Elden Ring: New 'Heavy Knight' Class Revealed with Dominant Strength Stats

Bandai Namco has recently disclosed details about a new starting character in Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, a robust knight seemingly optimized for strength-focused playstyles. This revelation, first observed on the Elden Ring subreddit, has ignited discussions among the gaming community. While much of the recent attention surrounding Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition at Gamescom has centered on its reported performance issues on the Switch 2, the PC version is set to receive this new class as part of a complimentary update, promising an exciting new avenue for players who favor melee combat.

The newly unveiled class is a formidable heavy knight, characterized by its imposing black iron armor, reminiscent of figures like Tarkus from Dark Souls. This character foregoes a shield in favor of a new curved greatsword. Initial statistics reveal a level 8 character with significant Vigor (14), Endurance (17), and Strength (15), while Mind, Intelligence, and Faith are comparatively low at 7 each, and Arcane at 9. These attributes position the heavy knight as an ideal choice for players looking to specialize in strength builds or those aiming to maximize their effectiveness in player-versus-player combat, where every stat point is crucial given level restrictions.

The community's reception has been largely positive, with many predicting that this heavy knight will quickly become a meta pick due to its strong starting stats. The high Strength and Endurance allow for potent melee attacks and robust defense, making it an attractive option for min-maxers. Furthermore, the absence of a shield and the inclusion of a new greatsword suggest a more aggressive, two-handed combat approach, which could appeal to players seeking high damage output.

The excitement extends beyond this single class, as players are also eagerly awaiting information on the second new class, tentatively named 'Knight of Ides' based on earlier Japanese previews. This class is rumored to come equipped with the Milady light greatsword from the DLC and boasts a visually appealing armor set, adding another layer of anticipation for the upcoming update. However, an official release date for the Tarnished Edition and its corresponding free updates across various platforms remains unannounced.

The introduction of these new classes is poised to significantly impact the meta and gameplay strategies within Elden Ring, offering fresh possibilities for character builds and combat encounters. Despite the performance concerns on other platforms, the PC community looks forward to exploring the capabilities of these new additions, especially the strength-oriented heavy knight, which promises to reshape the landscape of competitive and casual play alike.