What is the Remnant 2 best class? With several starter archetypes and others that are unlockable as you play, you’re bound to be struggling to figure out which archetype outshines the other. Our Remnant 2 class tier list discusses skills, perks, and traits, as well as what you can expect from your picks depending on solo or co-op play and why some are better than others.
Whether you are playing PS5, Xbox, or PC you’ll spend several hours fighting hordes of monsters and the various Remnant 2 bosses all while leveling your character further. Naturally, you’ll also want your chosen class to have the best weapons and best traits to optimize your build and find a style that suits you.
Remnant 2 best class
The best Remnant 2 class is the Handler due to having a companion to help you out in fights, revive you in solo play, and distract enemies. It has a fantastic set of skills and perks.
The Medic is a close follow-up due to its focus on healing and survivability. The full Remnant 2 class tier list looks as follows:
- S-Tier: Handler, Medic
- A-Tier: Hunter, Gunslinger, Alchemist, Engineer, Invader
- B-Tier: Archon, Summoner
- C-Tier: Challenger, Explorer
Our Remnant 2 class tier list is based on experience after nearly 40 hours of playing the campaign. This includes unlocking various archetypes and obtaining their skills and perks. It also bears mentioning that each archetype has its own unique trait, which increases in rank as you level up. Unfortunately, these ranks won’t be retained if you switch to something else (the class itself has to be “equipped” by your character). As such, you’ll have to reallocate trait points to gain their benefits.
But, for a deep dive into why the tier list looks this way, continue reading below:
S-Tier
The Remnant 2 S-tier classes are those that can truly change how you approach combat encounters. You’ll be able to succeed with these whether you’re going at it alone or with a group since they’re integral to your survival.
Medic
Bar none, we can’t deny that one of the best archetypes is the Medic. It has everything you need as a solo player and co-op party member. If you need to heal, there’s Wellspring. As for revives, there’s Redemption, which has a large AoE. Perks, such as Invigorated, even boost its damage, whereas the Triage trait increases healing.
Even better, the Medic starts out with the XMG57 Bonesaw, a machine gun, and one of the best weapons in the game. Having a machine gun as a freebie, with 300 total bullets to spare, makes this archetype outshine the rest.
Handler
If the Medic has all the tools you need as a solo player or party member, then the Handler is just as good. The reason we rank it quite high in our Remnant 2 class tier list isn’t just because of its doggo companion. Rather, it’s because that doggo has some of the niftiest utility actions in the game.
Your dog can taunt enemies, so you can pepper them with bullets from afar. Likewise, it can grant HP regen for you and your allies. Perks like Pack Hunter and Spirit of the Wolf also grant damage and movement speed bonuses, respectively. Perhaps what makes the Handler a must-have in your games is the Bonded Prime Perk. If it’s equipped in the main/left-hand slot, the dog will automatically attempt to revive you or downed allies, as long as players still have a Relic charge left. Talk about being man’s best friend.
A-Tier
The A-tier classes in Remnant 2 are amazing in battles, thanks to bonus damage and worthwhile buffs. If soloing, you’d likely want another decent class to support you. If you’re with teammates, then you won’t need to worry as much.
Hunter
The Hunter is suitable for those who like stealth, precision shots, and a bit of planning to boot. Its basic skill, Hunter’s Mark, shows all nearby enemies, allowing your squad to plan your approach and avoid surprises, all while increasing damage and critical hit chance. Later, you can opt to get Hunter’s Focus, for deadlier precision shots, or Hunter’s Shroud, if you like to sneak around.
The Dead to Rights Prime Perk also extends the duration of active Hunter skill effects if you can manage to do enough damage to weak spots, which implies longer critical hits and DPS buffs.
Gunslinger
If the Hunter is more reliant on precision and planning, then the Gunslinger goes in with guns blazing (pun intended). The archetype has several boosts related to fire rate, ammo reserves, and reloading. Meanwhile, its initial skill, Quickdraw, does up to six guaranteed critical hits, or a single powerful shot if the trigger is held down.
However, what you really want is Bulletstorm, which is unlocked at level 10. This turns your ranged weapons into killing machines, with increased fire rate, reload speed, and the means of giving single-shot armaments full-auto fire, with bows and crossbows gaining crit chance and projectile velocity. When combined with the Loaded Prime Perk, where Gunslinger skills automatically reload weapons and give them temporary infinite ammo on reserve, you’ve got a devastating setup.
To be fair, while the Gunslinger has a lot going for it, it’s still primarily a burst-heavy class. Since it offers no utility, healing, or added survivability, you’ll have your work cut out for you in tough situations.
Alchemist
We feel that the Alchemist is the best class in Remnant 2 if you want to actively buff your teammates. You can find this class’ engram by defeating a Rat Ogre that drags you through a sewer drain in the Losomn region.
Once unlocked, you’ll get to use its abilities, such as Vial: Stone Mist, for added defense, or Vial: Frenzy Dust, for boosted fire rate, reload speed, and melee speed. Even better, you can get Vial: Elixir of Life once the class is fully leveled up. This vapor cloud revives teammates, regenerates HP, and prevents fatal damage for 20 seconds. It’s like going for broke and not caring about the consequences, at least temporarily.
Engineer
The Engineer can be yours once you find its class item in the wastelands of N’erud. What sets it apart from many other archetypes is its ability to deploy heavy weapons, turning them into turrets. These automatically track nearby hostiles, all while you blast them with your own firearms.
As you level up the Engineer class, you’ll be able to switch to other options, such as a flamethrower or high-impact blaster. Likewise, you can overclock these armaments to provide more DPS. Lastly, the Engineer’s unique trait, Fortify, increases the effectiveness of your armor and, thus, improves damage reduction, too.
Invader
The Invader class can be unlocked by using the Dreamcatcher to hit a dreamer’s pod in Root Earth: Corrupted Harbor. This archetype is quite versatile, thanks to its use of decoys and other tricks. For instance, the Void Cloak skill automatically triggers perfect dodges for the next 60 seconds. This duration is decreased if you do take direct hits, but, in the hands of a skilled player, this can spell the difference between survival or death.
Moreover, its Reboot skill saves a backup of your stats, so you can essentially “rewind” to a previous state if things aren’t going your way. The Worm Hole skill, meanwhile, combines a teleport and a 300% damage increase for your next attack. Lastly, there’s the Untouchable unique trait, which increases your evade window, a good choice for when you need to time your dodges perfectly.
B-Tier
We consider only two archetype in Remnant 2 as B-tier. It’s not that these archetypes are terrible. They are quite good, but they need a bit more help from other classes or teammates, or are heard to really master.
Archon
The Archon is the latest class to be found and it is undoubtedly the hardest to master. That is why it is in this spot. Only found after datamining, the class was intentionally hidden by the developers. In combat, you can use a variety of spells, tools, and runes to deal damage, protect yourself, and deal with enemies.
As such, it is very difficult to be effective with the Archon, but those who can master it will absolutely dominate the field in front of them with spells, buffs, and other attacks. So, if you are a veteran Remnant player then it is a good option. But, it isn’t a great choice for new players.
Summoner
The Summoner archetype can be unlocked once you reach the Yaesha region. You’ll need to shoot purple wisps during a Blood Moon (such as when the skies are red). Doing so nets you a currency that lets you purchase its class item via an altar.
Once unlocked, you can try out the Summoner’s tricks which, naturally, involve spawning Root creatures. Your choices include Hollows, Flyers, and a Reaver, though you can only choose a specific type of minion at any given time. Summoners also have an alternative means of interacting with minions, such as sacrificing them to cause an explosion or causing them to enrage via their Ruthless Prime Perk.
Perhaps the biggest downside here is that spawning a creature will also deplete your HP. Although you can’t die from this action, you’ll end up wasting a Relic charge (you can’t tag a checkpoint to heal, since that will despawn your minions). Worse, minions have terrible AI, with little to no survival instincts. As such, you’re better off if you’ve got the Medics or Alchemists are your second archetype (or as teammates).
C-Tier
The Remnant 2 C-tier classes offer unique capabilities in their own right. Unfortunately, they’re overshadowed by their counterparts.
Challenger
We really wanted to like the Challenger class. If trailers were an indication, then it seemed as though this archetype was optimal for melee engagements due to its tankiness. Sadly, it’s far from becoming the Remnant 2 best class due to its kit, and the game’s core mechanics.
The Challenger’s skills like War Stomp and Juggernaut, as well as the Close Quarters perk, nudge you to get as close as possible to enemies. This is nothing short of a death sentence, especially if you’re (a) soloing, (b) fighting bosses, or (c) playing on higher difficulties.
You really need to decide on a loadout and build that will suit your needs, as opposed to other archetypes that can mostly be played without any worries. Ideally, you’ll want the Medic, Handler, or Alchemist as your other class or teammate picks, just to support this playstyle.
Explorer
Lastly, we’ve got the Remnant 2 Explorer archetype, which can be unlocked after beating the game’s final boss. Funnily enough, the Explorer acts as a buffer for utility effects, such as movement speed, ammo drops, item quality, and Relic fragments. Its Fortune Hunter skill, unlocked at level 10, also reveals special items in an area.
Sadly, the Explorer doesn’t offer a key benefit that would either help you take out more enemies, or survive tougher battles. For the most part, it could be used as a secondary archetype if you really need to find goodies in the game world. But, if you already know where to look, or if offense and defense are more important, then there are better options to choose from.
That covers everything you need to know about the best class in Remnant 2 with our Remnant 2 class tier list. For even more advice as you are playing, check out our guide on the best Remnant 2 weapons, as well as our other guides and tips in our Remnant 2 walkthrough article.
