If you’re jumping into The Forge for the first time (or rerolling your race for the 200th time like the rest of us), understanding how each race actually performs is a massive advantage. The game doesn’t explain strengths, weaknesses, or real gameplay impact — and that’s exactly where players get stuck. Some races look amazing in the menu but fall apart the second you start fighting. Others look average on paper but become monsters once you slot the right runes or pair them with the right weapon type.
This guide breaks down every race in The Forge, ranking them based on combat power, farming efficiency, progression speed, survivability, and late-game scaling. It’s written from actual in-game experience, not theory — so if you want a clear picture of which races are worth keeping and which ones you should reroll immediately, you’re in the right place.
The Forge Race Tier List – Best Races Ranking 2025
S–Tier
Demon
If your only goal is to delete everything in front of you, this is the race.
You get raw physical damage, attack speed, burning synergy, a passive AOE aura, and that teleport dash that leaves fire damage in its path.
It turns every build into a roaming explosion.
Heavy weapons? Daggers? Doesn’t matter — Demon makes anything a DPS cannon.
Why it’s S-tier:
- unmatched damage output
- ridiculous scaling with burn runes
- mobility that also deals damage
- destroys bosses faster than any other race
Demon is the current king of pure killing power.
Angel
Angel surprised me the most once I actually played with it.
It’s not about damage — it’s about comfort, speed, and safety, and that ends up making it crazy strong overall.
You dash further, spend less stamina, get longer invulnerability frames, and move faster than almost every race.
The luck boost is huge for farming rare ores and better gear.
Smite procs add steady bonus damage without needing fancy setups.
Why it’s S-tier:
- the strongest mobility in the game
- extremely safe for beginners
- great for farming & progression
- consistent extra damage from Smite
Angel is the most well-rounded top-tier race.
A–Tier
Dragonborn
Dragonborn feels like a stable, dependable powerhouse.
You hit hard, burn enemies passively, and tank more hits than most other DPS races.
It doesn’t explode enemies like Demon, but it never fails you either.
Every weapon type works with it.
Why it’s A-tier:
- strong damage and tankiness balance
- burn stacks melt enemies
- extremely consistent in every fight
This is the “all-around monster” race.
Golem
If you enjoy playing a tank who shrugs off attacks, this is the one.
You move slower — no sugarcoating that — but your effective HP is unmatched.
Damage reduction procs constantly, and when you pair it with lifesteal or frost runes, you start feeling unkillable.
Why it’s A-tier:
- absurd durability
- pairs beautifully with sustain builds
- great for bosses and long fights
Its only weakness is speed.
Shadow
Shadow tries to be a mini-Dragonborn mixed with mobility, and it works… mostly.
You get attack speed, stamina, movement speed, and a passive dodge chance when hit.
Early and midgame, Shadow feels fantastic. Late game, the health penalty becomes noticeable, especially against big hitters.
Why it’s A– / B+ tier:
- great mobility
- fast attack patterns
- passive dodge is helpful
- held back by fragility
Shadow is the best race right below the strongest group.
B–Tier
Minotaur
Minotaur is a race for aggressive players.
When your HP drops below 50%, you enter Rage Mode and everything suddenly becomes faster and harder-hitting.
The problem? Staying alive until Rage kicks in.
If you can manage your health well, it’s very fun. But inconsistent.
Why it’s B-tier:
- excellent low-HP damage
- clunky without proper rune support
- risky playstyle
Perfect for berserker-build enjoyers.
Zombie
Zombie looks weak at first, but the natural regen and health conversion passive can get silly with runes like Drain Edge.
The HP penalty is a big drawback, but you can sustain through most midgame fights if you build around lifesteal.
Why it’s B-tier:
- great sustain potential
- tanky when combined with healing setups
- slows down badly in late game
It shines specifically in dungeon-like areas.
C–Tier
Human
The most middle-of-the-road race ever made.
Extra XP and extra luck help for maybe your first few hours, then you outgrow it instantly once you roll anything better.
Why it’s C-tier:
- decent starter bonuses
- no combat value
- instantly replaced by anything rare
Good for beginners, not good for long-term.
Elf
Elf is basically Human but slightly fancier.
The luck boost is nice, the stamina helps early combos, but once you hit harder areas, it just stops contributing.
Why it’s C-tier:
- great for early farming
- quickly becomes useless in combat
- overshadowed by Angel, Shadow, Dragonborn
Not terrible, just not worth keeping long-term.
Dwarf
This race is a weird case.
In combat? Mediocre at best.
For progression? It’s the best mining race in the game.
You mine faster, crit rocks for huge ore bursts, and get better forging chances.
If you’re grinding ores or crafting rare weapons, Dwarf is gold.
If you’re fighting bosses… swap it out.
Why it’s C-tier overall:
- S–tier miner, D–tier fighter
- amazing early progression
- worthless in combat
Great as a temporary “progression race.”
D–Tier
Goblin
Goblin gives a shop discount and dagger attack speed… and that’s about it.
The health penalty is awful, the bonuses don’t carry fights, and the race feels weak in every real combat scenario.
Why it’s D-tier:
- terrible survivability
- niche speedrunning value
- simply not worth keeping
Only useful if you enjoy min-max shopping routes.
Undead
Undead looks interesting, but everything it does is either too weak or too inconsistent.
Damage reflect is tiny, the HP penalty is brutal, and the revive every 5 minutes rarely helps in real fights.
Why it’s D-tier:
- weak passives
- unreliable revive
- bad in every stage of progression
This is the bottom of the barrel.