Best healer classes in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)

Just like most MMORPGs, Elder Scrolls Online falls into the triad of healers, tanks, and damage dealers. Though normal dungeons can be done with an off-healer, healers will be a vital part of your team across most group content, whether you’re in a Veteran dungeon or doing a Veteran Trial.

Healing in ESO is largely about positioning, and the Restoration Staff skill tree lets you create powerful area heals, shield your enemies, and even heal allies ahead of you while buffing their damage. It’s a fairly potent tool on its own, but it’s not the only one at the healers’ disposal.

A good healer will also have the right sets and armor types at hand, with some sets providing invaluable utility for anyone who intends to wield a Resto Staff. Spell Power Cure (from the White-Gold Tower) and Vestments of Olorime (from the Cloudrest Trial in the Summerset DLC), and the Hollowfang Thirst set (from Moongrave Fane, part of the Scalebreaker DLC) are prime candidates for healing-centric sets.

Other general-purpose Magicka sets can also help, with War Maiden (Vvardenfell), Mother’s Sorrow (Deshaan), and Law of Julianos (Wrothgar, craftable) being prime candidates to boost your Spell Power and Spell Critical to get the big numbers whenever you heal an ally. Most endgame healers also backbar the Maelstrom Fire Staff to debuff enemies, but that is entirely optional.

The core of most healing builds will be the Resto Staff, which contains a series of useful abilities. Normally, most healers pick Combat Prayer (a morph of Blessing of Protection) and one of the morphs of both Grand Healing and Regeneration, slotting three healing skills from the Resto Staff. Some classes, however, have access to more options. Here are the best classes for healing in ESO.

Best healer classes in ESO

Thanks to the Restoration Staff, every class in ESO can heal allies and throw some shields when needed. Some classes, however, have abilities that focus specifically on healing and pair with the skills from the Resto Staff, meaning they’re a step ahead of the competition. Some Trials and group compositions may work better with specific classes, but for the most part, these are the best classes for healing in ESO.

Templar

The bread-and-butter healer from the dawn of ESO is still a mighty strong option. The Templar is intuitive and brings a lot of utility to the table as a healer, especially thanks to its Restoring Light sill line. It brings plenty of burst heals that can top off your allies with the touch of a button, especially on a crit. Your Rite of Passage can also work almost like a get-out-of-jail-free card if you’re struggling or if the enemies are outputting heavy damage. Add to that the ever-present Spear Shards synergy to fill up your tank’s stamina, and Templars are welcome in all sorts of content.

To get the most out of healing as a Templar, you’ll want to pair some of the Resto Staff abilities with Restoring Light skills. Most players opt for their morph of choice to Rushed Ceremony and Healing Ritual, and these are fairly foolproof. Depending on the encounter, you may also want to bring Cleansing Ritual to help with debuffs. Channeled Focus (a morph of Rune Focus) can also help with sustain if you’re struggling.

Warden

The Warden’s kit is a bit trickier than the Templar’s, but it also brings a ton of healing and some valuable utility for your team. Like the Templar, it also has a unique class tree focused on healing, so make the most of it. In addition to the Resto Staff’s abilities, throw in the mushrooms from Enchanted Growth and the Blue Betty Netch to keep you topped up, then debuff your enemies with Swarm and its morphs, and you’ll keep your team healed up easily.

If you’re using the Restoration Staff on both your bars, feel free to pick up Steadfast Ward to shield your allies or yourself when big damage numbers come up. Throwing those out can help mitigate the need to heal your allies, and since the Warden has some good healing over time, it could make your life easier in some types of content.

Necromancer

The bringer of death in ESO can also channel enemies’ demise into new life. The Living Death tree gives you some sustain, and if you’re healing, you can throw in some of its skills to have an area heal (Braided Tether), Resistant Flesh to heal one ally at the expense of your healing received, and even summon a Spirit Guardian to help you heal. And if you do fail, throw in the Reanimate ultimate to bring them back from the dead.