What Class Should You Pick in Elden Ring?

Shortly after launching Elden Ring, you’ll be met with the class selection and character customization screen. It’s a tough choice, as there are ten different options. If you’re like most players, you’ll just pick whatever looks the coolest to you. However, other players might be after a different type of playstyle. Considering each class has unique stats, what class should you pick in Elden Ring?

We’re here to give you a breakdown of all the classes to help you make an informed decision. At the end of the day, we’d recommend playing whatever you enjoy most. However, we understand some people may want a class with more strength, more dexterity, more stealthiness, or maybe go the caster route. Let’s dive into the class breakdown to help you get acquainted.

Elden Ring Classes and Stats

Astrologer

Astrologer begins at level six with 16 intelligence and 15 mind as the primary stats. You can infer from the name that it’s a sorceress and therefore starts with a staff for a weapon. Playing a caster is a specific playstyle, so this may be some players’ cup of tea, while not for others. If you prefer caster classes and want to test out the magic in Elden Ring, give it a shot. There’s a variety of long and close-range spells to make some cool magic builds. The nice thing is you’ll get your FP back after killing mobs, and you always have a melee weapon handy in case of emergency.

Bandit

Bandits start at level five with a well-rounded set of stats, the highest being 14 Arcane, followed by 13 Dexterity. The class begins with a bow and dagger and a small parry shield. It’s a tough class for newcomers because it’s more stealth-style gameplay that exploits critical hit damage. However, if you like to play games as a stealthy backstabbing rogue, this is a great pick for you. After all, it’s not a bad choice if you plan to go dexterity or have an Arcane build in mind. We’d probably recommend Warrior for the former, though.

Confessor

Confessor begins at level ten with 14 Faith, 13 Mind, and 12 Dexterity as the primary stats. The class begins with a broadsword and finger seal. Like the Prisoner, it’s for hybrid-build players but uses Faith instead of Intelligence. A Confessor will allow you to use incantations as well as use melee weapons effectively, so it’s a nice build with a bunch of different playstyles. Again, it’s a solid overall pick.

Hero

The Hero class is a strength-based build that begins at level seven with 16 Strength. Hero is the class to pick if you like wielding huge, heavy-hitting, but slow weapons. It’s more or less the opposite of the Vagabond but still a melee-oriented build. Beginning with high strength like this sets you up on the path to going a pure strength build throughout the entire game. This is a good option if you want to roleplay as a barbarian.

Prisoner

The Prisoner starts at level nine with 14 Dexterity and Intelligence and has a rapier and a sorcery staff to start. Given the stat allocation, this class is ideal for anyone who wants to build out a class with Dexterity and Intelligence. The Dexterity synergizes well here because it increases casting speed. You can use this class to build a fast-paced caster who can mess around with some melee weapons. It’s a fun playstyle and definitely a great pick overall.

Prophet

Prophet is another magic-based class, and it begins at level seven with 16 Faith and 14 Mind as the primary stats. It’s a similar class to Astrologer in that it’s magic-based. However, it uses faith spells or incantations. It really comes down to preference between whether to pick Prophet or Astrologer if you’re set on playing a magic build. The Prophet starts with a staff and spear for weapons.

Samurai

Samurai is a melee class that starts with 15 Dexterity, followed by 13 Endurance, 12 Vigot, and 11 Mind for its primary stats. As you can see from the stats, the Samurai is dexterity-focused, but it also has some nice strength, making it a viable candidate for a quality build. The class starts with a bow, as well as a samurai sword.

Vagabond

The Vagabond begins at level nine and is a solid choice for any melee-oriented build. It’s what many players would consider a quality build, or, in other words, rounded out strength and dexterity stats that let you go any route with melee weapons. It’s a good starter class for newcomers who want to play the game and learn the ropes, so we’d say this is one of the safer bets.

Warrior

The Warrior is a dexterity-based class that begins at level eight with 16 dexterity as the primary stat. At the start of the game, you’ll have two scimitars that allow you to dual-wield right out of the gate. If you want to run dexterity weapons through all of Elden Ring, the warrior class is one you should consider. Dexterity weapons entail things like katanas, daggers, and things of that nature. They are fast and lightweight, as opposed to strength weapons which are heavy and slow.

Wretch

Last but not least is the Wretch. This is the obligatory naked class with ten in every stat. It begins at level one with a trusty old club. You may think this is the worst class and designed for masochists, but it actually gives you the most room to build your character however you like. The fact that Wretch starts at level one means you can go in any direction you wish. That said, this is not a beginner-friendly pick, but it is still a viable pick if you’re down for a challenge and like the freedom to fully build your character how you want.

Now that you have a quick breakdown of every class in Elden Ring, which one will you pick? The choice is yours, and yours alone. We’d recommend thinking about how you like to play games like this and picking based on the stats.