Unlocking all of Anthem’s Javelins and choosing which ones to use will undoubtedly be an early-game focus for new players. After years of development, Anthem is now available, and there’s a lot to digest in BioWare’s new adventure. Anthem plays very differently to what people experienced in the beta, and choosing a Javelin is one of the most important elements of the game.
Unfortunately, Anthem doesn’t do a particularly great job of explaining what players are getting into when they choose their first Javelin, and once you’ve chosen, you’re stuck until you unlock another Javelin suit later. So how do you choose which Javelin to pilot first, and when do you unlock them during Anthem’s progression? Here’s a quick rundown of when Javelins unlock over the course of Anthem, alongside a couple other important milestones:
- Level 2 - New Javelin unlocked Level 8 - New Javelin unlocked Level 10 - Consumable slot unlocked Level 16 - New Javelin unlocked Level 26 - New Javelin unlocked Level 30 - Grandmaster Difficulty unlocked
Level 2 will happen no matter what once players finish Anthem’s tutorial mission, which also serves as a sort of prequel to the events that unfold during its narrative. After that, Javelins take a lot longer to unlock, as Anthem’s leveling grind can be brutal at times. Choosing the right Javelin can be crucial in getting enjoyment out of Anthem, and choosing the wrong one can lead to a horrible early experience. Obviously, there’s no objectively correct answer to the best Javelins for new players, but now that we’ve gone hands on with all of them, there are two that seem a cut above for those looking to get their feet wet in the world of Anthem.
- Level 2 - Unlock Ranger Level 8 - Unlock Colossus
The Ranger is by far the most flexible Javelin in Anthem. It’s kind of a jack-of-all-trades class, boasting decent survivability, damage, and movement. It’s never going to top the charts in any of those categories, but it also won’t find itself at the bottom. The Ranger is flexible and also offers players the most insight into the various mechanics at work in the game. For that reason, players who choose the Ranger should have no issues soloing content if needed, and will pick up a number of useful skills that apply to other classes as they unlock more.
After experimenting with the Ranger, we’d recommend picking up the Colossus with your second Javelin choice. The Colossus is great at damage dealing and tanking, making it the ideal choice for soloing content. Anthem very clearly wants people to play it as a multiplayer game, and as players grow in level, they’ll run into content that’s pretty challenging to tackle on their own. The Colossus is ideal for those situations, with great close-range Area of Effect, survivability, and damage. The cost comes at its movement speed, but when you’re on your own, that matters a lot less.
After those two, players can feel free to choose whichever they want between the Interceptor and the Storm. They’re both squishier and specialist classes, but they’re also pretty fun. Once players have a chance to get more experienced with Anthem’s combat, they’re much easier to pick up and play.
