Black Desert Online: All Classes and How to Choose the Right One

Black Desert Online is the brand new MMORPG that switches things up to provide much more of an action feel to the gameplay. Driving the action in this brand new game are the classes that players can choose from when creating their characters.

You can choose your class from a pool of 12, with some being male and female versions of one another. Your class determines your method of attack and the skills you can acquire throughout your adventure, so choosing the correct class makes all the difference when trying to survive.

We’ll break down each of the classes for you so that you can make the right choice when the time comes. 

Plum/Blader

Plums and Bladers are your swordswomen and swordsmen respectively. These particular warriors are more focused on speed and high damage than anything else, meaning they care little for heavy armor. Relying mostly on leather and cloth, Plums and Bladers put themselves at risk as they dance in and out of battle.

This class has a focus on close-range melee combat but is bolstered with a few ranged attacks such as throwing knives and other skills. This makes both builds perfect for those who plan on playing in groups. Serving as a sort of ravager who can keep delivering damage while slower allies set up for big attacks is a great use. Just practice your dodging, as no class needs it more than these two.

There is a slight difference between the Plum and the Blader, though. While they are generally the same across the board, Bladers lean more towards Area of Effect (AoE) attacks as you level them up. This makes them perfect for crowd control against small hordes of enemies. The Plums take more pride in their hybrid nature providing much more support from long range.

As long as you keep in mind that these aren’t built for receiving damage this is one of the most useful classes. They take some getting used to, but those new to intense action games shouldn’t be too wary. 

Ranger

This is a DPS class that is perfect for both novice and experienced gamers. Focusing on deadly ranged attacks with their bows they can pin down enemies from a safe distance and easily dispatch them.

While the bow is the lifeblood of this class, it also has a few tricks up its sleeve in case things get a bit too close. The Ranger’s kick can stun an opponent giving the player ample time to retreat to a safer position. As you level up this class you will earn more control abilities that will allow you to stun entire groups at one time, making this class strong in almost all situations. As long as you can control the crowds by planning out where to stun and where to strike, your party will be able to take down any army.

Rangers are predominantly archers, though, so if you want something that is a bit more in-your-face, then you may want to give this one a wide berth. However, for those who don’t mind playing the distance game and love to control situations, this is a great option.

 Berserker

The Berserker is your tank class, capable of taking tons of damage while dishing out the same. In exchange for mobility, the Berserker can tough it out in even the most dangerous situations. With that being said, there is little in the way of ranged ability.

Since the Berserker is more suited for the frontlines, its attacks revolve around it having an enemy in its face at all times. AoE attacks that take out nearby opponents with wild spins, grabs that pin unlucky saps down, and powerful melee attacks make this class formidable. If you have solid support from any ranged class, you’ll have no worries whatsoever.

The ability to both dish out and take so much pain makes this one of the easier classes to play. The brawler-centric feel of the Berserker keeps the action engaging and fun, and allows for even newer players to enjoy themselves without the constant overbearing risk of death. 

Sorcerer

Sorcerers are a magic-based class that serve as a sort of hybrid between Witches and Plums. Unlike the other magical classes, the Sorcerer does not feel out of place in close-ranged combat. In fact, it excels at melee. Yet, like Plums, it isn’t exactly built for taking damage meaning you will need quite a bit of skill to use the Sorcerer as your class.

With multiple skills to control the battlefield, you can lock and lure enemies to where you see fit so that you can use your melee skills. With a focus on one-on-one combat, the Sorcerer is unparalleled and can even do quite well in solo play. But, this class isn’t for the faint of heart.

Beginner’s, whether it’s those new to Black Desert Online or action combat in general, should not choose this class unless prepared for some hardships. This is not an easy class to play but is very rewarding once you get the hang of it. 

Witch/Wizard

The Witch and Wizard classes are the same, just one is female and one is male. Both rely on powerful elemental abilities to do damage to large groups of enemies. There is a huge downside to using these classes though, timing. In exchange for high damage capabilities, spells take a long time to cast leaving the player open to danger.

The Witch/Wizard class is suited for group play where others can man the front lines while you set up control. Freezing and burning enemies, healing allies, and keeping things moving forward is what this class was built for. Having Berserkers or other warriors with you is a saving grace.

Witches and Wizards are relatively easy to play as long as you have some friends, but if you plan on going solo, combat requires a lot of preparation. Watching your MP and HP, finding good casting position, and maintaining awareness are key. 

Tamer

The Tamer comes with a pet, a powerful one. Using your powerful beast friend, you can easily overpower most foes since they’ll have trouble dealing with more than one aggressor. While the class is built for melee, the ability to summon your friend and utilize their combat abilities for a period of time allows you to find breathing room in pretty much any situation.

The Tamer is suitable for both solo and group play and is perfect for ambushes. Use your pet to distract and attack opponents, drawing their attention sort of like a tank. This leaves those you want to defeat open to attacks from yourself and your party members.

As long as you don’t mind taking the time to learn how to best utilize your pet (timing, attacks, defense) this is a great class that is unique in Black Desert Online. 

Kunoichi/Ninja

Assassination is always fun, and that’s exactly what the Kunoichi and Ninja bring to the table. Similar to the Plum/Blader, this class utilizes both melee and ranged attacks to break opponents apart. Both the Kunoichi and Ninja rely on speed as well, but they also have a few extra tricks up their sleeves that help to differentiate them from other classes.

Using Ninjutsu and trickery, these classes focus on stealth and providing advantages on the battlefield. They also specialize in aerial attacks, meaning you’ll get to jump around a lot while raining down the pain. As is the case with most high-speed classes, armor is very limited, but with more evasive maneuvers than any other class in the game, they are perfectly suited for one on one.

We must note that this class does require a lot of skill to use, even with all of its different abilities. Combos, dodging, and stealth are what will keep a Kunoichi or Ninja alive. They are much less forgiving than the Plum and Blader when it comes to taking damage. Those who aren’t careful will see themselves dying rather quickly if they just jump into things. Planning and choosing a succession of targets will need to be kept in mind at all times to assure victory. 

Valkyrie/Warrior

The Valkyrie and Warrior are your other tank classes. Built for melee combat, they use a sword and shield to mitigate incoming assaults and dish out a high amount of hurt. They both focus solely on close-quarters combat, but make up for that with buffs and the ability to easily knock down opponents. They can also block nearly all frontal damage, something that will help less skilled players quite a bit.

Although they use a lot of the same skills and can serve the same purpose in parties, the Valkyrie and Warrior do have their differences. The Valkyries have the best defense in the game, making them the best tank you can choose. This makes them quite a bit tougher than their male counterparts, the Warriors. The Warriors, on the other hand, have much better mobility in battle. Adept at dodging to get into a better position in a fight.

Both are perfect for new and experienced players as long as you’re willing to give up ranged battle.