Throughout the players' long and blood-soaked ordeal inDarkest Dungeon, they’ll meet a lot of names and faces, mostly from so-called heroes (or the in-game classes). As an added coping mechanism, players can mourn these names and faces in advance since most of them will be dead near the end of the game.
RELATED:Best Turn-Based RPGs On The Xbox Series X/S
However, some classes inDarkest Dungeonhave a better chance to survive or to thrive compared to others. The classes are well-balanced, but certain heroes struggle with more rabid persistence against extreme adversity and hopelessness. Many fall in the face of chaos, but thebest Darkest Dungeon heroesstand tall longer than their contemporaries. Not today.
10Antiquarian
The Antiquarian might not look imposing since she’s literally just a treasure hunter. Players are right to assume she’s not good at combat; she’s actually one of the weakest classes in the game. Thus, the Antiquarian’s role is more suited to support and buffing.
When usedwith certain classessuch as the Highwayman or Man-at-Arms, the two can combo skills like “Protect Me” and ones with a Riposte to ensure a steady stream of counterattacks or practically free attacks whenever the two are targeted. It’s also worth noting that the Antiquarian has the useful Blight, which is about as effective as Bleed.
9Highwayman
The Highwayman is one of the first few heroes that players will meet along with the Crusader and the Vestal. He’s meant to be a starter character and a generous source of Bleed damage. That very well means he’s not that suitable for locales suchas The Ruins, but for everywhere else, he excels.
RELATED:Worst Turn-Based JPRGs Of All Time
Players can make their early boss fights considerably easier with a Highwayman in the party. Later on, he will be outclassed by something that can apply Bleed more profusely (pun intended), but in a pinch, and with no other Bleed classes present, he’ll make do.
8Jester
As the game progresses to higher levels, players will soon discover the debilitating effects of Stress on the party. Such a mechanic can wipe out even the most prepared of groups. Therefore, having a Jester during camp gatherings almost becomes mandatory.
As an added bonus, Jesters can also come with their own Bleed attacks, so they can fill in for the role of the Highwayman in high-level encounters. In harder difficulties, the Jester can turn into salvation for a stressed party. Players ought toconsider this classas an investment for the future.
7Houndmaster
A lot ofDarkest Dungeonveterans consider the Houndmaster as one of the best solo classes in the Warrens for when players are too stingy about losing their heroes. That’s because the Houndmaster can reliably apply lots of group Bleed on non-undead enemies.
RELATED:SNES: Best Action RPGs (& Best Turn-Based)
In a party, the Houndmaster is generally one of the most useful members. He has handy camping skills that can reduce stress and also guard the camp;during turn-based combat, he can catch some attacks that would prove fatal for the less durable classes.
6Bounty Hunter
A party is only as good as its positioning, and when it comes to disrupting enemy positions, the Bounty Hunter is the expert. His “Come Hither” skill is one of the best tactical tools for making enemy frontliners useless and the support enemies more vulnerable since he can literally pull the weaker units to the front.
If not, then he can attack from both ranged and in melee while also dishing out some useful stun strikes to keep the enemy from performing at its most optimal. Come late game where a lot of encounters are typically battles of attrition, the Bounty Hunter is an indispensable class.
5Leper
The Leper looks cool and imposing so a lot of players pick him as a favorite. Leper is easily the highest damage-dealing class in the game…assuming his hits actually connect. As he has an accuracy problem, his playstyle is high-risk, high-reward; however, those who manage to mitigate the Leper’s weakness will be rewarded more often than punished.
RELATED:Worst Turn-Based Strategy Games Of All Time (According To Metacritic)
Quirks that increase the Leper’s accuracy are always a must-have for this kind of class. Beyond that, the Leper is also an impressive damage sponge due to his high health and his general resistance to status effects in the game.
4Vestal
A healer will always be welcome inDarkest Dungeon, and when it comes to healing, the Vestal is the most straightforward class. Whereas others rely too much on luck, she has the most consistent healing in the game. Players can always fall on the Vestal when encounters go south.
The Vestal is also a decent backup for stunning enemies thanks to her “Dazzling Light” skill. In camping, the Vestal has a soothing and encompassing Stress healing skill which can also grant a good protection bonus though she does have a strict bias towards religious classes.
3Occultist
If players want a class that they can take almost anywhere due to their innate versatility, then the Occultist is the man for the job.This bootleg sorcererhas a risky healing skill, Blight, a move skill that will disrupt enemy positioning, and even debuffs for prolonged fights.
RELATED:CRPGs To Play Before Playing Torchlight 3
Almost everything he does is so useful for the party that not having him around almost feels like a handicap. He will be outclassed by a pure Blight dealer like the Plague Doctor, but at least he’s useful for a lot of other things.
2Hellion
When it comes to killing multiple targets at once, Hellion is one of the most effective inDarkest Dungeon. She can easily cleave through the enemy’s frontline while also staying mobile enough for any unplanned position disruptions.
More importantly, some of her skills can inflict Bleed damage which helps a lot in endurance fights since she can also take a bit of a beating before going down. Essentially, the added Bleed capability makes the Hellion a good backup. Even without those, the Hellion can still make quick work of multiple weak enemies.
1Crusader
Like the Occultist, the Crusader is a class that players can take almost anywhere inDarkest Dungeon. He’s a jack-of-all-trades hero who also happens to be one of the tankiest classes in the game. In a pinch, the Crusader can also heal and even deal a lot of damage while on the frontline.
When it comes to camping, the Crusader also Stree heals those by merely pep-talking the whole party. So if players want, they can even bring a four-man Holy Land reclamation Crusade to the very depths of the abyss in theDarkest Dungeon.
Darkest Dungeonis available on Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
