The shores of Velia are often littered with countless bodies spawning as players test out the class options available in Black Desert Mobile. The mobile adaptation has expanded its class selection since its launch in 2019, beginning to match the available options on the PC.
Nowadays the classes and their approach to battle are wildly varied, so the best fit for each player depends mainly on personal play style and combat preferences. That being said, where there's proficiency, there's likely a certain amount of deficiency, and each class harbors its specialty which may align perfectly with certain play styles while being an absolute nightmare for others.
Updated on July 7th, 2022 by Kim Dailey: Black Desert Mobile has expanded its class selection from the mere five classes that gave a fair coverage of the wide-ranging battle styles available on the PC to an astounding twenty-three classes since the recent inclusion of the newest class, Drakania. Suffice to say, the choice has been made much harder, leaving us long overdue for an update to catch you up to speed on all the new ways to play.
Arch Mage (Invoker)
The Witch begins to toy with class complexities and offers deadly crowd control skills. She can ascend to an Arch Mage or awaken to become an Invoker ever since Ascension and Awakening were implemented in Black Desert Mobile.
The Witch can control a multitude of battle scenarios by channeling elemental powers. The range of damage varies from skill to skill. Some moves have concentrated damage aimed at a focus point – or several targets – while others cause general area damage. When cast in succession, the rhythm and combos make for highly effective crowd control. These abilities can build a character that is incredibly versatile and equally effective for both co-op and solo play. As an Arch Mage, the Witch hones into the elements of ice and fire, while awakening to an Invoker allows her to embrace the powers of earth and sky.
The mage class is admittedly a little soft in the armor department, but powerful spells keep enemies at bay. The battle style poses a bit of a learning curve, pairing spells to figure out what skills are most effective together and when. But these class skills come together to form a fluid dance that, when performed properly, is capable of maneuvering and felling enemies like true magic.
Archer (Fletcher)
The bowman is a straightforward ranged class with a serious style. Swift and agile movers, these bowmen are good at maneuvering from vantage point to vantage point, consistently staking out the high ground and providing critical support to their allies from a safe range. The Archer uses a Crossbow for quick-fire action allowing him to let off more bolts than the Fletcher, who prioritizes his ranged advantage gleaned from his great bow.
Blade Master (Warlord)
The Musa ascends to a Blade Master or awakens as a Warlord. As a melee martial arts class, he has a fluid style built to create whirlwind combos to confuse and quickly dispatch his enemies.
The Blade Master takes his title seriously, honing his talents with the blade and horn bow. While the awakened Warlord will trade out for a crescent blade and opt to wave a banner into battle, making him slightly better for crowd control as the Warlord maintains his swiftness trained through martial arts while showing off his mastery of the blade with sweeping strikes that can fell an onslaught single-handedly.
Corsair
The Corsair is the embodiment of the sea's raw destructive power. She moves with the fluidity of the tide while crashing through enemies like stormy waves with her curved serenaca blade that she lashes through the air like a whip, creating raging walls of water capable of washing out the front lines in one sweep. She can also send out these devastating monsoons from a fair range, ensuring the first strike and the upper hand in most battles.
Drakania
Drakania is the newest class introduced to Black Desert Mobile on July 5th, 2022. This fully ascended class is truly the best of both worlds, wielding her Slayer, Shard, and her immense draconic power that is amplified by Drakania's devastating AoEs. Whether you enjoy a brutal hack 'n' slash style of combat or like to get caught up in the whimsy of grand maneuvers, Drakania's seemingly simplistic tactics manifest into a dazzling light show that can be easily directed at enemies or unfurl across the entire battlefield and never lose their breathtaking punch. In short, Drakania is the perfect warrior, able to decimate encroaching hordes in a single blast and catch those who are smart enough to try and stay clear of her wingspan.
Gladiator (Berserker)
Well-rounded and probably the most straightforward of the bunch, the Warrior can ascend to become a Gladiator, still equally built for offense and defense. His longsword and shield are great for classic hack and slash damage. Alternatively, an awakened Warrior takes on the role of Berserker, relying on the overwhelming power he can dole out in a flash with his gigantic great sword. With his skill set, the Warrior serves as a staunch ally in multiplayer while making easy work of solo battles.
If anything, the Warrior class suffers from being rather dull. Though his classic methods are dependable, they may not be the best fit for those searching for more complexity or showy battle effects.
Grand Master (Yacha)
The Striker is a highly physical fighter relying on his brawler background and eastern martial arts training to overtake enemies with his physical prowess alone. Of course, this feat is made a little easier using his gauntlet. Still, as he ascends to the level of Grand Master, he becomes a superhumanly powerful and overtly versatile fighter, utilizing a wide range of fighting styles to get the better of his enemy.
An awakened Yacha, on the other hand, throws down the gauntlet in preference for a Gardbrace and support from the Echo Spirit to give him a fiery edge.
Hashashin
The Hashashin is a player favorite that can blast holes in enemy frontlines with his deft manipulation of the desert sands and his trusty Shamshir. With resounding attacks that reverberate off of his initial strikes, the Hashashin is a good choice for causing pandemonium where there had been order among the ranks of his enemies, then making a clean escape from among the chaos. With his stealthy maneuvers and penetrating assaults, the Hashashin is the ultimate supportive role, though he's perfectly capable of handling daunting situations independently.
Huntress (Windwalker)
For players who seek to avoid the thick of battle, the Ranger is the female counterpart to the archer class. Skilled at debuffing enemies from afar, but overcome more easily than other classes if the distance advantage is lost. They make a sly ally but may struggle slightly more than others in solo play.
Ascension to the Huntress sharpens the Ranger's already acute accuracy allowing her to single out her adversaries' weaknesses with ease. However, the Ranger may choose to trade her bow for a Kamasylven Sword and a Feather when she awakens to the swift and graceful Windwalker instead.
Kunoichi
The Kunoichi is a fierce yet evasive melee fighter, able to flit around the battlefield, striking at enemies with a hailstorm of assaults and her trusty Kunai while often managing to remain out of harm's way. The Kunoichi is a master of subduing enemies with her powerful debuffs, meaning she can easily weaken or entirely disable the enemy before moving in for a swift kill. She is a fully ascended class that does not have a basic class version the same as the Corsair and Hashashin.
Lahn (Crimson Lily)
Another swift and highly agile class, the Lahn and Crimson Lily, are both blade-wielding acrobats, though they sport a few key differences. The Lahn class is unique in her ability to glide high through the sky and surprise her enemies with deadly aerial attacks from her pendulum blade.
The Crimson Lily is a silent and deadly killer, wielding a pair of glaives strung together with a chain that itself serves as her sub-weapon. This unique tool allows the Crimson Lily to strike from an extended range, rendering her stealthy strikes all the more effective.
Lotus (Primrose)
The Maehwa is the female counterpart to the Musa and likewise ascends into the Lotus once she has mastered her archery, martial arts, and swordsmanship training. This is a class with a high accuracy and damage rating that thrives on chaining together combos from her dynamic training.
On the other hand, the awakened Primrose carries a Kerispear and Banner into battle, giving her an outstanding critical rating. The ease in which she flows from strike to strike, carries her through each onslaught, toppling enemies in her wake.
Lupa (Spiritwalker)
The Lupa is the ascended form of the Tamer class, who travels and fights with the divine beast Heilang by her side at all times. Heilang's support gives this class an unique edge in battle as they coordinate their attacks with one another to become an overwhelming force that few enemies could hope to withstand.
The awakened Spiritwalker has claimed her right as Heilang's true master and therefore wields the beast's divine power along with a Celestial Bo Staff, the combination of which creates a class with untold power.
Mystic
The Mystic is another combo-driven melee class that calls on the dragon's power to aid her in battle. Powerful moves such as her Dragon Punch utilize the dragon's spirit to decimate enemies and leave them stunned. The Mystic can also regenerate health in this way and incorporates several other buffs or debuffs into her various attacks.
Nova (Eclipse)
The Nova is truly a force to be reckoned with. This fully ascended class uses a morning star as her choice of weapon. However, she also utilizes an impenetrable shield and the spirits of her royal guards to maximize her versatility on the battlefield.
Eclipse is a powerful crowd controller with attacks that strike multiple times in succession and provide a slew of various debuffs to incapacitate the enemy, making them easy targets. With so many ways to attack, both sub-divisions of this class make for hard-to-read adversaries, giving them yet another advantage against enemies.
Paladin (Lancer)
The fiercely proud Valkyrie may ascend to the title of Paladin and is well-versed in both offensive and defensive battle tactics, though they're predisposed to close-quarter combat. She can deal massive damage but also harbors an extensive repertoire of buffs and regeneration skills for supporting allies. The awakened Lancer trades her sword for a lance, naturally, although her role remains the same; break through the enemy frontlines all while providing first defense for her weaker allies.
With a skill set derived for tactical support, the Valkerie is ideal for co-op play and will prove invaluable in raids. Her ability to inflict heavy damage when adventuring alone allows the Paladin to ensure her survival.
Raven (Reaper)
The Sorceress is a conjurer of dark magic and makes use of both ranged and melee tactics. This devilish lady ascends to become the Raven or awakens as the Reaper, and both are more foreboding than the dark enchantress.
The Raven continues the Sorceress's work with her Amulet and Talisman, conjuring more destructive magic and enshrouding her enemies before they even know she's there. The Reaper unlocks the true potency of the Sorceress's dark magic and adopts a more tangible fighting style, picking up a scythe to complete her morbid persona.
Sage (Legatus)
The Sage fights with his smarts rather than bronze, utilizing the Kyve, a space-bending gadget of his invention. He can use it both offensively and defensively to bombard enemies with unavoidable attacks and near-constant debuffs, then reposition himself around the battlefield in a blink of an eye to maintain the advantage.
The Legatus utilizes a different invention known as a Kibelius, a spear-like weapon he throws around like Zeus's lightning bolts. This is an interesting class as the Legatus strikes like a flash storm in the middle of summer, devastating the enemy with both speed and power. As is typical with the electricity element in video games, each attack has the added benefit of inflicting various debuffs or status effects. If his Kibelius isn't enough, the Legatus can also call on the power of Arkanon to rain down even more lightning sporadically across the battlefield. Moreover, the Legatus can outlast even the most steadfast adversary as a couple of his attacks also regenerate his HP or fully restore his MP, so he may relentlessly attack with all the power of a raging storm.
Shai
Black Desert isn't only about fighting massive enemy hordes, though there are certainly enough of them about. Your adventure also includes managing your camp and developing critical life skills to be self-sufficient. Because of this, the Shai may just be the most well-rounded class available in Black Desert Mobile. While she is an unsuspecting force to be reckoned with, fully capable of taking on the hordes alone, her passive skills are built around gaining Life Skills, helping the fully ascended Shai master the arts of gathering and alchemy faster than the other classes.
Solaris
The Solaris is a genuinely formidable class, wielding a great ax, Jordun, with the ease of a Norse Goddess straight out of Viking lore. She has one of the best ranges of any melee class as she can also call upon the dragon, Ynix's fire, to blaze across the battlefield, leaving nothing but scorched earth. Like her electrified counterpart, Legatus, Solaris is capable of regenerating health to sustain her through tough battles, along with inflicting enemies with a slew of fiery debuffs.
Sura
The fully awakened Sura wields six katanas, moving and striking like the wind. Likely the speediest class available, he can quickly close the distance between himself and enemies, unleash a whirlwind of devastation, then dash out of harm's way or reposition himself for another assault.
Titan (Destroyer)
The simple Giant may ascend to the grandeur of Titan or awaken to become a Destroyer. A true berserker class, able to both deal and withstand massive damage. Giants are focused on heavy area damage and not so much singling out specific enemies The Titan can fell groups of enemies with his ax while the Destroyer prefers the overwhelming cannon blasts produced by his Iron Buster. These great brutes are built for crowd control and are perfect for clearing a battlefield quickly.
This class is more of a smash 'em and bash 'em variety and probably not the choice for someone looking for a more intellectual gameplay experience. However, this tanky class is immensely helpful to their squishier allies when it comes to multiplayer. Giants can absorb the brunt of the damage and finish off enemies before they ever get in range of another party member.
Void Knight (Phantasma)
While all the classes are built to handle hordes with at least moderate AoE, crowd control is the Dark Knight's specialty. Unfortunately, despite being a knight, you'll have to take care to ensure she is well armored, as the Dark Knight is squishier than a lot of melee classes. However, she does have a couple of long-ranged attacks that allow her to deal sufficient damage while keeping out of harm's way. Because of her defensive shortcoming, she requires a more tactical player to maneuver her with finesse, but she can unleash lethal dark magic in the right hands.
Upon ascending to a Void Knight, she builds upon her long-range abilities to fortify her armor deficiency, using her great Kriegsmesser sword and Ornamental Knot to decimate enemies with both steel and spells. As the awakened Phantasma, this class can use the power of the dark spirits to conjure multiple blades and unleash chaos upon her adversaries.
It's a Matter of Having Fun
The game's combat mechanics, on the whole, are based around crowd control, meaning all classes can handle a battle fine on their own. None of the classes have a severe deficiency, but one may pair better with a particular play style than another. All in all, the choice comes down to which battle style the player will have the most fun with.
Whether a player prefers close quarters to ranged combat or complex battle combos as opposed to a straightforward hack and slash approach, the class selection covers the whole range of tactical warfare. Black Desert Mobile offers a character class to suit every play style and then some as the mobile MMO catches up with the exhaustive class list available on the PC.