MMORPG races and factions: which race to pick for your class and role

Creating a hero in an MMORPG almost always starts with two questions: which class and which race. The class is clear — it decides how you play. But the race? In some games it locks you into one faction forever; in others it barely matters. Let’s see how races and factions work in Zarhold, a card MMORPG in your browser, and how to pick a race you won’t regret.

11 races, three factions and any class

Zarhold has 11 races in three factions. Your race sets your faction, gives a permanent bonus and two abilities, and it combines with any of the ten classes — 110 combinations in all. No “this race can’t be a mage”.

• Order of the Silver Dawn — Velion, Durgar, Selenar, Kogran.
• Storm Tribe — Grumak, Morven, Gartan, Nakar.
• The Feral — Grikx, Vaerin, Shaydar.

You don’t pick a faction separately — it follows from the race. And most importantly, factions don’t split players. You can party up, join a guild, trade and fight in the arena with heroes of any faction. So there’s no need to pick a race “to match a friend” — you’ll play together anyway.

Permanent racial bonuses

A racial bonus always works — against monsters and against players.

| Race | Faction | Bonus | |---|---|---| | Velion | Order of the Silver Dawn | +5% Power | | Durgar | Order of the Silver Dawn | +8% Health | | Selenar | Order of the Silver Dawn | +3% Power and −3% damage taken | | Kogran | Order of the Silver Dawn | +6% Power | | Grumak | Storm Tribe | +5% Health | | Morven | Storm Tribe | +3% Health; no control makes them lose a turn | | Gartan | Storm Tribe | +10% Health | | Nakar | Storm Tribe | +6% Power | | Grikx | The Feral | up to 11 crystals a turn instead of 10 | | Vaerin | The Feral | +5% Health | | Shaydar | The Feral | +6% Power |

Power is a bonus to the damage, healing and shields of your cards; Health is your staying power. Two races stand apart. A Morven (undead) can’t be made to skip a turn: polymorph, stun, freeze and any turn skip don’t work on them — instead, for the same turns they have just 1 crystal, and “Immune: the will weakens” pops up over them. And Grikx is the only race that ramps up to 11 crystals a turn.

Two abilities: for monsters and for the arena

Besides the bonus, every race has two active abilities: one for fighting creatures and one against players (arena, battlegrounds, duels). Only the fitting one shows in combat, and it is cast with the Q key.

• They cost 1–3 crystals and go on a 3–5 turn cooldown.
• They don’t end your turn — you can play them along with your cards.
• They are always weaker than your class power: race is an addition, not a replacement for class.

The abilities come in a few kinds: some deal damage or boost it for a couple of turns, others give a shield and cut incoming damage, others remove harmful effects from the hero (five races can do this in the arena), and others take a turn or crystals from the opponent. The full table with costs and cooldowns is in the knowledge base: Racial abilities.

Which race for which role

• Tanks want Health: Gartan (+10%) and Durgar (+8%) are the toughest. More on the role: How to tank.
• Healers and damage dealers want Power: Kogran, Nakar and Shaydar (+6%), Velion (+5%). On the roles: How to heal and How to play DPS.
• For the arena, races that cleanse control from themselves are valuable, and so is Morven, whom control never costs a turn. About the arena: PvP in a card game.
• For long-fight lovers — Grikx: the eleventh crystal arrives on your 11th turn, and in a drawn-out fight that is an extra card.

But the main rule is simple: race is an addition, not a verdict. The difference between races is a few percent, while class, talents and gear decide far more. Pick the one you like the look and spirit of — and don’t be afraid of “getting it wrong”.

Can I change my race?

Your class can’t be changed after creating a hero, but your race can — with the paid “Race change” service. Your faction changes with the race, while items, talents and deck stay. So a race is a long-term choice, not a permanent one. How to choose a class: Which class to choose.

Races and factions FAQ

Does my faction limit who I can play with?

No. Parties, guilds, trading, chat and the arena are open to heroes of any faction.

Can any race be any class?

Yes: any of the 11 races with any of the 10 classes, 110 combinations in all.

Do races give special cards for the deck?

No. Your deck is built from class cards, talents and special cards for achievements and the pass. A race gives a permanent bonus and two abilities.

Which race is the best?

There is no single best one: tanks need Health, healers and damage dealers need Power, and in the arena anti-control abilities shine. The difference is a few percent, so choose what you like.

The bottom line

Zarhold has 11 races and three factions, but factions don’t split players and races don’t limit classes. A race gives a permanent bonus — Health, Power or a special trait — and two abilities: one for monsters, one for the arena. Health for tanks, Power for healers and damage dealers, and for the rest, follow your heart. All races with traits and abilities are in the knowledge base: Factions and races. Open the game and create your hero right in your browser.