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Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Healing careers for Destruction
If you're a planning on being a Destruction player in Warhammer Online and want to focus on healing, consider yourself covered. For starters, don't worry about being a heal-bot, this game probably has some of the most damage capable healers in an MMO that we've seen to date. That's not to say a healer can out-damage a DPS class, instead they're simply deft at dealing with combat on their own terms. For example: whether you enjoy keeping some distance from combat while supporting allies or prefer to get down and dirty, your needs will be met. It's indeed a diverse healing world in Warhammer Online and we've got it all mapped out for you.
Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Melee DPS Careers for Destruction
Warhammer Online offers two takes on melee DPS classes for Destruction at this moment in time. One of them is the slightly traditional Witch Elf, who's kind of like a rogue with a thirst for unrelenting murder and on heavy doses of mind-altering drugs. The other class is the Marauder, who is more irregular with his very flexible and cool looking mutation mechanic -- he can grow all sorts of disgusting stuff out of his body. So which one will you be playing come launch day? We've put together this class overview for exactly that question.
Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Tanking careers for Destruction
Meat shield. Damage sponge. Brick house? You know them as tanks, we know them as bipedal beefnauts. The players who wade through the battlefield wearing nothing but the heaviest of heavy metals. In Warhammer Online, the side of Destruction has two tanks to pick from and both of them are very angry individuals. Maybe it's because of all that trauma that they're constantly taking to the head. Then again, they could just be crazy. You'd have to be, to want people to beat on you constantly. Either way, we've got the skinny on the Greenskin Black Orc and Chaos Chosen.
Massively goes to WAR: An overview of Ranged DPS careers for Order
The Warhammer Online NDA has lifted. So let's get to the good stuff. We're kicking it off with a series of guides to the careers in WAR. Ranged DPS classes come in three flavors in Warhammer Online: steampunk pet class (Engineer), bow-and-blade Legolas clone (Shadow Warrior) and classic glass cannon (Bright Wizard). But which one is right for you? If race isn't a deciding factor, check out a brief overview of all three careers below to help you make your choice. Dwarf Engineer The good news is these Dwarfs can make gun turrets, flash grenades and throw out barb wire to trap your enemies. The bad news isn't so bad, but your turrets don't move. Whereever you drop them is where they stay. You can stay by their side and shoot your enemy with your gun or melee with your enormous wrench while lobbing grenades for extra damage output. But in many situations, your group is going to be running amok, so be prepared to replant your turret on a regular basis. Rifleman: Focuses on long-range combat Grenadier: Focuses on bombs and grendades Tinkerer: Focuses on deployables and turrets The Tinkerer path is particularly interesting. It gives you access to abilities that allow you to use your turret to restore your Action Points or heal your group. This class's mirror on the Destruction side is the Chaos Magus.
The Elves of WAR round-up
It's been a busy week here at Massively as we've been preparing for the eventual NDA lift while simultaneously bringing you early looks at the first half of the Dark Elf and High Elf content. With the announcement that the full NDA is being removed today, we've decided to go ahead and gather all of the Elves of WAR content written thus far into one easy-to-access place. Expect to see lots more from the Massively crew as we bring you information on all of the races that will be butting heads in Warhammer Online. Meet the Shadow Warrior, levels 1-5Our overview of the High Elf ranged dps career, the Shadow Warrior, may not be enough for you. So here we are with an examination of every skill from level one through five. Meet the Swordmaster. levels 1-5Maybe the High Elf melee dps and healer careers aren't your preferred playstyle. It's time to look at the High Elf tanking class, the Swordmaster, in our continuing exclusive pre-NDA coverage of the Elves of WAR. The Digital Continuum: Dark Elf days in WARSo we've gotten official approval to speak our minds early and often about the Dark Elf (High Elves too, but bollocks to Order, I say!) experience in tier one and two as much as we like. That led me to decide that it would be fun to give you my personal take on them. Meet the Disciple of KhaineThe Bloody Handed god has priests like any of the other gods in Warhammer Online, only his priests come with a twist. They are known as Disciples of Khaine and they relish dealing death to their enemies like the rest of their brothers and sisters. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
Warhammer Online NDA lifts tomorrow (August 19th)
The Warhammer Online NDA is expected to lift tomorrow, according to Mark Jacobs, GM of Mythic Entertainment. The announcement has popped up in a few places, but the message is clear: the NDA is lifting. Jacobs' announcement also touched upon why they're running the Open Beta as they are and early client downloads, but it's the NDA lift that seems to be catching most everyone's attention. Jacobs said, "We expect to lift it tomorrow morning. I was hoping it was going to be today but I wanted to wait till I got the beta reports from the weekend and we just didn't have enough time to get everything coordinated with our partners in order for the press release to go out today." Jacobs also stated that he'll explain the reasons for the delayed NDA release tomorrow. WAR bloggers everywhere are already freaking out (in a good way) over the news, so expect a literal flood of Warhammer Online info for tomorrow. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
The Elves of WAR: Disciple of Khaine levels 11-15
Levels 11 through 15 for the Disciple of Khaine --much like the other classes -- give you your three first Career Tactics. These passive abilities allow you to slightly alter the way your class functions in combat. However, at this level you're only allowed to slot one Career Tactic at a time. One of these first Tactics increases your survivability by improving the effect heals have on you by 10% -- it's shared between the other Dark Elf classes, too. However, the other two Tactics are aimed at increasing your damage output in two very different ways. Divine Fury boosts your overall damage by 25% at the cost of reducing your healing effectiveness by 20% and Khaine's Blessing bumps up your auto-attack speed by 50% every time you land a critical hit.Your rank 2 Morale is much more interesting, though. It hits every enemy around you for 80dmg and then heals your entire group for the total amount of damage dealt. Having no range, you only need to make sure you've got a nice bulk of targets in the near vicinity. Combined with the Divine Fury tactic, you can actually heal a bit more than normal with this particular attack, too.
The Elves of WAR: Witch Elf levels 11-15
For levels 11 through 15 of the Witch Elf class, you'll be seeing your first three Career Tactics come into play. These are passive traits that tweak the way your character will fight. You can only have one Career Tactics equipped early on, which means you'll have to choose just one for now. Our personal favorite is the Tactic that gives you a 33% chance to build on extra Blood Lust (BL) every time you use a BL building ability.Other gains for the Witch Elf class include a particularly nasty rank 2 Morale ability that sucks Action Points (AP) and Strength (for 30 seconds) from its target. This ability effectively solidifies the Witch Elf as a class that can be designed to endlessly annoy and grief a tank. So if there's a particular type of player you want to see suffering, then you'll need to make sure you grab the Force of Will ability. Finally, you'll get a disarm ability at level 14 that will see a lot of use in RvR situations against both tanks and other DPS classes.
The Elves of WAR: White Lion levels 6-10
In the first five levels of this High Elf melee dps career, we got a lion, an axe and an attitude. Time to take it on the road for five more levels and all the new abilities that come with it.Level 6 - Sundering Chop40 AP, Instant cast, 5ft rangeA powerful axe chop which deals 28 damage. If you are behind the enemy, then this attack will ignore 50% of their armor.With you lion set in tank mode with Trained to Threaten, this axe attack replaces Hack as your spam attack. It costs a little more in AP, but does about 50% more damage if you are behind the mob.
Warhammer Online NA open beta begins September 7th
Oi you lazy gits, listen 'ere or we'll beat you up good! Warhamma Online 'as got an official North American open beta date an' it's Septemba 7f!Oh, excuse us, we must have had some kind of green- thing, in our throats. So anyhow, everyone who pre-orders the game (at select retail partners, of course) will get to play free of charge for just over one week until the game launches on September 16th. Also, all testers in the closed beta will automatically receive open beta access, too. What's interesting is that there is no mention of the open beta rank 20 level cap spoken of on the official pre-order page. It's probably just happenstance, but the omission is a bit odd.If you're just too impatient and want to know everything that can be known about Warhammer Online as soon as possible, then check out our pre-NDA lift coverage of the Dark Elf and High Elf content, tiers one and two. Also, watch out for full coverage of every race and more from Massively as soon as the NDA is fully lifted.[via Press Release][Update] Added source and updated post to reflect information on the official pre-order page[Update 2] There appears to be an official open beta website, but it's currently down. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
The Elves of WAR: Sorceress levels 6-10
The first five levels of the Sorceress class outfitted her with the basics spell-wise. These next five levels, however, add plenty of tricks into the mix. There's still more direct damage to be had, especially with your first morale ability. However, a lot of what you're getting in levels six through ten are buffs and debuffs or Augmentations and Hexes, as Warhammer Online likes to call them. Umbral Strikes is going to be your bread and butter buff for a while after you get it, as the spell gives everyone in your group a 25% chance to cause extra damage whenever they attack. One particularly interesting ability allows you to deal slightly more damage to a target of your choosing over a period of time, but less damage to everything else as a cost. This one seems like an obvious choice for epic monsters or maybe that particularly annoying tank in RvR. Your level ten spell is probably the second most important spell, next to your brand new buff. It's a classic AoE root that no spellcaster should be without, really.
The Elves of WAR: Disciple of Khaine levels 6-10
Levels six through ten for the Disciple of Khaine see you receiving not only your first morale ability (hint: it's a big heal) but also your first revive spell at level ten. The especially nice thing about the Dark Elf healer's revive spell is that it costs no Action Points (AP) to use and it builds 20 Soul Essence (SE) on top of that, too. The only drawback is that it's got a six second casting time, which doesn't make it the most immediate revive in the heat of battle. Another first for these levels is a very nice de-taunting spell that's definitely handy to have for later Public Quests.
The Elves of WAR: Meet the Shadow Warrior levels 1-5
Our overview of the High Elf ranged dps career, the Shadow Warrior, may not be enough for you. So here we are with an examination of every skill from level one through five. It's the latest installment of Massively's pre-NDA coverage of Warhammer Online, the Elves of WAR.Shadow Warriors are the quintessential bow-and-blade class, with skills in long-range, short-ranged and hand-to-hand combat. They have three stances they can switch between at a moment's notice that buffs each combat speciality. The first one, Scout Stance, is explained below along with the other beginning abilities.Level 1 - Scout Stance5 sec cooldownA long distance bow stnace that increases your Ballistic Skill initiative by 2 and the range of your bow attacks by 10%.Level 1 - Eagle Eye45 AP, 2sec cast, 5-100ft rangeA well aimed arrow that deals 53 damage.Level 1 - Grim Slash40 AP, Instant cast, 5ft rangeDeals 30 damage to your target.These are your two basic attacks, ranged and melee, with a ranged buff. Encounters are simple as shoot until melee range, then spam Grim Slash.
The Elves of WAR: Witch Elf levels 6-10
We gave you the first five levels of the Witch Elf and hey, that was pretty awesome. However, now we've got the next five levels and they're totally cooler than the last five. We swear! It's within these levels that you'll get your first morale ability for the Witch Elf class, which adds another layer to the combat. Up until this point, combat in Warhammer Online feels somewhat typical, aside from the Blood Lust (BL) mechanic for the Witch Elf. So once you've earned this Rank 1 morale ability, you'll find yourself experiencing a more complete and varied combat system.
The Elves of WAR: Meet the Swordmaster levels 1-5
Maybe the High Elf melee dps and healer careers aren't your preferred playstyle. It's time to look at the High Elf tanking class, the Swordmaster, in our continuing exclusive pre-NDA coverage of the Elves of WAR. We've already written up an overview of the class and its chain-combo fighting style, but now let's start from the beginning and work our way up.Level 1Graceful Strike - 40 AP, Instant cast, 5ft rangeLeads to Improved BalanceA swift attack that deals 10 damage and Cripples for an additional 20 damage over 5 seconds. Monsters struck with this technique will hate you more.Throw - 20 AP, 1sec cast, 5-65ft rangeA basic throwing attack that inflicts 10 damage. Has a chance to deal 90 damage to a severely wounded traget if you are behind them.Throw is good for pulling, but Graceful Strike is your bread-and-butter dps plus taunt ability and it starts your combo chain by shifting you from Balance to Improved Balance.
The Elves of WAR: Dark Elf Chapter I Public Quest, Spires of Narthain
The first Public Quest (PQ) we came across while playing our Dark Elves was a very cool experience, especially considering that this is only the first of many PQs. We suppose it's in Mythic's best interest to -- pardon the term -- wow players early and often and the Spires of Narthain PQ does exactly that. Around level four or five, you'll be headed to the area your map has conveniently indicated for you to complete some quests. Suddenly, an objective indicator will show up in the upper-right portion of your screen. What's this? Well, you've arrived at the Spires of Narthain, the last bastion of High Elf defense in this area. Get ready for some action.
The Elves of WAR: Meet the White Lion, levels 1-5
Earlier in the week we gave you a broad overview of this Warhammer Online class based on our higher level beta experiences. Today, we continue our exclusive pre-NDA look at the Elves of WAR with a look at the White Lion class from the ground up.The White Lion career is a melee dps class on the side of Order only available to High Elves. With a loyal lion pet by their side and an enormous axe in their hand the White Lion is very good at taking down enemies, especially small groups of them.
The Elves of WAR: Meet the Archmage, levels 1-5
Massively's exclusive pre-NDA coverage of the Elves of Warhammer Online continues with this sneak peek at the beginning levels of the High Elf healer class, the Archmage. The Archmage has an interesting mechanic it shares with the Destruction Goblin Shaman, a ying/yang relationship between his offensive and healing spells. Every time an Archmage casts a healing spell, he gains a point in Force up to 5 points maximum. Every point of Force will reduce the casting time of offensive spells by 20%. That means at maximum Force, your next nuke will be insta-cast. For offensive spells that are already insta-cast, each point of Force will increase that spells potency by 5%. Once an offensive spell is cast, Force resets to zero.The same holds true in reverse. For every damage spell the Archmage casts, he gains a point of Tranquility, resetting the counter when he finally uses his stored up Tranquility to power a defensive spell. Out of combat, any gained points will quickly fade.Level one through five spell details after the jump!
The Elves of WAR: Level 1-5 quests for High Elves
Massively's exclusive coverage of the Elves of WAR continues with a look at the first five levels in the Warhammer Online for High Elves. Whether you roll an Archmage, Shadow Warrior, Swordmaster or White Lion, your High Elf will follow the same quest line, unless you fly to one of the other racial starting areas. Either way, prepare to have it out with Dark Elves from the get go.Upon creating your High Elf you start the game in the outpost of Moonrise on the Blighted Isle. You'll have some basic abilities/spells already slotted in your hotbar. There is only one quest giver in the outpost, Silvshara Greywind. She gives a kill quest for six Dark Sprites in the forest, then five Dark Elf Infiltrators.After completing the kill quests, your High Elf will be level two and be able to train in a new spell/ability by talking to the NPC with the bullseye over their head. If you don't have enough cash, you can kill a few more Dark Elves in the forest for coin and loot you can sell to the vendor.Your next quest sends you to the quest hub in Calumel to the southeast. On the way there, you'll find an Elf who will give you the quest to shoot Harpies with the Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower next to him. This uses none of your spells/abilities, but puts you in shooter mode where you take control of the launcher and aim the crosshairs at the Harpies. This is just training for RvR use of harpoons and other siege equipment later in the game. But don't pass this up as it's easy exp and he will send you on to the same place you were heading anyway.
The Elves of WAR: Meet the Sorceress
Do dark magical forces beckon you? It could be that the Dark Elf Sorceress -- Sorcerer for males -- is just the class for you in Warhammer Online, so long as you don't mind being an Elf. The Sorceress is -- for all intents and purposes -- your typical mage-type class. Don't take that statement at face value, though. There is a nice twist to the class that helps keep things interesting while you nuke the snot out of everything in sight. The difference between, say, a Sorceress and an Archmage is the disdain for any adherence to the balancing act with magical energies. Where a High Elf crafts her magic with a careful touch, a Sorceress steals as much as she can and flings all of it at her enemies at once. This doesn't come without a risk, of course.
