You’re probably looking at the list of 64 classes and thinking, "There is no way Steven Sharif and the team at Intrepid Studios can balance this." Honestly? You’re probably right. But that’s also exactly why the Ashes of Creation classes system is the most ambitious thing we've seen in the MMO space since the early days of Star Wars Galaxies or EverQuest. It isn't just a list of jobs. It’s a mathematical nightmare that promises to give players more agency than they’ve had in a decade.
Most modern MMOs give you a neat little box. You’re a Fire Mage. You press the fire buttons. Maybe you take a talent that makes your fire... blue? Groundbreaking. Intrepid is doing something different. They are splitting your identity into two distinct halves: your Primary Archetype and your Secondary Archetype. This is where people get confused. You don't pick two classes and mash their buttons together. You pick one set of active skills and then use a second class to "augment" how those skills fundamentally function.
The Eight Pillars: Your Primary Archetype
Before we get into the weeds of the 64 combinations, we have to talk about the core eight. These are the "Primary Archetypes." This choice is permanent. You pick this at character creation, and it dictates your active skills—the buttons you actually press on your hotbar.
The Fighter is your prototypical melee expert. They focus on mobility and physical prowess. Then you’ve got the Tank, which in Ashes is heavily reliant on a "Control" resource. They don't just soak damage; they dictate the flow of the battlefield. The Rogue deals in opportunity—stealth, sure, but also critical strikes and utility. Rangers are your ranged physical DPS, but they have a heavy emphasis on positioning and terrain.
On the magical side, the Mage is all about glass-cannon elemental destruction. The Cleric is the backbone of any group, managing life and death. Then there are the two "weird" ones: the Bard and the Summoner. Bards aren't just buff-bots; they use "proximic" dancing and songs that change based on where they stand. Summoners are the ultimate "fill" class, able to summon tanks, healers, or DPS pets depending on the situation.
The Augment System: Where 8 Becomes 64
This is the part that usually blows people's minds. Once you hit level 25, you choose a Secondary Archetype. Let's say you started as a Fighter. You’re hitting things with a sword. Cool. Now you choose Mage as your secondary. You are now a Spellsword.
You do not get the Mage’s fireballs.
Instead, you get access to "Mage Augments" that you apply to your Fighter skills. If you have a "Rush" ability that lets you charge an enemy, a Mage augment might allow you to teleport instead of running, or perhaps you leave a trail of fire in your wake. If you chose Tank as your secondary, you’d become a Dreadnought, and those same Fighter skills would suddenly gain defensive layers or crowd control effects.
The variety is staggering. Here is how some of these combinations shake out:
- Bard + Rogue = Charlatan. You're likely twisting your songs to confuse and debuff while slipping in and out of the shadows.
- Cleric + Summoner = Shaman. Your heals might now come from totems or spirits rather than direct light energy.
- Ranger + Ranger = Sagittarius. When you double down on the same archetype, you get "Mastery" augments that push the core theme to its absolute limit.
- Tank + Mage = Spellshield. Imagine a frontline wall that uses arcane barriers instead of just a slab of steel.
Why Balancing This is a Logistics Nightmare
Let's be real for a second. In a competitive PvP environment—which Ashes of Creation absolutely is—having 64 class names is a balancing tightrope. Steven Sharif has been very vocal about the "Rock-Paper-Scissors" philosophy. Not every class is meant to beat every other class. If you are a solo Rogue (Shadowblade), you should probably be terrified of a high-defense Tank.
The complexity increases when you realize that augments aren't just "stat sticks." They change the essence of an ability. A Cleric secondary might add life-steal to a Rogue's backstab. A Fighter secondary might add a "trip" or "knockdown" to a Mage's explosion.
Intrepid is using a "vertical and horizontal" progression model. Your Primary Archetype provides the vertical power (new skills, higher damage), while your Secondary provides the horizontal depth (utility, flavor, elemental shifts). This means that in a 40-man raid or a 250-vs-250 castle siege, the specific "flavor" of your Ashes of Creation classes matters more than just your raw DPS numbers.
The Summoner Problem
If there is one class that keeps the developers up at night, it's the Summoner. In most MMOs, a summoner is a guy with a pet. In Ashes, the Summoner is a bridge. Because their summons can take on different roles, a Summoner/Tank (Keeper) could technically "off-tank" a boss if the main tank goes down. A Summoner/Cleric (Necromancer) might use undead minions to siphon health back to the party.
The sheer amount of assets required for the Summoner is insane. They need models for the base summons, then variations for the augments. It’s the most "expensive" class in terms of development time. It's also the one most likely to be "broken" at launch, simply because of how many variables a pet adds to the game's pathfinding and aggro tables.
Impact of the Node System on Your Class
You can't talk about classes without talking about Nodes. Ashes of Creation is built on a system where player activity grows cities. Depending on the type of Node you are in—Divine, Economic, Military, or Scientific—you might have access to different gear or even specific class-related quests.
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Your class identity is also tied to your race. While any race can be any class, the racial "augments" (separate from the secondary archetype ones) will further tweak your abilities. A Vek (Orc) Mage might have different utility than a Pyrian (Elf) Mage. It’s layers upon layers. It’s a lot to digest.
Weapons Don't Care About Your Class
One of the most refreshing things about the Ashes of Creation classes is that weapons are "class agnostic." You want to be a Mage with a greatsword? Do it. You want to be a Tank with a bow? Theoretically possible.
The weapons have their own skill trees. As you use a weapon, you unlock proc effects and combos. This adds a third layer to your build. Your Primary gives you the "What," your Secondary gives you the "How," and your weapon gives you the "Extra." If you're playing a Bladecaller (Summoner/Fighter), you might choose to wield a polearm to keep enemies at bay while your summons shred them from the sides.
Action vs. Tab-Targeting
The game uses a hybrid combat system. You can toggle between a traditional tab-target feel (think World of Warcraft) and an action-combat feel (think TERA or BDO). Certain classes might feel better in one mode than the other. A Ranger might prefer the precision of action reticles for sniping, while a Cleric might need the reliability of tab-targeting to ensure a heal hits the right person in a chaotic 50-man mosh pit.
Intrepid has stated they want a roughly 50/50 split, but the community is skeptical. Usually, one system ends up being mathematically superior. We’ll see how the Alpha 2 testing shapes this balance.
What You Should Actually Do Next
If you’re looking to get into Ashes, don’t get paralyzed by the 64 options. It’s a trap. Most of those names are just labels for specific augment combinations. Your first and most important decision is your Primary Archetype.
Identify your preferred playstyle first:
Do you like being the "glue" that holds a group together? Start with Bard or Cleric.
Do you want to be the person who decides where the fight happens? Go Tank or Fighter.
Do you want to be a Swiss Army Knife? Summoner is your best bet.
Once you’ve settled on a primary, look at the secondary archetypes as a way to "fix" your primary’s weaknesses or double down on its strengths. If you hate how squishy your Mage is, plan for a Tank or Fighter secondary to beef up your defenses. If you think your Cleric is too slow, look into Rogue or Ranger augments for mobility.
The real testing is happening right now in the persistent Alpha 2 phase. If you're serious about a specific build, watch the "4K Class Spotlights" on the Intrepid Studios YouTube channel. They've already showcased deep dives into the Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, and Mage. Pay attention to the "proc" systems and how mana (or essence) is managed.
Forget the "meta" for now. The game is years away from a finished balance state. Pick the fantasy you want to inhabit, because in a world where players can destroy cities and change the map, your class is the only thing that stays truly yours.