Remnant 2 Best Starting Classes: Which Archetypes to Choose First

There are five initial Archetypes in Remnant 2 with the Gunslinger DLC included. Depending on your playstyle and the quality of your aim, different ones will stand out for you. That said, there are three choices for best starting classes. They’re straight-up better than others based on how the game tends to play moment-to-moment. This is especially true for the early game, as some resources are hard to come by, and survivability can be a huge issue.

Best Starting Classes in Remnant 2: Which Archetypes to Choose First

The best starting classes in Remnants 2 are definitively the Gunslinger, Medic, and Handler. Sorry, Challenger and Hunter. The Archetypes you choose first ultimately come down to how you play third-person shooters. If it’s survivability, you have one choice. If you want the big damage, it’s another. I’m not going to assume which type of player you are, instead ranking each based on its overall effectiveness and ability to scale as the game gets more difficult.

• Gunslinger
• Medic
• Handler

Gunslinger Archetype

Despite or because of its place as a DLC character, Gunslinger is one of the best starting classes in Remnant 2. There are a lot of reasons I’ve put this one first, from its damage potential to its ability to adapt to almost any situation quickly and effectively. Here are some of the main ones.

• Massive outgoing damage: The Gunsligner’s abilities, especially the capstone help it melt enemies, particularly boss DPS and crowd control. Each ability also has a relatively low cooldown, too. That allows you to deal with hordes of enemies one moment, then chunk a boss’ health bar the next.
• Best starting weapon in the game: It can one or two-shot most mobs in the opening area. Upgrading it only increases its potency, and even though it’s a lever-action rifle, the reload is quick, and the Gunslinger can make it quicker.
• Easy and reliable Healing Relic recharge: While the Gunslinger Archetype has few additional ways to heal, because of its focus on gunplay, recharging any healing Relics you come across is easy and reliable.
• Great starting armor: Gunslinger default armor is an excellent mix of fashion and function. It offers a good defense-to-weight ratio and serviceable resistances across the board. It also looks great, especially in comparison to some of the other starting armor, if aesthetics are your thing.

Gunslinger’s biggest weakness is its squishiness, even compared to the less defensive-minded classes. It doesn’t have the Handler’s partner for free revives, nor does it have the Medic Archetype’s effectively infinite access to heals. It’s traded sustainability for outright damage. If you build around the Gunslinger’s strengths, there’s almost nothing it can’t overcome.

Related: The Complete Gunslinger Class Guide

Medic Class

As a Souls-like, healing in Remnant 2 is always at a premium, making this Archetype one of the best classes for solo play. You’re better off not being hit at all than taking even a weak attack. It doesn’t matter how small the enemy is: if you take damage, expect at least a quarter of your health to disappear. The Medic class goes a long way to alleviate this issue, with its starting ability allowing you to tank a surprising amount of punishment. There are other reasons to run Medic, as well.

• Additional Relic Charge: Medic gains additional Relic charge by healing either themselves or allies. There aren’t many healing Relics out there, but what you can get, combined with the Medic’s high healing threshold, can make you almost invincible.
• Light. Machine. Gun.: The Medic Archetype starts with an LMG. While it doesn’t deal much damage, it offers sustained fire unlike anything else in the game. As such, you can build additional Relic charges by hitting and killing enemies.
• Long-Lasting Armor: The Medic’s armor is light but protective, though its resistances don’t quite match the Gunslinger’s. Still, it looks good (minus the hat), is fairly light, and will be useful well into the midgame.
• A Not-Tank Tank: The Medic’s other abilities make it even more of a tank outside the tank class. Combining them with some of the accessories that increase your healing and survivability potential makes it even harder to die.

The Medic’s weakness is ultimately the opposite of the Gunslinger’s. It initially lacks high damage potential, trading DPS for sustain. That can change as you progress and upgrade your gear, but if you want the best chance to survive early on in Remnant 2, there’s no better class out there.

Related: The Complete Medic Class Guide

Handler Archetype

The Handler Archetype is an odd duck, as it doesn’t focus on either healing or damage. Instead, prioritizes its furry canine companion. However, because there’s a second party on the battlefield, it can feel like playing the Handler is playing co-op, even during a solo playthrough. Here are just a few of the benefits the Handler enjoys.

• Distracting AI: If you’re familiar with Souls-likes, you’ll know that AI in these games really can’t handle more than one target at a time. Remnant 2 doesn’t have as bad a time because it’s built around co-op play, but against bosses, having more than one target for them to focus on can give you some breathing room when you need it most.
• For the Love of Dog: The Handler’s dog friend can attempt to revive them when they’re down, even during solo play. As a solo, dying would otherwise immediately send you back to a checkpoint. With a pup at your side, that might not happen.
• Fully Auto Rifle: The Handler starts the game with another fantastic starting weapon that’s far more forgiving than the Gunslingers. This fully-automatic rifle might not do as much damage as the lever action, but it’s got much deeper ammo reserves. It also has a similar time to kill and is generally easier to use.

Handler doesn’t hurt as much for damage as Medic but doesn’t do as much as Gunslinger. And while the class offers more survivability than Gunslinger, thanks to a possible revive, it doesn’t come with the Relic recharge or access to healing the Medic does.

Related: The Complete Handler Class Guide

Those are the best starting classes in Remnant 2. Ultimately, which of these three initial Archetypes you choose comes down to how you enjoy playing — and if you have anyone to play with. I recommend Handler or Medic for solo play, but Gunslinger is perfectly doable, so long as you’re comfortable with the lower survivability.