Elden Ring class guide: Starting attributes, weapons and tips for each class

Elden Ring has a total of ten classes and each of these has its own attributes and starting items. Elden RIng's classes are not locked to a playstyle in any way since you can level up your character as you desire though, choosing a class that resembles your playstyle is always a smart choice.

Also, there's looks, you can pick a character that looks good and level it up to suit your playstyle. The choice is absolutely yours. 

So, without further ado, here is all you need to know about Elden Ring classes and their starting stats.

ASTROLOGER

In-game description:  "A scholar who reads fate in the stars. Heir to the school of glintstone sorcery."

  Starting Attributes

The Astrologer class has high Intelligence and Mind which makes it perfect for a Magic playthrough. If you like sorceries, which are plenty in Elden Ring then go for Astrologer, you can have a ton of fun with this class.

We don't recommend this one for newcomers though, since it requires full focus on Magic which may not be the best way to play your first souls-like game. 

  Starting weapons and items

The Astrologer class starts with Astrologer's Staff, a Small Shield and Short Sword. 

BANDIT

In-game description: "A dangerous bandit who strikes for weak points. Excels at ranged combat with bows."

  Starting attributes

If you like stealth and would like to try a stealth build in Elden Ring, then Bandit is probably your best pick. Equipped with daggers and bow and arrows, Bandit can sneak up on the enemy for a fatal blow or take them from distance. High Arcane also makes Bandit magic and death resistant. 

Bandit can be well suited for both newcomers and experienced players. 

  Starting weapons and items

Bandit starts with a Shortbow and arrows, Knife and Buckler (shield).

CONFESSOR

In-game description:  "A church spy adept at covert operations. Equally adept with a sword as they are with incantations."

  Starting attributes

Confessor kicks off at a high soul level and physical attributes. Confessor's Faith and Mind make him a viable choice for Incantations type of magic which includes healing and curing status effects as well as some fire magic. Incantations are basically a mix between Dark Souls III's Pyromancies and Miracles.  

The Confessor class can be a good choice for melee/magic combo build.

  Starting weapons and items

Confessor starts the game with Broadsword, Kite Shield and Finger Seal.  

HERO

In-game description: "A stalwart hero, at home with a battleaxe, descended from a badlands chieftain."

  Starting attributes

High Vigor and Strength says it all. If you love big weapons and shields that scale well with Strength, the Hero class will be one of the better picks.

We recommend this class for newcomers since shields can be of great help in the early stages or until you learn how to parry/roll.  

  Starting weapons and items

Hero class starts with Greataxe and LeatherShield.

PROPHET

In-game description: "A seer ostracized for inauspicious prophecies. Well versed in healing incantations."

  Starting attributes

With high Faith and Arcane and surprisingly solid Strength, Prophet is arguably the best class if you're looking for a magic build for Incantations. Prophet has the highest Faith of any class and had some pretty OP magic attacks in the network test. Also, it can cast the highest number of spells before running out of FP.

Prophet seems to be one of the most interesting classes in Elden Ring and can turn out to be quite fun and OP if levelled-up right so if that's what you are looking for, this weird looking fella is a perfect match for your playstyle. 

  Starting weapons and items 

Prophet starts with plenty of gear which includes: Spear, Finger Seal, Rickety Shield, Prophet Blindfold, Prophet Robe, Prophet Trousers, Heal (Incantation) and Beast Claw (Incantation).

PRISONER

In-game description: "A prisoner bound in an iron mask. Studied in glinstone sorcery, having lived among the elite prior to sentencing."

  Starting attributes

High Intelligence means Prisoner has strong Magic resistance and Magic Attack and Magic Defence. Dexterity helps with shortening the casting time of Magic while also increasing Physical Damage. 

Prisoner is yet another magic class but we doubt many will choose him for his playstyle since his looks are surely the main attraction.

  Starting weapons and items 

Prisoner starts with Estoc, Catalyst Staff and Iron Roundshield.

SAMURAI

In-game description:  "A capable fighter from the distant land of reeds. Handy with Katana and Longbows."

  Starting attributes

The ideal candidate for a quality DEX build. Samurai starts with some cool weapons such as the iconic Uchigatana. Samurai also has high Endurance and Strength but low Magic stats so this is a pure physical damage build.

We recommend this build if your roll game is strong.

  Starting weapons and items

Samurai starts with the iconic katana Uchigatana, Long Bow, Red Thorn Roundshield, Bone Arrow (Fletched) and Firebone Arrow (Fletched).

VAGABOND

In-game description: "A knight exiled from their homeland to wander.  A solid, armour-clad origin."

  Starting attributes

Vagabond is another class focused solely on physical damage thanks to its high Vigor, Strength and Dexterity. It can be a great choice for big weapons and shields so if you prefer blocking the attacks instead of rolling, Vagabond is a good choice. 

This class is arguably comparable to the Knight class in Dark Souls games. 

  Starting weapons and items

Vagabond starts with Longsword, Halberdand Heater Shield.

WARRIOR

In-game description: "A nomad warrior who fights wielding two blades at once. An origin of exceptional technique."

  Starting attributes

The closest you'll get to the Mercenary build from Dark Souls III. Warrior is ideal for dual-wielding weapons and this class even starts with two blades.

Warrior has the highest Dexterity of any class in Elden Ring and as such, it's perfect for physical damage builds.

  Starting weapons and items

Warrior starts with two Scimitar blades, Blue Cloth Cow, Blue Cloth Vest, Swordsman Gauntlets and Swordsman Greaves.

WRETCH

In-game description: "A poor, purposeless sod, naked as the day they were born. A nice club is all they have."

  Starting attributes 

Weakest starting character in Elden Ring. Wretch starts with nothing but a simple Club and Soul Level 1. We don't recommend Wretch for new players since this class seems designed for those who want a proper challenge from the get-go.

  Starting weapons and items

Wretch starts with a simple Club and nothing else. 

We will be updating this article with info as From Software release more details about classes in Elden Ring. 

Update 1 (February 21): Added new images and descriptions for Prophet, Confessor and Samurai. 

Source: fextralife.