Black Desert Online Class Guide – All 20 Classes & What to PlayBabalon, Mother of AbominationsAltar of Gaming

With 20 different classes, and a ton of grinding needed to get them.. somewhere, deciding your main class in Black Desert Online is not an easy task. Each one is truly unique in its playstyle, combos, and strategy, so you will definitely have to try at least 3 or 4 of them before you decide your main.

This guide will help you decide which of the 20 classes feel “right” for you, along with helpful links to the official Discord server for each class. You are also able to identify which classes share Main or Sub weapons, therefore could provide you with some nice alternatives. Keep in mind that all Awakening weapons are unique, every class has its own.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the world of Black Desert, and discuss about each class separately!

Female Classes

Dark Knight

Main Kriegsmesser

Awakening Vediant

Sub Ornamental Knot

Dark Knight is one of the most recognizable BDO classes aesthetically, and one of the most criticized as “underpowered” by players. She’s been having a rough patch in PvP for a long time now, so you might encounter many people that would advise against playing DK.

On the bright side, she still offers one of the fastest grinding experiences – as long as you have mana potions! Her main weapon revolves around strong, focused hits, while her awakening will let you destroy anything that blocks your path – from afar! The blending of melee attacks & spellcasting makes the DK a class that’s hard to get bored with.

Guardian

Main Battle Axe

Awakening Jordun

Sub Shield

Guardian is a Norn-like beast, that obliterates enemies in both PvP and PvE… with ease! Definitely a great option for new players, since she has some of the easiest to execute combos in BDO, with massive damage output, and great mobility – even though a bit cumbersome at that.

You won’t have trouble participating in any game mode as a Guardian, since your strength can easily match every opponent – once you grasp its mechanics. The big downside is that your power can easily be predicted by skilled players, therefore you might have a hard time contesting some spots.

Kunoichi

Main Shortsword

Awakening Sah Chakram

Sub Kunai*

Kunoichi – the female counterpart of Ninja – is an easy to fall in love with, but tough to master class! It’s also the only class, along with Ninja, that uses 2 different sub-weapons, Kunai or Shuriken – even though Kunai arguably complements her skill choices far more.

What she lacks in PvE and grinding speed, she definitely makes up for in 1v1 situations, so PvP enthusiasts will definitely get more out of her. Swapping your weapons back and forth is crucial to efficient Ninja-ing, and there’s always things you could do better in a fight. If you’re up to the challenge, give her a try!

Lahn

Main Crescent Pendulum

Awakening Crimson Glaives

Sub Noble Sword

Lahn is one of the most enjoyable BDO classes, and the top recommendation for any beginner! They can glide long distances in the air – making them cover a lot of ground in a short time – as well as giving them the advantage of surprise attacks in PvP.

Both her main and awakening weapons focus on close-quarters combat, but she does have a lot of ways to initiate a fight from afar – usually resulting in a beneficial positioning for Lahn. Her combos are fluent, and both weapons will have you feel like you’re dancing with your enemies!

Maehwa

Main Blade

Awakening Kerispear

Sub Horn Bow

Maehwa is a highly-mobile class with great burst damage, so you hold a big element of surprise in 1v1s, while benefiting from super-fast grinding speeds. She’s very fun to play, and employs quite balanced mechanics, making her a great long-term investment.

You single-target damage is one of the highest in the game, so you need to isolate your enemies in PvP, and watch out for the right openings before engaging. In Node Wars you will mostly be a flanker, while you can also scout efficiently for the enemies’ forts, or other good opportunities to get your team ahead.

Mystic

Main Gauntlet

Awakening Cestus

Sub Vambrace

Mystic – more commonly known as Mystake – is definitely the beefiest option you can get as a female BDO class. If you want to be hated by the whole community, withstand a sick amount of damage and still come out on top, then look no further.

Offering a huge array of martial arts based combos, it’s an easy to pick up – but hard to master – class. Mystics excel in PvE grinding, and due to their health regeneration abilities, they can challenge higher grinding spots with fewer gear requirements, and won’t even need to carry any potions.

Ranger

Main Longbow

Awakening Kamasylven Sword

Sub Dagger

Ranger is a fast-paced bow-wielder, that really shows how fun playing a bow can get in MMOs – complemented by BDO’s in-depth skill rotations and mechanics. What you won’t expect, is that your Awakening weapon is actually a melee sword! Some might get turned down from that (I know I did), but it offers true flexibility as you mostly want to keep a big distance with your opponents, and your sword can save you if get caught by them.

There’s probably no other BDO class that will require so much kiting, so if this is your preferred playstyle – you’ll have a ton of fun with Ranger! You will also be very efficient in both PvE & PvP, and smart Rangers can make a real difference in Node Wars too.

Shai

Main Florang

Sub Vitclari

Shais are quite special in many ways, so if you wanted to avoid creating a loli class, it’ll be hard to! Starting off, it’s worth mentioning that she’s the only class that employs any kind of lifeskill advantages, with 10% extra Gathering / Alchemy XP, as well as a huge Weight Limit gain per level. I’m never changing my Witch lifeskiller, but for min-maxers it will definitely be a factor.

On the other hand, even though PvE grinding with Shai is quite fun (her Florang weapon is an actual boomerang!), she really can’t do any PvP damage, and her skill choices are mostly restricted to heals and buffs. This makes her essential however in large scale PvP, as she can provide huge support to her group, and it’s really impossible to kill her.

Sorceress

Main Amulet

Awakening Scythe

Sub Talisman

Sorceress has been here since the beginning, and she’s attracted a ton of attention throughout the years, both for her amazing PvE grinding skills, as well as her amazing potential in PvP – which is capped by your skill to a great, great extent on this one.

Both of her weapons focus on close combat, and we’re dealing with one of the classes where swapping back and forth your pre-awakening & awakening weapons is absolutely essential. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to do so, with many skills “auto-swapping” you to the other weapon, saving precious time and making for some amazing combo & cc chains.

Even though Sorceress is far from beefy, and her dodges seem to be limited, she’s got a great evasion / sustain potential by making an efficient use of her invisibility skills and taking advantage of smart positioning.

Official Sorceress Discord

Tamer

Main Shortsword

Awakening Celestial Bo Staff

Sub Trinket

Tamer is the true loli in BDO, and I can guarantee loli-fans are going to have a great time with this insanely complex, flexible, and powerful class! Lo.. I mean Tamer, is always accompanied by her trusty evil-dog-pet-thing “Heilang”, which she can directly control and stun her enemies, or even use it as a mount instead of a horse!

As you would expect, her defenses are very low, so she relies on smart positioning, dodging, and patience. With the right opening, she can unleash an endless stream of CC, and make quick work of any class that underestimated her! Don’t go into Tamer expecting an easy ride – the only one you’re getting is Heilang’s.

Valkyrie

Main Longsword

Awakening Lancia

Sub Shield

Valkyrie is the Warrior’s female counterpart, but their playstyle differs more than any other male / female class pairs in BDO. They use the same weapons, but in a quite different way, as Valkyrie will focus more on tanking damage and providing buffs & heals – which doesn’t mean her damage isn’t powerful!

Her movement is quite clunky, making her inefficient for fast PvE grinding, but at the same time, her beefiness will make her shine in high-tier PvE areas. Valkyrie is not an easy class, and you will have to dig deep into her mechanics, especially if you’re planning to PvP with her, since your skill will determine her usefulness by a long margin.

Witch

Main Staff

Awakening Aad Sphera

Sub Dagger

Witch plays a lot more than traditional MMOs, compared to the other fast-paced BDO classes. Most of your abilities have large casting times, so being many steps ahead of your opponent is crucial in your rotation. You will get limited openings to strike, but landing your spells will prove devastating for your enemies.

Your Protective Ability (PA) is an essential Node War buff, and you can easily excel in large scale PvP – as long as you manage to keep out of your enemies’ focus. 1v1s will be tougher, but also heavily reliant on your skill and game knowledge. Definitely a great all-around class, and a great suggestion for players coming from other MMORPGs, as the transition to BDO’s fast action combat will be smoother.

Male Classes

Archer

Main Crossbow

Awakening Greatbow

Sub Ra’ghon

Archer is a pretty Legolas boi, who’s arguably more satisfying to play than Ranger, since the skill-cap is lower, and the range bigger! Kiting will be your bread and butter in both PvE & PvP, while you can unleash a huge amount of damage from afar, as well as Crowd Control abilities.

Grinding with Archer is a breeze, and with smart positioning, you can undertake higher tier areas without many drawbacks. Similarly, you can make a big difference in Node Wars – as long as you stay out of the line of fire. Managing your Stamina and escaping dangerous encounters will be your main worries, as is appropriate for a bow-wielder!

Berserker

Main Axe

Awakening Iron Buster

Sub Ornamental Knot

Berserker is one of the most unique classes in BDO, both for his terrible aesthetics, and his ultra-fun fighting style. Your job is to disrupt the battlefield by stomping your enemies, or even taking them for aerial walks! Your burst damage will be more than enough to finish them off, unless you get “caught in the act” due to your long animations.

You won’t have any issues with Grinding, and there’s also a high demand for Berserkers in Node Wars. Well, we both know that only a certain group of people would choose to play this atrocious class, so if you are one of them, you are guaranteed to find what you seek under his long, hairy arms.

Hashashin

Main Shamshir

Awakening ?

Sub Haladie

Hashashin is a fast-paced… assassin, that feels like a more offensive – and less strategic – version of Ninja, as well as a unique take on the Sorceress class. He definitely reminds of the “Rogue” archetype from other MMOs, but what he lacks in stealth, he makes up with his mobility and surprise attacks.

You employ a good arsenal of skills for clearing through PvE waves fast, and can more than stand your ground 1v1 (if you have a good understanding of the class’ mechanics). In Node Wars you will have a flanking position though, so knowing how to play around the enemy classes will be crucial to your success.

Musa

Main Blade

Awakening Crescent Blade

Sub Horn Bow

Musa is a natural-born hunter, employing a huge array of dashes and gap-closers – and you really don’t want to get caught in his blade! With smart resource management, Musa can literally never stop moving and slaying, making him an amazing pick for grinding, and a fun choice for 1v1 PvP.

You are the Master of PvE clearing speed, while your role in Node Wars will be mostly flanking and scouting, since you have to be really careful before engaging any enemy. Once you successfully initiate though, it’s GG for your opponent!

Ninja

Main Shortsword

Awakening Sura Katana

Sub Shuriken*

Ninja is a high-skill / high-reward class, like his female counterpart Kunoichi. The ability to use Stealth and move undetected, opens up a new type of gameplay for BDO, since you will pick your fights more than they pick you! Your potential rises greatly with Skill Points, Gear and actual Skill, so Ninja’s progression is definitely fulfilling.

Not the best choice for PvE Grinding (not that you will have any problems doing it), Ninja is the King of 1v1 PvP. Large scale PvP will be tougher to manage, but it’s also your chance to prove who is the true leader on the battlefield!

Striker

Main Gauntlet

Awakening Gardbrace

Sub Vambrace

Striker – commonly known as Stroker – is the best choice for those that prefer a tankier class, able to sustain a ton of damage, and stay the longest in fights. He is really versatile in the roles he can take during a Node War, making it hard to go wrong with him.

Arguably not the best at grinding, but your 1v1 power will be more than enough to keep you interested in contested spots! Striker truly shines in small-scale PvP scenarios, being an one-man army no one really wants to go up against.

Warrior

Main Longsword

Awakening Greatsword

Sub Shield

Warrior is the male counterpart of Valkyrie, and he is much more offensive than her. He’s definitely the most unique “Warrior” class you will find in any MMORPG, so prepare to be positively surprised! Few classes can take you on a 1v1, as your self-sustain is powerful.

You won’t be the quickest at grinding low-tier zones, but your efficiency in high-tier areas will more than make up for it. An essential tool for small or large scale PvP, having a good Warrior in the team can prove game-changing.

Wizard

Main Staff

Awakening Godr Sphera

Sub Dagger

Wizard is more offensive than the Witch, having to get inside the heat of the battle in order to unleash his devastating AoE spells, then get out as quickly as possible! His presence on large scale PvP is essential, offering huge burst damage, as well as strong supporting abilities.

The Wizard’s long casting times make for strategic gameplay, that traditional MMO fans will certainly appreciate. You won’t have any issues grinding low or high tier areas, but you should be extra careful about enemies, since if you’re caught by surprise in a 1v1, you have very low chances of surviving – let alone dealing damage.

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