If you’re just now starting up an Elden Ring playthrough, choosing the starter class that meshes with your desired play style is a tough call to make. In the long run, your class doesn’t strictly keep you chained down to a particular build – just your starting prowess – and you can respec down the line, thanks to Larval Tears.
But in its opening hours, the best Elden Ring starting classes outshine the rest by a mile, such as having various ways to attack or offering sturdy defenses that allow you to survive longer. We’ll dive into what each of them brings to the table and leave the rest to you to decide!
Best Starting Classes in Elden Ring
1: Vagabond
The sword-and-board Vagabond is a beginner-friendly class with the highest Vigor (health) among all the starting classes. For someone new to the Soulslike combat or wanting better survivability, the Vagabond is a solid pick for those moments when plenty of enemies are hitting you since it has good armor.
But it’s not just a tanky class; it has easy access to reliable Strength or Dexterity weapons such as a Longsword or Halberd. And because of the Heater Shield it starts with, you can easily switch between attacking and defending based on your battle situation.
2: Confessor
The Confessor in Elden Ring is a blended mix of a Faith-based spellcaster with all-rounder melee capabilities. Based on its wide array of options, it’s easily one of the best starting classes in Elden Ring, moving between close-quarters combat and long-range spell-slinging with ease.
Despite those pointers, it doesn’t particularly excel at anything else besides Faith. And you’ll have to make the decision on which stats to focus on since its starting attributes are balanced and don’t skew in a single direction for melee weapons. Though, it’s still a stable class that can set you on your way if you’re on the fence and need to feel the game out before committing.
3: Samurai
If you’re into occasionally picking off enemies with arrows and using speedy Dexterity-based melee weapons, the Samurai class will fit your play style. It’s an ideal class that can shift between close and long-range fast but benefits the daredevils who like to dodge, parry, and master attack combos.
On top of that, the Samurai has the highest Endurance out of the starting class lineup. But you won’t be doing any magic starting out in Elden Ring due to its poor stats. Regardless, it’s a very versatile fighter.
4: Astrologer
The Astrologer class has very few options from the start but can wreak havoc from afar with its Sorcery spells. It has the highest Intelligence and Mind out of all the starting classes, and as its repertoire of spells builds, it’ll become deadlier in single or multiple target battles.
As you might expect, Astrologer being a caster means it’s incredibly frail to enemy attacks. Boosting Vigor and Endurance is a must, but as you do that, focusing on your Intelligence will allow you to use better Sorcery spells quicker and help lessen the chances of being attacked.
5: Hero
The Hero is close to one of our earlier classes, Vagabond, but is mainly good at busting heads and dealing massive damage with an ax. It has the highest starting Strength out of everyone and gets quicker access to the heavier weapon options that deal loads of damage.
With a fairly balanced Vigor and Endurance, it sits pretty well between a fast attacker and defender.
And that’s everything you need to know about the best Elden Ring starting classes! Be sure to check out our guide wiki with more tips and tricks, such as learning about the best armor for Astrologer builds and increasing your memory slots in Elden Ring.
