Dragon’s Dogma 2 features a ton of beasts and monsters to fight, so you’ll need the right weapon you’re comfortable with for the job. Whether it’s slinging swords or slinging spells, Capcom’s latest action RPG has it all.

In Dragon’s Dogma 2, you have 10 classes (we’ll call them Vocations from here on out) to choose from. Some are unlocked at the start and can be switched at the Guild/Inn, while others need to be unlocked. While each of them have their own unique capabilities and kits, the ideal choices are usually the ones involving how fast you deal damage and how little you receive.

Here’s a quick tier list of the best Vocations to main. Keep in mind that your three Pawns should at least be different Vocations to form a balanced party. For our side, we stuck with the following:

• Thief, Mystic Spearhand, Mage, Archer
• Thief, Magick Archer, Sorcerer, Warrior
• Thief, Archer, Mage, Warrior

S Tier

Thief, Sorcerer, Magick Archer (Player Only)

The Thief has the most skills and best evasive moves. Plus, they have a grappling hook-style move that can deal with certain flyers in the game. The Thief has Skull Splitter which lets you spin and shred everything in front of them. Masterful Kill is a great trait to have that lets you deal big damage if you time your button prompt correctly. Formless Feint is an ability that lets you avoid all attacks while it’s active, draining your stamina over time. To get this ability, complete the thief quest in the Nameless Village.

The Sorcerer has the most ranged attacks at their disposal, though they need a Warrior or Fighter to tank hits for them. Taking out enemies from afar is a useful skill in Dragon’s Dogma 2, and the Sorcerer lets you waylay them at a good distance. Later on, you can get powerful spells from the Spellbound/Sorcerer’s Appraisal grimoire quest.

As soon as you unlock it, get a Magick Archer (yourself or a pawn). They have awesome damage-dealing capabilities from afar. The Martyr’s Bolt lets you sacrifice your HP to launch damaging projectiles at bosses and foes. Again, you will need a Tank in your party to keep your Magick Archer alive, but they’ll get the job done and then some.

To get the Magick Archer Vocation, complete the Put a Spring in Thy Step quest.

A Tier

Mystic Spearhand (Player Only), Warfarer (Player Only)

What the Mystic Spearhand lacks in damage-dealing, it makes it up with survivability. The Vocation’s skill Mirour Vesture creates a barrier for you and your allies, preventing all forms of damage for 8 seconds. Team this Vocation up with Thief and Magick Archer, and let the damage roll while the Mystic Spearhand protects them.

The Warfarer lets you equip any type of armour and weapon with no class restriction. This Vocation is versatile and lets you fine-tune your playstyle, switching between weapons and accessing their abilities on the fly. however, you get this Vocation late in the game via the The Sotted Sage/Newt Liqueur quest.

B Tier

Mage, Warrior

The Mage is great at the start with its arsenal of spells and healing magick, but it’s better reserved for pawns.

The Warrior is great for tanking and drawing aggro, while dealing decent damage. It’s better reserved for pawns though. Plus the S and A tier DPS classes outrank it in terms of damage.

C Tier

Archer, Fighter, Trickster (Player Only)

These classes are great at the start and mid-game, but are outclassed in terms of damage, survivability, and all-around usefulness by the other higher-tier Vocations.

The Trickster is the most underwhelming Vocation to use, since you summon a simulacrum to distract enemies and fight for your side. It’s too much hassle in the long-term to use, and it’s strictly for people who want to show off their hardcore skills using the most useless Vocation in the game.