As a hardcore Remnant 2 player with over 500 hours invested, new recruits often ask me:
"What‘s the best starting class for beginners?"
It‘s a common question with no universal answer. Remnant 2 gives you four options of starting Archetypes (also called classes) to choose from out the gate. However, the best one depends entirely on your preferred playstyle and role.
In this guide, I‘ll break things down to help you make the most informed decision upfront. I‘ve played them all extensively, so lend me your ear!
Overview of Archetypes
First, let‘s quickly understand Remnant 2‘s class system. Here‘s the basic gist:
- 10 total Archetypes in the game
- Only 4 available when starting out
- Gunslinger
- Challenger
- Hunter
- Handler
- Each has a unique Prime Perk, active Skills, and Gear
- You later unlock more Archetypes like Medic
- Can combine skills from two classes
So essentially Archetypes dictate your character‘s abilities, strengths and weaknesses. They define your playstyle.
You can switch things up later, but the starting choice will flavor your initial experience.
Next, I‘ll analyze each beginner class in-depth. Buckle up, recruits!
Gunslinger – Fragile DPS Devil
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|---|
| Shredding foes with dual pistols before they can react |
Playstyle: Glass cannon damage dealer. Wipes enemies out ultra fast with guns.
Overview
- Highest raw DPS but very squishy
- Skills enhance offense – damage, fire rate, reload speed
- Prime Perk grants infinite ammo after using skills
- Excels at burstingsingle targets
Pros
- Melts bosses and elites
- Very fun for aggressive players
- Some AoE damage capabilities
Cons
- Easily killed if caught off guard
- Managing ammo consumption takes finesse
- Mediocre crowd control
| Strength | Rating |
|---|---|
| Damage | 10/10 💥 |
| Survivability | 3/10 💀 |
| Crowd Control | 5/10 ⚔️ |
| Ease-of-Use | 6/10 ⚙️ |
The Gunslinger appeals most to frag-happy players wanting to delete enemies with extreme firearm prejudice.
However, you gotta end fights quickly before getting overwhelmed. It takes precision and quick reactions to excel.
I only recommend this class for intermediate players on their 2nd/3rd walkthrough accustomed to Remnant 2‘s combat pace. Otherwise the learning curve is steep!
Challenger – Unkillable Horror
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|An unstoppable freight train plowing through enemies|
Playstyle: Extremely tanky frontline bruiser who dominates up close
Overview
- Almost impossible to kill when built well
- Strong melee damage but limited range
- Solid crowd control from AoEs
- Prime Perk provides a "second life"
Pros
- Face tank anything thanks to durability
- Easy to learn for beginners
- Great solo and team contributor
Cons
- Lacks damage vs ranged classes
- Low mobility can be punished
| Strength | Rating |
|---|---|
| Survivability | 10/10 🛡️ |
| Damage | 7/10 ⚔️ |
| Crowd Control | 8/10 🌪️ |
| Ease-of-Use | 9/10 👍 |
The Challenger archetype has my unconditional recommendation for all newcomers to Remnant 2.
It essentially allows you to leak brain cells charging headfirst into battle without a care in the world!
You can make plenty of mistakes and still come out on top by brute forcing it. This makes the learning process way more approachable.
Once you have more experience, I suggest pairing Challenger with Gunslinger or Hunter to add the range it lacks. But by itself, it gets the job done and then some!
Hunter – Silent Assassin
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|Patience, cunning and exploitation of weaknesses|
Playstyle: Keeping distance to single out targets with precise strikes
Overview
- Weaker in direct combat than Gunslinger
- Specializes in prep and opportunism
- Skills enhance stealth, traps and weak point damage
- Prime Perk extends buff durations
Pros
- Unmatched burst and execution
- Crowd control via traps
- Self healing and escape tools
Cons
- Very reliant on gear
- Steep learning curve
- Unforgiving if caught off guard
| Strength | Rating |
|---|---|
| Damage | 9/10 🎯 |
| Survivability | 4/10 🥷 |
| Crowd Control | 7/10 🔪 |
| Ease-of-Use | 5/10 🧠 |
Whereas the Gunslinger overwhelms with aggression, the Hunter wins battles before they even start with careful planning and positioning.
If you love preparing elaborate ambushes, obliterating unwitting targets, then vanishing into the shadows, this class excels there.
However, the measured style takes practice getting right compared to run-and-gun classes. I recommend Hunter only if you have FPS experience and stay cool under pressure.
If caught off guard, you‘ll expire faster than a Seafood Special sitting in the hot sun!
Handler – The Tactical Commander
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|Guiding both pet and allies deftly amidst the chaos|
Playstyle: Coordinating with pet to control engagements
Overview
- Pet provides damage/CC/healing
- Focused on buffing allies + debuffing enemies
- More active playstyle through pet management
- Prime Perk offers team resurrection
Pros
- Fun micro-managing companion
- Flexible combat options
- Beginner friendly due to pet tanking
Cons
- Managing pet takes practice
- Lower individual impact than damage classes
- Pet AI has a learning curve
| Strength | Rating |
|---|---|
| Damage | 5/10 🐾 |
| Survivability | 7/10 🐕 |
| Crowd Control | 8/10 🎽 |
| Ease-of-Use | 7/10 🎮 |
The Handler class is a thinking man‘s choice. Rather than dishing damage yourself directly, you enable opportunities for it via controlling engagements.
I personally love the calculated, tactician-like playstyle. Guiding both a pet and teammates amidst chaos appeals to me.
And there‘s something deeply satisfying about sicing your hound on hapless enemies too!
For those wanting more active abilities beyond "run at enemy and shoot", Handler is a top pick. While beginner friendly, it still offers plenty of skill expression for veterans by coordinating layered assaults.
Give this class a shot if commanding legions intrigues you. There‘s no better leader than a dog owner! 🐶
Comparing All Starting Classes
Here‘s a quick glance summary of the 4 starting Archetypes:
| Class | Playstyle | Rating ||
|-|-|-|-|
| Gunslinger | Glass Cannon Damage | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ||
| Challenger | Beefy Frontline Bruiser | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ||
| Hunter | Methodical Assassin | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ||
| Handler | Tactical Pet Master | ⭐⭐⭐ ||
Based on the above, my top recommendation for new players is the Challenger class. It gives you great survivability to learn the ropes.
Gunslinger and Hunter are also fantastic for dealing damage, but require a bit more FPS expertise to excel with at first.
And Handler offers a unique pet-focused playstyle great for support players.
At the end of the day, your preferences dictate which class fits you best to start. But you honestly can‘t go wrong with any of the four!
Preparing for Endgame Builds
While your starting Archetype lays the groundwork, mixing and matching skills between classes offers far greater build potential down the road.
Once you reach level 10 with a class, you unlock "Variant Slots" to insert skills from a secondary class.
As an example, I run a Challenger/Hunter hybrid build in endgame:
- Challenger provides the beefy base
- Hunter gives executing power from range
This compensates for the Challenger‘s lack of guns to become an axe-wielding heavy gunner!
So don‘t worry about being "locked in" to any starting choice. Look at it as setting the stage to layer more complexity atop later when you understand the systems better.
In closing, I hope this guide helps you pick the best Remnant 2 starting class aligning to your playstyle! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Now get out there and start obliterating beasts, recruit! 🪓🧟
