Welcome to the ultimate class guide for The Elder Scrolls Online in 2023! Whether you're a new player looking to choose the best class or a returning player wanting to stay updated, we've got you covered. In this guide, we'll explore the seven classes in ESO, including the latest addition, The Arcanist. We'll break down their unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to help you make the right choice for your playstyle.

 

• Arcanist
• Necromancer
• Warden
• Nightblade
• Dragonknight
• Templar
• Sorcerer

 

 

↖ Arcanist

The Arcanist is ESO's seventh and newest class, introduced with the Necrom Chapter. It revolves around Daedric prince Hermaeus Mora, the Lord of Fate and Forbidden Knowledge. This class boasts a unique visual presence on the battlefield with neon green effects and laser beams.

 

Class Abilities:

• Fate Carver: A unique AOE channeled beam attack.
• Crux: A combo point system that amplifies the damage of Fate Carver.
• Herald of the Tome: DPS class line featuring Abyssal Impact, a debuff and self-healing skill, and more.
• Soldier of Apocrypha: Tank skill line with a class-based taunt skill and damage shields.
• Curative Rune: Healing skill line with aimed healing over time in Remedy Cascade and chakram of Destiny, which provides a strong shield.

 

Ultimate Skills:

• Unblinking Eye: Intense AOE damage.
• Gibbering Shield: Powerful defensive ultimate.
• Vitalizing Glyphic: Offers healing for allies and a unique buff to weapon and spell damage.

 

Playstyle:

The Arcanist is balanced and offers powerful damage skills, defense, and self-buffs, making it ideal for beginners and players looking for a straightforward rotation. It stands out with its unique gameplay mechanics, making it a fresh experience.

 

Recommendation:

For solo content, The Arcanist is an excellent choice, especially for newer players. While it may not outshine other classes in group roles for experienced players, it offers a unique and engaging experience.

 

↖ Necromancer

Necromancer class was introduced in 2019 and focuses on necromancy, raising the dead, and controlling corpses. However, be cautious in cities, as raising corpses can lead to bounties and guards pursuing you.

 

Class Abilities:

• Gravelord: DPS skill line featuring summoning undead minions and damaging abilities.
• Bone Tyrant: Damage absorption and tanking abilities, including a unique protective skill called Beckoning Armor.
• Living Death: Healing capabilities with abilities like Render Flesh and Restoring Tether, offering powerful healing and damage absorption.

 

Ultimate Skills

• Big Daddy Colossus: A massive AOE damage and group debuff ultimate.
• Rapid Resurrection: Instantly resurrects multiple players.
• Bone Goliath: Transforms into a mighty bone goliath with increased durability.

 

Playstyle:

Necromancers have abilities for DPS, tanking, and healing roles. They shine in summoner-style builds, with access to strong heals and damage-over-time effects.

 

Recommendation:

If you enjoy summoner-style builds with powerful heals and damage-over-time effects, the Necromancer is an excellent choice.

 

Related: ESO Necromancer Guide: Tips and Tricks.

 

↖ Warden

Warden class is known for its nature-themed abilities, including animal companions and frost spells. It offers strong healing, burst potential, and versatility for both PvP and solo PvE.

 

Class Abilities:

• Animal Companion: Summons various creatures for damage and debuffs.
• Winter's Embrace: Focuses on tanking with frost effects, offering defensive and immobilization abilities.
• Green Balance: Healing abilities for self and the group, including passive healing and area buffs.

 

Ultimate Skills:

• Permafrost: Useful in PvP, providing snaring and protection.
• Feral Guardian: A passive DPS skill with bonus execute damage.
• Healing Thicket: Offers focused healing and crowd control in critical situations.

 

Playstyle:

The Warden is a versatile class, excelling in various roles, including DPS, tanking, and healing. It's perfect for nature-themed and ice mage builds.

 

Recommendation:

For players who seek flexibility and enjoy nature-themed builds or classic ice mages, the Warden is an ideal choice.

 

Related: ESO Warden Guide: Tips and Tricks.

 

↖ Nightblade

The Nightblade class is known for its stealthy, rogue-like characteristics. It excels in direct damage, invisibility, and teleportation, making it suitable for solo and PvP gameplay.

 

Class Abilities:

• Assassination: Focused on direct damage and mobility with skills like Ambush and Merciless Resolve.
• Shadow: Offers utility, invisibility, and teleportation abilities with skills like Shadowy Disguise and Shadow Image.
• Siphoning: Focuses on healing and blood magic, featuring skills like Swallow Soul and Healthy Offering.

 

Ultimate Skills:

• Incapacitating Strike: Offers burst damage and resource restoration.
• Remembrance: Provides a massive group heal and temporary invulnerability.
• Solar Prison: Debuffs enemies and provides powerful crowd control and damage.

 

Playstyle:

Nightblades excel at stealthy gameplay, whether as a DPS, tank, or healer. Their unique abilities make them adept at both solo and group content.

 

Recommendation:

If you enjoy a stealthy, rogue-like playstyle, Nightblade is an excellent choice, offering high burst damage, mobility, and versatility.

 

Related: ESO Nightblade Guide: Tips and Tricks.

 

↖ Dragonknight

The Dragonknight class embodies an in-your-face melee brawler, with abilities centered around dragon-like powers, including poison and flame attacks.

 

Class Abilities:

• Ardent Flame: Focuses on fire and poison abilities, including Puncturing Sweep and Noxious Breath.
• Draconic Power: Offers tanking and damage absorption with skills like Spiked Armor and Burning Talons.
• Earthen Heart: Provides a mix of tanking, healing, and damage-dealing abilities, such as Stone Giant and Petrify.

 

Ultimate Skills:

• Standard of Might: AOE damage and group defense.
• Magma Shell: Reduces damage received to just 3% per hit.
• Ferocious Leap: A deadly attack with added mobility and crowd control.

 

Playstyle:

Dragonknights are excellent for players who prefer up-close combat, with a focus on damage over time and area-of-effect abilities. They can adapt to various roles, including tanking, DPS, and healing.

 

Recommendation:

If you enjoy a visceral, melee brawler playstyle with strong damage-over-time and AOE abilities, the Dragonknight is the class for you.

 

Related: ESO Dragonknights Guide: Tips and Tricks.

 

↖ Templar

Templars are known for their connection to the sun and are adept at both offensive and defensive abilities. They excel in healing, making them highly desirable for group content.

 

Class Abilities:

• Aedric Spear: Offers a mix of offensive abilities, including Puncturing Sweep and Blazing Spear.
• Dawn's Wrath: Provides damage and healing abilities, such as Radiant Oppression and Living Dark.
• Restoring Light: Focused on healing and defense, featuring skills like Breath of Life and Extended Ritual.

 

Ultimate Skills:

• Crescent Sweep: A powerful burst damage ultimate.
• Remembrance: A group heal with temporary invulnerability.
• Solar Prison: Debuffs enemies and provides powerful crowd control and damage.

 

Playstyle:

Templars excel in healing roles and are challenging to defeat in PvP due to their strong defenses, self-healing, and the ability to cleanse negative effects. They can also adapt to DPS or tanking roles.

 

Recommendation:

For those who want to play as knights, paladins, clerics, or dedicated healers, Templar is an ideal choice. Their consistent healing and strong defenses make them suitable for beginners.

 

Related: ESO Templars Guide: Tips and Tricks.

 

↖ Sorcerer

Sorcerers are the classic casters in ESO, with a focus on elemental damage, particularly lightning-based skills. They can also harness darker magic types and even have stamina-based variants of their abilities.

 

Class Abilities:

• Dark Magic: Offers damage and utility with skills like Crystal Fragments and Dark Deal.
• Storm Calling: Focuses on elemental magic with abilities like Mage's Wrath and Lightning Flood.
• Daedric Summoning: Allows you to summon Daedric creatures and objects, offering both damage and protection.

 

Ultimate Skills:

• Greater Storm Atronach: Offers great damage and group buffs.
• Suppression Field: Negates enemy ultimate effects and magic abilities in PvP.
• Overload: Increases Damage Done by light and heavy attacks.

 

Playstyle:

Sorcerers are versatile and excel in both solo and group roles. They offer strong damage output, the ability to summon creatures, and are adaptable to a wide range of playstyles.

 

Recommendation:

If you enjoy casting spells, dealing elemental damage, or summoning creatures, Sorcerer is an excellent choice. Their flexibility and versatility make them suitable for both beginners and experienced players.

 

Related: ESO Sorcerer Class Guide: Tips and Tricks

 

Conclusion:

In total, The Elder Scrolls Online offers a diverse range of classes, each with its own unique theme, abilities, and playstyle. The best class for you depends on your preferences, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Take the time to explore the classes and their abilities, and don't hesitate to experiment with different characters to find the class that suits you best. ESO offers an exciting and dynamic world, and your class choice can significantly impact your enjoyment of the game.