src="http://media.tentonhammer.com/vanguard/gallery/albums/site_images/NewPollHeader.jpg">

Dynamic Duos: Tank +
Arcane Caster

By Dalmarus


style="font-style: italic;">October
24, 2007



This
week,
we continue our
exploration of which combinations you think make the best
duo. I will divide them into a couple
of categories that I see as the basis for most duos involving a tank
and an arcane caster and offer my take on them. I am focusing only on
tank/arcane caster combos this time. If you don't understand a term
or abbreviation I use here, please check our href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=135&meid=109">Game
Terms 101.



The combination of tank + caster is moderately common. The
logic behind it stems from the fact that the tank can take the hits
while
the arcane caster dishes out the damage. Picking this duo also
ensures you have that hard-to-find tank when you get ready to form a
group. Clearly, the shortcoming of this duo is the inability to heal
effectively.


Dread Knight as Tank

This duo is
an attempt to
increase damage. Dread Knights can deal some blast damage via skills
and can just generally weaken mobs with Dreadful Countenance. The duo
gets the safety net of having a true tank, but the tank can also deal
some damage.



Pros:

  • In long
    fights or fights
    with adds, Dreadful Countenance weakens tougher mobs
  • Greater
    damage potential from
    the tank compared to Paladins

Cons:

  • Tank has only minimal heals from life taps
  • Faction grind for being "evil"


Paladin as Tank

A duo featuring a Paladin has a tank that can heal. He can also perform
minor buffs and debuffs. He has a tiny repertoire of spiritual-based
magic, but it's not much.



Pros:

  • Tank can
    heal

  • Most
    defensive based of the tanks

Cons:

  • Low on magical damage
  • Paladin does less melee damage than Warrior and less
    magical
    damage than Dread Knight


Warrior as Tank

Warriors bring a lot of melee damage potential to a duo, but they can
still shift to Defensive Stance to soak up hits and keep aggro.
Warriors have multiple abilities to pull a mob off an overly aggresive
caster.



Pros:

  • Greatest
    melee damage
    potential among tanks

  • Multiple
    abilities to regain aggro off spell slinging casters

Cons:

  • Low on magical damage
  • Tank has no heals


src="http://media.tentonhammer.com/vanguard/gallery/albums/album35/Necromancer_paperdoll.jpg"
hspace="10">Necromancer as Arcane Caster

The benefits of choosing a Necromancer are many. Necromancers can keep
themselves (and at later levels their party to a lesser degree) healed
with various lifetap abilities. They have some crowd
control through a 60 second mez and off-tanking with their
pet.
With feign death and an evac spell, full wipes should be rare while
paired together.



Pros:

  • Feign
    death, evac ability

  • Personal
    heals and a minor party heal

Cons:

  • Smaller burst DPS numbers than some of the other casters
  • Necromancers are generally viewed as a solo-only class so
    may not have much grouping experience




Psionicist as Arcane Caster

Psionicists are the kings of crowd control among the arcane casters,
but don't let that fool you into thinking they're weak.
They have
an impressive ability to dish out large amounts of damage when the need
arises. They also get a number of various abilities to suit the
situation in the form of Concentrations - href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=497#KNOWN_CONCENTRATIONS">Psionicist
Concentrations Guide.



Pros:

  • Master
    Crowd Controller

  • Abilty to
    alter personal buffs to match situation

Cons:

  • Crowd Control abilities seem to wane in the later levels
  • Difficult class to learn to play well


Druid as Arcane Caster

Druids are the premier healer out of the arcane casters. They also have
a wide range of buffs and abilities that any group would find useful -
from damage shields to speed buffs and everything in between.



Pros:

  • Highest
    healing ability among the arcane casters

  • More group
    friendly buffs and abilities than the other arcane casters

Cons:

  • Ineffective for crowd control needs
  • Lacks a specific ability focus unlike the other casters


Sorceror as Arcane Caster

No class in Vanguard can equal the sheer potential for mass destruction
like a sorceror. Controllers of fire and ice, they can rain massive
amounts of damage down on single targets, or groups using a variety of
AoE spells. They also have 2 wards to assist party members - one
negates all spell damage for one attack while the other will reflect an
attack (spell/ability) back at the originator.



 
Pros:

  • Can deal
    massive amounts of damage in a short period of time

  • Two wards
    to add a bit of protection to the group

Cons:

  • Must be careful to manage their aggro
  • Lack of group utility buffs

Now it's your turn.
Tell us which
duo is best!


cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(160, 184, 216);">
style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(160, 184, 216);"> style="font-weight: bold;">VOTE
IN OUR POLL!

What is the key to making the most powerful tank + arcane caster
combo?

  • Choose Dread Knight as the tank
  • Pick Paladin for the tank
  • Warrior as tank
  • Use a Necromancer for the arcane caster
  • Get a Psionicist for the arcane caster
  • Take the Druid as the arcane caster
  • Select a Sorceror for the arcane caster
style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(160, 184, 216);"> href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=21310">VOTE
HERE
(this poll is always open)





To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

Comments