I’ve tested almost every class in this game. Some are worth every Diamond. Others are complete traps that’ll waste your grind. After 500+ days of survival across multiple runs, here’s my honest ranking.
Quick note: class power scales with levels. A Level 3 Lumberjack beats a Level 1 Cyborg. This tier list assumes max level for fair comparison.
Need Diamonds to unlock classes? Grab free ones from our 99 Nights in the Forest Codes. For survival tips, check the 99 Nights in the Forest Guide.
Quick Tier Overview
| Tier | Classes |
|---|---|
| S+ | Assassin, Cyborg, Big Game Hunter |
| S | Necromancer, Vampire, Alien, Poison Master |
| A | Lumberjack, Blacksmith, Fisherman, Beastmaster, Explorer, Fire Bandit, Chef |
| B | Scavenger, Ranger, Berserker, Brute, Medic, Snowman, Gambler |
| C | Hunter, Brawler, Pyromaniac, Undead, Zookeeper, Farmer, Cook |
| D | Default, Camper, Decorator, Support, Base Defender |
S+ Tier (Best in Game)
Assassin (500 Diamonds)
The Assassin is arguably the strongest class in the game right now. Insane damage output, excellent mobility, and the stealth mechanics let you avoid fights entirely when needed.
Starting Items: Katana, 120 Throwing Knives
Perks:
- Critical hit damage bonus
- Stealth mode (enemies lose aggro)
- Increased movement speed
- Bonus damage from behind
Why S+ Tier: You can clear cultist waves faster than any other class. The stealth lets you rescue kids without fighting through enemies. Solo runs become significantly easier.
I slept on Assassin for months because the Diamond cost seemed insane. Biggest mistake of my playthrough.
Cyborg (600 Diamonds)
Cyborg is the classic endgame pick. The laser cannon with auto-regenerating charge means you never run out of ammo.
Starting Items: Alien Armour, Laser Cannon
Perks:
- Infinite ammo (laser cannon recharges)
- Kills restore charge faster
- Excellent night vision
- AoE damage capability
Why S+ Tier: Never worry about ammo again. The night vision makes night exploration actually viable. You can farm The Deer for drops instead of hiding from it. Just watch the overheat mechanic.
The only downside is the 600 Diamond cost. That’s weeks of grinding without codes.
Big Game Hunter (600 Diamonds)
Slept on by most players, but this class scales insanely well into late game.
Starting Items: Rifle, 12 Rifle Ammo
Perks:
- Consume pelts for permanent buffs
- Higher pelt drop rates
- Mammoth tusks boost max HP permanently
- Bonus damage to large entities
Why S+ Tier: The permanent buffs from pelts and tusks stack over time. By Night 50, you’re basically unkillable. Great for both solo and group play. One of the best scaling classes in the game.
S Tier (Excellent)
Necromancer (600 Diamonds)
My personal favorite for long runs. Resurrect cultists to fight for you. Once you have 6 cultist minions and a Cultist King revived, you’re nearly unstoppable.
Starting Items: Cultist Staff
Perks:
- Resurrect dead cultists as allies
- Maximum 6 minions at once
- Can revive Cultist King (requires volcano biome)
- Improved night vision at Level 3
Why S Tier: Your army does the fighting. You just manage them. Cultist waves become free minion refills instead of threats.
The skill ceiling is high though. Bad minion management = dead Necromancer. Starts weak but becomes a monster late game.
Vampire (600 Diamonds)
Melee-focused class with insane lifesteal. Risky but powerful.
Starting Items: Vampire Cloak, Vampire Scythe
Perks:
- Lifesteal on melee hits
- Increased speed at night
- Bonus damage in darkness
- Health regeneration
Why S Tier: The lifesteal makes you incredibly hard to kill in melee combat. Night speed boost lets you outrun The Deer. If you like aggressive close-range gameplay, Vampire is your class.
Not for everyone though. If you prefer ranged combat, look elsewhere.
Alien (100 Diamonds)
Best value class in the game. 100 Diamonds for S-tier performance.
Starting Items: Ray Gun
Perks:
- Excellent night vision
- Ray gun (high damage, overheats)
- Faster sprinting
- Bonus damage to entities
Why S Tier: The night vision alone is worth 100 Diamonds. The ray gun shreds The Deer. Only downside is the overheating mechanic, but you learn to manage it.
If you can only afford one class upgrade, get Alien. Budget Cyborg that actually holds up.
Poison Master (200 Diamonds)
Underrated pick. Poison damage stacks and melts bosses.
Starting Items: Blow Pipe, Poison Armor
Perks:
- Poison damage over time
- Poison immunity
- AOE poison spreads when enemies die
- Bonus damage to poisoned enemies
Why S Tier: Throw poison, let enemies melt. Works especially well against The Ram’s massive HP pool. The poison spreading on death is insane for cultist waves.
A Tier (Great)
Lumberjack (70 Diamonds)
The best starter class. Period. I recommend this to everyone.
Starting Items: Good Axe
Perks:
- +20% bonus log chance
- Faster tree chopping
- Extra sapling drops
- Wood storage bonus
Why A Tier: Base building is 10x easier. More wood = more walls = more survival. The 70 Diamond cost is achievable in a few runs. Team MVP when nobody else wants to chop trees.
Blacksmith (200 Diamonds)
Craft better gear faster. Essential for team play.
Starting Items: Hammer
Perks:
- Skips crafting bench tiers
- Scrap refunds on crafting
- Faster crafting speed
- Exclusive item recipes
Why A Tier: The tier skip on crafting bench is huge. Having a Blacksmith on your team means everyone gets better gear faster. Strong co-op pick.
Fisherman (50 Diamonds)
Fishing is lowkey broken for resources. This class maximizes it.
Starting Items: Fishing Rod
Perks:
- Better fish catch rate
- Rare fish bonus
- Faster fishing
- Fish sell for more
Why A Tier: Fish = food = survival. The rare fish drops include valuable items. Chill gameplay loop too. Cheap and effective.
Beastmaster (400 Diamonds)
Summon wolves with your taming flute. Having a wolf pack makes survival significantly easier.
Starting Items: Good Taming Flute, 3 Steaks
Perks:
- Tame wolves as pets
- Eventually get Alpha Wolf
- Wolves attack enemies
- Easier than Necromancer early game
Why A Tier: Your wolf pack handles most threats. Similar to Necromancer but easier to use and available earlier. Wolves are reliable.
Explorer (80 Diamonds)
Best solo class for the price.
Starting Items: Compass, Map
Perks:
- Speed boost after clearing fog
- Larger map view
- +2 sack space
- Faster fog clearing
Why A Tier: The speed boost is clutch for escaping The Deer. Larger map view helps find kids and loot. Great for solo players who need to cover ground fast. Criminally underrated.
Fire Bandit (200 Diamonds)
Better than Pyromaniac for half the cost.
Starting Items: Infernal Crossbow, Wildfire Potion
Perks:
- Fire damage over time
- AoE fire spread
- Fire resistance
- Strong in Cultist Strongholds
Why A Tier: The infernal crossbow is actually good. Fire damage melts groups of cultists. Way better value than the 600 Diamond Pyromaniac.
Chef (150 Diamonds)
Upgraded Cook class. Team support powerhouse.
Starting Items: Chef’s Station Blueprint, Recipe Book
Perks:
- Cook food that gives buffs
- Healing food recipes
- Food restores more hunger
- Team-wide food bonuses
Why A Tier: In a group, Chef is your main support. The buff foods are genuinely strong. Also works well solo once upgraded.
B Tier (Solid)
Scavenger (25 Diamonds)
Cheapest class worth buying. Perfect for absolute beginners.
Starting Items: None (that’s the point)
Perks:
- +2 sack space
- Faster chest opening
- Bonus scrap drops
- Find hidden items
Why B Tier: The extra inventory space is genuinely useful. 25 Diamonds is nothing. Great first class for new players.
Ranger (70 Diamonds)
Solid ranged combat class.
Starting Items: Flashlight, Revolver, 18 Ammo
Perks:
- Ammo refund chance
- Bonus ranged damage
- Better accuracy
- Flashlight improvements
Why B Tier: The revolver start is nice. Ammo refund helps with sustainability. Decent early-mid game but gets outclassed by Alien.
Berserker (100 Diamonds)
High risk, high reward. Great for clutch plays.
Starting Items: Med Kit
Perks:
- Auto-revive after first death (low HP)
- Damage increases as HP drops
- Bonus damage when low
- Aggressive playstyle rewards
Why B Tier: The auto-revive is powerful. Damage scaling when low HP can clutch fights. Hard to time with a full team though.
Brute (50 Diamonds)
Tank class for new players.
Starting Items: Brute Shield
Perks:
- Increased HP
- Shield blocks damage
- Knockback resistance
- Good for Strongholds
Why B Tier: The shield is useful for learning combat. Good choice if you’re still getting used to the game. Falls off late game.
Medic (40 Diamonds)
Essential for team play. Less useful solo.
Starting Items: 2 Bandages
Perks:
- Heal teammates faster
- Faster self-healing
- Revive speed bonus
- Bonus healing items
Why B Tier: In a 4-player team, Medic is great. Solo? You’re better off not getting hit in the first place.
Snowman (100 Diamonds)
Snowball specialist. Fun and surprisingly effective.
Starting Items: Snowball Cannon
Perks:
- Snowball damage bonus
- Freeze enemies
- Snow biome buffs
- Unlimited snowballs in snow
Why B Tier: The freeze effect is actually useful. Works best in snow biome obviously. Niche but fun.
Gambler (55 Diamonds)
RNG class. Could be great, could be terrible.
Starting Items: 1 Random Starter Item
Perks:
- Random perks each run
- Luck-based bonuses
- High variance gameplay
- Gacha addiction enabler
Why B Tier: If you love gambling, this is your class. Sometimes you get amazing rolls. Sometimes you get nothing. Not for serious runs.
C Tier (Situational)
Hunter (40 Diamonds)
Trap pick. Sounds better than it is.
Starting Items: 2 Bear Traps
Perks:
- Bonus animal drops
- Trap damage bonus
- Higher pelt drop rate
- Tracking ability
Why C Tier: Sounds good on paper. In practice, you don’t need to hunt animals that much. Big Game Hunter does everything this class does but better.
Brawler (100 Diamonds)
Melee focused. High risk, limited reward.
Starting Items: Leather Body
Perks:
- 40% reduced HP
- 30% more melee damage
- Faster melee attacks
- Cannot use ranged weapons
Why C Tier: The “no ranged weapons” restriction kills it. You NEED guns for late game. The HP reduction makes it even riskier. Brawler falls off hard after Night 30.
Pyromaniac (600 Diamonds)
Fire damage specialist. Way overpriced.
Starting Items: Flamethrower
Perks:
- Fire damage bonus
- Burn enemies
- Fire resistance
- Needs constant fuel
Why C Tier: 600 Diamonds for a class that needs constant fuel? Fire Bandit does the same thing for 200 Diamonds. The flamethrower is fun but not worth the cost.
Undead (100 Diamonds)
Death-focused class. Weird playstyle.
Starting Items: Bandage
Perks:
- Bonuses after dying
- Revival improvements
- Post-death advantages
- Encourages dying
Why C Tier: The perks literally encourage you to die. That’s… not great game design for a survival game. Niche at best.
Zookeeper (70 Diamonds)
Budget Beastmaster. Just save for the real thing.
Starting Items: Taming Whistle
Perks:
- Basic animal taming
- Weaker than Beastmaster
- Limited pet options
- Outclassed entirely
Why C Tier: Beastmaster exists. Zookeeper is just a worse version. Save your Diamonds.
Farmer (80 Diamonds)
Food production focus. Awkward in practice.
Starting Items: Watering Can
Perks:
- Grow crops faster
- Pumpkin farming
- Harvest bonus
- Food handling is clunky
Why C Tier: The farming mechanics are awkward during combat. Unless you have a dedicated Chef teammate, the food benefits don’t justify the class.
Cook (40 Diamonds)
Budget Chef. Just save for Chef instead.
Starting Items: 1 Seasoning
Perks:
- Basic cooking buffs
- Food restores more hunger
- Weaker than Chef
- Limited recipes
Why C Tier: Chef exists and is just better. Cook is a stepping stone that you’ll replace immediately.
D Tier (Avoid)
Default (Free)
You start with this. Upgrade immediately.
Starting Items: Basic Axe
Perks: None
Why D Tier: No perks. No bonuses. You’re handicapping yourself by staying Default. Even Scavenger at 25 Diamonds is a massive upgrade.
Camper (10 Diamonds)
Everything it offers can be found in chests.
Starting Items: 1 Flashlight
Perks:
- +10% hunger drain reduction
- Slightly better night visibility
- Campfire bonuses
- Underwhelming overall
Why D Tier: The perks are barely noticeable. That 10% hunger reduction is basically one extra berry per night. Not worth even 10 Diamonds.
Decorator (40 Diamonds)
For furniture only. Doesn’t help survival.
Starting Items: 1 Hammer
Perks:
- Place decorations
- Aesthetic improvements
- Zero combat value
- Zero survival value
Why D Tier: This class is literally for decorating your base. Cool if you want a pretty camp. Useless if you want to survive.
Support (45 Diamonds)
Overcomplicated and underpowered.
Starting Items: 1 Bandage
Perks:
- Team support abilities
- Complicated mechanics
- Weaker than Medic
- Not worth learning
Why D Tier: Medic does the support role better and is cheaper. Support class has confusing mechanics for minimal benefit.
Base Defender (40 Diamonds)
Sounds useful. Isn’t.
Starting Items: 2 Defense Blueprints
Perks:
- Defense structure bonuses
- Wall improvements
- Only useful if building
- Outclassed by other classes
Why D Tier: Any class can build defenses. The bonuses aren’t significant enough to justify a class slot. Lumberjack helps defense more by giving you more wood.
Event Classes (Seasonal)
These classes are only available during events. Not ranked because they’re temporary.
Witch (900 Candies)
Halloween event class. Potion specialist.
Starting Items: Witches Potion
Perks: Unlimited poison ammo, potion buffs, team utility
Verdict: Decent if you grind candies. Not worth it over permanent classes.
Trick or Treater (30 Candies)
Halloween event. Temporary class.
Starting Items: None
Perks: Faster candy grinding
Verdict: Only for event farming. Disappears after Halloween.
Santa’s Helper (30 Candy Canes)
Christmas event. Temporary class.
Starting Items: None
Perks: Faster candy cane grinding
Verdict: Only for event farming. Disappears after Christmas.
Gifting Elf (900 Candy Canes)
Christmas event. Permanent if purchased.
Starting Items: 1 Present
Perks: Help teammates with presents, support role
Verdict: Niche support class. Only if you have candy canes to spare.
Best Classes by Playstyle
Best for Beginners
- Scavenger (25 Diamonds) - Cheap, useful inventory space
- Lumberjack (70 Diamonds) - Best value for base building
- Brute (50 Diamonds) - Tanky, forgiving
Best for Solo Players
- Assassin (500 Diamonds) - Stealth + damage
- Explorer (80 Diamonds) - Speed + vision
- Alien (100 Diamonds) - Night vision + damage
Best for Team Play
- Chef (150 Diamonds) - Buff food for everyone
- Blacksmith (200 Diamonds) - Gear the whole team
- Medic (40 Diamonds) - Keep team alive
Best for Endgame
- Cyborg (600 Diamonds) - Infinite ammo laser
- Assassin (500 Diamonds) - Maximum damage
- Big Game Hunter (600 Diamonds) - Permanent scaling buffs
Best Value (Cost vs Power)
- Alien (100 Diamonds) - S-tier for 100 Diamonds
- Explorer (80 Diamonds) - Great utility cheap
- Lumberjack (70 Diamonds) - Base building essential
Class Unlock Priority
If you’re starting fresh, here’s my recommended unlock order:
- Scavenger (25) - Immediate quality of life
- Lumberjack (70) - Base building becomes easy
- Alien (100) - First real power spike
- Explorer (80) - Solo capability
- Fire Bandit (200) - Strong mid-game option
- Save for Cyborg/Assassin - Endgame goal
Don’t spread Diamonds thin. Focus on one class, max it out, then save for the next.
Pro tip: You can reroll the class shop once per day for free. Use this to find the class you want without spending Diamonds on rerolls.
Related Content
- 99 Nights in the Forest Codes - Free Diamonds
- 99 Nights in the Forest Guide - Survival tips
- Fisch Rod Tier List - Another Roblox tier list
- Knife Arena Knife Tier List - Weapon rankings
Official Resources
That’s every class ranked. The meta shifts with updates, but Assassin and Cyborg have been top tier since launch. Save your Diamonds for them.
