This Drill to Earth's Core tier list ranks all 26 classes from S to D. It follows Sportskeeda's list of 25 September 2026, the one published ranking that covers every class and explains its tiers. 5 classes make S tier: Goblin King, Prospector, Samurai, Executioner and Priest, all Tier 5 classes at 30,000 Cores each.
Class tiers (1 to 5) set the price; the letters rank how strong a class is. Every class page on the classes page has its full perks and level requirements.
Drill to Earth's Core Tier List at a Glance
| Tier | Classes | Why they sit here |
|---|---|---|
| S | Goblin King, Prospector, Samurai, Executioner and Priest | The strongest classes: each adds a lot of combat power or a lot of income. All five are Tier 5 classes, so pick the one that suits how you play. |
| A | Gunsmith, Bounty Hunter, Pirate, Lucky Looter and Salvager | A step below S and good through the middle of the game. Most add firepower; Salvager and Lucky Looter add loot instead. |
| B | Demolitionist, Princess, Crafter, Reaper and Nightcrawler | Situational, and better in a party than alone: Nightcrawler for stealth kills, Reaper for life steal, Princess for what teammates earn, Demolitionist for walls. |
| C | Driller, Tank, Gunslinger, Bruiser and Witch | Classes without standout perks or gear. Fine early on, until you can afford a stronger one. |
| D | Scout, Healer, Mechanic, Racer, Miner and Recruit | Basic perks and gear that stop mattering as enemies get tougher deeper down. |
S Tier Classes
| Class | Price tier | Cost | Role | Level 1 perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblin King | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Summoner | Goblins sell for 100% more coins |
| Prospector | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Mining | Ore and gem veins give extra drops more often (up to 4) |
| Samurai | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Melee | +100% melee attack speed |
| Executioner | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Bosses | +200% damage to bosses, from every damage type |
| Priest | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Support | Recover 1% of your max HP every second |
A Tier Classes
| Class | Price tier | Cost | Role | Level 1 perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunsmith | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Guns | Guns and ammo can be crafted |
| Bounty Hunter | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Bounties | Bounties pay 100% more coins |
| Pirate | Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Gold | Enemies have a 10% chance to drop a gold bar |
| Lucky Looter | Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Loot | Chests and ores give several items more often (up to 4) |
| Salvager | Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Scrap | Enemies have a 10% chance to drop an iron bar |
B Tier Classes
| Class | Price tier | Cost | Role | Level 1 perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolitionist | Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Explosives | +50% explosive damage |
| Princess | Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Money | Start each run with the Princess Staff and 1,000 coins |
| Crafter | Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Crafting | Crafting Shack prices are 10% lower |
| Reaper | Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Sustain | Enemies have a 20% chance to drop a Soul Orb that heals 25 HP |
| Nightcrawler | Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Stealth | Night vision, plus 20% more melee damage and movement speed in the dark |
C Tier Classes
| Class | Price tier | Cost | Role | Level 1 perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driller | Tier 3 | 5,000 Cores | Drilling | +50% wall damage while you drive |
| Tank | Tier 3 | 5,000 Cores | Defense | +100% health |
| Gunslinger | Tier 3 | 5,000 Cores | Guns | +100% gun damage |
| Bruiser | Tier 3 | 5,000 Cores | Melee | +100% melee damage |
| Witch | Tier 2 | 3,000 Cores | Potions | Potions last 100% longer |
D Tier Classes
| Class | Price tier | Cost | Role | Level 1 perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scout | Tier 2 | 3,000 Cores | Movement | +20% movement speed |
| Healer | Tier 2 | 3,000 Cores | Support | +100% healing |
| Mechanic | Tier 2 | 3,000 Cores | Fuel | +50% fuel added to the drill |
| Racer | Tier 2 | 3,000 Cores | Driving | +50% drive speed and acceleration while you drive |
| Miner | Tier 1 | 100 Cores | Mining | +50% pickaxe damage |
| Recruit | Tier 1 | 100 Cores | Combat | +20% melee and gun damage |
Perks are paraphrased; each class page lists its sources and all four levels.
The Best Class for Your Budget
| Price tier | Cost | Best ranked | Their tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 100 Cores | Miner and Recruit | D |
| Tier 2 | 3,000 Cores | Witch | C |
| Tier 3 | 5,000 Cores | Driller, Tank, Gunslinger and Bruiser | C |
| Tier 4 | 10,000 Cores | Lucky Looter and Salvager | A |
| Tier 5 | 30,000 Cores | Goblin King, Prospector, Samurai, Executioner and Priest | S |
Fandom says Miner is one of two classes a new player can take for free on the first join, so the first Cores you earn can go straight to a Tier 2 or Tier 3 class. How to get Cores lists every source, and the planner on the classes page adds up what a set of classes costs.
Where Other Guides Disagree
allthings.how's 100 km guide (7 August) picks Lucky Looter (A here), Driller (C here), Pirate (A here) and Reaper (B here) for a deep run, valuing loot and wall damage over the boss and melee strength the S tier is built on. Driller is the clearest gap: C tier here, but its cheaper drill upgrades and extra wall damage matter most at the boss walls (see the upgrades page).
How This Drill to Earth's Core Tier List Is Set
Tiers here are not our own opinion. We read every class tier list we could find on 5 October 2026 and count only full lists that give reasons. Sportskeeda is the only one counted for now; roonby (27 September) is left out because its tiers match Sportskeeda's list class for class, two days later, so counting it would count the same list twice; drilltoearthscore.wiki (16 September) is left out because it ranks 19 of the 26 classes and gives no reasons for its tiers.
Every list predates the Frozen Layer and Blinker update of 3 October 2026. It added the Frozen Layer and the Blinker enemy. We will re-read the lists when they are updated for it.
Drill to Earth's Core Tier List FAQ
What is the best class in Drill to Earth's Core?
Goblin King, Prospector, Samurai, Executioner and Priest share S tier. All five cost 30,000 Cores.
What is the best cheap class?
Witch ranks highest among the 3,000-Core classes, at C tier.
Is Miner a good class?
Not for long: Sportskeeda ranks it D. It can be free, though, and its Level 3 perk sells ores and bars for 100% more.
How often does this Drill to Earth's Core tier list change?
When a published list changes or a patch rebalances classes. The date at the top says when the lists were last read.