Best ESO Tank Class - Tier List 2025
Tanking in The Elder Scrolls Online requires survivability, sustain, group utility, and debuff application. Some classes excel in Dungeons, while others shine in Trials as Main Tanks or Off-Tanks.
This ESO Tank Tier List for 2025 ranks each class based on effectiveness in Dungeons, Trials, and beginner-friendly tanking.
| Tier | Class | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| S-Tier | Arcanist, Dragonknight & Sorcerer | Easiest to learn, sustain & survival |
| A-Tier | Warden | Not as strong as other classes at dealing with damage |
| B-Tier | Necromancer | High skill ceiling, powerful but very different to other classes |
| C-Tier | Nightblade & Templar | Difficult sustain, limited utility |
| Tier | Class | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| S-Tier | Arcanist | Most group buffs, huge shields, great survival & sustain |
| A-Tier | Dragonknight | Strong survival, great sustain, but fewer buffs |
| B-Tier | Sorcerer, Necromancer & Warden | Good sustain, utility and buffs, all provide different things but not generally meta |
| C-Tier | Nightblade & Templar | Less useful group utility and self-sustain and simply not as strong as the other classes |
| Tier | Class | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| S-Tier | Arcanist, Dragonknight, Sorcerer & Necromancer | All used in trial tanking and needed for different group compositions |
| A-Tier | Warden | Good tanks but simply not needed due to Warden healers |
| B-Tier | Templar | Almost never needed for trials |
| C-Tier | Nightblade | Not the most useful but also suffer from an overcomplicated playstyle |
Class Breakdown & Strengths
Arcanist
✅ Huge shields from Impervious Runeward
✅ High armor bonuses & sustain
✅ Unique 2200 Armor Debuff (Runic Sunder)
✅ Easy uptime on Minor Vulnerability & Minor Brittle
💡 Best for: Dungeons & Beginner Tanks, situational Trial Tanking
Dragonknight
✅ Highest Block Mitigation & Sustain
✅ Provides Major Sorcery & Brutality
✅ Stagger Debuff (Increases damage taken by enemies)
✅ Engulfing Flames (Boosts Fire Damage for group DPS)
💡 Best for: Trial Main Tanking, Dungeons & Beginner Tanks
Sorcerer
✅ Great sustain & self-healing
✅ Huge damage shield
✅ Major Berserk (Atronach Ultimate) for group DPS
✅ Good group buffs
💡 Best for: Beginner Tanks & Dungeon/Trial Tanking
Necromancer
✅ Best Ultimate Generation
✅ Big Damage Mitigation
✅ Major Vulnerability Ultimate increasing group DPS
💡 Best for: Trials Off-Tanking
Warden
✅ Minor Toughness (10% More Health for Group)
✅ Major Resolve for the Entire Group
✅ Increase group survival
✅ Good at healing while Tanking
💡 Best for: Supportive Tank roles
Nightblade
✅ Fast Ultimate Generation
✅ Great survival
❌ Unreliable Healing & Sustain
❌ Challenging playstyle
💡 Best for: Niche tank builds, not recommended for endgame
Templar
✅ Purify Synergy (Cleanses Debuffs)
✅ Good Healing Over Time (Restoring Focus)
❌ Forces a stationary playstyle
💡 Best for: Casual tanking, but outclassed in high-end content
Final ESO Tank Class Tips
✅ Best for Beginners: Arcanist, Dragonknight & Sorcerer – best sustain & survival, easy to play
✅ Best Dungeon Tank: Arcanist – Most group buffs, damage shields, survival and sustain
✅ Best Trial Main Tank: Dragonknight – Top survival and sustain with strong buffs & enemy debuff
✅ Best Trial Off-Tank: Sorcerer / Necromancer – Utility, Survival & Ultimate Generation
✅ Most Versatile: Warden – Decent buffs, group survival expert but overshadowed
✅ Least Recommended: Nightblade & Templar – Weak sustain & limited utility
My Thoughts
I’ve always been a Dragonknight Tank and they are such a good class across the board for all content with their ability to sustain, survive, provide group buffs, enemy debuffs, shield themselves and even cheese mechanics with their Ultimate. Most of my Trial Tanking career was as a DK Main Tank and they are fantastic in this content.
In more recent times I fell in love with the Arcanist Tank, after being part of the closed testing and helping shape how this class Tanks by providing feedback, it added an extra attachment. I switched full time to Arcanist with Necrom at the time I was only doing Dungeon content and upon switching my group did so much extra DPS and I was even more efficient at Tanking due to how good they are, I tanked every dungeon trifecta with this class. They are so good in this content.
Sorcerer Tanks are in a great place nowadays thanks to recent patches. They were always really strong but lacked the buffs to allow them to be used in groups but that’s all changed now making them a great class to play and very good with survival too.
Necromancers Tanks are still top tier due to their Ultimate regen and mitigation, I’ve always loved the Ultigen side of the Necro but rarely ever had chance to play Off Tank so never got to fully enjoy them and I never really liked them in Dungeons compared to DKs.
I really find Warden Tank kind of disappointing nowadays. When you compare their toolkit and passives with other classes they are really lacking and the prominence of Warden healers makes them generally just not wanted for Tanking. If you don’t have a Warden healer and need some extra group survival they are great.
Nightblades while extremely strong at mitigating damage have slowly dwindled partly from Scribing making them less unique and many lacklustre updates stripping their strength. The playstyle doesn’t make them easy to play and it could be a while before they return to the heights of Elsweyr when everyone played Melee DPS and they were unkillable meta Trials Main Tanks.
Always seen as the meme of Tanking, Templars can Tank but there’s just no real fun or reason to do so. I had to use one for a vHoF Trifecta years ago and it was the least fun I’ve ever had Tanking.
