If you’re new to Ashes of Creation, one of the first and most important decisions you’ll face is choosing your class. Many new players make the mistake of picking a class simply because it sounds cool, only to realize shortly after that the playstyle doesn’t suit how they enjoy playing games. To save you time and frustration, this guide walks you through the eight primary archetypes in Ashes of Creation: Tank, Cleric, Mage, Bard, Ranger, Summoner, Fighter, and Rogue.
For each archetype, we’ll cover their role in a team, PvE and PvP performance, typical abilities, stats priorities, and practical scenarios to help you visualize yourself playing that class. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of which archetype fits your preferred playstyle.
Note: This guide focuses on the primary archetypes only. Advanced class combinations like Spell, Shield, or Knight are planned for future updates.
Ashes of Creation is a sandbox MMORPG, so your experience will be varied. You’ll level, run dungeons, fight for resources, run caravans, and eventually engage in node conflicts and large-scale battles. All archetypes are described with these real-game scenarios in mind. This guide will help you pick your starting point wisely.
1. Tank: The Frontline Controller
The Tank is for players who enjoy being in control of fights. Contrary to the common belief that tanks are just high-defense characters, tank gameplay is about control. You determine where fights happen, who gets hit, and which enemies are a threat. Your durability allows you to maintain this control over time.
PvE Role: Tanks excel at engaging first, establishing threat, and locking down enemies. For example, in a dungeon boss fight, the tank positions the boss away from the group, manages cleaves and targeted abilities, and ensures the healer isn’t overwhelmed. The tank reduces chaos in battles, which is often what causes wipes.
PvP Role: Tanks create safe zones for allies, deny space to enemies, and use crowd control to disrupt enemy formations. A tank’s value lies not just in surviving, but in keeping the team functional under pressure.
Abilities: Taunts, damage reduction, shielding, stuns, knockdowns, pulls, and other crowd control or protective abilities.
Stats: Prioritize Constitution for health and durability, then Strength for front-line pressure.
Playstyle Fit: Tanks suit players who enjoy responsibility, positioning, and controlling the flow of battle.
2. Cleric: The Healing Backbone
Clerics are for players who want to keep their team alive. In most MMOs, healing is one of the most impactful roles. You manage health bars, predict incoming damage, and use spells strategically, not just reactively.
PvE Role: Clerics turn chaotic dungeon runs into manageable encounters. When the tank pulls too much or enemies hit unexpectedly, a skilled cleric saves the group with timely heals and defensive support.
PvP Role: The cleric is often the win condition. Surviving healers allow teams to reset health and outlast opponents, while losing a healer early can quickly lead to defeat.
Abilities: Single-target and group heals, shields, barriers, cleanses, resurrection, and some damage spells.
Stats: Focus on Wisdom and Intelligence for healing potency, with Mentality helping with sustain in longer fights.
Playstyle Fit: Clerics are ideal for players who enjoy stabilizing teams, making clutch saves, and supporting others under pressure.
3. Mage: High-Damage Spellcaster
Mages are for players who want serious magical damage, ranged combat, and battlefield control through elemental effects. They excel in impact but typically have lower survivability, making positioning and timing crucial.
PvE Role: Mages shine in group encounters and dungeons, where AoE spells can clear enemy packs quickly, speeding up progression.
PvP Role: Mages punish poor positioning, force movement, and disrupt enemy formations, creating opportunities for your team to control space.
Abilities: High-damage nukes, AoE spells, slows, roots, and other crowd control or zoning tools.
Stats: Intelligence for magical power, Wisdom for casting performance, and Mentality for mana and survivability.
Playstyle Fit: Choose Mage if you like range damage, spell combos, and controlling fights through strategic pressure.
4. Bard: The Team Amplifier
Bards are support-focused players who influence fights via buffs, debuffs, and tempo control. They are hybrids, enhancing damage, survivability, mobility, or resource management for their team.
PvE Role: Bards make average groups feel coordinated. By applying constant buffs and debuffs, they shorten fights, reduce risk, and prevent wipes.
PvP Role: Bards control tempo, disrupt enemies, and allow their team to act freely while the opponent is out of position.
Abilities: Party buffs, auras, debuffs, crowd control, off-healing, and utility support.
Stats: Intelligence for magical effects, Mentality for sustain, and Wisdom for casting efficiency.
Playstyle Fit: Bards suit players who enjoy enhancing their team’s performance and being a force multiplier.
5. Ranger: The Precision Marksman
Rangers specialize in physical ranged damage, focusing on precision, spacing, and target selection. They are straightforward and beginner-friendly.
PvE Role: Rangers deal damage from a safe distance, avoiding melee hazards while contributing steady output.
PvP Role: Rangers excel as skirmishers, controlling engagement distance, keeping pressure on targets, and finishing retreating enemies.
Abilities: High-damage shots, debuffs like slows or bleeds, and target-focused tools such as marks.
Stats: Prioritize Dexterity, then Strength for additional power.
Playstyle Fit: Ideal for players who enjoy ranged combat, consistent damage, and spacing control.
6. Summoner: The Flexible Strategist
Summoners fight alongside summoned creatures, giving them tactical versatility. You can select tank, DPS, or support summons depending on the situation.
PvE Role: Excellent for solo play or adaptable group support. Summoners can adjust their contributions based on the needs of the encounter.
PvP Role: Summoners create complexity for enemies, forcing them to make more decisions and increasing their chances of mistakes.
Abilities: Summoning and commanding creatures, empowering summons, and supporting with your own spells.
Stats: Intelligence for magical strength and Mentality for sustain.
Playstyle Fit: Summoners suit players who enjoy strategy, adaptability, and managing multiple tools simultaneously.
7. Fighter: The Melee Pressure Dealer
Fighters thrive in close combat, applying constant pressure through sustained damage and aggression.
PvE Role: Fighters excel in uptime and consistent damage, making them reliable contributors in boss fights and dungeons.
PvP Role: Fighters control fights by forcing enemies to move, disrupting their damage rotations, and denying effectiveness.
Abilities: Melee combos, gap closers, burst windows, and tools to maintain engagement.
Stats: Strength for damage, Dexterity for speed, and Constitution for survivability.
Playstyle Fit: Pick Fighter if you enjoy brawling, chasing, and constant pressure in melee combat.
8. Rogue: The Stealth Assassin
Rogues specialize in stealth, burst damage, and surgical elimination of priority targets.
PvE Role: Rogues shine by removing high-priority threats quickly, reducing incoming damage for the group.
PvP Role: Rogues threaten enemy healers and backline characters, creating opportunities for your team to win fights. Timing and precision are critical.
Abilities: Stealth, openers, burst combos, poisons, debuffs, disables, and escape tools.
Stats: Dexterity for crit and evasion, Strength for burst damage.
Playstyle Fit: Rogues are ideal for players who enjoy timing, flanking, and high-impact plays.
Picking the Right Archetype
· For straightforward starts: Ranger and Fighter are easy to understand.
· For instance group value: Cleric and Tank are always in demand.
· For a high skill ceiling with impactful decision-making: Bard, Rogue, Mage, and Summoner offer strategic depth.
Choosing the right archetype ensures a smoother, more enjoyable experience as you explore the world of Ashes of Creation. Use this guide to make an informed choice and start your adventure with confidence. Which archetype will you choose?