So today I decided to figure out which Diablo 2 class is actually good for new players. Everyone online argues about it, right? All these tier lists pop up, but honestly, sometimes they feel like they’re written for folks who already got a character at level 99. My plan was simple: start fresh characters with different classes the devs often suggest for beginners, play the early game myself, and see what really clicked. Just gonna jump in like a total newbie would.
Grabbing My Gear and Setting Up
Fired up my old PC, the fan sounded like a jet engine taking off, as usual. Launched Diablo 2 Resurrected. Went straight to making a new character. No twinked gear, no help from friends, just me and whatever junk I found on the ground. Decided to start with classes folks usually call “beginner-friendly”: Paladin, Necromancer, and Sorceress. Heard Barbarians are solid too, so tossed him into the mix. Set a goal: beat the first Act boss, Andariel, and see how it felt getting there.
The First Stabs at Tristram and Beyond
Started with the Paladin. Named him “TrialPally”. Chose the Combat skills tree because Zeal looked straightforward – just hold down attack and whack things, right? Got him a sword, some basic armor, and headed out of the Rogue Encampment. Against the early Fallen zombies? Felt okay. Swinging away, health dipping low sometimes, gulping down red potions like crazy. Got to the Blood Moor and found Coldcrow. Big mistake. My dude just froze solid and got pounded. Felt squishy and kinda weak early on.
Okay, scratch that. Next up: Necromancer (“BoneGuy”). Figured minions would be the ticket. Picked Skeleton Mastery and Raise Skeleton straight away. Summoned a couple bony boys. Way better! The skellies blocked enemies while I chucked bone spears from the back. Felt safer, slower paced, letting my skeletons tank the hits. Clearing the Den of Evil was actually relaxing. Reaching Andariel felt smoother, letting the skeletons swarm her while I threw spears. He definitely lived up to the “safe” beginner rep, but man, managing all those skeletons feels a bit busy sometimes.
Time for the Sorceress (“LightningLass”). Went straight for Lightning skills – Charged Bolt first, then Static Field. Oh my god, the damage! Zapping groups of Fallen instantly? Felt amazing. Energy Shield was a lifesaver early on too. Ran through Cold Plains like it was nothing. Found Rakinishu? Static Field melted his health bar before he could even swing. Zoomed into the Inner Cloister, grabbing the Horadric Malus fast. Reached Andariel, spammed Static Field to chunk her health, then finished her with Charged Bolts. Super fast and powerful, but gotta teleport away a lot, feels kinda fragile.
Last test: Barbarian (“HackSlash”). Put points in Bash, Mace Mastery, and got that Shout skill. Grabbed the hardest hitting axe I could find early on. Swinging felt powerful, each hit thudded, and Shout made me feel tougher. Potion chugging was back in style though. Found Corpsefire? Bashed him down no problem, felt sturdy. Got the Malus easily enough. Against Andariel, Shout boosted my defense, and Bash kept hitting hard. Solid, simple, maybe a tad slower than the Sorc. Didn’t die once with him.
Sorting Out the Actual Newbie Winners
Based on actually slogging through Act 1 myself:
- Sorceress blew everyone away with how fast she melted stuff. Felt a bit fragile sometimes though.
- Necromancer was the safest, easiest ride. Slow? Yeah sometimes. But chill.
- Barbarian was a close second – felt tough, hit hard, no fuss.
- Paladin… honestly felt the roughest early on without good gear. Gonna need more levels.
The Actual Beginner Tier List Conclusion
For a true fresh start?
- Sorceress. Crazy power, easy clear speed. You do need to dodge things.
- Barbarian. Simple, tough, hits things hard. Less complex than Paladin early doors.
- Necromancer. Safest by far, especially on console or if clicking ain’t your jam.
This whole “Paladin is S-Tier” thing? Maybe later, sure, but starting out fresh? Nah. At least not in Act 1 trying to find crap gear. My hands-on time proved that.
Ended up feeling kinda stupid remembering how back in the day, my first character ever was an Assassin. What a disaster! Spent hours struggling through the Blood Moor, no clue how traps or martial arts really worked, constantly broke weapons. Deleted her by level 10, frustrated and broke. Wish someone had just slapped me and told me to pick the lady who shoots lightning! Oh well. Happy hunting, fellow new adventurers.