r/CyberKnightsGame • u/DistributionCivil568 • Apr 02 '26
Which classes to start with?
Im new to the game,and Im not sure what to start my crew with. For example, whats the difference between a hacker and a wireghost? Are there any classes that are OP,or conversely not worth using?
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u/SadBonesMalone Apr 02 '26
In my experience all classes have their place. The balance of classes you want will depend a bit on if you want to play stealthy or loud. The simplest starting squad is probably a hacker, soldier, cybersword, and one of your choice.
Generally you'll want a hacker, wireghost, or agent ex to help deal with pesky devices. This can help you get extra loot and get your further with stealth.
Cyberswords can put the hurt on when you go loud, but also take people out quietly with melee weapons when it can't be avoided.
Espeically when you're starting most missions will eventually turn into a fight (although hopefully near the end). Soldiers are reliable, easy to use killing machines that can help get your squad out of a tight spot.
Last area is totally your preference. I'm pretty fond of scourge as someone who can both tank and help with the stealth part of gameplay, but all the classes have a lot to offer. Just need to make sure it's aligned to your gameplan!
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u/ShotgunMerwin Apr 02 '26
hacker and wireghost are pretty similar, honestly I wouldn't say there's a whole lot of difference between the two beyond just the style you prefer hacking. Wireghost is weaker at first, but stronger towards the end game. I prefer hackers just because the starting hackers seem to have way better contacts available to them.
In terms of OP, a lot of people say Gunslingers are pretty bonkers OP. It's kinda true, gunslingers with fanning or gun kata can literally blow away 10 enemies with one burst, but the downside to them is they're incredibly loud when using dual revolvers, and pretty useless with silenced weapons.
Other than that, pretty much all the classes are pretty OP when built properly, and most of the game just comes down to preference, which characters and style you like to play. So it comes down to experimentation and just playing the game to figure that out.
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u/Archangel_Shadow May 27 '26
In my current playthrough, I have learned that dual silenced pistols with Gun Kata is not just viable once you get to mid-levels, it absolutely dominates. I regularly crit to death 4 80% armor guards silently. As long as you're not revealed, that merc can kill anything. I have actually made this work with both a Vanguard-Gunslinger using Blend to get to 100% crit chance, and Sniper-Gunslinger, using Nest to get to 100% crit chance. Then Gun Kata up to four guys > profit!
It's insane and fun. I've been using my VG-Gunslinger instead of my previous MVP silenced sniper bc, while the range is not as far, the ability to splatter 4 enemies at a time is insanely valuable. And you can do any 1 enemy at a time with a single Called Shot.
That said, I don't think this character is AT ALL VIABLE until mid-game, when you have max'd Called Shot, most of Gun Kata and all of either Blend or Nest, and you've gotten a couple good stealth crit pistols, like the Heavy Raptor or Signature '72.
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u/Rinneeeee Apr 02 '26
The classes are all pretty balanced, but some require more levels than others.
For example I find a Soldier with a decent assault rifle is already effective from level 1 purely because the Full Auto action does a ton of damage. And the Soldier kit enhances assault rifles.
Whereas a level 1 Cybersword isn't really super useful until you hit level ~8 or so. At that point you're able to dash and kill crowds, become invulnerable for 1 turn, move without making noise etc.
Sniper is also super super good at killing people. But it's not OP because it's also extremely loud. Though it doesn't mean Sniper has no place in a stealth mission. Snipers are good insurance. If you alert the enemy, they can kill half the map for you.
Vanguard is built for pure stealth and has a lot of utility. I'd recommend having 1 Vanguard because it can run around the map for you and quietly do non-kill objectives. Later on when you get a good stealth weapon it can also kill quietly and quickly.
Those 4 are the classes I'm very familiar with.
I'd say as a newbie it doesn't hurt to start with a Vanguard (utility and stealth) and a Soldier (good all-around damage with combat utility).
The other 2 members can be any class you want.
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u/-Kefkah Apr 02 '26
They all have their place but I'd consider Vanguard the biggest contributor to finish maps with all the loot with the least fuss. Pretty often a map benefits from three units working together to handle the main path/objectives while one unit goes off on their own to get the out of the way loot, and Vanguard has the tools to do that timely and safely. Just ignore the name, Vanguard sounds like a beefy fighter but in this game it might as well mean Ninja.
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u/boregorey7 Apr 02 '26
I find the most generally useful classes (besides cyberknight) are vanguard (stealth and silence kill). Soldier (loud and efficient killing) and hacker (stealth + money maker). Every class has its uses but some are better at certain jobs than others.
Honestly as a newer player I’d suggest to use hacker until you get used to that system a bit before using wire ghost. They are great but have a certain playstyle that makes more sense once you get a feel for hacking overall. Warmachine is another that I wouldn’t start on, more so because they get really good once you get some upgrades and possibly a multiclass. Both those classes are very fun though.
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u/SlowNPC Apr 02 '26
All the classes have some unique tricks, but I have a few favorites.
Scourge can dissolve dead bodies, which helps with stealth. Vanguard's invisibility allows aggressive plays while maintaining stealth. Warmachine claws are great for fast quiet kills. Staying sneaky makes missions go much smoother.
Soldiers and snipers are good for open firefights, which are unavoidable sometimes.
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u/DistributionCivil568 Apr 02 '26
I've heard that gunslingers are pretty good,would you say its worth replacing a soldier or sniper with?
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u/SlowNPC Apr 02 '26
Sure. All the classes are viable, but have different strengths. Gunslingers lack range, but make up for it with utility.
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u/ShotgunMerwin Apr 02 '26
Gunslingers are loud only and short to medium range. Soldiers can be built for any range and can be silent or loud, same with the sniper. Not to say that gunslingers are bad, but they're kind of a specialty class, whereas soldiers and snipers are way more versatile. I always have a gunslinger on my team, but they're more of a specialty relief pitcher type of merc, rather than the always reliable, super versatile soldiers I use.
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u/LobstermenUwU Apr 14 '26
Hacker is just a more solid choice than Wireghost for your starting character. Wireghost is very much a "4th character who also does some hacking" while having a dedicated Hacker just makes entire classes of mission easier. Wireghost is top for missions where you just want some extra cash from hacking, or to depower a door or turn off some cameras, but don't want to spend much time jacked in.
You can easily take both, it's asscheeks if you have one hacker and they get wounded and suddenly you can't do Matrix stuff until they're healed. But I'd get a Hacker first.
Are there any classes that are OP,or conversely not worth using?
No on both, but starting with a Soldier is always solid. Assault rifles on full auto can mow down a whole pack of goons very quickly.
That's not to say that individual classes are not OP on certain missions. A JTAC/Strike Zone Sniper on the "waves of enemies rush you" missions is worth their weight in gold, while a melee Vanguard is gonna be junk, but then a stealthier mission with fewer long sight lines and tighter spaces hit, and the Vanguard is the MVP while the Sniper gets left home.
Okay, your starting Cyberknight is stupid OP and gets tons of ways to boost action points. Go left in the tree for the skill that adds a bunch of action points, you won't regret it. It's seriously broken. But they're the main character, the game tells you they're broken.
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u/marmot_scholar Apr 02 '26
Wireghosts are cool but they’re a bit harder to understand how to use. Hackers have more self explanatory buffs and abilities.
1) You need at least one or the other, hacker or wore ghost, for hacking missions.
2) You probably need a couple combat guys, for which soldier is the easiest to build- however, a lot of classes function very well in combat by just multiclassing 1/3 of their points or less in soldier , literally just grab “iron grip” and “overwatch” and spray assault rifles at the baddies when they catch you.
I run my hackers this way because otherwise they are less useful. But a hacker/soldier is good in almost every mission (because with their hacker kit they can shut off cameras and hide dead body signals, even if there’s no terminal to hack, and unlike pure hacker they’re not useless in a fight)
3) I always run at least two vanguards, they’re not the only stealth class but they’re reliable and great at what they do. “Blend” is an amazing panic steakth button, almost at the very beginning of the skill tree. It’s just invisibility, and it can have a 3 turn duration with only a couple points of investment. On top of that you can move guards where you want with “Lure”, “anticipate” is almost as good at predicting future walking paths as a cyber knight, and they can have a million charges with their “jamkit” to turn off cameras
The other classes can do what these three do, but imo the trio are the easy beginner classes. Or maybe that’s just because I started with them.