Which Class to Pick First for Fast Leveling and Solo Play
Choosing the best starting class in Dune: Awakening is critical for fast leveling, strong early combat, and survivability in Arrakis. Although all five classes can eventually be unlocked, your initial choice determines your starting ability and shapes your first hours of gameplay. This guide breaks down each class’s strengths, abilities, and why some are better suited for new players or solo builds.
1. Bene Gesserit: Best Starting Class for Survivability and Mobility
The Bene Gesserit offers unmatched survivability and mobility, making it the top choice for beginners and solo players. You start with Compel, a powerful stun and control ability. The class also features the iconic Bindu Sprint for long-distance travel and a unique Instability mechanic to boost follow-up damage after crowd control.
Unlock Information: The Bene Gesserit trainer is located in the Atreides Fortress in the Shield Wall, which is not accessible early. Starting with this class is the only way to access it early in the game.
- Starting Ability: Compel – pulls enemies and stuns them
- Mobility: Bindu Sprint – stamina-based sprint for fast travel
- Healing: Recovery, Vitality, Trauma Recovery – self-healing and regen boosts
- Offense: Blade techniques, shield-breaking, and Instability damage scaling
- Other Strengths: Stealthy movement, strong in 1v1 ambushes
- Weaknesses: Lower HP and not beginner-friendly in chaotic PvE
2. Mentat: Best Tactical Class with Traps, Drones, and Turrets
The Mentat is a tactical class built around poison, traps, and turrets. You begin with Deploy Sentinel, an automated targeting drone. This class excels in PvP, ambushes, and defensive setups using tech gadgets.
Unlock Information: The Mentat trainer is found in the Hagga Basin North research station, only accessible after significant progress. Choosing this class at creation is the only way to use it from the start.
- Starting Ability: Deploy Sentinel – automated turret
- Traps and Tools: Deploy Mine, Detection Drone, Poison Enhancers
- Defense: Tactical Shields, stealth countermeasures
- Other Strengths: Recon utility, good for solo scouts or guild players
- Synergy: Combines well with other schools later for hybrid builds
Ranged combat with rifle
3. Trooper: Easily Unlockable Ranged DPS
Trooper is a high-DPS ranged class. It starts with the Shigawire Claw for vertical movement, and excels at mid-range combat using grenades and movement-based skills. It’s best suited for aggressive solo play and quick gear farming.
Unlock Information: The Trooper trainer is located at Griffin’s Reach, available very early in the game. It’s best to avoid picking it at creation and unlock it naturally instead.
- Starting Ability: Shigawire Claw – grappling hook for mobility
- AoE Tools: Explosive Grenade, Suspenser Dash
- Sustain: Field Maintenance, Gunsmith – durability and repair bonuses
- Other Strengths: Fast PvE farming, vehicle synergy, demolition bonuses
- Weaknesses: Lower long-term mobility unless well-geared
4. Swordmaster: Melee Specialist with High Risk, High Reward
Swordmaster is built for players who enjoy up-close combat. You start with Leg Sweep for crowd control and gain access to powerful AoE slashes and stamina-driven melee combos. However, the class lacks early mobility and escape tools, making it more punishing for solo play.
Unlock Information: The Swordmaster trainer, Arno, is located at Pinnacle Station in Jabal Eifrit Al-gharb. This area is gated behind multiple story objectives, so picking it at creation is the only way to use it early.
- Starting Ability: Leg Sweep – melee engage and knockdown
- Strengths: AoE slashes, blade combos, high burst damage
- Other Benefits: High agility, punishes ranged enemies well
- Weaknesses: Requires precision and stamina management
Slowblade attack
5. Planetologist: Economic and Support Class
Planetologist is focused on resource farming, desert survival, and vehicle durability. It offers passive boosts to crafting, harvesting, and mobility for long-term progression. This class is ideal for guild economy roles or players focused on exploration and utility.
Unlock Information: Unlocked via a quest involving Derek Chinara at Testing Station No. 2 in Hagga Basin South. It becomes available through early-to-midgame exploration and is not selectable at creation.
- Skills: Vehicle Repair, Cutter Beam, Vehicle Scanner
- Support Perks: Mining yield, Sand Crawler efficiency
- Other Strengths: Sandworm interaction, environmental manipulation
- Limitations: Requires time investment and travel to unlock
What do you choose?
6. Best Class Combos for Solo Builds
Mixing two classes allows for specialized solo builds combining mobility, healing, and economy. These combos provide strong early game performance:
- Bene Gesserit + Trooper: Elite mobility and sustain for solo PvE
- Bene Gesserit + Planetologist: Farming boosts and healing make it ideal for exploration
- Mentat + Trooper: Strong PvP support and area control
7. Class to Avoid Picking First
These classes are easy to unlock early and provide no unique advantage when chosen at the start:
- Trooper: Available early at Griffin’s Reach
8. Final Tips Before Picking
At the start, you can respec once during the prologue. After that, your choice is locked. Focus on rare or late-game classes and pick early ones through natural exploration.
- Pick Bene Gesserit for survival, speed, and healing
- Choose Mentat to unlock PvP utility early
- Only pick Swordmaster if you want early melee power — otherwise, unlock it later
- Avoid Trooper — it’s available at Griffin’s Reach very early on
