In Elder Scrolls Online, Where the Sorcerer class holds a unique place among the adventurers of Tamriel. With their mastery of dark magic, daedric summoning, and stormy powers, Sorcerers offer a diverse range of playstyles suitable for both PvP and PvE encounters. In this guide, we'll delve deep into the intricacies of the Sorcerer class, exploring various builds, skill lines, and passives. 

 

• Sorcerer Overview
• Pros and Cons
• Sorcerer PvP Rankings
• Sorcerer PvE Rankings
• Skill Lines and Morph Choices
  • Dark Magic Skill Line
  • Daedric Summoning Skill Line
  • Storm Calling Skill Line
• Passive Skills
  • Dark Magic Passives
  • Daedric Summoning Passives
  • Storm Calling Passives

 

 

↖ Sorcerer Overview

Let's start with an overview of the Sorcerer class in ESO. The Sorcerer is a versatile class, offering both ranged and melee options, as well as the unique ability to summon pets to aid in combat. Think of the Sorcerer as your typical ranged caster with a magical playstyle. The Stamina Sorcerer, on the other hand, takes an ultra-aggressive approach, delivering bursts of damage and swift attacks. Here's a breakdown of what makes the Sorcerer unique:

• Ranged DPS: Sorcerers excel at ranged damage-dealing, making them your go-to choice if you enjoy the classic mage archetype in MMORPGs.
• Pet and Non-Pet Builds: Sorcerers can choose between pet and non-pet builds, each performing exceptionally well. The pet builds provide additional firepower and support, while non-pet builds focus on pure magic damage.
• High Magicka Loadouts: Sorcerers often rely on high Magicka for stronger shields, allowing them to maintain low health while remaining highly survivable in battle.
• Mobility: Sorcerers are known for their incredible mobility, thanks to skills like Streak and abilities that provide Major and Minor Expedition

 

↖ Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Versatile Playstyles: Sorcerers can adapt to various roles, including DPS, healing, and tanking, making them valuable in both solo and group play. Strong Burst Damage: The Stamina Sorcerer is known for its insane burst damage, especially with skills like Crystal Weapons and the ability to gain Major and Minor Expedition, making them among the fastest and most aggressive playstyles in ESO. Great for Solo Play: The Sorcerer class excels at solo content due to its pet options, ranged abilities, and survivability.

Complexity: Playing a Sorcerer effectively requires mastering a variety of skills and passives, which can be challenging for new players. Resource Management: Balancing Magicka and Stamina can be tricky, and mismanaging resources can lead to suboptimal performance.

 

↖ Sorcerer PvP Rankings

• Stamina Sorcerer (Tier A):  The Stamina Sorcerer in PvP is known for its incredible burst damage and agility. It excels as a hit-and-run playstyle, with skills like Crystal Weapons and Streak for melting single targets or groups. However, it lacks self-healing and class-based cleanses, making resource management crucial. Dark Deal is often used for healing and resource recovery. This playstyle offers a unique and fast-paced experience.
• Magicka Sorcerer (Tier A): Magicka Sorcerers are highly effective in PvP, combining ranged damage, group utility, and pets for healing and burst damage. They can stack high max magicka to create powerful shields and survive with low health. While they lack the massive AoE damage of some other classes, their versatility makes them strong contenders in both solo and group play.

 

↖ Sorcerer PvE Rankings

• Stamina Sorcerer (Tier B): Stamina Sorcerer is a suitable choice for new players and those who prioritize survivability. With skills like Critical Surge and pets, you can enjoy decent burst healing and survivability. However, it lacks the sustained damage over time of other classes, which can limit its effectiveness in endgame content.
• Magicka Sorcerer (Tier S): Magicka Sorcerer is one of the top-tier DPS options in ESO, alongside Magicka Nightblade. It excels in both single-target and AoE damage, offers great resource sustain, and boasts the versatility of pets, providing extra damage and burst healing. Whether you're looking for top-tier DPS or an enjoyable ranged DPS playstyle, Magicka Sorcerer is an excellent choice.
• Sorcerer Healer (Tier B): Sorcerer healers are capable of providing strong burst healing with the Twilight Matriarch, making them valuable in both PvE and PvP settings. However, they lack significant group utility beyond healing, relying on external skills and gear for support.
• Sorcerer Tank (Tier C): Sorcerer tanks are not a popular choice for endgame content. While they have excellent resource sustain and resistances, they lack the group buffs and debuffs that other tank classes offer. In endgame tanking, group utility is crucial, and Sorcerer tanks fall short in this regard.

 

↖ Skill Lines and Morph Choices

↖ Dark Magic Skill Line

Negate Magic (Ultimate): This is a powerful PvP-focused ultimate that removes effects from a large area and prevents enemy casting. It's especially effective in group play.

 

Crystal Shards: This skill has two potent morphs

• Crystal Weapons: Enhances your light and heavy attacks with massive physical damage.
• Crystal Frags: Becomes your primary Magicka spammable, with a chance to cast a harder-hitting Frag when casting Magicka abilities.

 

Encase: AOE immobilization skill with two morphs

• Shattering Prison: Adds damage.
• Restraining Prison: Grants Major Vitality, significantly increasing healing received.

 

Rune Prison: A stun skill with two morphs

• Rune Cage: Adds damage.
• Defensive Rune: Casts a rune on yourself that stuns attackers.

 

Dark Exchange: A powerful resource recovery ability with two morphs

• Dark Deal: Exchanges Magicka for Health and Stamina, ideal for Stamina builds.
• Dark Conversion: Exchanges Stamina for Magicka and offers more flexibility for Magicka builds.

 

↖ Daedric Summoning Skill Line

Summon Storm Atronach (Ultimate): A powerful single-target DPS ultimate with a useful synergy for your group.

 

Summon Unstable Familiar: The base skill is great for damage and distraction. The morphs offer additional benefits:

• Unstable Clanfamiliar: Provides a burst heal and is useful for both Magicka and Stamina builds.
• Unstable Familiar: Deals shock damage and is part of the two-pet Sorcerer loadout.

 

Daedric Prey: An essential damage over time ability with two morphs:

• Daedric Prey: Deals damage and boosts pet damage against the target.
• Haunting Curse: Deals damage and explodes twice for higher burst damage.

 

Summon Winged Twilight: Another pet option with two morphs:

• Twilight Tormentor: Provides consistent damage and synergy with a long duration.
• Twilight Matriarch: Offers healing and burst damage, making it ideal for solo play and group support.

 

Conjured Ward: A protective skill with two morphs:

• Hardened Ward: Provides a larger shield, suitable for tankier builds.
• Empowering Ward: Grants group utility by increasing the group's magical recovery.

 

↖ Storm Calling Skill Line

Overload (Ultimate): A burst DPS ultimate that can be combined with other abilities for devastating damage.

 

Mage's Fury: An execute ability with two morphs:

• Mage's Wrath: Deals AoE damage on enemy death.
• Endless Fury: Provides a healing effect when the enemy is killed.

 

Lightning Form: An armor buff with two morphs:

• Hurricane: Grants Major Expedition for increased speed and deals damage over time.
• Boundless Storm: Provides Major Expedition briefly and turns into shock damage.

 

Surge: A powerful self-healing and damage buff ability with two morphs:

• Power Surge: Focuses on self-healing and is more suitable for solo play.
• Critical Surge: Offers healing while increasing spell and weapon damage, making it ideal for group content.

 

Streak: A mobility and stun ability with two morphs:

• Streak: Deals damage while moving through enemies.
• Ball of Lightning: Focuses on dodging projectiles and avoiding crowd control effects.

 

↖ Passive Skills

↖ Dark Magic Passives

• Unholy Knowledge: Reduces the cost of non-core combat abilities.
• Blood Magic: Heals when hitting enemies with dark magic abilities.
• Persistence: Grants reduced ability costs after blocking an attack.
• Exploitation: Provides minor prophecy to the group, increasing spell critical rating.

 

↖ Daedric Summoning Passives

• Rebate: Restores Magicka and Stamina when your summoned pets are killed or unsummoned.
• Power Stone: Reduces the ultimate cost of your summoning abilities.
• Daedric Protection: Increases your Max Health while a pet is summoned.
• Expert Summoner: Reduces the cast time and increases the critical chance of your summoning abilities.

 

↖ Storm Calling Passives

• Energized: Increases your damage with lightning abilities.
• Amplitude: Improves the effectiveness of your damage shields.
• Expert Mage: Reduces the cost of your Magicka abilities.
• Critical Surge: Grants you Major Brutality and Sorcery when you critically hit with a direct damage attack.

 

Previous: ESO Nightblade Beginner Guide.

 

Conclusion:

The Sorcerer class in ESO offers a wide range of playstyles, from high DPS Magicka builds to agile Stamina builds and supportive healer roles. Understanding the skills, morphs, and passives of each skill line is essential for maximizing your Sorcerer's potential in both PvP and PvE content. Whether you prefer wielding the power of storms, conjuring daedric minions, or delving into dark magic, the Sorcerer has something to offer for every player.