RELATED: Elder Scrolls Online: Every New Armor Set In High IsleWhen it comes to ranking the usefulness of weapons in The Elder Scrolls Online being “bad” typically just means there’s a better option within the weapon skill tree. Almost every weapon in ESO is perfectly usable with mostly minor differences between similar types, but those minor differences can mean a world of difference when it comes to maximizing DPS output.

Bows

The question of impractical weapons in Elder Scrolls Online usually comes down to general weapon choices across a variety of Elder Scrolls Online builds. The Bow skill line, for example, definitely has some strong abilities that find homes in builds geared for them. Generally, Bows are outclassed by Destruction Staffs in the majority of DPS-oriented builds.

This is especially true when comparing Bows to Lightning Staffs, which tend to be a favorite for damage builds on the Magicka side of things. However, if you need a ranged option for your character without having to use Magicka, Bows are a viable substitute. Just keep in mind that you will almost always be doing less damage than similar builds that focus on the Destruction Staff instead.

Ice Staffs…

There are three types of Destruction staffs in Elder Scrolls Online: Fire, Ice, and Lightning. No matter which of these three you have equipped, you will receive bonuses from your chosen passive perks in the tree. However, some passives offer different bonuses depending on the type of staff you have - specifically Tri Focus and Ancient Knowledge.

RELATED: Best MMOs to Try For BeginnersWith an Ice Staff equipped, Tri Focus creates a temporary damage shield and makes blocking consume Magicka instead of Stamina. The Ancient Knowledge perk reduces the cost of Blocking and increases the amount that can be blocked with an Ice Staff. The problem with these bonuses is that they are geared for a defensive playstyle when players using Destruction Staffs typically want to maximize their damage output rather than minimize their damage received.

…And Fire Staffs

Though not to quite the same degree as Ice Staffs, Fire Staffs too pale in comparison to Lightning Staffs when taking all three types of Destruction Staff available in Elder Scrolls Online into account. Just like with Ice Staffs, Tri Focus and Ancient Knowledge affect Fire Staffs differently than the other types.

Tri Focus makes attacks with a Fire Staff deal a decent amount of extra single-target damage, while Ancient Knowledge does the same. The Lightning Staff, though, deals massive AoE damage with heavy attacks with Tri Focus and gets a bonus to all AoE damage from Ancient Knowledge. Though Fire Staffs are better against a single foe, most combat in the game is against more than one enemy, so it’s best to stick with a Lightning Staff over all others for more reliable, even damage output in both group and solo situations.

Axes

Some weapon-based skill trees in Elder Scrolls Online, like the Destruction Staff tree, grant different bonuses depending on the type of weapon equipped under a larger category. Maces, Swords, Daggers, and Axes all fall under the benefits of the Dual Wielding tree (as well as the One-Hand and Shield tree, too) which has the Twin Blade and Blunt passive.

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With this passive, each Axe equipped increases the amount of Critical Damage done by players by 6%, up to a max of 12% for two. The problem with this bonus is that the Critical Hit has to actually, well, hit to have any kind of actual benefit. With this Perk, Daggers each increase Critical Chance by 812, which just ends up being a much better choice for almost all Dual Wielding DPS builds.

Maces

Maces have the same problem that Axes have, in that they aren’t necessarily bad in the One Hand and Shield tree, but they don’t do as well as Daggers or Swords in the Dual Wielding tree. The bonus for each Mace equipped is a 1650 boost to Armor Penetration, for a maximum of 3300 additional Penetration.

While this is better than the Critical Damage boost given to Axes by the Twin Blade and Blunt passive, it’s still just not as effective for most Dual Wielding builds as either bladed options. Daggers of course add Critical Chance, useful all around, but Swords increase Weapon and Spell Damage by 142 each too, which can really make a difference for builds that use lots of spells in their combat rotation.

The Elder Scrolls Online is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Stadia, and Xbox One and Series X|S

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