Elden Ring DLC Adds Two New Classes With Adjusted Starting Stats

FromSoftware has unveiled the definitive starting statistics for two new classes arriving in Elden Ring's upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion: the Knight of Idus and the Heavy Knight. The developer shared these details via a message on X, formerly Twitter, confirming minor adjustments to the Heavy Knight class since its stats were previously leaked during a playtest.

The Heavy Knight, designed for a strength-focused playstyle featuring a curved greatsword and heavy armor, will now begin at level 10. This is a slight increase from the previously observed level eight. The two additional levels have been allocated to Faith and Mind, with one point added to each stat. While this change is described as subtle and unlikely to significantly impact most players, it represents a minor reduction in the class's optimization for speedruns or challenge runs, where starting at the lowest possible level is advantageous.

The Heavy Knight's starting stats are Vigor 14, Mind 8, Endurance 17, Strength 15, Dexterity 11, Intelligence 7, Faith 8, and Arcane 9.

In contrast, the Knight of Idus appears to be positioned as an agile swordsman, offering an alternative to the base game's Samurai class. This new class starts at an even lower level, seven, and features a different stat distribution emphasizing Dexterity and Strength. It comes equipped with new, lightweight armor and the Milady light greatsword, a weapon previously exclusive to later stages of the game.

The Knight of Idus's starting stats are Level 7, Vigor 10, Mind 12, Endurance 11, Strength 13, Dexterity 15, Intelligence 8, Faith 11, and Arcane 6. This setup grants more Faith and Strength compared to the Samurai, with less Arcane, Vigor, and Intelligence, alongside a lower starting level. The class also introduces the nation of Idus, a previously unmentioned location in Elden Ring's lore, expected to be detailed through item descriptions.

The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, along with the Tarnished Edition which includes these new classes, is scheduled for release on August 28 for PC and Nintendo Switch.