Best Starting Profession in Romestead

Your starting profession sets your opening weapon and your skill bias for the first hour. It doesn't lock you out of anything — every character can learn every skill — but a good pick smooths out the first few in-game days. Here's how each class actually plays.

TL;DR — which to pick

• First-ever run: Scholar. Ranged scroll = survival crutch while you learn dodge timing.
• You prefer melee: Legionary. The Hasta's reach makes spacing forgiving.
• You're a builder, not a fighter: Woodcutter. Faster lumber gathering compounds across the whole run.
• You're playing a planned solo run: Miner. Front-loads stone, sets up Bronze tier faster.
• Co-op with 3+: One of each — see co-op section below.

Quick comparison table

Scholar

Starts with the Scroll of the Novice, a ranged magic offhand. Tap for a quick bolt, hold to charge a heavier hit. The crucial advantage isn't damage — it's that you can damage Fallen before they reach you.

Pros: Ranged safety, easiest survival curve, scrolls scale into the mid-game (Woolbound Scroll, Arcuballista).

Cons: Magic costs charge time, so you'll still want a basic melee in your off-hand. Damage is modest until you upgrade.

Verdict: The default first-run pick. Pick a melee profession on your second character once you understand combat.

Legionary

Starts with the Flint Hasta. A spear in Romestead has more reach than any sword you'll find in the first hour, and reach is the most undervalued stat in the game. You hit them before they hit you.

Pros: Forgiving spacing, good damage, transitions cleanly into Bronze Spatha mid-game.

Cons: Slower attack than daggers, you're still in melee range when things go wrong.

Verdict: Best melee starter. Pair with a shield as soon as you can craft one.

Woodcutter

Starts with the Flint Axe and a passive boost to lumber-gathering. Romestead's economy is brutally lumber-hungry — walls, buildings, charcoal, weapon hafts — so a Woodcutter's compounding gather speed is worth more than the small combat penalty.

Pros: Faster base buildout, more wood for walls and crafting, axe doubles as a serviceable melee weapon.

Cons: Axes have shorter reach than spears; combat feels clunky against grouped enemies.

Verdict: Strong pick if you know you'll spend most of your time building rather than dungeon-diving.

Miner

Starts with the Flint Pickaxe. Faster stone — and importantly, faster pathway to the Bronze tier. Note: the Miner profession is separate from a citizen's "Mining Expertise" level. Starting as a Miner does not let you mine Tin on day one. Tin still requires a citizen with Mining Expertise level 3 or higher (see our Bronze guide).

Pros: Stone-heavy openings, faster stone walls, sets up your eventual Tin/Bronze push.

Cons: Pickaxe is the worst combat weapon of the five.

Verdict: Good for solo players with a plan. Sub-optimal in co-op where someone else can mine while you fight.

Velites

Light infantry with thrown javelins as the starting weapon. Built for mobility and hit-and-run combat.

Pros: Ranged option without needing magic, good for scouting dangerous biomes early.

Cons: Javelins consume resources and have limited stacks; combat is fiddly until you replace them.

Verdict: Niche. Pick this if you specifically want a mobile playstyle and you're not afraid of the inventory management.

Best class for co-op

In a 2-player run: one Scholar (ranged backup + can solo dungeons) and one Legionary or Woodcutter (front-line + base building). In 3+ player runs, add a Miner specifically to push the Tin/Bronze timeline faster — it pays for itself in mid-game gear.

Avoid stacking two Scholars in a small party — you'll both stand at range while nothing gets built.