Which class to choose in Elden Ring

Trying to figure out which Elden Ring class to choose for your first playthrough? There are ten starting classes, and although some of them will immediately ring a bell from your time in Lothric or Drangleic, the Lands Between have a few weird new choices, too. Elden Ring is a bit more flexible in how you adjust your build as you play, but your initial choice will still influence the first several hours of your adventure.

What's the difference between Intelligence and Faith and what's this new Arcane stat? I'll go over all that, along with the gear and stats with which each class starts. After you meet Melina for the first time, you'll be able to start leveling your character and investing in attribute upgrades with your runes. Until then, I'm here to help you pick which of the Elden Ring classes best suits your playstyle.

All Elden Ring classes: Which should you choose?

If Elden Ring is your first Souls-style RPG, the Vagabond and Astrologer are good starting classes if you're interested in melee or casting, respectively. More experienced players may want to dabble with the interesting starting gear and stats in the Samurai or Prisoner archetypes. Read on to get a closer look at all ten Elden Ring classes.

As with any RPG, your starting class and stats in Elden Ring will dictate what kind of gear or spells you can use early on. Over time you'll invest points in your attributes, which can nudge your character into specializing or generalizing as you please. 

In case you don't know, or you need a refresher, here's what the stats mean:

• Vigor: Increases health.
• Mind: Increases Faith points for spells.
• Endurance: Controls stamina and equipment load.
• Strength/Dexterity: Requirements for equipping certain physical weapons and scales the damage you do with them.
• Intelligence/Faith/Arcane: Prerequisites and damage-scaling attributes for magic.

Vagabond

A knight exiled from their homeland to wander. A solid, armor-clad origin.

Despite what the name implies, the Vagabond is a pretty well-rounded starter class for anyone not familiar with FromSoftware's other RPGs. The Vagabond starts out with a one-handed sword, a shield, and armor, meaning you'll be well-equipped to get right down to fighting your way through the Lands Between. 

Starting your journey with 15 points in Vigor means you'll have enough health to take a few hits from most early enemies. But most importantly for new players, the points already invested in Strength and Dexterity mean you'll be able to pick up and try a variety of physical weapons early on. Once you start getting a feel for the weapon types you like, you'll be able to invest further points in one or the other.

Warrior

A nomad warrior who fights wielding two blades at once. An origin of exceptional technique.

The Warrior is slightly more specialized than the Vagabond, with a high starting Dexterity stat and a bit less in Vigor and Strength to compensate. They start out with dual swords and an offhand shield. Like the Vagabond, it's a pretty generous starting class with quite a few levels and attribute points already invested. If you want to get set up and fighting quickly and happen to know you prefer weapons fast and slashy, the Warrior is a good pick. Unlike what you might assume based on Warrior classes in other games, those who want to wield large weapons should keep scrolling and go for the Hero instead.

Hero

A stalwart hero, at home with a battleaxe, descended from a badlands chieftain.

The Hero class is the alternative choice for melee-focused players who want a little more durability than the Warrior. The hero starts with a larger shield and a battleaxe, complemented by high Strength and Vigor stats. Of the physical weapon starting classes, the Hero is nearly the lowest level, meaning that the fewest stat points have been invested on your behalf. 

It's a good pick if you're confident in your Soulslike combat skills for the early hours of the game and want the freedom to invest points to your own taste as you get your footing in Elden Ring in particular. Just note that it begins heavily skewed towards weapons which require Strength and you may need to quickly invest points in Dexterity if a different weapon type catches your fancy.

Bandit

A dangerous bandit who strikes for weak points. Excels at ranged combat with bows.

The bandit is an odd starting class, best left to players who are particularly drawn to its stats. The bandit comes equipped with a tiny shield, a knife, a bow, and arrows. Their high starting Dexterity stat pairs well with both weapons, but they also come with a quite-high 14 points in Arcane. Initially, you'll do well to use your Bandit's high Dexterity to land critical hits with your short bow, backstabs with stealth, or get really good at parrying with that little buckler shield. 

The Bandit is the lowest-level starting class besides the Wretch, which means it does leave you a lot of room to manage your own stats as you level, so long as you don't mind the slippery, stealthy start.

Astrologer

A scholar who reads fate in the stars. Heir to the school of glintstone sorcery.

On the opposite side of the combat coin from the Hero is the Astrologer, the best starting class for players who want to focus on spellcasting or lean into summoning. They start with a staff, small shield, and short sword as backup for when you really need one, along with offensive spells for multiple targets. 

Of note is the Astrologer's high Mind stat. Higher Mind means you'll initially have a higher number of Faith Points, which is what's often spent to summon spirit allies after you acquire the Spirit Calling Bell. Being able to summon a variety of spirits at will is one of Elden Ring's neat new features compared with the Souls games—if you're eager to really lean into using Spirit Ashes, the Astrologer is a good class with which to start.

Prophet

A seer ostracized for inauspicious prophecies. Well-versed in healing incantations.

Like the Warrior and Hero, the Prophet and Astrologer are two different spellcasting classes with alternate specialties. Like the Astrologer, the Prophet also has a high initial Mind stat for summoning spirits. Instead of Intelligence, they have a higher Faith stat which leads them towards spells that are more for healing and utility. They compensate by being just a bit stronger in Vigor and Strength, so melee combat isn't unviable.

Samurai

A capable fighter from the distant Land of Reeds. Handy with katana and longbows.

If you want something weird, start with the Samurai class. They come equipped with a katana, longbow, offhand shield, and fire arrows. This is the class with the second-highest Dexterity stat, after the Warrior, but with the added bonus of the immediate long-range weapon option. Starting out as a Samurai gives you the tools to attempt some cheesy strategies in the early game and mess with the open world. 

Prisoner

A prisoner bound in an iron mask. Studied in glintstone sorcery, having lived among the elite prior to sentencing.

Another undeniably-odd starter class is the Prisoner, who begins with a sword, staff, and a shield. They have 14 points in both Dexterity and Intelligence, which positions them as a sort of wild rogue sorcerer. This is a good starting build if you're willing to take things slow and think through how you want to approach combat. Some situations might be best for spellcasting, others stealth. When neither of those work, use your starting buckler shield to pull off some parries. This is a more advanced starting class.

Confessor

A church spy adept at covert operations. Equally adept with a sword as they are with their incantations.

The Confessor class is essentially a battlemage. They begin with a sword and shield along with decent Strength and Dexterity stats for wielding them. You'll also have those 14 points in Faith, which means they'll be able to invest in healing and utility spells like the Prophet. Going with Confessor means you'll have to put some thought into how you assign your stats, though. You'll need to keep putting points into several different stats, which could make your progress feel a bit slow compared to something like an Astrologer or Hero who can immediately focus on a couple key stats. This is a jack-of-all-trades class, but not one for the faint of buildcrafting.

Wretch

A poor, purposeless sod, naked as the day they were born. A nice club is all they have.

As in previous FromSoftware games, the poor naked Wretch is the most difficult starting class. You'll have just a basic club and no armor to start with, so any combat fumbles on your part won't be forgiven. Mistakes are dangerous when all you've got is a loincloth. The trade-off, of course, is that the Wretch is low level and has all tens in stats, so you're free to level up exactly to your liking. This one is best left to the confident Soulslike players who know exactly what kind of build they're angling for.