Ubisoft Quebec released Assassin's Creed Odyssey on 5 October 2018, dropping the series into 431 BCE and the Peloponnesian War. You choose Alexios or Kassandra, a Spartan mercenary carrying the broken spear of Leonidas, and later patches pushed the level cap to 99. Forty two members of the Cult of Kosmos have to be unmasked before the Ghost of Kosmos will meet you face to face.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Warrior | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Assassin | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Hybrid mercenary | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Naval captain | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our Assassin's Creed Odyssey tier list.
A-Tier: Hunter
Hunter is a top-performing option in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Swords | The balanced middle of the seven weapon families, with reach and speed both acceptable and nothing outstanding. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Three ability trees | Forty four skills sit across the Hunter, Warrior and Assassin trees, and you can slot them freely rather than being locked into one. |
How to Play Hunter
Hunter focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Swords does the damage and Three ability trees keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Warrior
Warrior is a strong option in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Daggers | The fastest weapons in the game and the natural pairing with an Assassin build, since assassination damage multiplies with speed and critical rate. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Adrenaline fuelled abilities | Abilities burn adrenaline segments that fill as you fight, so damage output is a resource you generate rather than a cooldown you wait out. |
How to Play Warrior
Warrior focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Daggers with Adrenaline fuelled abilities and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Assassin
Assassin is a strong option in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Spears | Longer reach than swords with a lighter hit, which keeps you outside the swing arc of most soldiers. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Engravings on gear | Engravings are permanent stat perks applied at a blacksmith, unlocked by dismantling legendary equipment, solving Ainigmata Ostraka tablets and clearing mercenary tiers. |
How to Play Assassin
Assassin focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Engravings on gear covers the gap Spears leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Hybrid mercenary
Hybrid mercenary is a specialized option in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Heavy Bladed | Slow, wide and heavy, built for Warrior builds that trade hits rather than avoid them. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Mercenary tiers and bounties | Nine tiers of rival mercenaries hunt you when your bounty rises, and you climb from tier 9 toward tier 1 by killing them. |
How to Play Hybrid mercenary
Hybrid mercenary focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Mercenary tiers and bounties rather than raw numbers, and Heavy Bladed is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Naval captain
Naval captain is a specialized option in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Bows | The Hunter tree's whole reason to exist, powering Predator Shot, Devastating Shot and Rain of Destruction. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Conquest battles and naval warfare | Every region has a Nation Power gauge that you drain by burning war supplies, looting treasury and killing the leader, which opens a Conquest Battle. |
How to Play Naval captain
Naval captain focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Bows and Conquest battles and naval warfare pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Warrior: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Hunter once you understand core mechanics and have access to Swords
- Keep a Assassin setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Naval captain for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Dismantle legendary gear you will never wear instead of selling it. Dismantling is a main source of engravings, and an engraving unlocked once can be applied to any future weapon at a blacksmith.
- Pick one damage type and stack it everywhere. Spreading engravings across Assassin, Warrior and Hunter damage produces a character that is mediocre in all three, while stacking one tree turns level appropriate enemies into single hit kills.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More Assassin's Creed Odyssey Guides
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Assassin's Creed Odyssey Overview
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Tier List
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Walkthrough
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Beginner's Guide
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Tips & Tricks
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Weapons Guide
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Combat Guide
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Boss Guide
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Maps & Locations
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Crafting Guide
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey Classes & Characters
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