These are the BEST skill lines for subclassing Solo Builds in The Elder Scrolls Online!
Best Skills Lines For Subclassing Solo Builds In ESO
The new subclassing feature for ESO is shaking things up in this game massively, letting players choose new skill lines from different classes to add to their build. With that in mind, I wanted to help you by breaking down my picks for the best and worst class skill lines for solo builds so you know exactly how to update your favorite builds for subclassing.
12. Ardent Flame – Dragonknight
We’re going to start off with number 12 on this list, falling into what I would call the B Tier for solo skill lines with Ardent Flame from the Dragonknight class. Now, right off the bat, you’ll notice I’m starting this list at what I’m calling the B Tier because none of these skills are what I would consider bad – just slightly less useful than those in higher tiers.
Ardent Flame, of course, is a good option if you want to focus your build on DoTs and fire or poison damage. There’s even a good amount of self-healing here with morphs like Burning Embers and Cauterize. I think what knocks this skill line out of the higher tiers for me is, number one, the passives, which aren’t particularly useful outside of the Ardent Flame skills, and the spammable, which is awkward to use.
When you look at these passives, specifically Searing Heat, it only applies to three Ardent Flame skills, so its potential reach is very small. I’d love to see that updated. Flame Whip is also a bit clunky to use, costing stamina and magicka for one morph, which is tough for magicka builds to run, and requiring immobilization or off-balance for the other morph, which you can’t even get from this skill line. I think some type of update to Whip would be amazing because this skill never really felt complete, in my opinion.
So all in all, Ardent Flame is a very specific skill line that has its place, particularly for fire-based builds like our new Elementalist Subclassing Dragonknight Build. Check it out!
11. Winter’s Embrace – Warden
Winter’s Embrace from the Warden class comes in next at number 11, and while this may be considered by many to be a tank skill line, the possibilities for solo gameplay are still quite good, especially if you want to focus on frost damage.
First off, you’ve got a great armor skill here in Ice Fortress. You’ve also got a burst heal in Arctic Blast that also deals damage and stuns, but with some strings attached, as you can’t be dealing damage with the skill to get the heal, which is a downside for solo content. You’ve got a nice DoT in Winter’s Revenge and a strong solo ultimate in Northern Storm.
What you’re missing here though is a strong source of direct damage or solid DPS to build around, which you also need for playing solo. With a more straightforward heal or better heal-over-time capabilities, I would probably rank this skill line a bit higher. But it’s not bad by any stretch, and can be good to build around a frost-based theme, particularly the chilled status effect due to Glacial Presence and Piercing Cold, which gives you a massive 15% bonus to frost.
Check out our Ultimate Frost Mage Subclassing Build for a great guide to this skill line!
10. Daedric Summoning – Sorcerer
Daedric Summoning from the Sorcerer class comes in at number 10. This is focused on, obviously, summoning Daedric pets to do your bidding and blends a bit of damage with tanking and healing, so it’s going to be a solid choice for soloing, while also being very flexible!
For damage, it’s actually not bad, as you can combine the Unstable Familiar with the Twilight Tormentor, and then Daedric Prey for bonus pet damage. Keep in mind that this was changed to only buff Daedric Summoning pet damage and not all pets, which is a bit disappointing.
In terms of defense, Hardened Ward is still a strong shield option, but it also had its healing component removed on PTS, so you’ll need to keep that in mind as well. Bound Armor is a strong option, particularly the Bound Aegis morph, as you can also get Minor Protection and Minor Resolve passively from this, which is excellent.
And the passives here have gotten a nice upgrade as well in Update 46, with more consistent max stats from Expert Summoner, though I think Rebate still could use a rework to make it more useful.
Looking for the Ultimate Zookeeper Summoner Build for ESO? Check it out!
9. Animal Companions – Warden
Coming in at number 9 we have Animal Companions from the Warden class, which is another solid choice for solo builds, especially if you like the animal or druid-based theme of it. Overall, Animal Companions is a well-balanced skill line, both in terms of skills and passives, though it does have some shortcomings which keep it out of the higher tiers.
On the positive side, though, you have a great skill in Deep Fissure, which includes not one but two built-in armor debuffs, reducing enemy armor by about 10,000 in total. That is huge, especially for solo content, where the more resistances you take away from enemies, the more damage your own abilities do. You’ve got a pretty great damage and sustain buff in your Netch skill as well, but after that, the rest of the skills just feel a bit flat in comparison.
For one thing, your ultimate here, which is the Bear pet, while it’s very cool, does still require double barring, which, as we talked about with the Daedric Summoning pets, is a huge downside when it comes to subclassing. Every bar spot needs to serve a purpose, and double-barred skills mean you’re automatically excluding something else. Skills like Cliff Racer, Swarm, and Bird of Prey also feel out of date in terms of their mechanics. Cliff Racer, especially, feels underwhelming in solo play because of its 7-meter requirement to activate off-balance, which means you often can’t take advantage of that in solo play.
Overall, the passives here are solid, with the standout being Flourish for 20% increased magicka and stamina recovery, along with Savage Beast, which can generate ultimate. Advanced Species used to be strong, but I feel like with subclassing now, passives like this that scale per ability slotted are at a disadvantage, because again, you might only run one skill like Deep Fissure. I wish this was a flat bonus like we’ll see with other classes such as the Templar, Nightblade, and Arcanist.
Still, Animal Companions is a solid skill line for you to consider, especially if you want that animal or druid-focused theme, and is well worth picking if it fits your build.
Speaking of which we have a unique Druid Build for ESO which makes use of Animal Companions for an amazing solo build! Check it out below!
8. Restoring Light – Templar
Coming in at number 8 we have Restoring Light from the Templar class, which is an amazing support skill line, especially when it comes to healing and sustain. The best skill here, I feel, is definitely Rune Focus, which is a great combo of Major Resolve for armor, healing over time, and stamina or magicka return depending on which morph you choose.
In terms of subclassing for solo builds, I do feel like Major Resolve is more difficult to get because typically it only comes from tank-focused skill lines, which you wouldn’t want to devote an entire subclass line to when soloing, because you’d be missing out on more effects. But in addition to this, we can run Extended Ritual for another passive healing area to layer in more health over time. The advantage of this is that you get healed from both effects, even if you get stunned or knocked down, which can save you more times in solo content than you would expect.
Repentance is also one of my favorite skills in the game for stamina builds due to the free stamina and health restore, plus passive recovery. So basically, if you want to make your solo build feel extremely tanky and near unkillable, then throwing those skills on your bar can effectively do that.
In terms of passives, these provide even more healing and defense, such as Sacred Ground, which gives you Minor Mending, and the Mending passive, which now gives up to 13% bonus to all healing effects. That’s really nice. Light Weaver even has a new effect in Update 46, which automatically blocks damage for 2 seconds when doing a channeled attack such as Sweep or Beam, which is another great reason to pick this skill line for a bit of extra protection when playing solo.
I made use of Restoring Light to make a great Templar Black Knight build combined with Necromancer skills. Check it out!
7. Storm Calling – Sorcerer
Speaking of self-healing and survival, another approach you can take here, which is a bit more damage-focused, would be Storm Calling from the Sorcerer class, coming in next at number 7. Obviously, the best skill for soloists here is Critical Surge, which heals you passively once every second as long as you’re dealing damage. This is especially powerful for classes that have lots of DoTs because you’ll get that healing back passively, even if you get stunned.
Now, in addition to this, I am a big fan of the Sorcerer armor skill Hurricane, as this gives you armor, movement speed, and a pretty great source of consistent damage, which pairs really well with Crit Surge. But Storm Calling also has great passives that make it even more attractive for subclassing. This includes increased shock damage, which is perfect for heavy attack lightning staff builds; increased recoveries, which were recently buffed; increased raw damage based on enemy health through Amplitude; and bonus weapon and spell damage for each Sorcerer ability slotted with Expert Mage.
So there’s a lot here in terms of support. While Storm Calling might not be your primary skill line, you’ll definitely want to consider it for your second or third skill line to make your solo build stronger—both offensively and defensively. It’s a great choice.
Storm Calling is a great choice for any Lightning Staff Heavy Attack Build like our One Bar Magicka Sorcerer.
6. Siphoning – Nightblade
Next at number 6 we have Siphoning from the Nightblade class, which I think many players will overlook for soloing because it’s primarily seen as a healing skill line. But its ultimate generation passives, its insane sustain ability, its solid damage spammable, and AOE, both of which heal you back, make it a great choice for supporting any solo build in the game.
Let’s start with the amazing sustain and healing you get from Siphoning Attacks, which restores resources and heals you when dealing damage. This recently got buffed a few patches ago, making it even better in terms of passive healing for solo builds. Plus, the resource sustain is actually incredible.
For damage, as I mentioned, we have both Swallow Soul and Sap Essence, which each heal you back for a percent of the damage dealt, and Sap Essence scales that healing up based on targets hit. The passives here are actually surprisingly good and are getting buffed in Update 46 as well. For example, Magicka Flood now increases both stamina and magicka by 6% with a siphoning ability slotted, and Catalyst now gives you a whopping 30 ultimate burst when consuming a potion.
You also have increased healing done with Soul Siphoner, and a good bit of passive ult generation through Transfer.
All in all, Siphoning from the Nightblade is a great supporting skill line that gives you a ton of healing and ult generation, making it a great addition to any solo build.
5. Gravelord – Necromancer
Next up is number 5 from the Necromancer class, the Gravelord skill line. This skill line is amazing for solo content because it’s so complete, especially in terms of buffs, debuffs, and passives.
For example, the Shocking Siphon ability gives you Major Sorcery and Prophecy while slotted, increasing your critical chance. The Skeletal Mage gives you Major Brutality and Sorcery, increasing your weapon and spell damage. Unnerving Boneyard gives you AOE Major Breach to debuff enemy armor, and your Colossus ultimate gives you access to AOE Major Vulnerability, increasing the damage all enemies take.
Right here, you can see this is an amazing kit for soloing. But your damage using these skills is quite strong as well, with skills like Blighted Blastbones for AOE and Siphon for damage over time.
Gravelord passives, too, are equally as strong, in particular, Death Knell, which gives you 20% bonus crit chance while enemies are in execute range. Combining this with some of our S Tier solo skill lines is going to be a beast because enemies will melt so, so fast.
You also get Dismember for some nice passive penetration, always a great bonus for soloing, and Rapid Rot for 10% bonus to damage over time effects.
So if you’re looking to amp up your damage while also ticking off those checkboxes for buffs and debuffs in solo play, you definitely want to consider Gravelord from the Necromancer class.
4. Dawn’s Wrath – Templar
At number 4, we have the Templar’s Dawn’s Wrath skill line, best known for its fantastic execute skill Radiant Destruction, which for soloing, you can take the Radiant Glory morph for self-healing, which is awesome. This skill alone is incredibly good and a great reason to take this skill line.
But you’ve got some other strong damaging skills here too, like Vampire’s Bane, which also gives you Major Prophecy and Savagery, and Solar Barrage, which gives you Empower. Purifying Light can also be great for solo play, as this gives you another heal.
The passives in this skill line are also amazing because you’ve got bonus spell damage through Illuminate, which is a huge buff, plus Restoring Spirit for cost reduction and Prism for ultimate generation. So as you can see, you’ve got a ton of great options here, plus strong passives — making Dawn’s Wrath one of the best skill lines you can grab for subclassing in ESO.
3. Aedric Spear – Templar
But that brings us to our top 3 skill lines, and another Templar banger, Aedric Spear. In this skill line, you have the legendary DPS skill Puncturing Sweep, which deals AOE damage in front of you and heals you back. As always, you can center an entire solo build around this one skill — it’s just that good.
But another skill I love here for soloing, which many players sleep on, is the damage shield skill Radiant Ward. Many players don’t realize how good this is because the damage shield gets stronger the more enemies are around you. Imagine a magicka version of Brawler, and you’ll get the idea, so I love running this as well.
Blazing Spear is a great DoT in this skill line too, and if you have bar space, you can even run the gap closer Focused Charge for Major Protection.
But the passives for Aedric Spear are what really set it apart from other skill lines. You can use some of these without even slotting an Aedric Spear skill, so keep that in mind for one-bar builds too. Many of these got buffed recently as well like Spear Wall, which gives you Minor Protection and Minor Berserk, Burning Light, which deals a ton of bonus magic damage, and Balanced Warrior, which now increases your weapon and spell damage along with your armor by 6% – that’s big, especially the weapon and spell damage for endgame builds.
The Piercing Spear passive is also really strong, where you’ll get a bonus 10% critical damage.
So yeah, Aedric Spear is one of my favorites and definitely worth grabbing for any subclassing solo build.
2. Assassination – Nightblade
Number 2 on our list of solo skill lines is Assassination from the Nightblade class – a skill line that’s all about damage, especially critical damage.
In terms of skills, you’ve got Impale or Killer’s Blade as a solid single-target execute, Surprise Attack or Concealed Weapon for single-target DPS, then there’s Soul Harvest for a powerful single-target ultimate that also generates ultimate per kill, and the recently buffed Relentless Focus, which now stacks up to 10 times, giving you up to 400 weapon and spell damage on your build passively, without even using the skill, which is incredible.
This skill alone makes it worth grabbing the Assassination skill line for your solo subclassing build. But the passives you get from here are also just about the best in the game currently as well, which is crazy.
Master Assassin, for example, will increase your critical chance while flanking by about 7%. Then the Executioner passive gives you giga sustain while solo, providing 1000 magicka and stamina per kill. The Pressure Points passive gives you an additional 2.5% critical chance per Assassination skill slotted, and then the Hemorrhage passive gives you another 10% bonus critical damage and Minor Savagery, which is another 6% or so crit chance.
So as you can see, all of those passives are really great for soloing and increasing your damage output. This, plus all the other strong abilities you have access to here, makes Assassination a really potent skill line for subclassing.
1. Herald of the Tome – Arcanist
But that brings us to my favorite skill line for soloing in the number 1 slot: Herald of the Tome from the Arcanist class.
The simple reason for this is that this skill line contains the best AOE damage skill in the game, in my opinion, which is Pragmatic Fatecarver. Literally the perfect skill for solo builds due to the strength of the damage shield you get along with this, plus now that the skill has been reclassified to direct damage, you can grab the Reaving Blows Champion Point star and also get healing from this skill as well because it now deals direct damage in Update 46.
Almost every skill in this line is very impressive, though, and I love how they work together. Cephaliarch’s Flail is another favorite, which heals you back while rooting enemies and building Crux, and Recuperative Treatise helps improve your damage, restore resources, and also passively build up Crux as well.
Oh, and The Languid Eye for an ultimate is just insane in terms of damage output with a relatively low cost.
In terms of passives, too, all of these are extremely strong, in particular Fated Fortune, which gives you a massive 12% critical damage buff when spending or building Crux, and then Splintered Secrets is also extremely good for solo gameplay, as this increases your penetration per Herald of the Tome ability slotted.
All in all, this skill line just sets you up to dominate any content in the game, making it hard to pass up for subclassing , and that’s why it’s my number 1. Looking for an easy Arcanist Build for subclassing? Check out our powerful One Bar Stamina Arcanist!
