A caravan shelter on black sand among glass-dark stone in the Glassfire Expanse, under a bright sky.
  1. Vows of War
  2. Classes
Nine classes

Find your place in the fight

Hold the line, keep a party alive, strike from the shadows or change shape mid-fight. Every class has its own resource, its own rhythm and three ways to specialize.

How classes grow

Learn it, then make it yours

  • Abilities from trainers

    Your first abilities come on their own through level 5. From level 6, your class trainer teaches the rest, and the Abilities window tells you where to find them.

  • Specializations at level 10

    Every class chooses one of three specializations at level 10, each a different answer to how that class should fight.

  • Talents from level 11

    Earn a talent point every level from 11 and spend it across three talent trees built for your class: 27 trees in all.

  • Aim, dodge, decide

    Every class aims its own attacks and shares Evade, a quick dash that carries you out of harm’s way. Tab targeting is there if you prefer it.

At a glance

All nine classes

ClassRolesRangeArmorResourceFaction
WarriorTank, DamageMeleeHeavyResolveBoth factions
RangerDamageRangedMediumFocusBoth factions
RogueDamageMeleeMediumOpeningBoth factions
ArcanistDamage, SupportCasterLightAttunementBoth factions
ChannelerHealer, SupportCasterLightResonanceBoth factions
OccultistDamage, SupportCasterLightResidueBoth factions
ShifterDamage, Tank, HealerMeleeMediumFormBoth factions
AccordantHealer, Support, TankClose-range hybridLightAccordConcord only
ForgestormDamage, TankMeleeHeavyForge PressureScarred Dominion only
Both factions

Warrior

Sword and shield on the front line

  • Tank
  • Damage

Stand in front, hold the enemy’s attention and keep your companions safe behind your shield.

How it plays

  • Landing blows builds Resolve; spend it on Shield Bash, Warpath and Last Stand.
  • Challenge Banner pulls enemies onto you, while Shield Guard and Bulwark blunt their blows.
  • Heavy armor and the most health of any class: the sturdiest way to learn the game.
Range
Melee
Difficulty
Straightforward
Armor
Heavy (plate and mail)
Weapons
One-handed sword and shield
Resource
Resolve
Races
Human, Voren, Thaeli, Solmara, Dominion Human, Kaldreth, Vantik, Kovar

Specializations at level 10

  1. Bulwark

    Protect the line. Study how to hold your ground and shield companions from a dangerous enemy.

  2. Arms

    Master your weapon. Study decisive attacks, timing and strong footing.

  3. Commander

    Lead the fight. Study how to rally companions and keep a group working together.

Both factions

Ranger

A hunter with a bow, traps and patience

  • Damage

Strike from a distance, mark your quarry and keep dangerous enemies from ever reaching you.

How it plays

  • Quick Shot and Power Shot hit hard from range; Quarry Mark makes one target count.
  • Pinning Shot and Field Trap hold enemies back while you keep firing.
  • Focus starts full and refills out of combat, so pace yourself in long fights.
Range
Ranged
Difficulty
Straightforward
Armor
Medium (leather)
Weapons
Bow
Resource
Focus
Races
Human, Voren, Thaeli, Solmara, Dominion Human, Kaldreth, Vantik, Kovar

Specializations at level 10

  1. Long View

    Watch, wait, then take your shot. Study patient bow work and fighting from a distance.

  2. Trailwarden

    Know the ground. Study tracking, traps and keeping a path safe for your companions.

  3. Skirmisher

    Keep moving. Study quick shots and finding a new angle before an enemy can close in.

Both factions

Rogue

A quiet blade that opens and finishes

  • Damage

Approach unseen, open an enemy up and finish the exchange before they can answer.

How it plays

  • Veiled Approach hides you; strike from it with Ambuscade.
  • Your cuts set up an Opening on a foe; spend it on Crosscut or Decisive Breach.
  • Cut the Cast stops a spellcaster and Smoke Veil slows a crowd. Positioning is everything.
Range
Melee
Difficulty
Demanding
Armor
Medium (leather)
Weapons
Paired daggers or an off-hand blade
Resource
Opening
Races
Human, Thaeli, Solmara, Dominion Human, Kaldreth, Vantik, Kovar

Specializations at level 10

  1. Assassin

    Prepare before the fight. Study how to approach unseen, strike from your Opening and leave cleanly.

  2. Duelist

    Stay in the exchange. Study how to keep your Opening alive and turn each setup into a payoff.

  3. Saboteur

    Spoil the enemy’s plans. Study reading casts, cutting them short and slowing a crowd.

Both factions

Arcanist

A scholar of formulas and raw magic

  • Damage
  • Support

Build magical power with steady bolts, then spend it on lances and bursts that strike whole groups.

How it plays

  • Arcane Bolt builds Attunement; spend it on Prismatic Lance or Convergent Burst.
  • Sigil Field slows a group and Displacement Equation holds enemies in place.
  • Light armor: keep your distance, and Contingency Formula softens the hit you can’t avoid.
Range
Caster
Difficulty
Moderate
Armor
Light (cloth)
Weapons
Two-handed staff, or a wand and focus
Resource
Attunement
Races
Human, Solmara, Dominion Human, Kaldreth, Vantik, Kovar

Specializations at level 10

  1. Elementalist

    Build power and spend it well. Study earning Attunement and committing it to decisive spells.

  2. Spellweaver

    Chain your formulas. Study how a sigil prepares the lance and the burst that follow.

  3. Controller

    Command the battlefield. Study fields, displacements and well-timed interrupts.

Both factions

Channeler

The healer who keeps everyone standing

  • Healer
  • Support

Mend wounds, ward companions before the blow lands and carry your group through hard fights.

How it plays

  • Mending Current and Renew heal allies from range; Warding Light shields them first.
  • Cleanse lifts harmful effects and Restoration Chorus heals everyone near you.
  • Resonance is your mana: it refills slowly, and drinks and potions restore it.
Range
Caster
Difficulty
Moderate
Armor
Light (cloth)
Weapons
Two-handed staff
Resource
Resonance
Races
Human, Voren, Thaeli, Solmara, Dominion Human, Vantik, Kovar

Specializations at level 10

  1. Restoration

    Keep your companions standing. Study healing and choosing who needs your help first.

  2. Warding

    Prepare for the blow. Study protective wards and preventing harm before it lands.

  3. Resonance

    Find a steady rhythm. Study how your power can support several companions together.

Both factions

Occultist

Curses, siphons and patient ruin

  • Damage
  • Support

Brand your foes with hexes, wear them down over time and take back what you spend.

How it plays

  • Hex Brand burns a foe over time and builds Residue; Ritual Sever cashes it in at once.
  • Siphon drains an enemy to heal you, so you outlast fights instead of avoiding them.
  • Bind Echo roots a group and Covenant of Restraint weakens the most dangerous foe.
Range
Caster
Difficulty
Demanding
Armor
Light (cloth)
Weapons
Two-handed staff or a tome
Resource
Residue
Races
Human, Solmara, Dominion Human, Kaldreth, Kovar

Specializations at level 10

  1. Hexcraft

    Patience is a weapon. Study keeping your hex on the right foe and severing it at the right time.

  2. Binding

    Hold them where they stand. Study roots, slows and quieting a dangerous voice.

  3. Gravecraft

    Take back what you spend. Study pairing your siphon with your hex to outlast a fight.

Both factions

Shifter

A form-changer between beast and healer

  • Damage
  • Tank
  • Healer

Fight in an adaptive form, then step out of it to mend: one class that can lead, strike or recover.

How it plays

  • Aspect Shift into form for Natural Strike, Adaptive Lunge and Guarded Hide.
  • Out of form, fight with staff or spear and heal with Renewal Touch.
  • Each form lasts at least six seconds, so choose your moment to change.

Wolf form arrives at level 2 and hits harder; Bear form at level 8 takes less damage; Stag form at level 14 runs faster out of combat. All healing is done in your own shape.

Range
Melee
Difficulty
Demanding
Armor
Medium (leather)
Weapons
Two-handed spear or staff
Resource
Form
Races
Human, Thaeli, Dominion Human, Kaldreth, Vantik

Specializations at level 10

  1. Predator

    Press the attack in form. Study closing distance and keeping a foe under pressure.

  2. Guardian

    Stand firm in form. Study guarding yourself and holding a place in the line.

  3. Renewal

    Care between the fights. Study returning from form to mend yourself and others.

Concord only

Accordant

Keeper of Stone, Tide and Verdant

  • Healer
  • Support
  • Tank

Protect an ally with an oath, heal and steer the fight, and bring your three practices into one Grand Accord.

How it plays

  • Stone Oath wards an ally and turns their attackers onto you.
  • Harmonized Mend heals, Verdant Bind roots and Guiding Current speeds your group.
  • Varying your practices builds Accord for Grand Accord, a group heal and ward.
Range
Close-range hybrid
Difficulty
Moderate
Armor
Light (cloth)
Weapons
One-handed rod, spear or focus
Resource
Accord
Races
Human, Voren, Thaeli, Solmara

Specializations at level 10

  1. Stone

    Keep the promise. Study the Oath, steady wards and stepping between danger and a friend.

  2. Tide

    Move the fight. Study the current, quick passages and interrupting at the right moment.

  3. Verdant

    Let things grow back. Study binding roots and mending that rewards a varied practice.

Scarred Dominion only

Forgestorm

A heavy hammer and a storm of momentum

  • Damage
  • Tank

Wade into the thick of it, build Forge Pressure with every swing and spend it to endure or drive through a line.

How it plays

  • Forge Sweep and Gale Sever strike several foes at once and build pressure.
  • Alloy Mantle turns pressure into toughness; Cinder Drive charges through a line.
  • Hammerfall knocks a group off its feet.
Range
Melee
Difficulty
Moderate
Armor
Heavy (plate and mail)
Weapons
Two-handed hammer or paired gauntlets
Resource
Forge Pressure
Races
Dominion Human, Kaldreth, Vantik, Kovar

Specializations at level 10

  1. Alloy

    Temper yourself. Study the mantle, holding pressure and enduring the front of a fight.

  2. Gale

    Strike on the move. Study stepping cuts and driving charges that keep you in the fray.

  3. Cinder

    Bring the hammer down. Study building heat and releasing it in crushing blows.

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