Best Starting Class in Elden Ring: Picks by Playstyle

Vagabond is the best starting class for most players: it has the highest Vigor of the original ten classes, a sword, a halberd and a shield from the first minute. If you already know you want a specific build, pick the class whose top stats match it, such as Astrologer for sorceries or Samurai for Dexterity melee.

Your choice matters less over a full playthrough than it seems, because levelling is free-form and every stat can be raised later. What the class really decides is how the first ten hours feel and which stats you start with for free.

What is the best starting class in Elden Ring overall?

Vagabond earns the overall pick on simple numbers. It opens at level 9 with 15 Vigor, 14 Strength and 13 Dexterity, so it already meets or nearly meets the requirements of many early melee weapons. Its Faith, Intelligence and Arcane are low, which costs nothing on a melee character.

Opinions do differ. The Fextralife wiki names Vagabond the ideal choice for melee fighters and beginners, and notes that Samurai is a favourite with many players. PCGamesN instead recommends Samurai, Prisoner and Astrologer to newcomers.

Elden Ring starting classes and stats table

The table covers all twelve classes. Heavy Knight and Idus Knight arrived with Patch 1.17 and the Tarnished Pack DLC in August 2026, and they appear in character creation only if you have that content. Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 includes them by default.

The values above match both the Fextralife class table and wiki.gg. Fextralife also marks its Idus Knight figures as speculative, although wiki.gg lists the same numbers.

Best starting class by playstyle

Strength melee: Hero or Vagabond. Hero has the highest Strength of the original classes at 16 and starts with a Battle Axe, but its Dexterity is only 9. Vagabond is the safer option if you want a shield and more health. Heavy Knight is a third choice if you own the DLC, with 17 Endurance and 15 Strength at level 10, plus a Hefty Scimitar and the Steel armour set.

Dexterity melee: Samurai. It begins with the Uchigatana and a Longbow, so you can pull enemies or chip at them from range before closing in. Warrior has more raw Dexterity at 16 and dual Scimitars, but lower Vigor and Endurance. Idus Knight, at 15 Dexterity and 13 Strength, is a DLC option that starts with the Idus Sword and Silver Grooved Shield.

Sorcery: Astrologer. It has the highest Intelligence and Mind among the casters here and starts with Glintstone Pebble and Glintstone Arc. The trade-off is 9 Vigor, which makes early mistakes costly, so put some early levels into Vigor.

Spell and sword hybrid: Prisoner. With 14 Dexterity and 14 Intelligence it can use both blades and sorceries without much catching up. It opens with an Estoc, a Glintstone Staff and Magic Glintblade.

Incantations: Prophet or Confessor. Prophet has 16 Faith and starts with Heal and Catch Flame. Confessor has 14 Faith but better melee stats, a Broadsword, a shield and Urgent Heal, making it the sturdier faith hybrid.

Arcane and stealth: Bandit. It leads the class list in Arcane at 14 and comes with a Great Knife and Shortbow. Its 10 Vigor and level 5 start make it less forgiving than the options above.

Wretch: experienced players only. Level 1, a Club and 10 in everything give it no specialism. PCGamesN also steers newcomers away from it.

Which stats should you raise first?

Vigor sets your health, and the wiki notes its gains per level keep accelerating until 40 before slowing. Endurance controls stamina and equip load, and Mind controls FP for spells and weapon skills. Whichever class you pick, raising Vigor alongside your damage stat is the common advice, particularly on low-health classes like Astrologer. Your damage stat only has to reach the requirement of the weapon you want first, which the early weapons guide lists for each option.

Can you change your class later?

Not directly, but you can reassign points. After defeating Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, at Raya Lucaria Academy, you can use the Rebirth menu, which costs one Larval Tear each time. There is one firm limit: no stat can go below the value your origin started with. A high starting number in a stat you later abandon stays there as wasted levels, which is the main reason to avoid picking a class that is heavy in stats you will never use.

What is the best keepsake in Elden Ring?

Golden Seed is the usual recommendation. Spend it at a Site of Grace for one extra Sacred Flask charge, which you can assign to health or FP. PowerPyx and PCGamesN both rank it top. Dexerto's coverage is less definite, calling Crimson Amber Medallion the go-to for many players and crediting Fanged Imp Ashes with helping against early bosses.

Stonesword Key offers something different. Each key breaks one seal, and the Fringefolk Hero's Grave near the start needs two, although one is recovered inside. Dexerto points out that many sealed areas are too dangerous at low level, so the keys may wait a while anyway. Lands Between Rune is a weak pick because the early rune farming spots repay that amount quickly.

Have patches changed the starting classes?

The main change is the addition of Heavy Knight and Idus Knight in Patch 1.17, which came with the DLC. The official 1.17 notes describe no stat changes to the original ten classes. If a number here differs from what you see, trust the character creation screen.

FAQ

Is Vagabond or Samurai better for beginners?

Vagabond is more durable, with 15 Vigor against 12, and has a shield. Samurai has better Dexterity and starts with a bow, and many players enjoy it for that reach. Either works, so choose based on whether you prefer blocking or fighting from range.

Does starting level matter in Elden Ring?

Not much for a normal playthrough. It reflects how many stat points a class begins with, so Wretch at level 1 and Confessor at level 10 differ mainly in how those points are arranged. Choose by which stats you will actually use.

Do you need the Tarnished Pack for the new classes?

Yes on the standard version of the game, since Heavy Knight and Idus Knight come with that DLC. Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 includes them already, and the original ten classes remain available to everyone.