ESO Class Tier List: We’ve all been there — staring at the character creation screen, wondering if that Templar lives up to the hype, or if our trusty Nightblade is just a sneaky thief in disguise (spoiler: it’s not!). Instead of getting lost in spreadsheets and over-the-top forum discussions, let’s break down the Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) classes in a way that’s as easy to understand as sipping a warm mead by the fire.
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Disclaimer: ESO Class Tier List are absurdly subjective. What is good for one player might not be good for another, depending on things like playstyle, the kind of content you play (PvE, PvP, solo, etc.), and, naturally, personal preference. So take this more of a general guideline, as opposed to a set-in-stone rulebook.
ESO Class Tier List – What Does It All Mean?
Here’s a quick rundown of what these tiers mean:
- S-Tier (God Tier): These are your go-to classes. They’re decent at almost everything, fairly easy to play, and will help you tackle content with the minimum amount of hassle.
- A-Tier (Excellent): These classes are great! They’re strong, versatile, and reliable, but might need a little bit of tweaking to shine.
- B-Tier (Solid): These are still good classes, but they might have a bit more of a learning curve or struggle with certain content. With some practice, they can be awesome.
- C-Tier (Situational): These are good in certain situations, but they might not be as well-rounded as others. They’re probably more for experienced players who just want to goof off.
- D-Tier (Needs Improvement): These classes will usually struggle with most material. They might have some severe balance issues or just not have the assets other classes have. Let’s be real, you might not want to play them unless you’re feeling brave.
S-Tier: The Powerhouses
Arcanist:
- What’s Great: The Arcanist is a serious contender — heavy damage, healing, and support all rolled into one. They can survive brutal fights with thick shields, and the special Crux system makes them a blast to play.
- The Flaw: They’re sorta hard to get the hang of at first because of how you use Crux, and some builds will drain your resources.
Templar:
- What’s Good: If healing is your thing, Templars are the way to go. They do fantastic healing, decent damage, and amazing survivability. And they’re pretty easy to get started with for new players.
- The Catch: You can feel like you’re stuck in one place when you’re playing them, and some of their damage rotations are fairly repetitive.
A-Tier: The Reliable All-Rounders
Necromancer:
- What’s Good: Necromancers are great at AoE damage and are great in any role — DPS, heal, or tank. Their minion gameplay is fun, and they’re good on sustain.
- The Catch: They can be a bit tricky to manage, especially resource management and corpse requirements for some abilities.
Warden:
- What’s Awesome: Wardens are the Swiss Army knife of ESO. They’re awesome because they’re all-around, have a lot of sustain and support, and can do decent damage and heal too. Great for solo or grouping.
- The Catch: Some of the spells are awkward, and if pets are your thing, it can be annoying to deal with them.
Dragonknight:
- What’s Great: Dragonknights are incredible tanks, with excellent DoT (damage-over-time) spells and high survivability. They’re also excellent in PvP.
- The Catch: They’re not the most mobile class, and some of their damage rotations take a while to set up.
B-Tier: The Solid Performers
Sorcerer:
- What’s Great: If you like high burst damage and excellent mobility, your buddy is the Sorcerer. Their pet-based game is a solid and fun option, especially for soloing.
- The Catch: Sorcs are squishy and their pets have some, uh, questionable AI. Resource management is also finicky.
Nightblade:
- What’s Great: Nightblades are mobile, sneaky, and amazing at burst damage. They’re tons of fun in PvP and superb at single-target damage.
- The Catch: They require a high level of skill to play effectively, and they are squishy if you do not pay attention to where you are standing. And resource management can be a hassle.
C-Tier: The Niche Choices
Okay, so the thing is — any ESO class can be played well with the right build and playstyle. There are no longer “bad” classes. Even if a class is C-tier, they can still be excellent if you know what you’re doing and build them right.
Key Things to Consider When Picking Your Class:
- Role Preference: Do you like healing, damaging, or being a tank? Choose a class that fits your role.
- Playstyle: Do you like fast, bursty damage, or do you prefer a slow, sustained playstyle?
- Content Focus: What are you focused on — PvE, PvP, or solo play? Some classes are good at some things more than others.
- Personal Preference: After all, the best class is one that you enjoy. Experiment with it, have fun, and see what suits you best.
Pro Tips for Choosing Your Class:
- Try Before You Buy: ESO allows you to create a set of characters, so do that! Level up a couple of classes initially to get a taste of them before settling on one to pursue.
- Think About Your Playstyle: Do you prefer to be right in the middle of everything or do you prefer to help your team from a distance? Fast damage or steady and slow?
- Do Your Research: Once you’ve picked a class, look up builds that fit your playstyle and what kind of content you want to do. There’s plenty of information out there from YouTubers, forums, and websites.
- Join a Guild: Joining a guild is an excellent way to tap into the expertise of more senior players, hear about builds and rotations, and receive assistance with challenging content.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Switch: If you choose a class and it’s not feeling right, don’t worry about it! ESO’s all about having a good time, so don’t be afraid to mix things up.
Final Thoughts:
ESO provides you with plenty of flexibility in its classes, so don’t stress about the ESO Class Tier List quite so much. Do what you enjoy, try out various classes, and discover one that feels comfortable for you. The game is meant to be fun, so play around and jump into Tamriel with not so much worry about whether you’re picking an “S-tier” class. The best class? The one you most enjoy playing.
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