Dragon Nest M Classic is a fast and reactive action RPG. Here, movement and timing are key, and choosing a class that fits your role is highly rewarding in the combat system. The class that one starts with will pretty much outline their entire journey. Whether you want to tank, support, or deal raw damage, knowing how classes rank in 2026 helps you avoid slow levelling, painful party rejections, or feeling weak at end-game nests. Top up Dragon Nest M: Classic from LootBar to level up faster with your specialised class.
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Base Classes Explained
Before choosing a specialisation, you start with one of four base classes. Each shapes your playstyle and is the foundation of everything that comes later.
Warrior
Warriors fight in close combat, depending on sword attacks and speed, and stay inside the enemy's range. Warriors can dodge attacks using certain skills because frames of their animations briefly make them untouchable. Warriors evolve into Gladiator or Swordmaster.
Archer
Archers are distance attackers, utilising agility to keep enemies away from them. Long-range capabilities allow them to be safe, but at the same time inflict constant damage. Archers become Bowmaster or Acrobat.
Sorceress
Sorceress uses magic from range, freezing, slowing, or knocking back enemies. Their mix of gameplay will be burst damage and control. Sorceress becomes a Force User or elemental options.
Cleric
The Cleric mixes melee hits with supportive and defensive skills, thus being able to heal or protect. The Clerics can evolve into either a Paladin or a Priest.
Specialized classes
Specialised classes are evolved base classes with more abilities and perks.
S-Tier - The Best Classes 2025
These classes are the best classes when it comes to strength, control and damage. They are the strongest and bring the most consistent value among all the classes.
Paladin
Paladin is currently the strongest tank. Their role is to hold the boss's attention and take hits so the party can fight safely. Bosses in high nests hit very hard, and parties run a very real risk of getting wiped with one critical blow. Paladin shields and helps the entire party survive. They interrupt enemies, control danger, and make fights stable. Apart from this, their personal damage is low; however, their team value remains unmatched.
Bowmaster
Bowmaster is generally considered to be the single best pure-range damage dealer. They attack from a distance and can achieve really good, consistent hits without getting too close to danger. With that range, they last longer and clear enemies faster. Cleaning mobs becomes almost a piece of cake. Not dying while doing damage is the key in nests, and Bowmasters are perfect for that role. Notably, they are easy to learn, so most players start with them.
Force User
Force User focuses on control and supportive magic. Their real strength lies in making everyone else stronger. They slow mobs, freeze enemies, and disrupt dangerous skills. Most abilities reduce cooldowns or create moments where teammates can deal more damage. They turn chaos into order. The pure damage itself may not really be there, but the value they add to the performance of a party is immense. A good Force User is often able to easily carry a weak group simply by controlling the fight.
A-Tier - Strong but not always necessary
These classes are popular and strong, but require more effort or have limitations.
Gladiator
The Gladiator is a fast and aggressive melee damage hitter. They can dodge damage mid-animation and yet continue to strike. By far, his biggest weakness is needing to stay close to enemies. Longer boss fights equate to longer times needing to stay near danger, which means more mistakes. Gladiator excels in short content, such as small nests and mob clearing. His style is fun, but not always better than taking ranged options.
Acrobat
Acrobat focuses on motion: flipping, jumping, shooting, striking-all of them while on the move. That makes this a great class for farming dungeons since your speed is going to make all the difference. Damage from an Acrobat is impactful when mastered, but positioning and timing are a bit trickier. Acrobat rewards an active player who likes high mobility more than raw power. Remember to buy Dragon Nest M: Classic cash so that you can progress quickly with your class and help your team.
B-Tier - Good but Situational
These can work, but depends a lot on player dedication or the content type.
Sword Master
Sword Master is a fast melee fighter, powerful in PvP with their iframe dodges. In PvE, their damage does not scale well into longer fights, and there are significant risks when staying close to bosses. They provide no shields and no buffs to teams. This is likely a big reason Swordmaster gets passed over for serious parties. Although for a solo player who enjoys mastering the timing of their dodges, they remain fun and rewarding.
Priest
Priest is pure support; they heal and buff, keeping the allies alive. Good for hard nests, but since people already rely on potions and Paladin shields, many parties skip Priests. Solo levelling with Priest feels very slow and boring since damage is too low, but it becomes extremely valuable in heavy-healing content.
Ranking the best Classes
This ranking reflects how the classes are being used in the meta nowadays, and not just numbers or statistics. It accounts for party demand, difficulty, damage uptime, and ease of use.
- Bowmaster
- Paladin
- Force User
- Acrobat
- Gladiator
- Sword Master
- Priest
First goes Bowmaster. Most players want a class that kills quickly and dies rarely. It is best for fast progress, boss fights and farming. Paladin is second, since success in dungeons often depends on someone anchoring the party and taking the hit. Force User sits at third as they make weak teams feel strong by enhancing their abilities and slowing down the enemies. Acrobat and Gladiator remain in the middle since they are great only when played aggressively, and timing the hits perfectly. Swordmaster and Priest remain niche due to the lower practicality of use, and replacements being available who perform their task better.
Conclusion
Dragon Nest M Classic is designed in such a way that every class can be successful, but some make it easier. Paladin, Bowmaster, and Force User are dominating due to providing survival, speed, and control. Acrobat and Gladiator shine but require an extra bit of your skills, or taking a little more risk. Swordmaster and Priest shine only in selective situations. So, choose your role accordingly. Moreover, keep in mind how you enjoy fighting because excitement and comfort mean more than these rankings in the long run. As soon as you enjoy playing your class, learning becomes instinctive, and that itself makes you much stronger.
