Samurai: a beginner's race guide — classes, strengths and weaknesses

In short: The Samurai is the classic warrior race of Lineage II: straightforward melee combat, strong attacks, and a playstyle that is simple to grasp. If you're just starting and want to hit your enemy without any fuss, it's a great way in.

In the world of Lineage II, the Samurai represents the honorable fighter: someone who trusts in the blade, the armor, and sheer courage to win. The fantasy here is the disciplined swordsman who charges into the front line while others cast spells from afar.

It's a race built for people who like instant action. You run up to the monster, trigger your skills, and watch the damage happen. There are no complicated rituals or dozens of bars to manage right out of the gate.

Overview

Profile
Role	Melee fighter (physical damage)
Style	Front line, direct attack
Difficulty	Easy — ideal for beginners
Number of classes	4

The Samurai is one of the most accessible choices in the game. You spend most of your time close to the enemy, swinging your weapon, and the learning curve is gentle.

Strengths

• Easy to learn: the playstyle is intuitive — get close, attack, and use a few skills. Perfect for grasping the basics of the game without feeling overwhelmed.
• Solid physical damage: as a melee warrior, the Samurai delivers strong, steady hits, which helps a lot to bring monsters down quickly while you're leveling up.
• Front-line toughness: with proper armor and health, the race holds up in the thick of a fight better than a mage, giving beginners a sense of safety.
• Great for auto-hunt: the simple "go and hit" style fits automated farming very well, where your character hunts on its own while you keep an eye on things.

Weaknesses

• Has to get close: all the damage comes from melee, so you're exposed to the enemy and can't safely attack from a distance.
• Depends on good weapon and armor: without decent gear, both damage and survival drop a lot — investing in equipment makes a huge difference for this race.
• Fewer tricks than caster classes: the toolkit is more direct, so anyone looking for lots of varied tactical skills may find the early game a bit "too simple."

Samurai classes

The Samurai grows in stages. Each time you change class, you get stronger and gain new abilities. Each class below has its own detailed guide here on the blog.

Starter

• Ashigaru: the starting point — the warrior apprentice that teaches the basics of melee combat.

1st Class

• Hatamoto: the first evolution, with stronger hits and more toughness for the front line.

2nd Class

• Ronin: the seasoned warrior, now with a better set of skills to hunt and face groups.

3rd Class

• Samurai: the peak of the race — the master of the sword, with the highest combat power and the most complete way to play.

How to start

For beginners, the advice is simple: start as the Ashigaru and follow the natural path up to the Samurai. There's no better shortcut to learn the race than playing it from the very beginning.

1. Create your character: pick the Samurai race on the creation screen and give your warrior a name.
2. Do the starting quests: the first missions teach the controls, hand out basic gear, and give quick levels. Don't skip this part.
3. Turn on auto-hunt: once you're comfortable, switch on automated hunting. Your character attacks monsters on its own, levels up, and you just keep an eye on it, refill potions, and upgrade your gear.

Common beginner mistakes

• Ignoring your gear: many players forget to swap out weapon and armor as they level up. Weak gear stalls all of your progress.
• Not using new skills: with each class and level you gain new abilities. Remember to put them on your hotbar and use them in combat.
• Skipping the starting quests: they give rewards that speed up the early game a lot. Rushing straight to farming leaves you weaker than you should be.

It's for you if…

• You want simplicity: you'd rather run and hit than manage lots of spells and resource bars.
• You like being in the action: you enjoy standing in the middle of the battle, on the front line, instead of hiding behind your allies.
• You're just getting started: you want a forgiving, easy-to-understand race to learn the game at your own pace.