Classes and Weapons Overview | ArcheAge Chronicles

ArcheAge Chronicles enters Early Access on November 3 – and your first big decision is your class. Four classes have been revealed so far: Warrior, Ranger, Berserker and Mage. Each one wields two weapons that were playable in the demo, plus a third with a finished perk tree that was still locked. Below you will find all classes side by side, their weapons and what they are good at, and our take on which class makes the easiest start. Values and perks may still change with Early Access.

All classes compared

Class	Role	Playstyle	Weapons (demo)	Third weapon	Main attributes	Race	Perks
Warrior	Front-line fighter	Melee	Longsword, Greatsword	Gladius	Strength 29, Constitution 17	Nuian	163
Ranger	Hunter	Ranged and melee	Hatchet, Longbow	Crossbow	Agility 27, Talent 17	Nuian	157
Berserker	Line breaker	Melee	Axe with Shield, Warhammer	Greatshield	Constitution 26, Endurance 25	Warborn	136
Mage	Elemental caster	Ranged and melee	Elemental Staff, Wavesword	Vitality Staff	Intelligence 30, Talent 20	Elf	153

Attributes are the class’s starting values, and “Perks” counts every node across all three perk trees. Two more classes, Occultism and Vitalism, were not playable in the demo – their weapons and values are not known yet. All 25 weapon types are in our weapons list.

Warrior: timing on the front line

According to XLGAMES, the Warrior holds the line, with raw power matched by defense. With the Longsword you play on timing: Parry deflects blockable attacks, then Counterattack opens a short window to strike back. The second route is the Path of Blood: Crimson Surge costs 350 HP, hits nearby enemies six times and reduces the damage you take while it runs. The Greatsword is about endurance and impact – it builds Resolve, weathers attacks with Brace and unloads the power in heavy blows such as Warrior’s Cry. The Gladius (53 perks) was still locked in the demo.

Pick it if you like standing in melee and landing parries on the beat. Longsword and Greatsword already give you three ways to play.

Ranger: you set the distance

XLGAMES calls the Ranger “far more than a mere archer”: he controls the distance to his target. The Longbow marks, pursues and finishes from afar – Aimed Shot reaches up to 30 m and knocks back at full charge, Ice Arrow builds the enemy’s Freeze gauge, and Crescent Kick counters an attack and wins back room to breathe. The Hatchet is fast and close: dodge, counter, follow up with lightning. Lightning Rush charges forward and briefly evades attacks on the way. The third weapon is the Crossbow with 48 perks.

Pick it if you want to stay flexible and switch between ranged and melee. With Agility 27 he is the most agile class.

Berserker: take the hits, break the line

XLGAMES describes the Berserker as “the first to charge into battle and the last to leave it”. He breaks enemy lines, soaks up hits and bolsters allies with his war cry. With Constitution 26 and Endurance 25 he starts highest in both, and at 31.3 he has the highest equipment weight limit. Axe with Shield brings Shield Up against frontal attacks, Brutal Crash for a charge with reduced damage taken, and Reel In, a chain that pulls in human-type enemies (not bosses). The Warhammer plays with fire and thunder, for example through Surging Heat. The Greatshield (49 perks) was still locked in the demo.

Pick it if you want to be right in the thick of it and prefer a class that forgives the odd mistake.

Mage: charge up, then unleash

The Mage commands fire, lightning and ice. With the Elemental Staff you charge spells and hold them for later with Retain. Wall of Fire raises a wall of flame, Lightning Pillar hits shocked enemies harder, and Mana Blast fires homing bullets. With the Wavesword you fight in melee with ice and energy blades – many of its skills reduce damage taken, and Ice Crystal blocks frontal attacks and grants a shield. The third weapon is the exciting one: the Vitality Staff has 59 perks, and Essence Orb heals nearby allies.

Pick it if you enjoy area damage from range. With Intelligence 30 the Mage is the most magic-focused class, but with Constitution 6 also the least sturdy.

Trait Points and perk trees

Every weapon has its own perk tree made of active skills, passive perks and stat perks. Some perks are learned automatically, the rest cost 1 to 3 Trait Points. A perk needs a learned predecessor, and perks in the same choice group exclude each other. You earn Trait Points from quests and above all from Raeven’s Coilstones: 48 of them at 2 Trait Points each, 96 in total. Our Coilstones guide shows where they are. On top of that you get 3 Stat Points per level-up.

Tip: In the build planner you can spec the perk trees on the in-game grid with up to 100 Trait Points – or load the game’s own suggestion as a starting point. Finished builds from our editors and the community are under Builds.

Which class to start with?

Our take, based on the known values and skills:

You want to take a beating: The Berserker has the highest Constitution and Endurance, blocks with Shield Up and takes less damage while charging. The most forgiving start.
You want to keep your distance: Ranger with the Longbow or Mage with the Elemental Staff. The Ranger is more agile, the Mage stronger in an area but low on Constitution.
You like timing: The Warrior with the Longsword rewards clean parries with counters – more demanding, but very direct.
You want both: Ranger and Mage each carry one ranged and one melee weapon.
You want to heal: Keep an eye on the Mage’s Vitality Staff. It was still locked in the demo.

It is still open how weapon swapping works and whether you can change class later. So pick the class whose playstyle will keep you hooked. When it all starts is on our release date page.