Choosing your Albion class

Before you decide to jump in and invest time into your character, I cannot express enough the importance of making an educated decision in your class choice before starting your adventure. Choosing a certain specialization based on aesthetics alone may leave you not as desirable as others in groups or you may find yourself at times unable to join your fellow realm mates to destroy our foes! Regardless, you should play whatever class you want as being happy and having fun should be the most important thing for you but if meeting people and being more group friendly is what you’re after, you should be willing to make a few sacrifices.

First, I would recommend you decide what play-style fits you most. Do you want to solo, do PvE, meet a lot of people, play competitively or run around in huge zergs taking keeps and rolling over your enemies? Sometimes, the class you want to play simply does not fill the play-style or experience you are seeking. Some classes have the option to Autotrain which can have a negative impact on your end game experience. I will elaborate further on auto training at the bottom of this post.

Melee Classes

Paladin – Want to meet people easily and get random messages from people to join their group? Make a Paladin! Paladins are Albion’s endurance regen class and needed in every group in order to level efficiently. This is a great first character choice for PvE, and farming but you will find yourself a bit weak in competitive PVP groups. Sadly, this class is terrible in competitive groups as they lack the realm ability determination which is essential for melee classes in fights. If your purge is down and you get mezzed, you will just sit there for most the fight not doing anything. Your damage output will be very low compared to other melee classes even if you go two-handed specialization so If you are wanting to be a melee power house, I would suggest making an Armsman or Mercenary instead. Paladins also Autotrain in two specializations which will affect your PvP viability so I would suggest another class if you plan on reaching high realm ranks here.

Armsman - Another great class for new players. You will be able to deal massive damage and tank in PvE. You can’t go wrong with this class. You might want take the two-handed specialization but it pales in comparison to the polearm path. Two-handed lacks an anytime hinder which is extremely important to protect your casters and healers when fighting in group PvP. This class autotrains Slash and Thrust but you can specialize in crush until level 40 to get a few extra points.

Mercenary - Great class for new players. Your damage output is amazing and you will have the option to tank as well in groups if needed. This class is pretty straight forward as there are two spec choices: Pure damage output with 50 weapon 50 dual wield with the rest in parry and the other option 39 weapon 50 dual wield 42 shield with the rest in parry. Personally, I would recommend the shield line as you will have a lot more utility to bring in PvE and PvP. Without specializing in shield there is little reason to choose you over an Armsman in PvP. This class also autotrains Slash but you can specialize in crush until level 40 to get a few extra points into parry.

Reaver – Do you want to hit like a truck? Reaver’s do a ton of damage with their back-style Leviathan. Unfortunately, this class lacks the realm ability determination making it a worse option in competitive play compared to the Mercenary and Armsman classes. In addition, many of your spells can break Crowd control spells rendering a lot of your utility useless. I would suggest this class though if you want to run in zergs and enjoy PvE mostly. This class autotrains in Slash and Flex weapons. I would suggest leveling in thrust or slash until level 40 as the best spec is flex weapons though I would suggest trying to autotrain all the way to 48 instead and getting a respec stone later. I would not suggest this class as a first character only because to get the most out of this class you should auto train completely but if you are willing to do so you will be wanted in any PvE group as a primary DPS class.

Friar - Amazing solo class that looks like a caster. You will also have the option to be a healer, but the heals are so bad compared to clerics that you might as well pretend it’s not an option. Friars are great for farming and solo leveling so if PvE is what you are wanting this is a good option. In group leveling though any other melee class will outshine you. In groups with a tank, your anytime style acts as taunt so you will need to use your sidestyle chain for the best damage. Friars are my favorite class in the game but they just don't do as well in group PvP which is their downfall. You also will have access to base buffs for groups which helps out a ton when paired with a Cleric.

Casters

Wizard- Massive amounts of damage and great at defending keeps but a terrible choice for PvE and group PvP. In PvE a theurgist brings a lot more utility with haste buff. You’ll spend most your time in a group sitting waiting for mana to regen making your group wishing they had a melee class or Theurgist instead. That does not mean this class is not fun though as nuking people for massive damage is quite fun so this class is awesome in a zerg group. I would say this is more than likely the least desirable class in any situation at this patch level.

Sorcerer – One of the most important classes in Albion as you are the main crowd control class. You have bolt range Mezzes which allows us to get the initiative on other realms more effectively. This class is very stressful though if you do not have the experience with crowd control and kiting properly. Groups will only want one of them in the party and I predict this class to be one of the most played so be prepared for competition. You will provide your realm with mana regen and likely will receive group invites via tells.

Cabalist – One of the best casters in the game. In pvp you can solo really well if you are a skilled player and have a ton of utility in groups. Your pet is great at interrupting and kiting players to death without you even casting a spell. You are also the one of the best farming class as you can use the Matter line’s AOE dots on pygmy mobs in Lyonesse which is also the best way to power level other players but, unfortunately the matter specialization is not good for PvP so you need to decide what your end game goal is going to be. I think this is a great choice for new characters, but they do have a higher learning curve to get the most out of pvp.

Theurgist – Another great caster option. You can provide other players with a melee damage add and haste buff in PvE. You will also be exceptional in PvP as well as your pets are a pain for other players and they help take down keep doors without the use of a ram. You will also be needed in dragon raids to lower a dragon’s ability to be missed. I recommend this class if you want to be a caster that does damage and wants to be welcomed to groups in any situation.


Necromancer – Mostly a farm bot. This class is amazing for making money and power leveling others. You can also solo all the way to 50 if you wanted to. This class is not going to be welcome to join any competitive groups for PvP though as your pet will more than likely be mezzed for most the fight and you can’t even use potions in spirit form. I would suggest a Necromancer if you want to make a ton of money for your main PvP class and you don't mind being by yourself most the time.

healers

Cleric – Albion’s main healing class. Everybody loves you and will beg for you to join their groups. They have access to be a caster with the Smite line but you will have poor damage and poor utility so I would never suggest taking this route.

Friars - I mentioned Friar under melee but it is a hybrid so I will list it here as well. As a healer you will be out of mana faster than a cleric, you will be more squishy, and your heal-over-time spells are just too slow. If you want to heal your group, make a cleric instead.

Stealthers

Infiltrator – An amazing class and perhaps the best stealther at this patch level due to the access of a 9 second stun in the thrust line called Dragonfang. I do not recommend this class as a first character as in order to be competitive you will need a lot of money to get the best gear and always have potions in hand. It’s hard to tell which stealther from all three realms will be the best as they all have their strengths and weaknesses and 1v1 fights are often decided by who has their cooldowns active. Infiltrators will definitely be strongest in the beginning but will even out over time.

Scout - I would not recommend a scout if you’ve never played one before. Scouts will have the hardest time finding a group than any other class on Albion. In PvP you can have some amazing moments but more often than not you’ll be leaching kills or adding to other fights. If you enjoy sitting in the same spot for a long period of time waiting for the perfect opportunity though this class is right for you. Their damage is a bit on the lower side and with Shadowblades and Nightshades having, “see hidden” you will often lose when they get the jump on you.

Minstrel – Albion’s speed class. This is a hard class to play so I don’t recommend choosing this class unless you are ready for a steep learning curve but if you are willing to learn you can have a ton of fun. Your melee damage is terrible but you will be able to take out players kiting them and using your instant direct damage spells. You also can charm pets above level 50 which is incredibly fun to do. You can also provide mana regen to a group in PvE if you are lacking a Sorcerer.

Uthgard is strictly based on the 1.65 patch level of Dark Ages Of Camelot meaning any features* good or bad at the time are in the game. You may not want to play a class if they have autotraining available as it punishes players who spend points early in their careers. Example: An Armsman who has zero slash at level 50 will not be charged for their first 12 points. After 12, they will be charged points normally for that skill. So if you start an Armsman and spec into Slash in the beginning you will end up with LESS points than if you wait until later. You can get up to 77 points in a skill by not speccing into it which can greatly affect your character making it potentially weaker than others

I think you've done a great job here! A few suggestions or corrections:

Mercenary actually should be 50 DW, 39 Weapon (or less with RR, I think only composite 51 is needed), 42 Shield, etc <--- Assumes you are using DW styles in almost all cases over base weapon styles.

I don't think Reaver ABS or Damage debuff auras break mez at this patch level.

Armsman and Paladin might have a slight drawback to new players because plate is expensive.

Friar can be a decent secondary healer while also helping by doing some very reasonable damage. They also can give Base Buffs to the group so the Cleric can focus on spending their Con on Spec Buffs. The Friar is a sub-par healer but holds its own by allowing the Friar to solo and hold their own in combat. Just my 2 cents. List looks good so far.

You have Friar listed twice ( once under Melee as well ) I didn't see that

ACrispyTaco wrote:Friar can be a decent secondary healer while also helping by doing some very reasonable damage. They also can give Base Buffs to the group so the Cleric can focus on spending their Con on Spec Buffs. The Friar is a sub-par healer but holds its own by allowing the Friar to solo and hold their own in combat. Just my 2 cents. List looks good so far.

You have Friar listed twice ( once under Melee as well ) I didn't see that

I did not elaborate further on what they can do in PvE as I did not want to make it too long but I probably will. The thing is I did not want to confuse people thinking they can be a healer as a friar. Usually when you are leveling you will just stop in emergency to save the group's ass but after a couple heals you will be completely out of mana.

Nezix wrote:I think you've done a great job here! A few suggestions or corrections:

Mercenary actually should be 50 DW, 39 Weapon (or less with RR, I think only composite 51 is needed), 42 Shield, etc <--- Assumes you are using DW styles in almost all cases over base weapon styles.

I don't think Reaver ABS or Damage debuff auras break mez at this patch level.

Armsman and Paladin might have a slight drawback to new players because plate is expensive.

Whoops, I was not even paying attention when I wrote that. I played the hell out of mercenary but writing a guide this long made me mess up. I still need to go through and proof read it

While you're technically correct about a couple of things about Reaver, namely the lack of Determination, you're pretty far off the track with the other stuff.

- Reaver is an EXCELLENT first character. It's extremely strong leveling and while Autotraining helps, if you don't it will still be extremely viable.

- Reaver is VERY desired in PvE. I know you said pick this if you want to PvE, but it needs more emphasis. It is extremely potent against bosses and for Diamon seal farming. Paladin, Reaver and Theurgist trio is probably the fastest alb Diamond seal trio there is.

- Reaver excels at solo. In an era where Purge is on a 30 minute cooldown, Slam is king. Slam+Leviathan Combo will ruin people. It has before and it will again.

- While it may not be as efficient at 8man due to the lack of Det, it is an EXCELLENT Small man group member. Duo, Trio or half a group and the Reaver will be getting most of the kills if the fight goes into Melee range, which most will.

Sillyfish wrote:While you're technically correct about a couple of things about Reaver, namely the lack of Determination, you're pretty far off the track with the other stuff.

- Reaver is an EXCELLENT first character. It's extremely strong leveling and while Autotraining helps, if you don't it will still be extremely viable.

- Reaver is VERY desired in PvE. I know you said pick this if you want to PvE, but it needs more emphasis. It is extremely potent against bosses and for Diamon seal farming. Paladin, Reaver and Theurgist trio is probably the fastest alb Diamond seal trio there is.

- Reaver excels at solo. In an era where Purge is on a 30 minute cooldown, Slam is king. Slam+Leviathan Combo will ruin people. It has before and it will again.

- While it may not be as efficient at 8man due to the lack of Det, it is an EXCELLENT Small man group member. Duo, Trio or half a group and the Reaver will be getting most of the kills if the fight goes into Melee range, which most will.

The main reason I stated it's not the a good first character is because is mainly because of autotraining. You miss out on two instant DDs in the soulrending line which is a ton of damage. I stated they are great at PvE which they are because they hit like trucks but telling players to play a class that should be AutoTrained to 48 for a first pick is not the best idea. In PvP they are great as well but I don't think advising new players that they can run from the APK to to AMG to kill an occasional stealther is worth mentioning. I will elaborate further though on PvE viability.

Reaver with full AT:
50 Flex, 42 Shield, 41 SR, 6 Parry

Without:
50 Flex, 42 Shield, 36 SR, 16 Parry

The difference between 36 and 41 SR are:
83d lifetap @ 70% -> 103d lifetap @ 80%
AoE DD Aura 29d -> 35d

The second makes very little difference and honestly it might be better to use the lower one for power. The first is nice, but you also have to take a 10 point hit to parry to do it. I don't think the difference is that big. If I ATed I might even go 36 SR and 20 parry instead.

How hard would a Minst be to play? Looking for something I've never tried before and the stealh/caster/meelee combo looks incredible

erock25 wrote:How hard would a Minst be to play? Looking for something I've never tried before and the stealh/caster/meelee combo looks incredible

imho...minstrel is the hardest class in the game to master. after going through a painful leveling process (hello, AT.) you need to be able to multitask and prioritize like a boss as well as being very aware of your surroundings (terrain, adds, ...). being able to communicate well is also essential on a minstrel. knowing all vital charmspots is a plus.

that said....a well played mincer wins battles. no doubt about it. very rewarding. and flexible as hell! so IF you wanna play one....the time is now.

as always: just my 2cents.

Awesome write up thx for this post.

Nezix wrote:Reaver with full AT:
50 Flex, 42 Shield, 41 SR, 6 Parry

Without:
50 Flex, 42 Shield, 36 SR, 16 Parry

The difference between 36 and 41 SR are:
83d lifetap @ 70% -> 103d lifetap @ 80%
AoE DD Aura 29d -> 35d

The second makes very little difference and honestly it might be better to use the lower one for power. The first is nice, but you also have to take a 10 point hit to parry to do it. I don't think the difference is that big. If I ATed I might even go 36 SR and 20 parry instead.

This is exactly what I was getting at. While I personally will AT my Reaver (probably) it is by no means necessary. I've played Reaver for more than 10 years between the beginning of SI when they were released and now. I promise I do know what I'm talking about.

Funny thing about wizards. I know they don't seem to bring much to the table but I recall they were pretty successful at this patch level. Just can't beat lots of damage.

Power is a concern that will need to be managed, but as a class, it is about as easy to play as things get.

Maybe the easiest/fastest solo leveling class (other than necro). Bolt - Bolt - DD = dead yellow all day long (managing power). Hang out with a matter cabbie later on and AoE things on mass for super fast leveling.

Gear is not as important as a melee class. Just get a fire focus staff and start farming. DPS and damage add will still help in any group. If you want, subspec in earth to get the damage shield. Put that on tanks to help them get/keep aggro.


In PvP the 219 DD is the best in the game. The bolts do pretty well at this patch level. The damage add is nice for melee. AoE nice for farming zergs (if they will exist). Not as many toys as other casters but something to be said about being of singular purpose and being good at it. Find a sorc buddy who has specced enough body to get a decent fire debuff and you can cause carnage aplenty.

Torgo wrote:Funny thing about wizards. I know they don't seem to bring much to the table but I recall they were pretty successful at this patch level. Just can't beat lots of damage.

Power is a concern that will need to be managed, but as a class, it is about as easy to play as things get.

Maybe the easiest/fastest solo leveling class (other than necro). Bolt - Bolt - DD = dead yellow all day long (managing power). Hang out with a matter cabbie later on and AoE things on mass for super fast leveling.

Gear is not as important as a melee class. Just get a fire focus staff and start farming. DPS and damage add will still help in any group. If you want, subspec in earth to get the damage shield. Put that on tanks to help them get/keep aggro.


In PvP the 219 DD is the best in the game. The bolts do pretty well at this patch level. The damage add is nice for melee. AoE nice for farming zergs (if they will exist). Not as many toys as other casters but something to be said about being of singular purpose and being good at it. Find a sorc buddy who has specced enough body to get a decent fire debuff and you can cause carnage aplenty.

i know im reapeating myself...but:
people did not know what the ****** to do back then. people had many years to realize how powerful NS is. sure. a firewiz is easy to play. why? because he has no tools. you can play a firewiz with 6 buttons. assist, face,bolt, bolt, dd, root.

easiest/fastest leveling class? please. you will have to reg power CONSTANTLY. after you hit 30 solo lvling becomes a pain in the ass. viable with a mattercab? yes. it helps. but it works without wizards as well. pbaoe grps are fast tho. but then you end up having a semi-useless icewiz in endgame and can never leave your keep. hooray.

for meleegrps theurgist is better. and there will be plenty of them.

in pvp 219 dd is good.....BUT you will always be hitting on full resists which means any baseline body DD with 35+ composite will always be dealing more damage in the debuff AT. the bolts are nice @ keepdefs and zergfights until the first eld notices this avalonian hurling fireballs at his support.

sorc firewiz debuff grps are a cute gimmick because multiple VPs...but cab/sorc nukeage brings more to the table in every other aspect.

dont get me wrong. i love wizards. but they are garbage.

Great guide! Fw things:

Arms and Merc both AT in Thrust too. They should be lvl'ing with crush both of them

Mercs should just go 50dw, 42, shield, 36-7 weapon, there is no need to advocate for the 50/50/28-spec. It's a worse option in modern pvp-environment.

Also; AT'ing on a reaver isn't that bad as they should be lvl'ing using crush anyway. and getting a single-line respec or participating in a Dragon Raid once 50 shouldn't be that difficult

Guru wrote:Great guide! Fw things:

Arms and Merc both AT in Thrust too. They should be lvl'ing with crush both of them

Mercs should just go 50dw, 42, shield, 36-7 weapon, there is no need to advocate for the 50/50/28-spec. It's a worse option in modern pvp-environment.

Also; AT'ing on a reaver isn't that bad as they should be lvl'ing using crush anyway. and getting a single-line respec or participating in a Dragon Raid once 50 shouldn't be that difficult

I added the Thrust portion. I knew they AT thrust and I said to level as with crush but just forgot to list it. I know it's not that hard to AT a reaver, but for a new player it can be very daunting to throw all that at them. The mechanic does not make any sense these days so I just want to set a new player on an easier path.