The Elder Scrolls Online is unique as an MMO for its broadly limit-free approach to character progression and typical RPG roles. Each class in The Elder Scrolls Online is able to take on DPS, Tanking, and Support roles. Every one of the game's six classes is better at certain things than others, to be sure, but the one class does an excellent job at all three more than any of the others: the Necromancer.
Necromancers are an unlockable DLC class for The Elder Scrolls Online, whose skill trees each focus on a specific aspect. Grave Lord acts as the DPS tree, Bone Tyrant is the Tanking tree, and Living Death serves as the Support tree. Players building a Necromancer in one of these directions should choose their weapon carefully, though, as some ESO Necromancer weapons are much more useful than others.
Updated September 27, 2021 by Erik Petrovich: The Necromancer in The Elder Scrolls Online has access to the most versatile toolkit of any of the game's six classes. Because of this, they find it easy to adjust to almost any playstyle and almost any weapon skill line in the game, though some are better choices than others. Ranged weapons like the Bow are outclassed by Destruction Staff skills, for example, while close-range options like Dual Wield weapons are not as powerful as the Two-Handed skill line (or even the One-Hand and Shield skill line, typically reserved for Tanks). One thing all Necromancer players can agree on is how easy it is to play the Support, DPS, or Tank roles equally. For some weapons, though, the cons heavily outweigh the pros.
6 Ranged Physical: Bows
- Notable Abilities: Volley for AoE, Arrow Spray for cone damage, Hasty Retreat passive for quick escapes
- Pros: Stamina-based for a magicka-based class, variety of morphs, ranged physical DPS type, great as a secondary back bar weapon
- Cons: Ultimately outclassed by the Destruction Staff and innate Necromancer skill lines
Necromancers oriented around DPS and Support in The Elder Scrolls Online tend to spend a lot of time at the mid-range and further. Some abilities, like the Bone Tyrant skill Death Scythe, only work at close range. Tank Necromancers can make good use of a Bow in the back bar, but ultimately the Bow weapon skill tree doesn't give Necromancers much aside from AoE damage.
The limitation of the bow is that almost all of its abilities are outclassed by Necromancer abilities or Destruction Staff abilities. For example, Volley is not as powerful as Boneyard, and Snipe isn't as useful as Venom Skull. One upside to using a bow in the back bar as a Necromancer, though, is that most of the class' skill tree abilities are based on Magicka. The Bow primarily uses Stamina as a resource, so it can be good as a backup while Magicka regenerates.
5 Dual-Wielding Weapons: Axes, Swords, Maces, Daggers
- Notable Abilities: Whirlwind for AoE damage, Blade Cloak for evasion and close-range AoE, Twin Blade and Blunt passive for huge improvement to skill line overall
- Pros: Good DPS output, easy to learn, decent close-range AoE options, ability to Silence opponents with Hidden Blade morphs
- Cons: Not much morph variety or helpful bonuses aside from damage output, self-healing outclassed by Necromancer Living Death skill tree
The Necromancer is arguably the most versatile class in The Elder Scrolls Online as it can take on DPS, Support, and Tanking roles according to each of its three specs. A DPS-based Necromancer specced primarily in the Grave Lord skill tree will find Dual Wielding weapons to be a pretty effective means of dishing out lots of damage without having to worry too much about how to get Stamina back quickly thanks to other Necromancer abilities.
The one flaw of the Dual Wield weapon skill line is its relative lack of complexity. Most abilities are based solely on damage output. For example, both morphs for Whirlwind increase damage done without any additional benefits. Several skills have secondary self-healing properties too, but Necromancers have a swathe of self-healing and resource-regenerating skills available to them already. When it comes to ESO Necromancer weapons, the Grave Lord spec is better served by other skill lines like the Destruction Staff or Two-Handed.
4 Two-Handed Weapons: Greatswords, Battle Axes, Mauls
- Notable Abilities: Uppercut for huge single-target DPS and great morphs, Critical Charge for closing distance, Momentum for increasing damage, recovery, and speed across the board
- Pros: High damage output despite slow swing time, morphs and abilities that enhance player, surprisingly mobile skillset, gives Necromancers good melee potential
- Cons: Not as good for Grave Lord Necromancers as the Destruction Staff, not as good for Bone Tyrant Necromancers as the One-Handed and Shield skill line
Necromancers in the Tanking role spec primarily into the Bone Tyrant tree for its powerful self-defense and self-sustain abilities. The Two-Handed Weapon skill tree can be a solid choice for the primary weapon slot for these players, thanks to its variety of high-power attacks and cleaving spells.
The Two-Handed Weapon skill tree gives Necromancers access to Dizzying Swing, Brawler, and Rally. These three very powerful bruiser abilities give the Necromancer some needed melee utility. However, Tanks in The Elder Scrolls Online tend towards the One Hand and Shield skill tree, thanks to its more targeted Tanking abilities. If players have faith in the abilities of their party and healer, though, it's not a bad choice for its high damage output.
3 Ranged Support: Restoration Staffs
- Notable Abilities: Blessing of Protection for conical healing and defensive buff, Regeneration for long-term heals, and Cycle of Life passive for quick resource regeneration
- Pros: Best Support weapon skill line in The Elder Scrolls Online, access to fantastic party-wide heals and buffs, works well with the Living Death Necromancer skill line
- Cons: Few, though it should primarily be used as a back bar weapon no matter the Necromancer spec (especially for Grave Lords and Bone Tyrants)
The Restoration Staff is the go-to option for the main weapon slot for just about every Support build in The Elder Scrolls Online. It offers so much Support utility for every class, ironically including the Necromancer. When players spec the Restoration Staff into the Living Death tree, these characters can make for one of the more powerful Support classes in the game.
The Living Death skill tree gives Necromancers a powerful mid-combat mass resurrection in the form of Reanimate. Many consider it to be the best combat rez in the game. It also gives the debuff-removing spell Expunge, the Life Amid Death AoE heal, and the healing summon Spirit Mender. Alongside these, the Restoration Staff gives Necromancers some great buff-heal hybrid spells. These include Blessing of Protection, as well as Healing Ward which shields and heals at the same time. Ultimately, the Restoration Staff is the best option for Support Necromancers.
2 Ranged Magical: Destruction Staffs (Lightning, Inferno, Ice)
- Notable Abilities: Wall of Elements for powerful AoE debuffs and damage, Weakness to Elements to increase spell damage, Ancient Knowledge for benefits that span multiple skill lines
- Pros: Best DPS output for the Necromancer, powerful AoE and single-target damage alike, as powerful at a range as it is up close
- Cons: Few, though several Destruction Staff skills are not needed by the Necromancer as their innate class skills are better choices
The Destruction Staff skill tree is the best weapon for Necromancer ESO offers, as it adds onto the classes' innate abilities to make for a formidably powerful build. Necromancers looking to deal as much damage as possible should spec primarily into the Grave Lord skill tree, with some Destruction Staff skills mixed in there for variety.
The Destruction Staff offers good utility to Necromancers in abilities like Wall of Elements, Pulsar, and Elemental Drain. Its passives are a boon to the class' skillset as well. Elemental Force, for example, increases the chance of giving enemies certain status effects. Meanwhile, Ancient Knowledge applies to Necromancer skills as well as Destruction Staff skills. It's the best choice DPS Necromancers have for their main weapon slot, typically backed up by a Restoration Staff for off-Support capability.
1 One-Handed and Shield: Axes, Swords, Maces, Daggers
- Notable Abilities: Puncture to generate threat, Defensive Posture to increase self-defense capabilities, Power Bash for its reliable melee stuns through the Reverberating Bash morph
- Pros: Best tanking weapon skill line in The Elder Scrolls Online, has a decent mix of DPS output, threat generation, and self-sustain
- Cons: Not good for DPS or Support-based Necromancers, though it is a decent back bar option for Living Death specced players for its self-sustain
The Dual Wield skill tree is not exactly the best weapon for Necromancer ESO offers, as their DPS is better served at range. However, the One-Handed and Shield skill tree is a great choice for players specced primarily into the Bone Tyrant skill tree. It gives a unique Threat-generating skill in the form of Puncture, as well as self-buffing skills like Defensive Posture and the melee stun Reverating Bash.
The Bone Tyrant skill tree is home to a swathe of useful Tanking abilities, too. The Ultimate ability Bone Goliath is one of the best Tanking ultimates in the game. Meanwhile, Beckoning Armor groups enemies together for more effective AoE attacks, and the passive ability Health Avarice is extremely good for difficult trials and delves with a party. The One-Handed and Shield skill tree is best accompanied with either a Destruction Staff or Restoration Staff, thanks to their respective crowd control and self-sustain boosts.
The Elder Scrolls Online is available on PC, Xbox One and Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Google Stadia