The 10 Elden Ring Classes & Why You Should Choose Each One
Getting started in a Soulsborne game - the punishingly difficult style of game from Dark Souls creator FromSoft - is daunting. Because of the difficulty, players tend to spend a lot of time creating their characters and less time actually playing the game. New players are particularly inclined to be cautious because of the reputation these games have.
While each class has many different builds they can enter, and players should consider their desired playstyle, the level of customization shouldn't stop one from jumping into the game. Each starting class is capable of ending up with a very different character than they begin with - but knowing the early game experience should make the choice more comfortable.
The vagabond is perhaps the most beginner-friendly of the 10 starting classes. With high vigor, this class will have the most health available from the start, and with high strength and dexterity, it is well equipped for most of the simpler builds expected from a Souls-type FromSoft game. This class's starting equipment as a vagabond prepares players for this well, providing players with a sword, shield, and heavy halberd.
However, this class does make it much harder to get into spellcasting. With very low faith, intelligence, and arcane, vagabonds struggle to get started with incantations and spells, the two kinds of magic. It is certainly possible to get into those playstyles eventually, but doing so takes high investments that will not pay off until much later in the game.
The hero is another physical class that exchanges health and defense for a more aggressive stat-line. The hero's high strength and vigor make this class much more of a physical tank, while the endurance compensates for the lower armor rating from the start. This class's starting equipment consists only of a battle axe and a shield, so it won't benefit players who are interested in experimenting.
Much like the vagabond, the hero is not well suited for a more spell-oriented build. The hero's spell stats of intelligence and faith are the lowest among the starting classes, though the arcane stat is a respectable 11. This provides the hero with slightly more discovery, which affects the chances of item drops from enemies.
The bandit starting class isn't for the faint of heart. The bandit's stats are largely average-to-mediocre, but their dexterity and arcane are very high. The low starting stats mean players will struggle with getting started with equipment, as well as struggle to stay alive. Though, starting with a sword, shield, bow, and arrows provide the bandit with flexibility at the start.
However, the high dexterity provides more opportunities to use smaller and faster weapons well. The bandit's true shining benefit is their arcane stat. As stated, arcane affects the chances of getting important items from enemies, which can include very powerful weapons and armor. This class may have a hard time at the start but can quickly move ahead with the right leveling choices and items.
One of the few spellcasting-focused starting classes, the Astrologer begins with a sword, staff, shield, and two sorceries. The Glintstone Pebble is a very efficient spell that uses very few focus points - the 'mana' used for spells and summons. The astrologer's other spell is Glintstone Arc, which creates a spreading arc for area-of-effect damage.
The astrologer is a high-risk and high-reward starting class that will struggle early on. At the start of the game, players will have few usages of the mana-restoring Flask of Cerulean Tears. While more can be found later, the astrologer's early game can be a constant back-and-forth trek to sites of grace, where FP and flasks can be restored.
The warrior is a class that is very well-suited to beginners, for many of the same reasons that the vagabond class is. The warrior's stats at the start are very well-distributed, with the only notable stat being dexterity, which comes in at a whopping 16. This provides players with a relatively flexible starting point.
The warrior starts the game with two scimitars, which deal damage scaling with their dexterity. This can provide players with an easier early game as they deal with bosses and enemies more quickly than others - if they can avoid taking damage. This class is the one to pick for players who are interested in quickly dealing damage via dual-wielding or other dex-based builds.
The prisoner class contains one of many Easter eggs in Elden Ring, as the mask is a reference to game creator Hidetaka Miyazaki's favorite anime and manga 'Berserk.' The Prisoner is a unique class that begins with very good stats but very poor starting equipment. This class is not the most difficult to start as, but it might be best suited to more experienced players.
The starting equipment of the prisoner consists of a staff, sword, shield, and the sorcery 'Magic Glintblade.' This spell is among the more difficult to use due to its short range - the character creates a magic blade at the end of their staff and swings it. This class is another high-risk, high-reward option for more experienced players.
The confessor is one of two faith-based caster classes that use 'incantations' rather than intelligence-based sorceries. The confessor begins their journey with a broadsword, a shield, a seal (used for incantations), and their two spells. The confessor's stats provide a good starting point for a 'battle-mage' playstyle that requires high strength and dexterity, alongside their exemplary faith.
The confessor's two incantations are Urgent Heal, which is an incredibly useful ability to have early on when healing is rare and difficult to find. Their other incantation is 'Assassin's Approach,' which negates the sound of the user's footsteps. This class can be very flexible and provides the options of several different end-game builds to develop from the playstyle players choose.
If the confessor is a 'battlemage' and the astrologer is the 'mage,' then the prophet is a reckless berserker. This faith-focused class begins with a spear and shield, as well as the same seal and healing spell that the confessor begins with. The major difference is that the confessor begins their journey with the damaging incantation 'Catch Flame.'
The Catch Flame incantation is a short-range damaging incantation that can be used multiple times in succession very quickly. This makes it one of the highest-damage spells early on, providing an easy method to deal with bosses very quickly. But due to the short range of the ability, this can be extremely risky. This class rewards risky plays very well and provides the foundation of a high-mind and high-faith stat-line.
The samurai is one of the most well-rounded classes in terms of equipment and statistics, particularly for beginning players. The samurai begins the game with well-distributed physical stats, including 15 dexterity and 13 endurance. While this provides a good foundation to build upon for aggressive dexterity and strength builds, their spell-focused stats are lackluster compared to the others.
With just 8 arcane and faith, and 9 intelligence, this class is not the one to choose for players who wish to dabble in spells. The starting equipment for the samurai is similarly well-rounded. Their uchigatana is one of the best starting weapons in the game, and the samurai has good defensive options in their shield. These, alongside their longbow and arrows, provide many options for a starting playstyle.
The wretch is a FromSoft tradition for the most committed and hardcore of gamers. Ever since Dark Souls 1, FromSoft has included a class that has the lowest base stats and almost no equipment - the wretch. While players may expect this to be the worst option, it is surprisingly a very popular class among experienced players.
The wretch may have the most average statistics - tens across the board - but this makes them the most customizable class. By starting with this class, players will be committing to a character who is able to have no wasted stats in the end game. The wretch's early game will almost certainly be the most difficult possible, but it's a tradeoff that is worth considering if players have the experience and skill.