Hypixel Ravengard Builds: Best Class Setups for the 0.2 Playtest
Hypixel's Ravengard is back for a public playtest weekend, and with it comes a new class, a reworked class, shields, and a wave of balance changes that shake.
Hypixel's Ravengard is back for a public playtest weekend, and with it comes a new class, a reworked class, shields, and a wave of balance changes that shake up what "best build" even means. If you're searching for a Ravengard build guide, the honest answer is that builds in Ravengard center on your class choice and the weapons you loot during a dungeon run — and the 0.2 playtest changes that math considerably. Here's a breakdown of every class, what's changed, and how to think about your setup going in.
What's New in the Ravengard 0.2 Playtest
The playtest runs from August 28th to August 31st, announced on the Hypixel forums. Hypixel did not announce a specific start time, so check the forums post for updates. The headline changes relevant to builds:
- A brand-new class: the Sorcerer
- Night Shields, a new equipment type
- A reworked Hunter class
- An optional tutorial dungeon for new players
- Balance changes, loot pool updates, and bug fixes
The class selector now shows six classes across two rows instead of four in one row — and a sixth class silhouette is visible behind the Sorcerer text, teasing a future addition.
Sorcerer Build: The New Magic User
The Sorcerer is Ravengard's first magic-using class, available from the profile selector in game. It's a spellcaster focused on ability damage, which makes it the most distinct class added so far.
Weapons
Sorcerers use staves and orbs. Two showcased examples are the Ruby Staff and the Ruby Orb, which roll stats like:
- Ranged attack damage
- Ranged attack speed
- Ability damage boost
That ability damage stat is the core of the build. Since the Sorcerer's power comes from abilities rather than basic attacks, prioritize any weapon that boosts ability damage when you're looting.
Abilities
Starting abilities:
- Fireball — your bread-and-butter damage spell
- Spring Healing — self-healing
Five more abilities unlock quickly as you level:
- Lightning Strike — moderate damage that spreads to nearby enemies
- Ice Shards — a continuous line of ice shards that can hit enemies multiple times
- Wind Cutter — a triple projectile that fans out in three directions and hits multiple times at close range
- Rumble — an earth skill that damages and knocks back enemies
- Accelerate — increases the attack speed of basic attacks
One thing worth noting about Accelerate: because Sorcerer weapons already roll ability damage boosts (not basic attack boosts), Accelerate looks like the weakest link in the kit on paper. Expect the community meta to lean on Fireball, Wind Cutter, and Ice Shards for damage, with Spring Healing keeping you alive. That said, nothing is confirmed until players get real run time with it during the playtest weekend — treat ability rankings as provisional until the dust settles.
Hunter Build: Reworked and Much More Usable
The Hunter underperformed in the first playtest, and 0.2 replaces several of its weakest abilities:
- Arrow Rain replaces Power Shot — fires a line of arrows dealing damage to enemies in front of you. Power Shot (a single instant arrow on a 40-second cooldown) was widely considered bad.
- Bear Trap replaces Poison Arrow — drops a trap that damages and slows enemies for two seconds. Poison Arrow (one poisoned arrow on a 30-second cooldown) saw almost no use.
- Escape replaces Double Shot — a jump ability for repositioning. Double Shot was simply outclassed by Rapid Fire.
Escape could be very strong in rooms with verticality and parkour, like the library room, where Y-axis movement matters. Hypixel has said more long-term Hunter improvements are planned, so this rework is a starting point rather than the full fix.
Hunter balance changes on top
- Improved reload speed
- Abilities that fire special shots no longer consume arrows from your quiver — a meaningful quality-of-life buff given the six-arrow quiver cap
A solid Hunter playtest build is straightforward: bow, Arrow Rain for wave clear, Bear Trap for crowd control on chokes, and Escape for mobility.
Knight Build: Shields Change Everything
The Knight received arguably a bigger rework than Hunter, driven by the new shield system:
- Greatswords can no longer be used by the Knight. In the first playtest, greatswords let Knights deal nearly Warrior-level damage, making both classes feel overpowered.
- Halberds are now two-handed, meaning they can't be paired with a shield. Halberds were arguably the Knight's second-best weapon type.
The result is a real build identity choice: go aggro (halberd, no shield) or go tanky (shield in hand). With shields now blocking up to 93% of incoming damage on a successful block at the top end — and the common-tier Buckler already mitigating 70% — the defensive Knight build is far more viable than before. There may also be room to swap between shield and two-handed setups mid-run depending on the encounter.
One open question is how shields get balanced long term. If a common shield already blocks 70% and the best available one hits 93% in the first dungeon, late-game shields can't get much stronger numerically — future shields will likely need special effects or block cooldowns instead. Expect changes here in future playtests.
Warrior Build: Nerfed but Still Standing
The Warrior took a nerf this patch. Details in the forums post are light, but combined with the Knight's greatsword removal, the two melee damage classes are notably weaker than they were in the first playtest. If you're committed to Warrior, the dagger damage bump doesn't apply to you (daggers are the Assassin weapon type), so focus on the new common and uncommon weapons added to the loot pools.
Assassin Build: Small Buff
The Assassin's weapon type, the dagger, received a slight damage increase. Nothing else in the announcement targets Assassin directly, so the first-playtest Assassin approach carries over: ability-focused play with daggers, now hitting a bit harder.
Loot and Progression Changes That Affect Your Build
Several changes reshape how you gear up mid-run:
- New common and uncommon weapons have been added to loot pools.
- Universal weapons like the short sword and short axe have been removed in favor of class-restricted weapons. You can no longer share everything you find across classes — loot now matters more to your specific build.
- Loot chance for uncommon weapon types like bows and daggers has been increased, since those didn't drop much before.
- Basic mobs now have a 60% chance to drop a loot bag, down from 100%. This is a hidden nerf to healing, since most of your healing comes from mob drops rather than chests. Runs will likely feel harder.
- Boss base HP has been buffed (reportedly toward 3,000), and all four mini-bosses — the Bookkeeper, Iron Court, Jailer, and Priest — got buffs. The old meta of rushing mid, killing the bosses, and leaving should be less dominant.
- Chests were buffed in importance because too many players were ignoring them and farming mobs instead. Open chests — your build now depends on it.
Quick Build Checklist for the Playtest
- Pick your class first, since loot is now class-restricted and weapon types don't transfer.
- Sorcerer: grab staves/orbs with ability damage boost; lean on Fireball, Wind Cutter, and Ice Shards.
- Hunter: use Arrow Rain and Bear Trap for control, Escape for mobility; enjoy the no-arrow-consumption change.
- Knight: decide between halberd aggro or shield tank before the run starts.
- Always open chests — mob loot bags are less reliable now.
- Expect harder runs overall: tougher bosses, buffed monsters (Skeleton Knight's shield bash jumped from 15 to 60 damage), and less mob-based healing.
- Use the lockbox (ender chest) to stash loot — it can't be expanded with crowns, so plan your space, but crowns are freed up for potions and other uses.
Verify Details Before You Commit
Since this is a playtest and information came via the Hypixel forums announcement, specifics can change between playtests. Before finalizing any build, check the official Hypixel forums post for the current Ravengard patch notes, watch recent gameplay from creators covering the playtest weekend, and note the exact start time once Hypixel confirms it. Ability numbers, loot rates, and class balance are all subject to revision — the whole point of a public playtest is that the meta you read about today may not match the one you play tomorrow.
