It's probably less of a class issue and having more to do with your gear. It's hard finding decent gear early on so it's easier to save up a few thousand gold paying a crafter to hook you up. It's important to keep your gear current as you level and you will probably need new gear every 3-4 levels since gear is so impactful when it comes to playing in battle scaled zones like dungeons, DLC content or Cyrodiil.

I'm just returning to the game after getting some motivation from playing Skyrim. I honestly remember very little of what I played before, other than it was melee, I believe I used sword and board, and I sucked at it. I quit early on because I found it so difficult.

I'm looking for a class/build that will be pretty easy to play, at least to start, so I don't get frustrated and quit again.

A dragonknight stamina tank, sword and board and two handed on the back bar for dps is probably the easiest way to go. Obliviosly run all heavy armor for now. Two handed has a skill that self heals, I don't remember the name,that will help with sustainability in solo stuff. Dragonknight has alot of good shields to help also. Since you would rather block, I highly recommend this, sorc and templar require more movement and dodging, unless you were to run stamina builds, but I consider those to be for the more experienced players.
As long as you aren't trying to run end game group content, just keep trying and testing new skills and find out what works best for you.
What console and server do you play on? If your on Xbox Na, I would be glad to help you in-game figuring it out.

I kind of sucked too and found my solution as a sorcerer with a pet. That pet is really handy in some early quests. I mostly always play a mage type anyway. I do have two NBs and in the Save the Queen quest in the crypts of Tanzellwil I died frequently until I learned how to run around since I don't block or dodge well. One of them was dual wield and she really had trouble. Just pay attention when you die so you can figure out what is going wrong and don't be ashamed to come back a bit later.

GivvumBoane wrote: »

Could run Wailing prison to cap level 6. Allows skill increases and gives a couple of levels advantage over early zones making them easier.

Level 6 seems a bit excessive but certainly lvl 4.

For someone having issues with early levels I'd suggest making a DK, put initial points in HP and run heavy armor. Double handed should be OK but 1 handed and shield is certainly an option. Level skills that give you some tankiness. As you become more confident you can switch to different builds.

Best advice is to stay up on your crafting, so you can make new, better stuff as you go. Something like the Deaths Wind or Ashen Grip sets are great for new characters.

Dropped gear is generally junk, and crafted sets have nice bonuses which can really help you out. For example: "If struck by a melee attack while below 35% Health, nearby enemies are knocked back and stunned for 4 seconds". That alone will save your butt numerous times.

Also, if you don't start researching now, you will really regret it later on, when things start taking a lot longer to research....

http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Set+Bonus+Crafting+Locations

And as far as builds go, don't worry about whether you're a "stamina" or "magicka" build just yet. I got my first toon (a Nightblade) to VR1 without a clue what I was doing (40 points in health, anyone?) and it worked just fine. And at that point, you can just respec once you've got the hang of it. Use skills that you like and that work for you - it's easy to fix later.

At low levels you're missing some very nice abilities so stick with it and you will be rewarded.

Pet sorc (all points in magicka as your magicka pool and spell damage, as well as crit will be the main deciding factors in damage output, (stam sorc or hybrid is harder and very situational). Until you get hardened/empowered ward use lightning form to mitigate some damage and stay mobile and if you go stam sorc, brawler (2h, 1st skill) is excellent for shielding)

Sorc will be squishy so you have to stay mobile or at a distance as much as possible early on. With pet sorc, twilight can be used to heal yourself, or clannfear way before you get hardened ward. Also with resto staff you have another ward and easy access to heals early on. Pets can be used to tank but can't hold aggro well, very hit and miss but if you know what they are capable of they are indispensable.

Templar, you have class heals and they can take a beating. I've got a veteran 5 templar tank that I've taken through many group delves, City of Ash gold yesterday, and they are a very different playstyle to sorcs. My main and experience is sorcs but I've played plenty of my temp to know they can stay alive longer but won't do as much damage at lower levels. Also sorc is more fun IMO.

Also get researching, then crafting and remember you can buy/make glyphs to change the attribute of any piece of armour/weapon. Use the special crafting stations to make a set to give you an advantage, some good ones only need 2 or 3 traits researched to be able to craft and at low levels it costs pittance.

As soon as you get to level 10 DO THE DUNGEON FINDER! It will give great xp and 90% of the time people are willing to help you through....brilliant experience and you make friends. If people are being nasty it's rare in my experience... you might get kicked for no reason but it happens, just keep at it and I guarantee group delves are the best way to get experience.

For Faceroll easy mode, roll a Magicka templar. Choose a High Elf, Dark Elf, or Breton for it. When you get your very first skill point in the prison defeating the guards, put it into the skill called Puncturing Strikes on the Aedric Spear tree. Second point (likely also in the prison), goes into Sunfire on the Dawns Wrath tree. 3rd point goes into the first skill on the Restoring light tree.

At this point, Puncturing strikes will most like open up for a morph. Morph it to Puncturing Sweeps, as that is magicka based and is your go to spammable skill that pretty much stops you from dying.

Equip a Destruction staff - lightning is the best, but inferno is fun.

From the second you enable Puncturing strikes in the first 10 minutes of the game, it is pretty much the only thing you will need to mow down every mob (including bosses) in front of you. Its a melee range skill as well, and you can then use the staff to block mob attacks. This one skill alone will take you easily all the way through the quests to level 50.

Put all attribute points in Magicka (you can spread a few into health but no more than 10), and aim to wear light armor.

Its basically a fire mage build, and is faceroll easy. Its a great setup for new players and I still have a Dark Elf Magicka Templar as my main.

Volkodav wrote: »

Try a full stamina Nightblade

Articulemort wrote: »

A dragonknight stamina tank, sword and board and two handed on the back bar for dps is probably the easiest way to go.

Bonzodog01 wrote: »

For Faceroll easy mode, roll a Magicka templar. Choose a High Elf, Dark Elf, or Breton...

Faceroll. He wants to facerolllllllll..........

Typhoios wrote: »

Magicka Templar is very much easy mode for early PvE. You can literally just stand there and spam puncturing sweeps, damages mobs and heals you as well. Good class if you're not great at mobility. Get some seducer gear so you don't run out of magicka constantly.

Now we're talking. To faceroll you need abilities that do damage and heal at the same time.

Imperial Templar with restro staff and puncturing sweeps until, well, forever... Spec for red diamond and quick siphon when you can. Wear 5 light, 1 medium and 1 heavy, training trait on medium, heavy and restro staff. For leveling use Seducer 5pc with either 5pc Julianos or Kagrenac (will only be one 5pc at a time depending on which bar yopur on). Get in a supportive guild and the crafter extraordinaire should craft you purple gear for every x levels, free of charge!

Nightblade: start magicka with pretty much the same race/setup. Use strife (swallow if solo, else funnel). Later, sap essence, prox det, soul tether as well.

Imperial is best for leveling in part due to red diamond and in part because its the best flex race. If at endgame you want to be stamina, no problem. Want to switch betwen tank, dps, heals, dps/heals and hybrid? No problem. The little bit you lose in min/maxing isn't that much and in any case the damage meta could change in the future.

When you hit level 10, go to the PvP zone and do the starter quest. Spend the shiny new skill point you get on rapid maneuver and then thank me later. When you go to get rapids, just stay in Cyrodiil for 3 days to get proxy.

You could also use the Argonian race for as either a templar or nightblade, but realize they are not competitive at endgame,. But for levelling in the 30's up.... For example, with respect to Templar, Argonian (9% to heals received) + restoring focus (8% to heals received, 8% reduction in damage, 25% to outgoing heals) + 5pc twilights embrace (+10% to heals received) or 5pc thealer's habit (8% outgoing, not crafted) paired up with DPS/sustain. The amount of healing from puncturing sweeps is, well, try it....

Volkodav wrote: »

Put all your attributes into Stamina,as it helps you to be able to do spells,run,and use your weapons longer.

For the love of Y'ffre, no ! One needs to put points into health too, especially when the problem is dying too fast.

Even if you can manage to survive with all points into stamina (or magika) at low levels, you will get oneshot by some attacks at max level in dungeons and trials.

A good rule is: put one point into helth for every two points you put into stamina or magika.

Hope this helps, cheers.

CaptainBeerDude wrote: »

Smileybones wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Put all your attributes into Stamina,as it helps you to be able to do spells,run,and use your weapons longer.

For the love of Y'ffre, no ! One needs to put points into health too, especially when the problem is dying too fast.

Even if you can manage to survive with all points into stamina (or magika) at low levels, you will get oneshot by some attacks at max level in dungeons and trials.

A good rule is: put one point into helth for every two points you put into stamina or magika.

Hope this helps, cheers.

Until you stop dying easily.

Do you know some godly healers that can heal oneshots ? Please tell me, I'd love to meet them !

Find yourself a very helpful guild... this should shortcut a lot of questions you have.

Smileybones wrote: »

Volkodav wrote: »

Put all your attributes into Stamina,as it helps you to be able to do spells,run,and use your weapons longer.

For the love of Y'ffre, no ! One needs to put points into health too, especially when the problem is dying too fast.

Even if you can manage to survive with all points into stamina (or magika) at low levels, you will get oneshot by some attacks at max level in dungeons and trials.

A good rule is: put one point into helth for every two points you put into stamina or magika.

Hope this helps, cheers.

It doesn't matter if you get the health from stats, gear or race choice. But you overall point is sound.

Stick around first 1st -3rd zones until you're at least a level above the next zone enemies. There's so much to do in every area. Throw in a dungeon for xp (if able,most dungeons are now run with a couple of vets even on normal) and use potions.

@Gromgok

Just wanted to clarify something - you said you're returning after quitting quite early on... I noticed also that your join date is February 2014. Was your last attempt at playing way back then? If so then PvE difficulty has been nerfed massively since then!