After completing the eventful prologue of Outriders, you’re immediately given a choice you can’t go back on — which class you want to play. There are four classes, and each one is tailored for a specific playstyle. Whether you’re playing with friends or going solo, you’ll have to make a decision that you’re stuck with for the entire game. If you’re struggling to decide which class is the best for you, we’ve put extensive playtime into all four — so we’ll share what we’ve learned in the class breakdowns below.
Each class gets unique melee attacks and special skills, but all classes can equip the same weapons. There’s no limits to the weapons you can equip, so you can grab a Sniper Rifle even if you’re the close-range focused Trickster. You can use an Auto-Shotgun as the Technomancer — all options are open to you, so your build isn’t strictly limited depending on your class. Some weapons (and weapon mods) are better for certain classes, but all of them are viable.
Before we begin, it’s important to understand the Outriders is purely a cooperative game, so all classes are viable and ridiculously powerful eventually. It’s all up to how you want to play.
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Technomancer:
- Long range, support, and gadgets.
- Recovers health by damaging enemies in any way.
A weaker starting class that relies on gadgets you can summon. You’ll start with a grenade and unlock a turret as your main abilities. It’s important to understand that long-range isn’t actually that long in Outriders — anything over 10 meters is considered “long range” — so this class is best used by players that want to play like a cover shooter.
This class also becomes overwhelmingly powerful as you unlock more abilities. It’s tricky when you’re starting out solo, but it’s very good against bosses and tough enemies. They need to use cover to avoid dying, but you can drop in constructs like the turret to help fight battles for you. If you prefer Sniper Rifles, Machine Guns, or just like playing cover shooters, this is the ideal class for you.
Pyromancer:
- Medium range, conjurer, and fire.
- Heal whenever burning enemies are killed.
An active medium range class that’s a good all-around damage dealer. It’s especially good at killing groups of standard enemies — all of the Pyromancer’s attacks go through cover, so you can squirrel enemies out with fire and then detonate them for huge HP boosts.
The downside to Pyromancers is that they’re pretty soft compared to other classes — they have the lowest starting HP. Pyromancers can die quickly if you’re not taking cover or applying lots of damage in medium range to enemies. Pyromancers also aren’t very good against bosses or tough single-target enemies — at least compared to other classes. They’re still an all-around good pick for players that like to be aggressive while also using a variety of weapons.
Once you unlock your three main abilities, Pyromancers can deal constant damage to anyone on the battlefield without even looking. Their attacks all blast through cover, have pretty good range, and burn over time so you’ll want to find a good hiding spot to whittle them down while they burn.
Trickster:
- Close range, hit & run, spacetime.
- Killing enemies in close-range (10m) heals you and restores shield.
The most melee-focused class in Outriders is like a dimensional assassin. They start with an elemental sword melee slash that slows and interrupts all targets. The Trickster’s normal melee attacks (both standard and sprinting) are AOEs that slow all enemies you touch.
Even better, Tricksters can gain a shield. By defeating enemies in close range or with melee skills, you’ll build an overshield that makes Tricksters much tougher than they might normally appear. They’re assassins but once you score some kills, you’ll become the second toughest class in the game.
Tricksters also have special protection abilities like the Slow Trap, which releases a huge bubble shield. Anything caught inside is slowed — including bullets coming at you. Very useful for dealing with annoying elite enemies that heal. Eventually, you’ll gain teleportation abilities that allow you to move around the combat area with ease while gaining shields.
Devastator:
- Close range, tank, stand your ground.
- Recover health by killing enemies in close-range. (10m)
The unstoppable Devastator is the tank of your team. This behemoth is all about dealing close-range damage and rushing into battle wildly, drawing attention away from your squishier allies. The Devastator’s main ability is Golem, which fortifies them against incoming damage for 8 seconds. The Devastator also has the highest starting HP. If you aren’t interested in stuff like “taking cover” and just want to fight in the wide open, the Devastator is a pretty great class.
The Devastator is also pretty good for solo players thanks to its survivability. Its melee attacks aren’t especially effective — unlike the Pyromancer and Trickster, who both gain special melee attack effects. The Devastator is simple and straightforward. You absorb hit and deal damage at close-range. Their first skill is Earthquake, which goes through cover and has about the same range as the Pyromancer’s starting inferno ability.
Later on, the Devastator becomes incredibly powerful thanks to his Bullet Reflect skill. If you want to clear rooms of enemies without even attacking them, this might be one of the best skills in the game.
Which class are you going to pick? Each one is viable and powerful in the right hands.
