Welcome to our guide on the ESO PvP Class Tier List for Update 39. In this article, we’ll break down the seven classes in ESO and evaluate their performance in player-versus-player combat. We’ll delve into the strengths and weaknesses of each class, exploring their unique abilities, damage output, survivability, and mobility. Whether you prefer to unleash devastating bursts of damage, maintain sustained pressure on your foes, or excel in crowd control and support, this guide will help you navigate the intricacies of ESO’s PvP landscape.
Tier List Explanation
Our tier list starts from the D tier, representing lower-middle performance in PvP, and goes upwards, with the SS tier being the absolute best, offering a well-rounded class with exceptional capabilities. While some classes may excel in specific areas, they might lack in others, making class choice crucial for your playstyle.
Tier D: Necromancer
We start our journey with the Necromancer, which finds itself in the lower-middle tier. While the Necromancer boasts decent survivability, thanks to a burst heal and damage reduction, it falls short in the damage department. Moreover, the class lacks crowd control options, leaving many Necromancer builds reliant on secondary sources of control like Agony Totem or Dawnbreaker.
Despite these limitations, Necromancers can survive and tank effectively, partially compensating for their lack of damage output by utilizing sets like Master Dual Wield, Protection, Ice Staff, Dragon’s Appetite, Max Block, and Sun. However, it’s important to note that this class heavily relies on sets to shine in PvP, highlighting potential weaknesses in the Necromancer’s base toolkit.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Decent survivability with burst healing and damage reduction. Ability to tank effectively. | Lacks damage output. Limited crowd control options. |
Necromancers may struggle to compete in terms of damage output, but their ability to endure and support their team can be valuable in group play. They can compensate for their damage deficiency with specific gear sets.
Tier C: Templar
Next up is the Templar, which offers an easy-to-learn but challenging-to-master class setup. Templars excel in healing, especially when they can maintain a strong defensive position. Unfortunately, their damage output tends to underwhelm, despite boasting high spell damage stats.
Key abilities like Purifying Light and Power of the Light have been nerfed significantly, diminishing their effectiveness in PvP. Templars often rely on spamming abilities like Puncturing Sweeps for consistent area-of-effect damage. The primary goal for Templar players is to create burst damage through sets like Mechanical Acuity, bolstering the class’s toolkit.
Templars may not shine in terms of burst damage, but their decent survivability, accentuated by the formidable Radiant Oppression execute, places them in the middle of the pack.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Good healing abilities. Potential burst damage with specific setups. Decent survivability in specific situations. | Overall lackluster damage. Limited crowd control options. Rely heavily on specific gear sets for damage. |
Templars can shine in group contexts, primarily when focusing on burst damage setups. However, their damage output may fall short in some situations, making them a versatile yet challenging class to master.
Tier B: Sorcerer
The Sorcerer class offers a versatile and mobile toolkit, with varying effectiveness depending on whether you choose a Magicka or hybrid build. Magicka Sorcerers have improved after receiving some buffs, offering a fun and viable playstyle.
Hybrid and stamina specs tend to be the strongest versions of Sorcerers, using the class toolkit in conjunction with powerful sets like Master Dual Wield, Protection, Ice Staff, Dragon’s Appetite, Max Block, and Sun. This build leans heavily on sets to maximize effectiveness and pressure, especially in terms of mobility and damage output.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Versatile toolkit with mobility and damage options. Effective in both magicka and stamina builds. Good sustain potential. | Damage output may rely on specific gear sets. Some skills have aiming and server latency issues. |
Sorcerers are versatile, with various build options and solid sustain. While some skills may pose challenges in hitting moving targets, their overall toolkit allows them to adapt to different playstyles effectively.
Tier A: Arcanist
The Arcanist, the newest class in ESO, has a unique toolkit that focuses on defense. Builds that maximize Max Health can be highly effective, providing both more healing and survivability in PvP. The class allows you to take risks due to the high health pool, making it challenging to take down targets with 40K health.
Survivability is further improved through the darkness passives, which offer high resource generation. However, active skills can be resource-intensive, requiring careful build optimization for sustained combat. Damage output may seem impressive on paper, but issues with skills like Fate Carver, which struggles to hit moving targets, often lead Arcanist builds to rely on powerful sets for consistent damage.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| High health builds for survivability. Decent defense options. | Damage issues due to skill mechanics. Resource management can be challenging. Encourages high-health tanky builds. |
Arcanists may have strong survivability and defense, but they need help with resource management and skill mechanics that can hinder their damage potential. The focus on high-health builds may impact the overall PvP experience.
Tier S – Warden
The Warden class offers a diverse and fun playstyle, allowing for both stamina polar setups and unique Frost damage playstyles. Warden builds prioritize high health for survivability and rely on two-handed builds or Frost damage abilities for offense. The class excels defensively, making it forgiving for players learning the ropes.
Offensively, the Warden class can deal substantial area-of-effect burst damage when executed correctly, thanks to abilities like Deep Fissure. Timing the second hit of Deep Fissure with other damage abilities requires skill but rewards players with high burst potential. With its unique playstyle and versatility, Warden earns its place in the A tier.
Tier S: Dragonknight
The Dragonknight class boasts exceptional versatility and balance across damage, healing, resistances, sustain, and mobility. Damage comes from powerful skills and ultimates, while sustain and resistances are augmented by sets like Plague Slinger and Draugrkin’s Grip.
Dragonknights excel in both single-target and area-of-effect combat, and their class abilities contribute significantly to pressure and damage over time. The high ultimate generation from class abilities and sets makes Dragonknights formidable in extended battles.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Excellent damage output with strong DoT pressure. Great survivability. Strong crowd control and resistance options. High ultimate generation potential. | Limited mobility compared to other classes. |
Dragonknights excel in both sustained pressure and burst damage, with a remarkable toolkit that combines survivability and control. Their ability to generate ultimate quickly adds to their dominance in PvP.
Tier SS – Nightblade
Nightblade reigns supreme as the top-tier PvP class, offering unmatched versatility and effectiveness in damage, healing, sustain, and mobility. Nightblades can choose from a wide array of skills, creating a build that suits their preferred playstyle.
Brawler Nightblades prioritize high burst damage and tanky setups, with abilities like Incapacitating Strike, Merciless Resolve, and Concealed Weapon forming deadly combos. Rollers Nightblades opt for stamina-focused setups, relying on mobility with Shadowy Disguise and Roll Dodge to deliver guerrilla-style burst damage.
Ganking and bombing are two formidable strategies, allowing Nightblades to one-shot opponents or wipe out entire groups with ease. This class offers a wealth of options, making it the most dominant force in PvP.
Conclusion:
Choosing the right class for PvP in ESO depends on your preferred playstyle, whether it’s burst damage, sustained pressure, or a balance of both. Each class offers unique strengths and weaknesses, and understanding them is key to success in the competitive world of Elder Scrolls Online PvP. As the game continues to evolve with updates and patches, keep an eye on class balance changes that may affect the tier list in the future. Good luck on the battlefield, adventurer!