You’ve tried the casters. You’ve tried the dedicated rangers. They were fun, but neither of them really clicked in that certain special way. You like the action. You’re a melee man. Not only are you not afraid to take the hits for your team, instead you thrive on it. Surrounded on all sides by all manner of fiendish creatures or staring down a nigh undefeatable monster of legend and smiling in anticipation all the while, you are the Dragonknight. The Dragonknight possesses three lines of magic he can choose to master: Ardent Flame, Draconic Power and Earthen Heart.

Consisting entirely of fire-based damage and single-target control abilities, the Ardent Flame line turns the Dragonknight into a walking firestorm. Skills like Inferno, Fiery Breath and Dragonknight Standard allow the Dragonknight to apply burning damage over time to large groups of foes at once, while Fiery Reach, Lava Whip and the Warmth passive make it extremely difficult for his foes to escape the kitchen when they can’t handle the heat. However the drawbacks in the Ardent Flame line are twofold: a marked lack of defensive bonuses present in both Draconic Power and Earthen Heart, and zero healing abilities. For an Ardent Flame Dragonknight, the name of the game is Kill or Be Killed.

Rather than damage, Draconic Power focuses on healing and personal defense which is good for PvE rather than PvP. Dark Talons and Dragon Leap offer opportunities to get in close and hold enemies. Spike Armor, Reflective Scales and Inhale deal some extra damage but only as a secondary effect to buffing up defense or topping off some health. For those interested in a Draconic Power Dragonknight, the Argonian would seem to be the logical choice, given the synergies between its natural healing and the focus on health and defense in the Draconic Power line.

Ardent Flame has damage. Draconic Power has self-support. But if group support is more your focus, then look no further than the Earthen Heart line. With two party buffs in Molten Weapons and Obsidian Shield and a plethora of crowd-control abilities like Magma Armor, Stonefist, Petrify and Ash Cloud, the Earthen Heart line specializes in raising up the Dragonknight’s party and locking down his enemies.

For anyone considering a career in stomping faces or shirking off blows, the Dragonknight presents singularly unique utility in the number of roles he is able to effectively fulfill. I personally believe that this should be the most powerful class in the Elder Scrolls Online.