Are you a new recruit just starting out in Elder Scrolls: Legends? Are you tired of losing with the pre-supplied decks that got you through story mode?

Well you’ve come to the right place; because I’ve searched Tamriel and beyond to bring you the best 5 starter decks that can be built on your first day of competitive play.

#5. Prophecy Battle mage

You're about to find out why Battlemages are one of the best combo decks in the game!

Prophecy Battle mage decks are a tried and true standard recommended to new players. Most of the cards are easy to craft or should be owned from the beginning of the game. The deck is very powerful, even in the hands of new players, but with that strength comes the responsibility to stay disciplined and balance your forces between both lanes.

What’s good about this deck?

• You’ll start the game with nearly all of the cards you need to build the deck. Those you don’t already own you can easily craft. The one Sentinel Battlemace will become available by simply playing through the main story, so you don’t need to do any card hunting.
• Expanding the deck in the future isn’t expensive either. Earthbone Spinners and more Battlemaces are really the only things you’ll need to worry about crafting, and those won’t break the Soul Gem bank.
• The number of Prophecy cards will make the game much easier for new players.
• The deck’s high aggro will keep the game simple for new players. There’s no control here to worry about, just aim for the face and let it rip.
• By playing it, you’ll learn some of the key principles in ESL, the most important of which is patience.

How to play this deck effectively:

• Prophecy Battle mage is a face-based aggro deck, which means that you won’t concern yourself with controlling the field lane or using the shadow lane to strike. All you should worry about is hitting your opponent directly as fast as possible.
• Your creatures will usually only live for one or two turns at most, so no matter what you want to go for that face hit.
• The tricky part with playing this deck is that you must pay attention to the details. If you don’t, you’ll be punished for it. Every decision is amplified since your margin for error is so low. You must get your lane placements correct.
• You must be keenly aware of the clock while playing this deck. You can’t let your opponent’s forces grow too strong and you need to know which cards are going to extend the game and which ones are going to shorten it.
• Your biggest advantage is that fact that this deck is jam packed with 28 prophecy cards. Other new players won’t know how to handle this aspect of the game quite yet, so you can exploit that weakness to your advantage and destroy them.

Deck List:

X3 Crown Quartermaster

X3 Sharpshooter Scout

X3 Afflicted Alit

X3 Circle Initiate

X3 Graystone Ravager

X3 Ice Spike

X3 Lurking Crocodile

X3 Shrieking Harpy

X3 Wardcrafter

X3 Camlorn Hero

X3 Morkul Gatekeeper

X3 Shield Breaker

X3 Lightning Bolt

X3 Mystic Dragon

X1 Sentinel Battlemace

X1 Grahtwood Ambusher

X3 Fate Weaver

X3 Triumphant Jarl

#4 Scout Ranger

Get ready to move in for the kill! This deck will teach you the thrill of a mid-game aggro takedown!

Scout Ranger is a quick and aggressive deck that’s great for all beginners. There are no epic or legendary cards, so you will be able to build this deck fast, cheap, and start winning games right away. It wisely uses charge and lethal creatures as well as wounding combos in place of full removal cards, so you don’t have to worry about high-cost power creatures wrecking your team.

What’s good about this deck?

• It’s built around cheap, fast units.
• The creatures deal high damage and can easily be traded to destroy more powerful creatures.
• It has powerful removal combos that make up the heart of any good Ranger deck. Namely, 1-damage cards like Arrow to the Knee plus removals like Finish Off.
• Strength cards like Earthbone Spinner and Triumphant Jarl will help silence enemy creature abilities and give you valuable midrange draws, as long as you keep your aggro and face attacks going.
• It’s insanely cheap to build. In fact, you should already own most of the cards.

How to play this deck effectively:

• Early game, you should try to draw as many 1 and 2 cost creatures as possible. Try to get as many as possible in your starting hand. The more, the better.
• Immediately start attacking your opponent directly. Hold back against guards until you can get your removal spells going
• Try to remain aggressive mid-game but don’t pick fights unless it’s necessary. If you’re holding Territorial Vipers, don't play them right away. Hold onto at least one in case you need to remove a high-cost creature.
• By late game you should have a large health advantage, which means your opponent will have more cards in hand. Drop your Vipers to take out guards or heavy creatures and time your attacks well by using removal combos like Arrow to the Knee or Sharpshooter Scout + Finish Off.
• Later in the game it’s important to attack in larger waves as opposed to quick strikes that trigger enemy runes.

Deck List:

X3 Arrow to the Knee

X3 Fighters Guild Recruit

X3 Finish Off

X3 Murkwater Witch

X3 Thieves Guild Recruit

X3 Murkwater Butcher

X3 Nimble Ally

X3 Varanis Courier

X3 Deshaan Avenger

X3 Territorial Viper

X2 Leaflurker

X1 Cliff Raider

X2 Soulrest Marhal

X1 Quin’rawl Burglar

X3 Sharpshooter Scout

X3 Skaven Pyromancer

X3 Earthbone Spinner

X3 Triumphant Jarl

X1 Reclusive Giant

X1 Vigilant Giant

#3. Thieving Monk

These ain't your daddy's Khajit! Use epic support cards to fuel your army of sticky-pawed cats!

A well-rounded Monk deck for beginners that focuses on rock solid creatures, support cards, and board control. Creatures with Lethal and Guard will help maintain control while you and cast buffs and trigger Pilfer effects.

What’s good about this deck?

• A really well put-together mix of supportive willpower cards and powerful removals such as Mantikora and Piercing Javelin.
• Easy to use for new players and will teach you the concepts of Pilfer, creature support, and board control.
• Has some of the most powerful Khajit Pilferers in the game, as well as a strong fleet of last gasp creatures.
• The finished version of the deck contains Ungolim the Listener, perhaps the best Agility creature in the game. He may not be available to new players for a while, so feel free to sub him with cheap and effective cost ones like Voracious Spriggan
• Uses Thieves Den to make your forces stronger the more you connect with your opponent.
• When played with Thieves Den, Master of Thieves can be an OP card and will pull all of your opponent’s focus as long as he is on the board.

How to play this deck effectively:

• This deck really requires its user to play it properly in order to be successful. You have to use your Pilfering creatures wisely and not waste them on guards.
• Early game, try your best to draw cards with last gasp or powerful passive abilities like Ungolim the Listener or Hist Mage. Trade when necessary and be patient in attacking your opponent. Let your creatures get stronger.
• Mid-game focus on playing your support cards like Thieves Den and try to get as many creatures on the board as possible. Try to get Eastmarch Crusader on the board before you start taking out enemy runes.
• Later in the game, keep pressure on your opponent and try to keep your creatures alive. Wait to draw your removals like Piercing Javelin and Mantikora rather than trading creature-for-creature.
• The key for this deck is maintaining board control. If you start trading creatures willy-nilly it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You need to bide your time and let your Pilfer creatures make themselves stronger.
• If you practice patience and are able to build a decent size army with Thieves Guild out, then once Master of Thieves comes out, drop the hammer and start attacking your opponent twice per turn. 

Deck List:

X1 Descendant of Alkosh

X1 Ungolim the Listener

X3 Daring Catpurse

X3 Fighters Guild Recruit

X3 Eastmarch Crusader

X3 Hive Defender

X3 Master of Thieves

X3 House Kinsman

X1 Ahnassi

X3 Murkwater Butcher

X3 Piercing Javelin

X3 Nimble Ally

X3 Skooma Racketeer

X3 Golden Saint

X6 Invoker of the Hist

X1 Nix-Ox

X3 Deshaan Avenger

X2 Thieves Den

X1 Pahmar-raht Renegade

X3 Soulrest Marhal

X2 Quin’rawl Burglar

X1 Tazkad Packmaster

X2 Mantikora

#2. Orc Smash Face

ORC SMASH PUNY HUMAN!

A budget-friendly beginner version of a classic Aggro Orc deck, you’ll get the benefit of all the Orcish synergy without some of the more expensive and legendary cards. You can easily add onto this deck as you open packs and discover some of the more OP Orcs. As you do, you’ll easily maintain the same play style and functionality, making it a perfect starting point for new players.

What’s good about this deck?

• Orcs! The ultimate aggro play style and one of the most fun decks to play, it relies on synergy and waves of aggression to take massive chunks of health out of your opponent.
• Orcs have the amazing ability to synergize and make each other stronger just based on the fact that they’re Orcs. They’re a super unique blend of speed and strength, and are one of the most popular decks to play in the game.
• Card distribution and keywords are on point, allowing for a flexible play style that incorporates abilities like charge, breakthrough, and guard.
• With a Magicka curve that peaks right at 2 and 3, you’ll be able to flood the board with cheap creatures that have been made powerful by support cards and other Orcs like Militant Chieftain or Morkul Gatekeeper.
• It has Gortwog gro-Nagorm!

How to play this deck effectively:

• The key thing to remember here is that despite their relatively cheap costs, Orc decks should NOT be played straight aggro. They’re at their best as midrange decks that trade blows until you can begin buffing your Orcs with supports cards and creatures. Once you start buffing, that’s when you want to hit your opponent head on.
• This deck is all about timing your actions to benefit one another. Don’t just play cards blindly. Be aware of your combos because you have many, and try to play patiently while maintaining steady aggression.
• Even though he’s cheap, don’t play Dragontail Savior until there’s at least three enemy creatures in a lane. He has such a great ability and you shouldn’t waste it just to play a creature early.
• Same rules apply to Bangkorai Butcher. DO NOT play him unless you have another Orc in play. This is a rule.
• Try to keep your items for creatures that get additional bonuses for being equipped like Rihad Horseman.  That’s why they’re in your deck!
• Utilize breakthrough on cards like Mighty Ally to smash through enemy Guards.

Deck List:

X3 Nord Firebrand

X3 Rapid Shot

X3 Sharpshooter Scout

X3 Steel Scimitar

X3 Bone Bow

X3 Dragontail Savior

X2 Graystone Ravager

X3 Orc Clan Captain

X2 Chieftain’s Banner

X3 Orc Clan Shaman

X2 Rihad Horseman

X3 Battlerage Orc

X3 Crushing Blow

X3 Mighty Ally

X3 Morkul Gatekeeper

X2 Riften Pillagar

X3 Bangkorai Butcher

X3 Fortress Watchman

#1. Ancano’s Cunning

The master wizard Ancano has come to chew bubblegum and steal souls. And he's all out of bubblegum.

The top spot on our list goes to the best deck available in the in-game store, making it a true, out of the box starter deck.  Unlike many beginner decks, this one is based on control and outsmarting your opponent rather than winning by brute force.

What’s good about this deck?

• At 500 gold in the store, the deck is a cheap endeavor and will get you Ancano, one of the most powerful legendary creatures in the game.
• Unlike most starter decks, this one should not be modified unless you really know what you’re doing. It’s perfect the way it is.
• The core concept of the deck is to use recur actions such as Dark Rebirth and A Night to Remember to repeat powerful summon abilities on creatures like Conjuration Scholar.
• If you prefer a wand or a staff to a sword and shield, this is the deck for you. Casting a barrage of removal spells will make you field like a true wizard.
• It will teach new players the key elements of a mage control deck, and you’ll learn the patience and timing required to bring down even the most powerful of foes.
• 14 prophecy cards will help against any aggro matchups and let you build up your combo cards.
• The deck is also filled with useful rare and epic cards like Wardcrafter and Ice Storm that you’ll be able to use in countless other builds.

How to play this deck effectively:

• This is a classic control deck, which means you need to take a tactical approach to the game as opposed to a fast paced one. Save your damage action cards like Lightning Bolt to use on strong enemy creatures and use your smaller creatures to chip away at enemy defenses.
• This cannot be overstated: you need to kill enemy creatures BEFORE attacking your opponent directly. This deck is not build to fight off large amounts of enemies, so your job, especially midgame, is to keep the board clean.
• Mage’s Trick and Insightful Scholar should be play midgame as they are great ways to draw more cards at a critical point.
• Once turn 6 hits, start casting Conjuration Scholars as fast as possible and recur them with Dark Sacrifice, A Night to Remember, or Winterhold Illusionist. This can easily turn your 3 Frost Atronach’s into 9.
• Ancano’s breakthrough effect can be a game changer, as it allows you to cast damage actions at enemy creatures and still hit your opponent. Use this wisely and try to save a Lightning Bolt or two for after Ancano drops.

Deck List:

X2 Calm

X2 Execute

X3 Firebolt

X2 A Night to Remember

X2 Bruma Profiteer

X2 Crystal Tower Crafter

X1 High Rock Summoner

X2 Shrieking Harpy

X2 Wardcrafter

X3 Cunning Ally

X3 Dark Rebirth

X2 Grisly Gourmet

X2 Mage’s Trick

X1 Cloudrest Illusionist

X3 Lightning Bolt

X3 Mystic Dragon

X2 Insightful Scholar

X3 Piercing Javelin

X3 Winterhold Illusionist

X3 Conjuration Scholar

X1 Ice Storm

X1 Praetorian Commander

X1 Mages Guild Retreat

X1 Ancano

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