i'm asking for the latter. thank you!

Taleof2Cities wrote: »

the1andonlyskwex wrote: »

Assuming what you want is a class that has a particularly wide variety of playstyle options, it seems like nightblade and sorcerer would be the best examples. Nightblades because they have distinct stealth and non-stealth options, and Sorcerers because they have distinct pet and no-pet options.

I think the Warden class has a wider range in terms of playstyle options, @the1andonlyskwex ... especially in the role trinity (tank, DPS, healer).

I haven't heard of a lot of Sorc or Nightblade tanks or healers in either PvE or PvP. They do exist, but it's a niche gameplay style.

The OP specifically said they didn't care about being the highest parsing class, which I took to mean they didn't really care about the meta. From that perspective, any class can pretty much play any role. I've certainly healed fine with all of the classes.

Similarly, it's probably worth pointing out that every class can also be played as both magicka and stamina, so there aren't really any true one trick ponies in ESO.

I think the sorc is the most versatile. Many different setups, lots of gear combinations, lots of skill combinations, ability to solo as well as group play, it can be a DPS machine or healer, and if you're not chasing 90K+ its pretty easy to play.

With that said, I still love Magblade. The damage is just too much to quit, as is the ability to slot different skills. Though it takes a while to get used to the play style versus something like magsorc

I'm a PvPer, but I also do dungeons and solo PvE, for example the vet solo arenas.

What you and I find fun may not be the same thing. I find classes that are straightforward to play more fun than ones that have complex rotations or class mechanics. Straightforward skills to me are things like gap closers, executes, but also DOTs, burst heals and HOTs. I prefer skills that are reactive, rather than proactive. I don't like too many buffs.

According to the above, then, I find magplar fun. It's an easy class to play and to get good damage out of. Sweeps being the only skill you truly need doesn't mean the class is boring. It's got such a complete toolkit of "gold standard" skills including a gap closer, execute and burst heal. That just makes for a responsive and visceral feeling character.

I only tried mag DK a long time ago. I hated it, specifically the healing mechanics. Many of mag DKs heals are delayed and tied into your rotation, such as from Burning Embers, Deep Breath and Flame Lash. This is something I find highly artifical busywork and I really have no time for it. Your mileage may vary.

Magden is IMO a frightfully boring class. It is buff-heavy and inward looking. You're more concerned with your rotation than with what's going on around you. As a PvPer that is anathema to me, but I guess for some people that's what they like.

Magblade is both straightforward and complicated. Like templar it has good, straightforward damage skills that also heal you as well as an execute and gap closer. However to get the most out of it, you're going to play the Merciless Resolve mini-game, which is meh.

Magsorc then. I really have not explored this class in PvE. Lends itself to different builds, pet, non-pet, "standard" or heavy attack builds. In PvP you tend to get shoehorned into one way of building, e.g. for high magicka and burst, although I see more variety lately. A good class, I suppose.

I don't play Necro. Have not bought the class, based on it coming from the same team that made warden.

Let's go over some of the fun skills that classes have.

DKs greatest asset is probably Leap, but that's more a PvP skill. Wings used to be fun when they truly reflected attacks.

Wardens, to their credit, have some fun skills, such as the teleport rune and the Nature's Embrace heal. More for PvP, though, and fairly niche, which is why they don't really contribute much to warden getting a good grade from me.

Nightblades have Shadow Image, a hard skill to master, but very fun when you do. Again a PvP skill. Cloak, though, is a game changer in both solo PvP and PvE. In PvE it allows you to skip mobs, collect skyshards and probably helps with Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood quests.

Most fun skill of sorcs: Streak!

My favorite magicka class varies from patch to patch. My first four characters to Undaunted 10 were sorcerers and templars, but my current favorite is warden. That said, I mainly either solo, duo or heal. All six classes work well enough for me to heal a DLC dungeon, tromp through normal Maelstrom Arena, solo any public dungeon group event, or solo most non-DLC world bosses.

Tank builds generally assume you'll respec to stack lots of health. If you plan to keep 60+ attribute points in magicka and still want to tank, conventional wisdom about tanking might be off-base. In particular -- and I'm largely just guessing here -- I think sorcerer might rise in the rankings to challenge or overtake warden, while templar would remain weak but narrow the gap vs. the others.