Though some classes may shine at different things, there is no objectively best class. Even the class that does the most damage isn’t necessarily the best, as the abilities and weapon variation balance things out. This guide aims to help you choose a class that you’ll enjoy playing. Note that when you first start playing, you will have little option in class choice. It is recommended to have hands-on experience, first.
Factors you should consider include strengths and weaknesses, how experienced you are at surviving, whether you intend to max the character, and the stats of your pet. A powerful pet with Heal and Magic Heal improves survivability even more than maxed VIT and WIS.
Usually, your main goal will be to max your character’s stats. It is often helpful to create a separate account/character for pot farming with a good class for the godlands. Mules (alternative accounts used for storage) are also helpful.
For information on class-specific gameplay, see the class guides. There is a page for a comparison of classes’ damage per second.
The Wizard is the first class you’ll encounter when you start RotMG. He is a long-range glass cannon, designed for dealing maximum damage to a single target from medium to long range. He is capable of both insane burst and sustained damage from long range, but Wizards tend to struggle with surviving.
Who would want a Wizard?
Wizards are the single most powerful class in the game. With long range, they are decent at farming pots (unmaxed or maxed) and melting bosses. The wizard’s long range and spells make it easy to get soulbound damage.
Wizard is also the only class you have access at the start of the game, at least for non-Steam players. Not much choice, is there?
Who would not want a Wizard?
Wizards are squishy. While a maxed Wizard will have 25 DEF, as a robe class, they are prone to dying at any moment. In addition, Wizards offer nothing to a group outside of DPS: They don’t (de)buff, they are poor rushers, etc.
There is also a heavy reliance on aiming “spellbombs”, i.e. hitting all shots from a single spell. Players with poor internet connection may find their spellbombs miss, no matter how skillful they are. Even if you are skilled, most spells are quite difficult (if not impossible) to aim.
The Priest is a extra-long-range healing class. Although they have low defensive stats and even lower offenses, the Priest’s range and powerful healing ability can keep themselves and thir group alive even through the toughest of battles.
Who would want a Priest?
Played conservatively, Priest is, bar none, the safest class in the game. The ability to heal for 200+ HP at a time is a valuable asset. Those looking for a forgiving, easy-to-play class should look no further. Priests are also the class of choice for dedicated team-support players: being able to support the lives of entire groups of players at a time.
Therefore, Priests are a fairly versatile class. They operate well in small and large groups, and can defeat all sorts of bosses (given enough time). They also have a variety of status effects from various tome UTs, like 
Armored from Tome of Holy Protection and 
Speedy from Book of Geb.
Who would not want a Priest?
With horrendous DPS, especially against single targets, the Priest is not a good class for those who are impatient. The longer a boss lasts, the more danger you put yourself through.
Most tomes scale with player count - the more players you heal, the less each player gets healed. Note that you, the Priest, will always get the full healing from your tome. This fact makes it hard for a priest to support a big group of players, as opposed to the Necromancer.
Necromancers are a hybrid between the Wizard and the Priest; they wield staves, while steal enemy HP in order to heal the group. While they lack the pure damage of a Wizard, most skulls give a max HP bonus and the ability to heal.
Who would want a Necromancer?
Necromancer is great as a bulky ranged class, a good pick for a first 4/8 or 8/8. Those who enjoy staff classes but die often as Wizards should definitely consider playing one. Necro enjoys the long range of the staff, the healing and max HP given by the Skull, and good damage.
Necromancers (unmaxed or maxed) do very well at farming pots in the Godlands, even without a good pet, and can solo dungeons moderately well. They are even better for dealing with events like the Skull Shrine, thanks to the massive amount of minions to heal from.
Who would not want a Necromancer?
Those looking for a class that does one thing well should not consider a Necro; in many ways it’s a jack of all trades and a master of none. They deal less damage than a Wizard, and heal less and less reliably than the Priest.
The Necromancer is often overshadowed by the Wizard. Assuming you can survive with both classes, Wizards are outright better against bosses.
The Mystic is one of the more unusual classes; a decently fast staff class with the ability to stop combat from occuring for a short time. While Mystics in the hands of poor players and trolls have given them a bad reputation as a griefing/trolling class, a well-used Mystic is quite powerful, capable of a unique and extremely powerful form of team support.
While most bosses are immune to Stasis, Mystics offer another buff - they can 
Curse any enemy to increase damage output.
Who would want a Mystic?
The Mystic is the ultimate class for those who enjoy strategy - their Stasis allows Mystics to control a battle. Rather than to simply kill enemies or heal teammates, Mystics can ‘pause’ an otherwise overwelming force of enemies, while keeping a stasis-immune boss damagable. All the while, the Curse debuff increases the damage for everyone.
Mystics are a pretty good rushing class; with decent speed (boosted further with the Soul of the Bearer or the rarer Orb of Conflict) and the ability to disable enemies. They can also help the group rush; namely in “fullskip” Lost Halls runs. Mystics generally have a wide variety of purposes in all sorts of group scenarios, in addition to their generally useful Curse.
Who would not want a Mystic?
The Mystic is not a straightforward class to play. Those who just want to shoot enemies and spam their abilities should not consider a Mystic; the Wizard has much better offensive capabilities, even when considering Curse.
On a more meta level, Mystics have a tendency of being one of the least-appreciated classes in the entire game, and making a mistake (or in more extreme cases, doing your job right) can result in them being flamed by other players. Players that are uncomfortable with this risk should likely try to ensure that they know the strategy of the class inside and out before taking the Mystic into battle.
The Sorcerer is a long ranged pure offense class. Sorcerers lack the raw damage of a staff, though have extended range and the ability to damage large groups with spammable and easy to use burst damage.
Who would want a Sorcerer?
Sorcerers excel at crowd control. With a decent pet, a 6/8 sorcerer is great at farming the godlands for pots, due to how many enemies you can hit. Scepters are very easy to use; unlike other damage abilities, they require little player management to be useful. If any sort of “clearing” needs to be done, Sorcerers are among the best for the job.
They are also very safe damage dealers, with superior range and fundamental stats (speed, vitality) than the three staff classes.
Who would not want a Sorcerer?
Tiered wands deal poor damage. Until you get endgame UTs like the Lumiaire, the Sorcerer is a DPS class that fares poorly against single targets (i.e. most bosses).
Like all other robe classes, he is quite squishy, and will die very quickly if the player isn’t careful.
The Bard is a class who uses a bow and wears robes. Unlike their more offensively-oriented cousins, the Bard takes on a support role, using the Lute to buff the range of allies and provide other benefits to themselves and their teammates.
Who would want a Bard?
The Bard is a good choice for players that are both patient and team-oriented. Bards are most notable for their ability, which buffs both range and defense - helping the group approach safely. Inspired also increases shot speed, which generally increases accuracy. Tiered lutes give a DEF buff both on-equip and a group buff on-use, giving them a bit more bulk than the average robe class.
Outside of groups, or if there’s other Bards around, they have a pretty good DEX and thus a pretty decent damage output. Most UT bows are single shot, taking full advantage of Inspired - letting a Bard deal full damage from a wand range. In addition, the on-equip and on-use DEF buffs from tiered lutes give just a bit more durability than the average robe. Finally, a fair selection of untiered lutes (like the Snake Charmer Pungi for Speedy) gives extra utility.
Who would not want a Bard?
Bards struggle most with their weapon choice, the bow. The tiered bows’ true (optimal) range is not improved by Inspired, while wearing a robe (as opposed to leather) makes it harder to approach enemies in the first place. While UT bows alleviate this issue, the reliance on said UTs is often difficult for newer players. With tiered equipment, a lone Bard isn’t particularly impressive in any aspect.
The Lute also messes up certain weapons, namely the Sword of the Colossus. As that sword converges at the end of its range, and lutes increase range, inconsistent lute usage can screw players over. (Note that this is an endgame item)
The Summoner is an incredibly long-ranged offensive class, who summons up to 3 minions that can follow the player’s cursor while attacking. While their DPS is somewhat lacking compared to other offense-oriented classes, the versatility and range of their summons provides them utility and unparalleled safety.
Who would want a Summoner?
With the extended range of a Wand and the ability to deal consistent damage anywhere the cursor can reach, the Summoner is possibly the safest non-Priest class in the entire game. Combining the DPS of their weapon and minions can result in the Summoner outputting respectable amounts of damage from an incredibly long range, allowing players to contribute to group battles without needing to approach danger.
Players that appreciate a more strategic approach to battle may also appreciate a Summoner, as their ability to precisely move and position summons can significantly improve the Summoner’s performance, and lend them utility in combat when in the hands of an experienced player.
Who would not want a Summoner?
In terms of damage output, a Summoner fares poorly against other DPS-centric classes (namely, again, the Wizard). Only with endgame UTs like the Lumiaire does the Summoner really catch up, and that’s if your summons are working effectively.
The main appeal of the Summoner, the summons, are also their main downfall. Using the mace 100% of the time is prohibitive, even with MP and WIS bosting gear. Careful timing of summons is necessary in order to maximize DPS. Players who dislike micromanagement may not like the Summoner, as it requires players to be holding down the Control Summon key and redirecting their minions almost constantly, while also focusing on their own shots and those of the enemy. And as another robe class, Summoner’s aren’t especially bulky.
The Rogue is a fast, medium-ranged character with an ability that can shroud it from enemy view for a limited time, making it the ideal class for sneaking past foes, rushing dungeons, or soloing bosses.
Who would want a Rogue?
Rogues are an excellent maxed class for those who like to play alone. Their cloak makes them capable of quickly and efficiently destroying event bosses and dungeons alike, allowing a skilled Rogue player to build up wealth very quickly.
Rogues are a good rushing class, and great for adrenaline junkies - their high speed, combined with the inherent risk associated with playing them makes Rogue a very exciting class to play. A backup Rogue is great for gathering DEF potions from Toxic Sewers and Abysses of Demons if you are maxed and have at least a good rare pet.
Who would not want a Rogue?
Rogues are not team players. One of the main benefits of the cloak, is that enemies won’t shoot at you. If enemies are shooting at your allies, then bullets are bound to hit you. Outside of rushing, Rogues end up being a class with no ability and medicore DPS. Even in solo play, Rogues might struggle against bosses due to the lowish damage and range of a dagger. A few UT items (Cloak of Bloody Suprises and Collector’s Monocle) can at least give endgame Rogues damage, though are obviously difficult to obtain.
The Rogue playstyle is also inherently risky. Laggy connections can leave you in the middle of a group of enemies, uncloaked. Rushing in general can be dangerous. Also, without much range, Rogues aren’t the most efficent in the actual godlands.
Finally, Rogue heavily competes with Trickster; the latter can rush faster, support a group, and if skilled enough, will avoid damage all the same.
You may be surprised to see these two classes grouped into one section, but there’s a good reason. Both of these classes wield bows and wear leather armor. Their gameplay is very similar in most respects, with the main differences based on their abilities (covered in a separate subsection).
Who would want an Archer or Huntress?
Bow classes excel at crowd control thanks to their wide spread and piercing shots, mowing through mobs from lowlands to godlands with little effort. Their abilities offer additional mob control abilities, allowing them to slow, paralyze, or (with Archer) daze enemies to help themselves and their teammates.
Who would not want an Archer or Huntress?
Bow classes have pretty decent range, but not as much as the robe classes. But in order to use tiered bows effectively, you have to get up close, without the benefit of heavy armor. Fresh Archers/Huntresses are terrible at dealing damage at long range against a specific target.
The whole purpose of these two classes, crowd control and status infliction, are less useful in endgame dungeons. Players who haven’t maxed a class should not worry, but as more bosses are immune to both Slow and Paralyze, these classes become less useful overall.
Which one: Archer or Huntress?
This is a classic debate, with numerous arguments for both. Archers typically have an edge against bosses due to range, precision, damage, and a stronger status effect. Huntresses have a wide AOE and an overall a less resistable status. Traps take longer to set down, but can hit spread out enemies and are easier to aim. The better class for you comes down to which ability you prefer; quiver or trap?
The Assassin is a medium-ranged dagger class that trades the evasive abilities of the other two dagger classes for a long-ranged AoE attack that deals unmitigatable damage over time. Its poison is considered to be among the easiest ways to obtain soulbound loot in the game, and as a result Assassins are often used in places such as Wine Cellars.
Who would want an Assassin?
Assassins are masters of hit and run tactics. Their poison range is infinite, their speed high, and their damage decent. A few uses of the poison is all you need to guarantee soulbound damage (thus, loot at all). Poisons deal damage in a wide area over time, which helps in crowd clearing.
Assassin has a few group roles, but the Crystallised Fang’s Venom is one of two (realistic) ways to inflict the devastating Armor Break status, and the poison can very occasionally be used to kill bosses through invulnerability phases. It is also the strongest dagger class.
Who would not want an Assassin?
Assassins are a DPS dagger class; they are bound by a relatively poor selection of daggers. Robe classes outrange the Assassin, while heavy armor classes… have heavy armor. Thus, Assassins are “stuck in the middle”, where many players will prefer one extreme or the other.
The Trickster, like the other two dagger classes, is a medium-ranged fighter with high speed. Her signature Prism provides a combination of teleportation and decoying abilities, which while difficult to master can provide incredible benefits in terms of mobility, enemy control, and damage avoidance.
Who would want a Trickster?
The Trickster is the class of choice for people looking for a dagger class that can do solo and group play equally well. The decoy allows the Trickster to easily bait out or ward off a number of dangerous enemies and bosses that chase or use targeted attacks, and its high DPS (technically best of the dagger classes) gives it the ability to perform well against larger bosses as well. Tricksters excel at rushing, with their ability to teleport allowing them to blitz through dungeons or simply get out of danger if the going gets rough. Trickster is known for being an extremely fun class to play due to high speed, teleport, and the complexity of using the decoy; those who want excitement and great challenge should look no further.
Who would not want a Trickster?
The Trickster is often considered the hardest class to master in RotMG - requiring simultaneous manipulation of the player, the teleportation, and the decoys - and is extremely unforgiving if used improperly (teleporting onto a boss will spell instant death, and this happens often to newbies used to putting their mouse on an enemy and hitting space with other classes) which makes it a very poor choice for inexperienced players. The Trickster is also not particularly efficient for farming events - while fully capable of taking them on, it takes time for a Trickster to place a decoy and take advantage of it; those looking for pure event-farming efficiency should look at a Rogue or melee class instead.
The Ninja is a close-range DPS class capable of doing immense DPS to a large number of enemies at once. Capable of some of the highest sustained speeds in the game through their Star, Ninja is incredibly adept at dodging and rushing, and has some standoff firepower in the form of a long-ranged shuriken. Its incredible DPS and speed are offset by its durability - for a class that must get into melee range of an enemy, it’s quite fragile and can easily be killed.
Who would want a Ninja?
Ninjas are a great all-around class for those who like to “go deep”. With incredible DPS and ability to pierce targets for even more damage on multiple targets (or single targets mobbed by minions), the Ninja can dish out punishment to any enemy that it reaches. It also boasts the highest speed in the game, making it an excellent rusher and map-traverser, and can move with a great deal of precision due to the instant toggle-ability of the star. The star offers some stand-off firepower for getting soulbound on targets that the Ninja can’t get close to.
Who would not want a Ninja?
The Ninja has extremely high DPS, but it struggles from having a combination of short range, fragility, and extreme speed. As a result, it’s a high-risk class that is unforgiving to make mistakes with, and is a poor choice for people looking for safe classes with which to build up wealth. Ninja also has high stat caps, making it hard to max.
People with laggy connections/computers should approach the Ninja with caution - a combination of high speed and an ability that is meant to be switched on and off quickly make Ninja extremely dangerous to play under laggy conditions, client-side or server-side.
The Warrior is a pure offense melee class, capable of the (second) highest sustained DPS in the game. With the ability to boost everyone even further, Warriors can pound most enemies to the dust. As a melee, they are limited by short range.
Who would want a Warrior?
Warriors are another class that dives deep. Warriors can shred dungeons and event bosses alike. While not as fast as a Ninja, the sword and Berserk buff generally gives a Warrior a lot more firepower. In addition, superior defenses along with a Helm and heavy armor give actual durability to go deep.
Who would not want a Warrior?
Warriors rely heavily on the user’s skill to dodge enemy attacks. Speedy also complicates dodging, at least when you aren’t used to it. Another melee would be more suitable for newcomers and those less comfortable with the close range.
The Knight is the tank of RotMG. Packing a defensive score that can rise to an average of 80 when fully geared, along with 75 vitality, it can eat tons of bullets; and, with its shield, can stop most enemies from shooting altogether.
Who would want a Knight?
Those who want a tank should look no further. Knights are the single best all-around realm class, eminently capable of taking on all the event bosses and killing them - whether solo or in a group. The Shield, in addition to killing small enemies, can prevent many from attacking at all.
Knights are a good class for newbies who want to try out melee for the first time, since its high defense and stun ability make it extremely forgiving.
In the endgame, most bosses are immune to stun. Endgame Knights rely on the power of the Oryx’s Escutcheon, turning from a support-like class into a DPS-centered tank.
Who would not want a Knight?
Knights are expensive to max and to gear up, especially since their DEF stat is much higher than any other class. Knights also need to be quite close to the enemy to stun, meaning that a missed stun can spell certain death (especially in Wine Cellars).
The Paladin is a melee combat healer class. It’s capable of doing significant damage from up close, but is also capable of both boosting teammates’ damage, healing them, and granting them a temporary maximum HP buff.
Who would want a Paladin?
Paladins are a more magical melee class, relying more on their ability in solo play. Their healing, HP boost, and lack of Speedy makes them safer than a Warrior, without the DEF requirement of the Knight. Paladins are also great for team support, with decent damage even if other Pallys are around.
Who would not want a Paladin?
Paladins are the most middleground of the sword classes; lacking the pure DPS and speedy of a Warrior or the high DEF and the stun of Knight. As most of the healing occurs over time after using the seal, it may not be able to save you in a high-risk situation where you need a large amount of heal instantly. Additionally, a decent amount of Magic Heal is required to permanently sustain your buff, which may be a problem for certain players.
The Samurai is a heavy armor class that uses the katana instead of the sword, giving him increased range at the cost of some of his DPS. His wakizashi allows him to cripple enemy defenses, allowing other players to deal more damage to enemies.
Who would want a Samurai?
Samurai are good for those less comfortable with melees; being a much less “heavy armor” class than the three sword classes. A superior weapon range (enhanced with certain UTs) and a fair ability range while keeping heavy armor make them a safer pick than the more conventional melees. The Waki also gives them immense burst damage and a fairly useful debuff.
Who would not want a Samurai?
The Samurai is frailer than the sword classes, with lower HP and no innate defense, while being weaker due to their Katana. Players comfortable with close would rather pick a more damaging class. While Samurai can provide group utility, a singular good Samurai (with good MHeal) is all that a group really needs. Wakis are also quite awkard to aim, blocked by walls and with a slightly shorter range than the average katana.
The Kensei is very similar to Samurai, at first glance: With an above average speed, plain (25) defense, and the Katana & heavy armor combo, they are similar. Kensei differentiate themselves with their Sheath, which provides heighted mobility, burst damage, and ATT (if they manage to hit). Sheaths have a cooldown.
Who would want a Kensei?
Kensei are an interesting alternative to Trickster, focused more on dynamic, mobile gameplay. With pretty good HP, move speed, and heavy armor, Kensei are also quite durable. This is only amped up with Dash Invulnerability, allowing you to flat out ignore very dangeorus attacks. These traits make Kensei one of the safest and fastest classes for rushing, and are also good for surviving through very difficult dungeons.
Who would not want a Kensei?
Kensei requires very high skill to use Sheaths effectively. If you don’t dash that well, then you are a worse Samurai, and Samu doesn’t give the best damage either. Dashing at the wrong time or distance might instantly kill you. Also, the Invulnerability is obviously not infinite; there’s a cooldown to charge up.
