Choose a Class That Supports Your Extraction
Classes matter because they determine how a mercenary gains advantages during a mission, not merely which weapon fits their theme. A good class gives you dependable damage, survivability, action points, or loot efficiency while you work toward extraction.
Each class contains six perks. Passive perks work continuously and gain experience through stated actions, such as firing a supported weapon or moving while heavily loaded. Trigger perks activate automatically when their condition occurs, granting a temporary bonus and experience toward improved effects.
Your operator, equipment, mission goal, and ammunition supply matter as much as the class itself. Think of a class as a build foundation rather than a permanent job label.
| Class type | How it is obtained | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Starting class | Available at the beginning of a run | Establishing an early playstyle |
| Unlockable class | Class Chips from loot, rewards, or corporation trading | Supporting specialized tactics |
| Modified class | Ship-based class editing after upgrades | Combining perks into a focused build |
The two starting choices cover distinct styles. Scouts of Hades favor flexible ranged combat, while Eclipse Blades reward close-range aggression. Both can remain effective throughout a campaign with compatible gear and good positioning.
Starting Classes and Their Strengths
Scouts of Hades is the most forgiving opening choice for most players. Its perks support SMGs, shotguns, and assault rifles while helping armor, calorie efficiency, accuracy, critical hits, and reactive action-point gains. It does not depend on rare equipment, making it reliable while crafting and faction rewards are limited.
Eclipse Blades is a melee-oriented class focused on movement, evasion, and converting wounds into momentum. It can be extremely strong in close quarters when you understand door control, sprint positioning, and when to switch to a firearm. It is less forgiving if dangerous ranged enemies can attack before you close the distance.
| Starting class | Key strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Scouts of Hades | Ranged accuracy, armor support, critical-hit potential, reactive AP | Several triggers rely on enemy actions |
| Eclipse Blades | Melee accuracy, dodge, sprint utility, wound recovery, AP recovery | Needs safe approaches and a backup gun |
Scouts of Hades works well for predictable gunplay. Gear Maintenance improves physical protection and armor durability, while CQC-Specialist improves accuracy and reduces spread for its supported weapon groups. Fire Transfer grants critical chance after kills, rewarding clean clears of smaller encounters before tougher rooms.
Eclipse Blades shines when you dictate engagement range. Knife Fight improves melee reliability, Athletics reduces the accuracy penalty from sprinting, and Combat Reflexes adds dodge chance. Carnage can return action points after inflicting a melee wound, turning a successful attack into another strike, reposition, or retreat.
Do not commit to pure melee just because you chose Eclipse Blades. Carry a gun for enemies behind hazards, hostile ranged specialists, and situations where closing distance would cost too much health.
Unlockable Classes: Match Them to the Mission
Class Chips broaden your roster through mission loot, contract rewards, and corporation trading. Unlockable classes are valuable when they solve a specific problem: hauling salvage, controlling crowded rooms, surviving heavy fire, or supporting uncommon weapons.
| Class | General identity | Suitable mission role |
|---|---|---|
| Tifton's Elite | Heavy weapons, explosives, deployables | Conquest and armored opposition |
| Tunnel Rats | Salvage and inventory utility | Loot runs and economic progression |
| Phoenix Brigade | Aggressive mobility and fire combat | Fast attacks and weapon swaps |
| Spaceborn Ghosts | Stealth, vision, careful ranged play | Espionage and scouting |
| Angels of Spades | Medical and support utility | Recovery-focused teams |
| Terror Pack | Fear and disruption | Dense enemy encounters |
| Valkyrie Squad | Broad combat tools | Balanced loadouts |
| Martian Mech Inf | Mech and energy weapons | Later crafting progression |
Tifton's Elite is a strong choice when you can sustain its weight, ammunition, and medical demands. Its weapon perks cover assault rifles, machine guns, miniguns, grenade launchers, and rocket launchers. Grenadier boosts explosive damage, while Shock and Awe can stun enemies damaged by explosions.
Tunnel Rats can be more valuable than its combat performance suggests. More components, chips, and sellable equipment from successful extractions accelerate every later build. The tradeoff is risk: carrying too much can make a mercenary slower, hungrier, and less able to escape.
Spaceborn Ghosts and other specialists may look weaker in direct brawls because much of their value comes from preparation. Use them when an objective permits vision control, stealthy movement, and long-range attacks. Avoid judging them only by forced open-room firefights.
Build Perks Around Action Economy
The strongest custom classes balance offense, defense, and utility. A modest perk can be excellent when it triggers during your usual play. A powerful effect tied to a weapon you never fire, however, is effectively an empty slot.
A practical starting structure is two offensive perks, two defensive perks, and one or two utility or action-point perks. Adjust the mix according to what regularly ends your missions.
| Build need | Priorities | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | Accuracy, spread reduction, weapon damage, critical effects | Ends fights before enemies gain turns |
| Defense | Dodge, resistance, armor support, health, wound recovery | Limits punishment from bad positioning |
| Utility | AP, calorie savings, carrying capacity, crafting access | Gives options during long missions |
| Specialization | Explosives, melee, energy weapons, deployables | Rewards a dependable equipment plan |
Use this process when revising a class:
- Choose the weapon group you genuinely use most.
- Add an offensive perk that consistently supports it.
- Choose defenses that fit the armor plan: resistance and armor for durable builds, or dodge and implants for lighter ones.
- Include an AP-generation perk when possible, since AP can become attacks, movement, healing, reloading, or escape.
- Use the final slot for the mission goal, such as loot, recovery, explosives, or another damage type.
- Test the setup across several missions before replacing more perks.
Avoid building around rare triggers. A low-ammo machine-gun bonus may be excellent for Tifton's Elite but contributes nothing to a shotgun mercenary. Likewise, a cannibalism damage loop only works if you can reliably use its required resources.
Bring multiple damage types regardless of class. Enemies and stations can punish a single-weapon plan, even when that weapon is upgraded.
Edit Classes Without Wasting Progress
The Classes ship upgrade lets you replace perks in owned classes with perks from other unlocked classes. Initial access allows a limited number of swaps, and later upgrades expand editing capacity. This lets you preserve a class identity you enjoy while removing perks that do not fit your operator or equipment.
Changing a perk on an already equipped class makes the newly added skill begin at level 1. Plan major rebuilds before investing deeply in a particular setup when practical. Still, do not wait indefinitely for every possible Class Chip; a useful class now is usually better than a perfect theoretical one later.
| Situation | Recommended response |
|---|---|
| You miss with a preferred weapon | Add compatible accuracy and spread support |
| You die after a few hits | Improve resistance, armor, dodge, or recovery |
| You lack options in fights | Add a reliable AP perk |
| You extract little after winning | Add loot utility or reduce carried weight |
| A perk seldom activates | Replace it with one tied to regular actions |
Operator traits change which class feels strongest. High baseline accuracy lets a mercenary lean harder into damage or defense, while a durable operator makes reactive perks safer. Melee-oriented operators can elevate Eclipse Blades, while strong vision and ranged traits help Scouts of Hades and stealth-focused play.
Keep a reliable generalist even after unlocking specialists. A balanced Scout-style build is often the safest choice when the mission briefing and available supplies do not clearly favor a niche.
FAQ
What is the best beginner choice in this Quasimorph class guide?
Scouts of Hades is generally the easiest starting class for ranged players. Its supported weapons are common, its passives help in many situations, and it does not need a specialized loadout to perform well.
Is Eclipse Blades viable for a full campaign?
Yes. Eclipse Blades can be excellent with careful sprinting, door control, melee accuracy, and a backup firearm. It demands more map awareness than Scouts of Hades, but its dodge and melee momentum are powerful.
How do I unlock more classes?
Find Class Chips during missions, earn them through mission rewards, or obtain them through corporation trading. Once unlocked, their perks can also become options for class editing.
Should every class have an AP perk?
Usually. Action points can become attacks, movement to cover, reloading, healing, or escape. A build without AP generation can work, but it sacrifices considerable tactical flexibility.
When should I modify a class?
Modify a class after identifying a consistent weapon plan and a perk that is not helping your runs. Since a newly inserted perk starts at level 1, avoid rebuilding immediately before a difficult mission.
