Class Mastery vs Class Sets: Which has the stronger Class Identity?

Erickson9610 · December 2025

I know it's a little early for this poll considering that we haven't received the 3rd Class Set yet (and considering the Class Identity Refresh, which is designed to refresh/update/change the identity of each Class, is still in progress), but based on what we know of the Class Sets and Class Mastery effects, which of these two reinforce the current Class Identity of the Classes the best overall?

Please consider factors such as how relevant the effects are to how the corresponding Class plays, how strictly the effect requires the use of relevant Class abilities, and if these effects are a good representation of the Class as a whole. Please disregard factors such as how weak or strong the Class Mastery or Class Sets are; focus only on whether those effects thematically or mechanically could summarize how that Class is supposed to be played.

spartaxoxo · December 2025

Neither are designed to try and have you play a class fantasy. Whether or not that's a good thing is debatable. But they're moreso themes/flavors than playstyles as the game was already getting more and more homogenized even before subclassing. There are multiple ways to play within those themes. Some make more sense than others (the daedric summoning set not being good for summoning is pretty awful) but they aren't really about particular playstyles imo with a few exceptions. Encounters also aren't really designed to provide advantages to what little unique things there are on offer either. Like you're not going stealth up to flip a mechanism to let your team bypass one group of mobs only to be abused by a different one if you go that route, for example. So stealth is pointless to bring.

I'm speaking from a PvE perspective.

ZhuJiuyin · December 2025

I believe that class sets better embody the characteristics of a class, whether considering acquisition methods, proc requirements, or visual effects.

First, class sets typically require you to farm a specific class in the IA , which forces players to spend more time actually controlling and playing with that class, thus making it easier to develop an emotional connection and identification.

Second, most class sets' proc requirements demand that you use skills from a specific skill line, while class identities have almost no requirements.

Finally, some class sets have more striking visual or skill effects, even if they are ugly or misleading (such as the effects of Monolith of Storms), while most class identities have almost no visual effects.

Radiate77 · December 2025

I’d pick Class Sets all day. The only Class Mastery that I would debate this with, would be the Warden one, everything else is just adding stats or helping to alleviate a design issue.

That said, I would really appreciate our Class Sets to work if you have the skill line active, instead of needing to be on the over-arching class.

Soarora · December 2025

I voted the wrong option, -1 from masteries, +1 to sets. I’m apparently illiterate at the moment.

Masteries are generally pretty set and forget except for warden. Sets add a mechanic to your class that requires using class skills. In some cases, the sets are synergistic with how the classes are played— like nobility in decay rendering tethers more usable and corpseburster essentially being a perfect damage set that enforces a DPS necromancer playstyle.

LunaFlora · December 2025

Class Sets.

And i really hope the Winter's Embrace class set will be useful for Frost damage builds, that would be so nice.

Gadamlub14_ESO · December 2025

i main a non meta multi role arcanist and its a bit mixed.

Mastery? gib crux. thats all they do except banner bearer which does a little more.

Spattering disjunction? Procs random status effects. which i guess there is a passive that boosts status effect damage and proc chance. but...none of the arcanist abilities themselves actually proc status effects normally so without this set you have to get them from weapons or other non class skill lines? Eh. i run it anyway for the pretty glow effect. absolutely OP with the right rewards in IA tho.

Reawakened Heirophant though, this is an interesting one. max mag and stam which plays well with the usual running of beam and flail. and the five piece makes it a very nice support set that leans in heavily with the chakram spam i like to run with. but still...doesnt really seem all that "arcanist" in theme outside of the cosmetic look and visual effects it gives. Still, its one i will forever run for the support half of my multi role build as long as that 5 effect stays in. Especially since ive long hit the hard cap of damage shields with chakrams so there isnt any point in replacing it, lol.

I do currently run both of these fully lego'd on my main arcansist setups with a spellpower build. it works, makes for an excellent dual healer/dps build in at least non vet content. but disjunction is one i would replace if i can find something better and can part with the lovely green aura

Orbital78 · December 2025

They both need to be relooked at in most cases. Templar's mastery for example totally relies on you having the healing line.

BXR_Lonestar · December 2025

Orbital78 wrote: »

They both need to be relooked at in most cases. Templar's mastery for example totally relies on you having the healing line.

Honestly, regardless of what people think the answer is to this poll, they're going to HAVE to take a look at redoing the class sets and master scripts as part of the class reworks. I think the class armor sets are slightly stronger expressions of the classes, but to be perfectly honest, neither are what I would consider things that are vital to class identity because none of them truly take what each class does well and amplifies it to the next level, which is what I think the class scripts and armors should do. Most of them are kinda "meh" except for a couple, which are so good they are pretty much broken (charm), but again - none of them are really good expressions of what make a necro a necro, a warden a warden, etc.

Gabriel_H · December 2025

Neither. Both only provide true benefit if you spec a certain way and into a specific role; and not for nothing but some class sets "bonus" is a partial re-work of an existing class bonus, so it doesn't really provide as much as the text would claim.

Gabriel_H · December 2025

Orbital78 wrote: »

They both need to be relooked at in most cases. Templar's mastery for example totally relies on you having the healing line.

It does not.

"For 5 seconds, you gain 1320 Armor and 150 Weapon and Spell Damage. If Sacred Ground is active on you, these values are increased by 50%"

That is not "totally relies on".

Edit: And not for nothing, but Restoring Light is not the "healing line". It's a mixed line, and depending how you morph, it provides damage, sustain, and resistance (as well as a tanking buff).

ZhuJiuyin · December 2025

Gabriel_H wrote: »

It does not.

"For 5 seconds, you gain 1320 Armor and 150 Weapon and Spell Damage. If Sacred Ground is active on you, these values are increased by 50%"

That is not "totally relies on".

Edit: And not for nothing, but Restoring Light is not the "healing line". It's a mixed line, and depending how you morph, it provides damage, sustain, and resistance (as well as a tanking buff).

I agree that Templar's mastery doesn't entirely rely on Restoring Light, but its versatility is still inferior to other class masteries.

Similarly, Sorc's mastery only heals every 2 seconds when you have a pet, and the healing amount is very low, with the buff lasting only 5 seconds. When you don't have a pet, it deals a low-damage AoE. Therefore, Sorc's mastery not only forces players to use a specific skill line, but also forces them to avoid using a specific skill line, which is completely contrary to the philosophy of class masteries! (Of course, this isn't the first time Sorc has encountered a similar situation; look at that disastrous Beacon of Oblivion...)

In my opinion, both class masteries and class sets need to be readjusted to align with the standards of the subclass era. For example, the binding of Templar's mastery to Restoring Light should be removed. Instead, when Templar's mastery is active, it should grant a buff lasting 5 seconds. Using other Templar skills consumes this buff, granting the player increased damage and armor for 10 seconds.

@ZOS_Kevin Taking this opportunity, I'd like to ask if the Class Identity Refresh plan includes class masteries and class sets? The new class refresh might cause existing class masteries and class sets to become incompatible or difficult to use, and class masteries and class sets are essentially part of Class Identity. This might take more time to rework, but I think players want to know if class masteries and class sets will also have a chance to be updated later?

heimdall14_9 · December 2025

ZhuJiuyin wrote: »

Gabriel_H wrote: »

It does not.

"For 5 seconds, you gain 1320 Armor and 150 Weapon and Spell Damage. If Sacred Ground is active on you, these values are increased by 50%"

That is not "totally relies on".

Edit: And not for nothing, but Restoring Light is not the "healing line". It's a mixed line, and depending how you morph, it provides damage, sustain, and resistance (as well as a tanking buff).

I agree that Templar's mastery doesn't entirely rely on Restoring Light, but its versatility is still inferior to other class masteries.

Similarly, Sorc's mastery only heals every 2 seconds when you have a pet, and the healing amount is very low, with the buff lasting only 5 seconds. When you don't have a pet, it deals a low-damage AoE. Therefore, Sorc's mastery not only forces players to use a specific skill line, but also forces them to avoid using a specific skill line, which is completely contrary to the philosophy of class masteries! (Of course, this isn't the first time Sorc has encountered a similar situation; look at that disastrous Beacon of Oblivion...)

In my opinion, both class masteries and class sets need to be readjusted to align with the standards of the subclass era. For example, the binding of Templar's mastery to Restoring Light should be removed. Instead, when Templar's mastery is active, it should grant a buff lasting 5 seconds. Using other Templar skills consumes this buff, granting the player increased damage and armor for 10 seconds.

@ZOS_Kevin Taking this opportunity, I'd like to ask if the Class Identity Refresh plan includes class masteries and class sets? The new class refresh might cause existing class masteries and class sets to become incompatible or difficult to use, and class masteries and class sets are essentially part of Class Identity. This might take more time to rework, but I think players want to know if class masteries and class sets will also have a chance to be updated later?

im in the opinion that both class sets and class masteries should be LOCKED to PURE CLASS and them that sub-class cant use mastery or class sets as YOUR an MIX OF 2-3 classes

tohopka_eso · December 2025

my favorite warden set is from the infinite archive. Aerie's Cry with the falcon.

ZhuJiuyin · January 1

heimdall14_9 wrote: »

im in the opinion that both class sets and class masteries should be LOCKED to PURE CLASS and them that sub-class cant use mastery or class sets as YOUR an MIX OF 2-3 classes

If class sets and class masteries were all modernized, such restrictions might be feasible. However, currently, limiting class sets and masteries to pure class-only versions would make most class sets and masteries too weak.

For example, Sorc's Beacon of Oblivion even prohibits players from using certain skills. Furthermore, the bonuses from the 5-set Beacon of Oblivion are not 100% each, but rather approximately 75% each (if you want a damage buff, the bonuses from sets 2 and 4 are essentially useless; if you want extra armor and maximum health, the bonus from set 3 is useless, and the buff value from set 5 is too small). Not to mention, a set meant to enhance Daedric Summoning is restricted from summoning Daedric, which is the biggest irony in itself.

Therefore, if class sets and masteries were to be restricted to pure class-only versions, all current class sets and masteries would need significant buffs and reworks to compensate for the burden of limiting them to only pure class-only versions.

DenverRalphy · January 1

I like the corpseburster set. That one actually ties into and enhances the necromancer's class identity since it's based around the corpse consuming mechanic. And it's just friggin fun to wear. Used to be meta too.

The rest basically play off individual skill lines. I think sorc has a pet/no-pet set (don't recall off the top of my head), so that almost qualifies.

Vulkunne · January 1

I would say Class Sets are the only things left which were founded on the original class concept. Subclassing diluted class identity so that said, it's strange having these sets only available to certain classes yet builds that use part of these classes can't also have the same level of access.

In fact, that is a problem because my build might have I dunno some Sorc summon bonus or something exclusive to that skill line, with the build utilizing same skill line but unable to use the Class set. Which is weird.

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Class Mastery vs Class Sets: Which has the stronger Class Identity?

Class Mastery vs Class Sets: Which has the stronger Class Identity? 38 votes