What is the Remnant 2 best class? With several starter archetypes and others that are unlockable as you play, you’re bound to be struggling to figure out which archetype outshines the other. Our Remnant 2 tier list ranking all the classes discusses skills, perks, and traits, as well as what you can expect from your picks depending on solo or co-op play and why some are better than others. That’s right, the best Remnant 2 class needs to be well-suited to both solo and co-op modes.
Whether you’re playing Remnant 2 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC, you’ll spend several hours fighting hordes of monsters and the various Remnant 2 bosses, all while leveling your character further. Naturally, you’ll also want your chosen class – check out our Remnant 2 classes guide for more on those – to have the best Remnant 2 weapons and best Remnant 2 traits to optimize your build and find a style that suits you. Our expert opinion comes as a result of many, many hours of play, 50 of which come from our Remnant 2 review alone.
Remnant 2 best class
The best Remnant 2 class is the Handler due to having a companion to help you out in fights, revive you in solo play, and distract enemies. It has a fantastic set of skills and perks, its adorable doggy being chief among them. It’s great in both solo and co-op play.
The Medic is a close follow-up due to its focus on healing and survivability, which works especially well in co-op multiplayer as you can keep your team alive against all odds. It also starts with one of the best guns in the game, so you’re off to a strong start.
The full Remnant 2 tier list of classes looks as follows:
- S-Tier: Handler, Medic
- A-Tier: Hunter, Gunslinger, Alchemist, Engineer, Invader
- B-Tier: Archon, Summoner
- C-Tier: Challenger, Explorer
In our time with the campaign and beyond, we’ve unlocked all the various archetypes (including the secret classes) and obtaining their skills and perks. As a result, we’ve had lots of experience which each of the classes and have found out that not all of them are made equally.
It also bears mentioning that each archetype has its own unique trait, which increases in rank as you level up. Unfortunately, these ranks won’t be retained if you switch to something else (the class itself has to be “equipped” by your character). As such, you’ll have to reallocate trait points to gain their benefits, so don’t forget this as these can have a big impact on the overall power of your chosen class. We’ve taken these traits into account when ranking and determining the best Remnant 2 class.
But, for a deep dive into why the Remnant 2 tier list looks this way, continue reading below:
S-Tier
The Remnant 2 S-tier classes are those that can truly change how you approach combat encounters. You’ll be able to succeed with these whether you’re going at it alone or with a group since they’re integral to your survival.
Handler
The Handler is well and truly the best Remnant 2 class for solo players, effectively giving you a second player for backup, though it’s also great as a supportive class in co-op multiplayer. The reason we rank it at the top of our Remnant 2 tier list isn’t just because of its cute dog companion. Rather, it’s because that furry friend has some of the niftiest utility actions in the game.
Your dog can taunt enemies like a tank so you can pepper them with bullets from afar. Likewise, it can grant HP regen for you and your allies. Perks like Pack Hunter and Spirit of the Wolf also grant damage and movement speed bonuses, respectively. As you might have figured out, the dog can effectively fill any role you want it to, so solo players are covered for any scenario while co-op parties can pick whichever mode they need.
Perhaps what makes the Handler a must-have in your games is the Bonded Prime Perk. If it’s equipped in the main/left-hand slot, the dog will automatically attempt to revive you or downed allies, as long as players still have a Relic charge left. Talk about being man’s best friend! This revive and the other supportive boosts came in clutch for us in our playthrough, letting us keep fighting when we should really have lost.
If paired with a more aggressive, damage dealer class like the Engineer or Gunslinger, which we’ll go over more later, it’s capable of doing everything you could ever want out of a class.
Medic
We can’t deny that one of the best Remnant 2 class archetypes is the Medic. It has everything you need as a solo player and co-op party member to help with self-sustain and survivability. If you need to heal, there’s Wellspring. As for revives, there’s Redemption, which has a large AoE. Perks, such as Invigorated, even boost its damage, whereas the Triage trait increases healing.
While its kit isn’t exactly full of offensive options, the raw power of its support and healing abilities (including self-healing) means that you can divert the rest of your attention towards damage, including gear and general playstyle.
Even better, the Medic starts out with the XMG57 Bonesaw machine gun which is one of the best weapons in the game. Having a machine gun as a freebie, with 300 total bullets to spare, makes this archetype outshine the rest right from the very beginning. This also goes a long way in helpful out on the damage dealing side, making up for this weakness in its kit.
The Medic is also a superb multiclass option if your main archetype lacks healing and self-sustain. Similar to the Alchemist, you can generally slot this class with any other archetype and have a strong setup. This is one of our favorite starting options for this very reason, as not only do we get one of the best classes and weapons right away, but we have the freedom to take our build in almost any direction and not have to worry.
A-Tier
The A-tier classes in Remnant 2 are amazing in battles, thanks to great damage and worthwhile buffs. If soloing, you’d likely want another decent class to hybrid with for extra support – more on this later. If you’re with teammates, then you won’t need to worry as much as the other players can plug the gaps.
Hunter
The Hunter is suitable for those who like stealth, precision shots, and a bit of planning to boot. Its basic skill, Hunter’s Mark, shows all nearby enemies, allowing your squad to plan your approach and avoid surprises, all while increasing damage and critical hit chance. Later, you can opt to get Hunter’s Focus, for deadlier precision shots, or Hunter’s Shroud, if you like to sneak around. This is superb for boss encounters as you can simply turn up your damage on demand, especially if you’ve got the aim to land frequent critical hits.
The Dead to Rights Prime Perk also extends the duration of active Hunter skill effects if you can manage to do enough damage to weak spots, which implies longer critical hits and overall DPS buffs. Yes, that means you can absolutely tank boss health bars if you can keep the critical hit train chugging. Overall the Hunter is the bossing class, simply due to the heavy focus on ranged damage and exploiting weak spots.
While the Hunter excels at dealing damage, they can be a little squishy which makes them harder to play solo unless, of course, you’re a master at avoiding damage altogether. They don’t have the added healing and sustain benefits of classes like the Handler and the Medic in solo play, so you’ll want to play a little slower. In multiplayer co-op though, the Hunter is a great pick for a damage dealer. You can, of course, also multiclass with a support archetype for some added healing.
Gunslinger
If the Hunter is more reliant on precision and planning, then the Gunslinger goes in with guns blazing (pun intended). This archetype has several boosts related to fire rate, ammo reserves, and reloading. Meanwhile, its initial skill, Quickdraw, does up to six guaranteed critical hits, or a single powerful shot if the trigger is held down.
However, what you really want is Bulletstorm, which is unlocked at level 10. This turns your ranged weapons into absolute monsters with increased fire rate, reload speed, and the means of giving single-shot armaments full-auto fire, with bows and crossbows gaining crit chance and projectile velocity. When combined with the Loaded Prime Perk, where Gunslinger skills automatically reload weapons and give them temporary infinite ammo on reserve, you’ve got a devastating setup.
Alongside the Hunter, the Gunslinger makes for a great bossing class, tanking large healthbars through overpowering damage. However, the Gunslinger is a little more focused on mobbing – clearing out groups of weaker foes through a barrage of bullets.
To be fair, while the Gunslinger has a lot going for it, it’s still primarily a burst-heavy class. Since it offers no utility, healing, or added survivability, you’ll have your work cut out for you in tough situations especially if you’re playing solo. However, in co-op, much like the Hunter, the Gunslinger is a great DPS choice if you’ve got another player as a support. However, you can always multiclass with a healing-focused class too.
Alchemist
We feel that the Alchemist is the best Remnant 2 class if you want to actively buff your teammates. You can find this class’ engram by defeating a Rat Ogre that drags you through a sewer drain in the Losomn region.
Once unlocked, you’ll get to use its abilities, such as Vial: Stone Mist, for added defense, or Vial: Frenzy Dust, for boosted fire rate, reload speed, and melee speed. Even better, you can get Vial: Elixir of Life once the class is fully leveled up. This vapor cloud revives teammates, regenerates HP, and prevents fatal damage for 20 seconds. It’s like going for broke and not caring about the consequences, at least temporarily. As you might have figured out, the Alchemist is a supportive buffer for yourself and your party.
Given it’s wide range of buffs, it’s a very versatile class and excellent for group play. In solo games, however, it can be trickier to balance all the buffs and you can be caught out where the Handler and Medic would have pulled through. It does make for an excellent multiclass option for plenty of other setups as well though. Overall, the Alchemist is best played in co-op where you’re able to deal massively increased damage and survivability for more than just yourself.
Engineer
The Engineer can be yours once you find its class item in the wastelands of N’erud. What sets it apart from many other archetypes is its ability to deploy heavy weapons, turning them into turrets. These automatically track nearby hostiles, all while you blast them with your own firearms.
As you level up the Engineer class, you’ll be able to switch to other options, such as a flamethrower or high-impact blaster. Likewise, you can overclock these armaments to provide more DPS, and you can’t argue with amped up damage. Lastly, the Engineer’s unique trait, Fortify, increases the effectiveness of your armor and, thus, improves damage reduction, too.
It’s a heavy weapons specialist that’s as much a blast to play as it is in action, blasting enemies away in a wave of fiery explosions. It’s effective in dealing damage to bosses especially as you’re still able to fire your own powerful weapons while your turret is chugging away, let alone when your turret is amplified.
The Engineer’s unique perks can be surprisingly helpful when playing solo, especially thanks to the Fortify trait that can give you some much needed survivability compared to other damage-centric classes. With that said, it’s much better as a co-op multiplayer class or multiclass by adding DPS during boss fights. After all, it’s effectively another body on the field.
Invader
The Invader class can be unlocked by using the Dreamcatcher to hit a dreamer’s pod in Root Earth: Corrupted Harbor. This archetype is quite versatile, thanks to its use of decoys and other tricks. For instance, the Void Cloak skill automatically triggers perfect dodges for the next 60 seconds. This duration is decreased if you do take direct hits, but, in the hands of a skilled player, this can spell the difference between life or death.
Moreover, its Reboot skill saves a backup of your stats, so you can essentially “rewind” to a previous state if things aren’t going your way. The Worm Hole skill, meanwhile, combines a teleport and a 300% damage increase for your next attack. Lastly, there’s the Untouchable unique trait, which increases your evade window, a good choice for when you need to time your dodges perfectly.
Given how fast-paced and skill intensive this class can be, it’s recommended more for co-op play where you’ll have other players to cover for you if you make the wrong move. That’s not to say it’s not an incredibly fun class in solo though, as we’ve had a blast with its more tactical playstyle.
Once you’ve got the hang of its unique playstyle, it’s an incredibly effective class, capable of dealing some great damage while also surviving through deception. However, it’s best to have this class as your prime archetype to get the full benefits, which can be a little awkward.
B-Tier
We consider only two archetypes in Remnant 2 as B-tier. It’s not that these archetypes are terrible. They are quite good, but they need a bit more help from other classes or teammates, or are generally hard to really master. They do, however, work very well as multiclass options where their weak spots can be plugged by another class.
Archon
The Archon is undoubtedly the hardest class to master. That is why it is in this spot. Only found after datamining, the class was intentionally hidden by the developers. In combat, you can use a variety of spells, tools, and runes to deal damage, protect yourself, and deal with enemies.
It’s heavily based around Mods to deal damage, so you’ll need to pair it with good equipment for you can really see the potential of this class, even more so than normal. As such, it is very difficult to be effective with the Archon, but those who can master it will absolutely dominate the field in front of them with spells, buffs, and other attacks. So, if you are a veteran Remnant player then it’s a good option. But, it isn’t a great choice for new players who will struggle to keep up and play effectively.
Nevertheless, it’s a fun albeit tricky class to use in solo as it can lack survivability compared to the likes of the Handler, Medic, and even the Engineer. Again though, multiclassing can drastically turn this class around.
Summoner
The Summoner archetype can be unlocked once you reach the Yaesha region. You’ll need to shoot purple wisps during a Blood Moon (such as when the skies are red). Doing so nets you a currency that lets you purchase its class item via an altar.
Once unlocked, you can try out the Summoner’s tricks which, naturally, involve spawning Root creatures. Your choices include Hollows, Flyers, and a Reaver, though you can only choose one specific type of minion at any given time. Summoners also have an alternative means of interacting with minions, such as sacrificing them to cause an explosion or causing them to enrage via their Ruthless Prime Perk which can come in very handy when bossing or mobbing.
Perhaps the biggest downside here is that spawning a creature will also deplete your HP. Although you can’t die from this action, you’ll end up wasting a Relic charge (you can’t tag a checkpoint to heal, since that will despawn your minions). Worse, minions have terrible AI, with little to no survival instincts. As such, you’re better off if you’ve got Medic or Alchemist as your second archetype (or as teammates in co-op) so that you can afford to sacrifice some health.
Overall, it’s certainly a fun and unique class, but it’s hard to argue it being the best Remnant 2 class simply due to it’s glaring issues. With another class combined in your build though, having extra bodies on the field fighting for you comes in very handy, even if the AI is a little wonky.
C-Tier
The Remnant 2 C-tier classes offer unique capabilities in their own right. Unfortunately, they’re overshadowed by their counterparts, and in such an intense game as Remnant 2, you’re better off picking a different class.
Challenger
We really wanted to like the Challenger class. If trailers were an indication, then it seemed as though this archetype was optimal for melee engagements due to its tankiness. Sadly, it’s far from becoming the Remnant 2 best class due to its kit and the game’s core mechanics.
The Challenger’s skills like War Stomp and Juggernaut, as well as the Close Quarters perk, nudge you to get as close as possible to enemies. This is nothing short of a death sentence, especially if you’re (a) soloing, (b) fighting bosses, or (c) playing on higher difficulties.
You really need to decide on a loadout and build that will suit your needs, as opposed to other archetypes that can mostly be played without any worries. Ideally, you’ll want the Medic, Handler, or Alchemist as your other class or teammate picks, just to support this playstyle. Otherwise you’ll no doubt end up down on the floor in no time if you’re trying to play the Challenger as intended.
Explorer
Lastly, we’ve got the Explorer archetype, which can be unlocked after beating the game’s final boss. Funnily enough, the Explorer acts as a buffer for utility effects, such as movement speed, ammo drops, item quality, and Relic fragments. Its Fortune Hunter skill, unlocked at level 10, also reveals special items in an area.
Sadly, the Explorer doesn’t offer a key benefit that would either help you take out more enemies, or survive tougher battles. For the most part, it could be used as a secondary archetype if you really need to find goodies in the game world. But, if you already know where to look, or if offense and defense are more important, then there are better options to choose from. With that said, if you’re playing co-op and have all these important roles filled in already, the Explorer is a handy utility-focused class to have while venturing through the world. Given how it’s unlocked, it’s a shame this isn’t the best Remnant 2 class in our tier list. Instead, it’s right at the bottom.
Best Remnant 2 multiclass combinations
Remnant 2 features a multiclass option to players, letting them merge and combine the abilities of two classes. This makes choosing the best class slightly less stressful as you can always pick one from higher up in the tier list to be a backup.
With that said though, not all classes multiclass well together. But don’t worry, we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you by putting each class combination to the test to find out the best Remnant 2 multiclass setups:
- Handler and Engineer (Summoner/Gunslinger are good alternatives)
- Engineer and Challenger (Handler/Summoner/Alchemist are good alternatives)
- Hunter and Gunslinger (Invader/Alchemist are good alternatives)
- Medic and Archon (Alchemist/Challenger are good alternatives)
Overall, these multiclass options help to add either damage or survivability to the overall build through combining classes that synergize well. For example, combining the Handler with the Engineer (or vice versa) is a straightforward setup that’s perfect for a first playthrough, dealing great damage with little risk through a dog and turret summon.
On the other hand, the Engineer and Challenger multiclass helps bring the Challenger out of the pit of mediocrity. Having a turret by your side help you build Rage stacks while also providing covering fire for when you want to go in swinging.
The ability to combine classes for fun and dynamic build-making is one of the many reasons why we consider Remnant 2 to be one of the best Soulslike games out there. If you’re yet to mess around with combining classes, then we highly suggest you give it a go right away and see what powerful builds or Frankenstein’s monster setups you can make.
That covers everything you need to know about the Remnant 2 best class with our Remnant 2 tier list. For even more advice as you are playing, check out our guide on the best Remnant 2 weapons, as well as our other guides and tips in our Remnant 2 walkthrough article. Now, grab your best Xbox controller or best PS5 controller and get out there. If you just can’t get enough, then you’re in luck as the Remnant 2 The Awakened King DLC is shaping up to be an exciting new expansion that even adds a new class, as we learned in an exclusive interview with Principal designer Ben Cureton and Gunfire Games co-founder David Adams.