Dark Souls II Classes

In your journey through the world of Drangleic, you are able to utilise a variety of different weapons, spells and all other sorts of equipment. While the class you decide may not be binding as to how you’re gonna develop the build of your character, choosing the one that best fits your playstyle can provide you with an adequate headstart.

In this guide, we will be looking at all the classes you can choose from, while discussing their advantages and disadvantages, so you can decide which class is the one for you!

Bandit

Bandit , Dark Souls 2 Class

Recommended Stat Priority: VGR > DEX > END = ADP

The Bandit class is pretty underpowered, and is easily outperformed by the majority of other classes.

It is the only class that begins with ranged weapon, the Short Bow. However, the shortage of arrows found in the early game renders it not viable as a main weapon choice. The Hand Axe it provides can prove itself to be a solid weapon throughout the early game,however it will most likely have to be replaced upon reaching the mid game. This class is also awful if you’re looking to use spells, since it has the lowest magic stats in the game and requires the investment of many levels in order to become a viable spellcaster. It also lacks defensively since the armor is nothing noteworthy and no shield is given either.

The only way to make this class viable, would be to invest in DEX , but the Swordsman is better in that regard.

Cleric

Cleric, Dark Souls 2 Class

Recommended Stat Priority: VGR > END > FTH > ATN > STR

The Cleric is a very good class, both offensively and defensively, utilising mostly STR weapons and miracles.

It starts off with a Mace, which is weapon that can carry you with ease through the early game. The only problem is that you have to invest some points into STR early on if you want to use it effectively, since the Cleric starts with 11 STR and the Mace requires 12. This investment however is worth it since the mace can hit like a truck, especially in the early game and if upgraded correctly it can become a weapon to rival most endgame weapons.

The bread and butter of the Cleric however is the fact that you begin the game with the ability to cast miracles. Specifically you can use your Sacred Chime to cast Heal, which ,as the name suggests, heals you for an amount of your Max HP. The shortage of Estus Flasks in this game intil the mid/late game proves healing miracles to be quite effective in granting you sustainability.

Deprived

Deprived , Dark Souls 2 Class

Recommended Stat Priority: Honestly, it’s up to you.

The Deprived class is definetely for players who know what they’re doing.

This class starts at Soul Level 1 forcing every stat to start with a 10, essentially handing over to you full control of how your character will develop. The fact that it starts at SL1 means that the first few level ups are going to be cheaper than normal, enabling you to focus on a specific skill set.

However, the downsides to this are immense, you start the game without a weapon, forcing you to use your fists to open your way through the first stage of the game. This can prove quite challening for new players since fists deal miniscule amounts of damage, especially without investment in STR/DEX. Also, you start of the game without any clothes, making you prone to death by most attacks by even the weakest enemies.

For a new player, the early game will be a nightmare to get through. We do not recommend this class unless you absolutely know what you’re doing.

Explorer

Explorer, Dark Souls 2 Class

Recommended Stat Priority: VGR > DEX > ADP > END

The Explorer is a pretty underpowered class, because it essentially gives you nothing of value in return for its low stats.

The class provides you with a Dagger as a weapon, which forces you to play around backstabs until you can replace it with a better weapon. It also provides you with a variety of different  consumable items, of which almost all are not really anything to take note of, except the Pharros Lockstone. This item allows you to unlock areas that are hidden behind Pharros Contraptions,which may sometimes hold special equipment. However, there are many of these items scattered around through the game, and picking this class just for that is not worth it. Lastly, this class comes with a Spell Quartz Ring, which increases defense against magical attacks.

Due to this class being martially weak and also lacking in magic capabilities, other classes easily outperfrom it.

Knight

Knight, Dark Souls 2

Recommended Stat Priority: VGR > STR/DEX > END > ADP

The Knight is as solid as a class can get. It starts with a broadsword, which isn’t that bad but you’re definitely better off swapping it with a longsword as soon as possible. This class offers high adaptability, meaning that you can roll through most attacks relatively easier than most other classes and has the highest base HP. It does not come with a shield, so you are more than encouraged to hold your weapon with both hands, increasing its damage. However, if you’re looking to cast some spells, you’re gonna have to invest many levels on INT/FTH and ATN.

The Knights stat distribution allows you to build around STR/DEX oriented weapons, such as most straight swords and greatswords and it can also be a good class for finesse weapons as well.

Sorcerer

Sorcerer , Dark Souls 2 Class

Recommended Stat Priority: VGR > INT > ATN > END

The Sorcerer is arguably the most powerful starting class in the game.

This class starts with a dagger,like the Explorer, but unlike the former, the Sorcerer also has a Sorcerer’s Staff and the ability to cast Soul Sorceries. This staff is the most powerful staff in the game for low INT characters, making it the best staff in the early mid/game, so feel free to invest in upgrading it.

The best thing about the Sorcerer however, is its ability to hit hard from safe distances. The starter spell soul arrow is perfect for dealing with most enemies up until the mid game and of course you will unlock several upgraded versions of that spell as well as other damaging and utility spells. The most important thing however is that, you can stack the same spell into as many spell slots as you have, granting you essentially twice or thrice the uses that you’d normally have.

The best of it all though, is that if later in the game you decide to mix up some melee weapons in this build, with the correct infusions, you can deal tons of damage, sometimes even more than a build focused around the main scaling stats of any weapon could score.

Swordsman

Swordsman, Dark Souls 2 Class

Recommended Stat Priority: VGR > DEX > ADP > END

The Swordsman that focuses around fast attacks and centers around Powerstancing.

This class starts off with 2 swords, the Schimitar and the Shortsword. In order to make them effective, you have to Powerstance with them, meaning that you have to dual wield them and unlock the new moveset. However, the Swordsman is unable to Powerstance at the beginning of the game, requiring 10(!) levels ups to be invested in DEX/STR. This, combined with the very low HP and lack of shield, render the Swordsman a class that is not recommended for new players, since you’re gonna have to excel at dodging in order to avoid dying even by the weakest enemies.

However, if you manage to get past the early stages of the game and level up enough to unlock Powerstancing, this class can offer excess amounts of damage in extremely high speeds.

Warrior

Warrior , Dark Souls 2 Class

Recommended Stat Priority: VGR > STR/VIT > END

The Warrior is a beginner friendly class, which allows you to withstand large amounts of damage thanks to its well rounded armor and shield.

This class starts off with a broken straight sword, which as the name implies, is not really that effective. Therefore, you’re better off changing it with the first weapon you find, fortunately the Warriors stats will most likely be able to support it. The Iron Parma, which is the shield that the Warrior has, is not too bad, even though it doesn’t provide you with 100% resistance against Physical damage.

With some early investments in VGR and END, the Warrior can be a pretty solid class that can accommodate most martial weapons.