An RPG is only as good as its classes. In the case of Dragon’s Dogma 2, it’s pretty great, as the realms of Vermund and Battahl have ten distinct ways to adventure through them. Here are all of the Dragon’s Dogma 2 vocations, ranked.
All Dragon’s Dogma 2 Vocations, Ranked
10) Archer
The Archer suffers from the split of the Strider from the first game into two distinct vocations. Not terrible or unfun by any means, the Archer in Dragon’s Dogma 2 simply lacks the creativity and oomph of most other vocations. Sure, it’s great to play an Archer early on to help take down winged harpies, but in mid-to-late game, a Sorcerer Pawn or Magik Archer Arisen takes care of them just as well, if not better. And while weapon skills like Exploding Shot are quite satisfying to use, afflicting status conditions like tarred and blighted are better left to Pawns.
9) Thief
The Thief in Dragon’s Dogma 2 also suffers from the Strider split into two separate vocations, lacking ranged utility. However, it does make up for that with sheer maneuverability and high-damaging single-target hits. The problem is that the attacks from massive bosses are easy enough to avoid with any class, making half the Thief’s kit feel worthless, especially because it also lacks good crowd control. It’s a great vocation to play if you want to feel like a speedy assassin, but otherwise, other vocations hit harder and have more utility in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
8) Trickster
One of the most unique vocations in not only Dragon’s Dogma 2 but just about any RPG, playing the Trickster pretty much turns the game to a management sim; instead of attacking beasties outright, you’re drawing aggro with its simulacrum, making monsters attack each other, and manipulating their positions on the battlefield. While the Trickster provides an incredibly unique playstyle, it also offers a lot of frustration as relying on Pawns’ AI for damage output is questionable at best, especially against large foes with multiple health bars. Furthermore, if your simulacrum fades, you’re going to get swarmed and killed far quicker than other vocations.
7) Fighter
The Fighter can be a lot of fun to play, as it focuses on supporting your party of Pawns while they do the heavy hitting. Unlike the Trickster, it’s a bit more hands-on as it has some damaging utility and can throw Pawns onto Cyclops and Ogres with Springboard/Launchboard. That said, the Fighter, while one of the best vocations to bring with you out into the dangerous wilds, is better left to a Pawn as you assume the role of a more potent class. In fact, it’s one of two of the best options for your main Pawn, as other players are more likely to hire a defensive-focused Fighter over, for example, an Archer.
6) Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a damaged-focused version of the Mage, focusing on spells that absolutely obliterate monsters big and small. It has some pretty amazing weapon skills to learn from Maisters, but the quests to obtain these are long and tedious; indeed, you’ll likely stick to High Seism to hit magic-resistant enemies along with your elemental spell of choice until you’re able to obtain them. Zapping stuff with high-damaging spells is undeniably fun, yet at the same time, stamina management becomes an irksome chore before long, making the Sorcerer a rather unvaried way to experience Dragon’s Dogma 2.
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5) Mage
Much like the Fighter, playing as a Mage gives you a lot of supportive utility – maybe even more so with its weapon enchantment skills, ability to remove debilitations, and healing. Unlike the Fighter, the Mage has some pretty potent damage-dealing options, such as High Levin. It’s a great vocation to begin the game with, especially as its Exaltation Augment is a must for most builds, and while a Mage is the other best option for a Pawn, juggling Saurians and Goblins with High Frigor, enchanting your Pawns’ weapons, and healing them when needed serves as one of the most varied ways to adventure through the game.
4) Mystic Spearhand
Mystic Spearhand is likely the first “hybrid” vocation you’ll unlock, and because it has a mix of both magic and melee, it makes for a wonderfully unique way to play the game. It helps that it’s a pretty powerful class, in part because the Mirour Shelde weapon skill can negate enemy damage completely. With specific Augments, you can Mirour Shelde your party constantly, making them borderline invincible if you manage your stamina well. Throw in fast, gap-closing weapon skills like Dragoun’s Foin, alongside ridiculously fun attacks like Unto Heven that send smaller monsters flying through the air and all but deleting them from existence, and you can’t go wrong sticking with a Mystic Spearhand.
3) Warrior
You wouldn’t think the vocation that “bonks enemies hard” makes for one of the most satisfying playstyles in Dragon’s Dogma 2, but you’d be wrong. The sheer number of massive enemies you encounter while exploring Vermund and Battahl allows the Warrior’s heavy-hitting kit to shine, with great skills like Mountain Breaker knocking Cyclops on their asses. The likes of Razing Sweep give them options against small hordes, and the always fun Ravening Lunge – which has the Warrior charge and impales smaller enemies – means they’re only unmatched against flying foes. Yes, you have to have a solid understanding of enemies in order to time your slow, heavy attacks well, but that makes it all the more satisfying when they connect.
2) Magick Archer
The fan-favorite vocation from the first Dragon’s Dogma returns and doesn’t disappoint. No class – other than the one that tops this list – has more utility than the Magick Archer, as you can support your Pawns while dishing out powerful elemental attacks like the impactful Arctic Bolt that knocks down big boys or Boltchain Strike, which electrifies hordes of little fiends. Recovery Arrow is simply the best healing skill in the game, as it can revive Pawns from a distance, and while the vocation as a whole features no melee utility whatsoever, it makes up for it with homing arrows that make short work of the most annoying enemies you’ll encounter: winged creatures of all types.
1) Warfarer
Was there any doubt? While the Warfarer suffers from lower stats than the other vocations, the ability to combine the weapon and core skills of up to three vocations at once makes for an insane amount of varied playstyles that Dragon’s Dogma 2 fanatics will experiment with for years to come. Do you enjoy the melee prowess and protection spells of a Mystic Spearhand but also want the ranged elemental utility of a Magick Archer? No problem. Want to give your Sorcerer/Trickster hybrid a very big sword to hit enemies with that get too close? You totally can. Miss the Strider from the original Dragon’s Dogma? Combine an Archer and a Thief to bring it back. The options are nearly limitless with the Warfarer, making it by far the most fun and varied vocation in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
And that’s all of the Dragon’s Dogma 2 vocations, ranked.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Published: Mar 27, 2024 09:17 am