Black Desert Online has now officially launched, with MMO fans worldwide tentatively sinking their teeth into this heavily anticipated entry into the genre. But with its eight classes providing their own unique twists on the selection of player-characters we’ve come to expect from MMOs, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to choosing which one you’ll be taking on your adventure with you.
Fortunately, we’ve compiled a guide to choosing your starting class in the game, helping you make that difficult first choice. Note that each class is gender-locked, meaning that they’re each tied to their specific sex, so you won’t be able to play as a female warrior or a male ranger.
Black Desert Online: Guide For Choosing Starting Class
Check out our guide to choosing your starting class in Black Desert Online below:
Black Desert Online Class – Warrior
Warriors are, as per usual, the most balanced class, offering a mixture of both attacking and defensive capabilities. Armed with a sword and shield, Warriors are able to dole out vicious melee combos, with them also being the most proficient at weapon-wielding.
Their shields allow them to block most frontal damage, offering a favorable degree of respite in the heat of battle, with them being most useful on the front line of an attack as a result. With them essentially being Black Desert Online‘s most tank-like class, their ability to withstand punishment on the battlefield makes them a valued fighter in group play, with it also granting them a few natural advantages in PvP.
Although they aren’t as masterful at evading attacks as some of BDO‘s more nimble classes, Warriors have a surprising level of agility considering their strong stature, with a penchant for dishing out swift and mighty combos. A relatively easy class to pick up, Warriors can be downright punishing when placed in the hands of a more experienced player, so if you’re looking for a balanced character with impressive defensive prowess and relatively high damage output, then these guys are a solid option.
Black Desert Online Class – Ranger
BDO‘s most effective ranged class, the Ranger boasts the highest DPS in the game and is nigh-on invaluable in group play, given their ability to shut down enemies before they’ve had a chance to formulate an attack. Though they’re prone to being overwhelmed if handled incorrectly, given that they are the sole class in the game that almost solely relies upon their ranged capabilities, they’re perfect for taking down unsuspecting rivals and quickly quelling opposition before having to withstand any damage themselves.
Masters of archery, Rangers do possess some melee abilities if they find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, but they are vastly more effective when encircling enemies and launching bows into them from a distance. Their swift movement speed allows them to duck and weave around the battlefield, with it also granting them some breathing room given their low defensive stats.
Rangers are ultimately excellent choices for both PvE and PvP combat, though they aren’t the class to choose for those who like getting up close and personal with their rivals. If you’re okay with staying away from the front line of combat, then this high damage-dealing class is an excellent choice.
Black Desert Online Class – Sorceress
The Sorceress is a close-range class that specializes in dark magic, boasting an excellent mixture of high damage output, excellent combo and evasion skills, along with the ability to successfully control crowds of enemies with her casting attacks.
The Sorceress’ weak defensive capabilities means that although she is most effective when she’s standing toe-to-toe with enemies, in order to effectively handle her without sustaining tons of damage the player must be able to duck and weave to mid-range when pressure is applied from her opponents. As such she’s a difficult class to master, with her not being the preferable option for those just venturing into the game, and certainly not the stand-out choice for those who aren’t too familiar with MMOs.
But with that being said, those who take the time to master this class will have her formidable attacking capabilities at their disposal, with her being able to lure crowds of enemies away from their positions and into her deadly spells. A highly effective, if challenging, class that may not be the safest option for your first playthrough.
Black Desert Online Class – Berserker
The mammoth Berserker is a class that is immediately welcoming to BDO newcomers, offering massive damage output along with forgiving defensive capabilities, alongside a visceral playing style that overlooks a nuanced, tactical approach in favor of taking out swathes of enemies with wild abandon.
The Berserker’s towering stature is indicative of how they handle, with them having limited mobility but being incredibly powerful, and requiring minimal effort in order to master. They’re tanky, meaning that you can catch them on the front line of a battle alongside the Warrior, with them wielding double axes that are as huge as they are. Berserkers are at their best when they’re being used to swiftly overwhelm enemies, though they’re not as well-versed in crowd control as other classes, meaning that they mostly face off against enemies in a one-on-one capacity.
While the Berserker is an excellent starting class for newcomers, there isn’t much room for advancement when it comes to expert play, so those hoping to continue piling hours into BDO‘s end game will likely want to look elsewhere. With that being said, Berserkers are a great class to choose for those just looking for a good time.
Black Desert Online Class – Tamer
Tamers are short in stature but high in power, offering great damage output and a range of versatile combination moves that are capable of taking down enemies from any range. Tamers are also joined by a companion in the form of Heilang, an imposing beast that can either fight alongside you or utilize its divine power in order for you to lengthen combos in solo situations.
Tamers may falter when it comes to defense, though their high level of mobility means that they can efficiently navigate their way out of dodge when they find themselves becoming overwhelmed. Speaking of mobility, they’ve also got a unique advantage when it comes to transporting themselves across the map, with players able to mount Heilang in order to traverse BDO‘s open world.
Despite this class being capable of handling themselves when fighting without their pet companion, they are much more efficient when accompanied by Heilang, which means that players are required to make best use of that particular ability in order to ensure that they don’t find themselves trapped in an elongated battle without their beast providing them with adequate back-up. The Tamer’s a relatively challenging starting class for newcomers to master, then, but one with a number of perks that make her worth checking out.
Black Desert Online Class – Valkyrie
The Valkyrie is similar to the Warrior in that she is both skilled at attack and defense, though she is more handy at the latter but less mobile as a result.
A heavy-hitter, the Valkyrie is an accomplished group character as a result of her proficiency at enemy knockdowns, with her being able to block most frontal damage and disregard plenty of enemy attacks. This, coupled with her high attacking stats, make her a deadly PvP opponent in the hands of the right player, but she’s slightly more challenging to handle than her male counterpart as a result of her lower maneuverability.
As such, players are expected to correctly plan out their attacks in advance in order to ensure that they won’t be forced to attempt to flee from battle, as the Valkyrie isn’t exactly built for such evasive maneuvers. With that being said, she’s still a relatively easy character to pick up, with her being a good option for players who are looking to master close-quarters combat with a defensive edge.
Black Desert Online Class – Wizard / Witch
The first thing you’ll notice about the Wizard is that no matter how deep you venture into Black Desert Online‘s impressive customization options, he’ll always somehow end up looking a bit like Gandalf. But regardless of this observation, this is still a strong starting class that is greatly beneficial in PvP, though slightly less formidable in PvE.
The Wizard benefits from high damage output and surprisingly effective evasion tactics, with him able to teleport himself around the battlefield whilst dealing out plentiful Area of Effect attacks. Combined with a number of buffs and healing capabilities, these advantages make the Wizard an excellent class for group play, and a particularly powerful class in Castle Sieges.
The Witch is the female equivalent of the Wizard, boasting the same stats and abilities. However, unlike the Wizard you aren’t restricted to your Gandalf-esque appearance, which will perhaps make her a more attractive proposition for those who prefer more robust customization options. But aside from these aesthetic differences, both classes are exactly the same, so you needn’t worry too much about which one you choose if you are looking to play a more mage-like class.
But while this magical duo have a great number of strengths, their propensity for dishing out damage also means that they’re particularly squishy, so only those who don’t mind spending just as much time avoiding damage as they do dealing it out should opt for either of them as their starting class.
