The Best Starting Classes: All Classes Ranked

Elden Ring features 10 unique starting classes to choose from. Your starting class will dictate how you begin your journey in The Lands Between and how you approach gameplay. Read on to see the best starting classes and which one is right for you!

Best Starting Classes

Video Guide

Starting Class Tier List

Rating	Classes
	・Vagabond ・Hero ・Warrior
	・Samurai ・Astrologer ・Confessor
	・Bandit ・Prophet ・Prisoner
	・Wretch

Click on any of the tiers or classes above to jump to our rating explanations!

All Starting Classes

S-Tier: The Best Classes in the Game

Classes	Description
Vagabond	The best class to choose as a beginner in Elden Ring. This is because of its heavy armor and high Strength, Dexterity, and Vigor stats. Allowing you to take more hits makes it more forgiving than any other class. Its only weakness is that it can't use magic reliably and doesn't have ranged attacks to use at the start.
Hero	Starts with high Strength and Vigor, which allows you to dish out massive physical damage against opponents while having a decent health pool to allow more room for mistakes. The only problem is it does not have any ranged weapons or magic to use from a distance
Warrior	Melee class with high Dex and Mind. Warrior starts the game with a Scimitar and decent armor. It also has access to a shield with a parry. Much like all the other classes in S-tier, it does not have any ranged weapon and can't use magic effectively at the start.

These are the best classes you can use to start your journey, especially if Elden Ring is your first game in the Souls franchise. These are generally the type of classes where you don't need to think as much as they are typically easy to use and will only require you to go in and attack with your melee weapon.

Their starting equipment has either a shield or buckler that can help you guard or parry against any incoming attacks. On top of this, they also have high defensive and attack stats, allowing you to take damage and have an easier time fighting against enemies.

A-Tier: Easy to Pick Up and Master

Classes	Description
Samurai	Samurai Class is proficient in both close and ranged combat. They are equipped to deal with any threats at any range with the Uchigatana and Long Bow. Due to their high endurance and armor, you won't be in immediate danger anytime soon. However, its only weakness is that it can not use magic effectively at the start.
Astrologer	Astrologer has to access powerful Sorcery spells early in the game and is effective against groups of enemies by using AoE spells. It also has a high FP gauge at the start that lets you spam Sorceries. However, it lacks health and stamina, which is a big problem if you aren't playing the class carefully at the start.
Confessor	A hybrid class with flexible stats, ideal for players who want to be flexible with their build. They have good early game equipment and spells that can help boost your way through the game. Confessor suffers from low stamina and health, but that can be covered by the kite shield with its 100% physical damage reduction when blocking.

These are the classes recommended for beginners that want more than just heading straight into battle. You can expect that these classes will provide you a myriad of ways with how to approach and deal with different situations. Use the balance of these classes to attack up close or from afar when it suits you!

If you want a hard but fair challenge, these classes will be sure to satisfy you as a beginner!

B-Tier: Requires Prior Experience

Classes	Description
Bandit	Bandit's playstyle is centered around parrying opponents and picking them off using the bow that the class starts with. Because of its High Dex, performing a Riposte with this class can deal a ton of damage to enemies. However, the downside of using this class comes from its low raw damage, which can prolong your fights against bosses.
Prophet	Prophet has access to powerful Incantation spells early in the game. Due to its high Faith and Mind stats, It's an ideal class to choose if you want to focus on using Incantations. The only drawback is its low health and stamina as well as weak starting equipment. You have to be careful as Incantation tends to have a longer casting time.
Prisoner	A flexible starting class that is balanced between Dexterity and Intelligence, Prisoner is more suited to the longer game. Its main problem in the beginning low Vigor that makes Prisoner quite feeble. In addition to this, the starting armor offers little protection, making this class very vulnerable to attacks. It's not as effective as a dedicated Dexterity or Intelligence class as its purpose is its versatility.

B-Tier classes are generally recommended only for those who have prior experience playing Souls games. You can expect that these classes will require proper management of your resources and a lot of planning ahead. It will require a lot of time commitment to learn and play these classes at their peak performance.

This will prove to be a challenging learning experience if you start with these classes as a beginner.

C-Tier: Get Good or Restart

Classes	Description
Wretch	A very weak starting class with a low level and no equipement. Wretch is recommended only for challenge-seekers or veteran players that are planning to make use of its flexible stat changes.

This class is only reserved for those very familiar with the Souls Franchise. Even the most experienced players will have a hard time using this class, as you have nothing but a club that deals miniature damage as your starting equipment. Aside from that, this class will start at level 1, with every stat having 10 points, making it the weakest starting class in Elden Ring. However, it also leaves this class with the most room to build up your stats the way you want.

If you're really up for the challenge, then I hope you're prepared to die a lot.

Elden Ring Related Guides

All Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks Articles