Best starting classes to use in Elden Ring

First-time Tarnished are faced with an immediate question when beginning Elden Ring: what is the best starting class?

It largely depends on how you want to fight. Classes like the Warrior, Vagabond, and Hero, emphasize melee combat, while ranged combat is more of a focus for the Astrologer, Prisoner, and, to some extent, the Samurai. But which is best for you?

Best starting class for Elden Ring beginners

Here’s a soft ranking list of the starting classes. The decision varies from player to player but, based on in-house testing and asking the community, all playstyles are viable in Elden Ring and classes merely provide a framework for early playthroughs. This list ranks the classes based on starting stats and equipment for the first few areas.

Vagabond

• Best if you like: Up and close combat or long reach combat
• Strengths: Vigor, Heater shield
• Weaknesses: Arcane
• Best Weapons: Greatswords and Colossal Weapons

The Vagabond is believed to be the best starting class in the game. This class provides a great starting framework for players looking to get up in the enemy’s face with melee combat. With the highest starting Vigor of any starting class at 15 and the lowest Arcane stat at seven, this class is one of the most optimal classes for melee players. This is because the lowest attributes are ones melee users will not use (Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane).

Boasting its large melee-based stat investment with 14 Strength and 13 Dexterity, the Vagabond comes equipped with a longsword and halberd to use at the start. This gives players the option to use a short or long-reach weapon. It also has the heater shield, a fantastic starting shield to use at the beginning and even the end of the game due to its 100-percent physical guard.

With the exception of the elemental attributes on weapons, the heater shield allows players to block all physical damage that comes from melee and ranged-based weapons.

Best starting melee classes to use in Elden Ring

Hero

• Best if you like: High damage
• Strengths: Strength, beginning health and stamina
• Weaknesses: One dimensional
• Best Weapon: Colossal Weapons

The Hero has the highest strength stat of all other classes at 16. Equipped with the battle-axe as a starting weapon and wild strikes weapon art, melee users have a high damage output class capable of taking on a lot of different enemies and areas. This class starts with the champion’s armor set and leather shield. In combination with its starting Vigor and Endurance, this class provides the player with a great starting health pool and stamina bar.

Samurai

• Best if you like: Agility and parrying
• Strengths: Dexterity and Endurance, Physical Defense
• Weaknesses: Overly offensive, not defensive
• Best Weapon: Rivers of Blood

The Samurai comes in with the highest Endurance stat across all starting classes. This is one of the most versatile kits to start with. Equipped with the Land of Reeds armor set and Red Thorn Roundshield, Samurais have a high physical defense. This makes it a great option for melee players looking to absorb hits while in the enemy’s face. For offense, the class has a Longbow and Uchigatana. Being able to start with a strong weapon like the Uchigatana will be a great choice for many players due to the usable move set and blood loss secondary effect the katana provides.

The Longbow gives an additional ranged option for sniping enemies at a distance and only adds to the Samurai’s great starting kit.

Confessor

• Best if you like: Assassin-like combat
• Strengths: Balanced stats, Heater Shield
• Weaknesses: Low Health
• Best Weapon: Rogier’s Rapier

The Confessor is another assassin-type class similar to the Bandit. It doesn’t have any of the highest or lowest stats, but it does have the highest starting total level at 10. The class’ highest stat is Faith, with equal Strength and Dexterity just below. It starts with the full Confessor’s armor set as well as the Blue Crest Heater Shield, which blocks 100 percent of incoming physical damage. That’s a very welcomed shield for those just starting out.

Players will also start with the Finger Seal for incantations and the Broadsword for a melee weapon. Assassin’s Approach, which makes the user move silently, and Urgent Heal, a quick low heal, are the starting incantations. Whether players take a stealth approach or an in-your-face assault with heals to fall back on, they can fight how they want with this starting class.

Warrior

• Best if you like: Speedy attacks
• Strengths: Dexterity, Dual-wielding immediately
• Weaknesses: No ranged, lower health
• Best Weapon: Magma Blade

Starting with two scimitars, this Dexterity-based class is a good starting option for those looking to strike quickly with their weapon. The Warrior is the only starting class that can use the dual-wielding weapon system new to Elden Ring right out of the gates. Equipped with the warrior and blue cloth armor along with the riveted wooden round shield, the Warrior offers medium physical stats.

Players looking to specialize in Dexterity weaponry should do well starting with the Warrior since it has the highest starting Dexterity stat of any other starting class.

Best starting ranged classes to use in Elden Ring

There are quite a few ranged options in Elden Ring, with several weapons and Sorceries that allow you to deal damage from a distance without having to get up too close. You will likely have to sacrifice some HP or Strength, but you can also build hybrid setups later on.

Astrologer

• Best if you like: Magic
• Strengths: Intelligence
• Weaknesses: Weak starting equipment
• Best Weapon: Carian Regal Scepter

The Astrologer is an Intelligence-based class that offers players early access to magic-based combat. It starts with the highest base Intelligence stat over all other classes at 16. Equipped with a Shortsword, Astrologer’s Staff, Scripture Wooden Shield, and Astrologer robe set, this is the frailest starting class with the lowest physical stats.

Using the Glintstone Pebble and Arc from range as the main damage output, players should still be careful due to the low health pool that the Astrologer starts with.

Those looking to specialize in sorceries should start with the Astrologer and continue to level up Intelligence.

Prophet

• Best if you like: Healing Capabilities
• Strengths: Faith, Offensive & Defensive
• Weaknesses: Low physical defense
• Best Weapon: Winged Scythe

The Prophet is a Faith-based class that will look to specialize in offensive and defensive incantations. This class has the lowest Endurance, Intelligence, and Dexterity, but it offers 16 Faith and 14 Mind, so players can rely on the Catch Flame and Heal incantations to start with. Catch Flame is a decent starting incantation. With a short casting time, this can be used quickly and in a pinch to stagger enemies and create distance to use the Shorts Spear.

Equipped with the Prophet set, Rickety Shield, Short Spear, and Finger Seal, this class has low physical defenses but is versatile on the ground and horseback.

Prisoner

• Best if you like: Magic but not dying
• Strengths: Balanced Stats, Defensive capabilities
• Weaknesses: Weak starting armor
• Best Weapon: Glintstone Kris

The Prisoner is a unique starting class since it’s a hybrid class with a good spread of starting stats. It does not have the highest in any stat but, with a blend of Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence, the Prisoner is a more defensive Astrologer. This class starts with the Prisoner’s armor set and iron mask. It comes equipped with an Estoc, a great stab weapon, and a Glintstone Staff used for casting sorceries.

Magic Glintstone Blade is the starting sorcery for the Prisoner. This conjures a magic sword above the player that hones in on the target after a set amount of time. The delay makes it a great spell to combo with the main hand weapon.

Bandit

• Best if you like: Both up close melee and ranged
• Strengths: Finding items
• Weaknesses: Good luck spellcasting
• Best Weapon: Horn Bow

The Bandit offers players a more assassin-like class to start off their adventure with. Equipped with the Bandit armor set, Buckler, and Great Knife, this class offers medium to low physical stats.

While the Great Knife may not appear to be the most desirable of the starting weapons, it has the blood loss secondary effect to help players take on a variety of different foes. 

This class starts with the highest Arcane stat of any class. Arcane is not only involved in boosting the player’s item discovery but also the rate at which secondary effects build up. With a higher Arcane stat on the Bandit, players can use the blood loss mechanic on the Great Knife for massive damage as they take on bosses and other enemies.

The class also comes with a short bow that offers players an alternative option and a break from the close-quarters combat normally required by the Great Knife.

Worst starting class in Elden Ring

Wretch

• Best if you like: A challenge
• Strengths: Maleable, club
• Weaknesses: Difficult for newcomers
• Best Weapons: Club

While pretty much all starting classes in Elden Ring are viable, and the starting bonuses won’t have any serious consequences in the long run, we advise new players from starting with the wretch.

A recurring class from previous FromSoftware titles, the Wretch is a blank-slate class that doesn’t give the player any starting options other than a club to wield. While the club is actually a decent weapon to start the game with due to its high poise damage, a check for staggering enemies, players may find the class difficult because of its low physical defenses and starting health pool.

This is a soft ranking list of the starting classes in Elden Ring. It is important to remember every starting class in the game is viable based on playtesting and community feedback.