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At the beating heart of Dragon’s Dogma’s variety lies its Vocation system. It’s otherwise known as the classes in Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen. There are nine of them, each offering varying levels of simplicity and versatility. Of course, Dragon’s Dogma being an RPG means min-maxing is inevitable; so allow us to help you in deciding which classes in Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen to play in anticipation of Dragon’s Dogma 2.
9. Mage (Basic)
Even here, no one likes to play support; a lot of players resort to just delegating the support roles to their Pawns. The Mage gets the short end of the stick among the classes here since they mostly focus on defensive spells such as healing and buffs.
They’re still great as a class for Pawns, but if you want to actively play the game and feel more like the hero in the story, then the Mage isn’t the way to go.
8. Fighter (Basic)
The Fighter pivots in the other direction of the Strider since it’s the safest out of all the beginner Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen classes. The main difference is, you get a shield and you’re generally tankier.
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Moreover, the damage output is also decent. It’s just that the Fighter is the “most average” out of all the Vocations or classes and you might soon find yourself craving for more specialized ones.
7. Warrior (Advanced)
On to the heavy hitters, literally. The Warrior is the upgraded version of the Fighter and it focuses on offense, transcending into a more active playstyle. But even so, the Warrior is still a cumbersome Vocation because its most powerful weapon is way too slow. You’ll mostly be spamming one or two attacks, which are sometimes difficult to aim and connect.
Still, if you want to brute force your way through the whole game while staying safe and beefy, Warrior lets you do that comfortably. Just don’t expect to hit in all your strikes.
6. Strider (Basic)
Strider, like Mage, is another starting class but it’s in a weird spot. It’s a melee glass cannon with dual daggers and bows as its weapons of choice. However, melee glass cannons are typically not that good for beginners since they require a lot of caution. With skilled hands, however, the Strider is quite a low-cost, overpowered class.
5. Assassin (Hybrid)
The Assassin is something that you can consider as the superior version of both the Fighter and the Strider combined because it’s also one of the most versatile classes in the game.
For the record, the Assassin can wield a large variety of weapons and can even switch to them fast. They’re still technically glass cannons, but the high DPS and nimbler gameplay combined with the weapon versatility make the Assassin a great all-rounder for just about most combat situations.
4. Magick Archer (Hybrid)
It’s a Hybrid Vocation so the odd gameplay is a given. The Magick Archer is certainly one of the most unique classes in gaming and despite the novelty, the Magick Archer can back it up with good damage once you’re used to it. It can even take on Death effortlessly by itself if you know what you’re doing.
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All this while staying in a safe range. Of course, if you’re looking for a fun and fresh RPG class, the Magick Archer hits all those checkboxes along with functionality.
3. Mystic Knight (Hybrid)
It’s really just a fancier Paladin class, and that’s why the Mystic Knight is a fan-favorite for many Dragon’s Dogma players. This is your elevated tank class – tougher than the Fighter and more competitive.
The Mystic Knight’s most notable skills even allow you to hit two birds with one stone where you can lay down a defensive field that damages enemies. It’s a great class for the safe and comfortable – but still boasts lots of engaging gameplay.
2. Sorcerer (Advanced)
As expected, the Sorcerer is the upgraded or Advanced version of the Mage and it’s the more appealing spellcaster Vocation. That’s because the Sorcerer, like the Warrior, shifts its playstyle to offense. You get more powerful and flashier spells while also getting better healing.
To that end, the Sorcerer is one of the most well-rounded classes in Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen. They fill in for both the DPS and the support roles, just don’t expose them too much to the frontlines.
1. Ranger (Advanced)
What makes the Ranger better than the Hybrid classes? Not much, really; it has a comparable damage to Magick Archer and can also solo Death. But unlike Hybrid classes, the Ranger is easier to play and more accessible earlier.
That’s a big advantage. As long as you never run out of arrows, you can just machine-gun any enemy to death with Tenfold Flurry and even stun-lock some bosses, which is why the Ranger takes our number one spot.
