The very first thing that anyone does when they start playing the Elder Scrolls Online is create their character, possibly the hardest decision the game gives you. If you've played Skyrim you'll remember that each race had their own unique passives that offered some great utility when traversing the frozen tundra. ESO takes this up a notch, and depending on how you want to play, the race that you pick from the very beginning may matter a lot. Let's break down each option to see what they offer and what playstyles are great for each pick. 1. IMPERIALWe are starting with the most unique of all races for several reasons. First, Imperials are the only race that does not come with the base game and has to be purchased with the "Digital Imperial Edition Upgrade" through the Crown Store. While this may be a turn off for some folks the DLC includes much more than just the Imperial race, but there are some benefits. Firstly Imperials are the only race that are not Alliance locked without purchasing the "Any Race, Any Alliance" package. Second they are a top notch pick for those who want to make a Tank or Tank/DPS hybrid build. What gives Imperials such a great edge is the passives they come in stock with.
With passives like these you can have a solid tank, a great stamina DSP build that pairs excellent for close and long range combat, and if you want to get the most out of your gold Imperials are the only race with a boost to gold earned. A note for gold gained, this does not include gold made via trading either from guild traders or directly trading with another player. This refers to gold from completing quests and looting downed enemies. If you want to maximize reducing ability costs Imperials pair well with the Bow, Fighter's Guild, Psijic, Vampire skill lines and with the glyphs that reduce ability costs. 2. HIGH ELF (ALTMER)Leaders of the Aldmeri Dominion (the best faction btw) the Altmer have a lot going for them on the magicka side of the pond. A note to the Skyrim players out there: this is NOT the same kind of High Elves from the Thalmor, but the Thalmor do exist in ESO in a less icky form. Being destructive power houses let's dive into what gives the Altmer their position as powerful mages.
Altmer are very self sufficient when it comes to managing their resource pools while still packing a punch in the DPS department. If you love playing a battlemage you need to look no further. If the extra boost to experience gained matters to you then you know who's got your back. Magicka based builds of any kind can't go wrong with the Altmer. Plus, Queen Ayrenn is just a treat that any proud AD member (eh-hem like me) will tell you. FOR THE QUEEN! 3. KHAJIITArguably the most popular race in the game Khajiit have a lot to bring to the table, if you like doing under the table work. Their sleek builds and some amazing looking male and female models makes this feline great for those into fashion. But what makes the Khajiit so great is their utility belt that even Batman would envy.
Sneak thieves know they are going straight to Khajiit town if they want to be the best thief around. Vampire kitties are also deadly thanks to the boost to stealth and critical ratings that both Khajiit and Vamps offer. But what makes the Khajiit so popular is their boost to critical chance and damage, which makes them the best DPS option in the game. If you want big damage this is it bud. 4. WOOD ELF (BOSMER)Going from one of the most popular races in the game to one of the least popular races we have the Wood Elves. Of all the races you could choose from in ESO Wood Elfs have the most niche passives that I feel pigeonholes them into a very specific playstyle, hence their unpopularity. Even when I'm playing in game I hardly ever see Wood Elves running around, even in PVP settings. Let's take a look at their passives and see what makes them feel constraining to use.
So as you can see there are really only two good uses for a Wood Elf. You could make a PVP scout build for running around Cyrodill and the Imperial City, which is probably the best use for them. The other option is a stealth archer, which is a pale comparison to the Skyrim stealth archer. Either way, this is a race that will see more success in PVP than PVE thanks to the increased penetration. 5. NORDThe poster boy of the Elder Scrolls franchise Nords really have a lot going for them. In ESO they are best in slot for anyone looking to take up tanking. Nords can soak up a lot of damage and make great meat shields in both PVE and PVP. If you want to hack and slash with a Nord just keep in mind you are not going to get any help in the damage department with your passives.
If I could use one word to describe the Nord it's THICC. Being a wall against your enemies is the best suited playstyle for Nords. Thanks to their beefiness you can go either mag or stam with the Nord and not lose out on your racial passives. These same passives also gives Nords the flexibility few races have: to fit neatly into any class and not feel like you're sacrificing much of anything. 6. DARK ELF (DUNMER)Dark Elves are all about sass. Sassy attitude, sassy looks, and even some sassy stats. Similar to Skyrim Dark Elves have fire resistance, but ESO takes this up a notch. Being one of three races that gets a boost to weapon and spell damage Dark Elves are going to be a DPS powerhouse.
The number one choice for hybrid builds you can never go wrong with Dark Elves. If you want to be a vampire but worry about the increased fire damage Dark Elves will mitigate a lot of that damage that other races would typically need to heal through. And with more locations having lava being included into the overworld Dark Elves popularity will only increase. 7. ARGONIANThe only race that the Daedra ran away from in fear the Argonians are a very aggresive and resourceful race. This even reflects in their passives that are very powerful for what they are. Argonians are probably the only race that can play a DPS, Tank, and Healer and not feel underwhelming. Argonian sustain is highly underrated and deserves a lot more love.
Outright the best healers in the game Argonians can hold their own against the Breton competition. Also their passives make them one of the top 3 races for tanks. When it comes to DPS you'll have to keep in mind that every 1000 magicka and stamina adds 100 weapon and spell damage to your tooltip. Not as much DPS as most other races, but Argonians can truly play any class and any role and still squeeze out a ton of usage. Argonians are the true sleeper of all the races. 8. BRETONLeading race of the Daggerfall Covenant and the sexiest race in the game (no cap) Bretons are truly the masters of the arcane. While they don't get a direct buff to spell damage or penetration, they do get a lot of help in the sustain department. Great for both PVE and PVP the Breton truly is the ruler of the BLUE.
The number one race for Healers thanks to their magicka focused kit and insane sustain Bretons are highly sought after in endgame raiding groups. Peak fashion with the right proportions and a wide range of skin tones makes Bretons the true endgame race. DPS is not their strong suit, though you will be able to cast more abilities thanks to the reduced magicka cost. 9. ORCThe most preferred race of any PVP main the Orc has some off color passives that work amazing in the right environment. You can get very creative with these guys too so playing around with your build is definitely doable on an Orc. If you're into non-combat builds Orcs are probably the best in this department. Let's look at what makes them so refreshing.
Crafting and gathering nerds are going to appreciate what Orcs offer to the table. PVP mains know nothing will beat an Orc when it comes to zooming across the field and keeping your health topped off in the quick bouts that PVP can turn into. Great for melee DPS and amazing for solo players who know that staying alive is more important than having 70% critical rating. 10. REDGUARDThe Redguard really love their dedication to weapons, especially the sword. If there was a monk class I truly feel that Redguards would get more love than they do now. While they have amazing stamina sustain, it's really only great for tanks. Take a look at their passives and see why they are near the bottom of usage next to Wood Elves.
This is a race that does one job really well, and falls short at everything else. You can't really be a stamina healer, and most DPS aren't going to need the amount of stamina sustain that Redguards give. It's really a race that needs their passives revamped, along with Wood Elves, because they are simply too niche to use for multiple builds. But if you like tanking or weapon based builds then Redguard is going to take you places.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorThe Sin City Demon that's Hellbent on becoming your favorite FF14 Content Creator. Archives
May 2024
Categories |