Deep Rock Galactic: Best Co-Op Class and Best Solo Class | HGG (2024)

Of all the class-based FPS games out there, Deep Rock Galactic has to be one of the best. Each of the four classes features their own special weapons, abilities, and playstyles. Don’t let the game’s small class pool scare you away — each is strong and unique in its own right!

If you’re new to the game or have yet to try it out, you might be asking yourself which of these classes you should specialize in. What is Deep Rock Galactic’s best class for solo players? What about for co-op gameplay?

In this article, we’ll break down each of the classes in Deep Rock Galactic, covering their respective abilities and equipment to help you decide which option is best for you. Let’s get started!

Class Rankings

We’ll start with how each class in Deep Rock Galactic ranks in solo and co-op play:

Driller — The Best Damage Dealer

Let’s start our list with one of the more underrated classes: the Driller. This heavy-duty dwarf seems to be unpopular in the community compared to the other classes. It’s not because he’s bad — many payers just don’t find his kit as enjoyable to play.

The Driller should always be at the front of his squad, and is best for taking down huge groups of enemies. His weapons allow him to specialize in crowd control, meaning he should always be facing swarms head-on for his team.

Additionally, he should be the one to plow through blocked tunnels. His drills clear paths easily and create shortcuts to the drop pod whenever it’s called in, making him great for moving through areas or making quick escape routes.

Weapons

The Driller carries arguably some of the best weapons in the game. His guns prioritize crowd control and dealing DOT.

• CRSPR Flamethrower: Shoots out a steady stream of white-hot flames that deal high damage and set targets ablaze. If you fire at the ground, you’ll leave behind flames that damage any bugs unfortunate enough to walk on them. Combine this gun with the Neurotoxin Grenade to wipe out huge groups of enemies at once!
• Cryo Cannon: A fan-favorite weapon. Opposite to the Flamethrower, this icy cannon blasts enemies with freezing cold temperatures that stop them in their tracks. Melee frozen enemies for a quick kill, which is great for taking out bigger enemies. It’s also good for the Glyphid Brood Nexus, as it won’t spawn any additional Glphid Swarmers if it’s destroyed when frozen.
• Corrosive Sludge Pump: A newly added weapon that shoots out acidic blobs of goo that slowly corrode enemies over time. Charge it up to fire out blobs that split off and cover the ground with sludge that damages bugs who walk over it.

Equipment

As far as equipment goes, the Driller gets items that reinforce his front-line, crowd-control gameplay. Like all the other classes, he can choose between three different throwables.

• Drills: Dual reinforced power drills that can tunnel through almost any material. While they can’t mine minerals, they can collect heavy items like compressed gold and Enor Pearls.
• Satchel Charges: Highly explosive devices that can be thrown into groups of enemies or placed and detonated to create massive explosions.
• High Explosive Grenade (Throwable): Used like any traditional frag grenade. It’s the most basic throwable for the Driller, but still very effective!
• Neurotoxin Grenade (Throwable): Fills the area with flammable gas that slows down enemies. If lit on fire, it’ll cause massive damage!
• Impact Axe (Throwable): A unique throwable that stuns enemies and deals significant damage. Combine this with the Vampire perk to gain health back after killing an enemy!

Gunner — The Best Support Class

Next up, let’s take a peek at the Gunner. If you’re a fan of really big guns and helping your allies, then you’ve come to the right class. The Gunner is the best support class in the game due to his equipment, which is designed to be used by his whole group.

The Gunner is excellent at providing sustained fire against boss enemies or when his team is being swarmed. This class is a must-pick when doing Elimination missions.

Additionally, his abilities are excellent for reinforcing his team. He’s viable in pretty much any situation and adds a lot to the overall team dynamic.

Weapons

The Gunner’s arsenal excels at providing sustained fire to cover allies and deal consistent amounts of damage. Each one accomplishes this task in its own unique way, so let’s go over each of them briefly.

• “Lead Storm” Powered Minigun: A powerful chaingun that doesn’t require you to reload (it can heat up if fired for too long). It sports a very high fire rate, but to keep it in check, it comes with a short spinup time whenever you pull the trigger.
• “Thunderhead” Heavy Autocannon: A .50 cal LMG with a slow fire rate that gradually gets faster the longer you pull the trigger. The Autocannon comes with the added benefit of explosive rounds, making each hit more deadly.
• “Hurricane” Guided Rocket System: Shoots out slow-firing, guided rockets that allow you to hit targets behind corners. The GRS saw its release at the launch of Season 1 and has since become my favorite weapon for the Gunner.

Equipment

Most of the Gunner’s equipment is designed to support the whole team. The three throwable options are (mostly) standard grenades, but who says blasting enemies can’t also be a form of support?

• Shield Generator: Throws down a bubble shield that wards off bugs and protects your team from ranged attacks. It also has the added bonus of recharging your shields!
• Zipline Launcher: Shoots a permanent zip line across wide gaps and down steep cliffs. This zipline can be used by other players and allows for quick movement across the cave systems of the planet.
• Sticky Grenade (Throwable): Attach to any surface (including enemies) and detonate after a short period of time.
• Incendiary Grenade (Throwable): coat their surroundings with huge walls of flames, setting fire to any bugs unfortunate enough to cross their path.
• Cluster Grenade (Throwable): Splits off into separate, smaller explosions after being thrown. Great for dealing with huge groups of enemies!

Scout — The Best Mobility Class

Now let’s take a look at one of the most popular classes in Deep Rock Galactic: the Scout. The Scout is highly sought-after by players due to his high mobility. I wouldn’t say the Scout is my favorite class, but it’s definitely a top contender and one I like to play in solo games.

The Scout is a versatile class that can tackle just about any target in any situation. Depending on how you mod your loadout, you can play this class long-range, close-range, with high DPS, rapid-fire, etc.

He’s the pathfinder of his group, and specializes in scouting out ores and dangers up ahead. He can light up dark areas and works best when assisting his squad from afar.

Weapons

The weapons for the Scout are the most “basic” out of any other characters. This doesn’t mean they’re bad — they’re just not as unique as some of the other guns in the game. Scouts can take on enemies at medium or long-range and are very versatile (depending on the build).

• Deepcore GK2: Your typical assault rifle — fully automatic and good at dealing damage to any enemy type. It can be upgraded with a variety of different mods and overclocks to give it more damage, a faster fire rate, and even electric damage when reloaded!
• M1000 Classic: Probably the closest we will ever get to a sniper rifle in DRG. It’s very similar to the real-life M1 Garand. You can charge up each shot for more accuracy and damage, making it the most viable weapon for dealing damage at longer ranges.
• DRAK-25 Plasma Carbine: An energy-based rifle that doesn’t need to be reloaded (only vented to remove excess heat). It sports an incredibly fast rate of fire, and can turn bugs into puddles of plasmic goo with no effort.

Equipment

As previously mentioned, the Scout is best for moving around the map fast and scouting (duh) new areas. His three throwables are based more around utility than damage.

• Grappling Hook: Pretty self-explanatory. Gets you out of danger or close to out-of-reach resources. It is especially useful for reaching downed squadmates in a hurry so they can be revived.
• Flare Gun: Shoots long-lasting flares that attach to cave walls, allowing you and your team to see hidden minerals and dangers. Especially useful for spotting Cave Leeches before they attack!
• Cryo Grenade (Throwable): Instantly covers enemies in a thick layer of ice that halts them in their tracks. Aim for flying enemies — they’ll be completely destroyed upon touching the ground!
• Pheromone Canister (Throwable): When thrown into a group of bugs, they will immediately stop attacking the player and turn on one another. My personal favorite pick for the Scout.
• Inhibitor-Field Generator (Throwable): Adds a slowing effect to enemies in their radius and make them weaker to all types of damage.

Engineer — The Best Solo Class

Finishing up our list of Deep Rock Galactic best classes is the Engineer. The Engineer excels at defending multiple points from enemies. He is arguably the best class for solo players thanks to this ability, but his uses don’t stop there.

The Engineer is a mid-range class that’s great for defending objectives. He’s best used in Salvage Operations and in Escort Duty.

His turrets give him the extra firepower he needs to venture into caves solo, making him great for players that like running missions by themselves.

Weapons

The Engineer’s weapons are generally better for close to medium-range combat and are fairly standard when compared to the other classes.

• “Warthog” Auto 210: A semi-automatic shotgun (which can be upgraded to full auto) that packs a punch at close range. It is — in my opinion — one of the weaker weapons in the game, but still good with the right mods and overclocks.
• “Stubby” Voltaic SMG: An automatic submachine gun that uses electric rounds to stun all types of enemies. It can be upgraded to arc electricity between bugs, allowing you to damage multiple targets at once! This is one of my favorite weapons in the game, and it is a welcome upgrade over his shotgun.
• LOK-1 Smart Rifle: Another SMG, this time modified with an AI that can lock onto targets (think of the Smart Pistol from Titanfall 2). The auto-lock takes some getting used to, but once you have it down, it becomes one of the most satisfying weapons in the game.

Equipment

If you found the guns a little underwhelming, don’t worry. The real effectiveness of the Engineer is in his equipment, not his guns.

• Turrets: Pieces of dwarven engineering that spray out heaps of lead at enemies. You can choose between having one powerful turret that can fire in any direction, or two less-powerful turrets that can only cover one angle.
• Platform Gun: Instantly creates platforms of hardened material for you and your teammates to walk on. They’re great for getting across gaps and accessing out-of-reach minerals. Combine this with the Scout’s Grappling Hook, and you can clear out whole caves of minerals in record time!
• Proximity Mine (Throwable): A deadly trap that activates after a few seconds and can detonate multiple times. Deploy multiple Proximity Mines at once to cover several chokepoints!
• Plasma Burster (Throwable): Sends out huge waves of plasma against enemies to deal high amounts of damage. You can hold up to six of them!
• L.U.R.E. (Throwable): Creates a holographic display of a dwarf that lures in enemy bugs. After a few seconds, it damages all creatures foolish enough to fall for its trap.

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Thanks for reading out breakdown of Deep Rock Galactic’s best classes! If you have any other advice for us, feel free to leave a comment. Please make sure to subscribe to our newsletter — we offer regular features on all your favorite games.

Happy gaming!