Classes and subclasses are one of the most interesting and at the same time most challenging new mechanics in Olden Era. Every hero belongs to one of two global types: Warrior or Mage. Within each faction, each type has its own unique class — and it is this class that determines which skills the hero receives most often and which subclass they can unlock.
Each class has two unique subclasses. When activated, the hero gains a very powerful signature bonus — in spirit reminiscent of the legendary abilities from Heroes V. But this is not just a nice bonus — it is a true game-changing mechanic of the late game that can completely flip the match.
How to Unlock a Subclass
To unlock a subclass, the hero must meet a rather harsh condition:
- Upgrade exactly 5 specific skills to Expert level.
Theoretically, the earliest possible subclass unlock is level 14 — if the hero starts with at least one of the required skills and gets exactly the needed skills on every subsequent level-up. In practice this happens very rarely — subclasses usually open between levels 16–20+.
Why It’s So Hard: Skill Roll Chances
The main problem is that the chances of getting the required skills vary greatly between classes.
Even if you know perfectly well which 5 skills you need, there is no guarantee the system will give you exactly those. Some classes have only a 2% chance on key skills!
Classic example: the heroine Kestrel:
(Swashbuckler class). She needs the 
Basic Nightshade Magic skill for her subclass — with just a 2% chance to roll it. This means that even with perfect play, in many games you will simply never see this skill at all.
For detailed information on each hero and the chances of receiving specific skills, you can see it here (Selecting the hero you need).
When is it even worth playing for a subclass
The correct strategy in most games is to not aim for a subclass at all. Playing for one is only worthwhile in very rare, ideal situations.
Signs that it’s “now or never”:
- By levels 2–3 the hero already received one of the key (very rare) subclass skills
- By levels 5–8 already 2–3 out of the five required skills are obtained
- Only 1–2 skills left, each with 10–15% chance
- You are willing to sacrifice the hero’s early-game power for a potential massive power spike at levels 18–22
Important: if you are deliberately going for a subclass, you cannot take any unrelated skills. Every “foreign” skill severely worsens the probabilities — already low chances drop even further. This means that until subclass activation, the hero will have to play with a minimal set of skills, often missing the strongest combat abilities.
Short: pros and cons of playing for a subclass
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Enormous power after activation (game changer) | Extremely low success chance |
| Can completely smash the late game | Hero is weak during mid-game |
| Looks incredibly cool when it actually lands | Often simply doesn’t happen |
Where to View All Subclasses and Heroes
The full list of subclasses, what exactly they provide, and which heroes belong to them is in the right-hand menu. Just select the subclass you’re interested in and view the sorted heroes + bonus descriptions.
Classes and subclasses are one of the most interesting and at the same time most challenging new mechanics in Olden Era. Every hero belongs to one of two global types: Warrior or Mage. Within each faction, each type has its own unique class — and it is this class that determines which skills the hero receives most often and which subclass they can unlock.
