The new Ys Online: The Ark of Napishtim brings back a classic game from the PlayStation 2 era, but remade and adapted for the mobile platform. The result is that, while the game follows similar story beats, its gameplay has been adapted to resemble a mobile MMORPG, with gameplay and systems designed in the model of the genre. As such, you’ll not only find a vastly different way to play it, compared to the original but also tons of grinding and social features designed to keep you coming back for more on a daily basis.

While the game is admittedly a departure from the original on the PS2, we believe Ys Online is a strong entry in the series and a great game for the mobile MMORPG genre. Feel free to check out our Ys Online: The Ark of Napishtim review to learn more about what to expect from this awesome new MMO for phones. 

One of the distinguishing aspects of Ys Online is its class system, which lets players choose from a selection of four different classes before starting a new game. These classes each have their own kits and skill sets, as well as unique play styles that help set them apart from each other. Additionally, these classes, in turn, each have two promotions, which helps to further specialize their skill sets and orient them towards specific play styles.

Understandably, with these options at hand, choosing the best class for you can be one of the toughest choices that you’ll make as a newcomer to Ys Online. For this reason, we wrote this guide to serve as an overview of the different classes in the game, as well as to share our own thoughts about each.

Warrior – All-Around Tanky Melee Fighter

No fantasy MMORPG can ever be complete without the holy trinity of Tank, Healer, and DPS, and the Warrior class in Ys Online happens to be the first of the three.

Combining powerful sweeping melee attacks with hardy defenses and aggro skills, the Warrior is the designated tank of the game, focusing intently on protecting their allies and absorbing damage. However, they do this at the expense of their own offensive potential, since their damage is easily among the lowest of all four classes, except maybe slightly above the Ranger’s.

The Warrior’s standard kit revolves around the “Anger” status, which he can gain by using certain skills. Once activated, this status grants additional effects to some of his other skills. Regardless, the Warrior’s strength lies in tanking, since he can do it far better than any other class, especially if he chooses the “Knight” promotion path. 

Speaking of which, the Warrior’s promotion paths are the following:

• Knight: A Warrior that has chosen the path of the defender, gaining even stronger defensive skills, which makes him into the prime tanking class of the game. The Knight combines high HP with defensive skills, along with some AoE damage, to create a good all-rounder class that’s both easy to play and competent at all types of content.
• Berserker: Instead of focusing on defense, the Berserkers discard their shields and devote themselves exclusively to the DPS role. And while they don’t have the defensive skills of their counterparts, they are still highly tanky thanks to their ample HP reserves, making them one of the most beginner-friendly DPS classes in the game.

Mage – Massive AoE Damage and Crowd Control Effects

Mages are the bringers of destruction when it comes to dealing with hordes of enemies. Their dominion over the elements allows them to wield various spells to devastating effect, raining down destruction on the battlefield that, while not inflicting massive damage, is more than sufficient for dealing with groups of lesser enemies. However, when it’s time to fight against the stronger bosses, Mages can also tap into their repertoire of spells to muster powerful single-target damage, though this is far from being their focus.

The Mage’s unique mechanic revolves around the gathering and use of Magic Crystals, which can be obtained by using certain skills. And once enough of these crystals are collected, they can then be used to empower and modify other spells, increasing their effectiveness and power, and sometimes even granting them additional effects. 

The Mage’s promotion paths include the following:

• Pyro Mage: The Mage’s power increases even further by specializing in wielding fiery flames of destruction. This promotion path retains most of the same gameplay mechanics, revolving around the collection and use of Magic Crystals. However, the Pyro Mage’s spells are stronger than ever and better suited for dealing with individual enemies, while still retaining ample AoE capabilities.
• Ice Mage: Trading in some of their damage for increased utility, the Ice Mage gains some crowd control effects to her kit, allowing her to cripple and lock down groups of enemies with slowing effects. This promotion path is more of a team player since she can keep enemies slowed while her teammates pile up on them.

Ranger – Support DPS and a Vital Addition to Any Squad

Despite what her kit may indicate, the Ranger in Ys Online is actually more of a support DPS unit rather than a powerful bow-wielding markswoman. Her kit allows her to inflict damage both to single enemies as well as groups, and help keep her team healed up at all times. This combination makes her a valuable asset for any group, as she can contribute both to defeating enemies, as well as to increasing the group’s survivability.

Rangers don’t have any specific mechanics like the other two classes we’ve mentioned so far. However, they do have the ability to cast their skills back to back, as long as they have the resources necessary for it. As such, they’re highly versatile and can swiftly shift from doing damage to healing in a heartbeat. The downside of this is that she’s limited by her MP pool, though her support potential is unparalleled when in the right hands.

The Ranger’s promotion paths include the following:

• Windwalker: Though she retains some of her healing potentials, the Windwalker instead focuses more on the offensive aspect of the bow and arrow. She incorporates some light crowd control effects into her skills, but ultimately is more about the versatility and effectiveness of being able to attack while moving and dodging.
• Priest: The Ranger discards her bow and picks up staff, allowing her to focus her efforts almost exclusively on healing. Suffice it to say, this class will struggle somewhat when it comes to playing solo content, particularly since most of her skills are about healing rather than doing harm. Nevertheless, it’s this very focus on healing that makes her an essential team member when playing the tougher group content.

Assassin – Unparalleled at Single-Target Burst Damage

Though most of the classes we’ve mentioned so far are more than capable of getting through the game and dealing sufficient amounts of damage, the Assassin takes it one step further by being completely specialized in single-target burst damage. This focus makes them one of the most effective classes when fighting against bosses and other tough enemies, though this comes with a tricky learning curve that players will need to master in order to play them effectively.

The Assassin utilizes a Combo Point system where most of their skills generate the said combo points, which are then used up by other abilities in order to boost their effects. Specifically, the Assassin can dump all their combo points into either a powerful buff that increases their critical rate or a massive blow that deals incredible damage. And in both cases, each combo point spent will increase the effectiveness of the skills in questions.

The Assassin can transition into these two promotion paths:

• Ninja: The Ninja is more about subterfuge and stealth, being able to render themselves invisible to set up powerful strikes. When they finally break stealth, they can deal additional damage with the attack that broke their invisibility, allowing them to score massive hits while zipping in and out of the battlefield.
• Navigator: This promotion focuses more on direct combat over stealth, and follows the same gameplay style as the base Assassin; revolving around collecting combo points and dumping them on powerful skills. In addition to this, the Navigator can also wield the power of the seas to bring about destruction to their enemies.

Each class in Ys Online: The Ark of Napishtim has its own strengths and weaknesses. But more importantly, each of these classes also has its own specific play style. With the info in this Ys Online class guide, we hope that you can choose the classes that mesh the best with your personal preferences.