All 10 Elden Ring starting classes, ranked for beginners

The right class will make your first steps into the Lands Between easier.

Beginners should definitely avoid the Wretch in Elden Ring. The equivalent of Dark Souls’ Deprived class, the Wretch starts off pathetically underequipped but gives experienced players the most flexibility in their later builds.

Don’t confuse this with the Dark Souls Bandit, which is closer to Elden Ring’s Hero. This Bandit is a low-health stealth class that prizes bow damage and parry attacks — two extremely specialized playstyles that will give newcomers trouble.

To be clear, Prophet is an excellent class; It just might not be the best for beginners. They get early access to powerful Faith-based Incantations, but their low health can make the early game a pain for novices.

The Prisoner is another powerful class that takes some work to learn. It’s great for hybrid Dexterity/Intelligence builds, but low Vigor, Endurance, and pitiful Faith will make staying alive tough in the early game.

Elden Ring’s Warrior starts with very high Dexterity, but unimpressive Vigor and Endurance. With its dual swords or other Dexterity weapons, it does massive damage, but managing stamina will be difficult.

Samurai is a great all-rounder, with high Dexterity making it powerful at close- and long-range, plus decent health and stamina. Also, its starting armor looks cool as hell, which can’t be overlooked. A great choice if you want ranged damage without magic.

Astrologer is by no means the easiest starting class in Elden Ring, but it makes up for it with raw power. Starting with high Intelligence means you’ll do more magic damage and be able to use high-level spells sooner. The downside is low health and stamina, which takes some getting used to.

Sometimes, offense really is the best defense in FromSoft games. The Hero starts with a massive 16 Strength and a Battle Axe, so you can cut down early enemies with ease. It also starts with great Vigor and Endurance, keeping your health and stamina on the high end.

Confessor is a great starting class for players who want flexibility in their build. It’s got a decent stat spread so you can try out different playstyles before settling on one, and starts with high Faith, needed to cast healing spells.

When it comes to survivability, the Vagabond is unmatched. This class comes with high Vigor for extra health and does good damage in melee from the start. It also starts with great armor and two efficient, no-frills weapon options, which will serve you well at early levels.