Ultimate Dead Rails Class Guide & Tier List [Alpha]

Going without any starting items into your next run can be really tiresome in Dead Rails. Buying items that last you only for one life is arguably as bad. However, there is a way to start each journey loaded up, and that is by getting and equipping classes. So, without further ado, find out which classes are the best by following our ultimate Dead Rails class guide and tier list.

Dead Rails Classes Explained

In Dead Rails, your class defines starting items (revolver, helmet, etc.) and passive bonuses (you can revive other players without bandages, etc.) that your character will have during the run. You can see your current class above your head while in the lobby. By default, you will have no class (None).

Dead Rails Class Tier List

In the Dead Rails class tier list below, we ranked all classes from best to worst based on their overall strength, both when playing solo or with a party. In general, classes that cost more Bonds to unlock are stronger than the rest. However, that is not always the case. The Ironclad class is an excellent example of a relatively weak class that costs a lot of Bonds to unlock. To cut the story short, here is our Dead Rails class tier list:

• SS-tier: Werewolf, Vampire
• S-tier: Survivalist, Conductor, Packmaster
• A-tier: Necromancer, High Roller, Zombie, Ironclad, Cowboy
• B-tier: Horse, Priest, Musician
• C-tier: Doctor, Miner, Arsonist
• D-tier: The Alamo

Best Classes for Solo Play

If you like to play alone and hog all the Bonds for yourself, then you should farm them up and get either Vampire, Survivalist, or Zombie. Vampire is the best class in Dead Rails for solo play because of its survivability and speed. However, it has a very unique playstyle. So, you can’t expect that other players will always conform to you unless all of you are playing as Vampires.

All Classes in Dead Rails – Details, Pros, and Cons

Below, you can find all the Dead Rails classes along with their cost, the starting items they give you, and the unique passive bonuses they provide you with. Also, we highlighted the pros and cons of each class to provide more context to the Dead Rails tier list above.

Class	Details	Starting Items	Pros & Cons	Price
	• During the night, you have 2x speed, damage, and HP. • During the day, you have 0.9x speed, damage, and HP.	• Shovel	+ Insanely good during the night + Excellent survivability − Slightly weaker during the day	50 Bonds
	• Increased movement speed and melee damage. • You take damage while exposed to direct sunlight.	• Shovel • Vampire Knife	+ Best solo class in Dead Rails + Very high survivability − Unique playstyle − Not suitable for party play	75 Bonds
	• Your damage increases the lower your health is.	• Shovel • Tomahawk	+ Very high damage − Requires a risky playstyle	75 Bonds
	• The train is faster while you are the one driving it. (30%)	• Coal x2	+ One of the best classes for party play in Dead Rails + Very good class for solo speedruns − No starting weapon	50 Bonds
	• You spawn with three tamed wolves. • Whenever a wolf attacks you, they will become tamed.	• Shovel	+ Very strong both in solo and party play + Basically immune to wolf attacks − Weak without wolves	35 Bonds
	• Enemies you defeat with a melee weapon have a 25% chance of being reincarnated. • You lose 10 HP when this effect triggers.	• Shovel	+ Great potential if you can resurrect strong enemies − Very risky to play	35 Bonds
	• You get 50% more Cash when collecting moneybags. • You are 10x more likely to get struck by lightning.	• Shovel	+ Excellent for snowballing economy + Very good for party play − Extremely vulnerable during Storm Nights	50 Bonds
	• Eating dead bodies replenishes your health. • You can’t use bandages or snake oil. • It’s harder for enemies to spot you.	• Shovel	+ Excellent survivability + Very good for solo farming − Can’t replenish health without bodies	75 Bonds
	• Your movement speed is reduced by 10%.	• Helmet • Chestplate • Left Shoulder Armor • Right Shoulder Armor • Shovel	+ Full body armor from the get-go + High survivability − Sluggish − You can easily buy the armor early on as well	100 Bonds
	• You spawn with a tamed horse.	• Shovel • Revolver • Revolver Ammo x2 • Saddle	+ Good pick for solo play + Excellent starting gear − No passive bonuses − You can get the same starting gear early on	50 Bonds
	• You gain the appearance and all properties of a horse.	• Shovel	+ Good for completing some challenges + Very fast − You can’t ride the train	Horsing Around
	• Immunity to lightning strikes.	• Shovel • Holy Water x2 • Crucifix x2	+ Immune to lightning strikes during Storm Nights − One of the worst classes for solo play in Dead Rails	75 Bonds
	• Playing a banjo will slowly heal nearby players, but not yourself.	• Banjo	+ Fun to play 🪕 + Excellent support class for party play − No starting weapons − Not that useful for solo play	15 Bonds
	• You can revive your teammates by sacrificing half of your HP.	• Shovel • Bandage x2 • Snake Oil x2	+ One of the best classes for party play in Dead Rails + Great when playing with new players − No offensive bonuses	15 Bonds
	• Headlamp lights the way in front of you.	• Pickaxe • Mining Helmet • Coal x2	+ Best early game class in Dead Rails + Headlight is very useful at night − Not that useful in combat	15 Bonds
	• Your fire damage is doubled.	• Shovel • Molotov x4	+ Excellent for clearing big crowds − Molotovs are hard to come by	20 Bonds
	• None	• Helmet • Metal Sheet x3 • Barbed Wire x3 • Shovel	+ Decent starting items − No passive bonuses	50 Bonds

How to Get and Change Your Class in Dead Rails

In Dead Rails, you can get new classes and change your current class at the Tailor NPC in the main lobby. Each class costs some amount of Bonds to unlock, and changing your class is possible only before you start a run.

If you’re just starting out in Dead Rails, you should save up all the Bonds that you find and invest them into unlocking new classes. This way, you will always have a decent starting loadout and powerful passive abilities.

How to Farm Bonds

If you want to unlock a class in Dead Rails, you first have to farm some Bonds. The best locations to find Bonds are the castle at the 40km mark and the Bank vaults in various Burning Towns on the side of the rail. For more information on how to approach entering these places, check out our guide on how to farm bonds in Dead Rails.

That concludes our ultimate Dead Rails tier list and class guide. If you are still indecisive about picking your go-to weapon, check out our Dead Rails weapons tier list and find your new main.

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