On October 20, the MMORPG Elyon was released in the West. We at MeinMMO present the playable classes and give you a rough assessment of their strength, based on the Korean version and initial experiences in the head start.
Update: In January 2022, the seventh class – the Archer – was released.
What classes are there in Elyon? The Korean MMORPG comes to us with all 6 classes. In Korea, it started in 2020 without the Slayer, who was added later. However, the Slayer is included here.
The 7 classes in the game are:
- Warlord – A melee fighter and tank
- Elementalist – A DPS focusing on magic
- Mystic – A wizard focusing on support and healing
- Gunner – A damage dealer attacking from afar
- Assassin – A typical melee DPS class
- Slayer – A melee fighter with a greatsword
- Archer – A bowman
Each class can join either of the two factions and comes without gender lock.
Overall, Elyon reminds of a mixture of TERA and Black Desert.
Below, we present the various classes based on the information from Korea, show gameplay, and provide an assessment. We will adjust this assessment if necessary after the release.
Where does the information come from? We based our assessment on various articles and YouTube videos. Particularly insightful was the video by YouTuber Kanon, who conducted an interview with a Korean Elyon PvP player, which influenced several points in this list:
Keep in mind that this reflects the current state in Korea and is not exactly the version we will receive at launch. However, we should try to approach this state as closely as possible.
The Slayer is strong in leveling and PvP
What can the Slayer do? The Slayer wields a greatsword and is fully focused on damage. He uses health points as a resource for some of his abilities. In Korea, the Slayer is currently considered very strong.
How does he perform in PvE? Very well. With his greatsword, he cuts through enemies and deals strong damage. He has an ability that pulls all enemies around him together, making leveling very easy.
However, he appears somewhat sluggish and slow due to the long animations, which can hinder enjoyment.
To be truly strong, one often needs the 4th version of the respective skill to fully unfold in the endgame. In grinding, he only falls slightly behind the Elementalist and Mystic.
Why is he generally considered so strong? The Slayer performs well not only in leveling and grinding but also in PvP. Here, he is ranked just behind the Warlord in terms of strength.
Warlords are considered one of the strongest classes
What can the Warlord do? The Warlord is a strong melee fighter, who comes with much defense and other useful abilities. This makes him interesting for both PvE and PvP.
He uses a hammer and shield in battle, allowing him to deal strong hits while being able to take a lot of damage. His attacks seem powerful and impactful in the videos so far. However, in terms of mobility, the Warlord is somewhat more limited than other classes.
How does he perform in PvE? In PvE, the Warlord is still strong, though he somewhat lacks the mobility and damage of the Elementalist. However, you will still have fun with this class in PvE.
Why is he generally considered so strong? A unique feature of the class is a “hook” ability that pulls enemies towards him. He has a special ability that always hits its target, even if the enemy dodges or is immune.
Additionally, the Warlord has virtually no weaknesses. His attack power is good, his defense is very strong, he has a solid crit chance, and good attack speed. Therefore, he is currently considered OP by many PvP fans in Korea.
At our current stage of the game, the Warlord particularly impresses with his defense. He is considered strong but not over the top.
Elementalists are the heroes in PvE, but weaker in PvP
What can the Elementalist do? Elementalists are masters of fire, ice, and lightning and can use the elements to take out enemies. They rely on a staff as a weapon that can shoot fireballs.
There is a type of combo system that rewards you for using the elements correctly.
How does he perform in PvE? There, the Elementalist can really shine. Especially in grinding in the open world and in dungeons, the class’s damage is top-notch.
In the video by Kanon, it is said that the Elementalist is supposed to be the best class for boss damage.
How strong is the Elementalist overall? While they are among the strongest classes in PvE, Elementalists do not perform as well in PvP. Here, they are often easy prey for Warlords and later for Slayers.
Mystics are strong in PvE, but average in PvP
What can the Mystic do? The Mystic is a spellcasting class that uses a magic staff and a totem. With these, he brings many useful abilities and healing for the group. However, the Mystic also has something to offer in terms of damage.
How does he perform in PvE? Like the Elementalist, Mystics are strong in grinding and damage against bosses in dungeons. However, they rely more on damage over time (DoTs) to deal damage to enemies. They also come with AoE effects.
Particularly in boss damage, the Mystic is supposed to be in the top league.
Although the Mystic has many healing abilities, he does not need to take on a traditional healer role. Every class has some form of healing, so dungeons can primarily focus on damage.
How strong is the Mystic overall? In PvE and in PvP arenas, the Mystic can be convincing overall. However, the class somewhat falls short in open-world PvP and realm battles. If you mainly want to participate in arenas, you can have a lot of fun with the Mystic.
Is the Gunner the weakest class?
What can the Gunner do? The Gunner is a ranged class that focuses mainly on damage. He uses a rifle as his weapon. Through certain abilities, he also uses pistols and a grenade launcher.
With fast or powerful attacks and high damage, the class can convince. However, it lacks a bit in defense and attack speed.
How does he perform in PvE? In the open world, one can have a lot of fun with the Gunner. With his range, he can take out many enemies before they reach him, and there is also strong crowd control (CC). With dodges, one can create distance between themselves and the enemies.
According to the video by YouTuber Kanon, the Gunner faces significant challenges in a Level 50 solo dungeon that all other classes can clear without any problems, simply because he is too heavily pressured in melee combat by the mobs.
How strong is the Gunner overall? The Gunner has mainly two problems:
- On the one hand, his DPS is not very strong overall, making him somewhat weaker in PvE.
- On the other hand, one rarely needs greater range in arena PvP and also in dungeons.
The Assassin used to be very strong
What can the Assassin do? The Assassin is a melee DPS class that fights with two daggers. He can use invisibility to disappear and reappear elsewhere. The class also has many dashes and a teleport behind enemies.
Assassins generally have a high attack speed but take little damage if they get into focus from the enemy.
How does he perform in PvE? In open-world PvE, the Assassin is said to be the weakest class. This is mainly because he can hit only a few enemies at the same time and has lesser survivability than other classes.
Against bosses, the Assassin can convince with damage, but he falls behind some other classes.
How strong is the Assassin overall? In arena PvP, the Assassin is in the middle tier. It used to be different.
It is said that the Assassin was one of the stronger classes in Season 1, but has since been significantly weakened.
Elyon celebrates its release on October 20 as a new free-to-play MMORPG on Steam. Anyone can try the game without investing money.
If you want to learn more about the general content of Elyon, here is a good overview:
Elyon: 7 things you need to know before the release of the new MMORPG
