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Phoenix Point Classes - the best Soldier Classes and multi-class combinations to use

Or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the Berserker

Ollie Toms avatar
Guide by Ollie Toms Guides Editor
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Phoenix Point classes soldiers into seven types, giving players a surprising amount of scope for customising your armies and your overall playstyle during tactical missions. From the initial three soldier classes to the unique specialists acquired through the three different factions, our Phoenix Point Classes guide will walk you through the abilities, skills, strengths, and weaknesses of each one - along with some useful tips and tricks on equipment, multi-classing, and more.

Phoenix Point Classes guide contents:

Phoenix Point Classes guide

Phoenix Point Classes

There are a total of 7 different classes of soldier available in Phoenix Point. To begin with, you only have access to three: Assault, Heavy, and Sniper. But each of the three main factions in Phoenix Point also have access to specialist classes, such as New Jericho's Technician or the Disciples of Anu's Berserker, each of which fulfil an entirely new role in your growing army (if you're looking to find out how to recruit soldiers, head on over to our guide explaining How to recruit new soldiers in Phoenix Point!).

Each soldier in your army has access to seven class skills, as well as a smattering of randomly generated personal skills, all spread across seven levels. You can see these skills in the below screenshot: the class-specific skills are in the top row, while the random personal skills are in the bottom row.

As a soldier gains experience, they'll level up and gain skill points which can be spent either to upgrade their three base stats (Strength, Willpower, and Speed) or to unlock new skills. Some of these skills are extremely powerful and can dramatically increase the versatility and survivability of your whole squad.

How to multi-class in Phoenix Point

Regardless of class, every soldier in Phoenix Point has the ability to multi-class once they hit level 4. I almost always multi-class my soldiers once I hit level 4, because it allows you to combine skills and proficiencies in order to create extremely versatile and powerful units you otherwise couldn't use.

When you multi-class a soldier, you get to pick a second set of skills from a different soldier class to choose from when assigning skill points. For example, you can multi-class your Sniper into Assault, which gives your Sniper the extremely useful Dash and Return Fire abilities, while also keeping the Sniper's own very powerful abilities such as Weak Spot and Quick Aim.

You cannot multi-class the same unit more than once, but the access to two different skillsets allows you to make some very powerful units indeed.

Phoenix Point Assault Class

Assault Class (Starting Class)

  • Level 1: Assault Training (Proficiency with Assault Rifles and Shotguns)
  • Level 2: Dash (Move to a target position within half of the normal movement range)
  • Level 3: Return Fire (Shoot back at an enemy when it attacks, provided the soldier is using a direct-fire projectile weapon with proficiency, and the enemy is within half perception range)
  • Level 4: New Class (Choose a secondary class to train in)
  • Level 5: Ready For Action (Reloading and Inventory actions do not cost any Action Points)
  • Level 6: Rally The Troops (Each ally recovers 1 Action Point. Limited to one use per turn)
  • Level 7: Rapid Clearance (Recover 2 Action Points for each enemy killed, until the end of the turn)

The Assault Class is in many ways the most straightforward class of all - but it's also a strong contender for the class with the most powerful skills for multi-classing, so you certainly shouldn't underestimate it. The only real downside to the Assault class in my opinion is that the proficiency is with Assault Rifles, because in my experience high-damage single-shot weapons such as sniper rifles and cannons are far better in almost every situation.

But in terms of skills, Assault has the best early-game of any class out there. At just Level 2 you get access to Dash, which is probably the best ability in the entire game, allowing you to move using Will Points instead of Action Points. And at Level 3 you gain Return Fire, which allows you to fire back at an enemy every time they attack while within half your unit's perception range. Both these abilities are absolutely indispensable for any soldier class, making Assault an excellent multi-classing choice for any of the other 6 classes on this list.

I'd also say Rapid Clearance can really help to turn the tide of a fight, although it's a fairly costly ability and drops off a little bit in usefulness later on in the campaign. Overall the Assault class is a real wonder on the battlefield, not because of the equipment or proficiencies it brings but because of the fantastically versatile set of skills it gains access to in just the first 3 levels.

Multi-classing options for Assault

The best multi-class option for an Assault, in my opinion, is the Sniper - simply because it gives you proficiency with sniper rifles, which are some of the most powerful weapons in Phoenix Point. Return Fire with a powerful Sniper Rifle is no joke.

Phoenix Point Heavy Class

Heavy Class (Starting Class)

  • Level 1: Heavy Training (Proficiency with Heavy Weapons, Mounted Weapons, and Jet Pack)
  • Level 2: Brawler (Bash and Melee attacks deal 50% more damage)
  • Level 3: War Cry (All enemies within 10 tiles have their Action Points reduced to 2 for the next turn)
  • Level 4: New Class (Choose a secondary class to train in)
  • Level 5: Boom Blast (The Action Point cost of Grenades, and other explosive weapons, is reduced by 1 and their range is increased by 50% until the end of the turn)
  • Level 6: Inspire (Killing an enemy grants allies 1 additional Will Point)
  • Level 7: Rage Burst (Shoot with a proficient direct-fire projectile weapon, using all remaining ammo in the weapon's magazine)

The Heavy unit you start with at the beginning of the campaign is likely to be your MVP to begin with, thanks mainly to its starting weapon, the Hel II Heavy Cannon. This cannon is one of the strongest weapons in the entire game, and despite its relative inaccuracy can quickly spell the end for most enemies within range. The Jet Pack built into the Heavy unit's chestplate is also very useful for quickly initiating, escaping, or taking the high ground - though it does come at the cost of Action Points and Will Points at once.

In terms of skills, it takes a while for the Heavy to reach its apex. Boom Blast at level 5 is always a useful pickup, but it's at level 7 that the Heavy becomes truly game-changing. Rage Burst is an extremely costly power because it uses up your entire magazine - but there's very little that can withstand the raw power of six Heavy Cannon shots back to back. In the more challenging missions, where you're having to deal with multiple powerful units such as Sirens and Chirons, Rage Burst is your ace in the hole.

One big flaw in the Heavy unit's equipment is that its armor inflicts a penalty to accuracy. So I'd urge you to replace the Helmet and Leg Armor with those of another class - Sniper equipment is always useful in this regard for the accuracy bonus, which greatly benefits the naturally inaccurate Heavy class.

Multi-classing options for Heavy

Multi-classing a Heavy into a Sniper probably makes for the strongest unit type in Phoenix Point, full stop. Rage Burst is powerful with anything, but on a tremendously accurate sniper rifle, you can eradicate even the toughest enemies (including Scyllas) from a safe distance. It's also extremely useful for paralysing Scyllas and other tough units once you get your hands on a Synedrion paralysing sniper rifle.

Phoenix Point Sniper Class

Sniper Class (Starting Class)

  • Level 1: Sniper Training (Proficiency with Sniper Rifles and Handguns)
  • Level 2: Extreme Focus (Overwatch cost is reduced by 1 Action Point)
  • Level 3: Quick Aim (The Action Point cost of the next shot with a proficient weapon is reduced by 1, and the accuracy is increased by 25%)
  • Level 4: New Class (Choose a secondary class to train in)
  • Level 5: Master Marksman (Accuracy with a proficient weapon is increased by 50% while there are no spotted enemies within 10 tiles)
  • Level 6: Weak Spot (Disabling a body part also removes that body part's armor)
  • Level 7: Mark For Death (Mark an enemy target. Until end of turn all damage to that target is increased by 50%)

The Sniper's greatest benefit is that it can use sniper rifles right from the start. As I've mentioned before, Phoenix Point is a game that rewards high-damage single-shot weapons much more than burst weapons - and on top of this, the sniper rifle's range means you can eliminate enemies long before they are able to bring you into their effective range.

The skills and abilities of the Sniper Class are all built with this long-range high-damage playstyle in mind. Overwatch is particularly powerful with a sniper rifle, and the combination of Quick Aim and Extreme Focus means you are able to deliver one powerful shot on your turn, followed by another powerful shot on the enemy's turn.

The best skill in the Sniper class, though, has got to be Weak Spot, which you access at level 6. When it comes to the really dangerous and formidable enemies, it can be very difficult to burst them down before they get a chance to ruin your day - but the armor-stripping nature of Weak Spot means that with some careful planning and good positioning you can ruin their day first.

Multi-classing options for Sniper

Sniper is quite a versatile foundation from which to multi-class: you could easily go either for Assault, lending you the Dash and Return Fire abilities, or for Heavy, giving you access to Rage Burst (which with a sniper rifle is unbelievably strong). It's entirely up to you, because both options are equally formidable in different situations.

Phoenix Point Technician Class

Technician Class (New Jericho)

  • Level 1: Technician Training (Proficiency with PDWs, Robotic Arms, and Turret Deployment)
  • Level 2: Fast Use (The Action Point cost of Medkits, Stimpacks, and Robotic Arm abilities is reduced by 1)
  • Level 3: Manual Control (Take manual control of a turret or vehicle weapon and shoot at a target)
  • Level 4: New Class (Choose a secondary class to train in)
  • Level 5: Field Medic (Restore 10 Hit Points and 10 Armor to all body parts of the selected target. Disabled body parts are restored)
  • Level 6: Remote Deployment (Turrets can be thrown and deployed for 1 Action Point)
  • Level 7: Electric Reinforcement (All allies gain 20 temporary Armor for 1 turn)

And now onto the first of the specialist faction unit classes, the Technician. Native to New Jericho, this soldier is essentially your support/medic unit. Its greatest strength is its automated turrets, which make for excellent cannon fodder (and prove a reliable counter to close-range tiny enemies such as Mindfraggers and Worms).

But spend a bit of time levelling up the Technician and you'll also find them repaying you in terms of upping the survivability of your whole team. With a combination of the Fast Use and Field Medic abilities, I finally found a reason to set aside my previous strategy of loading up every single unit with at least two Medkits. And if you get the Technician up to level 7, that +20 temporary Armor to each ally can be a literal life-saver. And it stacks.

And it's not just about the skills with the Technician. Their mech arms give them a host of unique abilities as well, including the extremely valuable Technician Repair, which can heal a mechanical device (such as a vehicle) just as a Medkit can heal a soldier.

Multi-classing options for Technician

The best combination of classes I've found for the Technician is to multi-class into an Assault. Dash is just too useful in terms of running around healing up your squad, and always being in the right place at the right time. Just remember to pump your Technician full of Will Points, lest they outlive their usefulness on the battlefield.

Phoenix Point Infiltrator Class

Infiltrator Class (Synedrion)

  • Level 1: Infiltrator Training (Proficiency with Crossbows and Spider Drone deployment. Base line stealth factor is 25% as long as the character isn't revealed)
  • Level 2: Surprise Attack (Attacks from behind gain shock value equal to 3 times the damage dealt)
  • Level 3: Deploy Decoy (Deploy holographic decoy at the chosen location. The decoy is treated as a real target by all enemies)
  • Level 4: New Class (Choose a secondary class to train in)
  • Level 5: Spider Drone Pack (Deploy 3 Spider Drones with one action)
  • Level 6: Vanish (Move within 5 tiles and disappear from view for the next turn - or until spotted)
  • Level 7: Sneak Attack (Damage dealt while not spotted is increased by 100%)

The Infiltrator class is a challenging one to love, in my experience. It's the class I thought I'd enjoy the most, based as it is around stealth and scouting; but in reality it can be quite difficult to bring about the right circumstances for the Infiltrator to fulfil their potential.

The best thing about the Infiltrator is the stealth factor. They're naturally sneaky, and their true power comes with their first shot. But they're fairly useless to start off with, which is why I'd recommend you leave your Infiltrator(s) in a base with a Training Facility and bring them back into the action once they're a higher level. The combination of Surprise Attack and Sneak Attack is extremely powerful if you set it up correctly, while Vanish can be a life-saver in fringe situations.

The real downside to the Infiltrator is their equipment. Not the armor - I'm a big fan of the perception bonuses that they grant. But the Synedrion Crossbow pales in comparison to the power and accuracy of even the most meagre sniper rifle. And I honestly don't see much use in the spider drones, either.

Multi-classing options for Infiltrator

That's not to say there's no potential in the Infiltrator class. I've had great success combining it with the Sniper Class, and essentially creating a sniper with the lovely benefits of Surprise Attack and Sneak Attack. This is the only time I've really been thankful for the presence of the Infiltrator soldier class in my army.

Phoenix Point Berserker Class

Berserker Class (Disciples of Anu)

  • Level 1: Berserker Training (Proficiency with Melee Weapons and Handguns)
  • Level 2: Armor Break (The next attack deals 50 additional Shred Damage)
  • Level 3: Close Quarters Evade (Attacks from enemies within 10 tiles deal 25% less damage)
  • Level 4: New Class (Choose a secondary class to train in)
  • Level 5: Bloodlust (Damage and Speed are increased proportional to the health lost - up to double)
  • Level 6: Ignore Pain (Disabled body parts remain functional. Cannot Panic or be Mind Controlled)
  • Level 7: Adrenaline Rush (All abilities cost a maximum of 1 Action Point until the end of the turn, but you cannot use any abilities that need Will Points)

From the lowest echelons of soldier classes to the highest: the Berserker class of the Disciples of Anu is far and away my favourite specialist class in Phoenix Point. A strong emphasis on close-range combat and melee weaponry is not only a nice change of pace from the rest of your Phoenix Point army, it can also grow to be amazingly powerful. As in, kill-enemies-in-one-hit level of powerful.

This is in fact the only soldier class in the game where I make an effort to unlock every single class-specific skill, because they're all amazing. Armor Break and Bloodlust are great damage-dealers, while Close Quarters Evade increases your survivability. Ignore Pain is astonishingly useful for when you start meeting Sirens and Terror Sentinels, and ensures you're always able to wield your giant two-handed melee weapons. And Adrenaline Rush, while it takes some careful planning to use properly, can very quickly spell the end for multiple enemies in a single turn.

It doesn't hurt that the Disciples of Anu has some fantastic equipment available for the Berserker. Marduk's Fist is a ridiculously powerful war hammer, and Nergal's Wrath is tied with the Hephaestus for my favourite handgun in Phoenix Point. And how about that mutated body armor which grants your Berserker the same regeneration that the Pandoran Triton uses?

Multi-classing options for Berserker

I've had great success multi-classing the Berserker into Assault, making use of Dash to get into close quarters as quickly as possible - but my real favourite multi-class option for the Berserker is Heavy. This is the one situation where the Heavy's Brawler ability (increased melee damage) is truly useful - and what's more, you can then create an incredibly powerful melee character that also has access to a Hel II Heavy Cannon (and Rage Burst) for dealing with the really dangerous enemies and bosses.

Phoenix Point Priest Class

Priest Class (Disciples of Anu)

  • Level 1: Priest Training (Proficiency with Viral Weapons)
  • Level 2: Mind Control (Gain control of an enemy with WP cost equal to the enemy's current WPs. Costs 2 WPs per turn to maintain control)
  • Level 3: Induce Panic (Cause a target to panic if its current Will Points are less than the Priest's)
  • Level 4: New Class (Choose a secondary class to train in)
  • Level 5: Mind Sense (All organic enemies within 15 tiles are automatically revealed)
  • Level 6: Psychic Ward (Allies within 10 tiles are immune to Panic and Psychic Damage attacks)
  • Level 7: Mind Crush (Deal 100 damage to all enemy entities within 10 tiles)

The Disciples of Anu really hit the jackpot in terms of soldier classes (which is good, because their Mutog "vehicle" is a complete travesty). The Priest makes use of the same biotechnological advancements and controlled mutations as the Berserker, but arrives at completely different conclusions, with a soldier focused on battles of Will Points, rather than Hit Points.

Central to the Priest's gameplan are two powerful pieces of equipment: the Redeemer rifle, which deals low health damage but high virus damage, stripping enemies of their Will Points; and the Screaming Head helmet, which grants the Priest access to the horrifying Pyschic Scream ability employed by Sirens and Terror Sentinels, further reducing the Will Points of enemies.

But it's not just about inciting panic amongst the enemy troops. The Priest's other primary weapon, unlocked at level 2, is the Mind Control ability, which works in exactly the same way as the Siren's. Using this ability, you can wreak absolute havoc with the enemy forces, and dismantle their efforts in the space of a single turn. Level the Priest up enough and you'll be greatly rewarded with three phenomenal final abilities - particularly Psychic Ward, which is often enough to completely ignore the effects of some of the Pandorans' deadliest attacks.

Multi-classing options for Priest

Multi-classing is a bit interesting with the Priest. My main impetus for multi-classing is to give the unit proficiency with my favourite weapons, but the Redeemer is central to the Priest's role. There are arguments to be made for both Assault (Return Fire gives you more opportunities to infect enemies with Viral Damage) and Sniper (cheaper shots and Overwatch). Play it by ear and factor in how you tend to use the Priest during encounters.

Phoenix Point Soldier Classes guide

Hopefully now you've a greater, clearer idea of how each of the soldier classes differ in abilities and playstyles - but that's not all we've got on Phoenix Point. We're hard at work creating an entire series of top-tier guides on every aspect of this ambitious new turn-based tactics game, so be sure to check out the links below for more tips and strategies to get you started!

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