Dune: Awakening shines with its character classes and skill trees, offering an extensive array of customization options right from the beginning. This feature not only enhances character development but also immerses players in the rich universe of Arrakis.
At the start of your journey, the Mother Reverend inquires about your birthplace and mentor—choices that will profoundly influence your entire experience on Arrakis. It’s crucial to consider these decisions carefully as they set the tone for your adventure.
You might be asking, “Which class is the strongest?” The answer isn’t straightforward, as game developers often strive for balance in class-based systems. Nonetheless, some abilities and classes do tend to emerge as particularly powerful.
I’ve always had a penchant for characters utilizing traps and long-range weaponry, making The Mentat an appealing choice for me. Coupled with the Swordmaster skill tree, this combination could potentially become one of the most effective synergies in the game. Look out for a future article detailing formidable hybrid builds. For now, let’s explore some of the top character classes to consider at the game’s onset.
Class Overview
Below is a concise overview of each starting class:
- Swordmaster: Focused on aggressive melee combat and quick strikes.
- Bene Gesserit: Masters of battlefield manipulation and crowd control.
- Mentat: Experts in traps, turrets, and long-range attacks.
- Trooper: Specialists in demolitions and weaponry.
Bene Gesserit
The Ancient Sisterhood of Spies
The Bene Gesserit class is renowned for its formidable all-female order, employing prana-bindu training to enhance both mental and physical capabilities. This results in increased damage output, reduced cooldowns, and robust health regeneration capabilities, allowing players to dominate in combat with effective crowd control.
For those who prefer an assassin playstyle, the Bene Gesserit is an ideal choice. This class emphasizes agility, expertise with daggers, cloaking, and target manipulation.
One of the standout features of this class is the inclusion of health regeneration passives, such as self-healing, providing vital sustainability, especially beneficial in the early stages of the game.
While it’s a highly versatile class allowing players to control the battlefield through mental prowess, it is also known to be one of the most challenging classes to master. Here’s a detailed rundown of the Bene Gesserit’s strengths and weaknesses:
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Trooper
Weapon Mastery & Gravity Manipulation
The Trooper class emphasizes high mobility and aggressive gameplay, equipped with an innovative toolkit, including a grappling hook known as the shigawire claw, grenades, and anti-gravity capabilities. This class provides an exciting blend of mechanics that enhances your combat experience.
Far from being a standard soldier class, Troopers can manipulate gravity to hinder, stun, or elevate enemies while simultaneously deploying grenades for added chaos. The emphasis on weapon maintenance elevates the immersive feeling of being a highly-skilled combatant.
While the Trooper class offers significant advantages in weaponry and crowd control, its skill tree is accessible early in the game, suggesting that starting with a different class could benefit later progression.
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The Mentat
Traps, Turrets, and Tactics
If your preference leans towards poisonous traps, sniping, and turrets, then The Mentat is your ideal class. This character excels in enhancing rifle and headshot damage while strategically placing traps and turrets to dominate areas and provide support when needed. The Mentat caters to players who thrive on tactical gameplay.
Success in this class relies on taking a measured approach, assessing the battlefield dynamics, and maximally leveraging your skills.
From my experience, employing turrets and traps for area control is an extraordinarily efficient leveling strategy, making it a standout starting class. With an emphasis on improving both long-range weapon and headshot damage, precise aim can lead to successful area clearances, especially when setting traps effectively.
For players who excel in stealth and strategic combat, The Mentat makes for a compelling choice for a first playthrough and is personally my favorite class!
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The Swordmasters
Lead the Charge
Close in, deflect attacks, and retaliate effectively. Funcom has expertly crafted the Swordmaster class to be complex, unique, and rewarding, making it arguably the most exhilarating starter class.
With its incorporation of defensive stances, parrying techniques, and stamina management, the Swordmaster transforms each encounter into a strategic challenge. If you appreciate souls-like combat mechanics, this class will provide a thrilling experience in Dune: Awakening.
Camps may feature a mix of melee and ranged foes, and with abilities focused on parrying and deflecting projectiles, you’ll find that bringing a knife to a gunfight can surprisingly be advantageous.
One of my favorite aspects of this class is that it feels dynamic, which can be a concern with melee classes. When executed well, the melee experience can be incredibly satisfying, and Dune: Awakening succeeds in delivering a remarkable melee combat experience.
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One of the most attractive elements of Dune: Awakening is the extensive flexibility and depth in character creation. Players are not confined to a singular skill set but can experiment with various playstyles and hybrid character builds.
As you advance through the game, the opportunity to mix and match different skill trees and the option to reset skills provide a forgiving environment for players who wish to pivot their strategies. Ultimately, the key to selecting your first character class is to choose one that aligns with your preferred playstyle.
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