Patch guide
July 21, 2026
Full class survey · roles · start advice
Classic All-Classes Overview
A 2026 survey of every third-profession on Classic: who is meta in PvE and PvP, which classes are buffer alts, and which exist mainly for nostalgia or Olympiad niches.
At a glance
- 1PvE DPS meta: Storm Screamer > Archmage ≈ Mystic Muse > melee
- 2PvP carry meta: Wind Rider with evasion stack; Cardinal mandatory in sieges
- 3Buffers: Bladedancer, Swordsinger, Warcryer, Overlord, Shillien Elder
- 4Archers as a whole underperform except Phantom Ranger low-level autonomy
- 5Dwarves are traders and fishers, not crafter mains
Human fighters and mystics
Phoenix Knight / Paladin returned as PvP pull tanks after HP pools increased. Hell Knight and Dark Avenger remain niche. Dreadnought spears debuff in high-end PvE packs. Duelist is nostalgic AoE melee. Sagittarius is the human archer pick. Treasure Hunter lacks backstab value under autoplay meta.
Mystics: Archmage and Soultaker trail Storm Screamer in AoE. Arcana Lord summons die instantly. Cardinal is siege meta support. Hierophant buffs melee PvE.
Elves
'Evas Templar' tanks like Paladin but weaker self-buff. Swordsinger defensive bard. Wind Rider PvP king. Moonlight Sentinel outclassed by Sagittarius range tricks. Mystic Muse mid-tier mage. Elemental Summoner buffer. 'Evas Saint' largely replaced by Shillien Elder for mana feed.
Dark elves
Shillien Templar debuff tanks lack reliable debuff land rates. Bladedancer offensive bard — mandatory alt. 'Phantom Avenger' glass burst Dagger. Ghost Sentinel and Phantom Ranger — only Phantom Ranger recommended. Storm Screamer best mage. Spectral Master unused.
Orcs
Destroyer best orc PvE/PvP burst. Titan / Grand Khavatari underpowered. Overlord clan buffs; Warcryer party buffs — both support. 'Dominators' fear bombs shine only early server.
Dwarves and Kamael
Warsmith / Bounty Hunter crafting superseded by Random Craft and loot boxes — roll dwarf alts for +1 trade slot. Kamael Trickster strong early burst; Soul Breaker hybrid lacks buffer slots; 'Inspector' meme PvP.
PvE tier snapshot
PvE tiers (developed server)
| Tier | Classes |
|---|---|
| S | Storm Screamer |
| A | Archmage, Mystic Muse, Destroyer (single target) |
| B | Duelist, Phantom Ranger, Dreadnought (debuff puller) |
| C | Most archers, off-meta mages, daggers except AV meme |
| Support | Bladedancer, Swordsinger, Shillien Elder, Warcryer |
PvP tier snapshot
PvP tiers
| Tier | Classes |
|---|---|
| S | Wind Rider, Storm Screamer (nuker), Cardinal (support) |
| A | Destroyer, Paladin (Sacrifice bot) |
| B | Duelist, Soultaker (early server) |
| Niche | Shillien Saint, 'Inspector', Olympiad off-meta picks |
Olympiad off-meta picks
Underplayed classes face fewer mirror matchups. Hell Knight, Shillien Templar, and Soultaker can climb early seasons before gear saturates — not long-term rank strategies.
Buffer cheat sheet
Who buffs whom
| Buffer | Targets |
|---|---|
| Bladedancer | All DPS — dances |
| Swordsinger | All DPS — songs |
| Prophet | Physical melee |
| Shillien Elder | Mages |
| Warcryer | Party — chants |
| Overlord | Clan — pa buffs |
| Elemental Summoner | Mages — Seraphim |
| Shillien Saint | Stigma/debuff assist |
Classes to avoid as mains (2026)
Soultaker on old servers, Spectral Master, Moonlight Sentinel, Shillien Templar as DPS, dwarf crafters, and 'Evas Saint' as main — unless you explicitly want the fantasy.
Linked names open L2Playbook pages when that skill, item, class, NPC, or zone exists in the database. Values can change with patches — always double-check in-game.