Most Viking Class

Jarl_Ironheart

I am a big fan of both Nords and Vikings. Every Elder Scrolls game I've played I've been a Nord warrior and in most other games I play the barbarian looking warrior. In ESO it's hard to pick a class that truly feels like a Norse Warrior. Currently this poll will be between Stamina Warden Stamina Sorcerer. I primarily play tank but sometimes DPS and I always play Stamina builds never magicka. Out of these two which would you say feels, looks and play the most like a traditional Viking/Norse Warrior. I will be giving a 3rd other options for those who want to make a case for other classes but know rhat I am truly only interested in Stamina Sorcerer and Stamina Warden as a Viking Tank/DPS. Many thanks friends!

Auldwulfe

Stamina Warden

I am using a Stamina Warden Nord, right now .... closest I found.... it's tough, though as even Stamina based characters in this game are still mages........

Auldwulfe

emilyhyoyeon

Stamina Warden

Sorcerer, stam or mag, has too strong ''mystical'' magic visuals to me especially with the purples and blues in their spells. It's also way more pet heavy, and none of its pet fit a barbarian/Nord viking theme imo.

The warden bear fits well. The netch doesn't fit but it's less visually egregious than the sorcerer pets. Not sure if stamina sorcerer uses pets, so I took a quick look at esologs leaderboard stam sorcs and it looks like they use both the scamp and matriarch. As for tank, the clannfear is super good in most contexts unless you're tanking really easy content and can forgo it.

Obviously you can go without pets entirely on the sorcerer, but assuming you'll ever want to go for more optimal setups, you'll want them.

I'm putting a lot of emphasis on the pet aspect here because for me personally, I can more easily headcanon, for ex, crystal fragment being a throwing axe or something much more easily than I can three daedric summons being... not there? or being another creature entirely.

Four_Fingers

I always thought Vikings were Earthlings.
But I guess their gods were alien.

colossalvoids

Stamina Sorcerer

We all have very different ideas about same concepts but I'd go stamsorc here as he's the most "warrior" archetype for me and can be easily built without much active class skills. Considering in tes it's all tied with magic anyways, nords having affinity to cold and magic frost but if I remember correctly they had also shock resistance so it's not that alien. Having in class shield also reminded me of their shield from single player games, also summoning storm atro is giving pretty strong tes vibes compared to bear personally. All in all its a preference thingy of which one is looking the least disruptive with their VFX. Talking about viking theme I'd guess lightning also fits the bill with sea storms and popular god of thunder.

chessalavakia_ESO

You could also make a bit of a case for a DK if you are desperate.

If you are using any Magical abilities you could make a case for Vikings using fire.

If you aren't using Magical abilities, DK does have some passives that might be useful

Dr_Con

If you're going for a Thor kind of character, Sorc.

For Warden, think more witch-like, maybe something closer to a Shaman. I don't remember the Norse throwing bugs at people or having ice-themed moves. Sounds decidedly anti-norse, like something a frost giant might have.

If I were to try and make a Native-American themed character, or even a more contemporary tribal build, I would likely choose a Warden. The bear and connection to nature some of the moves have a very helpful appeal to this sort of build... I wouldn't consider sorc an option.

DMuehlhausen

Other & Explain

Stam DK not sure how any other class would be an option honestly.

amig186

Stamina Warden

I was faced with a similar conundrum once and went with a stamina warden using mostly weapon skills and a little bit of ice magic, cause, you know, Skyrim, cold, etc. I won't share the build because it was probably garbage, but he looked cool. The netch was the only thing that was kind of out of place but it could be replaced with momentum from the 2h tree. The healing spell from the ice tree could be replaced with vigor and then there's be no magic at all.

ghastley

Warden if your prefer ice, sorc if you prefer lightning. Your skills will mostly be weapon ones if it’s a stamina build, with one-hand and shield for the tank. A Viking would use an axe, I think.

At some point, you get conflict between optimum build for damage/support role and build for Viking role. Which is more important to you?

Auldwulfe

Stamina Warden

Dr_Con wrote: »

If you're going for a Thor kind of character, Sorc.

For Warden, think more witch-like, maybe something closer to a Shaman. I don't remember the Norse throwing bugs at people or having ice-themed moves. Sounds decidedly anti-norse, like something a frost giant might have.

If I were to try and make a Native-American themed character, or even a more contemporary tribal build, I would likely choose a Warden. The bear and connection to nature some of the moves have a very helpful appeal to this sort of build... I wouldn't consider sorc an option.

As a native, myself, I can easily justify a Sorc -- the lightning comes from Pequa - the Thunderbird ....
I even did it for a while, but wasn't playing it much, as I had other characters I was playing......

Depends on how you want it to work

Auldwulfe

Jarl_Ironheart

Stamina Warden

colossalvoids wrote: »

We all have very different ideas about same concepts but I'd go stamsorc here as he's the most "warrior" archetype for me and can be easily built without much active class skills. Considering in tes it's all tied with magic anyways, nords having affinity to cold and magic frost but if I remember correctly they had also shock resistance so it's not that alien. Having in class shield also reminded me of their shield from single player games, also summoning storm atro is giving pretty strong tes vibes compared to bear personally. All in all its a preference thingy of which one is looking the least disruptive with their VFX. Talking about viking theme I'd guess lightning also fits the bill with sea storms and popular god of thunder.

Yeah the lightning stuff is very oblivion nord reminiscent

BlueRaven

Other & Explain

Why is stam dk not an option?

I guess of the two given go warden as they have more nature based/looking attacks.

But I would think dk first.

Jarl_Ironheart

Stamina Warden

BlueRaven wrote: »

Why is stam dk not an option?

I guess of the two given go warden as they have more nature based/looking attacks.

But I would think dk first.

Stam DK has been my main for my whole 7 years but it has never felt Viking Warrior. If it was more fire then sure. The poison aspect is very none viking and Vikings didn't really do alot with Dragons, Nords do however. Norse are more oriented towards nature and creatures like bears and wolves. Dragonknights are more like mercenary/traditional warrior archtype

BlueRaven

Other & Explain

Jarl_Ironheart wrote: »

BlueRaven wrote: »

Why is stam dk not an option?

I guess of the two given go warden as they have more nature based/looking attacks.

But I would think dk first.

Stam DK has been my main for my whole 7 years but it has never felt Viking Warrior. If it was more fire then sure. The poison aspect is very none viking and Vikings didn't really do alot with Dragons, Nords do however. Norse are more oriented towards nature and creatures like bears and wolves. Dragonknights are more like mercenary/traditional warrior archtype

Well wardens are a bit more "druid like" in that reguard for sure, but everyone's milage may differ depending on the build. And look having a bear companion, while not stereotypical Viking, is kind of cool.

I wanted a real nord brawler and I think I achieved it with a dk, a heavy reliance on a two-hander for dps, and the oak ring. (Also keep in mind traditional nord gear in eso has "dragon" icons.)

Also he just looks cool.



I think in the end, almost any class (not necro) can work, maybe warden is better I guess? It really will just fall on how you build the character, and what you choose to slot.

Syldras

Stamina Warden

Well, to be honest, if you wanted to play a historically accurate Norseman, you'd probably have to play a peasant or a fisherman (or maybe a merchant) - as that were the professions most common in medieval Scandinavia Considering magic is unavoidable in ESO, you could give it a more mythic approach, of course - but then you'd be open to both a warden or a sorcerer (or even a necromancer, as stories about necromancy exist in old Scandinavian scriptures). Then again, magic (seiðr) was considered mostly a women's thing - mostly performed by völvas, shamanlike women who carried out all types of rites, used galdr (incantations) and different divination methods - so it was considered as something quite unmanly... That said, historical accuracy probably wouldn't be best thing to aim for here - I'd say: Just decide for the class that feels right to you personally. I'd choose a warden by the way, because of the nature aspect and animal familiar.

Jarl_Ironheart

Stamina Warden

BlueRaven wrote: »

Jarl_Ironheart wrote: »

BlueRaven wrote: »

Why is stam dk not an option?

I guess of the two given go warden as they have more nature based/looking attacks.

But I would think dk first.

Stam DK has been my main for my whole 7 years but it has never felt Viking Warrior. If it was more fire then sure. The poison aspect is very none viking and Vikings didn't really do alot with Dragons, Nords do however. Norse are more oriented towards nature and creatures like bears and wolves. Dragonknights are more like mercenary/traditional warrior archtype

Well wardens are a bit more "druid like" in that reguard for sure, but everyone's milage may differ depending on the build. And look having a bear companion, while not stereotypical Viking, is kind of cool.

I wanted a real nord brawler and I think I achieved it with a dk, a heavy reliance on a two-hander for dps, and the oak ring. (Also keep in mind traditional nord gear in eso has "dragon" icons.)

Also he just looks cool.



I think in the end, almost any class (not necro) can work, maybe warden is better I guess? It really will just fall on how you build the character, and what you choose to slot.

It's a toss up honestly when you get down to it. I can see a argument for each class for a Viking

WrathOfInnos

Other & Explain

The answer is clearly Templar. No other class has the ability to throw a spear, or jab with one. The spear is a little flashy for my taste, but less so than the other classes with their elemental magic and summons.

Jarl_Ironheart

Stamina Warden

WrathOfInnos wrote: »

The answer is clearly Templar. No other class has the ability to throw a spear, or jab with one. The spear is a little flashy for my taste, but less so than the other classes with their elemental magic and summons.

Yeah but vikings were not warriors of light. They were mostly associated with storms, fire or frost. Also while I'm sure some did use spears most of the warriors used a bearded hand axe with a shield or a dane axe. Some used swords and daggers too, but not really spears.

SkaraMinoc

Stamina Sorcerer

Stam Sorc dual wielding Mjölnir with Overload and Crit Surge looks Viking to me.

Araneae6537

Stamina Warden

Any class could work if you use mostly weapon and other abilities, but warden could be a good choice for if you do use class/magic, frost seems most fitting.

Syldras

Stamina Warden

Jarl_Ironheart wrote: »

Yeah but vikings were not warriors of light.

You could somehow link him to the mythological Baldr who is associated with brightness, light and purity, so even that would be possible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldr

WrathOfInnos

Other & Explain

Jarl_Ironheart wrote: »

WrathOfInnos wrote: »

The answer is clearly Templar. No other class has the ability to throw a spear, or jab with one. The spear is a little flashy for my taste, but less so than the other classes with their elemental magic and summons.

Yeah but vikings were not warriors of light. They were mostly associated with storms, fire or frost. Also while I'm sure some did use spears most of the warriors used a bearded hand axe with a shield or a dane axe. Some used swords and daggers too, but not really spears.

Spears are believed to be the most common weapon of Vikings. We tend to find the axe and sword more interesting in today's culture, and to be fair they were often more unique and ornamental than the simple spear (which was likely to get lost when thrown). Spears are rarely found intact, since wood does not last centuries (I'm only aware of one example with a preserved haft), but spearheads are a numerous Viking artifact.

If I were to make a Viking build I would probably go dual wield Sword + Axe on front bar (cosmetic skins at least, really 2 daggers for effectiveness), and bow on back bar (another iconic Viking weapon that is often forgotten). This does leave out the shield, but that is generally reserved for tanks in ESO. Although if you make a Nord then tank may be the best role for you. Beyond those weapons, having access to a couple spear skills would be icing on the cake.

I'm sure other cultures associated Vikings with frost, given their northern origin, but I'm not aware of any historical or mythological connection to frost powers. In some ways it was the opposite, ice symbolized death and dishonor such as Niflheim and the frost giants. I can't really see any basis for things like Winter's Revenge and Arctic Blast, and Warden's use far to many strange pets to fit the Viking build (Netch, Shalks, Flies) even if the bear is cool.

Fire I can partially see, as they certainly valued it, but in Norse mythology it is not much better than ice, with Muspelheim and the fire giants eventually resulting in Ragnarok. There is also the tradition of burning pyres to help the dead ascend to the afterlife, so certainly some more "holy" connotations to fire as well. I may be reading too much into this, but things like "Sun Fire" could easily be seen as righteous to the Vikings (as @Syldras mentioned about Baldr) while Dragonknight skills like Burning Ember and Engulfing Flames may fall more into the beast category. There is also the myth about Fenrir trying to eat the sun and cause Ragnarok.

I don't know much about Viking beliefs about storms or lightning, beyond the obvious association with with Thor. I suppose you could ignore most of the Sorcerer's toolkit and just build a hammer-wielding Viking with a couple of shock spells mixed in (Endless Fury, Lightning Flood, maybe Boundless Storm).

Templar also has Rune Focus, which places a symbol on the ground that looks similar to a Viking compass (technically it looks similar to any 8 point compass, but most other types do not have a circle of runes around the edge).

Anyway, build however sounds fun to you, but IMO Templar is the best fit.

old_scopie1945

Other & Explain

Stam DK, no fancy elven magic for a true Nord.

Supreme_Atromancer

Stamina Warden

I agree with others that its hard to build a traditional, martial, barbarian-type power fantasy in ESO currently.

You have to ignore a lot of *hugely* useful stuff to get something even approaching it, decreasing your power and resourcefulness, and even then the degree to which you'll get a satisfying result is... up for debate!

I have a Reachfolk warlord 2h barbarian-style character currently that has to ignore most of her class skills. Looks great, plays... not so great. At least she looks like a badass barbarian while she's doing the only content she's useful for- daily writs lol.

Though it *does* mean that there's a conceptual niche that ZOS might one day lean into, if they listen to people like us!

With your options, I'd go with Stamden, honestly. You'll probably *have* to lean into some of the skills at some point, and frost magic has some conceptual hooks for nords. Also bear. And also, it should be reasonably easy to make a pretty decent alternate tank loadout.

Urzigurumash

Stamina Warden

If Viking comes from the old word for Fjord "Vik", then StamDen. A Fjord: sea, then trees, then rock, then snow. 2 points for Warden, 1 point for DK.

Tenthirty2

Stamina Warden

Even tho I voted Stamden I'd argue that Wardens in general are way more druidic than anything.

Magden could be crafted like a Viking shaman and would fit I think, but ESO doesn't really have a character class to fit the "Fighter\Berserker" archetype.
You could create more of a Viking warrior type character I spose by going Stamden but picking mostly skills from the Fighter's and Undaunted Guilds.
Of course if you do that you could pick Templar or DK too and skip most of their class-specific abilities, favouring FG and Undaunted skills, wouldn't have to be Warden at all.

IMO a fighter\berserker\barbarian class would fit more of a typical Viking ulfhednar, (berserker, spirit-warrior).
The Reach clans, their warriors, witches, Briarheart warriors and the prevalence of werewolves among the reach clans all are heavily influenced by old Viking practices and legends.
But the ulfhednar were a beautiful kind of crazy on a whole other level.
If ZoS created a new pure Berserker class with a heavy focus on weapon and combat skills. Passive bonuses the LESS armour they wore, etc this would fit a berserker well.
But also with skills that were less "magical" in execution, more blood-rage inspired abilities.
So basically no magical floating Energizer Bunny tethered to their heads.

If I were going to try a Viking ulfhednar build I'd prolly pick Stamden or Stam DK.
Spec heavily into Undaunted and FG skills and chosen-class passives, but avoid the "magical or showy" skills.
And unless ZoS ever loses their minds and gives us a hide-able option for ALL armour slots, I'd pick one set and go all weaps and jewelry, bcuz your going to be running into battle nekkid you bloodthirsty nutter.
You could do a monster helm too I guess.
If I really didn't want to give up the other 5 slots just for the sake of wearing a "birthday battlesuit" there are likely some style motifs might work, but nothing that says "heavy, thick armour". Armour was not used in favour of speed and agility.
Full body, black-coloured skins and\or body\face tattoos to complete the look.

Now go forth and inspire shock and awe you beautiful battle freak

NotaDaedraWorshipper

Urzigurumash wrote: »

If Viking comes from the old word for Fjord "Vik", then StamDen. A Fjord: sea, then trees, then rock, then snow. 2 points for Warden, 1 point for DK.

Viking means to raid.

It's also a rather incorrect name to use, because of that. Viking is something you do, and was just a small part of their culture. The correct name is Norse.

Never understood why someone would try make a Norse character in Elder Scrolls game over a Nord. The vision people have of a Norse is often wrong any way and heavily influenced by pop culture.

You can make any class fit a Nord or Norse-ish character with just a bit of knowledge and creativity. Because there's a lot of gods and beings in Norse mythology one can make a character devoted to, not just Thor and whatnot.

Syldras

Stamina Warden

NotaDaedraWorshipper wrote: »

Never understood why someone would try make a Norse character in Elder Scrolls game over a Nord. The vision people have of a Norse is often wrong any way and heavily influenced by pop culture.
You can make any class fit a Nord or Norse-ish character with just a bit of knowledge and creativity. Because there's a lot of gods and beings in Norse mythology one can make a character devoted to, not just Thor and whatnot.

@NotaDaedraWorshipper I was just going to write that

Generally speaking, actually it's possible to choose every class and play style one wants for whatever culture. Cultures aren't one-dimensional. It's not possible to say that a culture is only "related" to one type of thing, one element, one season or whatever. That might be the case in fantasy novels or fairytales, but in reality, every older, polytheistic culture (correct me if I'm wrong) has gods and spirits for all types of natural occurences. I already mentioned Baldr, who can be associated with light. Fire could be associated with Loki, wind and water with Njörðr, and so on. There's a deity for everything, as all things natural were ascribed to gods and spirits.

SilverBride

Other & Explain

Stamina Dragonknight.

Big two handed sword... c'mon!

perfiction

Other & Explain

For PvE stamblade has the most in common, because it's dead just like vikings.