Elden Ring: Best Starting Classes For Beginners (2024)

Of the 10 classes available for players to choose from in Elden Ring some are much more suited for beginners to FromSoftware games than others. A class like the Wretch, for example, should only be touched by veterans of Souls games who know generally what to expect.

If Elden Ring is your first FromSoftware game, you're in for quite a special experience, but it's an experience that doesn't hold the player's hand past the first few opening minutes. The game has been hailed by many as one of the most accessible, yet most difficult, FromSoftware RPGs yet – make it a little bit less of a punishing first experience by choosing one of these five classes.

Updated June 7, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: Determining the Elden Ring best classes for beginners can be difficult because the differences between the starter classes, towards the end of the game, seem very minor. But at the beginning of Elden Ring, class differences can mean a lot – and can grant you access to Sorceries, Incantations, or alternate playstyles long before one would naturally find these builds in-game. Knowing the base value of each Elden Ring class' starting stats means a lot when going to Rennala to re-spec, for example, and having access to a Finger Seal or Staff can mean being able to equip and cast Sorceries and Incantations much sooner. This guide to the best beginner classes Elden Ring players can pick has been re-formatted and updated to more completely describe each starter class, what their benefits are, and what their starting stats and equipment are.

Confessor

The Confessor is a Faith and melee-oriented class that is great for players going into Elden Ring solo. Their high Strength and Dex stats let them use a variety of weapons right from the get-go, and their high Faith and Mind lets them cast Incantations with ease.

Confessors start with two abilities - Urgent Heal, a rapid but ineffective self-healing Incantation, and Assassin's Approach, which silences the player's movement and reduces fall damage slightly. They start with a Broadsword, a not-half-bad melee weapon, and a Blue Crest Heater Shield, which blocks 100% physical damage. While nothing in Elden Ring is easy, being a Confessor gives players more healing options and a pretty decent melee loadout.

Confessor Starting Stats

Confessor Starting Equipment & Spells

Vagabond

The Vagabond is a martial-oriented class that starts with two melee weapons of different ranges. Their Longsword is fast and good for close combat, while their Halberd can take out enemies from a few more feet away, though it takes more effort to swing. Their Heater Shield, like the Confessors, blocks 100% physical damage as well.

Vagabonds are a great class to start with in Elden Ring because of their high Vigor stat, which significantly increases HP, as well as their high Strength stat, which makes them hit harder with stronger weapons. The main drawback to the Vagabond is their lack of ranged options, though their high Dexterity means they can pick up basic Bows without much hassle.

Vagabond Starting Stats

Vagabond Starting Equipment & Spells

Prisoner

The Prisoner is one of two Sorcery-inclined classes in Elden Ring, the other being the Astrologer. Though both have high Mind and Dexterity stats, the Prisoner is the better choice for beginners thanks to its starting equipment. When it comes to stats, a 12 in Mind gives them a good reserve of FP, while a 14 in Dexterity and Intelligence makes them equally strong in both close and long-ranged combat.

Their starting Sorcery is Magic Glintblade, which creates a homing blade from a location after a short delay. It's not the most powerful Sorcery in the game, but charging it up for a few seconds does make it much more viable. While Astrologers only start with a Staff and a Shield, Prisoners start with a Sword as well, meaning they aren't reliant on spells for the initial parts of the game.

Prisoner Starting Stats

PrisonerStarting Equipment & Spells

Hero

The Hero class is a brutal melee-oriented class that is essentially Elden Ring's version of a traditional fantasy Barbarian. They have a very high Strength stat, necessary to wield their weighty and powerful Battle Axe, as well as high Endurance and Vigor to increase their HP, Stamina, and total Equip Load. Just like with the Vagabond, the main drawback to the Hero class is their lack of ranged options.

They have low stats in Dex, Mind, Int, and Faith, though, which means you will have to spend a few points to bring them up to a level where spells, bows, and other ranged abilities can be used. They are good for beginners who don't care about Sorceries, Incantations, and ranged combat, for players who want to just get into a fight, say nothing, deal massive damage with their Battle Axe, and walk away mostly unscathed. The best defense is a powerful offense, right?

Hero Starting Stats

Hero Starting Equipment & Spells

Prophet

The Prophet is the opposite side of the coin to the Confessor. While Confessors excel at solo content and in melee combat thanks to their self-healing and buffing abilities, the Prophet is better if you plan to play Elden Ring with friends. Their starting equipment is not the greatest – a Short Spear and Rickety Shield are relatively weak options – but it's their starting abilities that make them powerful allies.

They have access to the Heal Incantation right from the beginning of Elden Ring, which heals allied players as well as Spirit Summons for just as much as it heals the player. Their other Incantation, Catch Flame, is a very powerful close-range blast of fire, which deals massive damage to all but the most fire-resistant foes. Choose the Prophet over the Confessor if you plan to experience the game with friends, but choose the Confessor if you want to go at it alone.

Prophet Starting Stats

Prophet Starting Equipment & Spells

Elden Ring

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

Publisher(s)

Bandai Namco Entertainment , From Software

Genre(s)

RPG , Action

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence