The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online

Races

Choose your race in The Elder Scrolls Online wisely. Understand how racial passives impact starting stats and end-game build synergy for maximum advantage.

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Races

Choosing your race in The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the most critical decisions you'll make, as it significantly impacts your character's starting stats, passive abilities, and overall synergy with specific roles and builds. While any race can technically play any role, optimizing your choice can provide a substantial advantage, especially in challenging end-game content like Veteran Dungeons, Trials, and PvP.

This detailed guide will walk you through each race, highlighting their unique benefits and suggesting optimal roles and class pairings. Remember, while racial passives are important, personal preference and playstyle should always be considered!

Understanding Racial Passives

Each race possesses a unique set of three passive abilities that develop as you level up. These passives typically boost specific attributes (Magicka, Stamina, Health), resource recovery, damage, healing, or defensive capabilities. Investing skill points into these racial passives is crucial for maximizing your character's potential.

  1. Attribute Bonuses: Many races offer direct increases to your maximum Magicka, Stamina, or Health. These are fundamental for any build.
  2. Resource Recovery: Some races excel at regenerating resources, which is vital for sustained combat.
  3. Damage/Healing Boosts: Certain races provide percentage increases to specific damage types (e.g., Flame Damage, Physical Damage) or healing done.
  4. Defensive Perks: These can include increased resistances, reduced damage taken, or bonuses to Block Mitigation.
  5. Utility Passives: Some races offer unique benefits like increased experience gain, gold acquisition, or crafting bonuses.

Alliance and Race Restrictions (and How to Bypass Them)

Traditionally, certain races are tied to specific Alliances:

  • Aldmeri Dominion: Altmer (High Elf), Bosmer (Wood Elf), Khajiit
  • Daggerfall Covenant: Breton, Redguard, Orc
  • Ebonheart Pact: Dunmer (Dark Elf), Nord, Argonian

However, with the purchase of the Any Race, Any Alliance upgrade from the Crown Store, you can play any race in any alliance. This is highly recommended for players who want to optimize their race choice without being restricted by alliance preference, especially for PvP where alliance matters.

Detailed Racial Breakdown and Recommendations

Aldmeri Dominion Races

  • Altmer (High Elf)
    • Optimal Roles: Magicka DPS, Magicka Healer
    • Key Passives:
      • Highborn: Increases Max Magicka and experience gain.
      • Spell Recharge: Restores Magicka or Stamina when activating a Class Ability.
      • Elemental Talent: Increases Spell Damage.
    • Strategy: Altmer are the quintessential Magicka users. Their bonuses to Max Magicka and Spell Damage make them top-tier choices for any Magicka-based damage dealer or healer. The Spell Recharge passive provides excellent sustain. Pair them with classes like Sorcerer, Templar, or Necromancer for maximum efficiency.
  • Bosmer (Wood Elf)
    • Optimal Roles: Stamina DPS, Stamina Healer (niche), PvP Ganker
    • Key Passives:
      • Y'ffre's Endurance: Increases Max Stamina and Stamina Recovery.
      • Resist Affliction: Increases Poison and Disease Resistance.
      • Hunter's Eye: Increases Movement Speed and reduces Fall Damage.
    • Strategy: Bosmer are agile and excel at Stamina-based roles. Their Stamina Recovery is particularly strong, making them excellent for sustained damage. The Movement Speed bonus from Hunter's Eye is fantastic for open-world exploration, questing, and PvP ganking. Consider a Nightblade or Warden for a stealthy, high-damage build.
  • Khajiit
    • Optimal Roles: Stamina DPS, Magicka DPS, Healer (versatile)
    • Key Passives:
      • Cutpurse: Increases Max Health and Max Stamina.
      • Feline Ambush: Increases Critical Damage and Critical Healing.
      • Lunar Blessing: Increases Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery.
    • Strategy: Khajiit are incredibly versatile due to their unique Critical Damage/Healing bonus. This makes them a strong contender for both Stamina and Magicka DPS roles, and even healers who want to maximize their critical heals. They are often a top choice for players who want to min-max their damage output. Great with almost any class, especially Nightblades and Sorcerers.

Daggerfall Covenant Races

  • Breton
    • Optimal Roles: Magicka DPS, Magicka Healer, Tank (Magicka-based)
    • Key Passives:
      • Gift of Magnus: Increases Max Magicka.
      • Spell Attunement: Increases Spell Resistance and Magicka Recovery.
      • Opportunist: Reduces the Magicka cost of abilities.
    • Strategy: Bretons are masters of Magicka sustain. Their Magicka cost reduction and recovery bonuses make them incredibly efficient, allowing for more ability usage. While their raw damage isn't as high as an Altmer, their sustain can lead to higher overall uptime on abilities. Excellent for Magicka DPS, Healers, and even Magicka-focused Tanks who rely on abilities. Templars and Wardens benefit greatly.
  • Redguard
    • Optimal Roles: Stamina DPS, Stamina Tank
    • Key Passives:
      • Adrenaline Rush: Restores Stamina when dealing direct damage.
      • Conditioning: Increases Max Stamina.
      • Vigor: Increases Health Recovery.
    • Strategy: Redguards are the kings of Stamina sustain. Adrenaline Rush is an incredibly powerful passive, ensuring you rarely run out of Stamina in combat. This makes them ideal for any Stamina DPS build, allowing them to constantly dish out damage. They also make solid Stamina Tanks due to their high Stamina pool. Dragonknights and Wardens are great pairings.
  • Orc
    • Optimal Roles: Stamina DPS, Tank, PvP Bruiser
    • Key Passives:
      • Brawny: Increases Max Stamina.
      • Unflinching Rage: Increases Max Health and healing received.
      • Swift Warrior: Increases Weapon and Spell Damage, and Movement Speed.
    • Strategy: Orcs are formidable warriors, excelling in both offense and defense. Their bonuses to Max Stamina, Weapon/Spell Damage, and healing received make them excellent Stamina DPS and incredibly durable Tanks or PvP bruisers. The Movement Speed bonus is a nice quality-of-life perk. Consider an Orc Dragonknight or Templar for a powerful melee build.

Ebonheart Pact Races

  • Dunmer (Dark Elf)
    • Optimal Roles: Hybrid DPS (Magicka/Stamina), Magicka DPS, Stamina DPS
    • Key Passives:
      • Ashlander: Increases Max Magicka and Max Stamina.
      • Dynamic: Increases Weapon and Spell Damage.
      • Resist Flame: Increases Flame Resistance.
    • Strategy: Dunmer are the most versatile damage dealers in ESO. Their equal bonuses to Max Magicka and Max Stamina, combined with a flat Weapon and Spell Damage increase, make them perfect for hybrid builds or for players who frequently switch between Magicka and Stamina setups. They are a safe and powerful choice for any damage role. Excellent with Dragonknights (due to their fire damage) and Necromancers.
  • Nord
    • Optimal Roles: Tank, Stamina DPS (defensive)
    • Key Passives:
      • Reveler: Increases Max Stamina and experience gain.
      • Resist Frost: Increases Max Health and Frost Resistance.
      • Stalwart: Increases Ultimate generation and Physical Resistance.
    • Strategy: Nords are built for durability and tanking. Their bonuses to Max Health, Physical Resistance, and Ultimate generation make them top-tier tanks. The increased Ultimate generation allows for more frequent use of powerful defensive Ultimates like War Horn or Aggressive Warhorn. They can also function as sturdy Stamina DPS, especially in PvP. Pair with Dragonknight or Warden for tanking.
  • Argonian
    • Optimal Roles: Healer, Tank, Stamina DPS (sustain)
    • Key Passives:
      • Amphibious: Increases Max Health and Potion effectiveness.
      • Life Mender: Increases Healing Done.
      • Resourceful: Restores all three resources when consuming a potion.
    • Strategy: Argonians are exceptional healers and highly resilient tanks. Their Life Mender passive makes them one of the best healing races, while Resourceful provides incredible sustain for all roles, especially when combined with potion usage. The increased potion effectiveness from Amphibious further enhances this. They are also fantastic tanks due to their survivability and resource management. Ideal for Templars, Wardens, and Dragonknight Tanks.

Imperial (Any Alliance)

The Imperial race is available only through the purchase of the Imperial Edition of ESO or the Imperial Upgrade from the Crown Store. They can join any alliance.

  • Imperial
    • Optimal Roles: Tank, Stamina DPS (durable)
    • Key Passives:
      • Tough: Increases Max Health.
      • Imperial Mettle: Increases Max Stamina and Max Magicka.
      • Red Diamond: Restores Health when dealing direct damage.
    • Strategy: Imperials are incredibly sturdy and versatile. Their significant bonuses to Max Health, Max Stamina, and Max Magicka make them excellent tanks and durable Stamina DPS. The Red Diamond passive provides consistent self-healing, further enhancing their survivability. They are a strong choice for players who prioritize survivability and resource flexibility. Great with Dragonknights and Wardens for tanking or melee DPS.

Choosing Your Race: Actionable Steps

  1. Determine Your Primary Role: Are you aiming to be a damage dealer (DPS), a tank, or a healer? This is the most crucial step.
  2. Decide on Your Resource Focus: Will your build primarily use Magicka or Stamina? (Or a hybrid approach?)
  3. Consult the Racial Breakdown: Use the detailed information above to identify 2-3 races that align best with your chosen role and resource focus.
  4. Consider Your Class: While races are powerful, class abilities are equally important. Look for synergies (e.g., Dunmer with Dragonknight's fire damage, Argonian with Templar's healing).
  5. Think About Playstyle: Do you prefer high burst damage, sustained damage, extreme survivability, or utility? Some racial passives cater to specific playstyles.
  6. Don't Be Afraid to Experiment (with caution): For your first character, picking a "strong" race for your desired role is a good idea. For subsequent characters, you can experiment more. Remember, changing your race later requires a Race Change Token from the Crown Store, which costs Crowns.

By following these steps, you'll be well-equipped to choose a race that not only enhances your gameplay but also provides a solid foundation for your adventures across Tamriel!