces of. Finally the Torc of the Last Ayleid King is a nice beginner item for PVP.

ESO Classes – Best PVP Class

There are seven Classes in ESO, four available with the base game(DragonknightNightbladeSorcererTemplar) and three available to purchase(ArcanistNecromancerWarden). The available ESO Classes are:

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

Every Class can perform well in Battlegrounds, as long as you know what you are doing. However some are easier and more reliable to use. Each Class has three unique skill lines that determine how they perform in PVP. These skills are the core of every PVP Build and will help you dominate and survive. For the basics of Creating a good Build for PVP, you can take a look at my ESO PVP Build Beginner Guide.

Arcanist – ESO Best PVP Class

The Arcanist is a flexible and strong Class in PVP, with access to several support skills! Thanks to its unique Class System called Crux, the Arcanist can combine various skills together in order to boost their effectiveness. Most of their Skills are great for both Magicka Arcanist PVP and Stamina Arcanist PVP Builds, so Arcanist PVP Builds are more hybrid focused than other Classes.

Abyssal Impact and Morphs debuff and immobilize enemies, Recuperative Treatise can restore resources while dealing damage. The Languid Eye is a powerful Ultimate that can also snare your target. For defense, Arcanists rely on skills like Impervious Runeward, Fatewoven Armor and Morphs, Runic Defense and Morphs that can shield you, debuff enemies and heal you!

Rune of Eldritch Horror is the Class’ fear ability while Gibbering Shield and Morphs offer a powerful defensive Ultimate. Finally if you wish to play a more support oriented role with your Arcanist, you can always use a few strong heal and support abilities from the Curative Runeforms skill line! Overall the Arcanist is a potent and flexible PVP Class in ESO!

Sorcerer – ESO Best PVP Class

The Sorcerer is a powerful Class in PVP, that can utilize its Pets or play without them. A combination of hard hitting abilities, sustain skills and Streak, the best mobility skill in ESO, makes Sorcerer one of the easiest Classes for PVP Gameplay, for New and Veteran players.

The Magicka Sorcerer is one of the most new player friendly classes to play and learn PVP with. Pets like Summon Twilight Matriarch and Summon Storm Atronach and Morphs, can assist with heals, stuns and damage, making your life easier. Crystal Fragments is a core skill for every Magicka Sorcerer PVP Build that deals insane burst damage and assists with sustain. When combined with the execution-like ability, Mages’ Fury and its morphs or the Overload Ultimate, it can help you kill anything. Finally Hardened Ward, Boundless Storm and Surge, provide extra protection and heals while Streak is an amazing escape skill, that will save your life often. Access to Restoration Staff abilities can also help you create DPS, Support hybrid Builds in order to expand your play style.

The Stamina Sorcerer is another strong Class that can use a mix of Class and Weapon abilities to defeat enemies. Skills like Streak, Hurricane, Surge, Summon Storm Atronach and morphs will always have a place in a Stamina Sorcerer PVP Build. In general the Stamina Sorcerer is a sturdy PVP Class, that utilizes different abilities to destroy enemies and can escape from tough situations with ease.

eso best pvp class
Nightblade ready to Strike(Credit: Zenimax Media Inc)

Nightblade – ESO Best PVP Class

The Nightblade is the master of Stealth in ESO! The best class for assassin-like, gank PVP gameplay. Staying hidden and striking when the time is right, is the core of every Nightblade’s play style in PVP, including Battlegrounds. The Stamina Nightblade can also make an excellent Bow or Melee ganker for open World PVP fun. A Stamina Nightblade can turn into a strong brawler as well but stealth will always be very important to survive and defeat enemies.

Shadowy Disguise is important for Both Stamina and Magicka Nightblades. A must have skill for every PVP Build that requires good magicka management to use properly. This adds an extra difficulty to Stamina Nightblades, since they will have to learn how to manage their Magicka well.

Incapacitating Strike is a powerful Ultimate that can destroy enemies, while other skills like Ambush, Relentless Focus and its Spectral Arrow and Killer’s Blade can assist with damage and get you kills faster. Aspect of Terror and morphs will fear and crowd control enemies while Shadow Image offers an escape method. Siphoning Strikes assists with sustain and heals! With the right setup, a Stamina Nightblade can be quite sturdy as well.

Magicka Nightblades share several Class skills with Stamina Nightblades for PVP. Shadowy Disguise, Aspect of Terror and Shadow Image can be very helpful for both types of gameplay. Additionally a Magblade can also use Soul Harvest, Impale, Lotus Fan, Merciless Resolve, Spectral Arrow, Siphoning Strikes and morphs to achieve their goal.

Overall the Class’ gameplay revolves around stealth and surprise attacks. Both Magicka and Stamina Nightblades are strong but also fragile in PVP if they fail their initial attack! The Nightblade Class requires a lot of practice to use properly. A powerful Class in the right hands but not the best starter option.

Dragonknight – ESO Best PVP Class

A sturdy Class that can take a lot of beating in a fight. Both Magicka and Stamina Dragonknights in PVP can rely on several Class skills to survive, heal themselves and deal damage. Their biggest advantage over other classes is the ability to restore resources by using their Ultimates! They actually depend on this to survive, since they are quite resources hungry to begin with.

Magicka Dragonknight is a potent Fire based mage with a few strong close combat abilities. Lava Whip and morphs is a powerful tool in PVP that when combined with Burning Embers and Engulfing Flames can melt enemies fast. Cauterize is a great self heal ability that also Stamina Dragonknights can use. The Dragon Leap Ultimate and its morphs is a nice option for both Dragonknights. A skill that deals Fire or Physical damage, stuns enemies and restores resources often thanks to its low cost. Corrosive Armor is another powerful Class Ultimate that can melt enemies!

Spiked Armor, Dragon Blood, Protective Scale and their morphs, offer additional protection to Dragonknights. Fossilize is an amazing stun skill and Molten Weapon and morphs can boost your and your group’s damage. One minor drawback of Magicka Dragonknights is that they have to be in melee range to deal significant damage to enemies.

Stamina Dragonknights can deal potent Poison damage with skills like Venomous Claw and Noxious Breath but also rely a lot on Weapon Abilities, like most other Stamina Classes. They are sturdier than their Magicka equivalent and easier to use as a new player. Stamina Dragonknight can also use fire based skills with success.

Templar – ESO Best PVP Class

The Templar Class has access to several support skills that can heal, buff and debuff enemies, making your life easier. Both Magicka and Stamina Templars however rely a lot on one skill and its morphs to deal significant damage, Puncturing Strikes.

The Magicka Templar can be an asset to every group because of the support it provides and the higher magicka pool that allows you to cast skills often. A Magicka Templar can be strong as damage dealer but also assist with heals. Purifying Light, Rushed Ceremony and morphs, Cleansing Ritual and morphs can all assist your group and help win the fight. Toppling Charge is an amazing gap closer skill that Stamina Templars can use as well. Eclipse and its morphs also assist Magicka and Stamina Templars with additional heals or damage.

Stamina Templars can be strong in PVP but are a lot more fragile and hard to recover if you lose your momentum. Magicka Templars in general have more Magicka that allows them to use the Class’ support skills more often and with ease and their PVP gameplay feels more strategic. They are both easy to use however and a nice option for new players in PVP.

Sorcerer Class Skills

Warden – ESO Best PVP Class

The Warden is a potent class in PVP both as a Stamina and Magicka Build. This is because it has access to a balanced set of offensive, defensive and support abilities. Abilities that can deal damage, heal and buff you and your group or debuff the enemy.

The Stamina Warden utilizes several Weapon abilities, like other Stamina Classes but its core skills are Class abilities. Subterranean Assault or Deep Fissure are amazing offensive skills, Growing Swarm and Fetcher Infection deal damage and debuff enemies, Bird of Prey boosts damage. Combined with the passives of the Animal Companions Skill line, they can destroy most enemies easily.

Sleet Storm and morphs, Ice Fortress and Arctic Blast can also provide additional support, heals and damage. A very sturdy Class with superb damage and defense, that can fight multiple enemies with ease. Quite flexible as well, since it can use different weapons for its attack with success.

Magicka Warden on the other hand is not only strong as a damage dealer but also an amazing support PVP Class. With access to Heals, Buffs, debuffs and crowd control abilities, the Magicka Warden is an asset to any PVP group. Deep Fissure, Fetcher Infection or Growing Swarm, Fungal Growth and morphs, Secluded Grove and morphs, Lotus Blossom, Sleet Storm and morphs, Ice Fortress, Arctic Blast or Polar Wind and Shimmering Shield are all important abilities for a PVP Magicka Warden. Add Winter’s Revenge to the mix and you get some serious Crowd Control capabilities.

If support is your favorite role in PVP, then the Magicka Warden should be your number one option! The class requires some practice to learn but is overall quite easy to use with a straightforward skills rotation and combos. Which makes it a good choice for new players.

Necromancer – ESO Best PVP Class

Necromancer is another well balanced Class like the Warden, with access to several offensive, defensive and support abilities. Its dependence to minions to deal damage and survive however, increase its difficulty and make it a harder class to use effectively, especially for new players.

Stamina Necromancer is a sturdy Class with strong attacks and great survivability. It relies on Weapon abilities to deal damage but can use a few Class skills as well. Pestilent Colossus or Bone Goliath Transformation and morphs can be deadly Ultimates when used at the right moment.

Blastbones is a core skill for every Stamina Necromancer in PVP while Ruinous Scythe is a decent alternative to your Weapon spammable. Bone Armor and morphs, Deaden Pain, Expunge and morphs offer protection and utility. Spirit Guardian is an important skill for survival, for both Stamina and Magicka Necromancers.

The Magicka Necromancer on the other hand is a decent class for PVP that can support your group and Crowd Control enemies. It offers a mix of offensive skills, Minions, Heals and Crowd Control abilities that can disable enemies. Glacial Colossus or Bone Goliath Transformation and morphs can be deadly while Blastbones is your primary source of damage.

Mystic Siphon can assist with sustain and extra damage while Bone Armor and morphs, Deaden Pain, Expunge and morphs offer protection and utility. Bone Totem, Grave Grasp and their morphs with their Crowd Control and debuffs, is what makes a Magicka Necromancer useful. Spirit Guardian is again very important for survival.

The Magicka Necromancer can provide heals with Render Flesh and morphs but also revive fallen allies instantly with its Reanimate Ultimate. In general the Necromancer is a harder class to use and not very beginner friendly but can be strong with the right setup and mindset in PVP.

What are the Best PVP Classes in ESO โ€“ Tier List

This is how each individual Class ranks for PVP Gameplay and Battlegrounds in ESO! The ranking here is slightly different from the PVP Class Tier List as a whole, since it takes into consideration the special skills and performance of Magicka and Stamina variants. Best PVP Class ESO Tier List:

S Tier

  • Stamina Sorcerer
  • Magicka Sorcerer

A Tier

  • Stamina Dragonknight
  • Magicka Dragonknight
  • Stamina Nightblade
  • Magicka Nightblade
  • Stamina Arcanist
  • Magicka Arcanist
  • Stamina Necromancer

B Tier

  • Stamina Warden
  • Magicka Warden

C Tier

  • Stamina Templar
  • Magicka Templar
  • Magicka Necromancer

What is the Strongest Class for PVP in ESO

The Stamina Sorcerer is the strongest Class for PVP in ESO Battlegrounds! A superb PVP Class with access to several offensive, defensive and utility skills. The Stamina Sorcerer can deal massive damage with its Class or Weapon skills and destroy enemies fast. Streak is an amazing mobility skill that allows them to stun enemies, escape and reset fights.

ESO Best PVP Class Guide Summary

Every ESO Class can perform well in Battlegrounds and PVP in general but some are easier and stronger! The Best PVP Classes in ESO right now are:

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

The Sorcerer is a powerful PVP Class thanks to a unique combination of Class and Weapon Skills. Nightblade, Dragonknight and Arcanist are strong in PVP as well.

FAQ – ESO PVP Class Guide

What is the Best PVP Class in ESO?

The Best PVP Class in ESO is the Stamina Sorcerer! A powerful Class in PVP with high mobility and insane Burst Damage.

What is the Best PVP Class for Beginners in ESO?

The Best PVP Class for Beginners in ESO is the Magicka Sorcerer! The most new player friendly Class in ESO, with access to hard hitting, sustain skills and the strongest escape ability!