In Rune Slayer, picking the right class can mean the difference between crushing your enemies or getting clowned. With brutal mechanics, punishing enemy hits, and a meta that favors ranged dominance, survival depends on strategy as much as skill. Some melee classes still hold their ground, but mastering distance is key. Here’s the ultimate Rune Slayer Class Tier List to help you conquer every fight.
Table of contents
All Rune Slayer Classes Tier List
In Rune Slayer, the Warrior and Magician reign supreme in S-tier—one’s a walking tank that turns enemies into mush, while the other casually rewrites reality with devastating spells.
Down in A-tier, the Thief strikes fast and vanishes, the Archer deletes targets from across the map, and the Priest keeps everyone alive with holy overdrive. Then there’s the Striker in B-tier, swinging fists like it’s a bar fight while everyone else is rewriting the meta—perfect if you enjoy charging into battles just to respawn faster.
Whichever class you choose, make sure you grab one of our Rune Slayer codes and ease some of the growing pains. Now, let’s take a look at that pesky Rune Slayer class tier list.
Samurai (S-Tier)
You’re the calm eye in the storm—firm, focused, and deadly. As a Samurai, you stand between your team and chaos, striking swiftly and holding strong.
Wield your katana to slash foes with precision attacks, weaving in and out of danger. You’ve got medium-high health and armor—tough enough to take hits but nimble enough to stay on your feet.
Layer on pressure with your rapid Waki strikes that expose enemies and burst them down. When things get heated, unleash your special combo to deal extra damage and keep foes on the backfoot.
Best for: Mid-range tanking, exposing and bursting priority targets in dungeon runs, and staying steady in chaotic PvP fights.
Magician (S-tier)
You don’t just cast spells—you bend the battlefield to your will. As a Magician, your Mana Arrow automatically finds its mark, letting you focus on boosting your power with Lesser Strength, Lesser Intellect, and Lesser Dexterity.
Need to outlast your enemies? Magic Shield absorbs incoming damage, while Conjure Food and Conjure Water keep you and your allies fighting at full strength. When it’s time to unleash destruction, drop a Mana Bomb for devastating area damage, or boost your defenses with Arcane Armor. You’re fragile, sure—but with the firepower to nuke entire clusters of enemies, who needs durability?
Best for: Nuking enemy clusters in PvE, controlling the battlefield with buffs, and sniping key targets in PvP with powerful spells.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Mana Arrow | Shoots an arrow that auto-aims at nearby enemies, dealing high damage. |
| Lesser Strength | Buffs allies with increased strength for 5 minutes. |
| Lesser Intellect | Grants a slight intellect buff for 5 minutes. |
| Lesser Dexterity | Increases dexterity for 5 minutes at a higher mana cost. |
| Magic Shield | Creates a shield that reduces incoming damage for up to 5 hits. |
| Conjure Food | Generates food that restores health when consumed outside of combat. |
| Conjure Water | Generates water that restores mana when consumed outside of combat. |
| Arcane Armor | Passive ability scaling armor based on intellect. |
| Mana Bomb | Throws a magical projectile that deals damage in an area. |
Warrior (A-tier)
If not you, who else? Essentially, you’re the wall between your team and utter destruction. As a Warrior, you bring raw power and unbreakable defense, charging headfirst into danger without flinching.
Crush enemies with Slashing Strike and keep the pressure on while soaking up punishment no one else could handle. Your high health and armor turn you into a living fortress, drawing aggro so your allies can focus on dishing out damage.
Best for: Holding enemy aggro in dungeon raids, soaking up front-line damage, and providing crowd control in large-scale PvP brawls.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Slashing Strike | A fast, powerful melee slash dealing heavy damage. |
Thief (A-tier)
One hit, two hits, and poof: you’re gone before anyone realizes what hit them. As a Thief, your agility is your greatest weapon. Boost it with +3 Agility, and complement your speed with boosts to Stamina and Strength. Get up close with Piercing Strike for rapid, punishing blows, and master Dagger Training to unleash precise, devastating attacks. You’re not just a fighter—you’re a contender for the top of the Rune Slayer class tier list, using Medium Armor to stay nimble while shrugging off just enough damage to keep fighting.
Best for: Striking from the shadows in PvP skirmishes, quickly eliminating priority targets, and navigating through high-mobility encounters.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| +3 Agility | Provides a significant boost to agility. |
| +1 Stamina | Increases stamina for better durability. |
| +1 Strength | Boosts physical attack power. |
| Dagger Training | Allows the use of light weapons like daggers. |
| Medium Armor | Grants proficiency with medium armor. |
| Piercing Strike | A damaging skill that consumes 24% stamina. |
Archer (A-tier)
You’re the deadliest force on the battlefield—before enemies even know you’re there. As an Archer, you’ll rain down precision strikes like Power Shot to crush single targets from a safe distance, while Multi Shot and Triple Shot let you handle entire groups without breaking a sweat.
Need to stay mobile? Evasive Shot keeps you on the move, dodging danger while still landing lethal blows. You’ll regenerate focus faster with Focus Training and enhance your damage with a range of Battle Auras—whether you want to move faster, hit harder, or shrug off damage like it’s nothing. And if you’re bringing a pet, your Mark ability makes both of you unstoppable, cutting down incoming damage and boosting your offensive power.
Best for: Dominating open-field battles, clearing enemy groups from a distance, and providing steady DPS in boss fights with pet support.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Power Shot | A damaging skill that delivers a powerful arrow shot. |
| Battle Aura | A status effect skill that enhances combat capabilities. |
| Focus Training | Increases the rate at which focus regenerates. |
| Evasive Shot | A quick, damaging attack while evading enemies. |
| Initiative | A passive ability that boosts combat readiness. |
| Multi Shot | Fires three arrows in quick succession. |
| Triple Shot | Fires a spread of three arrows simultaneously. |
| Mark | Reduces damage taken by 5% for both the Archer and their pet. |
| Auto Shot | Launches a honing arrow for consistent damage. |
| Fierce Battle Aura | Increases overall damage output. |
| Swift Battle Aura | Increases movement speed. |
| Fortified Battle Aura | Decreases incoming damage. |
| Focus Training II | Further increases focus regeneration rate. |
| Bow Mastery | Increases bow damage by 10%. |
Priest (A-tier)
You’re the one who keeps the team standing when things get rough. As a Priest, your healing abilities, such as Holy Light and Flash Heal, help your allies push through even the toughest battles, while spells like Holy Fire and Smite give you a way to fight back when needed.
Support your team by boosting their stats with Lesser Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence, or clear negative effects with Dispell. When the situation looks bad, you can turn it around with Resurrection or Suveria’s Light. Another reason Priest ranks so well on our Rune Slayer class list is the strong passives like Mana Training and Radiant Spirit, which help keep your mana steady. And with Blessed Heals, your crit heals can turn into game-changing moments.
Best for: Keeping teams alive in high-pressure raid scenarios, cleansing debuffs during boss fights, and sustaining prolonged PvP engagements.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Holy Light | Heals a target or self with divine energy. |
| Holy Fire | Deals holy damage to an enemy. |
| Flash Heal | Quickly restores a small amount of health. |
| Smite | Summons divine wrath to strike a target. |
| Dispell | Removes most debuffs from the target. |
| Holy Shield | Protects a target with a defensive shield. |
| Holy Imbue | Converts basic attacks to deal holy damage. |
| Enlighten | Heals all nearby allies simultaneously. |
| Divine Volley | Throws a sacred bolt that heals upon impact. |
| Strengthen/Dexterity/Intelligence | Grants buffs that enhance corresponding stats for self and allies. |
| Greater Strengthen/Dexterity/Intelligence | Provides stronger stat buffs. |
| Greater Smite | A devastating holy strike with enhanced power. |
| Resurrection | Revives a fallen ally. |
| Suveria’s Light | Restores a large amount of health to the target. |
| Mana Training | Increases mana regeneration speed. |
| Purging Flames | Chance to refresh Holy Fire cooldown on successful Smite casts. |
| Radiant Spirit | Boosts intellect based on spirit stat. |
| Blessed Heals | Grants a blessing on critical heals. |
| Holy Reach | Increases the range of healing spells. |
Striker (B-tier)
As a Striker, every second is a flurry of relentless attacks—open with Strike, dodge with Brace, then hit with a Vertical Strike to knock enemies off balance. Your Battle Aura amps up your speed and attack power, letting you keep up the assault while reducing the damage you take. And when you need to end a fight fast, charge up Power Strike and let it fly for a devastating blow. You’re built for non-stop offense—if you’re not attacking, you’re doing it wrong
Best for: Overwhelming single-target opponents with rapid strikes, disrupting enemy formations, and maintaining constant pressure in PvP.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Strike | Delivers a swift, powerful punch. |
| Brace | Increases defensive resilience momentarily. |
| Vertical Strike | Executes a powerful upward strike. |
| Battle Aura | Increases attack power and speed while reducing damage taken. |
| Rapid Strikes | Unleashes a flurry of fast punches. |
| Power Strike | A chargeable punch that deals heavy damage when released. |
Best Classes for Each Race in Rune Slayer
Knowing everything about entries in our Rune Slayer class ranking is all fine and dandy, but if it matches with the wrong race, a Reroll is inevitable. After going through our Rune Slayer races tier list, you should follow this guide to snatch the corresponding class:
| Race | Best Starter Class | Alternative Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Warrior is the ideal pick for Humans, taking advantage of their natural resilience and balanced stats to excel in survivability and raw physical damage. | A solid alternative is the Striker, offering faster, more aggressive melee combat while still maintaining decent durability. |
| Elf | Elves thrive as Magicians, using their enhanced mana regeneration and cooldown reduction to maximize magical power and spell output. | Alternatively, an Archer takes advantage of their agility, offering a swift and precise ranged combat experience. |
| Orc | The Striker class perfectly complements an Orc’s high regeneration and stamina efficiency, making them relentless in close-quarters combat. | If you prefer brute strength and heavy weapons, the Warrior class turns the Orc’s raw power into overwhelming melee dominance. |
| Ailuran | Known for their agility and speed, Ailurans excel as Thieves, striking fast and evading damage with ease in high-mobility skirmishes. | For those who favor ranged precision, the Archer class complements the Ailuran’s quick movements and allows for effective hit-and-run tactics. |
| Slime | Naturally attuned to magic, Slimes shine as Magicians, using their high mana efficiency to unleash devastating spells with ease. | If supporting allies is more your style, the Priest class offers powerful healing and defensive abilities, making Slimes effective in team-based encounters. |
| Half Golem | With unmatched durability, Half Golems are best suited as Warriors, soaking up damage and delivering powerful strikes to control the battlefield. | The Striker offers a more agile melee option for players who want to balance the Golem’s toughness with faster, stamina-driven attacks. |
| Dullahan | Their unique healing-on-kill ability and resilience make the Warrior class a perfect fit for Dullahans, excelling in both offense and defense. | If you’d rather avoid direct combat, the Magician class lets Dullahans leverage their magical potential while maintaining their innate toughness from a distance. |
That’s about it when it comes to our definitive Rune Slayer class tier list. If you want to know more or get into the nitty-gritty, visit the Rune Slayer Discord and Trello, and you won’t be disappointed. Just pray you don’t roll Orc, that’s all.
The post Ultimate Rune Slayer Class Tier List & Guide [TUNDRA & BEACH EXPANSION] appeared first on Destructoid.