In The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) you can become vampires or werewolves. But which one is better suited for which player, and what skills and abilities are suitable for which role in the game? We explain!
Werewolves or vampires? This question has been on people’s minds since the monster romance Twilight. Even in the Elder Scrolls games, one could become the undead bloodsucker or a ferocious werewolf since Morrowind. This is also the case in The Elder Scrolls Online. However, since you can either wear fur or suck blood, it is important to weigh your choice carefully, as the skills and applications of the two beings are different and target different playstyles.
ESO – How do I even become a werewolf or vampire?
If you want to become a vampire or werewolf, we have good news for you. On Mein-MMO, there are guides that will describe the path to becoming a bloodsucker or a wolf in detail:
Alternatively, you can buy the corresponding Monster Bite in the Crown Store for 1,500 Crowns (13 Euros).
Werewolf or vampire? The advantages, disadvantages, and skills of the werewolf
The werewolf was definitely the loser among the spooky creatures in ESO, but since Update 5, he has become a strong fighter with few weaknesses. The most important thing about being a werewolf: you must actively transform into a werewolf, which is an ultimate ability. Only then can you use the active and passive werewolf skills and increase your levels in that skill tree.
Advantages of the werewolf
Werewolves receive the status buff “Lycanthropy” permanently. This means that they regenerate 15 percent more stamina, whether they transform or not. That alone makes the werewolf a top choice for all players focusing on a stamina build. By the way, the werewolf disadvantage of weakness to poison only applies if you actually become a wolf.
Otherwise, the werewolf in its monster form has good and consistently high DPS. Its normal attacks cause bleeds, and its heavy hits give it stamina back. Furthermore, the wolf can pounce on its enemies from a distance and heal itself. Other skills allow for group control and more damage over time.
Also cool: you can eat dead enemies to heal yourself, but you don’t have to. Unlike vampires, werewolves do not need to constantly feed to avoid drawbacks.
Disadvantages of the werewolf
The biggest disadvantage of the werewolf is: you are not always a werewolf! You must first transform into a beast with hard-earned ultimate points, and then the duration of the monster form is also limited. However, various skills can significantly extend this time. Nonetheless, an effective werewolf build requires some planning and foresight. Additionally, the werewolf ultimate ability blocks your ultimate slot in your “normal” form.
Also annoying: Werewolves are vulnerable to poison and take 25 percent more damage from it. However, this only applies when you have transformed. In transformation, you only have access to your werewolf skills (passive skills from other lines remain active). You can not use other weapons or spells, which limits your options to a pure melee fighter.
Vampire or werewolf? The advantages, disadvantages, and skills of the vampire
Vampires were once extremely strong, but a bug fix has ended those times a long time ago. Still, the bloodsucker remains a feared enemy in the game, as its skills allow for good damage and favor mages and other magicka builds.
The advantages of the vampire
Vampires have a significant advantage over werewolves: they are always vampires! So you don’t have to transform in a complicated way. Instead, you can mix your vampire skills with other abilities and retain your weapons at any time. The skills of the vampire all rely on magicka, making the bloodsucker a good caster. However, there is also a passive skill later that improves your stamina regeneration. This allows for solid stamina builds.
Just the skills of the vampire alone are quite valuable. Above all, the bat swarm that the vampire uses as an ultimate ability. Especially the morph form that gives you life back is effective. Furthermore, the vampire can drain life force in combat and use it for itself, and as a mist cloud, you can quickly escape from combat while taking little damage and ignoring CC effects.
If your vampire does not drink blood for an extended period, he gets a lot of disadvantages (see below), but also significant advantages. You will cast your vampire skills at a substantial discount, and certain passive skills provide you with strong damage reduction, stamina regeneration, or faster sneaking.
The disadvantages of the vampire
All this power comes at a price: vampires constantly need fresh blood, or they will be plagued by terrible disadvantages. Every six hours in the game, your vampire level rises. This period is reduced by 30 minutes with each vampire skill you apply. So make sure you are well-fed before longer fights! At level 1, you have neither advantages nor disadvantages, but from levels 2 to 4, your vulnerability to fire increases, and your health regeneration decreases significantly.
If you engage the wrong opponent in this state, you are quickly turned to ash. Especially in PvP, vampires must pay close attention to Dragon Knights and other fire damage dealers. Therefore, the vampire is only conditionally suitable as a tank if the player behind it doesn’t constantly ensure enough blood supply. If you forget about regular drinking or cannot do so because your teammates defeat all enemies beforehand, you could encounter a real problem.
Conclusion: What is suitable for which role?
Thanks to several updates and patches, both werewolves and vampires are strong additions to an ESO character. But beware, if you prefer a particular playstyle, you should also choose the appropriate monster:
- Vampires are heavily reliant on magicka. Therefore, they are the ideal choice for all offensive mage builds. As they also have good stealth and escape skills, they are well-suited for Nightblades and other stealthy characters. Melee fighters and tanks are also possible, and especially the passive skill “Undead” provides significant damage reduction. However, since you must be at least vampire level 3 and have less than 50 percent health, this build is difficult to master. Ideally, you should play your vampire as a ranged caster who hurls particularly strong magic from a distance and is safe from (fire) damage.
- Werewolves, on the other hand, are pure melee fighters and allow no variation. You have your prefabricated wolf build, done! Therefore, they are especially suited for players who want to beat down enemies with gusto. Thanks to their good DPS and self-healing, wolves are ideal damage dealers with good chances of success in both PvP and PvE. Because all werewolves regenerate 15 percent more stamina regardless of their form, lycanthropy is a good idea for any stamina build, even or especially if you never equip or use the werewolf form. Unlike the vampire, you have no disadvantages in normal form.
I want to be something else! How do I heal myself from lycanthropy or vampirism?
If you now realize: “Cursed and stitched! I have chosen the wrong monster! I want to play something else; do I now have to create a new hero?” No, not at all! The respective curse of werewolf or vampire can be easily resolved by a priest of Arkay.
Simply look for the corresponding priest in the Mage Guilds in the Harvest, Bangkorai, or Rift, and you will be a normal human, Khajiit, Argonian, elf, or Orc again. Of course, you can head out again and become the monster of your choice.
Interesting: The Elder Scrolls Online – Huh, where did the endgame go?
