# 4E: Best race for each class: ranking



## TerraDave (Aug 1, 2008)

Below are my takes at ranking each race according to how well it works for a particular class. I also put a break in where there seemed to be a "drop off" in the effectiveness of the race(s).

Comments, and your own rankings, welcome. 

*Cleric* 
Human 
Dwarf 
Elf 
Dragonborn

Half Elf 
Halfling 
Tiefling 
Eladrin

*Fighter* 
Dwarf 
Dragonborn 
Human 
Elf 
Eladrin

Half Elf 
Tiefling 
Halfling

*Paladin* 
Dragonborn 
Human 
Half Elf
Dwarf 
Tiefling 
Halfling  

Elf
Eladrin

*Ranger* 
Elf 
Human 
Dragonborn 
Eladrin 
Halfling 
Dwarf 

Half Elf 
Tiefling

*Rogue* 
Halfling 
Human 
Eladrin 
Elf 
Tiefling 
Dragonborn  

Half-elf 
Dwarf

*Warlock* 
Tiefling 
Half-elf 
Human 
Halfling 
Dragonborn 
Dwarf  

Eladrin
Elf

*Warlord* 
Tiefling 
Dragonborn 
Human 
Half-elf 
Eladrin 
Halfling 

Dwarf 
Elf

*Wizard* 
Eladrin 
Human 
Tiefling 

Dwarf 
Half-Elf 
Elf 
Halfling 
Dragonborn


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## renau1g (Aug 1, 2008)

Yes...although I'd rate the Halfling higher than the human for warlock, but that's just me


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## garyh (Aug 1, 2008)

Hmmm...  I'd go:

Cleric - Dwarf / Elf / Dragonborn / Half-Elf / Human / Tiefling / Halfling / Eladrin

Fighter - Dragonborn / Dwarf / Human / Elf / Half-Elf / Eladrin / Halfling / Tiefling

Paladin - Dragonborn / Half-Elf / Halfling / Dwarf / Tiefling / Human / Elf / Eladrin

Ranger - Elf / Dragonborn / Human / Eladrin / Halfling / Dwarf / Half-Elf / Tiefling

Rogue - Halfling / Elf / Human / Eladrin / Dragonborn / Tiefling / Half-Elf / Dwarf

Warlock - Half-Elf / Tiefling / Human / Dwarf / Halfling / Dragonborn / Eladrin / Elf

Warlord - Dragonborn / Tiefling / Human / Eladrin / Half-Elf / Halfling / Dwarf / Elf

Wizard - Human / Eladrin / Tiefling / Elf / Dwarf / Halfling / Half-Elf / Dragonborn


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## FireLance (Aug 2, 2008)

As a player of an elf paladin, I find it odd that elf was rated the second worst race for paladin twice so far, and listed after the "drop-off" by Terradave.

Elves get a bonus to Wisdom, which affects many paladin powers as a secondary stat. Although elves don't get a bonus to either Strength or Charisma, the elf racial power gives them a good chance to hit with their best power once per encounter. This makes elven paladins very flexible; they don't need to specialize in a single "attack" ability score to be effective.


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## AtomicPope (Aug 2, 2008)

FireLance said:


> As a player of an elf paladin, I find it odd that elf was rated the second worst race for paladin twice so far, and listed after the "drop-off" by Terradave.
> 
> Elves get a bonus to Wisdom, which affects many paladin powers as a secondary stat. Although elves don't get a bonus to either Strength or Charisma, the elf racial power gives them a good chance to hit with their best power once per encounter. This makes elven paladins very flexible; they don't need to specialize in a single "attack" ability score to be effective.



You bring up an excellent point.  There are more to classes than Primary Stats.  Furthermore, it depends on the "builds" a person is choosing.  Warlocks and Wizards have several different stats to choose from when determining builds.  For instance, dwarves make excellent Staff and Orb wizards.  Dwarves are also perfect for Blood Mage paragon because their Minor Action Second Wind grants an uber attack at 16th level.  Yet, Dwarves do not receive an Int bonus.


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## TerraDave (Aug 4, 2008)

I guess the hope was that you could have a range of interesting builds...but still...for paladins charisma just seems more important then wisdom...and for wizards, int. is just king. They don't actually have that many powers that key off other abilities. 

But I also think it varies by class, a warlord, for example, allows for a wider range of effective builds, and hence, races, then say the int. focused no melee wizard.


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