Dragonknight posing in the West Weald ESO.
Screenshot by The Escapist.

Elder Scrolls Online Solo PVE Class Tier List

Books and fire.

With a good class pick for a solo character in The Elder Scrolls Online, most of the content in the game can be done alone. This tier list guide will rank all the classes in the game from best to worst so you know which one to pick.

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Best Solo PVE Class Tier List in ESO

Dragonknight archer in ESO Gold Road.
Screenshot by The Escapist.

The two best solo classes in ESO are the Arcanist and the Dragonknight. Although both classes are considered the best for players who like to travel alone, the Arcanist is a clear winner. All the other options in the game fall below the class introduced through the Necrom Chapter. Below you can find the full tier list ranking all the classes within the Gold Road expansion.

  • S-Tier – Arcanist
  • A-Tier – Dragonknight, Templar, and Sorcerer
  • B-Tier – Warden and Nightblade
  • C-Tier – Necromancer

Compared to the other classes, the Arcanist can do it all. Solo builds for Stamina and Magicka are both viable, even after some damage nerfs. Most players who want to maximize their solo potential will play a Stamina-based Arcanist. However, it’s the freedom and pure damage that the class provide that makes it the best. Dragonknight isn’t too far behind because of a similar versatility and tons of sustainability. One of the most important aspects of a solo PvE class is how well they can sustain, but the DK doesn’t have quite as much damage as the Arcanist.

Both the Templar and the Sorcerer are interchangeable. One has tons of self-preservation and the other can make use of minions. They offer completely different ways to survive in the solo experience and yet both work well. The Warden would be in the A-Tier as well if it had some more damage options. Wardens really only jump ahead in the Infinite Archive, but this list is solo content as a whole.

Related: How to Get Grimoires in ESO (The Elder Scrolls Online)

Magicka Nightblades offers some real potential as a solo build but stamina still needs help. Necromancers have continued to be nerfed and need even more help than the other classes. If you’re running the game solo, you need as much utility as you can get. So I suggest sticking with the top four classes.

The Elder Scrolls Online is available now on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.


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Image of Dan Wenerowicz
Dan Wenerowicz
Dan has been writing gaming guides, features and news for four years after graduating with a BA in writing. You can find him endlessly covering COD, Diablo 4, and any major releases. Otherwise he's cooking up another opinion piece.