The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) Solo PvE Tier List 2024 ranks the best and worst solo PvE classes and summarizes their pros and cons.
Updated on March 15, 2024, for update 41 and Scions of Ithelia in The Elder Scrolls Online.
What’s the Best ESO Solo PvE Class in 2024?
The Arcanist is S+ tier and the best all-around solo PvE class in the ESO Update 41 because of high damage, survivability, and resource sustain.
While the Arc received a pretty hard Nerf to their Fatecarver (beam) damage, the fact that they’re still on top is more of a testament to how much damage they were doing before the Nerf. Pragmatic Fatecarver is still a massive shield while putting out the highest DPS of any other skill. All of your essential Major and Minor buffs are sourced through the kit, and Cephaliarch’s Flail triples as a great spammable, execute and heal.
While these are how our builds compare, you can play whichever class you like. Some classes feel stronger than others, but every build is competent in content.
ESO Solo PvE Class Tier List 2024:
- S Tier: Arcanist, Dragonknight
- A Tier: Warden, Templar
- B Tier: Sorcerer, Nightblade
- C Tier: Necromancer
The Table below ranks and lists all classes in our ESO Solo PvE Tier List from the best to the worst:
| ESO Solo PvE Rank | Class | Tier Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arcanist | S+ |
| 2 | Dragonknight | S |
| 3 | Warden | A |
| 4 | Templar | A- |
| 5 | Sorcerer | B+ |
| 6 | Nightblade | B |
| 7 | Necromancer | C |
Necromancer (C Tier)
Unfortunately, the Necromancer has been gutted this patch with the major Blastbones rework, ranking it C tier and the worst class in ESO solo PvE on our list. While Necromancer is still a strong tank and supports DPS, its lack of raw damage is shown in its solo content. It will be hard to die, but you won’t be clearing through packs like any other class on this list. While most players still aren’t sure how to best play the Necromancer, the power is not there in this patch.
Necromancer Class Pros
- Unkillable: The Necromancer has always been very difficult to kill, and that’s still true.
- Incredible Sustain: With the proper buffs, you shouldn’t have any trouble sustaining resources.
- Great Skill Animations: While the damage is lacking, the Cro has some of the best animations in the game, and it feels cool to play.
Necromancer Class Cons
- Lack of AOE damage: We’ve tried incorporating more area damage (AoE) into the kit, but it’s still lacking.
- No Major damage buffs: The Necromancer can’t naturally source Major Brutality, Savagery, Prophecy, or Sorcery in their kit as other classes can.
- Weaker Ultimate Options: The Necromancer’s ultimate abilities are great for utility but lose their usefulness in solo content.
Necromancers will always have group content play, but like the PvP Tier list, it just lacks overall. It’s long overdue for a Necromancer damage buff, and hopefully, that’s coming in the next patch.
Magicka Necromancer
The Magcro suffers from even less AoE than the stamina version. You can always slot Blighted Blastbones, but this morph has always been lower damage. Instead, we’re running two AoE proc sets to give you enormous AoE damage. It’s just not big enough in comparison to other classes. Scythe will always keep you alive, but you won’t do much else.
The playstyle offers nothing noteworthy in the current solo PvE meta, thus ranking it as the worst in ESO in our tier list.
Stamina Necromancer
The Stamcro can reliably run Runecarver, which is a fun set after the set damage was reclassified in this patch. Now, Runecarver properly deals direct damage, increasing your burning damage. Stamcro is stronger than the Magcro, and this is the build to run if you’re adamant about playing a Necro.
Nightblade (B Tier)
The Nightblade Class ranks B Tier in our ESO Solo PvE Tier List because it suffers from problems similar to the Necromancers. However, you shouldn’t feel too bad in solo content as long as you play the Stamina Nightblade. You have strong execution, strong buff uptimes, great sustain, and nasty single-target damage. The blade still lacks area damage, landing it lower on the tier list, but you can demolish bosses.
Nightblade Class Pros
- Passive Healing: the Siphoning Strikes changes are incredible for resource management and constant passive healing.
- Class Execute: Assassin’s Blade will shred a target once you get to execute.
- AOE Minor Cowardice: Power Extraction is one of the game’s only sources of Minor Cowardice. It also provides Major Brutality, sorcery, and Minor Courage.
Nightblade Class Cons
- Major Resolve Uptime: The Nightblade has to cast a Shadow ability to proc Major Resolve and weak spammable for magicka.
- Flank Damage Conditionals: Surprise Attack is a great stamina spammable, but it requires attacking from the flank to proc Off-Balance.
- Lower AOE Damage: This is always the Nightblade’s pitfall; their AOE damage just doesn’t compare to that of other classes in PvE content.
While the Nightblade feels stronger than the Necro, that isn’t saying much. Trash packs will take longer, but soloing bosses should feel smooth on the Nightblade as long as you play the Stamina version. A Nightblade buff would be incredible for PvE content, but it’s tricky with how strong they are in PvP.
Magicka Nightblade
The Magblade needs stealth for Concealed Weapon to be worth running, and it just isn’t great at stealth in PvE content. The Magblade lacks AoE damage, doesn’t hit as hard as the Stamblade, and feels weak overall. The major upside is a range of spammable swallow souls that can help heal when you don’t have the Pale Order mythic. This class is weak when considering other options outside of good ultimate generation and passive healing.
Stamina Nightblade
The Stamblade still feels weaker than other classes, but that gap closes considerably in solo play. Nightblades are one of the most natural sources of Minor Cowardice, which is especially strong in the Infinite Archive. If you’re a die-hard Nightblade player, Stamina is the way to go in this patch.
Sorcerer (B+ Tier)
Putting the Sorc into B Tier feels criminal, but they just don’t have the bar space they need right now to adequately run all of the skills they have in their kit. We hoped that Pets only had to be single-barred on this patch, but that didn’t happen. With no natural Major weapon damage or crit buffs in their kit, you must also run Spell Power Potions on either version of the Sorcerer if you take advantage of the Minor Prophecy, making sustain tricky on the Stamina Sorcerer.
Sorcerer Class Pros
- Boss Shredder: Sorc has the highest single-target DPS in the game right now.
- Simple Playstyle: Double barring pets, while overall a con, does simplify the skill rotation.
- Unreal Healing: Critical Surge, with the option to run Ring of the Pale Order, feels unkillable.
Sorcerer Class Cons
- Bar Space: Pets must be double-barred, leaving the Sorc feeling like it needs an extra skill slot.
- No Damage Buff: Major Brutality, Savagery, Prophecy, and Sorcery are all missing from the Sorc’s kit.
- Minor Prophecy Passive: Sorcs naturally gain spell crit, which forces you to need Major Prophecy to maximize this class passive.
Sorc is right on the edge of being incredible in content, but it isn’t quite there yet. It does lack AoE damage as a class, but it makes up for this shortcoming with unreal single-target DPS. The Stamsorc has better AoE, but needing to run Spell Power Potions makes sustain feel clunky.
Magicka Sorcerer
The Magsorc lacks AoE damage, but the single target rips through bosses. We included Mage’s Wrath in our solo build, but the AoE damage from this skill needs a low-health target. You can hit decent AoE numbers by focusing on one enemy and casting Mage’s Wrath on them when they are in poor health, but it’s still weaker than other classes.
This class and build are still among the simplest and beginner-friendly. Moreover, they don’t rely on trial gear for survival and healing. This is a great place to start if you want to learn ESO and feel powerful early.
Stamina Sorcerer
Stamsorcs can sustain Whirling Blades very well, giving a decent AoE source. However, you need to run Spell Power Pots to maximize damage, which forces you to run Dark Deal to sustain the skill. You could always run Weapon Power Potions instead. Changing Whirling Blades out for Rapid Strikes when you get to a boss will shred a boss if you can stand swapping skills.
Consider StamSorc, the AoE melee damage dealer with pros similar to Magicka Sorc.
Templar (A- Tier)
Magplar, while being slightly weaker in group content, still feels incredible in solo content, coming in at A- Tier on our Solo PvE List. Templars are probably the best class to start with if you are new to solo content. The ease of play, strong class heals, and buffs make this class feel amazing in content right now. This was true in the last patch, and it’s even more true in this patch with the status effect buffs.
Templar Class Pros
- Beam to Win: Radiant Destruction is the strongest execute in the game. Opting for Glory to heal you will make you practically unkillable once the boss is under 40% health.
- High-Class Healing: Puncturing Sweeps main spammable pumps out a ton of healing.
- Simple Playstyle: the Templar’s kit and rotation are relatively easy to play.
Templar Class Cons
- Weak Class Ultimates: The Templar ults need some love; they don’t do as much damage as we’d like.
- Shorter AOE Damage: The Plar’s AOE, while strong when it hits, doesn’t extend as far as other classes.
- Tight Bar Space: The Plar needs an extra bar slot to fit in all of the great skills it has access to.
Overall, Templars feel very strong in solo content this patch. With the strongest execute in the game that also heals you, it’s much more difficult to die on a Templar than other classes. Our build focuses on sustainability, allowing you to spam Puncturing Sweeps to your heart’s content endlessly.
Magicka Templar
Magplar definitely feels better in solo content, using Puncturing Sweeps. Its healing is incredible, its sustain feels good, and it has godly single-target damage. There’s not much to complain about with the Plar, except maybe that it’s just slightly weaker than the better options on this list.
Stamina Templar
The Stamplar is a little more tricky to play in solo content without the heal from Puncturing Sweeps, but that difference is mitigated by running Ring of the Pale Order. It isn’t as healing, but it still feels tanky and powerful. If you decide to run Velothi instead of Pale Order Mythic, you’ll do more damage, but healing gets a lot sweatier.
Warden (A Tier)
Wardens are fun to play in the Elder Scrolls Online Update 41. This ranking might be slightly deceiving. the Warden doesn’t do as much damage as the other classes this high up on the list, but Wardens are the overall strongest class in Infinite Archive. The natural status effect is emphasized in the kit, and powerful class buffs make the Warden melt enemies in Infinite Archive. While these builds aren’t IA-specific, they are a major area of solo play, landing the Warden higher on the list.
Warden Class Pros
- Great Class Buffs: Wardens have always been great at solo mechanics in group content because they source most of their buffs through their kit.
- Minor Brittle: Minor Brittle hits hard and provides extra critical damage, which many other classes find difficult to access.
- AOE Major and Minor Breach: Penetration is very easy to source on the Warden due to Deep Fissure.
Warden Class Cons
- Lower Raw Damage: The Warden’s damage is mainly caused by DoTs and status effects, which can sometimes feel like less damage.
- Sustain Difficulties: The Warden has great buffs and damage, but sustain takes more active management than other classes.
- Double Slotted Ultimate: Wild Guardian is still the best ultimate choice for damage, but it doesn’t allow you to slot a utility ultimate because it requires a double bar.
The Warden feels very strong in solo content, but as mentioned, this rank is slightly influenced by its dominance in Infinite Archive. If you master the sustain game on the Warden, you’ll feel incredibly powerful from all the buffs you get through your skills. It can still feel like you have a group around you.
Magicka Warden
The Magicka Warden is probably the stronger build in this patch due to the chilled emphasis. Our solo build is enjoyable to play and can be brought straight into IA without missing a beat. You’ll want to run Corrupting Pollen and slightly different gear sets, but that build can push pretty far with minimal changes.
Stamina Warden
The Stamina Warden solo build is the “Bloody Warden” version, which focuses on stacking bleed damage to pump the Hemorrhage status effect. This version is much stronger with a two-handed maelstrom greatsword on your back bar, but it can easily be tweaked to a more traditional stamina build and potentially feel even stronger.
Dragonknight (S Tier)
The Dragonknight is even stronger in solo content in the ESO Update 41 earning S tier on our list. The DK got a decent sustain buff in the passive Combustion of this patch. This class passively restores Magicka and Stamina in this patch, making sustain feel broken on the DK. With the False Gods trial set, you can almost infinitely spam Talons and Deep Breath on the MagDk. Adding in the incredible class buffs and damage, the DK should be the strongest class in the game.
Dragonknight Class Pros
- High AOE Damage: The DK hits like an absolute truck, putting that damage out in all directions.
- Unkillable: The DK always feels unkillable, but with Magma, you can become unkillable in the Infinite Archive.
- Great Class Buffs: The DK naturally sources all their critical buffs through their kit.
Dragonknight Class Cons
- Healing: The DK does heal a lot, but there are gaps in the burst healing from Deep Breath, which makes Ring of the Pale Order feel more necessary in this class.
- Higher Difficulty: DK feels very simple and powerful but has a high ceiling if you push Infinite Archive with Magma.
- Sustain: Despite the sustain buffs, it’s still difficult to sustain Talons and Deep Breath spamming.
The DK is in a great spot, as you can be in for solo content right now. Though it falls just slightly behind the Arc due to the Arc’s versatility, the DK does the things it does well better than any other class right now.
Magicka Dragonknight
The Magicka DK feels incredible in solo play right now. It has insanely high AOE damage, an AOE interrupt for Infinite Archive, and tons of burning damage. The Mag DK has always felt like its damage was capped by resources in AOE situations, but it can sustain Talons and Deep Breath better than it has ever been able to this patch. It feels solid in solo content.
Stamina Dragonknight
Stamina DK falls behind the Mag DK when it comes to AOE damage. You can’t afford to spam Deep Breath or Talons when you stack Stamina, making Stamina builds significantly weaker in solo content. You can still make it work, but it tangibly feels weaker.
Arcanist (S+ Tier)
Like the last update, the Arcanist is still the best overall solo PvE class in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) Update 41.
Arcanists had a large Fatecarver damage nerf, a nerf to Pragmatic Fatecarver’s massive shield. Still, the damage is enormous, and the shield is still huge. The Arcanist was so far ahead of almost every class in the last patch that, despite the nerfs, it still lands as the best class overall in solo content. It still doesn’t match other classes in some specific aspects, but you can rock almost an identical build in Arenas, Infinite Archive, group play, and overland content. You can even solo most group dungeons in the game with this build.
Arcanist Class Pros
- Class Buffs: Sources all crucial buffs for solo content naturally through the kit.
- Beam to Win: Fatecarver melts enemies.
- Passive Penetration: The Arcanist’s abilities provide huge passive penetration, which makes the penetration cap much easier to reach in solo content.
Arcanist Class Cons
- Damage Nerfs: If you played the Arcanist last patch, you will feel the damage nerfs.
- Long Channels: Your Fatecarver is a long channel, meaning you can be interrupted, ending your channel.
- Limited Bar Space: “Too many good skills” is real on the Arcanist.
The Arcanist is still the Swiss Army knife of the ESO for Solo PvE content in 2024. You can’t go wrong with the stamina or magicka versions of this build, but both are almost identical anyway. We include the Ring of the Pale order in solo content not because it deals the highest damage but because it is the most set-and-forget solo mythic. You could turn off your health bar and never worry about your health.
Magicka Arcanist
You usually see Arcanists run stamina, but magicka is completely viable. Most Arcanist abilities change resource cost depending on your highest resource, so sustain feels strong on either version of the build. The Arcanist might be the most hybridized class in the game.
Stamina Arcanist
The Stamina Arcanist is much better at running Coral Riptide, which is why most people run stamina. For solo content, however, we like Ansuul for the penetration. It outperforms Coral when you proc the set with an interrupt. You won’t keep this up constantly, but these builds are so close it hardly matters.
You have some of the best single-target and area damage while being one of the simplest builds. The StamArc blends the holy trinity of a perfect solo build: survivability, resource sustain, and big damage. Thus, we ranked it the best solo class in ESO for our tier list ranking.
ESO Solo PvE Leaderboards
The Elder Scrolls Online has solo PvE leaderboards, found in your journal. There are currently three ranked solve PvE events: Veteran Maelstrom Arena, Vateshran Hollows, and the new Endless Archive. While researching this solo PvE tier list, we compiled the rankings of all the classes based on their score (November 2023 has not been updated to 41 yet). Below are the best scores for each class in solo PvE for ESO:
| VMA Score | Vateshran Score | Endless Archive Score |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Arcanist: 607,331 | #1 Arcanist: 314,816 | #1 Nightblade: 337,000 |
| #2 Templar: 601,104 | #2 Templar: 313,354 | #2 Warden: 336,000 |
| #3 Nightblade: 599,132 | #3 Dragonknight: 303,111 | #3 Arcanist: 302,000 |
| #4 Sorcerer: 597,771 | #4 Nightblade: 302,333 | #4 Dragonknight: 264,000 |
| #5 Warden: 584,479 | #5 Necromancer: 301,580 | #5 Sorcerer: 229,000 |
| #6 Necromancer: 583,592 | #6 Warden: 301,113 | #6 Templar: 206,000 |
| #7 Dragonknight: 582,969 | #7 Sorcerer: 299,268 | #7 Necromancer: 200,000 |
What Changed in Solo PvE and Classes in Update 41?
The biggest changes to Update 41 are class balancing, 12 new item gear sets, and status effect changes. In the PvE solo play, the Necromancer has the most significant DPS loss, while the Arcanist also received some nerfs. The Sorcerer was buffed, giving them more damage via concussive status effects. Below is a list of the 5 biggest ESO Update 41 Scions of Ithelia, the first update of the year 2024:
- Class Balance – Arcanist PvE DPS nerfed, Necromancer reworked, Sorcerer buffed
- Status Effects – Balance changes keep mainly the same setups with anticipated DPS loss
- Gear Sets – 8 new sets from dungeons, 3 from rewards of the worthy, and 1 new mythic
- Quality of Life – Helpful changes to Cyrodiil, inventory management, and increased Undaunted Keys
- New Content – Two new dungeons, a prologue quest, and many new collectibles
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