How to Choose a Class in Elder Scrolls Online?

If you're totally new to Elder Scrolls Online and you're wondering which class to play then this guide is going to help you to make a decision. This guide explains the basics of picking a class that's easy to understand even if you've never played an MMO before.

If you're a more advanced ESO player then just be aware that this content is going to be a very basic. I am not going to go deep because there are a lot of things to tell about strengths and weaknesses of any class.

First of all, let's take a look at some VERY IMPORTANT things you should consider before you pick your class.

• Number one: there is no best class in TESO. They all have their strengths and weaknesses and they change all the time. It's a really bad idea to pick the flavor of the month in any MMO for a number of different reasons. If you're totally new you're probably not even going to understand why it's the best right now and you're not even going to benefit from that anyway. It's much more important to pick a class that you think you're going to enjoy. The one that you think looks cool and looks like it has a fun play style that suits your own needs.
• Number two: Elder Scrolls classes are very flexible compared to other MMO's. One of the things that I think is really cool about the game is that it's just not strict in terms of how you can play your class. Any class can use all of the different weapon and armor types available in the game. Technically, any class can tank heal or deal damage. Of course, some classes are going to shine in a particular role but this again is something that's likely to change between different updates of the game.
• Number three: race choice makes a difference in this game. As an absolute beginner who's just looking to enjoy the storyline and maybe do some dungeons and PvP, it's probably not going to have a massive impact on you. But if you're a hardcore raider then I would definitely suggest going and doing a bit of research around race choices. I'm not going to cover any of that here because like I said this is a very brief overview for totally new players. The detailed information about all races can be found on the Races Page. I highly recommend you to visit this page and read about advantages and disadvantages of each race. Pay attention to racial passive abilities because they make all the difference.
• Number four: Every class can wear any armor and weapon type. Your class choice affects only your class skills. But there are also Weapon skills that depend on the weapon type and Armor Skills that depend on the armor type. That means you can try different weapons and armor and select what you want while playing.

Now let's take a look at what each class is about.

Templar is your typical paladin style class. It’s a sort of warrior of the light. Templar brings a lot of strong healing and support abilities for the party and tends to play with quite a defensive playstyle. However, this doesn't mean that this class can't put a lot of damage. If they want to they can be very difficult to kill due to their defensive play style and their high survivability.

If you want to be a dedicated healer, then this class is one of the best for this role. Templars are considered to be the best healers right now. Pay attention: I don’t say that Templar is bad in a damage dealer or tank role. He can be great DD or tank but there is no better healer than this class right now because of dedicated healing abilities.

Dragon Knight feels like a traditional warrior class but on steroids with flames. He has much more aggressive play style and a lot of fire-based abilities as you'd expect from a classical Dragon Knight. Personally, I really like the play style of the class.

Right now this class is considered to be one of the best tanks in ESO. Again, I don’t say that DK can’t be a good damage dealer. But what he really has is a bunch of great abilities for comfortable tanking. You can try to pick other classes for tanking but DK is considered to be the leader here.

Sorcerer is your magic wielding spell caster who puts out massive damage in both close combat and ranged fights. He also has very cool abilities to summon minions from another realm to do help in battle. While a lot of sorcerers and they decide to wear light armor for the benefits it gives them they're also equipped with defensive spells to keep them alive.

A sorcerer can be great Ranged Damage Dealer and surprisingly a good Tank! Yes, if you want to have fun as a tank, the class is good for that too.

Nightblade is your stealthy assassin, it’s a rogue class who's going to jump out of the shadows and rip enemies.  The class has a very aggressive playstyle and compared massive damage. He is also able to sustain himself by siphoning health from the enemy.

This class is a good Damage Dealer and is great for stealthy playstyle. He can also be a good offensive healer (with a restoration staff equipped).

Warden is the newest class that came out with the Morrowind expansion. He is a nature-based class and he’s able to summon animals to fight by his side. He has very strong supporter spells and abilities and has a high sustain. He can also be very difficult to kill.

Warden is considered to be a good tank. Some players say that he is even better than the Dragon Knight, but in PvE only. DK is still the best for tanking in PvP. Warden can also be a good damage dealer.

 I hope that it gives you a bit of an idea around the theme of each class. We're not going to look at any specific abilities here because this isn't a technical guide. The idea here is just to give you a flavor of the play styles and see what appeals to you.

The most important thing is just to pick the class you're excited about. Don't worry about a flavor of the month because it will always be changing. Leveling a character in Elder Scrolls Online is a big investment and you don't want to level the one you're least excited about just because it's flavor of the month. You're probably going to find a by the time you hit max level that it's not a flavor of the month anymore and you just waste your time.