Looking for the lowdown on Game of Thrones: Kingsroad? It’s a veritable ocean of data out there, from the classes everyone’s obsessed with to the builds the top-tier players are rocking. KookminTree is here to act as your navigator, breaking down the weekly rankings to keep you in the loop. Stick around, as we’ve got plenty more to come.

The Mercenary’s lonely road to popularity

We’ve all heard of 'future-sight'—that cheeky habit of looking at global server schedules to predict what’s coming to our local patch. Since Game of Thrones: Kingsroad launched in North America a full year ahead of the Korean release, we have the perfect roadmap to peek at what’s in store.

Unfortunately, the Mercenary class has taken a direct hit from this foresight. In both the 'Spirit' and 'Elite Hideout' rankings, it’s clearly the least popular choice. Over on the NA servers, the Knight has cemented itself as the burst-damage king, while the Assassin reigns supreme in sustained DPS. The Mercenary? It just lacks that distinct 'oomph' compared to its peers. Between its relatively minor role in the original source material and its underwhelming aesthetic, it’s struggling to find an audience here, too.

Just a heads-up on why the rankings might look a bit different: the Spirit ranking only counts the highest-rated class per account, even if a player is hoarding multiple characters. It’s a handy way to see which class players are actually pouring their resources into as their 'main'.

Tier 4 gear inbound: A massive boost to Spirit rankings is imminent

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad has officially kicked off its Kraken raids. You’ll need at least 120,000 Spirit to get a seat at the table. Just before the update, only about 20 players actually met that threshold. It sounds like a ghost town, but honestly, don’t panic just yet.The June 10th update introduced Tier 4 gear and expanded the drop sources for the 'Forge Iron', which is essential for pushing past current growth caps.

Expect those Spirit scores to skyrocket by the next count. As of 1:00 PM on June 11th, we’ve already seen top-tier players jump by at least 20,000. It’s going to be a wild ride watching the leaderboards shift.

Artifacts and Skills: A shake-up is on the horizon

When it comes to artifacts and skills, the 'future-sight' advantage hasn’t quite taken hold yet. Looking at the artifacts, everyone—regardless of class—is grabbing the 'Bloody Towel' as their top pick. It’s a guaranteed reward in the tutorial and a lower-tier legendary item, making it ridiculously easy to upgrade.

The 'Warrior's Son Skull' follows closely, also a lower-tier legendary. It seems players prefer the convenience of maxing out easy-to-get items rather than chasing the elusive, unique effects of higher-tier legendaries.

Passive artifacts are where the class differences finally start to show. Knights are favouring the 'Tattered Scroll' for that sweet rage recovery, while Assassins opt for the 'Rose Pattern Plate' to punish poisoned enemies. Mercenaries are sticking to the reliable 'Ice Hilt' for a solid boost to attack and crit damage—a sign that those who do play Mercenary are truly dedicated to the class.

As for skills, things are a bit chaotic. The introduction of the Asian server's 'Weapon Swap/Specialisation' system has rendered much of the 'future-sight' moot, and the June 10th balance patch certainly didn't help keep things predictable. Assassins now have a 'Deep Thrust' that clears 'Wound' stacks, allowing rapiers to trigger bursts, while the Mercenary’s 'Earth Slam' and the Knight’s 'Shoulder Bash' have had their specialisation requirements eased. We’ll be keeping a close eye on how these changes settle into the meta next week.