Best and/or easiest F2P class.

[Buckwheet]

Discuss what you have leveled up. To what level, and tell me why its either the best or the easiest.

I have only leveled up some rogues with UAC trying out the new changes and found the pretty easy going, but my sorcerer has been way easier.

[Fallen]

I've heard Paladin spells work well with F2P.

[Maerit]

Here goes:

I have leveled and tested (because I'm weird like that) a lot of F2P.

Got the following to 25: Paladin, Cleric, Empath, Monk, and Warrior
Got the following to 20: Sorcerer, Wizard, Bard

Did not play Rogue or Ranger yet. (might be trying Ranger next)

The Paladin was far and away the best class for F2P. Firstly, most of their spells work exactly the same way for F2P as for Subscribed. Strangely, 1605, 1609, 1613, 1617, and 1618 were not blocked for my party. I could use them freely and give those bonuses to grouped members. I found my defenses were superior because of the paladin circle and you could toggle in 103 until you earned the other mid-range Paladin defense spells. I was able to destroy most targets, self-buffed, with very easy and quick turn-around with no society access required.

The cleric was the 2nd easiest. While using the Cleric as a melee fighter, early on 211 and 215 make your AS very powerful. I chose to use a Katana because I happened to have an Eonake Katana in my locker, so it worked out wonderfully. Naturally weighted weapons (claids and katanas) do not have their weighting reduced for F2P. After I hacked my way to 20, I switched to pure, and it became fairly easy. Pure bane cleric, 2x HP, I did master COL during the 4 days of my randomly found free Society Pass, but after that wore off I had no more COL. The Cleric is basically immune to everything it fights. It can go hands-free in guarded, or offensive with a runestaff and have the DS necessary to be practically untouchable at early levels (20 ranks of MnS, 3 ranks of MjS, and the rest into Cleric which I think I had 34-36 by 20). At around 25 you have 40 ranks of Cleric spells and can bless magic metals, be useful in general, raise extremely easily, and still be a powerful pure caster. Mana is the only issue I had with this class until I decided to lose 2-3 CS in order to gain 2x HP.

Monk was my 3rd easiest class to play. You need outside spells for the first 4 levels, then under-hunt to level 10, then get some outside spells until 16 (when you can pick up 1216). Once again, I found a random Society pass and trained up to rank 8 in Voln so I could hit undead without blessed UAC gear (which works when the pass wears off). Train 1x in spells up to 1220, then stop spells completely. You will have sufficient DS to self-buff hunt as a UAC hunter with the proper use of stance dancing. Especially if you make liberal use of 1207. Great setup spell.

Empath was not as easy as Cleric because spells were more expensive, but 1106 (mega TD push-down) hits like a truck if you 2x in HP and can afford to cast it during hunts. Once I managed that, Empath was pretty easy if not as powerful defensively and with some target limitations.

Warrior seemed to suck for some reason. Maybe because it was super dependent on outside spells to survive because with no spells, even in chain, and in defensive stance, things my level could still manage to land hits. Stance Dancing worked fine when you had a few spells (massies was sufficient), but otherwise it was slow going. I ended up going sword/board because of how weak they are defensively, and then my kill speed was just super slow... Didn't enjoy the warrior's weaknesses early on.

I was turned off by my Sorcerer / Wizard because so many of their spells didn't work. 709, 714, open 710, 410's CD, 911, yadda yadda... In the end, they were functional, but way too much of their arsenal was limited or disabled. I tried a Warmage with hasted archery, couldn't enjoy the arrow gathering mechanics - but it functioned fine, switched back to claid and it was also fine, but still seemed to have limitations with the AoE spells (912, 410) on CD and 909 being disabled.

Bard was the worst of all of them. By far. So many spells disabled! Hated trying to F2P a bard. They can manage fine, especially with outside help, but it was very slow going in general.

[Taernath]

The only F2P I played was a level 20 warrior going the oldskool non-spelled route and shield/polearm. That being said, I think the original question could be rethought of as 'what class is the best being entirely self-sufficient'. Probably goes without saying squares would be decent at that, but my non-F2P paladin has been super easy getting to level 20. I'd imagine sorcerers would be too due to their defenses, and generally not having to worry about encumberance at low levels. Empaths would probably have the hardest time, I think, because of healing restrictions.

[Buckwheet]

Good feedback so far. I am really curious if any F2P is level 40+ to hear what its like in that range.

[Androidpk]

I have a 16 sorcerer and 15 paladin. The paladin was much easier at first but now the sorcerer tears through everything self spelled.

[Donquix]

Can't go wrong with any halfling spirit caster. though you lose a big benefit of wracking + spirit regen if you don't do the society pass.

halfling open ranger, though actually now that I think about it i'm not sure on the aoe restrictions affect ranger spells. specifically weed and mass calm that are pretty nice for surviability but as long as you get your self spells and that sweet +40 ETD, can't go wrong.