Need help choosing a class

Edremis

Hi there, I'm seminew to the game (I played a sorc a few years ago but only reached lvl 30) and I'm a bit lost about which class is for me since I try to avoid playing alts.

Since I don't want a "choose a class for me" thread, I will ask for some general info about roles or plastyles so I can decide by myself.

First of all, I will be playing both PvP and PvE (but mainly PvP) so I would like to know some info from PvP and PvE.

1- Which classes are best known for being good at being ranged (bow centered builds or magicka ones) and which being melee and why?

2- Which classes are best known for being good at dealing AoE damage and why? And which kind of AoE, ranged or melee?

3- Which classes are best known for AoE support? I'm talking about AoE healing, AoE buffs, AoE debuffs...

4- Which is the class popularity rank currently?

5- (PvP specific) Which classes would you say that are the most desirables for a group?

6- Which classes can perform the dps and healer role? And where (PvP or PvE)?

7- Lastly, the last time I played there was a lot of controversy about animation cancels in PvP in order to get huge amount of burst to get your kills. Assuming that animation cancels are a thing yet, which classes/builds rely the least on it?

Thank you in advance and sorry for being annoying with so many questions!

zvavi

I am a pve guy so will try answering pve wise
1. U can usually play all classes all roles, but for bow bow build i think sorc works well, and magicka most are ranged, while templars and dragonknights preform better at meele.
2. Aoe damage... Sorc again, i think, liquid lightening just hits hard for mag, and for stam there is hurricane.
3. Well templar is hands down best nooby friendly healer for pve, not only because of shards synergy, but also for the faster resurrection passive, and the breath of life ability which is ez to use. Wardens have the best group utility as healers, a lot of aoe buffs and debuffs. But all classes can heal.
4. No idea.
5. Wait a pvp question
6. All classes can dps and heal. Some are just better. Not by much in pve.
7. Pvp again...

VaranisArano

1. For Stam, most builds use bow/dual wield, so they often fight in melee range anyway. If you want Bow/Bow, this post might help: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/381498/everything-needed-to-know-about-bow-bow-in-pve-elsweyr-update/p1

For magicka, Templars and DKs tend to fight in melee.

2. MagSorc has Liquid Lighting for ranged AOE. For melee AOE, StamSorc has hurricane.

3. Healer support is Wardens and Templars. Wardens have a lot of HOTs, buffs, and fill in the gaps of the Templar, who has targeted burst heals. Healers often buff with their non-class skills and gear, like Combat Prayer, weakness to elements, Necrotic Orbs, and Olorime.

4. Depends on the trial and how the new Warden shakes out with the current meta. In general and in no particular order, tanks = DK, Warden, Necro; healers = Templar, Warden.

5. Depends on the campaign/BG and the group. If you want to tailor a build for a particular group, ask what they need. If you are new to PVP, I'd recommend running a tankier build with some self heals. The easiest class I picked up in PVP that fits that bill is the Stam Warden, who has great defense, burst damage, and stamina heals...but every class can be effectice are fun in PVP.

6. All classes can heal. In dungeons, most healers heal and DPS. That being said, if you want to specialize in healing, Templars and Wardens are the most commonly used.

7. The controversy is overrated and ZOS is now actually teaching players to use animation cancelling like light attacking in between skills. I like Stam Warden burst because their burst skills have a slight delay, which allows players to easily combo skills with Subterranean Assault, but I'm sure there are other good classes if you don't like animation canceling.

mague

Edremis wrote: »

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7- Lastly, the last time I played there was a lot of controversy about animation cancels in PvP in order to get huge amount of burst to get your kills. Assuming that animation cancels are a thing yet, which classes/builds rely the least on it?

Thank you in advance and sorry for being annoying with so many questions!

It all boils down to 7.

All is build on canceling. Buff/heals is a slight exception. I recommend a Magplar. You can turn him to tank, dps, hybrid or stamina anytime.

I also play a Stamden healer because the Warden has all the achievements and i consider him main. But he requires more out-of-meta development of your own setup.

Both are NOT press 1-3-4-2, press 1-3-4-2 like stamden with shalk, spin2win, dawnbreaker and a light attack between them.

Edit: Necro might be worth to look at if you dont mind the dark theme and the illegal skills. He has some promising skills but i dont have one at level 50 and therefor no real experince

Ysbriel

Well you might get different opinions on what is best but i will tell what i’ve experienced so far both having 10 characters one or two of all classes and what i’ve seen and know that others use on PvE

Ranged:

Warden is a good Bow/Bow class since all the skills work in tandem with a ranged perspective, low ultimate cost with the bear, good sustain with the netch, good survival utilities , easy to flip from PvE to PvP without changing much. One of my guild mates runs a Bow/Bow Khajiit Warden and we have been running all vet content since he was 300cp and now hes 600cp and finished VMA arena with it.

Magicka Ranged, from all the other classes i've used Sorcerer is the best one to hit both AoE and Single target DPS without replacing many class skills, the standard elemental blockade and either crushing shock or imbue weapon and thats it. Easy to build and to do a parse with just get necropotence/julianos/ilambris with a fire and shock staff and slot the twilight pet (morph depending on what content you are doing)

Stamina AoE, Sorcerers have extra melee distance AoE with the boundless Storm stamina morph and if you top that with the caltrops, endless hail and whirring blades thats a lot of AoE damage.

You didn’t mention tank, Dks are the standard hard to go wrong class for the task with everything you need from skills to passives. As a preference i run warden but i replaced frozen gate for silver leash to pull enemies. The Warden is good at survival in any role.

On PvE forget about the “DPS Healer” unless you are running with a High DPS group that can melt all adds and burn the boss fast enough to cancel out the mechanics or your group is already equipped to run with less healing or you simply will be a pain for the group and i’ve been playing this game for 3 years already and that has been the experience having a “DPS healer” on a group. What damage you should pitch in as a healer? Well i run Templar healer so i will give you an example from that perspective. i launch in Blockade of shock of course it does damage but it also applies the “off balance”, the shards does damage and gives the synergy for resource regain , casting Nova which also applies major maim, Purifying light damages and also heals and a heavy attack every now and then and that is when their situation allows it both to regain and since i run infallible aether it applies minor vulnerability. The templar extended ritual heals and also allows allies to cleanse negative effects. You can’t go wrong with Templar as a healer.

Zer0_CooL

Just go for a mag DK

Edremis

Thank you for all your replies!

I see that I should play sorc, templar or warden.

Then I will make a more specific question:

Which of the three would it be more suitable if I plan to:

- Build a stamina bow/bow or bow/dw build
- Build a pure healer or a support build
- Build a pure ranged magicka build

Thanks!

VaranisArano

Edremis wrote: »

Thank you for all your replies!

I see that I should play sorc, templar or warden.

Then I will make a more specific question:

Which of the three would it be more suitable if I plan to:

- Build a stamina bow/bow or bow/dw build
- Build a pure healer or a support build
- Build a pure ranged magicka build

Thanks!

Bow/Bow - StamWarden
Bow/DW - this describes pretty much every stamina class in PVE
Pure Healer/Support - Mag Templar or Mag Warden. They both fill this role, but it slightly different ways and they each have strengths that the other lacks. Templars are probably the most common healers, but both are very effective.
Ranged Magicka - MagSorc is going to be the most effective out of those three options.