While players begin The Elder Scrolls Online as a predictable prisoner, they're soon revealed as the Vestige destined to stop Molag Bal's plans of merging his realm of Oblivion with the world of Nirn. Being an MMO, players can fulfill this prophecy as one of seven main classes, each of which brings some of Tamriel's best to the fight to save the world. Among these Classes are those who have mastered stealth, summoning the undead, commanding the forces of nature, or even tapping into their draconic lineage.
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Although players can technically combine aspects of other Classes to create unique builds, the choice of a first Class or a main Class remains pivotal in the beginning parts of the game — especially for new players. While they are built to work by themselves or as part of a team, some Classes are just more flexible for beginners.
7 Nightblade
Flank-Heavy Masters Of Stealth
- Criticals with Shadow Cloak grant immense damage potential
- Invisibility and evasion focus can create very engaging gameplay elements
- Condition- and tempo-dependent kits make the Nightblade highly rewarding but incredibly complex
The Nightblade remains an unconventional Elder Scrolls Online Class for being a rogue equivalent with an active healing component on top of its invisibility-reliant and flank-heavy kit. Being the resident DPS extraordinaire, a lot is demanded of the Nightblade in terms of juggling their stealth-flank-and-heal rotations.
While fun to play for their unique movement-heavy mechanics, they can be a bit technical to be picked up by new players at the onset. The Nightblade contributes best in active fighting arrangements, as their support components are easily outclassed by other Classes.
Add light attacks in between skills in rotations to increase damage output. Ideally, choose to focus on either Stamina or Magicka Skills for DPS, especially when sublcassing
Assassination
Curated for the Nightblade's lethality is this skill line that ramps up damage over time, emphasized by the Death Stroke Ultimate that inflicts increased damage taken after proccing. Nightblades can then inflict more damage received (Teleport Strike line), do an Off-Balancing flank strike (Veiled Strike) with a movement speed buff (Concealed Weapon) or a guaranteed crit (Surprise Attack), and finish enemies off with a massive attack at low health (Assassin's Blade). Beyond attacks, the skill line has debuffs such as resistance loss with a full heal on kill (Mark Target line), and a ramping-up critical boost that ends with an extra attack plus heal (Grim Focus line).
Shadow Skills
Emphasize stealth and positioning with this skill line that capstones into a massive enemy speed loss and party damage reduction (Consuming Darkness line) alongside options to summon a shadow clone to attack foes (Summon Shade line) and even inflict Cowardice to reduce their damage (Aspect of Terror line). The line also grants massive damage reduction buffs (Blur line), invisibility with damage boost upon leaving stealth (Shadow Cloak line) with a guaranteed crit (Shadowy Disguise), as well as shadows that boost speed (Path of Darkness) with recovery (Refreshing Path) and AOE damage (Twisting Path) alternatives.
Siphoning Skills
This surprising self-sustaining skill line for the Nightblade has a massive lifesteal Ultimate (Soul Shred tree) with a variety of effect-on-damage heals, buffs, and debuffs. Notable among these are natural on-hit solo or team healing (Strife line) as well as Health-to-resource sacrifice with on-hit healing (Siphoning Strikes line). There are even ways of debuffing enemy speed with an optional immobilize (Cripple line), and an AOE hit that may reduce their damage while increasing the Nightblade's (Drain Power line). At the worst, there's also a way to heal allies at the expense of one's own Health (Malevolent Offering line).
6 Necromancer
Summoning Class With A Competent DPS Component
- Corpse economy can pave the way to high burst damage, especially with Major Vulnerability from the Colossus
- Rotation-dependent to sustain DPS, and missing a window can vastly reduce damage
- Corpse dependency means enemies have to consistently die in order to get resources for summons
When not destroying foes with their Colossus and contingent of skeletons, the Necromancer uses their mastery over decay to overwhelm foes with bones or cheat death itself to heal themselves and their allies. Being the go-to summoning Class in The Elder Scrolls Online, Necromancers demand and reward micromanagement, making them ideal for soloing and team play.
The Class also comes with a nifty roleplay gimmick, where using their skills in front of some NPCs may have negative repercussions since Necromancy is frowned upon in Tamriel, especially in the Second Age. While their kit can easily overwhelm foes when used correctly, managing corpse economy and rotations can make the Class demanding for new players. Ensuring there are corpses to use and that rotations are in order is the only way to sustain damage.
Stamina Necromancers work well in PVE to accommodate having to roll and dodge in fights. Going for a two-bar kit can guarantee a decent balance between DPS and sustains.
Grave Lord
Command the force of death itself by creating and consuming corpses. Necromancer builds can create corpses on a ranged spell attack (Flame Skull line) or alongside an AOE (Ghostly Embrace), and then consume them to summon generic skeletal spellcasters and archers (Skeletal Mage line), and even a terrifying Colossus that inflicts Major Invulnerability to foes. Alternatively, corpses may be consumed for buffs with a dash of AOE damage (Shocking Siphon line), debuffs with more damage taken (Boneyard line), or even summon skeletons that buff the Necromancer or explode in front of a target (Sacrificial Bones line).
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Bone Tyrant
Death itself becomes the Necromancer's shield with this tanking toolkit, complete with a taunting buff (Bone Armor line), an immobilizing AOE (Grave Grasp line), as well as a summon that grants damage reduction with Fear (Bone Totem line). For survivability, this skill line has an innate lifesteal (Death Scythe), healing from corpses (Bitter Harvest line), and a Goliath form that heals the Necromancer on hit.
Living Death
Mastery over death makes the Necromancer an effective healer, especially with this skill line's three-ally resurrection (Reanimate) ultimate as well as a summon that heals and soaks damage (Spirit Guardian, Spirit Mender line). Corpses can be consumed for healing over time (Restoring Tether line) or on a location (Life amid Death line), while there's also an instant healing in exchange for reduced healing over time (Render Flesh line). The Necromancer also has access to a two-debuff cleanser (Expunge) that lowers casting cost.
5 Warden
Straightforward Skill Lines Hindered By Being Setup-Heavy
- Animal companions deal decent damage, but they need constant reapplication
- Straightforward skill line distribution has well-defined setups built for tanking and healing
- Setup-heavy Class can make it difficult for beginners, but it is worthwhile to master
Being a guardian of the Green, the Warden can call upon creatures for aid, heal with nature's touch, and punish enemies with frost. This Elder Scrolls Online Class has one of the most straightforward skill lines, making it worth trying for beginners for their more direct separation of roles. The Class can make effective tanks and healers, with DPS more or less sustainable with the right rotations.
The biggest risk element attached to the Warden is how setup-heavy the Class can become. Healing and damaging skills often relied on the right positioning, so rotations are equal parts knowing the sequence of skills and where exactly to cast them.
A straightforward pure build to try would be a one-bar Warden focusing on Animal Companion to optimize damage numbers with the Dive line before dishing out the Wild Guardian
Animal Companion
Serving as the dedicated summoning line for Wardens, this skill line offers the devastatingly strong Feral Guardian line as a go-to Ultimate. The Warden can also ramp things up with a cliff racer that does an off-balancing DOT with damage boost (Dive line), a double-attacking group of shalk (Scorch line), a fetcherfly swarm with DOT with Minor Vulnerability (Swarm line), and a buffing betty netch with limited Magicka restoration and debuff removal (Betty Netch line). Beyond summons, the Warden can get a movement buff with immobilization immunity, with optional damage boosts and AOE damage reduction (Falcon's Swiftness line).
Green Balance
Use one's connection with the Green for an assortment of recovery options, such as creating an entire healing forest (Secluded Grove line), frontal AOE healing with recovery boosts (Fungal Growth line), and a pop-heal within a healing AOE (Healing Seed line). There are other healing effects with extra steps, such as per-damage heal on allies (Living Vines line), heal-on-attack (Lotus Flower line), and even a swing-to-ally healing AOE (Nature's Grasp line).
Winter's Embrace
This skill line is the Frost-oriented tanking-DPS kit of the Warden, highlighted by the massive Sleet Storm line that grants Major Protection to the party while slowing down foes that may expand to a damage boost (Northern Storm) or DOT (Permafrosts). There are also skills that boost resistance (Frost Cloak line), a pop-heal with damage-over-time (Arctic Wind line), and an immobilizing enemy teleport with damage debuffs (Frozen Gate line). This skill line's damaging components include an immobilizing AOE (Impaling Shards line), as well as a damage soaker with reflect (Crystallized Shield line).
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
4 Sorcerer
Highly Mobile Soloist With Decent DPS
- Surprisingly competent soloist once skills are built, cast, and stacked correctly
- Built well for mobility and damage scaling with self-sustain loops (Critical Surge), cross-resource management (Dark Deal), and the game's best mobility in PVP (Streak)
- Uptime dependence requires active monitoring, leaving the Sorcerer at the risk of losing valuable DPS more often than not
Masters of Magicka, the Sorcerer is the go-to spellcaster of Elder Scrolls Online, calling forth dark magic, the power of lightning, and Daedric summons to dominate combat in a myriad of ways. In fact, building a Magicka Sorcerer is a beginner-friendly way to get into PVE and PVP engagements. Combined with their kit built for self-sustains, the Sorcerer can outlast foes in combat as long as they get their rotations right.
Being a spellcaster, Sorcerer builds are highly dependent on uptime, casting the right sequence of spells to proc buffs and damage to dish out some of the game's highest DPS. Miss any of these cues and the Sorcerer's game can be off, which can cost a party in trials or turn a solo encounter into a nightmare. They also come with summons that, while effective, aren't extremely tailored for casting-heavy engagements.
For a pure build, the Magicka Sorcerer is always a reliable go-to, especially by spamming Crystal Fragments for damage with a Volatile Familiar for its pulse that stuns enemies
Storm Calling
Call forth the power of lightning, capstoning with an Ultimate form that replaces attacks with lightning bolts (Overload). The skill line also comes with more offensive options, such as a lightning strike with an extra AOE explosion (Mages' Fury, Mages' Wrath) or healing (Endless Fury), a lightning form with better resistances and DOT (Lightning Form, Hurricane) with a speed buff (Boundless Storm), and a long-ranged lightning AOE (Lightning Splash line). Utility-wise, the Sorcerer can get a damage boost that heals on crit (Surge line), and the best mobility in PVP: a flash-forward teleport that stuns foes on the destination (Bolt Escape) and the point of origin (Streak) with an attack intercept (Ball of Lightning).
Dark Magic
Control the flow of battle with this skill line, which capstones an AOE negation field with enemy stun or silence (Negate Magic) that may heal (Absorption Field) or deal damage (Suppression Field). The crux of this skill line is the Crystal Shard line, which reduces Ultimate casting costs on top of casting this same spell at half-cost (Crystal Fragments) or dealing more potent damage (Crystal Weapon). Other nifty options include an AOE immobilize (Daedric Mines) with damage absorption (Daedric Refuge), another AOE immobilize with party healing or an extra hit (Encase line), an unblockable stun on target (Rune Prison, Rune Cage) or on hit (Defensive Rune).
Daedric Summoning
The Sorcerer's mastery over Magicka extends to the Planes of Existence, with this skill line letting them call upon extraplanar beings for assistance. The Ultimate for this skill line is the Storm Atronarch, which grants the Sorcerer and their allies a nifty damage boost with a stronger Shock attack (Greater Storm Atronarch) or knockback (Charged Atronarch). The Sorcerer may even call a companion with a stun or two-way heal (Summon Unstable Familiar line) as well as another one with either stronger damage or a three-way heal (Summon Winged Twilight line). Beyond summons, the Sorcerer can inflict damage over time (Daedric Prey line), create a damage shield that may heal (Conjured Ward line), and a damage-reduction aura (Bound Armor line).
3 Templar
Excellent Healing As A Staple Support Class
- Excellent sustains with skill lines dedicated to heal-on-damage and group support
- Ever-reliable healing kit makes heal-centric and sub-tank/DPS setups the optimal beginner's choice
- Reliance on timing and positioning can hinder the Templar's efficiency in combat, especially in high-movement engagements
Known for their connection with the light, the Templars of Elder Scrolls Online represent the vigor and relentlessness of hope. Built for sustains, Templars make decent tanks who can dish out continuous damage, strike from afar while helping allies, or consistently provide healing. In fact, the Templar boasts some of the fastest and most accessible healings in the game, making them perfect for newcomers who want to solo content or find immediate value in early team play.
However, Templars need to depend on their rotations for consistent damage. Their tanking potential is sub-par compared to Dragonknights, and some abilities require positioning that might leave them vulnerable. Healing is where Templars shine, but newcomers might not want to be locked into this role as they learn the game.
Learning how to play a Magicka Templar makes for a decent beginner build. Moreover, this build and focusing on Puncturing Sweeps, Living Dark, and Extended Ritual can help players go toe-to-toe with Magicka Dragonknights who often dominate PVP
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Restoring Light
Use the light to preserve light, with this skill line offering an Ultimate that provides a massive heal that stops disabling effects (Rite of Passage) with limited movement (Practiced Incantation) or damage reduction (Remembrance). The skill line offers a wide variety of healing options, with a quick-fire heal (Rushed Ceremony) for up to two targets (Breath of Life) or a slight refund (Honor the Dead). There's also an AOE heal that may grant a speed boost or heal an ally outside range (Healing Ritual line), the ability to increase overall recovery for the party (Restoring Aura line), a heal with debuff removal or damage AOE (Cleansing Ritual line), and create a designated healing area that can also restore Magicka or Stamina (Rune Focus line).
Dawn's Wrath
Call forth the wrath of sunrise with this offensive support line, with an Ultimate that can multi-proc damage AOEs with damage reduction debuffs and potential stun (Nova line). This line also has the Templar's best channeling attack (Radiant Destruction, Radiant Oppression) that hits harder against low-health foes with healing on the side (Radiant Glory). Other skills include a solar blast that boosts damage with a slow effect (Reflective Light line), another blast with damage reduction or damage over time (Solar Flare line), and a DOT with party heal or ends with a strong attack (Backlash). There's also a unique targetable skill that may slow, then immobilize, then stun enemies (Eclipse) with a damage component (Unstable Core), that may be reversed to target the Templar so they get healing-on-hit while attackers get slowed (Living Dark).
Aedric Spear
Wield light with a vengeance with this skill line, with an Ultimate line that strikes and gives DOT (Radial Weep) with a stronger damage in front (Crescent Sweep) or extended duration (Everlasting Sweep). The Templar can also have a myriad of skills to build their combos, starting with a stunning taunt that may grant players damage reduction (Focused Charge line) and a damage shield (Sun Shield line). From here, the line offers attacks that may slow down foes with a nifty damage boost or heal-on-damage (Puncturing Strikes line), an unblockable knockback that scales damage at distance or stuns for longer (Piercing Javelin line), or an AOE with heal with a first-hit immobilize (Spear Shards line).
2 Dragonknight
Reworked Frontliner Perfect For Aggressive Tanking
- Revamped Class kit now focuses entirely on Fire damage, whether geared for offense, defense, or support
- Tanking and survivability mastery make them perfect for newcomer PVE or solo builds
- DPS and efficiency are rotation-heavy and hit-dependent, so losing momentum means not hitting as much
While already a competent frontliner Class, the Dragonknight has become an even more reliable asset in both solo play and in teams with their rework. Still, the masters-at-arms who were taught how to harness the power of dragons, the Dragonknight rewards attrition – most of its skills hit hard, with secondary effects either hitting harder, hitting for longer (damage-over-time), or healing the Dragonknight and their companions.
Running a Dragonknight tank is one of the safest first builds a beginner could do, and they're in demand in most endgame content upon mastery. However, the Class is reliant on proccing Dragonknight damage-over-time effects to ramp up damage, and lackluster mobility means it can be outmaneuvered easily in PVP. DPS-wise, other Classes have more sustainable rotations, making Dragonknight more of a sub-DPS tank than a real damage specialist.
The Magicka Dragonknight remains a go-to build for its DPS potential, leaning on Engulfing Dragonfire for a channeled spammable while building damage with DOTs via Searing Claw, Incinerate, and Shatterspike Mantle
Ardent Flame
This skill line hits hard and then hits much harder, rewarding aggression with damage reduction (Dragonknight Standard) and a damaging stun (Shifting Standard) or a damage buff (Standard of Might). The Whip/Lash line is a decent heal-on-hit, with regular healing available for Heath (Hearthfire), Magicka and Stamina (Core/Heart/Soul of Flame) to sustain rotations. Searing Strike is the line's main DOT, while the Inferno line is a damaging aura that can buff (Cauterize) or inflict Burning DOT (Incinerate).
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Draconic Power
Control the flow of defense with this skill line, launching into battle with a knockback stun (Take Flight) or pulling a target towards the Dragonknight (Chains). They can also hold the line with an AOE knockback (Protect the Brood), AOE fire breath (Dragonfire) or ranged AOE immobilize (Talons). When in danger, they have access to a self-heal (Dragon Blood, Blood of the Green Dragon) or a party heal (Blood of the Elder Dragon).
Earthen Heart
Empower the party with dragon fire as the skill line can boost damage with a DOT (Weapons, Armaments), and even produce damage shields (Magma Shell, Superheated Ward) that can heal allies (Superheated Ward, Volcanic Ward) and improve the player's own healing (Shield).
1 Arcanist
New Resource With A Flexible Kit For Any Role
- New Crux resource mechanic is flexible enough to accommodate DPS, tanking, and healing roles
- Straightforward Runeblades-into-Fatecarver rotation grants potent damage
- Crux-dependent kit makes performance very sensitive to rotation
Introduced as scholars who draw power from Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha, Arcanists generate and use Crux to activate and enhance their skills. Their skills tied to Crux as a major resource (instead of Magicka and/or Stamina) make the Class easy to manage, with a powerful channeling attack (Fatecarver) built into their rotations for consistent burst damage. Beyond offense, their skill lines make them effective for crowd-controlling defense and flexible healing for support.
The only real caveats of the Arcanist lie in their dependence on Crux for efficiency, with the consistency of damage and effects tied majorly to how they earn and spend the resource. While Fatecarver is excellent at channeling attacks, it can be interrupted, and its damage is highly reliant on buffs.
Use Fatecarver as the main spammable, but always while building and using Crux. Focus on a Magicka build to strengthen damage shields, while a Stamina build will make for a heavier-hitting Arcanist.
Herald Of the Tome
Crux is applied at the heart of the Arcanist's offense, where it can be generated through rune strikes (Runeblades) then expended to enhance the potent channeling Fatecarver. Other damaging options for the Arcanist also include a snaring beam (Unblinking Eye line), an immobilizing tentacle (Abyssal Impact line), and DOTs (Tome-Bearer's Inspiration line, Imperfect Ring line).
Solder Of Apocrypha
Crux can bolster one's defenses, granting Armor with a pop heal (Runic Defense line), damage absorption (Gibbering Shield), as well as a damaging effect that heals and reflects incoming damage (Runespite Ward line). This skill line also punishes enemy combatants with damage reduction (Runic Jolt) and armor reduction (Fatewoven Armor line).
Curative Runeform
Crux can be tapped for its curative benefits, featuring healing through a channeled beam (Remedy Cascade line) or propelled runes (Runemend line). Arcanists may enhance defense with a damage shield (Chakrams), grant healing DOT with buffs (Domains), and a glyph that grants healing and damage boosts the more it is struck (Resonating Glyphic) or healed (Vitalizing Glyphic, Glyphic of the Tides). Arcanists also come with a nifty teleport via the Apocryphal Gate line.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71/100 Critics Rec: 39%
- Released
- April 4, 2014
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- ZeniMax Online Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
Experience an ever-expanding story across all of Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online, an award-winning online RPG. Explore a rich, living world with friends or embark upon a solo adventure. Enjoy complete control over how your character looks and plays, from the weapons you wield to the skills you learn – the choices you make will shape your destiny. Welcome to a world without limits.
PLAY THE WAY YOU LIKE: Battle, craft, steal, siege, or explore, and combine different types of armor, weapons, and abilities to create your own style of play. The choice is yours to make in a persistent, ever-growing Elder Scrolls world.
TELL YOUR OWN STORY: Discover the secrets of Tamriel as you set off to regain your lost soul and save the world from Oblivion. Experience any story in any part of the world, in whichever order you choose – with others or alone.
A MULTIPLAYER RPG: Complete quests with friends, join fellow adventurers to explore dangerous, monster-filled dungeons, or take part in epic PvP battles with hundreds of other players.
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
