A Class Tier List for PvP in ESO – Update 39

The Elder Scrolls Online features seven distinct classes, each offering unique combat approaches for Player versus Player encounters. Understanding class strengths and weaknesses is crucial for success in Cyrodiil battlegrounds. MalcolM‘s comprehensive tier list provides essential guidance for players seeking optimal class selection for competitive PvP gameplay.

Necromancer

Necromancers possess respectable defensive capabilities through burst healing mechanics and inherent damage mitigation passives. However, their offensive output remains substantially limited compared to higher-tier alternatives. The class suffers from inadequate crowd control options, forcing most builds to depend on external abilities like Agony Totem or Dawnbreaker for CC coverage. Despite recent improvements to Grave Grasp, this skill still falls short of providing reliable control in fast-paced PvP engagements.

Necromancer durability allows effective tanking performance, and the current proc set meta helps compensate for damage deficiencies. Recommended gear includes Master dual wield weapons, Vateshran ice staff, Dragon’s Appetite, Maarselok, and Zaan for maximum effectiveness. The fundamental limitation remains the class toolkit’s overall weakness, preventing advancement beyond D-tier status.

Templar

Templars provide accessible gameplay mechanics that are simple to understand but challenging to master at competitive levels. Similar to Necromancers, they excel at healing, particularly when maintaining positional advantage in controlled engagements. Unfortunately, practical damage application proves disappointing despite impressive spell damage statistics on paper. Recent buffs to Power of the Light and Purifying Light failed to elevate Templars beyond mediocrity in PvP scenarios.

The signature spammable abilities—Biting Jabs or Puncturing Sweep—deliver moderate damage that opponents easily counter with Major Evasion buffs. Consequently, Templar builds primarily focus on generating burst damage through carefully selected gear sets rather than relying on class skills alone.

Templar configurations divide into three primary archetypes: Magicka-focused melee, hybrid melee, and specialized ranged setups. Melee variations typically incorporate Rallying Cry, Mechanical Acuity, and Balorgh for burst combination setups. Ranged builds leverage unique advantages through Meteor, Javelin, and Radiant Oppression combinations, though these require careful ultimate management. Radiant Oppression stands out as the class’s most valuable skill—an unavoidable ranged execution ability that outperforms all other execute skills in ESO.

Sorcerer

Sorcerers deliver exceptional mobility and adaptable toolkits with performance varying significantly between Magicka and hybrid configurations. Magicka Sorcerer represents the less potent variant but remains viable following recent balance adjustments. Hybrid and Stamina builds emerge as the most effective Sorcerer iterations, utilizing class abilities alongside proc sets for optimal pressure application and movement capabilities. Recommended gear combinations mirror those mentioned for Necromancer optimization.

Advanced players should master animation canceling with Crystal Weapon and strategic Streak usage for maximum effectiveness. Common mistakes include overcommitting to single-target damage and neglecting defensive positioning during engagements.

Arcanist

Arcanist represents ESO’s newest class addition, notable for being the first release class not immediately claiming S-tier status. Defensive capabilities form the class’s strongest attribute through exceptional health-scaling healing mechanics. This enables high-health builds while maintaining superior healing output compared to other classes.

However, Arcanists face substantial resource management challenges, with active abilities consuming significant Magicka or Stamina reserves. The class features high-damage skills like Fatecarver, though practical application proves problematic against mobile opponents due to targeting delays and server synchronization issues. Landing Fatecarver reliably requires opponents being immobilized through roots, stuns, or environmental constraints. Many Arcanist builds consequently turn to proc sets for reliable damage supplementation.

Warden

Warden

Wardens excel with Stamina-polarized configurations emphasizing high health stacking for durability and two-handed weapon specialization. Frost Warden variants offer distinctive gameplay experiences focused on applying continuous pressure through ice damage abilities and class-specific skills.

Defensive play proves exceptionally forgiving with high-health builds, allowing recovery from positioning errors. Offensive execution demands greater skill, particularly timing the delayed second hit of Deep Fissure with complementary damage sources. Mastering this timing with stuns from Dizzying Swing, partially charged heavy attacks, or Dawnbreaker unleashes among the game’s most powerful area-effect burst combinations while enhancing survivability.

Dragonknight

Dragonknights deliver exceptional all-around performance across healing, resistance, sustain, and damage metrics. Damage application occurs through superior class skills and ultimate abilities, though mobility limitations exist with Protective Scale providing only snare and root immunity. Supplemental mobility can be achieved through Race Against Time, Elusive Mist, or Swift jewelry traits.

Popular builds utilize metal sets combined with Bloodspawn and Daedric Trickery for survivability enhancement and ultimate generation acceleration. This synergizes perfectly with the Dragonknight’s Battle Roar passive, restoring Magicka and Stamina upon ultimate usage. Consequently, players access Corrosive Armor or Dragon Leap more frequently while benefiting from enhanced resource sustainability.

Dragonknights stand among few classes capable of maintaining substantial damage-over-time pressure without proc set dependency. Additionally, they possess some of ESO’s highest single-target burst capabilities. Survivability stems from gear sets while burst healing comes from Coagulating Blood supplemented by Vigor and Shattering Rocks for comprehensive defensive coverage.

Nightblade

Nightblade

Nightblades provide comprehensive coverage across all build components—damage, healing, sustain, and mobility—through class-specific skills. Players can emphasize class abilities or incorporate proc sets for specialized builds like bow Nightblades or ranged Magicka variants.

Optimal performance typically comes from brawler configurations leveraging the class’s exceptional burst damage potential within tankier defensive frameworks.

Offensive capabilities include economical single-target burst ultimates, powerful area-effect burst ultimates, the game’s highest-damage burst skill, and top-tier melee spammable abilities. Defensively, Nightblades feature outstanding burst healing, healing-over-time effects, and superior mobility tools through Shadowy Disguise and Shadow Image capabilities.

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