There are no cat breeds or classes in Warrior Cats. The types that matter are Clan, rank and stance, and here is how each one changes the game.
Types of Warrior Cats: Every Clan, Rank and Role in the Game
Warrior Cats has no breeds, no classes and no jobs. When people ask about the types of warrior cats, they usually mean one of three things: which Clan a cat belongs to, which rank it holds, or which stance it fights in. Those are the only categories the game actually uses, and each one changes something different.
This page separates the three so you stop looking for a class system that does not exist. The short answer is that your cat is always a warrior by role, always a member of one of four Clans, and always free to switch between three combat stances. Everything else is story.
Official source: Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest on Steam and What makes a Clan and the official game site
Official screenshot via Steam. The game uses one cat model family across all four Clans.
The three real categories
| Category | How many | What it changes | Can you pick it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clan | 4 | Starting territory, story thread, supporting cast | Yes, at the start of a campaign |
| Rank | 8 in the books | Social role and, in the game, progression labels | Partly, through the story |
| Stance | 3 | What your cat does in a turn battle | Yes, every turn |
If you came looking for breeds such as tabby, Siamese or Maine Coon, that is a book-fandom idea rather than a game system. Clans are not breeds either; they are political and territorial groups, and the game treats them that way.
The four Clans
Each Clan has its own territory, its own prophecy thread and its own supporting characters. The full Clan and territory guide covers the map in detail; this is the one-line version.
| Clan | Territory | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| ThunderClan | Dense forest | The default starting point for most players |
| RiverClan | Marsh and water | Fishing culture, softer terrain |
| ShadowClan | Dark pine marsh | The most hostile neighbours |
| WindClan | Open moorland | Fast, exposed ground |
There is no per-Clan stat block. Trailmark has not published Clan bonuses, and the official material describes the Clans in cultural terms rather than mechanical ones. Any page ranking the Clans by damage or defence is inventing numbers.
The eight ranks
Ranks come from the books and appear in the game as story progression rather than as a class you select. The Clan ranks and roles page goes through each one; the summary is below.
| Rank | What the rank means |
|---|---|
| Kit | A cat before training |
| Apprentice | A cat in training under a mentor |
| Warrior | A full member and fighter |
| Medicine cat | Healer and interpreter of signs |
| Deputy | Second in command to the leader |
| Leader | Head of the Clan, with nine lives in the books |
| Queen | A cat raising kits |
| Elder | A retired cat respected by the Clan |
Your player character starts as an apprentice and follows the warrior path. You do not choose to become a medicine cat, and there is no confirmation that the player passes through deputy on the way to leader. The game's own progression is level-based on top of those labels, and the level curve is separate from the rank names.
A medicine cat in the books is a healer, but the game does not give you a healing role to pick. Your cat fights with the same stance system as every other cat. Treat the rank list as lore and story structure, not as a build menu.
The three stances
Stances are the closest thing the game has to types in combat. Instead of spells, each cat switches posture between offensive, defensive and support roles, and the party shares a pool of 75 moves.
| Stance | Job in a turn | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive | Push damage and pressure | You have a numbers advantage or a wounded enemy |
| Defensive | Absorb and stabilise | The enemy formation hits harder than yours |
| Support | Enable the other two cats | Your damage dealers are alive but exposed |
The stance swap is the whole tactical layer. The combat moves and stances guide breaks down how the three interact and why most fights resolve once you find the pattern that beats the enemy formation.
What the game does not have
- No breeds. Fur and markings are cosmetic choices in the cat creator, not stat modifiers.
- No classes. There is no warrior, rogue or healer role to select.
- No spells. Stances replace magic entirely.
- No Clan bonuses. Nothing official assigns different stats to the four Clans.
That last point causes most of the confusion. Book readers expect ShadowClan cats to be sneaky or RiverClan cats to swim, and the game nods at those cultures in dialogue and territory design, but it does not turn them into numbers.
How to choose a type
Pick the Clan for the story you want, not for a stat advantage. ThunderClan is the most familiar entry point; RiverClan and WindClan offer the biggest change of scenery; ShadowClan gives you the most antagonistic neighbours. Then learn the stance system, because that is where the actual decisions live.
If you are still deciding whether the game is for you, the review covers the 6.2/10 aggregate and the characters page explains which book cats appear.
FAQ
How many types of Warrior Cats are there?
Three categories matter: four Clans, eight book ranks, and three combat stances. There are no breeds or classes in the game, so any list of ten or twenty cat types is mixing lore with mechanics.
Are the Clans different in combat?
No official Clan bonuses have been published. The Clans change your territory, story thread and supporting cast, while combat is governed by the shared stance system.
Can I play as a medicine cat?
No. Your player character follows the warrior path from apprentice upward. Medicine cats appear as characters in the story rather than as a playable role.
Do cat breeds affect stats?
No. Appearance is handled by the cat creator and does not change combat performance. The cat creator guide covers what you can customise.
Related Guides
More Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest Guides
An A–Z of the Warrior Cats characters who matter across the arcs, with Clan, role and first appearance, plus the game's confirmed roster.
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A scored Warrior Cats game review: combat 7.5, visuals 5.0, six critic scores from 45/100 to 4/5, Steam at 47% positive, and a control patch still missing.
No official source publishes a total number of Warrior Cats. Here are the counts that are confirmed: 9 book cats in the game, 4 Clans, 9 arcs and 52 novels.
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Clan choice decides which campaign you play in Clans of the Forest. What each of the four Clans offers, why there is no stat tier list, and who each suits.
Every Warrior Cats book in reading order: nine story arcs, 52 main-series novels, plus Super Editions and manga, as listed by the publisher.
Every paid add-on for Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest so far: the $14.99 Prophecy Pack, the pre-order Purrfect Look Pack, and what each one actually contains.