Classes and builds
ArcheAge has no fixed classes. You pick three skillsets out of eleven, and the game names the result — 165 combinations, all of them playable.
How it works
- You choose your first skillset at character creation. Auramancy, Defense, Songcraft and Witchcraft only become available afterwards.
- You unlock a second and third skillset as you level.
- Those three together are your class, and the game gives it a name.
- None of it is permanent. You can swap a skillset at a Nui priestess or a skill manager for a small fee, and go back later. Try things.
Skill points are the real constraint: there are not enough to max all three sets. Most players go deep in one or two and take a handful of key skills from the third. That is the normal way to build, not a compromise.
The eleven skillsets
| Skillset | Role | What it brings |
|---|---|---|
| Battlerage Patron: Kyrios |
Melee damage. | Charges, spins and heavy blows, with a berserk buff and a pile of crowd control. The default engine for any melee build. |
| Witchcraft Patron: Dahuta |
Control. | Sleeps, fears, silences and mana burn. Not much direct damage, but it decides who is allowed to fight back. |
| Defense Patron: Shatigon |
Tanking. | Shield skills, damage reduction, threat generation and debuff cleanses. The only real tanking set. |
| Auramancy Patron: Haje |
Mobility and utility. | Teleports, movement speed, crowd-control breaks and party buffs. Glues almost every build together. |
| Occultism Patron: Nui |
Magic damage over time. | Curses, drains and summons. Strong on sustained single-target pressure and pairs with any caster. |
| Archery Patron: Tahyang |
Ranged damage. | Bow damage at range with two solid area attacks. Wants Agility and a bow. |
| Sorcery Patron: Aranzeb |
Burst magic damage. | Fire and lightning nukes plus area damage. The classic Intelligence caster set. |
| Shadowplay Patron: Melisara |
Stealth and burst. | Stealth, openers, poisons and gap closers. Mixes into melee and ranged builds alike. |
| Songcraft Patron: Lucius |
Group support. | Party-wide buffs, minor group healing and strong combo effects. Weak on its own damage. |
| Vitalism Patron: Kyprosa |
Healing. | Direct heals, heal over time and cleanses. Scales off Spirit. |
| Malediction Patron: Orchidna |
Abyssal magic damage. | The newest set: builds Malice Charges to empower your own attacks while stacking debuffs on the target. |
Swiftblade, which some newer guides mention, does not exist in 5.0 — this server has eleven skillsets, not twelve.
Where to start
Six roles, and the builds that are worth a new character's time in each. Pick the row that sounds like how you want to play, not the one with the biggest numbers.
Tank
Defense is the only real tanking set; the other two decide what kind of tank you are.
Stats: Stamina, then Strength Gear: Plate, one-hander and shield
| Class | Skillsets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Templar | Defense · Auramancy · Vitalism | The classic. Tanks and heals itself, and the safest first character in the game. |
| Abolisher | Battlerage · Defense · Auramancy | Tankier damage. Holds a line in mass PvP. |
| Blighter | Battlerage · Defense · Shadowplay | Trades some survivability for real melee pressure. |
| Paladin | Battlerage · Defense · Vitalism | Slow, extremely hard to kill, keeps itself up. |
| Skullknight | Defense · Auramancy · Occultism | Magic-flavoured tank with drains and curses. |
Melee DPS
Battlerage is the engine; Shadowplay or Auramancy is how you reach the target.
Stats: Strength, then Stamina Gear: Plate or leather, two-hander
| Class | Skillsets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Darkrunner | Battlerage · Auramancy · Shadowplay | The famous one. Teleports in, kills something, leaves. Very strong, very squishy. |
| Executioner | Battlerage · Occultism · Shadowplay | Burst plus damage over time. Sticks to a target better than most. |
| Outrider | Battlerage · Archery · Shadowplay | Highest raw physical damage on the list, and can open at range. |
| Shadowblade | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Shadowplay | Damage with a full crowd-control kit attached. |
| Blade Dancer | Battlerage · Shadowplay · Songcraft | Brings party buffs to a melee slot. |
Archer
Archery for the damage, Shadowplay for the escape, and a third set for whatever keeps you alive.
Stats: Agility, then Stamina Gear: Leather, bow plus a one-hander or dagger
| Class | Skillsets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primeval | Auramancy · Archery · Shadowplay | The standard archer. Stealth, mobility and burst at range. |
| Ranger | Archery · Shadowplay · Vitalism | Self-sufficient. Heals through the damage it takes. |
| Trickster | Witchcraft · Archery · Shadowplay | Locks a target down and shoots it while it cannot answer. |
| Stone Arrow | Defense · Archery · Shadowplay | The archer that survives being caught. |
| Shadehunter | Occultism · Archery · Shadowplay | Adds curses and damage over time to the bow. |
Caster
Sorcery burns, Occultism drains, Malediction stacks. Witchcraft and Auramancy keep you alive long enough to cast.
Stats: Intelligence, then Stamina Gear: Cloth, staff or scepter and shield
| Class | Skillsets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Daggerspell | Witchcraft · Sorcery · Shadowplay | Mage assassin. Stealth opener into a full burst rotation. |
| Arcanist | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Sorcery | The durable caster. Hardest of the mages to pin down. |
| Demonologist | Witchcraft · Occultism · Sorcery | Pure magic damage, burst and sustained together. |
| Reaper | Occultism · Sorcery · Shadowplay | Damage over time plus burst, with an escape. |
| Revenant | Auramancy · Occultism · Sorcery | Attrition caster; wins the long fight. |
Healer
Vitalism is the healing. What you pair it with decides whether you are a raid healer, a duellist, or unkillable.
Stats: Spirit, then Stamina Gear: Cloth, scepter and shield
| Class | Skillsets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cleric | Auramancy · Songcraft · Vitalism | The main raid healer. Buffs, group heals, mobility. |
| Templar | Defense · Auramancy · Vitalism | Healer that cannot be killed by one person. Also the tank pick above. |
| Hierophant | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Vitalism | Healer with crowd control; excellent in small-scale PvP. |
| Edgewalker | Auramancy · Occultism · Vitalism | Heals and drains at the same time. |
| Soulsong | Archery · Songcraft · Vitalism | Healer that contributes real ranged damage. |
Support
Songcraft and Witchcraft. You decide who in the fight is allowed to act.
Stats: Spirit and Stamina Gear: Cloth or leather, instrument in the ranged slot
| Class | Skillsets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Confessor | Shadowplay · Songcraft · Vitalism | Buffs, heals, and vanishes when focused. |
| Athame | Witchcraft · Songcraft · Vitalism | Control and support in one bar. |
| Caretaker | Defense · Songcraft · Vitalism | The support that survives being trained. |
| Dreambreaker | Witchcraft · Defense · Auramancy | Pure crowd control with a tank chassis. |
| Argent | Battlerage · Auramancy · Vitalism | Melee support; fights and tops the party up. |
Matching gear to the build
The most common new-player mistake is gearing for the weapon instead of for the skills. Your damage comes off one attribute, and it is your skillsets that choose which one:
| If your damage comes from… | You scale off | So you want |
|---|---|---|
| Battlerage, Defense | Strength | Plate, melee weapon, Strength gear |
| Archery | Agility | Leather, bow, Agility gear |
| Shadowplay | Agility (with Strength on some skills) | Leather, daggers |
| Sorcery, Occultism, Malediction, Witchcraft | Intelligence | Cloth, staff or scepter, Intelligence gear |
| Vitalism, Songcraft | Spirit | Cloth, scepter and shield, Spirit gear |
A build that draws on two damage types — a Battlerage and Sorcery hybrid, say — genuinely does want a split of both stats, and it will do less of each than a focused build. That is the trade, and it is a real one. Full detail on the stats page.
All 165 classes
Every combination, with the three skillsets that make it. Useful in both directions: look up a name someone mentioned, or check what the game will call the build you are planning.
| Class | Skillsets |
|---|---|
| Abolisher | Battlerage · Defense · Auramancy |
| Alchemist | Sorcery · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Animist | Sorcery · Shadowplay · Vitalism |
| Apostate | Witchcraft · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Arcane Hunter | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Archery |
| Arcanist | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Sorcery |
| Archon | Witchcraft · Defense · Archery |
| Argent | Battlerage · Auramancy · Vitalism |
| Assassin | Witchcraft · Shadowplay · Vitalism |
| Astral Ranger | Auramancy · Occultism · Archery |
| Athame | Witchcraft · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Bastion | Defense · Auramancy · Archery |
| Battlemage | Defense · Occultism · Sorcery |
| Blackguard | Battlerage · Occultism · Vitalism |
| Blade Dancer | Battlerage · Shadowplay · Songcraft |
| Blightcaster | Witchcraft · Sorcery · Malediction |
| Blighter | Battlerage · Defense · Shadowplay |
| Blinkshot | Archery · Sorcery · Malediction |
| Blood Arrow | Occultism · Archery · Vitalism |
| Bloodreaver | Battlerage · Auramancy · Occultism |
| Bloodskald | Battlerage · Archery · Songcraft |
| Bloodthrall | Battlerage · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Bonestalker | Battlerage · Auramancy · Archery |
| Boneweaver | Auramancy · Sorcery · Vitalism |
| Cabalist | Witchcraft · Defense · Sorcery |
| Caretaker | Defense · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Cleric | Auramancy · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Confessor | Shadowplay · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Conjuror | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Malediction |
| Corruptor | Defense · Archery · Malediction |
| Crusader | Battlerage · Defense · Sorcery |
| Cultist | Occultism · Sorcery · Vitalism |
| Daggerspell | Witchcraft · Sorcery · Shadowplay |
| Dark Aegis | Defense · Occultism · Songcraft |
| Darkrunner | Battlerage · Auramancy · Shadowplay |
| Darkseer | Auramancy · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Dawncaller | Battlerage · Defense · Songcraft |
| Death Warden | Defense · Shadowplay · Vitalism |
| Deceiver | Witchcraft · Occultism · Malediction |
| Defiler | Witchcraft · Defense · Occultism |
| Demonologist | Witchcraft · Occultism · Sorcery |
| Dervish | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Vitalism |
| Dirgeweaver | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Songcraft |
| Doombringer | Occultism · Shadowplay · Vitalism |
| Doomlord | Battlerage · Defense · Occultism |
| Doomspeaker | Sorcery · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Dourguard | Defense · Shadowplay · Malediction |
| Dreadbow | Battlerage · Occultism · Archery |
| Dreadhunter | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Archery |
| Dreadnaught | Defense · Occultism · Shadowplay |
| Dreadstone | Defense · Occultism · Archery |
| Dreambreaker | Witchcraft · Defense · Auramancy |
| Druid | Defense · Archery · Vitalism |
| Earthsinger | Defense · Sorcery · Songcraft |
| Ebonshield | Defense · Sorcery · Malediction |
| Ebonsong | Archery · Shadowplay · Songcraft |
| Edgewalker | Auramancy · Occultism · Vitalism |
| Eidolon | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Shadowplay |
| Emissary | Auramancy · Occultism · Malediction |
| Enchantrix | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Songcraft |
| Enforcer | Battlerage · Auramancy · Sorcery |
| Enigmatist | Auramancy · Sorcery · Shadowplay |
| Equalizer | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Malediction |
| Eulogist | Occultism · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Evangelist | Occultism · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Evoker | Archery · Sorcery · Songcraft |
| Executioner | Battlerage · Occultism · Shadowplay |
| Exorcist | Auramancy · Shadowplay · Songcraft |
| Fanatic | Shadowplay · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Fangborn | Archery · Shadowplay · Malediction |
| Farslayer | Defense · Archery · Sorcery |
| Fatespinner | Songcraft · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Feversong | Archery · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Fiendhunter | Battlerage · Archery · Sorcery |
| Fleshshaper | Battlerage · Sorcery · Vitalism |
| Fury Mage | Witchcraft · Shadowplay · Malediction |
| Ghostblade | Auramancy · Archery · Malediction |
| Gravesinger | Occultism · Archery · Songcraft |
| Greenwarden | Archery · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Guardian | Battlerage · Defense · Malediction |
| Gypsy | Sorcery · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Harbinger | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Sorcery |
| Hedonist | Auramancy · Shadowplay · Malediction |
| Hellweaver | Battlerage · Sorcery · Shadowplay |
| Herald | Battlerage · Auramancy · Songcraft |
| Hex Ranger | Witchcraft · Archery · Songcraft |
| Hex Warden | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Auramancy |
| Hexblade | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Defense |
| Hierophant | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Vitalism |
| Honorguard | Defense · Archery · Songcraft |
| Hordebreaker | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Occultism |
| Howler | Auramancy · Archery · Songcraft |
| Infiltrator | Archery · Sorcery · Shadowplay |
| Inquisitor | Battlerage · Shadowplay · Vitalism |
| Instigator | Auramancy · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Invader | Defense · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Ironsoul | Witchcraft · Defense · Malediction |
| Justicar | Defense · Occultism · Vitalism |
| Lamentor | Witchcraft · Sorcery · Songcraft |
| Liberator | Battlerage · Defense · Archery |
| Lorebreaker | Battlerage · Occultism · Songcraft |
| Marrowblade | Battlerage · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Mindslaver | Defense · Occultism · Malediction |
| Naturalist | Archery · Sorcery · Vitalism |
| Necromancer | Witchcraft · Occultism · Vitalism |
| Nightbearer | Defense · Shadowplay · Songcraft |
| Nightblade | Defense · Auramancy · Shadowplay |
| Nightcloak | Witchcraft · Auramancy · Occultism |
| Nightwitch | Witchcraft · Shadowplay · Songcraft |
| Nocturne | Occultism · Shadowplay · Songcraft |
| Oathsworn | Battlerage · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Oracle | Auramancy · Archery · Vitalism |
| Outrider | Battlerage · Archery · Shadowplay |
| Paladin | Battlerage · Defense · Vitalism |
| Phantasm | Auramancy · Occultism · Songcraft |
| Pit Fighter | Defense · Auramancy · Malediction |
| Planeshifter | Auramancy · Occultism · Shadowplay |
| Poxbane | Witchcraft · Defense · Songcraft |
| Primeval | Auramancy · Archery · Shadowplay |
| Ragebinder | Battlerage · Shadowplay · Malediction |
| Ranger | Archery · Shadowplay · Vitalism |
| Ravager | Battlerage · Occultism · Sorcery |
| Reaper | Occultism · Sorcery · Shadowplay |
| Redeemer | Sorcery · Shadowplay · Malediction |
| Requiem | Occultism · Sorcery · Songcraft |
| Revenant | Auramancy · Occultism · Sorcery |
| Saboteur | Occultism · Shadowplay · Malediction |
| Scion | Defense · Sorcery · Vitalism |
| Shadehunter | Occultism · Archery · Shadowplay |
| Shadestriker | Witchcraft · Occultism · Archery |
| Shadow Prophet | Battlerage · Archery · Malediction |
| Shadowbane | Witchcraft · Defense · Vitalism |
| Shadowblade | Battlerage · Witchcraft · Shadowplay |
| Shadowknight | Witchcraft · Defense · Shadowplay |
| Shadowsong | Defense · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Shaman | Witchcraft · Sorcery · Vitalism |
| Shroudmaster | Witchcraft · Occultism · Shadowplay |
| Skullknight | Defense · Auramancy · Occultism |
| Soothsayer | Auramancy · Shadowplay · Vitalism |
| Sorrowsong | Occultism · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Soulbow | Witchcraft · Archery · Vitalism |
| Soulsong | Archery · Songcraft · Vitalism |
| Soulthief | Battlerage · Occultism · Malediction |
| Spellbow | Occultism · Archery · Sorcery |
| Spellsinger | Sorcery · Shadowplay · Songcraft |
| Spellsong | Auramancy · Sorcery · Songcraft |
| Spellsword | Battlerage · Sorcery · Songcraft |
| Spellweaver | Shadowplay · Vitalism · Malediction |
| Spiritualist | Auramancy · Sorcery · Malediction |
| Stone Arrow | Defense · Archery · Shadowplay |
| Stormcaster | Witchcraft · Archery · Sorcery |
| Stormchaser | Auramancy · Archery · Sorcery |
| Swiftstone | Defense · Sorcery · Shadowplay |
| Tactician | Witchcraft · Songcraft · Malediction |
| Templar | Defense · Auramancy · Vitalism |
| Thaumaturge | Defense · Auramancy · Sorcery |
| Tomb Warden | Defense · Auramancy · Songcraft |
| Tombcaller | Witchcraft · Occultism · Songcraft |
| Trickster | Witchcraft · Archery · Shadowplay |
| Visionary | Battlerage · Auramancy · Malediction |
| Voidstalker | Witchcraft · Archery · Malediction |
| Warpriest | Battlerage · Archery · Vitalism |
| Wildclaw | Occultism · Archery · Malediction |
| Windseeker | Battlerage · Sorcery · Malediction |
| Zealot | Occultism · Sorcery · Malediction |
Names taken from this server's own client data, so they are exactly what you will see in game.
Further reading
- Stats and attributes — what to stack once you have picked
- Gear and upgrades — getting the gear that carries it
- ArcheAge Wiki — Builds, and its Classes table with per-class damage and defence ratings
- Altar of Gaming — skillset guide
Playing something that works and is not on this page? Write it up on the forums — the good ones get added.