Class

Each Operator in Arknights belongs to one of eight classes which determines how they function, with each class having their own branches, also colloquially referred to as archetypes or subclasses, that specializes the Operator's abilities.

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	Caster Ranged Attacks deal Arts damage Average to low HP Average to high ATK Low DEF Average RES High DP cost Low to Average ASPD

	Core Caster Nothing special
	Splash Caster Attacks deal area-of-effect damage
	Blast Caster Attacks damage all enemies in a long linear range
	Chain Caster Attacks jump between multiple targets and temporarily Slows them, but deals 15% less damage in each jump
	Mech-Accord Caster Controls a drone that attacks enemies independently, dealing more damage in successive attacks against the same target
	Phalanx Caster Only attacks while the skill is active, which damages all enemies in range; has greatly increased DEF and RES while the skill is not active
	Mystic Caster Store attacks if no enemies are in range (up to 3), which are simultaneously released in the next attack
	Primal Caster Can deal Elemental damage against enemies being affected by Elemental Damage

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	Defender Melee Can block 2 or 3 enemies, except Duelist Defenders who can only block 1 enemy High HP Low to average ATK High DEF No or low RES High DP cost Average ASPD

	Protector Defender Nothing special
	Guardian Defender Can heal friendly units with skills
	Juggernaut Defender Cannot be actively healed by friendlies but can heal themselves through skills and/or talents
	Arts Protector Defender Attack deals Arts damage while the skill is active
	Duelist Defender Can only block one enemy and only recover/restore SP while blocking an enemy
	Fortress Defender Uses a ranged attack with minimum range that deals area-of-effect damage while not blocking enemies
	Sentinel Protector Defender Uses a ranged attack with a range of two tiles ahead that can target aerial enemies

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	Guard Melee Can block 1 ~ 3 enemies High HP High ATK Low to average DEF No or low RES Average to high DP cost Average to high ASPD

	Dreadnought Guard Nothing special
	Centurion Guard Attacks hit multiple targets equal to block count
	Lord Guard Has a ranged attack that deals 0.8× damage, which is used while not blocking enemies
	Arts Fighter Guard Attacks deal Arts damage
	Instructor Guard Has a range of two tiles ahead and attacks deal 1.2× damage against enemies not blocked by self; supports friendlies with skills
	Fighter Guard Has a very low attack interval
	Swordmaster Guard Attacks deal two consecutive hits (but are still considered as one attack)
	Musha Guard Cannot be actively healed by friendlies and restores slight HP in each attack
	Liberator Guard Only attack and block enemies when the skill is active, and have increased ATK over time when the skill is not active (up to a limit and will be lost when the skill expires upon activation); has a range of the frontal and side tiles
	Reaper Guard Attacks hit all enemies within a vertical range of three tiles ahead, cannot be actively healed by friendlies, and restores slight HP for every enemy hit in each attack up to the block count
	Crusher Guard Attacks hit multiple targets equal to block count and have extremely high HP and ATK, but have no defenses whatsoever and a high attack interval
	Earthshaker Guard Attacks deal half-strength splash damage affecting enemies near the main target

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	Medic Ranged Heals friendly units instead of attacking enemies Low HP Average ATK Low DEF No RES Average DP cost Low ASPD

	Medic Medic Heals one target at a time
	Multi-target Medic Heals up to three targets simultaneously
	Therapist Medic Heal targets at a wide range with 80% effectiveness on further targets
	Wandering Medic Can remove Elemental Damage on friendlies, even if the target is at full HP, for half the ATK
	Incantation Medic Attacks enemies instead of healing friendlies, unlike other Medics, but heals a friendly unit within range for half the ATK in each attack
	Chain Medic Healing jumps between multiple targets but restores 25% less HP in each jump

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	Sniper Ranged Average HP Average to high ATK Low DEF No RES Low to high DP cost Low to high ASPD

	Marksman Sniper Attacks aerial enemies over the others
	Artilleryman Sniper Attacks deal area-of-effect damage
	Deadeye Sniper Has a long range and attacks enemies with the lowest DEF over the others
	Heavyshooter Sniper Has a short range but high ATK
	Spreadshooter Sniper Attacks damage all enemies in range with those in the frontal row taking 1.5× damage
	Besieger Sniper Has a minimum range of the frontal tiles and attacks enemies with the highest weight over the others
	Flinger Sniper Attacks deal two consecutive hits with the second dealing half damage and can only target ground enemies
	Hunter Sniper Only attacks while having ammunition which deals 1.2× damage and reloaded over time if no enemies are in range
	Loopshooter Sniper Uses a boomerang-like projectile to attack with a long and wide range, but must wait until the projectile returns to attack again

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	Specialist Melee/Ranged The trait or skills define primary function Can block 0 to 2 enemies Average HP Average ATK Average DEF No to low RES Low to average DP cost Low to high ASPD

	Push Stroker Specialist Melee, but can be deployed on ranged tiles; can push away enemies with skills and attacks hit multiple targets equal to block count
	Hookmaster Specialist Melee, but can be deployed on ranged tiles; can pull in enemies with skills and has a range of several tiles ahead
	Executor Specialist Melee; has a much shorter redeployment time of 18 seconds (with the sole exception to THRM-EX)
	Ambusher Specialist Melee; attacks hit all enemies in range, can dodge Physical and Arts attacks 50% of the time, and have Negative Taunt
	Geek Specialist Ranged; causes "friendly fire" to buff friendlies and degenerates HP over time
	Merchant Specialist Melee; has a shorter redeployment time of 25 seconds but drains 3 DP every 3 seconds while deployed and will be automatically retreated if there are not enough DP, and does not return DP when retreated
	Trapmaster Specialist Ranged; can use traps which must be deployed on tiles without enemies
	Dollkeeper Specialist Melee; temporarily replaced by a Substitute which cannot block enemies upon losing all HP, but must be redeployed if the Substitute is defeated

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	Supporter Ranged Attacks deal Arts damage The trait, skills, and/or talents provide offensive and/or defensive support Low HP Average ATK Low DEF Average RES Low to average DP cost Average ASPD

	Decel Binder Supporter Attacks temporarily Slow the target
	Summoner Supporter Can utilize summons
	Hexer Supporter Weaken enemies' defensive and/or offensive capabilities
	Bard Supporter Does not attack but passively heal friendlies within range; can Inspire friendlies but are unaffected by Inspiration (including from themselves)
	Abjurer Supporter Augments the defensive capabilities of friendly units and heals friendlies instead of attacking enemies for 0.75× ATK while the skill is active
	Artificer Supporter Melee and attacks deal Physical damage, unlike other Supporters; can utilize Support Devices to augment friendlies
	Ritualist Supporter Can inflict Elemental Damage on enemies

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	Vanguard Melee/Ranged The trait or skills allow additional DP generation Can block 1 or 2 enemies Average HP Average ATK Average DEF No RES Low DP cost High ASPD

	Pioneer Vanguard Steadily generate DP with skills
	Charger Vanguard Generates 1 DP when defeating an enemy and refunds the base DP cost when retreated
	Standard Bearer Vanguard Rapidly generate DP with skills but can neither attack nor block enemies while the skill is active
	Tactician Vanguard Ranged, unlike other Vanguards; can deploy a Reinforcement within attack range and attacks deal 1.5× damage against enemies being blocked by the Reinforcement(s)
	Agent Vanguard Has a shorter redeployment time of 35 seconds and a range of two tiles ahead, and generate DP in each attack while the skill is active