Elden Ring is filled with challenges from every new enemy you face, potentially meaning death, especially early on in the game. Picking through the starting classes is key to getting a head start on the world, and sorting a character that fits your play style. Thankfully, we have built a guide to help tackle this important decision, and pick the best class to take on the Lands Between.
Elden Ring Character Stats
Vigor: This is your character’s health (HP) stat
Mind: This is your Force Points (FP) stat. You will need FP for Ashes of War (and Weapon Arts) to cast Sorceries and Incantations (spells), along with summoning Spirit Ashes
Endurance: This affects your stamina and Equipment Load stat. This dictates how much you can swing, roll along with how heavy your equipment can be.
Strength: This is the stat to pay attention to for any large weapon, punching ability, along with your physical defence.
Dexterity: This is the stat you will need to pay attention to for fast and ranged weapons like Katanas and Longbows. This will also affect spell casting times, and will help reduce fall damage.
Intelligence: This is the stat for casting Sorceries, and is used to help with magic resistance.
Faith: This is the stat for all other types of magic, Incantations.
Arcane: This is a magic stat that influences item drops, similar to luck in other games.
For anyone building a new character, Vigor, Mind, Endurance are good for any class or playstyle you decide to focus on. What is important is to know if you plan to take on Elden Ring with a big weapon (Strength), ranged (Dexterity), or magic (Intelligence for mages, Faith for miracle style magic). There is no wrong way to play, so find a style that works for you and focus on it.
Elden Ring Starting Classes
| Class | Starting Level | Vigor | Mind | Endurance | Strange | Dexterity | Intelligence | Faith | Arcane |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astrologer | 6 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 7 | 9 |
| Bandit | 5 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 14 |
| Confessor | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 9 |
| Hero | 7 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 11 |
| Prisoner | 6 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 9 |
| Prophet | 7 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 10 |
| Samurai | 9 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Vagabond | 9 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Warrior | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Wretch | 1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Vagabond
“A KNIGHT EXILED FROM THEIR HOMELAND TO WANDER. A SOLID, ARMOR-CLAD ORIGIN.”
This is a good all-around class, and a great way to start your Elden Ring journey. The class has the best starting health, and does not neglect any one stat, meaning you should be good for the early game. The only downside of the Vagabond is because it is so well-rounded, it is not specialized in any one area. That means you will need to take time to adjust based on your playstyle as you go through the game.
Warrior
“A NOMAD WARRIOR WHO FIGHTS WIELDING TWO BLADES AT ONCE. AN ORIGIN OF EXCEPTIONAL TECHNIQUE“
The Warrior is a good class for those who want to deal damage quickly. You will be very deadly with fast and agile weapons, but you will not be as strong or vigorous as some other classes, so you may die a bit faster.
Hero
“A STALWART HERO, AT HOME WITH A BATTLEAXE, DESCENDED FROM A BADLANDS CHIEFTAIN.”
The Hero is for people who want a tank, who will be very strong and have a lot of health, but not nearly as fast as some other options. Great choice if you love big swords, or axes, and love going into battle head first.
Bandit
“A BANDIT WHO LIVES AND DIES BY THEIR ARROWS. A RANGED COMBAT SPECIALIST.”
A bit harder to play, the Bandit is made for people who like to be a bit more stealthy. You won’t be as deadly head on, but you will be great when you need to backstab. It is also one of the few classes with a ranged weapon from the start, the short bow.
Astrologer
“A SCHOLAR WHO READS FATE IN THE STARS. HEIR TO THE SCHOOL OF GLINTSTONE SORCERY.”
The Astrologer is your go-to choice if you want a mage. It offers high intelligence, but can also be good with some fast weapons that rely on Dexterity.
Prophet
“A SEER OSTRACIZED FOR INAUSPICIOUS PROPHECIES. WELL- VERSED IN HEALING INCANTATIONS.”
The Prophet is the faith version of the Astrologer, and the class of choice if you want to focus on an Incantations build. This class is also slightly better with Strength, so some heavy weapons should be possible if you want some hand-to-hand combat.
Samurai
“A CAPABLE FIGHTER FROM THE REMOTE LAND OF REEDS. HANDY WITH KATANA AND LONGBOWS.”
A very strong class that is great at hand-to-hand combat as well as ranged weapons. They offer plenty of Dexterity and Endurance, so you can craft a very deadly warrior. They also come with a longbow, making them a good early game ranged combat choice.
Prisoner
“A PRISONER BOUND IN AN IRON MASK. HAVING LIVED AMONG THE ELITE PRIOR TO SENTENCING, THEY’RE STUDIED IN GLINTSTONE SORCERY.”
The Prisoner is a good choice for players who love magic and combat. This is a good class for Intelligence with Dexterity builds, also starts with a fantastic spell, Magic Glintblade, that can prove very useful early on in the game.
Confessor
“A CHURCH CONFESSOR ADEPT AT COVERT OPERATIONS. RELIANT ON SWORD TECHNIQUE AND INCANTATIONS.”
The Confessor, much like the Prisoner, offers a good mix of combat and magic, only this time in the way of Faith. The class offers a good mix of stats, with most of the focus on Strength and Dexterity, with Faith being the most prominent stat.
Wretch
“A POOR SOD, NAKED AS THE DAY THEY WERE BORN. A CLUB IS ALL THEY HAVE.”
The Wretch is the class you pick if you want to start with a clean slate. Starting with almost nothing, it gives you the opportunity to spec your character anyway you choose. This is not the class you opt for if this is your first Souls like game, as it will take the most work to get built up, and will make the early game very hard.
What is the best class in Elden Ring for beginners and advanced players?
It is really hard to say what is the best class for everyone, and this is due to the way Elden Ring is built. It is a game that rewards experimentation and trial and error. If you have a playstyle that you enjoy in other games, it is worth going for that here, but there are a few classes that do stand out among all the others.
For a new player looking to experience Elden Ring for the first time, the Vagabond, Samurai, Prisoner and Astrologer all make good choices. They are well-rounded, and give you plenty of room to adjust based on your needs.
For more advanced players, the Wretch or the Bandit could be the way to go, offering a good starting point that lets experienced players build and adapt the characters to their style of play. The low starting levels make it easier to adjust and put the runes where they are needed.
