Many of your best active ability slots will be taken up by skills related to your equipped weapon. In fact, it is your weapon moreso than your class that determines your character’s playstyle. Any starting class can play as a ranged DPS if they have a Bow equipped as an example.

Here is a list of all the weapon skill trees in ESO and the type of skills associated with these weapons:

Two Handed: Two-handed weapons refers to two-handed axes, maces, and swords. Two-handed weapons offer moderate DPS along with heavy emphasis on stun and knockdown effects. All two-handed weapons of these types share the same skill tree, although passives and bonus effects vary slightly between axes, swords, and maces.

1 Hand and Shield: As expected, the 1-hand and shield skill line focuses on tanking and defensive attacks. The “Puncture” ability, the most important tanking ability in the game, is found in this skill tree (rather than Dragonknight). Like with two-handed weapons, there are small differences between swords, maces, axes, and daggers but the core skills remain the same.

Dual Wield: By equipping two one-handed weapons, players get access to an entirely new set of skills with an emphasis on light, steady damage. Not surprisingly, this weapon choice lends itself to a rogue or thief-like playstyle from other games.

Bow: Players that don a bow will instantly gain access to a number of powerful ranged attacks. Bows are considered among the top DPS choice in the game right now for maximum damage (along with casters). Many classes use a Bow as an offslot weapon given its high damage and range. Note that since all classes get stealth, stealth-based bow builds are extremely popular in PvP.

Restoration Staff: As indicated in the name, players with a Restoration Staff equipped gain access to a number of healing skills. Any class can be an effective healer with a Restoration Staff equipped.

Destruction Staff: The Destruction Staff provides players with access to damage-dealing spell attacks. Along with the Bow, the Destruction Staff is considered to be one of the top DPS weapons in-game. Destruction Staffs come in Fire, Ice, and Shock varieties with minor differences in skills, much like the differences between two-handed swords, axes, and maces.