You’ll have several classes to pick from when you begin your Elden Ring journey. However, making the correct decision will make the start of your game much easier, and selecting a class can be challenging. In this guide, we’re going to break down the best class for you to pick in Elden Ring, alongside the pros and cons of those selections.

These are all of the classes you pick from in Elden Ring.

  • AstrologerBanditConfessorHeroPrisonerProphetSamuraiVagabondWarriorWretch

The Melee classes

For those who prefer the melee classes, you’ll want to go with the Vagabond, Warrior, or the Samurai. The Vagabond comes with the highest vigor of the starting classes, giving you a good amount of health, and mostly focuses on strength-based weapons. While the Warrior has slightly less vigor, the starting stats make it flexible and quick, leaning into dexterity-based weapons. The Samurai is better than the Vagabond but with more dexterity points and a longbow. These three classes are good starts for anyone who wants to lean towards the melee classes.

The Vagabond will likely be a reliable favorite for multiple players of those three.

The Magic classes

If you’re looking to do something more based on magic, you’ll want to go over to the Astrologer, the Confessor, or the Prophet. For those who prefer healing and Faith-based spells, you’ll want to go with the Prophet, and it comes with a handful of points that increase its melee capabilities. On the other hand, if you prefer intelligence-based spells, the Astrologer will be a reliable option. You can do a handful of single-target spells that make you deadly against specific targets, but you might struggle against more prominent groups, and you’ll start the game with a short sword and little else available to you. Finally, the Confessor is the class right in the middle.

The Prophet is a good choice for those who want to use healing spells early in the game. Although, if you’re new to the game, the Confessor is a reliable option for anyone jumping into the game for the first playthrough.

We highly recommend new players to try out the Vagabond, Warrior, Prophet, or Confessor classes of the many choices. They will give you an idea of how to play the game best and give you plenty of flexibility to create an ideal character that adequately reflects your playstyle.