AION 2 Class Tier List
All 8 AION 2 classes ranked for PvE, PvP, solo and group content. Community consensus as of global launch — tiers shift with balance patches.
How to read this tier list
Four letters, not one. The tiers below are grouped by PvE ranking, but every class also carries a PvP, solo and group letter, because a class that is essential in organized raids can be the worst solo option in the game.
Niche — strong in the right group, rough solo.
Why are there four separate scales instead of one?
Because the four contexts reward genuinely different things. Solo play rewards self-sufficiency and survivability, organized group play rewards the role you fill, PvE content rewards clear speed, and PvP rewards burst and mobility. Collapsing them into one letter would hide exactly the information you need to pick a class.
What counts as an S tier here?
A class in S tier is the one we would bring first when forming a group for that content type, or the one that clears fastest alone. It does not mean the class has the highest damage number — a main tank can outrank a pure DPS on the group scale precisely because the group needs it.
How do you handle classes that are strong everywhere?
They end up high on all four scales, which is rarer than it sounds. Gladiator is the clearest case: S for PvE, solo and group content, but only A in PvP because it trades burst for durability. That pattern is more informative than the average letter.
Will this list change after the first balance patch?
Almost certainly, at least for a few classes. We keep the scale fixed and move classes rather than redefining the letters, so you can tell a genuine ranking change from a redefinition. Patch notes are the trigger for a re-check.
| Class | Role | Difficulty | PvE | PvP | Solo | Group | Beginner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladiator | Melee DPS / Off-tank | Easy | S | A | S | S | Yes |
| Templar | Main Tank | Medium | A | B | C | S | Yes |
| Assassin | Melee Burst DPS | Hard | A | S | B | B | No |
| Ranger | Ranged Physical DPS | Easy | S | A | A | A | Yes |
| Sorcerer | Magic Burst DPS | Medium | S | A | B | A | No |
| Spiritmaster | Summoner / Control | Medium | A | B | S | A | Yes |
| Cleric | Main Healer | Medium | A | A | C | S | Yes |
| Chanter | Hybrid Support | Medium | B | B | B | A | Yes |
What testers actually said
These are notes from the pre-release focus group, published on the AION 2 wiki. They are real player sentiment rather than theorycrafting — and because they predate the global build, treat them as a signal, not a verdict.
Closed-beta testers rated Gladiator one of the LEAST favoured melee classes, saying it needs significant redesign or rebalancing. Feedback described it as slow and clunky, with skills that felt weak and lacked impact. Treat early rankings with caution until the global build is confirmed.
Closed-beta testers rated Templar one of the MOST improved classes versus the original Aion, with noticeably higher mobility and smoother attack chains. Pulls and gap-closing tools were singled out as the main upgrades.
Closed-beta testers reported enjoying the class, citing high-burst melee damage and extremely fast, fluid, satisfying play. Back-attack usage was described as crucial for reaching the top DPS band.
Ranger was one of the MOST favoured classes in closed-beta testing, with feedback pointing to its utility and broad player appeal as the likely reasons.
Cleric is built around party recovery rather than personal damage — offensive builds are a deliberate secondary option, not the default.
Tier ratings are community consensus from the global launch window, not official NCSOFT numbers. Balance patches can change rankings — this is a starting point, not a permanent meta.
Tier list questions
How many tiers are in this class tier list?
Four: S, A, B, and C. Each class is placed on four separate scales — PvE, PvP, solo, and organized group content — because the contexts reward different things. A class sitting in the S tier for group content is not automatically S for solo farming.
Are these tiers official NCSoft balance data?
No. NCSoft does not publish tier rankings, so these are community-consensus placements built from the same role analysis on each class page. We label them as consensus wherever they appear, and we revisit them when official patch notes change a class.
Why do classes move between tiers after updates?
Because the ranking reflects how useful a class is in practice, not a fixed stat sheet. When a patch changes a skill's cooldown, a role's group demand, or a weapon's scaling, the letter moves. We keep the scale stable and re-order the classes rather than redefining what each letter means.
What does the focus group section mean?
Those notes come from the closed-beta focus group published on the AION 2 wiki. They are real tester sentiment rather than theorycrafting, but they predate the global build. Treat them as a signal about player comfort, not as a verdict on launch balance.
Should I follow the tier list or the beginner recommendation?
Follow the beginner recommendation if you have never played an MMO. A C-tier class that you understand beats an S-tier class you die on repeatedly. Come back to the tier list once you know which archetype you enjoy and how much punishment you want to take.