Winningest race/class combinations to help you decide what to play

[rangerjeff]

Back to ToME yet again, still a novice, with just 4 adventure winners (2 on NM) and a little more than 500 hours over 14 years. I always dip my toes in again the same way: I search the Character Vault for winners and examine the builds, making a spreadsheet to average 8-10 recent builds after I settle on race/class. Doing just fine now with my NM Dwarf Berserker, clearing the Prides at level 50 (one death to a Paradox Mage in the Land of Poosh wtf was that?!?), already thinking about my next character. But as I started data-mining again I though it might be interesting to go over every race/class combination, and now that I've done that I though it might be interesting to share.

Spoiler: winningest combo is lich necromancer, with 5 wins per week! Methodology: roguelike or adventure and nightmare or insane, checked on 5/11/2026.

First, by class, in order of winrate. Numbers indicate the years and weeks (format y.ww) for the 25th entry on the search for winners for that race/class. Lists stop at last race with at least 25 wins.
Alchemist: Cornac (2.51), Shalore, Drem, Higher
Annihilator: Orc (1.02), Cornac, Halfling, Skeleton, Whitehoof, Dwarf
Anorithil: Dwarf (1.18), Shalore, Halfling, Higher, Cornac
Arcane Blade: Cornac (1.19), Skeleton, Shalore, Halfling, Higher, Drem, Dwarf, Ogre
Archer: Skeleton (0.41), Cornac, Thalore, Halfling, Shalore, Ghoul
Archmage: Cornac (0.19), Higher, Skeleton, Whitehoof, Ghoul, Orc, Yeek, Ogre, Dwarf, Drem, Doomelf, Kruk Yeti, Shalore
Berserker: Dwarf (0.31), Cornac, Thalore, Ogre, Skeleton, Halfling, Krog, Orc, Ghoul
Brawler: Cornac (0.24), Skeleton, Halfling, Dwarf, Thalore, Krog, Orc, Ogre, Ghoul
Bulwark: Dwarf (0.22), Cornac, Skeleton, Thalore, Krog, Ghoul
Corruptor: Shalore (2.05), Doomelf, Cornac, Higher
Cultist of Entropy: Cornac (1.09), Doomelf, Drem
Cursed: Krog (0.17), Cornac, Dwarf, Thalore, Yeek, Halfling, Skeleton
Demonologist: Skeleton (3.45), Ogre, Dwarf, Ghoul, Shalore, Cornac
Doombringer: Ogre (0.38), Cornac, Skeleton, Shalore, Higher, Dwarf, Drem, Halfling, Doomelf, Ghoul
Doomed: Thalore (0.23), Cornac, Yeek, Dwarf, Krog, Halfling
Gunslinger: Orc (0.45), Halfling, Skeleton, Cornac, Ogre, Whitehoof, Kruk Yeti
Marauder: Krog (1.24), Cornac, Skeleton, Ogre
Mindslayer: Krog (0.37), Thalore, Cornac, Halfling, Yeek, Dwarf, Ogre
Necromancer: Lich (0.05), Cornac, Ghoul/Skeleton, Higher
Oozemancer: Cornac (0.13), Thalore, Dwarf, Yeek, Krog, Halfling, Orc
Paradox Mage: Cornac (0.19), Shalore, Higher, Yeek, Doomelf, Ogre
Possessor: Cornac(2.6), Yeek, Skeleton, Ogre
Psyshot: Cornac (1.06), Orc, Halfling, Thalore, Kruk Yeti, Krog, Ogre
Reaver: Ghoul (2.40), Skeleton, Cornac, Doomelf, Ogre, Shalore, Dwarf
Rogue: Cornac (0.19), Halfling, Krog, Skeleton, Shalore, Thalore
Sawbutcher: Orc (1.08), Cornac, Whitehoof, Kruk Yeti, Dwarf, Krog, Ghoul, Ogre
Shadowblade: Cornac (0.31), Shalore, Halfling, Doomelf, Skeleton, Drem, Higher, Ogre
Skirmisher: Halfling (0.22), Shalore, Skeleton, Cornac, Thalore, Dwarf, Orc
Solipsist: Dwarf (0.27), Yeek, Cornac, Thalore, Halfling, Krog
Stonewarden: Dwarf (1.22), Drem
Summoner: Yeek (2.28), Thalore, Cornac, Dwarf, Halfling
Sun Paladin: Cornac (1.08), Shalore, Ogre, Skeleton, Dwarf, Higher, Drem, Doomelf, Ghoul, Whitehoof, Halfling, Thalore
Temporal Warden: Cornac (0.12), Shalore, Skeleton, Higher, Yeek, Doomelf, Thalore, Ogre, Halfling
Writhing One: Drem (1.24), Cornac, Ogre, Dwarf, Skeleton, Shalore, Ghoul
Wyrmic: Thalore (0.37), Dwarf/Krog, Cornac, Higher, Yeek, Halfling, Ogre

So, winningest race/class combos, only best for each class:
Lich Necromancer (0.05)
Cornac Temporal Warden (0.12)
Cornac Oozemancer (0.13)
Krog Cursed (0.17)
Cornac Rogue (0.19)
Cornac Paradox Mage (0.19)
Cornac Archmage (0.19)
Dwarf Bulwark (0.22)
Halfling Skirmisher (0.22)
Thalore Doomed (0.23)
Cornac Brawler (0.24)
Dwarf Solipsist (0.27)
Cornac Shadowblade (0.31)
Dwarf Berserker (0.31)
Krog Mindslayer (0.37)
Thalore Wyrmic (0.37)
Ogre Doombringer (0.38)
Skeleton Archer (0.41)
Orc Gunslinger (0.45)
Orc Annihilator (1.02)
Cornac Psyshot (1.06)
Orc Sawbutcher (1.08)
Cornac Sun Paladin (1.08)
Cornac Cultist of Entropy (1.09)
Dwarf Anorithil (1.18)
Cornac Arcane Blade (1.19)
Dwarf Stonewarden (1.22)
Krog Marauder (1.24)
Drem Writhing One (1.24)
Shalore Corruptor (2.05)
Cornac Possessor (2.06)
Yeek Summoner (2.28)
Ghoul Reaver (2.40)
Cornac Alchemist (2.51)
Skeleton Demonologist (3.45)

Best classes for each race, up to 8:
Cornac: Temporal Warden (0.12), Oozemancer, Rogue, Paradox Mage, Archmage... basically anything though
Doomelf: Corruptor (2.20), Shadowblade, Temporal Warden, Sun Paladin, Cultist of Entropy, Reaver, Doombringer, Paradox Mage
Drem: Writhing One (1.24), Arcane Blade, Archmage, Stone Warden, Alchemist, Sun Paladin, Shadowblade, Doombringer
Dwarf: Oozemancer (0.21), Bulwark, Solipsist, Berserker, Anorithil, Stone Warden, Cursed, Wyrmic
Ghoul: Archmage (1.44), Reaver, Necromancer, Sun Paladin, Demonologist, Bulwark, Writhing One, Sawbutcher
Halfling: Skirmisher (0.22), Rogue, Shadowblade, Arcane Blade, Gunslinger, Anorithil, Oozemancer, Psyshot
Higher: Archmage (0.30), Wyrmic, Arcane Blade, Anorithil, Necromancer, Paradox Mage, Temporal Warden, Sun Paladin
Krog: Cursed (0.17), Mindslayer, Oozemancer, Marauder, Wyrmic, Rogue, Doomed, Bulwark
Kruk Yeti: Sawbutcher (3.08), Archmage, Psyshot, Gunslinger
Lich: Necromancer (0.05) and that's it, no more than 3 wins under these conditions for any other class... if you're looking for a challenge...
Ogre: Doombringer (0.38), Archmage, Sun Paladin, Writhing One, Berserker, Demonologist, Arcane Blade, Temporal Warden
Orc: Gunslinger (0.45), Annihilator, Psyshot, Sawbutcher, Anorithil, Alchemist, Skirmisher, Oozemancer
Shalore: Temporal Warden (0.19), Skirmisher, Shadowblade, Paradox Mage, Sun Paladin, Arcane Blade, Corrupter, Anorithil
Skeleton: Archer (0.41), Brawler, Skirmisher, Archmage, Arcane Blade, Temporal Warden, Bulwark, Shadowblade
Thalore: Oozemancer (0.16), Doomed, Wyrmic, Cursed, Mindslayer, Skirmisher, Solipsist, Summoner
Whitehoof: Archmage (1.38), Sawbutcher, Necromancer, Annihilator, Gunslinger, Sun Paladin
Yeek: Solipsist (0.41), Oozemancer, Doomed, Archmage, Summoner, Possessor, Wyrmic, Temporal Warden

Which could loosely be interpreted to mean that the races are ranked best to worst (at what they do best):
Lich (only Necro though)
Cornac (everything)
Thalore
Krog
Shalore
Dwarf
Halfling
Higher
Ogre
Yeek/Skeleton
Orc
Drem (big drop-off here to end of list, possibly due to unlock difficulty?)
Whitehoof
Ghoul
Doomelf
Kruk Yeti

In conclusion, if you want to play a class and have an easy time of it, pick the first race in the first list. More of a challenge? Farther down the list. Masochist? Off the list, you're in rare territory. Same for if you want to play a race using the third list. Glhf! (Now I know why my attempt to force Yeek Mindslayer to work was so painful! I'll try Solipsist instead.)

Compiling this data another way, ranking each race and class by their 3rd best combination in order to get some sense of flexibility, I suggest these tier lists:

Race:
S-Tier
Cornac (0.19)

A-tier
Dwarf (0.27)
Thalore (0.37)

B-tier
Shalore (0.51)
Krog (1.15)
Orc (1.18)
Yeek (1.25)
Skeleton (1.26)

C-tier
Halfling (2.13)
Higher (2.28)
Ogre (2.35)
Ghoul (2.41)

D-tier
Whitehoof (2.48)
Drem (3.04)

E-tier
Doomelf (4.32)
Kruk Yeti (5.23)

F-tier
Lich NA

Class:
S-tier:
Oozemancer (0.21)

A-tier:
Doomed (1.25)
Cursed (1.26)
Skirmisher (1.26)
Wyrmic (1.28)
Archmage (1.35)

B-tier
Arcane Blade (1.42)
Solipsist (1.44)
Temporal Warden (1.47)
Bulwark (2.03)
Shadowblade (2.13)

C-tier
Anorithil (2.29)
Sun Paladin (2.35)
Rogue (2.36)
Maurader (2.39)
Writhing One (2.41)
Mindslayer (2.41)
Necromancer (2.41)
Sawbutcher (2.47)
Psyshot (2.51)

D-tier
Gunslinger (3.05)
Berserker (3.11)
Archer (3.13)
Corruptor (3.15)
Stone Warden NA/3.24
Paradox Mage (3.33)
Brawler (3.35)
Annihilator (3.41)
Alchemist (3.45)
Doombringer (3.45)

E-tier
Summoner (4.06)
Demonologist (4.31)
Reaver (4.41)

F-tier:
Possessor (6.26)
Cultist of Entropy (7.01)