Templars inThe Elder Scrollsuniverse call forth the power of the light to bless allies, heal the weak, and burn their enemies. InThe Elder Scrolls Online, Templars serve as champions that use their faith to vanquish foes.
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Templars have access to Aedric Spear skills to deal magic damage to foes, with Dawn’s Wrath granting them the power of holy fire to eliminate unholy threats. Lastly, their Restoring Light skills enable them to empower and heal allies to last with them in battle. With the rightESOTemplar builds, the class can be powerful juggernauts or stalwart defenders of the battlefield.
Updated Jun 27, 2025 by Erik Petrovich:Templar builds in ESO vary as much as the landscape of Tamriel itself. With the introduction of the Blackwood Chapter and the Deadlands DLC, as well as the Waking Flame and Flames of Ambition dungeon packs, there are a lot of new factors to consider when picking the best Templar build ESO has to offer. Templar are fantastic at just about everything on the battlefield, but some players have a hard time maximizing their potential thanks to complex rotations. One Bar builds have nothing in the back bar for a character, limiting them to just six abilities but removing the complexities of having multiple weapons and effects to maintain.
11Templar Playstyle Overview
The Templar inThe Elder Scrolls Onlineis a multi-faceted class with a particular focus on taking and healing damage. Templars tend to stay in close combat, using tanking-specific skills from weapon and armor trees to mitigate damage, though they can be played effectively at a range too – these Templars usually play the support role.
All things considered, it’s, unfortunately, one of the least mobile classes, so be prepared to spec into heavy armor and focus on timing parries and interrupting enemies in a group.
Templar Skill Trees
There are three skill trees specific to the Templar: Aedric Spear, Dawn’s Wrath, and Restoring Light. While Templars, of course, have access to a variety of other abilities that aren’t class-specific, these abilities make the Templar more distinct from the Dragonknight. Even if you plan to follow a build exactly, it’s good tounderstand the different focusesof each skill tree – just in case that build needs some personalization down the line.
Choosing Weapon Skill Lines
Templars thrive when on the front lines of a battle, able to take blows for their teammates as they command the party from the fray. They have amazing self-sustaining skills, good damaging skills, and plenty of ways to keep themselves alive. When it comes to skills outside of the Templar-specific trees, though,there’s a bit more nuance– even in some of theseESOTemplar builds. Out of the major weapons in the game, Templars tend to use One-Hand and Shield skills, Two-Handed skills, and Restoration Staff skills the most.
10One-Bar Templar
One Bar builds inThe Elder Scrolls Onlineare becoming more popular as players start characters with the intention of having a more casual adventure. There’s no need to switch weapons or worry about min-maxing a complicated ability rotation with a One Bar build, and thisbuild from Hack the Minotauarproves that sometimes you don’t need the best Templar build to have fun.
Using a Lightning staff in the front bar, this build places Solar Barrage and Channeled Focus in the first two slots for self-defense and damage boosting, while Inner Light is used for its passive increase to Spell Critical and Magicka (in addition to its PvP usefulness). Puncturing Sweep, Silver Leash, and Elemental Rage are the real damage-dealers in this setup. This build in particular uses the Winter’s Respite set for its Magicka and healing effects and the Mother’s Sorrow, Slimecraw, and Icehart sets for their increases to Critical Chance.
9PvE Knight Templar
Templars can be played in any role, but for this Knightbuild from dottzgamingthe Templar goes all-out on damage output. The front bar is occupied by a Dual Wield setup with mostly Templar class abilities like Biting Jabs, Power of the Light, and Flawless Dawnbreaker alongside two Fighter’s Guild abilities. The back bar uses a Bow alongside another set of damaging abilities in the form of Endless Hail and Poison Injection, but it also uses skills like Resolving Vigor, Restoring Focus, and Ritual of Retribution for self sustain and party support.
ThisESOTemplar build uses the Perfected Arms of Relequen set (with the Divine trait and Stamina enchantment) as well as the Kinra’s Wrath set (with the Bloodthirsty trait and Weapon Damage enchantment, primarily). The Bow should be a Thunderous Volley bow earned in the Maelstrom Arena, while the head and shoulders should be part of the Selene monster set which spawns a damaging ally.
8Werewolf Templar
Werewolf Templars become one of the most powerful DPS builds for Werewolves.In AlcastHQ’s build, they gain extra damage while in Werewolf form. Their main bar lets the Werewolf Templar deal massive damage while Barbed Trap, Power of the Light, Biting Jabs, and Rending Slashes debuffs opponents.
Meanwhile,Repentance gives massive heals, and Werewolf Berserker gives that added attack boost. The second skillset increases buffs to the Werewolf Templar. Ritual of Retribution, Restoring Focus, and Echoing Vigor grants the Templar a damage boost. Meanwhile, Poison Injection and Endless Hail deal moderate damage. The Ult Empowering Sweep gives decent AOE.
7Beam Templar
The Beamplar Templar offers great DPS with itshigh single-target and AOE damage skills. Moreover, their Magicka shield and sustain grantthis Alcast HQ buildgreat survivability. This build relies on Channeled Focus for resource replenishment. Its Fire Staff main bar buffs the Beamplar Templar with Mystic Orb, Blood for Blood, and Purifying Light.
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Afterward, they unleash damage with Blazing Spear, Radiant Oppression, and ult Elemental Rage. The Fire Staff secondary skillset provides the Beamplar Templar with better survivability with Harness Magicka, Channeled Acceleration, and Channeled Focus. Lastly, they can unleash AOE with Unstable Wall of Elements, Solar Barrage, and Crescent Sweep.
6Magicka Templar
The Magicka Templar is the antithesis of the Stamina Templar, granting the character a variety of abilities that make it very useful in both group and solo play. Thisbuild from dottzgaminguses the Bahsei’s Mania and Kjalnar’s Nightmare sets alongside the Kinra’s Wrath set to vastly increase Weapon and Spell Damage, as well as the Perfected Crushing Wall Destruction Staff for a little extra DPS push.
The front and back bars use a Destruction staff, with the front bar more focused on damage and the back bar focused more on self-buffing and AoE. Abilities like Blazing Spear, Purifying Light, and Puncturing Sweeps make the front bar as powerful in melee range as from afar, and abilities like Channel Focus and Harness Magicka give the Templar some boosts to resource generation and other stats. The Unstable Wall of Elements should be kept up virtually all the time to maximize damage output with the Perfected Crushing Wall set bonus.
5Solo StamPlar
TheSolo Stamplar build from Alcast HQmakes soloing dungeons easy. Restoring Focus bolsters the Templar’s stamina and resistance, making this a stamina build. This build allows the Templar to spam Biting Jabs, with Burning Light and Spear Wall serving as great passives. Lastly, Ritual of Retribution and Repentance can provide healing.
The 2H main bar buffs the Templar with Brawler and Echoing Vigor. These buffs help the Templardevastate opponents quicklywith Power of the Light, Biting Jabs, Reverse Slice, and ult Flawless Dawnbreaker. Meanwhile, the bow secondary skillset buffs the Stamplar with Ritual of Retribution, Restoring Focus, and Repentance. It also offers Endless Hail and Razor Caltrops for decent AOE, with the Ult Empowering Sweep enough to cull weakened opponents.
4Blazeplar Templar
The Blazeplar Templar is a build that enables Templars to take on PvP. Like with other Templar builds,this setupfrom Alcast HQrelies on Channeled Focus to replenish Magicka reserves. The Shock Staff main bar relies on dishing damage to opponents with Radiant Glory, Purifying Light, Puncturing Sweeps, and Toppling Charge.
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This skill set also allows them to bind enemies with Degeneration and finish them with Crescent Sweep. Meanwhile, the S&B secondary skillset heals allies with Honor The Dead while providing buffs with Living Dark and Ritual of Retribution. Moreover, Reflective Light dishes out decent AOE damage, while ult Spell Wall bolsters defenses.
3Paladin Templar Tank
The Paladin Templar sets up the Templar as an efficient tank. With their shield and healing abilities,Paladin Templars using Alcast HQ’s buildcan maximize shields with Radiant Ward, mitigate damage with Brands of Imperium, and remove debuffs with Extended Ritual.
The Paladin Templar’s S&B build sets up attacks with Radiant Ward followed by Heroic Slash and Pierce Armor. Ritual of Rebirth, Spell Symmetry, and Remembrance can grant heals and buffs. The Destruction Staff skillset uses Extended Ritual, Repentance, Restoring Focus, and ult Aggressive Warhorn to remove debuffs and buff allies. Meanwhile, Elemental Blockade and Inner Rage stops opponents.
2Reliever Templar Healer
TheReliever Templar build from Alcast HQmakes full use of the Templar’s Restoring Light skill tree to provide maximum healing. Breath of Life and Extended Ritual removes debuffs and grants powerful heals. For instance, their Restoration Staff skillset relies on Breath of Life, Illustrious Healing, and Radiating Regeneration for heals.
Meanwhile, Combat Prayer empowers allies, with Solar Prison granting debuffs. Purifying Light deals decent damage to foes. The Shock Staff skillset buffs the Templar through Channeled Focus and Aggressive Warhorn while healing with Extended Ritual. Moreover, Elemental Drain debuffs opponents, which leaves them vulnerable to Luminous Shards.
