Every Last Ember class explained, with all 36 specials

Last Ember has twelve classes, and each one has three abilities: a signature ability on Q from level 1, a second ability on F from survivor level 3, and an ultimate on R from level 8. Every class also has a skill tree with three branches. Once you have spent 12 points in it, you can specialize in one branch, and that branch's special replaces your F ability. That gives 36 specials in all, so two survivors of the same class can fight very differently.

How do the classes compare?

These are each class's base numbers before gear, attributes and upgrades. Speed is in the game's own units, and cooldowns are in seconds.

The Shieldbearer has the most health and the highest base armor (20% less damage taken), the Woodsman is close behind with 130 health and 15% armor, the Nightstalker is the fastest and the Emberwitch has the least health. Every class's main weapon attacks on its own; abilities are where your skill shows.

Melee classes

Woodsman

A heavy hatchet that hits 2 enemies per swing, 15% less damage taken and room for 8 logs, the most of any class. That makes the Woodsman the easiest class for keeping the fire fed.

• Q, Timber!: spin the hatchet in a wide circle for triple damage, knocking enemies back.
• F, Heave (8s): throw the hatchet through every enemy in a line; it comes back to you.
• R, Felling Blow (30s): split the ground in a line toward the cursor, crushing and stunning everything in it.
• Specials: Timberfall fells a spirit pine that crushes a line and leaves logs to pick up. Hatchet Storm throws five hatchets in a fan. Ironbark gives 40% less damage, 3% health a second and 40% thorns for 6 seconds.

Berserker

Twin axes that swing faster the more hurt you are (up to 45% faster near zero health), and 6% of the damage you deal heals you.

• Q, Blood Rage: for 5 seconds, attack 60% faster, move 30% faster and heal from every hit.
• F, Leap (9s): leap to the cursor and slam down, knocking back everything where you land.
• R, Whirlwind (28s): spin for 3 seconds, shredding everything around you while you move.
• Specials: Rampage (6 seconds of more damage, speed and swing rate; every kill adds a second), Blood Harvest (triple damage around you, healing a quarter of it) and Warpath (a stunning charge to the cursor).

Shieldbearer

Sword and shield. The Shieldbearer blocks one hit completely every 6 seconds, takes 20% less damage from everything else, and knocks enemies back with every swing.

• Q, Shield Bash: charge toward the cursor, knocking aside and stunning everything in the way.
• F, Battle Cry (14s): every enemy near you turns to fight you, bosses included, and you take 40% less damage for 5 seconds.
• R, Bastion (32s): plant a banner for 10 seconds. Teammates near it take 35% less damage and hit 20% harder, and enemies inside slow down.
• Specials: Shield Wall (70% less damage for 5 seconds), Sweeping Cleave (a wide slash at four times your damage) and Rallying Charge (you and nearby teammates move and hit 25% harder for 6 seconds, and each of you shrugs off the next hit).

Nightstalker

Twin daggers, the fastest survivor in the game, a 25% base critical chance (+20% over everyone else) and critical hits that deal triple damage instead of double.

• Q, Shadowstep: vanish and strike the enemy nearest your cursor from behind for four times your damage. A kill brings it straight back.
• F, Smoke Bomb (14s): vanish for 4 seconds; enemies lose track of you, and your first strike out of it deals double damage.
• R, Thousand Cuts (30s): strike up to 8 enemies one after another while nothing can touch you.
• Specials: Death Mark (the marked enemy takes 50% more damage from everyone, and its death recharges your abilities), Fan of Knives (twelve knives in every direction) and Shadow Veil (you and nearby teammates vanish for 4 seconds).

Ranged and builder classes

Ranger

Piercing arrows with the longest reach in the game, 205 speed and a dash that recharges faster than most. The catch is 90 health.

• Q, Volley: twelve arrows in a wide cone toward the cursor.
• F, Snare Shot (9s): an arrow that pins the first enemy it hits and everything near it.
• R, Rain of Arrows (26s): arrows pour onto an area for 4 seconds.
• Specials: Piercing Shot (a heavy arrow through a long line for six times your damage), Bear Traps (four traps around you) and Windwalk (a long dash plus 25% speed and dodge for 5 seconds).

Tinker

A repeating crossbow, torches for 1 wood, and camp lighting and building 20% cheaper. The Tinker is the best class for a camp-heavy game.

• Q, Deploy Turret: a crossbow turret that shoots nearby enemies for 30 seconds, up to 2 at once. A small bar over each of your turrets (and your mortar) shows how long it has left.
• F, Flash Bomb (10s): stuns everything in the blast for 2 seconds.
• R, Mortar (32s): a mortar that shells the horde for 12 seconds.
• Specials: Tesla Coil (arcs through three enemies twice a second for 10 seconds), Cluster Bomb (six bomblets) and Scrap Magnet (pulls in logs and dropped items, flings enemies back and gives 40% less damage for 4 seconds).

Beastcaller

A spirit wolf always fights at your side, and talents and the skill tree add more. Each wolf bite deals 60% of your own hit, so raising your damage raises theirs. Wolf damage bonuses add together rather than multiplying.

• Q, Call the Pack: two extra spirit wolves for 12 seconds. Calling again while they are out refreshes their time instead of adding a second pack.
• F, Feral Bond (12s): for 6 seconds your wolves run faster, bite about 60% more often and hit 15% harder.
• R, Great Bear (34s): a huge spirit bear fights for you for 15 seconds.
• Specials: Alpha Howl (two more wolves and a faster pack for 8 seconds), Spirit Stampede (a herd of elk tramples a wide line) and Pounce (a mauling leap, then faster claws for 4 seconds).

Mage and control classes

Emberwitch

Homing firebolts that burst on impact, the biggest crowd damage and the least health (85). Torches cost her 2 wood.

• Q, Ring of Fire: a ring of flame around you for 2.5 times your damage that pushes enemies back.
• F, Flame Step (8s): step through fire toward the cursor, leaving burning ground behind.
• R, Meteor (30s): a meteor lands on the target a moment later and sets the ground ablaze.
• Specials: Fireball, Living Bomb (it explodes after 2 seconds and jumps to the next enemy if it kills) and Phoenix Form (6 seconds of burning footsteps, 25% less damage and 2% healing a second).

Stormcaller

Lightning that lands instantly and chains to 2 more enemies. Every 5th strike is a thunderbolt that hits 2.5 times as hard and stuns.

• Q, Thunderclap: stuns everything nearby for 1.5 seconds and arcs lightning through it.
• F, Ball Lightning (10s): a slow rolling orb that zaps everything near it.
• R, Tempest (30s): a storm rides above you for 6 seconds and strikes the toughest enemies nearby.
• Specials: Arc Storm (lightning through up to twelve enemies without losing strength), Thunderhead (a cloud that strikes twice a second for 6 seconds) and Static Field (jolts and slows everything near you, and 20% less damage taken).

Frostweaver

Ice shards that pierce and slow enemies by 40%. Control is the job: the Frostweaver makes everyone else's damage land.

• Q, Deep Freeze: freezes every enemy around you solid for 2.5 seconds.
• F, Glacial Spike (9s): ice erupts in a line toward the cursor, freezing what it touches.
• R, Blizzard (30s): a freezing storm on an area for 6 seconds.
• Specials: Ice Lance (frozen targets take triple damage), Glacial Shell (2 seconds of invulnerability, then a freezing burst) and Hailstorm (hail on three spots in a row).

Alchemist

Flasks that splash poison across a crowd. Potions and bandages work 50% better for the Alchemist, and gathering herbs sometimes yields extra.

• Q, Acid Pool: a pool at the cursor that melts and slows everything in it for 6 seconds.
• F, Healing Mist (16s): you and teammates inside heal quickly for 5 seconds.
• R, Transmutation (34s): everything in the blast turns to stone for 3 seconds, and weakened enemies turn to gold.
• Specials: Plague Cloud (poison that spreads when they die), Elixir of Life (you and nearby teammates heal 35% at once, then keep healing for 6 seconds) and Quicksilver (enemies in it are slowed and take 25% more damage).

Support class: the Warden

A lantern staff that knocks enemies back. The Warden heals every teammate near them a little each second, their lantern counts as light (so enemies near it slow down), and they revive downed teammates twice as fast.

• Q, Sanctum: heals every teammate near you for 40% of their health, shields them for 3 seconds, and pulls downed teammates in range back up.
• F, Lantern Flare (11s): stuns enemies around you; wraiths caught in it take about four times the damage.
• R, Guardian Spirit (34s): a guardian that draws enemies to it and shields nearby teammates for 10 seconds.
• Specials: Sunburst (triple damage around you, eight times to wraiths), Sanctuary (a lantern that throws enemies out of its light) and Second Dawn (everyone heals 40% wherever they are, and downed teammates nearby get back up).

How do skill trees and specializations work?

You earn 1 skill tree point and 3 attribute points per survivor level, up to level 50. Each class tree has three named branches (the Woodsman's are Lumberjack, Hewer and Oakheart, for example) and eight rows. Rows open as you spend points: 4 for the second row, 8 for the third, and 12 for the specialization row, where you take one of the three specials. Below it come rows that open at 12 and 16 points, a mastery row at 20 and a capstone row at 24 with new passives like Frozen Heart, Aegis Light, Lethality and Pandemic.

Once you have specialized, level-ups can also offer a Mastery card for your special: it hits 20% harder, reaches 10% farther and recharges 10% faster, up to 3 ranks. Resetting the tree is free, and each survivor has 3 build slots that save attributes and tree together, so you can swap specs in a click.

Attributes

• Might: +1.5% weapon damage per point and +1 carry every 10 points.
• Agility: move speed, critical chance and dash recharge.
• Intellect: +1.5% ability damage and healing per point, and faster ability recharge.
• Vitality: +4 max health per point and a little less damage taken.
• Spirit: light reach, more fuel per log and healing in firelight.

Each attribute also opens a passive at 10, 25 and 50 points, 15 in all, from Heavy Hands (Might 10) to Living Flame (Spirit 50).

Which class should you start with?

• New to the game: the Woodsman. High health, 15% armor and 8 logs of carry make it forgiving, and carrying more wood keeps the fire alive.
• Want to be hard to kill: the Shieldbearer, with the most health, the most armor and a free block every 6 seconds.
• Playing with friends: a Warden or Alchemist for healing, a Shieldbearer to hold the horde, or a Frostweaver to lock it down. The co-op guide covers team roles.
• Like big numbers: the Emberwitch for area damage, the Nightstalker for single-target bursts.
• Like building: the Tinker: cheap torches, cheap camps, turrets.

Frequently asked questions