Pros/cons of Mentat, Swordmaster, Bene Gesserit, Trooper — with Planetologist as a special case
TL;DR (for new Sleepers)
- Pick Mentat as your starting Mentor. The early turret (The Sentinel), poison tools, and portable cover make soloing camps and story beats dramatically easier while your gear is weak. You can unlock other Schools quickly via trainers, but Mentat gives you the smoothest landing on Arrakis.
- You aren’t locked into one School. You choose a first School (Mentor) at character creation, then branch into others by finding trainers; advanced trainers deepen those skills later. Your starting active remains tied to the class you chose, but you can mix skills across Schools as you progress. There’s also a respec button (with a cooldown).
- Planetologist is different. You can’t pick it at creation. Unlock it through a short quest chain; it’s a resource/exploration powerhouse, not a frontline brawler, and becomes wildly useful once you’re roaming and gathering.
Below, you’ll find what each School does best, what it struggles with, and suggested early picks and pairings.
How the Mentor/Class system really works
In Dune: Awakening, “classes” are the Schools of the Imperium. You select your first School during character creation, then roam the desert to learn from other Schools’ mentors. Basic trainers open a School’s skill tree; advanced trainers unlock stronger techniques. This is intentional design—the game expects you to mix and match abilities rather than role-play a single rigid class.
You can also respec your tree: on PC, press R on the Skills screen. Respecs have a 48‑hour cooldown and your initial class ability remains your opener. Don’t panic—your starter choice matters, but you can still build hybrid kits by training elsewhere.
Finally, while you also choose Homeworld and Caste at creation, those are largely for flavor (dialogue traits, emotes). They don’t meaningfully change core progression compared to your Mentor choice.
Why Mentat leads the early game
Core idea: The Mentat is a battlefield problem‑solver. You get a deployable Sentinel turret, a Poison Capsule soft‑area denial, and a low wall (Shield Wall) that slows enemies who cross it. Early on, when your armor is flimsy and ammo scarce, this toolbox lets you win from safety.
- The Sentinel: A suspensor‑buoyed dart projector that watches a lane and shreds early camps; it’s forgiving and lets you dictate engagements while you reposition or loot. Multiple outlets have highlighted how this single tool can trivialize early encounters.
- Poison Capsule: A cloud that builds poison stacks when enemies linger or funnel through chokepoints—great paired with the turret’s zone control.
- Shield Wall: Half‑height cover for you and allies; it slows enemies who push through, giving you time to burst them as they enter your killzone.
Playstyle advantages (early):
- Low gear reliance: Your turret and poison do work even with starter weapons.
- Safe solos: The kit rewards patience and positioning, not twitch melee.
- Team value: Sentinel + wall turns public events and camp clears into shooting galleries for your squad.
Drawbacks:
- Less burst mobility than Trooper (no built‑in grapple) or Bene Gesserit (no Bindu Sprint) until you cross‑train.
- Setup time: Turret placement and baiting are ideal; if you’re caught flat‑footed in the open, you’re squishier than a Swordmaster on the front line.
If you start Mentat, grab these first:
- The Sentinel (signature), 2) Shield Wall for safety, 3) Poison Capsule to control approaches. Then branch into a mobility grab (Trooper’s Shigawire Claw) as soon as you reach trainers.
Swordmaster — the duelist who deletes problems up close
If your instinct is to close distance, Swordmaster will feel amazing. You get Knee Charge to gap‑close and stagger, Deflection to swat away ranged darts, and Eye of the Storm to cleave groups—abilities that let you force the fight on your terms.
Early highlights:
- Knee Charge: Leap in and stagger—perfect opener on ranged mobs.
- Deflection: Short windows where you counter ranged fire; master the timing and you neutralize enemy shooters.
- Eye of the Storm: Circular slashes to win vs. clusters.
Pros:
- Frontline power: You don’t need to wait—once you’re in, you delete targets.
- Projectile counterplay: Deflection punishes ranged ambushes.
Cons:
- Risk profile: You live in melee. Poor hydration or stamina management gets you killed.
- Travel efficiency: You’ll likely want Trooper mobility or Bene Gesserit sprint from trainers to keep pace on loot runs.
Who should start Swordmaster? Solo/guild players who love melee and already plan to grab Trooper movement early. (Basic Swordmaster training is also available later if you start Mentat, so you won’t miss the tree entirely.)
Bene Gesserit — speed, manipulation, and survivability
The Sisterhood brings weirding way control, Voice crowd manipulation, and Bindu body mastery. Early examples: Bindu Sprint (a huge speed burst), Compel (pull a target), and Recovery (a passive that raises your post‑injury regen threshold). This School excels at mobility, pick control, and staying alive.
Pros:
- Top‑tier traversal: Bindu Sprint is arguably the single best “feels‑great” movement button for early gathering runs.
- Control tools: Compel isolates targets; in group play it’s a ready‑made focus-fire setup.
- Sustain: Recovery and related body control perks blunt attrition.
Cons:
- Lower raw damage early than Mentat turret play or Swordmaster burst; you’ll typically want a second School for killing power.
- Voice registration (brief “marking” window) requires a rhythm—new players might prefer turret simplicity.
Who should start Bene Gesserit? Players who prize mobility and control and plan to unlock Mentat/Trooper quickly for damage/movement complements. (If you don’t start BG, you can still find Sister Mesa in Hagga Basin to begin training.)
Trooper — guns, grenades, and suspensors
The Trooper is your ranged generalist: sturdy, straightforward, and versatile. Early standouts are Shigawire Claw (a wrist‑grapple that doubles as a combat stagger) and Anti‑Gravity Field (Holtzman bubble to lift enemies and prevent fall damage). Trooper’s tech makes traversal and mid‑range fights simple and satisfying.
Pros:
- Mobility & safety: Grapple and anti‑grav smooth out Arrakis’ verticality and reduce fall risks on harvest routes.
- Plug‑and‑play DPS: Easy to aim and contribute, with grenades and sustained fire.
Cons:
- “You can learn it fast.” Because basic Trooper training is easy to reach early, many players prefer to start Mentat and pick up Trooper mobility first thing.
Who should start Trooper? If you want a traditional shooter feel from minute one. Otherwise, unlock Trooper ASAP as your first secondary—it pairs beautifully with every School.
Planetologist (special case) — the desert economist
Planetologist is the only School you can’t pick at character creation. It emphasizes exploration, resource yield, vehicle upkeep, and cartography—hugely impactful for your economy and quality of life once you’re ranging farther from safety. Early skills include Cartographer (create sinkcharts—maps you can even trade), Dew Gathering (more water yield), and Suspensor Pad (launch pad for traversal). To begin, find Derek Chinara in Hagga Basin South near an Imperial Testing Station and help him investigate what happened.
Pros:
- Resource edge: Faster water and better mapping make every trip more profitable.
- Traversal support: Suspensor Pad plus Trooper/BG mobility makes you a route‑setting machine.
Cons:
- Combat light: You’ll still want Mentat/Swordmaster/Trooper for fighting.
- Quest‑gated: You must do the trainer chain—worth it, but not an instant grab. (Advanced Planetologist training is also a longer quest sequence later.)
When to unlock: After you’ve stabilized your base and crafted a sandbike, detour to pick up Planetologist. The earlier you start printing maps and optimizing water, the faster your account snowballs.
Recommended early paths & pairings
1) Mentat start (recommended for most):
- Why: Turret + cover solves “under‑geared vs. many” encounters.
- First cross‑train: Trooper for Shigawire Claw and Anti‑Gravity Field (mobility and safety).
- Second cross‑train: Bene Gesserit for Bindu Sprint or Swordmaster for a melee finisher (Knee Charge + Eye of the Storm).
- Add later: Planetologist for income and travel.
2) Swordmaster start (melee mains):
- Why: You want to live in melee and delete targets.
- First cross‑train: Trooper for verticality and escape tools.
- Second cross‑train: Mentat for turret control when content scales up.
3) Bene Gesserit start (speed/control players):
- Why: You value sprint speed and Voice CC.
- First cross‑train: Mentat for damage or Trooper for utility—your call.
- Note: BG really shines in groups and for travelers; it’s less comfy as a first‑pick damage School.
4) Trooper start (FPS comfort pick):
- Why: You want guns, grenades, and movement now.
- First cross‑train: Mentat for turret carry potential or Swordmaster if you enjoy swapping to blades for interiors.
Strengths & weaknesses cheat sheet
Mentat
- Strengths: Area control (turret), safe clears, team utility (cover), great while under‑geared.
- Weaknesses: Lower mobility until cross‑trained.
- Best early grab from another School: Trooper grapple.
Swordmaster
- Strengths: Melee burst, projectile counterplay, crowd damage.
- Weaknesses: Hydration/stamina management; risk in open terrain.
- Best early grab: BG sprint or Trooper grapple.
Bene Gesserit
- Strengths: Sprint speed, pick control, sustain.
- Weaknesses: Lower early damage unless hybridized.
- Best early grab: Mentat turret or Trooper guns/tech.
Trooper
- Strengths: Ranged comfort, grenades, movement tech (grapple/anti‑grav).
- Weaknesses: “Good at everything, best at nothing” without synergies.
- Best early grab: Mentat turret to anchor fights.
Planetologist
- Strengths: Water, maps, vehicles, exploration economy.
- Weaknesses: Minimal direct combat; quest‑gated.
- Best early grab: Unlock ASAP after you settle; pair with BG/Trooper mobility.
Trainer reality: how fast can you branch?
You can start branching very early. Basic trainers for Trooper, Mentat, Swordmaster, and Bene Gesserit are all in Hagga Basin‑area hubs; advanced trainers live in Arrakeen or Harko Village. Pay the ornithopter taxi once you’re ready and complete their small contracts to gain instruction. This is why a power‑starter like Mentat is attractive—you’ll shore up any gaps quickly.
Examples from the field:
• Trooper trainer Ghavouri — Griffin’s Reach Tradepost.
• Mentat trainer Samin Moro — near Riftwatch (Harkonnen base).
• Swordmaster trainer Arno — Pinnacle Station (Jabal Eifrit Al‑gharb).
• Bene Gesserit mentor Sister Mesa — Helius Gate (Hagga).
• Planetologist unlock — Derek Chinara near an Imperial Testing Station, Hagga Basin South.
Counterpoint: “Some sites say Trooper or Swordmaster are the best starts.”
You’ll see differing opinions. Some build sites lean Trooper/Swordmaster as “base” starters since they’re straightforward and slot neatly with the others later. That’s valid—particularly if you’re a melee or shooter veteran. But for comfort and power at level zero, multiple mainstream guides point to Mentat because The Sentinel dominates early content with minimal risk, and you can graft in Trooper mobility within your first play session.
Sample early build routes (10–15 points)
Mentat‑centric hybrid (solo/story):
- Unlock Sentinel → Shield Wall → Poison Capsule (Mentat),
- Add Shigawire Claw (Trooper) for movement,
- Optional Bindu Sprint (BG) once you meet Sister Mesa.
Result: Safe camp clears, fast travel, reliable kiting.
Swordmaster raider (small‑group PvE):
- Knee Charge → Deflection → Eye of the Storm (Swordmaster),
- Add Anti‑Gravity Field (Trooper) to set airborne targets,
- Sprinkle Mentat Shield Wall for ad‑hoc cover.
Result: An initiator that isn’t helpless vs. ranged.
Bene Gesserit scout‑runner (gathering):
- Bindu Sprint → Recovery → Compel (BG),
- Add Shigawire Claw (Trooper) and later Cartographer/Dew Gathering (Planetologist).
Result: A looter who lives long, moves fast, and monetizes routes.
Common early mistakes to avoid
- Ignoring trainers. Don’t wait hours to diversify. Grab Trooper/BG movement or Mentat control early — it’s nearby.
- Fighting everything toe‑to‑toe. Use cover (Mentat wall), lifts (Anti‑Gravity), and pull tools (Compel) to shape fights.
- Overvaluing Homeworld/Caste for power. They’re flavor; focus your optimization effort on the Mentor and trainers.
- Respec spamming. You can respec, but there’s a 48‑hour cooldown, and your starter ability sticks—plan your unlock order.
Final verdict
If you want the most forgiving, most universally useful start: choose Mentat. Sentinel + poison + cover perform in every early scenario, from story steps to camp clears. Then, immediately branch into Trooper for mobility and Bene Gesserit or Swordmaster to taste. When your route expands and you care about water and money, unlock Planetologist and start selling maps while you hopscotch the dunes. It’s the smoothest path to controlling Arrakis rather than letting Arrakis control you.
Sources & further reading
- Official “Skills & Schools of the Imperium” spotlights for Mentat, Swordmaster, Bene Gesserit, Trooper, Planetologist — early skills, first trainer leads, and School identities. (Dune: Awakening)
- PC Gamer on Mentor choice and why Mentat’s turret trivializes early camps; and on how respeccing works (R‑key; 48‑hour cooldown; starter ability persists). (PC Gamer)
- Polygon trainer guide (basic vs. advanced; where to branch out quickly). (Polygon)
- Method.gg and Game8 for additional class overviews and community‑tested routes. (Method, Game8)
