The goal of Core Keeper is simple: find a way out of the underground. How do you do that? Simple: tackle all the bosses and progress towards powering up the Core. It’s a simple premise, but how you get to this point is quite intricate. There are skills to level up, skill points to spend on abilities, and more importantly, there are a range of weapons at your disposal.
Before you can get started, you have to pick a class, but what class should you pick? In order to best use each weapon, you should pick the right class, from the weapons you can use to the skills you can unlock. Core Keeper offers a variety of classes called Backgrounds on player creation, and there are 11 different Backgrounds to choose from. Each one provides their own benefit, so let’s go over what each class offers, what their weaknesses are, and what their additional perks are.
For a better understanding of what each Background provides, I have split them into two categories: Combat Classes and Support Classes.
Combat Classes
A Combat Class refers to Backgrounds that focus their skills on combat first, or their skills can be utilised in combat. With this primary focus on combat, it means many of the support skills will have to be built up slowly, but enemies will not be a threat in the early game.
Fighter
The goal is simple, and so is the choice of weapon.
A simple class with simple execution, the Fighter is your typical melee-adjacent class. Weapons for the Fighter class are primarily Swords, and equipment is easily obtained through crafting methods. Combat is just as simple, too, focused primarily on reaching up to your enemies and slashing at them. It’s the class to pick when everything is just too high maintenance.
Like most combat mechanics that involve getting close to your targets, the biggest weakness of the Fighter class is the risk of taking damage. There is no distance between you and the target in melee combat, so with enemies with a wide berth of attack, or a barrier that hinders getting close, you are bound to get hit. Defensive measures often involve evasive movement or building up strong armor.
The Fighter’s main class is Melee, with a heavy focus on dealing more damage in as many ways as possible. This can be speeding up how often you can attack and gaining an additional strength boost under certain conditions. For those with a high skill level, it also unlocks increased damage to bosses and life stealing abilities, saving some of that health lost in battle.
Ranger
Keep your enemies close? How about far away where you can hit them.
The next basic combat class is the Ranger, a long distance means of combat. Now, while many games utilise ammo as a limitation of ranged combat, Core Keeper removes this limitation, allowing you to fire at will, provided that the weapon cooldown has finished each time, and that your weapon is in good condition. Ranger is also a little more than just a bow and arrow, as firearms work just as well.
Ranger almost seems like a flawless class. Space between you and the opponent, no ammo to limit combat ability, what is there that the Ranger class can’t do? Well, that’s the aim, it’s all about the skill of actually using the weapon at a distance. Maintaining distance is also a necessity to prevent incoming damage, and in spaces where keeping distance isn’t easy, Ranger classes can suffer for it.
Skills provided for the Ranged class simply increase ranged damage, but it can also improve speed. Of course, without ammo limitations, the skills provided can focus more on additional damage, which also means critical hit chances. Rangers can also benefit from debuffing enemies that they strike, providing support for the more melee-based players.
Mage
It just works, because it’s magic.
An alternative choice for ranged combat, the Mage makes use of magic for combat, often in the form of Staves. These weapons are a bit more than just shooting an arrow or a bullet, as magic projectiles can behave in tactical ways, such as bouncing off enemies or walls, or dropping above targets. As a defensive measure, the Mage class also benefits from a magic barrier, a regenerating shield that can block all incoming damage, depending on how much charge the barrier has.
For those that are comparing the functions between Ranger and Mage, they may find that Mage is just a lesser version of Rangers, limited by their ability to use their magic by their mana. Just like Rangers as well, weapon use is also limited by aim, and in the case of magic, it can get unwieldy. The magic barrier also requires slow regeneration over time, so in a fast-paced setting, the magic barrier may only provide protection for a single hit.
Skills for the Mage focus more on how magic and mana can be efficiently used. This can include how mana can regenerate based on the magic barrier, how quickly that magic barrier can restore, or as simple as boosting damage through critical hits. This is also where mana regen can be bolstered, allowing the Mage to provide a better role as a fighter.
Warlock
I fight for my friends. I also make my friends fight for me.
Feeling like dark magic? Perhaps the Warlock will be your next choice. The Warlock makes use of summoning magic, conjuring minions to tackle combat for you. Weapons of choice come in the form of Tomes that can conjure minions, rather than directly dealing damage, meaning all you have to do is sit back and watch your army fight.
As a class that does not face combat often, defences also rely on minions. This means that the armour provided for Warlocks in this game focuses more on minions than protecting the summoner. A Warlock will need to be paired with another, personal weapon to get a handle on large groups of enemies, or a greater threat that steamrolls over your minions.
The Summoning skill is what the Warlock best specializes in. As a wielder of minions, this skill benefits them more than it does the player, such as faster and stronger minions. As a defensive measure in case a minion despawns, the user will also gain a little more health, buying more time to summon more minions. Warlocks also benefit from the use of Magic, and this can also help bolster minions.
Demolitionist
You know a player is good at the Demolitionist class if they are still here.
An unconventional means of combat, the Demolitionist is a class best defined by their explosive ways. Explosives can range from the typical bomb to throwables like grenades, and even explosives to better track down enemies. Sometimes, the best solution to a problem is one with the biggest bang. Obstacles? Gone. Enemies? Turned to ashes. A valley or river? Okay, maybe a bomb won’t work, but those extra blocks dropped from detonating walls will work just as well.
Demolitionists are restricted by their artillery. Without bombs, their ability to destroy anything in their way is strictly limited. As such, maximising the capabilities of the Demolitionist requires carefully planning and utilising resources. Not to mention, as a class dealing with explosives, the biggest problem is damage to yourself and nearby players.
With that being said, in order to best utilise the Demolitionist, investing in the Explosives skill will aid that. There are skills that can help in reusing detonated bombs, whether that is crafting components or the explosives themselves. For more power in general, the Demolitionist can be paired with melee weapons, or create a fiery explosion that razes targets. Of course, as a Demolitionist, your explosives can carry a fair bit, and that’s where levelling up the skill can help, as there includes a perk for reduced explosion damage to players.
Supporting Classes
Supporting Classes are Backgrounds that don’t directly impact combat. They may be used to bolster some other skills that can be useful for combat purposes, or as a supporting role for those in a multiplayer setting. Starting out with these classes can help with setting up for a weapon of choice.
Explorer
A simple choice for newcomer players getting the hang of the game.
An all-rounder class that focuses on movement first. For players starting out, the Explorer is the best starting class to get an easy grasp on the game while being able to avoid combat or get around to gather resources. Helping this class out is a Lantern provided at the start, also offering a small out of light while exploring the area.
Explorer classes come with some extra points in Running, giving a slight increase in movement speed. Improving this skill is as simple as running around the map, further increasing how fast one can move around, as well as some extra damage bonuses for consistently moving. Investment in this skill can make you move so fast, enemies can’t keep up, as a speed debuff is applied to nearby enemies.
Miner
Diggy diggy hole.
If you find yourself more likely to dig around than run around, then the Miner will be the class you want. This is a class good for those that will often be digging for resources, building and decorating their bases, and crafting many items, weapons, and gear. As a means of combat, it’s more of an unconventional choice, as the only damage perks mining can provide are through the pickaxe. More means of melee, but a class best suited for excavation.
The Mining skill offers additional damage when used in Melee. It’s not perfect for combat, but it does also mean if you are caught with your guard down, your pickaxe is still viable. Beyond that, increasing the Mining skill provides more efficient ways of mining in the underground, both how fast you can swing and how much mining damage you deal. With the right perks, you can also find more resources and valuables for purchasing from merchants.
Chef
Anyone can cook, even if today’s special is mould and larva meat.
Cooking is an integral part of surviving in Core Keeper, and as a Chef, you can cook up various meals to get various stat perks, not to mention fixing up the hunger stat. After all, food is important in Core Keeper. It’s how you survive and gain additional perks such as stat boosts and bonuses. Providing a source of food is one thing, but providing better food, that’s where it gets interesting.
In a multiplayer setting, the Chef class is the best for supporting other players. For those who may need a quick boost in their own stats, investing in the Cooking skill provides longevity and efficiency in the well-fed bonus. However, further investment in this skill starts to provide a boon for everyone around you, providing a damage boost or passive health regen for everyone around you. There is also a chance to cook up rare food, providing even better bonuses.
Gardener
Down to grass roots, literally.
If the Chef is not specific enough for you, then the Gardener class will be the next best choice. With that green thumb, all those plants that can be found across the underground can be grown and harvested with ease. While gardening quickly yields fruits and vegetables, you may find yourself harvesting a rare and special ingredient that better improves stats and buffs.
Now, the Gardener might seem like a class best suited for base operations, but don’t sleep on this class or the skill tree for too long. For the most part, Gardening provides boosts for harvesting. As a combat skill, the Gardener offers quite a few supportive perks for most combat classes. These include an improved chance at critical hits, poison damage, and thorns damage that hurts enemies that hit you. For those invested in this class and skill, you have two options: increase the chances of a rare yield, thus improving on food items, or use the previous poison-inflicting skill to deal more damage to poisoned foes.
Fisherman
Another day, another fishing minigame. Though, what’s to say a day has passed down here?
There is a contingent of players out there that would rather play a fishing minigame than progress, and the Fisherman class plays into this. What does fishing do? Well, it’s another way of sourcing ingredients for cooking. It’s also how you can fish up special types of items called Kelp, which is food for cattle, as well as occasionally fishing up random resources. Keep an eye out, fishing can yield a special food item.
Now, in many games, fishing is a boring, tedious, and grindy task. However, investment in this class and skill are worth it for better movement abilities. Mainly speaking, the Fishing skill improves the catches you can get and how quickly you can get them, speeding up how quickly this skill can improve. Beyond this, Fishing can increase the chances of dodging damage, reduce slipping around, or further fishing capabilities. By the end, you can combine the Fishing skill with Ranged combat, or improve your ability to combat bosses.
Nomad
Sometimes, all you need is nothing.
Unable to decide? The Nomad will be the class of choice. There are no extra perks, no extra equipment, and no additional resources. Nomad is also the perfect class who want a challenge with Core Keeper due to the lack of additional perks.
It is because of the lack of additional perks that the downfall of the Nomad is that you are given absolutely nothing to start with. Because of that, it’s recommended that this class is for more experienced players who want to start with a blank slate.
Making the Choice
There’s many Backgrounds to choose from in Core Keeper, all of which provide their own benefits. Picking the right one is all about picking the background that suits your way of playing. Alternatively, branching out to styles you’re not familiar with is just as interesting for gameplay.
Even picking the right class in a multiplayer setting can elevate the playing experience for everyone. Having a supporting player can be all the difference for combat players. Take a dive and see what you and your group can do together, and there’s no better way to start than to start up a new server. Simply get started by purchasing an Adventurer Tier plan, then get to creating your new server with our handy setup guide.