Elden Ring is undoubtedly designed to appeal to Dark Souls lovers. From its hulking, gruesome monsters to the importance of skillful parrying and movement in combat, it's a Soulslike game through and through. Elden Ring is bound to pose a significant challenge to most players, but of course, that's what Dark Souls fans are there for. The Soulslike genre is all about testing one's mettle against overwhelming challenges. However, Elden Ring isn't just any Soulslike game. Because it's a new world partially crafted by George R. R. Martin, it's bound to draw a lot of new faces into its genre, meaning not every Elden Ring player will have mastered parrying, rolling, and melee combat already.
Thankfully, one of the game's five classes presents a compelling option for players new to the Soulslike genre. Four of the five starting classes known so far can make significant use of melee weapons in one way or another, but the Prophet is different. In contrast to classes that focus on diving into the battle at least once in a while, Prophets have low durability but make up for it with Incantations - powerful spells powered by the Prophet's Faith. The Prophet's unique skillset make it a perfect class for Souslike newcomers who need some time to master Elden Ring's mechanics.
The Benefits of the Prophet Class
Beast Claw is arguably the best reason that Soulslike newcomers should consider taking on the Prophet class. This is one of the Prophet's starting Incantations; when cast, the user winds up briefly before raking through enemies in a cone, dealing huge damage. Beast Claw can clear out crowds of Elden Ring's enemies in one fell swoop, and it's fast enough that it can be used to great effect against bosses, too. This simple but effective damage spell is a great option for Elden Ring players who aren't comfortable with the game's combat yet, letting them rely on a spell instead of a weapon.
The Prophet's other Incantations will likely appeal to newcomers as well. Prophets can cast Heal, which does what it says on the tin, spending a significant chunk of TP in exchange for restoring the Prophet's HP, as well as that of nearby allies. Having a healing ability on tap arguably makes the Prophet more forgiving, since players have more ways to keep themselves alive. Add the Prophet's particularly deep pool of TP and the other supportive Incantations on top of Heal, and it becomes clear that the Prophet has a lot of tools that can pick Elden Ring players back up when they fall down.
It's worth noting that, while the Prophet has these skills available, it's still capable of teaching players the basics of Elden Ring. Prophets come equipped with a shield, encouraging new players to learn how to parry, even if they stay at the edges of a fight whenever they can. They can also wield some melee weapons; although their melee damage output is weak, players who need to conserve TP will want to use melee attacks now and again, which will build confidence in the player over time. Prophets may be comfortable for newcomers, but they don't strip away the core components of Soulslike gameplay in Elden Ring.
Learning to Navigate Elden Ring
Prophets stand out from the other known Elden Ring classes a little bit by virtue of their low durability and reliance on magic, but those things don't make the Prophet any less valuable than the other classes. On the contrary, the Prophet seems like an approachable and valuable class for new Soulslike fans. Prophets are bound to be a little different in the final version of Elden Ring compared to what players experienced in the Network Test, but odds are that the class' basic skillset will remain intact as a reliable introduction to Elden Ring.
Elden Ring releases on February 25, 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.