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Heroes of Hammerwatch 2 Class Tier List – All Specializations Ranked

2025-01-23

There are seven classes in Heroes of Hammerwatch 2, where each class has three specializations, which players can choose to better define their builds. In this guide, we'll provide you with a tier list of all class specializations in the game, including their strengths and weaknesses.

All Class Specializations Tier List for Heroes of Hammerwatch 2

Note that all class specializations become available as soon as you reach character level 10. At that point, you'll be given the choice of one of three specializations that belong to the class you've chosen at the start of the game. Each specialization has its own unique skills that can enhance your build in one way or another, so consider these options carefully.

Ranking	Specializations
S	Radiance (Paladin), Blades (Rogue)
A	Divine (Paladin), Demolitions (Rogue), Evocation (Wizard)
B	Beastmaster (Ranger), Berserker (Warrior), Tyrant (Warrior), Justice (Paladin), Lightning (Sorcerer), Chaos (Warlock)
C	Primalist (Warrior), Ice (Sorcerer), Marksman (Ranger), Souls (Warlock), Fire (Sorcerer), Poison (Rogue)
D	Warden (Ranger), Summoning (Warlock), Conjuration (Wizard), Transmutation (Wizard)

S-Tier – Highest Damage Output

Paladin and Rogue are two of the best classes in the game. Paladin is a strong melee class that's proficient in both attack and defense, delivering heavy burst damage while using their holy abilities. While Rogues are experts at quick and lethal attacks.

Specialization	Pros/Cons
Radiance (Paladin)	+Charges up a massive explosion that deals 300-700 damage. +On impact, it deals damage to all enemies around you. +Casting spells generates up to 7 stacks of Inner Flames, dealing damage to nearby enemies. +Unleashes Blazing Lace that increases damage to all enemies by 50%. +Adds up to 4 stacks of fire damage to your weapons. +Increases fire resistance up to 20 points per each stack of Inner Flame. +Increases fire penetration up to 10 points per each stack of Inner Flame.
Blades (Rogue)	+Delivers quick and deadly strikes that deal 300-700 physical damage. +Strikes can chain into additional enemies behind the target. +Increases your weapon's critical damage by 100%. +Decreases the detection range of your enemies by 50%. +Attacking with a melee weapon can strike a random nearby enemy with 100% damage. +You gain a 50% chance to instantly kill an enemy, when your HP is low, but critical hits are successful. -This effect doesn't work on bosses. -Phantasmal Strike deals 50% less damage for each consecutive enemy hit.

Specialization

Pros/Cons

Radiance (Paladin)

+Charges up a massive explosion that deals 300-700 damage.
+On impact, it deals damage to all enemies around you.
+Casting spells generates up to 7 stacks of Inner Flames, dealing damage to nearby enemies.
+Unleashes Blazing Lace that increases damage to all enemies by 50%.
+Adds up to 4 stacks of fire damage to your weapons.
+Increases fire resistance up to 20 points per each stack of Inner Flame.
+Increases fire penetration up to 10 points per each stack of Inner Flame.

Blades (Rogue)

+Delivers quick and deadly strikes that deal 300-700 physical damage.
+Strikes can chain into additional enemies behind the target.
+Increases your weapon's critical damage by 100%.
+Decreases the detection range of your enemies by 50%.
+Attacking with a melee weapon can strike a random nearby enemy with 100% damage.
+You gain a 50% chance to instantly kill an enemy, when your HP is low, but critical hits are successful.
-This effect doesn't work on bosses.
-Phantasmal Strike deals 50% less damage for each consecutive enemy hit.

A-Tier – Powerful Attackers

These specializations have slightly reduced damage output than the top-tier ones. But it's definitely a lot of fun to pilot these classes once you get some of their drawbacks under control as you progress through the game.

Specialization	Pros/Cons
Divine (Paladin)	+Summons pillars of heavenly light that explode, dealing 200-600 damage. +This explosion inflicts Blindness effect on enemies. +Pillars of Wrath deal extra 50% lightning damage. +When your HP drops below 50%, you gain Invulnerability for 3-4 seconds. +After applying any type of buff, your Health Regen can be increased by 500%. -Divine Pattern deals 50% less damage for each consecutive strike.
Demolitions (Rogue)	+Throws a grenade at a target, dealing 400-440 damage. +Incendiary Grenades leave burning ground after explosion, further dealing damage to enemies. +Lightning Grenades deal up to 40% extra damage, chaining to other nearby enemies. +Artificer Suit boosts your armor and damage by 25%. +Your casting spells have a chance to discharge multiple shrapnel in all directions, dealing fire damage. +Your weapon skills have a chance to trigger a lightning bolt. -This bolt deals damage only to a random enemy. -Regular grenades explode with a slight delay.
Evocation (Wizard)	+Summons meteors that deal 200-500 damage to all enemies. +Meteors create a burning ground, dealing further damage to enemies. +Comet deals ice damage, with a chance to inflict Freeze effect on enemies. +Incanter's Cadence increases your cast speed and reduces mana cost by 6%. +Rising Crescendo increases your spell critical chance by 3%. -Meteor Shower has a cooldown of 20 seconds.

B-Tier – Fast Damage Dealers

If you're specifically looking for quick attackers for fast-paced gameplay but you're ready to sacrifice some of that damage, then these classes will fit the bill. Typically, even if upgraded, their damage cannot compare to the top-tier classes.

Specialization	Pros/Cons
Beastmaster (Ranger)	+Summons a pack of wolves that seek out enemies and deal 120-200 damage. +Summons a wolf companion that stands by your side, dealing 60-140 damage. +Winter Wolf allows your wolves to deal ice damage. -Most upgrades are not very efficient. -Wolf Companion has a 20 second cooldown.
Berserker (Warrior)	+Leaps towards enemies, dealing 100-220 damage, and inflicting Stun effect. +Rage skill temporarily boosts your critical chance and critical damage. +When your HP drops below 50%, you gain Rage and take 60% less damage. -Upgrades deal only a fraction of your base damage.
Tyrant (Warrior)	+Throws chains around, dealing 100-300 damage, and inflicting Cripple effect. +Barbed Chains inflict up to 3 stacks of Bleeding effect. +Ruthlessness skill increases your damage by 50%. -The damage increase effect depends on how much HP enemies lose.
Justice (Paladin)	+Strikes enemies with a divine hammer, dealing 100-300 damage. +Shackles passive skill slows down enemies. -Upgrades deal less than 50% damage. -Shackles deal very little damage (10-30 pts.), although continuously.
Lightning (Sorcerer)	+Summons a projectile that deals 100-220 lightning damage. +Upgrades allow this projectile to linger for a longer time. +You can block enemy projectiles with the Null Field upgrade. -Lightning Mastery grants only a 10% chance to increase damage. -The damage depends on how long you've been charging the projectile.
Chaos (Warlock)	+Conjures up a magical blade that deals 100-260 damage. +Every time you cast a spell, a rift spawns that deals 20-60 damage. +Rupture upgrade applies Bleeding effect to your blade slashes. -Rift upgrades have only a 10%-40% chance to summon extra rifts.

C-Tier – Elemental Magic Users

Classes that use magic spells aren't as strong as melee DPS characters. But they allow you to keep a certain distance from the enemies if you don't want to spend experience points on armoring yourself.

Specialization	Pros/Cons
Primalist (Warrior)	+Places a totem that deals 50-90 damage. +Your melee attacks ignite tremors that deal 30-50 damage. -Totems, even upgraded ones, deal very little damage. -Melee upgrades have less than 50% to grant extra damage.
Ice (Sorcerer)	+Unleashes 12 frost shards that deal 50-170 damage. -There's only a 10% chance that your ice damage is increased. -Frost upgrades give only a 10%-20% chance to increase damage. -Ice Block effect is only 75% effective with only a 10%-40% chance.
Marksman (Ranger)	+Launches a barrage of arrows that deal 40-200 damage. +Thundercaller upgrade increases damage by 300%. -You get speed penalties every time you use bow skills. -You must invest points into passive upgrades to reduce speed penalties.
Souls (Warlock)	+Conjures a swirling vortex of energy that deals 40-80 damage. +Lightning Vortex upgrade can effectively double the damage. -Your main hand weapon's damage is increased only if you have stacks of essence.
Fire (Sorcerer)	+Produces a blazing wall of flame that deals 30-50 fire damage. +You restore up to 3% of your HP after each successful spell crit. -There's only a 10% chance that your fire damage is increased. -Upgrades grant only a 10%-20% chance of triggering additional fire damage.
Poison (Rogue)	+Deploys a large toxic cloud that deals 25-45 damage. +This cloud also blocks the enemy's vision and breaks their armor once they enter it. +Deadly Toxins upgrade increases your poison resistance by 100 pts. -Poison mastery has only a 10%-50% chance to increase damage.

D-Tier – Lowest Damage Output

The following batch of classes is the weakest due to very low damage that can be slightly improved with upgrades and passives. But overall, they're not recommended for any sort of progression.

Specialization	Pros/Cons
Warden (Ranger)	+Conjures roots in the area that deal 20-40 damage and inflict Cripple effect. -Must use weapons and dashing to increase damage. -Healing upgrades have a very insignificant effect.
Summoning (Warlock)	+Summons fiends that deal 20-40 damage. -Must use stacks of essence to summon fiends. -Summons a Gargoyle that deals 60-140 damage, but it's too slow.
Conjuration (Wizard)	+Conjures multiple hydras that deal 15-35 damage. -Conjures a magical sword that deals 60-120 damage, but its targets are random. -Must use upgrades to increase damage and change the element to Ice.
Transmutation (Wizard)	-Worst class specialization in the game. -Deals no damage whatsoever, producing only minor buffs to your speed. -Heaviliy depends on your stat distribution.

That's it for our tier list of all class specializations in Heroes of Hammerwatch 2. For more guides, check out High Seas Hero Battle Ship Tier List and Best Acolyte and Healer Builds in Go Go Muffin.