Ultimate Barony Tier List: Best Ranks After 2000 Hours

Discover the definitive Barony tier list for races and classes. Learn which builds dominate dungeons and which to avoid in this community-driven guide.

Why You Need a Barony Tier List

If you’ve ever stepped into the unforgiving dungeons of Barony, you know that choosing the right race and class combination can mean the difference between a glorious victory and a humiliating death. After analyzing over 2,000 hours of gameplay from top players and community discussions, this Barony tier list breaks down every race’s strengths, weaknesses, and optimal synergies. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned veteran, understanding these rankings will help you survive the labyrinth, the swamps, and the depths of hell.

This guide isn’t just about raw power—it’s about versatility, survivability, and how each race performs across different playstyles. Let’s dive into the rankings and see which races deserve the top spots.

S-Tier: The Undisputed Champions

These races offer unparalleled advantages that can carry you through the entire game. They have minimal weaknesses and game-changing abilities that make them the best picks for any serious run.

Vampire: The Blood-Drinking Powerhouse

The Vampire is widely considered the strongest race in the game, and for good reason. You start with the Bloodletting spell, which can one-shot rats and kill trolls in just three hits. Every fleshy enemy becomes a source of food, eliminating hunger management entirely. You also begin with Levitation, granting immediate access to otherwise inaccessible areas. With natural magic resistance and no real downsides beyond water vulnerability (easily solved with boots or rings), the Vampire is a top-tier choice.

Key Strengths:

Best starting spell in the game
Infinite food from enemies
Built-in levitation
No regeneration penalties

Succubus: The Ultimate Versatile Race

The Succubus combines the best of monster and human traits. You have 20% magic resistance, can interact with all shopkeepers (thanks to Polymorph), and can use every item in the game. This means you can buy unlimited scrolls, potions, and gear—turning any run into a shopping spree. Community reports highlight how Succubi can stack curses twice as fast by buying both blank and remove curse scrolls. This race is an easy S-tier for its sheer flexibility.

Why It’s S-Tier:

20% magic resistance
Full shop access
Unlimited item usage
Excellent for curse-based builds

A-Tier: Excellent Choices with Minor Flaws

These races are incredibly strong but have a specific weakness that prevents them from reaching S-tier. With the right items or playstyle, they can still dominate.

Goatman: The Drunken Brute

Goatmen are melee monsters. Drinking alcohol grants Free Action (immunity to paralysis and slow) plus a massive 25% boost to Strength and Constitution. This can stack with potions and spells for up to 75% increased damage. However, they take 40% more magic damage, making early-game magic enemies extremely dangerous. You’ll need two magic resistance items just to match a human’s baseline. Despite this, their raw physical power earns them a solid A-tier.

Trait	Effect	Drawback
Alcoholism	+25% Str/Con, Free Action	40% more magic damage
Starting Spells	None	Weak to early magic
Best Classes	Barbarian, Ninja, Warrior	Requires magic resist gear

Skeleton: The Immortal Undead

Skeletons are immune to burning, have built-in magic resistance, and possess a free life-saving effect. They never need food, allowing you to AFK and regenerate fully. Their regeneration is slower (75% of normal combined health/mana), but this is offset by infinite time and access to healing items. Skeletons excel as ranged or melee characters but struggle as pure mages due to mana regen issues.

Skeleton Strengths:

No food required
Immune to fire
Free resurrection
Can AFK to full health

B-Tier: Solid Performers with Notable Weaknesses

These races are perfectly viable but have clear drawbacks that require careful play. They’re great for specific builds but less flexible than higher tiers.

Automaton: The Fireproof Machine

Automatons are immune to burning and can eat almost anything (books, gems, scrap) for fuel. Their mana regeneration doubles when below 50% mana, making them excellent mages. However, they have a 20% weakness to magic, can’t swim, and need to eat more frequently than other races. The supercharged mechanic (boosted by scrolls of fire) is powerful but requires setup.

Feature	Benefit	Downside
Fire Immunity	Immune to burning	20% magic weakness
Fuel System	Eat non-food items	25% faster hunger
Mana Regen	400% when supercharged	No swimming
Best Classes	Mage, Accursed, Conjurer	Requires careful management

Insectoid: The Poison-Resistant Survivor

Insectoids resist poison, can eat any food (including cursed or rotten), and have a maximum of 100 mana with food-based mana restoration. They start with Spray Acid, Dash, and Flutter—useful but not game-changing. They excel at melee and ranged but struggle as spellcasters due to passive mana degeneration. Community feedback suggests Insectoid Mechanist is a popular combo for its synergy with time-consuming builds.

Insectoid Pros and Cons:

Pros: Poison immunity, eat anything, good mobility
Cons: Passive mana drain, weak magic scaling
Best Classes: Mechanist, Hunter, Ninja

Incubus: The Balanced Spellblade

Incubus has 20% magic resistance, starts with Arcane Mark and Teleport, and can use blast items. However, blast items get stuck when blessed (from fountains), which is frustrating. The inability to curse items efficiently limits late-game power. It’s a balanced race that doesn’t excel anywhere but doesn’t fail either.

C-Tier: Niche Picks for Specific Runs

These races are situational at best. They have one or two strengths but are outclassed by higher tiers in most scenarios.

Goblin: The Swamp Specialist

Goblins gain extra melee skill with all weapons but level up slower. Their equipment lasts longer, but they can’t learn spells. The only real advantage is being neutral with swamp goblins, making the early swamp biome much easier. After that, they offer little. Many players consider Goblin a D-tier race, but the early-game safety pushes it to C.

Trait	Benefit	Weakness
Melee Skill	Extra skill with all weapons	Slower leveling
Equipment Durability	Gear lasts longer	Can’t learn spells
Swamp Neutrality	Safe early biome	Useless later
Best Classes	Barbarian, Warrior	Poor magic scaling

Human: The Baseline Benchmark

Humans have no special abilities, resistances, or weaknesses. They can interact with all shopkeepers and aren’t attacked by humans, but this is easily bypassed by other races. The 2,000-hour veteran who created this tier list initially considered Humans A-tier but demoted them to C-tier because every other race offers something better. They’re the “vanilla” option—fine for learning but suboptimal for serious play.

Race Comparison Table

Race	Tier	Magic Resist	Food Need	Best Role	Key Ability
Vampire	S	20%	None (blood)	Any	Bloodletting + Levitation
Succubus	S	20%	Normal	Any	Polymorph + Shop access
Goatman	A	-40%	Normal	Melee	Alcoholism buff
Skeleton	A	20%	None	Ranged/Melee	Life saving + Fire immunity
Automaton	B	-20%	Fuel	Mage	Supercharged mana
Insectoid	B	0%	Any food	Melee/Ranged	Poison immunity
Incubus	B	20%	Normal	Hybrid	Arcane Mark
Goblin	C	0%	Normal	Melee	Swamp neutrality
Human	C	0%	Normal	Any	Shop access

Class and Race Synergies

Choosing the right combination amplifies your strengths. Here are some top-tier pairings based on community experience and expert analysis:

Race	Class	Why It Works
Vampire	Any	Bloodletting solves early game, levitation for mobility
Succubus	Merchant	Double shop access, unlimited scrolls
Goatman	Barbarian	Alcoholism + melee damage = insane burst
Skeleton	Ninja	No food, ranged focus, free resurrection
Automaton	Conjurer	Supercharged mana for endless summons
Insectoid	Mechanist	Time to build machines, eat anything

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best race for beginners in Barony?

The Human is often recommended for beginners due to its lack of weaknesses and full shop access. However, the Skeleton is also a great choice because you never need to worry about food, giving you time to learn mechanics. For a balance of power and simplicity, try the Vampire—it’s strong and forgiving.

Is the Goblin race really that bad?

According to the Barony tier list from experienced players, Goblins are C-tier at best. Their only real advantage is swamp neutrality, which becomes irrelevant after the first few floors. They can’t learn spells and level up slower, making them a poor choice for most builds. However, some players enjoy the challenge.

Which race is best for magic builds?

The Automaton is arguably the best mage race due to its supercharged mana regeneration (up to 400% when below 50% mana). The Succubus is also excellent because you can buy unlimited spellbooks and scrolls. Avoid Insectoid for magic—its passive mana drain makes sustained casting difficult.

How often does the Barony tier list change?

The meta evolves with each update. The current Barony tier list reflects the state of the game as of mid-2026. Major patches can shift rankings, especially if new races or balance changes are introduced. Always check recent community discussions for the latest insights.

Final Thoughts

This Barony tier list is based on thousands of hours of gameplay and community feedback. While S-tier races like Vampire and Succubus offer the easiest path to victory, don’t be afraid to experiment with lower tiers for fun or challenge. The best race is ultimately the one that fits your playstyle. For more details, check the official Barony Steam page for updates and community guides.

Remember: even a Goblin can conquer the dungeon with the right strategy. Happy dungeon diving