Space Marine 2 Classes Ranked

In Space Marine 2, you play as six Space Marines in various Operations, the game’s co-op mode. Each has a unique playstyle and combat role. The devs have confirmed that they will eventually release new classes, and I’m excited to try them out.

Unlike other class-based shooters, Space Marine 2 doesn’t have a single class that is “OP” or “unplayable.” Their strengths and weaknesses are only limited by the player’s experience, loadout, and skill, and can shine or struggle in various scenarios. Each class offers a unique play style, and you’ll have to try each one out to see which suits you best.

We’ll be ranking each class on how fun they are to play and how hard it is to master them. After 100 hours in-game, I’ve taken to grind out the levels for each character and figure out their role in any given activity, particularly PVE.

I’ll only touch on PVP a little, as your class choice doesn’t factor too much into the success of your matches (also a skill issue on my part–I’m not great at PVP).

6 Heavy

Bigger, But Not Better

As the Heavy, your job is to drown your enemies in bullets, all the while supporting your teammates by blocking ranged shots and granting buffs with your Iron Halo.

The most reliable Heavy builds focus on defense and churning out as much sustained fire as possible, turning you into a walking weapons platform.

The Heavy’s playstyle heavily relies on your teammates drawing enemy aggro while you’re in the back providing cover fire and laying waste to your enemies from a relatively safe distance. Imagine the Heavy from Team Fortress 2, but on steroids.

The Heavy is great at dealing sustained damage. But while the Iron Halo provides a front-facing shield, the downside is that he doesn’t use any melee weapons, putting him at a disadvantage against swarms of enemies.

To top it off, when you’re in Heavy stance, you move significantly slower and can’t roll out of danger.

In my experience, this build enhances the Heavy’s ammo capacity and ability to lay down fire with perks like “Thermal Boost” and “Additional Supplies,” which can help you stay in battle for much longer. This allows you to switch between the Heavy Bolter and Plasma Pistol while the other cools.

As for maintaining Iron Halo uptime, perks like “Power Regulator” and “Conversion Field” are also helpful and can better buff your teammates, while the damage increase from “Brute Force” compensates for its cooldown.

My problem with the Heavy is that while peppering my enemies with bullets can be fun, my trigger finger gets tired eventually, and I often crave to be in the thick of the carnage.

In PVP, the Heavy plays pretty well in team-based engagements, but once a Vanguard or an Assault gets in your face, you’re going to have a bad time.

5 Sniper

Boom. Headshot.

Deadly from afar, the Sniper has access to one of the highest damage-dealing primaries in the game, particularly the Las Fusil. While the Heavy relies on his teammates so he can pick whittle down hordes, the Sniper does the same thing but deals massive critical damage to larger elites.

But the Sniper is extremely squishy. With only two armor charges and the Combat Knife as his only melee option, the Sniper is immensely weak against hordes.

A good Sniper doesn’t remain in one spot for too long. He provides overwatch for his teammates from afar and avoids enemy aggro when possible.

Long-range engagements are really satisfying when playing as the Sniper. In my experience, I prefer to target larger enemies first, allowing my teammates to deal with the chaff.

Occasionally, I would provide extra damage to those elites, leaving them vulnerable for my teammates to execute them.

Since the Sniper lacks survivability, this build leans on the Camo Cloak’s ability to evade enemy aggro. “Medicae Adept” makes reviving teammates much easier, and “Emergency Override” keeps you in the fight should you get overwhelmed. “Renewal” can also make sure Camo Cloak is available as often as possible, so long as you keep getting headshot kills.

This build can make sure you blend in with the shadows. The Sniper excels in open spaces and ledges, which give you a clear view of the area. Be precise and methodical in your approach, and your enemies will never see you coming.

The Sniper thrives on surprise attacks and stealth. I haven’t experimented much with PVP, but in my experience, I often get sniped from across the map by an invisible sniper, and they are really slippery in close range, as their Camo Cloak makes them completely invisible.

4 Tactical

The Jack of all Trades

Like any good shooter, Space Marine 2 has an archetypal soldier class, as he is flexible for any combat scenario. With a wide array of ranged weapons to choose from, he is a well-rounded class to start with, as he performs well in whatever playstyle you want to go for.

This class is a solid choice for any mission type, as it is incredibly flexible. Whether you’re facing Tyranids or Chaos cultists, the Tactical’s weaponry and Auspex Scan can give you an edge in dealing heavy burst damage toward your foes.

But the Tactical class isn’t a master in one specific thing. He doesn’t have the Assault or the Vanguard’s mobility, nor does he have an immense ammo count like the Heavy.

The best part about the Tactical is that his Auspex Scan offers a lot of potential to deal heavy burst damage on your enemies. Not only that, but he can also disable a Lichtor’s pesky invisibility.

Ammo economy is much easier to manage with “Emperor’s Vengeance,” and it also refills your Bolt Rifle’s grenade launcher, giving you a consistent supply of explosives. You can also enhance your Auspex Scan with “Precise Calibration” and “Expert Timing,” though you have to time your scans more wisely.

I found the Tactical rather lacking in excitement. Landing headshots and grenades can be satisfying at times, but the lack of melee variety does make playing the Tactical rather cumbersome.

In PVP, the Tactical plays just the same. A well-placed Auspex Scan be really helpful for you and your teammates to keep an eye on your enemies, especially in corners or unseen areas.

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3 Assault

Death from Above

The Assault is one of my favorite classes to play. In fact, this is the first class I’ve maxed out since I started Space Marines 2. His playstyle places heavy emphasis on melee aggression, taking to the skies and smiting enemies with a powerful ground slam.

With the Thunder Hammer, the Assault is an absolute beast at smashing hordes, able to save any surrounded teammate at a moment’s notice.

He also has extremely high mobility, as the Jump Pack has a dash and aerial boost, giving you plenty of options to disengage and reengage on your terms.

Surrounded by a horde? Just jump up and smash them to bits. Hounded by an elite enemy? Just disengage or dodge with your Jump Pack. A good Assault player will never be caught getting ganged up and can often be seen in the air preparing for a massive AOE melee attack.

The only issue with the Assault is that the Jump Pack can be wonky at times and still needs a little work.

Occasionally, you might accidentally dash instead of jumping, or the range of your ground slam attack is shorter than what you think it might be. The dash also lacks utility, as the Assault already has a short dodge built into his movement.

With “Armor Reinforcement,” you can keep fighting elites while maintaining armor charges. “Smiting Angel” and “Zealous Blow” also enhance your Jump Pack Leap; Ground Pound into a large enough horde, and you could regain ALL of your Jump Pack charges. This build is excellent for keeping you mobile and alive.

While Assault can be really powerful in PVE, he can be rather weak in PVP. Targeting an enemy while in the air leaves you vulnerable, and even though melee damage bypasses shields, you’re most likely just going to trade kills with your opponent.

2 Vanguard

Zip Around In Style

In a well-coordinated team, the Vanguard is the tip of the spear, starting engagements with his Grapnel Launcher to deliver a powerful dive kick. Like the Sniper, your job is to hunt Major enemies, except you’re the bullet.

With a max-level Melta upgraded with high ammo capacity and a good Fencing melee weapon, the Vanguard is an absolute menace to Majors and swarms alike.

You’re meant to bob and weave through crowds while popping off shots, dealing burst damage to elites while taking out surrounding Minors.

Not only that, the Grapnel Launcher can instantly stun most enemies, which makes it extremely useful in shutting up pesky Majors who are calling for reinforcements.

Remember: the Vanguard is squishy; with only two bars of armor and limited survivability, this class is best suited for those who are looking for a high-risk, high-reward playstyle.

This build works best with the Melta rifle. With the perks “Tip of the Spear” and “Grim Determination,” you can grapple an enemy and unload a few Melta shots into them. “Emperor’s Blessing” also keeps you alive, but still, try not to be too reckless.

Vanguard is incredibly fun to play. I often use him in Tyranid missions, and it’s satisfying to burn dozens of Xenos scum before I finish off a nearby elite. I highly recommend the Vanguard for anybody who loves to run and gun. Of course, this isn’t the only viable build for Ruthless.

I’ve faced plenty of enemy Vanguards in PVP, and they’re really annoying to fight. Their Grapnel Launcher stuns me, leaving me open to their Chainsword attacks before I can even process what just happened.

It also lets them grapple onto walls too, so I never know where they’re going to show up. I still have nightmares about them.

1 Bulwark

The Immovable Object

The Bulwark is Space Marines 2’s (almost) unkillable tank. While he lacks ranged and burst damage, this crusader revels in being in the thick of combat. His shield blocks all ranged damage, and the Power Sword allows him to switch between cleaving through enemies and dueling elites.

Not only is the Bulwark an exceptional tank, but he can also be great at providing close-range support with his Chapter Banner, giving extra Contested Health and armor regeneration, even in its most basic form.

The Bulwark has a high learning curve and is difficult to master.Patience and timing are key to playing as the Bulwark. Unlike the Assault or even the Vanguard, aggression can land you in situations that are hard to escape.

Parries are the name of the game. With “Intimidating Aura” and “Defensive Advantage,” you can punish hordes of Minoris enemies for surrounding you while you focus on an elite.

“Invigorating Iron” also ensures that you and your teammates are topped up with health, but make sure that there is always an enemy to finish off before you activate the Chapter Banner, as manually dealing damage is much slower.

I play Bulwark when I want to be a stalwart defender of my teammates, and to bully any elite that tries to get within melee range. I would often stand in the middle of a swarm and wait for one of them to attack me before parrying. Hours of playing soul-likes have not been wasted.

In PVP, a good Bulwark is incredibly hard to kill, since the shield absorbs all ranged damage. I often have a hard time getting through their defenses, and when I do, they’re already halfway to killing me.

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