Damage Dealer Tier List

Every damage dealer build on the site, ranked mostly on damage: single target first, then packs, then how easy it is to play well and what it gives the group.

Update 52 (PTS)16 buildsUpdated 2026-10-27

Update 52 (PTS) version

This page is the Update 52 version of the damage dealer tier list. Update 52 is on the PTS until January 19, 2027, so numbers can still move. Skill and set tooltips still show the live Update 51 text; hover one that changes to see what's new. For what works in game today, switch to Update 51 in the version picker (top right, or in the menu on phones). The full list is in the Update 52 patch notes.

Dragonknight moves to the top: World in Ruin goes to 10% and Inexorable Descent gives 2 Landslide stacks per activation, and nearly all of the build's damage is area or damage over time.
Necromancer: Glacial Colossus hits 75% harder on targets with Major Vulnerability.
Templar: Balanced Warrior is fixed to 75 Weapon and Spell Damage per Templar skill, and Vampire's Bane lasts longer.
Single target comes from the DPS Simulator, which counts the World in Ruin and Glacial Colossus changes but not yet Inexorable Descent, Balanced Warrior or Vampire's Bane.

How to read it

Each build gets four scores out of 100. The overall score weights them 50% single target, 30% area, 10% ease and 10% utility. Dragonknight comes out on top with 92.5. The gaps are small: every build here clears veteran content in good hands, so pick a class you enjoy.

Overall tiers

Full ranking

#	Build	Overall	Sim DPS	Single target	Area	Ease	Utility
1	DragonknightMelee · Magicka	92.5S	166k	93.9	95	90	80
2	ArcanistMelee · Stamina	92.3S	167k	94.5	95	90	75
3	NightbladeMelee · Magicka	84.5A	177k	100	80	50	55
4	NecromancerMelee · Stamina	84.3A	147k	83.5	95	70	70
5	Subclass (Beam)Melee · Stamina	81A	151k	85.4	92	90	50
6	Nightblade: Double InfernoRanged · Magicka	80.8A	155k	87.6	80	70	60
7	SorcererMelee · Magicka	80.7A	169k	95.4	75	55	50
8	WardenMelee · Stamina	79.3B	162k	91.5	70	60	65
9	TemplarMelee · Magicka	74.9B	141k	79.7	75	60	65
10	Nightblade: Heavy AttackRanged · Magicka	73.2B	115k	65.3	85	95	55
11	Sorcerer: Heavy AttackRanged · Magicka	72.8B	114k	64.6	85	90	60
12	Necromancer: Heavy AttackRanged · Magicka	72B	99k	56	90	95	75
13	Dragonknight: Heavy AttackRanged · Magicka	69.1C	92k	52.2	85	95	80
14	Templar: Heavy AttackRanged · Magicka	68.2C	92k	52.3	85	95	70
15	Arcanist: Heavy AttackRanged · Magicka	66.5C	95k	54	85	80	60
16	Warden: Heavy AttackRanged · Magicka	63.7C	80k	45.3	85	95	60

Why each build scores what it does

DragonknightMelee · MagickaS

Single target 93.9: Simulated at 166k on the Trial dummy. Update 52: World in Ruin goes to 10%, which the simulation counts; Inexorable Descent doubling its stacks isn't counted yet.
Area 95: The breath cleaves everything in front of you.
Ease 90: One channel and a short refresh list.
Utility 80: Group Major Brutality from Igneous Weapons and Minor Brutality from Elder Dragon.

ArcanistMelee · StaminaS

Single target 94.5: Simulated at 167k on the Trial dummy.
Area 95: The beam hits everything in its line at full strength.
Ease 90: A simple build-and-spend loop, and a shield while you beam.
Utility 75: Fulminating Rune's synergy for three allies.

NightbladeMelee · MagickaA

Single target 100: Simulated at 177k on the Trial dummy.
Area 80: Dark Shade and Sap Essence, but the spammable is single target.
Ease 50: Stealth windows, Focus stacks and an execute swap.
Utility 55: Group Minor Savagery from Hemorrhage.

NecromancerMelee · StaminaA

Single target 83.5: Simulated at 147k on the Trial dummy. Update 52: Glacial Colossus hits 75% harder on targets with Major Vulnerability, which the simulation counts.
Area 95: Corpseburster and Blastbones explosions hit the whole pack.
Ease 70: Corpse timing and skeleton delays take practice.
Utility 70: Major Breach and Minor Vulnerability from Unnerving Boneyard.

Subclass (Beam)Melee · StaminaA

Single target 85.4: Simulated at 151k on the Trial dummy (Animal Companions, the best of its 3 lines).
Area 92: The beam cleaves, like the Arcanist's.
Ease 90: The Arcanist's simple loop on any class.
Utility 50: Little for the group.
Subclass: Keeps 92% of its area, ease and utility scores: subclassing turns Class Mastery off.

Nightblade: Double InfernoRanged · MagickaA

Single target 87.6: Simulated at 155k on the Trial dummy.
Area 80: The wall, Barbed Trap and Elemental Rage hit the pack, but Swallow Soul is single target.
Ease 70: Two bars of damage over time to track, but no Light Attack weaving.
Utility 60: Group Minor Savagery from Hemorrhage, and Major Breach and Minor Maim on the boss.

SorcererMelee · MagickaA

Single target 95.4: Simulated at 169k on the Trial dummy.
Area 75: Haunting Curse and Hurricane, but the spammable is single target.
Ease 55: Crystal Fragments procs, Bound Armaments stacks and two curse timers.
Utility 50: Little beyond the Conduit synergy.

WardenMelee · StaminaB

Single target 91.5: Simulated at 162k on the Trial dummy.
Area 70: Wild Guardian is single target; Soul Burst and Arctic Blast carry trash.
Ease 60: Ten things to refresh, and you hold your Ultimate.
Utility 65: Major and Minor Breach from Deep Fissure.

TemplarMelee · MagickaB

Single target 79.7: Simulated at 141k on the Trial dummy. Update 52: Balanced Warrior is fixed and Vampire's Bane lasts longer; the simulation doesn't count either yet.
Area 75: Puncturing Sweep hits six enemies; the rest is single target.
Ease 60: Aetheric Lancer's area has to be picked up.
Utility 65: Group Weapon and Spell Damage from Bright Harbinger, and Purify.

Nightblade: Heavy AttackRanged · MagickaB

Single target 65.3: Simulated at 115k on the Trial dummy.
Area 85: Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks hit everything around the target, and the wall and shade are area damage.
Ease 95: One bar and a slow Heavy Attack rotation.
Utility 55: Group Minor Savagery from Hemorrhage, and Off Balance from the wall.

Sorcerer: Heavy AttackRanged · MagickaB

Single target 64.6: Simulated at 114k on the Trial dummy.
Area 85: Daedric Prey and the familiar's pulse hit the pack, and Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks cleave.
Ease 90: One bar, with two pet specials to use.
Utility 60: Offensive Penetration from Exploitation and 6% Weapon and Spell Damage from Calculated Defense.

Necromancer: Heavy AttackRanged · MagickaB

Single target 56: Simulated at 99k on the Trial dummy.
Area 90: Boneyard, Blastbones, the wall and Glacial Colossus all hit the pack.
Ease 95: One bar and a slow Heavy Attack rotation.
Utility 75: Major Breach and Minor Vulnerability from Unnerving Boneyard, and Major Vulnerability from Glacial Colossus.

Dragonknight: Heavy AttackRanged · MagickaC

Single target 52.2: Simulated at 92k on the Trial dummy.
Area 85: Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks hit everything around the target, and the wall is area damage.
Ease 95: One bar and a slow Heavy Attack rotation.
Utility 80: Group Major Brutality and Empower from Molten Armaments, and Minor Heroism and Major Berserk.

Templar: Heavy AttackRanged · MagickaC

Single target 52.3: Simulated at 92k on the Trial dummy.
Area 85: Blazing Spear, the wall and Solar Prison hit the pack, and Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks cleave.
Ease 95: One bar and a slow Heavy Attack rotation.
Utility 70: Group Armor and Weapon and Spell Damage from Dawn's Wrath casts, and Major Maim.

Arcanist: Heavy AttackRanged · MagickaC

Single target 54: Simulated at 95k on the Trial dummy.
Area 85: Tentacular Dread and the wall hit the pack, and Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks cleave.
Ease 80: One bar, but Crux to build and spend between Heavy Attacks.
Utility 60: Fulminating Rune's synergy, and Off Balance from the wall.

Warden: Heavy AttackRanged · MagickaC

Single target 45.3: Simulated at 80k on the Trial dummy.
Area 85: Winter's Revenge and the wall hit the pack, and Lightning Staff Heavy Attacks cleave.
Ease 95: One bar and a slow Heavy Attack rotation, with healing on every Heavy Attack.
Utility 60: Minor Vulnerability and Off Balance on the boss.

How it's scored

Single target (50%). Each build's Boss setup played in the DPS Simulator on the 21 million Health Trial dummy, scaled so the best live build is 100. Every build is measured the same way, including the ones with no published parse; a build with line variants scores its best line. The simulator lands within a few percent of most published parses, but not all (it has the Warden about 12% under its parse), and dummy numbers are an upper limit: real fights move, so the other scores matter too.

Area (30%). How much of the build's damage reaches a whole pack. Builds whose main skill cleaves (the breath, the beam, corpse explosions) score highest.

Ease (10%). How hard it is to get close to the parse in a real fight: how many things to refresh, procs to react to, and whether you hold your Ultimate.

Utility (10%). What the build gives the group or puts on the boss beyond its own damage, like group Major Brutality or Major Breach.

Subclassed builds keep 92% of their area, ease and utility scores, because subclassing turns Class Mastery off (the simulation already counts it for single target). Tiers: S from 88, A from 80, B from 72, and C below that.