There are 10 unique and amazing classes available in Elden Ring, and they are not created all equal. There are some major differences between the classes, and some are much better suited for newer players to the genre. Especially considering that the combat in Elden Ring and other Souls games can be very challenging, and a different kind of style to what games may be used to.
In light of the differences between the starting classes, we suggest the following starting classes for beginners to the genre and those who want to have a smoother overall experience from start to finish.
Elden Ring Starting Classes
The following classes are available in Elden Ring:
- Hero
- Bandit
- Astrologer
- Warrior
- Prisoner
- Confessor
- Wretch
- Vagabond
- Prophet
- Samurai
Best starting class
It is generally recommended that the best class for beginners would be a class that has a combination of offense and defense. Low health classes will be difficult to play and require a few points of investment into stamina and decent armor in order to maintain a healthy buffer of health to survive the inevitable hits from mobs you will take.
Here are a few of our starting class recommendations (in no particular order) for beginner early game players that have good stats in either defense or offense.
Confessor Class
The Confessor uses a mix of melee combat as well as incantations and has a pretty well-rounded stat distribution. The confessor can still do great physical damage and use incantations like emergency heal to get off quick bursts of HP back. For this reason, as well as the good defensive starting stats and high dexterity combines with decent healing spells, we believe the Confessor is one of the best starting classes.
Hero Class
The Hero is the marauder/berserker class in Elden Ring and is so far our favorite starting class for beginners. 3 out of 5 of us play this class as we enjoy the large battle axe weapon play alongside the high endurance stat distribution. Plus of all the starting classes, Hero is arguably the most badass feeling with the massive one-handed axe/shield combination. Extra points for making a Dothraki-looking character as your Elden Ring class.
Prisoner Class
As one of the sorcerer starting classes in Elden Ring along with the Astrologer, the Prisoner class has better stat distribution for not only a strong mage build using magic glintblade, but also a capable fighter in melee range. being able to engage at a safe distance with spells, and then close the distance with melee weapons is a quality build option, and with a bit of self-healing and heavy armor, the Prisoner is an excellent Elden Ring starting class. You just have to get over the ugly helmet for the first few hours.
Vagabond Class
The Vagabond is probably the most durable starting class in Elden Ring. It is arguably the most well-rounded class and the most forgiving beginner class. Because of the high skill points investment into Vigor and Strength, the Vagabond is not as damage-focused as the Warrior, but far more able to fight enemies and take a few hits. This amazing melee class is a no-nonsense melee weapon-wielding juggernaut that might be overall, the best Elden Ring class for beginners who need a bit more hits before they die a horrible death. The buffer of health that the armor and durability of the Vagabond class provides is invaluable.
Ranged attack class for beginners?
Astute readers will notice that there is a complete lack of ranged combat and ranged weapons on this list, and this is not intentional, it just happens that the starting classes who use ranged weapons and abilities also balance that power with a lack of either mobility or durability. In this type of game, the buffer of health and armor is vital to surviving, even just one or two more hits than a class with ranges attacks or who rely on focus points to deal damage.
No doubts that the Astrologer class for instance is a powerhouse and can be extremely powerful in the right hands, but we suggest trying one of the previous best starting classes before moving on to something like the Samurai Class or Warrior Class, as they have their own challenges.
One note is the Prophet class, which is a healing class, using a lot of mind stats and high faith stats to heal friendly units, is an excellent choice, if you plan to play with another player throughout your game. A strong healer can be invaluable to your friends. The downside is if you are trying to play the healer solo at times, it can be a bit frustrating.
