ArcheAge Chronicles has four classes at launch, Warrior, Ranger, Berserker and Mage, and each gets two weapons when Early Access opens on November 3. If you’re jumping in on day one, I’d pick the Warrior, because XLGAMES is building on that class first. I would still personally wait, as I said when I wrote about the ArcheAge Chronicles release date, but if you’re going in, the class is the first thing to get right.
Key takeaways
- There are four classes at launch, with two weapons each and eight weapons in total.
- Classes are gender-locked at launch, and the female Warrior is planned for the first update in December.
- You can’t move a character to another server during Early Access, and you can’t play across servers.
What classes are in ArcheAge Chronicles?
XLGAMES lists four classes in its Steam Next Fest post: Warrior, Ranger, Berserker and Mage. Here’s what each one carries, using Mein-MMO’s class overview to fill the gaps in XLGAMES’ own posts.
| Class | Launch weapons | Planned third weapon | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Longsword, Greatsword | Gladius and shield | Physical melee or tank |
| Ranger | Hatchets, Longbow | Crossbow | Fast melee or ranged |
| Berserker | Axe and shield, Warhammer | Greatshield | Physical melee or tank |
| Mage | Elemental Staff, Wavesword | Life Staff | Ranged caster, healer later |
XLGAMES has only tied some of these to a class in its own posts: the Warrior’s longsword, greatsword and Gladius, and the Ranger’s hatchets. The other pairings, the third weapons apart from the Gladius and the style column come from Mein-MMO. The Wavesword, Longbow, Warhammer, Hatchet and Elemental Staff all show up by name in XLGAMES’ balance notes, so those names are solid even where the class pairing is reported.
Which ArcheAge Chronicles class should you pick?
I’d pick the Warrior. It’s the class XLGAMES is working on first: the female Warrior and the Gladius are both planned for the first update, in December, and the other classes follow one at a time after that. If you want your class to get new things soonest, that’s the one.
If you want to fight from range, go Ranger. You just need to know that XLGAMES says soft-lock targeting for ranged attacks needs work, and its combat team is taking that on during Early Access, so bow play could change.
Mage is the pick if you want magic, but Mein-MMO lists the Life Staff as the weapon that brings the healer role, and it isn’t in at launch. So if you were planning to heal for your friends on November 3, I wouldn’t count on it. XLGAMES also tuned the Elemental Staff’s lightning skills and rebalanced the Wavesword since the demo, so don’t go by what you read about the demo.
Berserker is the other melee and tank option. XLGAMES tuned the Warhammer and Forceful Lunge since the demo. Tanks are also worth a second look later, because the party aggro system is another thing the combat team has said needs work.
Are ArcheAge Chronicles classes gender-locked?
Yes, classes are gender-locked at launch. Producer Ham’s Steam letter on October 29 calls it the most common piece of feedback since the September network test. XLGAMES is adding gender selection at character creation one class at a time, starting with the female Warrior in the first update in December, and its goal is to remove the locks from every class by full release.
That last part is a goal, and Early Access is expected to run for nine to 12 months. So if you only want to play one class as one gender, check it at character creation before you settle on it.
How do weapons and traits work?
Each weapon type has its own trait tree, so a Warrior’s longsword tree and greatsword tree are completely separate. Most nodes are small stat boosts along a path, some give that weapon new skills, and some change how an existing skill plays. XLGAMES’ October 15 progression post says two players using the same weapon can end up fighting in very different ways.
Trait points don’t come from levelling. XLGAMES split them off from your character level so that the answer to a tough fight isn’t only to go and level up. Levels give you stat points instead, across six stats:
| Stat | What it does |
|---|---|
| Strength | Raises physical attack |
| Agility | Adds critical hit chance and physical attack |
| Constitution | Raises HP and resistance to critical hits |
| Intelligence | Raises magic attack |
| Endurance | Raises stamina and defense |
| Talent | Supports magic attack and lets you use better equipment without penalties |
One point always buys one stat, however high that stat already is, so there’s no maths to do before you commit. The character screen also shows how your numbers will change before you lock anything in.
Can you change server in ArcheAge Chronicles?
No. XLGAMES’ November 2 notice says you can’t transfer a character to another server during Early Access, it can’t confirm if or when transfers will come, and players on different servers can’t play together. So agree on a server with your friends before anyone makes a character. XLGAMES hasn’t said anything about changing class, so I’d pick as if you can’t.
Early Access opens at 3pm PT on November 3, which is 6pm ET and 11pm in the UK. It’s $29.99 on Steam with no subscription. There are three regions at launch: Diamond Shores, Gylden Ruins and Astron Plains.
FAQ
How many classes does ArcheAge Chronicles have?
Four at launch: Warrior, Ranger, Berserker and Mage. Each has two weapons, with a third weapon per class planned one class at a time.
Is there a healer in ArcheAge Chronicles?
Not at launch, according to Mein-MMO, which lists the Mage’s Life Staff as the healing weapon and says it isn’t available yet. XLGAMES hasn’t given a date for it.
Can you play a female Warrior in ArcheAge Chronicles?
Not on November 3. XLGAMES plans the female Warrior for its first update, in December.
Can you play with friends on another server?
No. Players on different servers can’t play together, and there are no character transfers during Early Access.
