Albion Online, the sandbox MMORPG, continues to grow in 2024. Some non-traditional elements are included in the game, which are characters and classes. Unlike other typical MMORPGs available in the market, Albion Online does not have any hard-coded classes; the players are free to choose their class based on the armor they use. However, certain builds and play styles are more effective than others depending on areas of the game.
Albion Online Classes Categories
Albion Online primarily categorizes its builds into three main roles: These are known as the T, D, and S classes or the Tank, DPS (Damage Per Second), and Support classes respectively.
Tank
Tanks in Albion Online are a class of heroes that occupy the frontline since they take damage and manage the field. They are significant both in PvE and PvP, defending their teammates and interfering with the enemies’ ranks.
1. Hyper Tanks (S-Tier)
Hyper Tanks are considered to be the ultimate example of a defensive build in the game Albion Online. Its abilities entail crowd control and threat generation but they are weak with damage. Their main function is to stun and/or interrupt enemies and take as much damage as they can for other members.
Build:
- Armor: Guardian Armor
- Weapon: Heavy Mace
- Off-hand: Sarcophagus Shield
- Cape: Bridgewatch Cape
- Shoes: Knight Boots
This build focuses on survivability and control of mobs or groups of enemies. The Guardian Armor gives good protection as well as an emergency shield. The Heavy Mace shines in crowd management while the Sarcophagus Shield supports more survivability. The Bridgewatch Cape is another layer of defense and Knight Boots are either an escape or engage tool.
2. Off-Tanks (A-Tier)
Off-tanks can be described as a balanced class between the strengths of the other Albion Online classes. They are not as durable as Hyper Tanks but they can still defend themselves and even deal reasonable damage to the opponents.
Build:
- Armor: Soldier Armor
- Weapon: Incubus Mace
- Off-hand: Facebreaker Shield
- Cape: Fort Sterling Cape
- Shoes: Hunter Shoes
This build gives a balance of attack and defense. The Soldier Armor is an ideal choice since it is a balanced one offering protection and increased attack power. The Incubus Mace has both Stun and Damage ability and the Facebreaker Shield provides more Stun abilities. Thus, the use of engaging tools like Fort Sterling Cape is valuable, and the mobility given by Hunter Shoes is helpful.
3. Bruisers (B-Tier)
Bruisers are a category of classes that are somewhere in between the tanks and the damage dealers. They are fairly well armored while at the same time having a high damage output.
Build:
- Armor: Hellion Jacket
- Weapon: Greataxe
- Off-hand: Torch
- Cape: Thetford Cape
- Shoes: Soldier Boots
This build is more concerned with continuous fighting. The Hellion Jacket is in essence a suit of armor that also can heal itself. The Greataxe provides a great opportunity to deal with area-of-effect damage and has a rather handy passive ability. The Torch provides a bonus to the usage speed of an attack, whereas the Thetford Cape increases the damage per second. Soldier Boots can be also useful for sprinting which can be useful in initiating combat and in retreat.
DPS
DPS stands for Damage Per Second roles, which are specialized in applying high amounts of damage to enemies. They are useful for Personal PvP combat as well as for PvE to defeat enemies faster and more efficiently.
1. Melee DPS (S-Tier)
Melee DPS are great at dealing with single target damage at short range which is burst damage. They are usually preferred for ganking and other instances of small-scale PvP.
Build:
- Armor: Stalker Jacket
- Weapon: Bloodletter
- Off-hand: Mistcaller
- Cape: Thetford Cape
- Shoes: Assassin Shoes
This build focuses on high damage per second and movement speed. The Stalker Jacket increases the damage dealt by the character by a great amount. The Bloodletter increases mobility and executes damage, while the Mistcaller decreases the cooldowns. Thetford Cape, as another skill power, also boosts damage output, and Assassin Shoes give a blink for engage or escape situations.
2. Ranged DPS (A-Tier)
Ranged DPS use skills to deal relatively constant amounts of damage without being close to the enemy. Both in end-game PvP and PvE activities, where players gear up to complete various tasks, such as raids or heroic dungeons.
Build:
- Armor: Specter Jacket
- Weapon: Bow of Badon
- Off-hand: Mistcaller
- Cape: Bridgewatch Cape
- Shoes: Royal Sandals
This build is concentrated on a continuous number of attacks from a long distance. A damage reflect ability is given to the player through the Specter Jacket. The Bow of Badon has a good area of effect and control, while the Mistcaller decreases the cool-down time. Yet, Bridgewatch Cape gives us another wall option to control the crowds and Royal Sandals that help with kiting.
3. Magic DPS (B-Tier)
Magic DPS offers crowd control and high area damage. As the name suggests, these can be highly useful in attacking large forces or in deleting group PvE instances.
Build:
- Armor: Royal Robe
- Weapon: Brimstone Staff
- Off-hand: Tome of Spells
- Cape: Morgana Cape
- Shoes: Scholar Sandals
This build focuses on increasing the power of area of effect abilities during the game. There is also the case of the Royal Robe which causes spell damage. The special abilities of the Brimstone Staff are area-of-effect attacks that do a great amount of damage while the Tome of Spells boosts magical damage. Morgana Cape is for additional damage, while Scholar Sandals are used for movement speed to position himself well.
Support
The main part relates to support roles dedicated to restoring allies’ health and applying negative status effects to enemies. They are necessary for the team’s success in both, PvE and PvP modes.
1. Healer (S-Tier)
Healers are very vital as they are responsible for ensuring the team stays alive both in the PvE and PvP. Healing has a long cast time, but a good healer will shift the momentum and allow for more risky play from the rest of the team.
Build:
- Armor: Cleric Robe
- Weapon: Great Holy Staff
- Off-hand: Lymhurst Cape
- Cape: Undead Cape
- Shoes: Graveguard Boots
The build in this case relates mostly to health and the ability to stay alive. The Cleric Robe has a Thief defensive cooldown. The Great Holy Staff is the best for single-target and area healing skills, while the Lymurst Cape boosts the character’s energy. The Undead Cape has a self-sustainable ability to make the character invulnerable in emergencies, while Graveguard Boots additionally grant a buff to nearby allies’ movement speed.
2. Saboteur (A-Tier)
Saboteurs buff allies and enemies and support the team. A Saboteur is not as easily defined as other roles because of their function but with proper application, can make a large difference in encounters.
Build:
- Armor: Cultist Robe
- Weapon: Cursed Staff
- Off-hand: Muisak
- Cape: Martlock Cape
- Shoes: Druid Sandals
This build fully utilizes every available option to debuff the enemies. The Cultist Robe increases the amount of magic damage done. The Cursed Staff is specifically for applying DoTs and the Muisak increases the overall damage per second. Matlock Cape is one of the armors that provide a slow effect, while Druid Sandals are a pair of shoes that provide a purge ability to remove enemy bonuses.
Conclusion
Even if Albion Online does not have distinct classes, these archetypes and some of the builds may be considered the optimal strategies in 2024. Albion Online’s gameplay approach is quite versatile, so try out various strategies to discover what is the most effective. Remember, make sure to check the balances of your servers and adjust to them to ensure that you are well-equipped in the ever-changing world of Albion Online. Don’t forget to buy Albion Online Silver for a smoother gameplay experience with different classes of the game.
