Which Class to Pick in Dune Awakening?

Welcome to Arrakis, where the sand is hot, the worms are hungry, and your class choice might just be the difference between thriving in the dunes, or becoming spice food. Dune: Awakening is not your typical survival MMO. Your experience hinges on the role you choose, and while no class locks you in forever, your starting choice sets the tone for how you’ll grow, fight, and survive. In this guide, I’ll break down the five core archetypes you can play, how the class system works, and most importantly, help you figure out which one fits your style. Whether you’re a PvE grinder, a tactical PvP beast, or just want to explore the desert with a scanner in one hand and a spice harvester in the other, there’s a build for you.

Which Class to Pick (The Class System at a Glance)

There are 4 base classes you can pick during character creation:

And then there’s the Planetologist, the 5th class you unlock later through quests, who’s all about exploration, resource gathering, and surviving the desert’s harsh environment.

Class System Overview: Skill Trees, Abilities, Advanced Skills & Spice Infusion

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want to first break down how the class system works, which class you should choose at the start, and how to get the most out of your build. By the end of the guide, you’ll understand what each class excels at, how to mix and match them effectively, and how to plan your progression for the best results.

There are five major classes in Dune: Awakening. Four of them are combat-focused, and you’ll choose one of these during character creation, right after customizing your appearance and selecting your Faction and Homeworld.

Now, here’s where a lot of players get confused: “Is this class choice permanent? Am I stuck with it? What if I change my mind?” The answer is: you’re not locked in. You can eventually unlock all five classes through NPC trainers in the world. These trainers will not only teach you new classes but also unlock higher tiers of abilities and passives as you level up.

As you gain experience, you’ll earn skill points, which you can spend across any of the class trees you’ve unlocked. Right now, it looks like players will get around 200 total skill points, which isn’t enough to fully max out every class.

The developers have changed their stance a few times on whether you’ll be able to unlock everything eventually. But as it stands now, you’ll need to strategically pick and choose which skills and passives matter most to your build. You’ll be blending classes to create your own hybrid playstyle.

So the real question isn’t “Which class should I pick forever?” It’s: “Which class gives me the best starting point, and how do I expand from there?”

Understanding Skill Trees & Abilities

Now let’s talk about how the skill trees are structured. Each class has its own tree made up of three subtrees, each containing different abilities, passives, and techniques.

• Triangle nodes represent active abilities, these are skills with cooldowns that you actively use in combat. You can equip three abilities total, and you can mix them freely from any class you’ve unlocked. Want one ability from Swordmaster, one from Trooper, and one from Mentat? You can absolutely do that.
• Circular nodes are passives, these improve your stats or grant utility effects. Some enhance your damage, healing, or resource efficiency. These are upgraded over time and will likely consume the majority of your skill points.
• Octagonal nodes are called techniques, which are also passive effects. These can trigger under specific conditions, like when you’re downed, or they may be always-on buffs depending on how you spec your build.

You’ll use a combination of abilities, passives, and techniques to craft your build. And because these are spread across all five classes, synergy becomes the name of the game.

Understanding Advanced Skills & Spice Infusion

At the top of each class tree, you’ll find a unique advanced skill, marked by a large diamond or rhombus shape. Think of this as your ultimate ability.

To unlock these, your character must be Spice Infused, or what the game calls Spice Prescient. This means consuming enough Spice to fill a special meter on your HUD, which then lets you activate your ultimate.

These advanced skills are game-changers. Some allow you to buff allies, trigger devastating attacks, enter enhanced combat states, or become incredibly resource-efficient. These are your big power moments, build around them carefully.

Trooper (Shooter, Tank, Brawler)

This is the class everyone tells you not to pick first, mostly because it’s so easily accessible. But honestly? That’s also what makes it great. The Trooper is just so good at what it does that I think a lot of players will naturally gravitate toward maining this class. It’s simple, effective, and powerful, especially when paired with synergies from other classes.

What It Does Best

• Shotguns & Flamethrowers – big damage, close-range dominance.
• Heavy Weapons – faster movement, better AoE, and utility bonuses.
• Suspenser Belt Perks – including air dashes for slick mobility.

Signature Ability: Shigawire Claw — It’s a grappling hook, and yes, it’s as fun as it sounds. You can use it to climb, yank enemies, or just zip around the world. Even if you don’t main Trooper, unlock this. It’s a top-tier mobility tool for any build.

Top Tree Picks

• Gunnery Tree – buffs to ranged damage, disruptors (key for breaking shields), and body shot bonuses.
• Center of Mass – makes every pellet from your shotgun hit the chest for massive, consistent damage.

Ultimate Abilities to Watch

• Energy Capsule – a 10-second stim for huge damage boosts. Stack this with air and ranged passives and you’ll melt enemies.
• Suspenser Blast – crowd control nuke that slows, drains, and disables enemies.

Field Control Tools

• Collapse Grenade – bunch enemies together, then follow with AoE.
• Gravity Field – slows enemies and drains their shield power. Great combo tool, especially against shield users.
• Bonus: Attractor Field – Redirects bullets to a central spot. It’s cheeky, but great for team fights or if you’re playing on controller.

How I Play Trooper

Think of it like a classic third-person shooter class, tankier, with strong weapons and crowd control. I gear up with scatterguns and heavy armor, use grenades and fields to lock down space, and dash around mid-air with the suspenser belt. It’s intuitive and hits hard.

Even if you don’t main Trooper, it’s worth borrowing a few tools, especially that grappling hook and the air mobility. You’ll feel the impact immediately.

Mentat (Brains Over Brawn)

Mentat is easily the least-picked class right now, and I get it. If Trooper is “pick up and play,” Mentat is “think five steps ahead.” It’s for players who enjoy setting traps, controlling space, and winning fights before they even begin.

Mentats thrive on information, positioning, and layered passives. They’re not flashy, but when played well, they’re lethal, especially with ranged builds.

Why Pick Mentat?

If you like strategic combat, setting up ambushes, or playing a long game with poisons and pressure, Mentat’s your class. Think Batman with gadgets, or Ra’s al Ghul with a plan.

I like to run a pistol or rifle build, focus on headshots, and stack passives like:

• +Ranged Damage
• Headshot Multiplier
• Bonus vs. Unshielded/Marked targets

You’ll want to dip into the Mental Calculus tree even if you’re not maining Mentat. The ranged synergy is just too good, great with Trooper tools like Disruptors or Scatterguns.

Key Combos & Abilities

• Weak Point Marker: Hit an enemy with a ranged weapon and it creates a weak spot that boosts follow-up damage, by 50% (for now). Works even if it’s not a headshot.
• Shield Overcharge (Spice Ultimate): While Spice-infused, your shots go straight through shields. No disruptors, no blade needed, just fire and melt.
• Poison Damage (Assassination Tree): DOT-based pressure that shines in tight PvE fights and retreats. It won’t delete someone instantly, but it softens them up for the kill.
• Hunter-Seeker Drone (Ultimate): You go stationary, fly a drone, and crash it into your target for 1,200 burst damage. Long cooldown, but satisfying when it lands.

Poison & Traps

Mentats dominate with damage-over-time via the Assassination tree. It’s not about burst, it’s attrition: poison, pull back, trap, repeat. Works great in tight PvE zones or choke points.

They don’t throw grenades, they drop mines:

• Gravity Mine slows and drains
• Anti-Gravity Mine lifts enemies/projectiles

No range, so timing and placement matter. Smart Mentats use them to control space or bait enemies into a retreat path.

Mentat isn’t for everyone, but if you like cerebral combat and layered utility, you’ll love it. It’s a class that rewards map knowledge, prep, and timing. Once players figure it out, Mentats are going to be terrifying in the right hands.

Bene Gesserit (Space Witch Meets Martial Artist)

Bene Gesserit might be the most popular class in the game, and it’s easy to see why. They’re basically the Jedi of the Dune universe: iconic, powerful, and packed with mind-bending utility. They combine supernatural control with martial prowess, making them one of the most unique and fun classes to play.

Why They’re So Good

Their kit blends melee dominance, mobility, and crowd control:

• Bindu Sprint launches you forward at insane speed, amazing for repositioning, escaping, or diving into combat. I expect every build to grab this.
• Weirding Step blinks you behind enemies. Costs stamina but can end fights instantly if timed right.
• Prana Bindu Strikes deliver fast, weak-point-targeting combos that stagger and melt targets in tight fights.

They pair naturally with Swordmaster trees for even more melee scaling and shield-piercing short blades.

The Voice Abilities: Pure Chaos

The signature power here is Compel, you literally force enemies to walk toward you, helpless. Use it to pull snipers out of cover, split squads, or line up a perfect melee finisher or headshot. It’s hilarious and tactical. You can spec deeper into Voice to reduce cooldowns and hit multiple enemies, though it’s still unclear how that’ll scale in deep desert PvP.

Survivability & Support

The Body Control tree offers amazing sustain:

• Health regen, overheal, and sun tolerance, a must in outdoor battles
• Team utility ultimate: 12 seconds of reduced incoming damage and stagger resist for allies, clutch in PvE and big team fights

How I Play Bene Gesserit

I usually run a melee-focused build with Bindu Sprint and Compel. Start fights by forcing someone to walk into my range, then unleash a combo before they even react. And if things go south? Bindu out.

Bene Gesserit rewards precision and timing, but when it clicks, you feel unstoppable. Pulling off a perfect Compel into melee finisher? Never gets old.

Swordmaster (The Duelist)

Swordmasters are the purest melee class in the game, no gimmicks, just raw blade combat, momentum, and grit. If you want to dominate up close, trade blows, and walk out of fights glowing green, this is your class.

They shine in both solo duels and group fights thanks to high poise damage, strong counters, and some sneaky tankiness if you build right.

Core Playstyle & Synergy

Swordmasters thrive when you keep the pressure on:

• Dance of Blades: Kill someone → next hit deals huge bonus damage. Great for chaining kills in PvE or PvP.
• Retaliate: Auto-parry and counter when hit, deals bleed that bypasses shields.
• Deflection: Glows green, ignores ranged damage. Pair with Bindu Sprint or a grapple to close in safely.

They also combo extremely well with Bene Gesserit. Stack blade damage from both trees, add mobility like blink/sprint, and you’ve got one of the most lethal melee builds in the game.

Standout Abilities

• Knee Charge: Your starter skill. High poise damage, hits like a truck, and locks on. Amazing gap-closer and finisher.
• Inspiration: Buffs you and allies with blade damage for 14 seconds. Stack with Dance of Blades for burst kills.
• Crippling Strike: Increases enemy dash stamina cost + slow. A hidden gem, ruins evasive targets and sets up combos.
• Precise Parry: With spice active, parries shred enemy armor. Your whole team benefits.

You can also spec for self-sustain using Field Medicine (healing kit boost) and pair it with Bene Gesserit regen passives for crazy survivability.

Personal Loadout Tip

I run a Swordmaster–Bene Gesserit hybrid: teleport in, pop Inspiration, finish a target with Dance of Blades, then Bindu Sprint out if needed. If they survive the first burst, I cripple their stamina and finish the job. It’s aggressive, fast, and really hard to stop once you’re rolling.

Swordmaster is all about momentum and pressure. You’re hard to kill, hard to ignore, and lethal up close. You don’t scale well with guns, but honestly, you don’t need them. Master your timing, and you’ll control fights with nothing but a blade and sheer presence.

Planetologist (The Explorer, The Scout, The Survivor)

The Planetologist isn’t a frontline fighter, but don’t underestimate them. They’re the backbone of deep desert survival, exploration, and logistics. Whether you’re supplying your team, scanning the sands, or making bank off map sales, this class is all about utility and economy.

Core Strengths

• Cutter Yield: Get more from every harvest, especially spice.
• Surveying: Gather scan data, craft charts, and sell them to other players. Super profitable post-reset.
• Vehicle Efficiency: Cut down on fuel, heat, and repair costs. Crucial for deep desert runs.
• Power Management: Better regen, bigger capacity, and lower consumption, perfect for combos with classes like Trooper.

Key Tools & Combos

• Compaction (Passive): Boosts spice gathering, vital when you’re racing a worm.
• Suspensor Pad: Not just a jump pad. Launch yourself into the air to combo with air dashes or drop it under enemies to launch them.
• Cartographer: Turn survey data into sync charts and sell them. On reset days, this can be a goldmine.
• Density Recognition: Pinpoint high-yield spice beds. Optimize routes, maximize profits.

Mechanic Tree: Vehicle Expert

If you like driving buggies or running supply ops, this tree’s for you:

• Reduce heat and fuel use
• Buff vehicle attachments
• Scan and mine better from the driver’s seat

This makes you the squad’s mobile ops expert, handling resource runs, sync scans, and keeping your convoy running.

Who Should Play Planetologist?

Pick this class if you enjoy:

• Exploration and survival
• Enabling your squad behind the scenes
• Scanning, surveying, and turning info into profit
• Leading PvE expeditions and optimizing your routes

You’re not here to top killboards, but without you, the team’s stuck in the sand. Planetologists might not throw punches, but they keep the engine running. You’re the one scanning ahead, finding the spice, and getting everyone home alive.

The Optimal Start (Get Access to All The Classes)

You’re eventually going to want passives and skills from every class tree, trust me on that. Trooper and Planetologist can be unlocked pretty early on in the starting zone, and Mentat becomes available not long after you cross the Gap. So you’re not locked out of much.

That’s why the real decision at the beginning comes down to picking either Bene Gesserit or Swordmaster. Personally, I always start with Bene Gesserit, the sprint ability saves a ton of time while exploring, and the Voice ability gives you one of the best early-game crowd control tools in the game. It’s just so useful for surviving the chaos when things get messy.

One important thing to note here: the class you pick at the very beginning will permanently affect your dialogue options with NPCs throughout the game. So if you care about story depth, roleplay flavor, or just unlocking different perspectives in conversations, this choice matters more than you might think.

And yes, you can respec your build at any time. Your only limitation is your total number of skill points, so don’t be afraid to experiment as you go.

Wrap-Up: So, Which Class Should You Pick?

Here’s the TL;DR breakdown:

• New to the game? Start with Trooper or Bene Gesserit. Easy to grasp, powerful early on.
• Tactical thinker? Try Mentat. It’s not easy, but it’s deadly in the right hands.
• Love melee combat? Go Swordmaster, especially if you enjoy dueling and up-close pressure.
• Prefer to support, explore, and make money? Planetologist is your sandbox.

The beauty of Dune: Awakening is that you’re never truly locked in. You’ll eventually mix and match abilities from different trees, and that’s where your personal playstyle really shines. But your first pick matters, it sets your tone, defines your early fights, and teaches you the rhythm of survival on Arrakis. Choose well. The desert remembers.