So you want to be a Dragonknight class in ESO.

Dragonknights are the tank class of ESO, they’re the warrior class. Front line, weapons drawn,, they’ll be found wherever the fighting is hardest and they’ll be there until the fighting is done.

Does that sound like you? Then the Dragonknight class might just be the class you’re looking for.

Before you sign up, you might want some more information about what skills and abilities you’ll get when playing as a Dragonknight in ESO, because we don’t want you starting and quitting. Dragonknights aren’t quitters.

Here’s our ESO Dragonknight Class guide, get all your info on the Dragonknight Class right here.

Dragonknight Class Specialisations

As a Dragonknight you can specialise in three areas. You can respec at any time by visiting a rededication shrine in your faction’s major city, but an idea of which you want to invest in is a good plan.

• Ardent Flame: DoTs and CC. You get a load of abilities to damage enemies over time, and area control abilities to control the flow of the battle.
• Draconic Power: AOE and Tanking. Abilities here focus on area of effect damage and crowd control, with many other powers bolstering your defences against incoming damage.
• Earthen Heart: Tank and CC. Damage reflection is a focus here, as well as stuns/immobilisations against enemies.

So now you should hopefully know which class specialisation to focus on, so let's move on to the next stage of our ESO Dragonknight Class Guide.

Ardent Flame Skill Guide:

Ardent Flame abilities focus on damage over time and crowd control, making this the damage dealing aspect of being the Dragonknight class in ESO.

Ardent Flame Active Skill Guide:

• Rank 1 - Lava Whip - This lashes an enemy, dealing fire damage. If it hits a stunned or knocked down enemy, will knock them off balance.
• Morph 1 - Molten Whip - Adds more damage to Ardent Flame abilities whilst ability is slotted.
• Morph - Flame Lash - Adds an attribute where if you target an off balance enemy with this attack, it deals more damage, stuns the target, and heals you.

• Rank 4 - Searing Strike - Hits the target with flame, dealing flame damage and more flame damage over time.
• Morph 1 - Venomous Claw - Converts the ability to use stamina instead of magicka, and changes the ability to do poison damage that does more damage the longer the effect is on the enemy.
• Morph 2 - Burning Embers - Heals you for a percentage of damage inflicted with this ability, when the effect ends.

• Rank 20 - Fiery Breath - Deals flame damage in a cone in front of you, as well as dealing flame damage over time for 8 seconds.
• Morph 1 - Noxious Breath - Converts the ability to use stamina and deals poison damage. Major Fracture is also applied to enemies.
• Morph 2 - Engulfing Flames - Enemies affected by this take additional damage from all flame attacks.

• Rank 30 - Fiery Grip - Grasps and pulls enemies to you, dealing flame damage. Also grants you Major Expedition, which increases your movement speed for 6 seconds by 30%.
• Morph 1 - Empowering Chains - Pulls you to the enemy instead, and grants Empower which increases the damage of your next attack
• Morph 2 - Unrelenting Grip - If you cannot pull the enemy, you are refunded the magicka cost.

• Rank 42 - Inferno - Launches a fireball at the nearest enemy every 5 seconds, dealing flame damage. Whilst slotted, you also get Major Prophecy which increases spell critical rating.
• Morph 1 - Flames of Oblivion - Also grants Major Savagery while slotted, which increases your weapon critical strike rating. Fireball damage also scales with your highest stats.
• Morph 2 - Cauterize - Fireball heals enemies, instead of damaging enemies.

• Ultimate - Rank 12 - Dragonknight Standard - Puts down a flaming standard that deals flame damage every second for 15 seconds to nearby enemies, as well as afflicting them with Major Defile, reducing their received healing by 30%. Allies can also perform the Shackle synergy, dealing flame damage and immobilising all enemies for 5 seconds in the area.
• Morph 1 - Shifting Standard - Reduces the cost of the ability, and you can move the standard by activating the ability again.
• Morph 2 - Standard of Might - Increases your damage done and reduces damage taken when in the affected area.

Ardent Flame Passive Skill Guide:

• Rank 8 - Combustion - Increases the damage of burning and poison statuses.
• Rank 14 - Warmth - Damaging enemies with Ardent Flame abilities reduces their movement by 15% for 2 seconds
• Rank 22 - Searing Heat - Increases the duration of Fiery Breath, Searing Strike, and Dragonknight Standard by 2 seconds.
• Rank 39 - World in Ruin - Increases the damage of poison and flame area of effect abilities.

Draconic Power Skill Guide:

Draconic Power is focused more on area of effect abilities and tanking, making this one of the primary tank class choices in ESO. Dragonknight specialising in Draconic Power can also find themselves stealing power from enemies and using it to heal themselves when under attack.

Draconic Power Active Skill Guide:

• Rank 1 - Spiked Armor - Gain Major Resolve and Major Ward, increasing physical resistance and spell resistance for 20 seconds. The armour also returns magic damage to melee attackers.
• Morph 1 - Hardened Armor - Gain a damage shield for a brief period.
• Morph 2 - Volatile Armor - A spray of spikes bursts from you, inflicting damage over time to any enemies hit.

• Rank 4 - Dark Talons - Talons deal damage to nearby enemies and immobilises them for 4 seconds. Allies can impale them to deal magic damage.
• Morph 1 - Burning Talons - Adds damage over time
• Morph 2 - Choking Talons - Affected enemies deal less damage.

• Rank 20 - Dragon Blood - Heals for 33% of your missing health, and gain Major Fortitude, increasing health recovery for by 20% for 20 seconds.
• Morph 1 - Green Dragon Blood - Also gain Major Endurance and Minor Vitality
• Morph 2 - Coagulated Blood - Heals based on your Max Magicka and Spell Damage

• Rank 30 - Reflective Scales - Reflects up to 4 projectiles over 4 seconds.
• Morph 1 - Reflective Plate - Also gain Minor Ward, increasing Spell Resistance.
• Morph 2 - Dragon Fire Scale - Reflected projectiles deal additional damage to the attacker

• Rank 42 - Inhale - Deal magic damage to nearby enemies and heal yourself for the damage applied, then after 2.5 seconds flame damage is applied to nearby enemies.
• Morph 1 - Deep Breath - First hit interrupts casting
• Morph 2 - Draw Essence - Second hit refunds magicka for each enemy hit.

• Ultimate - Rank 12 - Dragon Leap - Jump to the enemies, dealing damage as physical and knocking enemies back and stunning them for 2 seconds.
• Morph 1 - Reduces the cost and increases damage and range.
• Morph 2 - Deals flame damage and after leaping you gain a damage shield.

Draconic Power Passive Skill Guide:

• Rank 8 - Iron Skin - Blocks additional damage
• Rank 14 - Burning Heart - Increases healing when Draconic Power abilities are active
• Rank 22 - Elder Dragon - While using Draconic Power abilities, increases health recovery for each Draconic Power slotted.
• Rank 39 - Scaled Armor - Increases spell resistance.

Earthen Heart Skill Guide:

Earthen Heart focuses on tanking and crowd control, making it an ideal tanking specialisation in ESO. Dragonknights who focus on this specialisation will find themselves handing out debuffs and stunning enemies when tanking in ESO.

Earthen Heart Active Skill Guide:

• Rank 1 - Stonefist - Deals magic damage and stuns for 3 seconds, also deals 100% more damage if you successfully stun the target.
• Morph 1 - Obsidian Shard - Deals less damage but heals you or an ally near the enemy.
• Morph 2 - Stone Giant - Reduces cost, also gives Minor Resolve which increases physical resistance.

• Rank 4 - Molten Weapons - Gives Major Sorcery to your and your allies’ weapons, increasing spell damage by 20% for 30 seconds.
• Morph 1 - Igneous Weapons - Also gain Major Brutality, increasing weapon damage.
• Morph 2 - Molten Armaments - Own damage with fully charged heavy attacks is increased.

• Rank 20 - Obsidian Shield - Grants a damage shield for yourself and allies, your own damage shield absorbs 100% additional damage.
• Morph 1 - Igneous Shield - Also gain Major Mending, increasing healing done.
• Morph 2 - When your own shield is removed, it shatters dealing damage to nearby enemies.

• Rank 30 - Petrify - Stuns enemy for 20 seconds and deals magic damage when the effect ends.
• Morph 1 - Fossilize - Immobilizes the enemy after the effect ends.
• Morph 2 - Shattering Rocks - When effect ends, nearby enemies take damage and can be set off balance.

• Rank 42 - Ash Cloud - AOE attack dealing flame damage to nearby enemies every second and reduces movement speed by 70%.
• Morph 1 - Snare persists for longer after leaving area.
• Morph 2 - Additional damage dealt on cast.

• Ultimate - Rank 12 - Magma Armor - Limits incoming damage to 3% of your maximum health and deals flame damage to nearby enemies.
• Morph 1 - Magma Shell - Allies gain a powerful damage shield.
• Morph 2 - Corrosive Armor - Deals poison damage and your attacks ignore physical resistance.

Earthen Heart Passive Skills Guide:

• Rank 8 - Eternal Mountain - Increases duration of Earthen Heart abilities.
• Rank 19 - Battle Roar - When activating an ultimate, restores health, stamina, and magicka for each point of the ultimate’s cost.
• Rank 22 - Mountain’s Blessing - Activating an Earthen Heart ability give Minor Brutality to you and nearby allies, increasing weapon damage, if you’re in combat you also gain 2 Ultimate.
• Rank 39 - Helping Hands - Gain stamina when you activate an Earthen Heart ability.

Summary

Dragonknights in ESO can be many things, from tanks to crowd controllers to primary damage dealers. This also depends largely on the weapons you choose, with many tanks favouring a one handed weapon and shield, with damage dealers often going for two handed weapons. The beauty of ESO however means you aren’t restricted by class, so please try any weapon combinations you think will fit with the class and the skills you intend to take.

Hopefully this Dragonknight class guide for ESO will give you a few more ideas of what being a Dragonknight is, and what you want to get from being a Dragonknight.