All classes and Archetypes in Ashes of Creation, explained

Ashes of Creation is an MMORPG that features an interesting class and Archetype system. Players start by picking one Archetype, and later a second, which creates a new class and playstyle. With the game heading into another testing phase, there are bound to be new players checking it out for the first time — people who have no idea what exactly they’re going to play.

Intrepid Studios is cooking up something interesting with this MMORPG, and if you’re diving in and want to know the classes and Archetypes, we’re here to help. Below we’ll go over each Archetype, the general playstyle, and class options you have at your disposal.

Ashes of Creation classes and Archetypes table

Below is a table of all the Ashes of Creations classes and Archetypes. You’ll see the Primary Archetypes in the first vertical column and Secondary Archetypes at the top — you pick that at level 25. Where they meet in the middle is the new class you become. So Bard + Bard is Minstrel.

	Bard	Cleric	Fighter	Mage	Ranger	Rogue	Summoner	Tank

Bard	Minstrel	Soul Weaver	Tellsword	Magician	Song Warden	Trickster	Songcaller	Siren
Cleric	Scryer	High Priest	Templar	Oracle	Protector	Shadow Disciple	Shaman	Apostle
Fighter	Bladedancer	Highsword	Weapon Master	Spellsword	Hunter	Shadowblade	Bladecaller	Dreadnought
Mage	Sorcerer	Acolyte	Battle Mage	Archwizard	Spellhunter	Shadow Caster	Warlock	Spellstone
Ranger	Bowsinger	Soulbow	Strider	Scion	Hawkeye	Scout	Falconer	Sentinel
Rogue	Charlatan	Cultist	Duelist	Nightspell	Predator	Assassin	Shadow Lord	Shadow Guardian
Summoner	Enchanter	Necromancer	Wild Blade	Spellmancer	Beastmaster	Shadowmancer	Conjurer	Brood Warden
Tank	Argent	Paladin	Knight	Spellshield	Warden	Nightshield	Keeper	Guardian

Note - The list of Archetypes below follows this format: Primary Archetype + Secondary Archetype: New Class.

Archetype: Bard

The Bard Archetype has a variety of useful class combinations, as they buff and assist allies in Ashes of Creation (Image via Intrepid Studios)

Bard in Ashes of Creation fills a support Archetype primarily, buffing and using a variety of offensive and defensive skills to aid themselves and the party.

Bards can buff the DPS, Tanking, and Healing of their allies, and their AOE abilities are often not restricted by line-of-sight, making them even better. They can heal, but not as great as Clerics, and fill the role of Red Mage in Final Fantasy 11, as they can help restore Mana.

Bard+Mage: Magician
Bard+Bard: Minstrel
Bard+Tank: Siren
Bard+Ranger: Song Warden
Bard+Summoner: Songcaller
Bard+Cleric: Soul Weaver
Bard+Fighter: Tellsword
Bard+Rogue: Trickster

Archetype: Cleric

The Cleric is for players that want to save others - as well as themselves (Image via Intrepid Studios)

If you want to heal in Ashes of Creation, then you want to play the Cleric Archetype; classes with a Cleric secondary can heal themselves and others a little bit. If you want to actually be a healer though, you need Cleric as the primary.

In the lore of this MMO, Clerics do not receive their power from gods but from The Essence, though some suggest it is also a divine source. If your aim is to be the healer of your group, you’ll want to main Cleric. Smaller groups can probably get away with a Bard, though. It all depends on your party composition.

Cleric+Tank: Apostle
Cleric+Cleric: High Priest
Cleric+Mage: Oracle
Cleric+Ranger: Protector
Cleric+Bard: Scryer
Cleric+Rogue: Shadow Disciple
Cleric+Summoner: Shaman
Cleric+Fighter: Templar

Archetype: Fighter

Fighters are all about getting to you, and smashing your face in with tons of damage (Image via Intrepid Studios)

Using Combat Momentum as a resource, Fighters are mobile killing machines. Gap closers, damage dealers, they’re exactly what you expect them to be. This momentum mechanic they use helps them increase resistances and mobility, proportional to the damage they’ve taken and dealt.

This means it is wise to keep them in a fight as long as possible. If you like using big weapons and shredding targets? This is the Archetype for you in Ashes of Creation.

Fighter+Summoner: Bladecaller
Fighter+Bard: Bladedancer
Fighter+Tank: Dreadnought
Fighter+Cleric: Highsword
Fighter+Ranger: Hunter
Fighter+Rogue: Shadowblade
Fighter+Mage: Spellsword
Fighter+Fighter: Weapon Master

Archetype: Mage

Behold - UNLIMITED POWER! (Image via Intrepid Studios)

If you’ve ever fancied yourself a conjurer of the elements and wielding fantastic, raw power, the Mage Archetype may be what you need. You can focus on just using one element, but it’s not recommended.

Instead, you should use a wide assortment of elemental/non-elemental spells, as well as weapon attacks, to create synergies and combos. Chain Lightning, Cone of Cold, Enchant Weapon, Fireball — they have all kinds of incredible spells at their disposal to crowd control/damage opponents or to buff an ally with elemental might.

Mage+Cleric: Acolyte
Mage+Mage: Archwizard
Mage+Fighter: Battle Mage
Mage+Rogue: Shadowcaster
Mage+Bard: Sorcerer
Mage+Ranger: Spellhunter
Mage+Tank: Spellstone
Mage+Summoner: Warlock

Archetype: Ranger

Rangers excel in delivering death from a nice, safe distance (Image via Intrepid Studios)

Rangers, as an Archetype in Ashes of Creation, are both similar and different from the typical Hunter class in other MMOs, like World of Warcraft. Both classes are ranged affairs with lots of damage dealt from afar. They also have traps and debuffs to hit targets with.

However, the default Ranger is not a pet class. Perhaps if you run Falconer, you could get that sort of WoW experience — this is still in development. However, one change from early Ashes of Creation is that the developers decided having a minimum range requirement for attacks wouldn’t be fun, so that was removed.

Ranger+Bard: Bowslinger
Ranger+Summoner: Falconer
Ranger+Ranger: Hawkeye
Ranger+Mage: Scion
Ranger+Rogue: Scout
Ranger+Tank: Sentinel
Ranger+Cleric: Soulbow
Ranger+Fighter: Strider

Archetype: Rogue

You'll never see (their knives) comin' (Image via Intrepid Studios)

If you see a Rogue coming, then it’s probably too late. Rogues are a melee Archetype in Ashes of Creation and use a pretty standard kit. Bleeds, snares, and the ability to scope out traps, hidden doors, and secret treasures are all calling cards of the Rogue.

Don’t expect to be able to steal from living players, though; maybe quest items from players, but not actual theft of real items. Masters of dual wielding, Rogues are fast, sneaky, and most of all, dangerous.

Rogue+Rogue: Assassin
Rogue+Bard: Charlatan
Rogue+Cleric: Cultist
Rogue+Fighter: Duelist
Rogue+Mage: Nightspell
Rogue+Ranger: Predator
Rogue+Tank: Shadow Guardian
Rogue+Summoner: Shadow Lord

Archetype: Summoner

Summoning one of these War Beasts would for sure feel amazing (Image via Intrepid Studios)

Ashes of Creation’s Summoner Archetype is a sort of fascinating one. A hybrid class, it flexes into whatever role that’s needed, depending on their Secondary Archetype and what summon they have in play. They have the potential to tank, DPS, or heal, but it’s also important for the player to understand the role they’ve committed to.

Summoners can have up to three summons out at once and channel their spells through those summons. However, they don’t function the same as combat pets, in that they do not lose a portion of their combat power and transfer it to their pet. They sound potentially complex but also very rewarding.

Summoner+Ranger: Beastmaster
Summoner+Tank: Brood Warden
Summoner+Summoner: Conjurer
Summoner+Bard: Enchanter
Summoner+Cleric: Necromancer
Summoner+Rogue: Shadowmancer
Summoner+Mage: Spellmancer
Summoner+Fighter: Wind Blade

Archetype: Tank

Tanks mitigate damage and protect people from harm (Image via Intrepid Studios)

I like that the Tank Archetype in Ashes of Creation doesn’t have a fancy name — you know exactly what it is by reading the name. It protects itself and the party from harm. You can have varieties of builds, too: Evasion Tank, Control Tanks, and Shield tanks.

If you want a fancy name, you can get that from combining Archetypes. As long as Tank is your primary Archetype in Ashes of Creation, you will have the capacity to tank any of the game’s content.

Tank+Bard: Argent
Tank+Tank: Guardian
Tank+Summoner: Keeper
Tank+Fighter: Knight
Tank+Rogue: Nightshield
Tank+Cleric: Paladin
Tank+Mage: Spellshield
Tank+Ranger: Warden

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh