Dynamic Duos: Offensive Fighter + Arcane Caster

By Dalmarus

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November 30, 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 an offensive fighter and an arcane caster and offer my take on them. I am focusing only on offensive fighter/arcane caster combos this time. If you don't understand a term or abbreviation I use here, please check our Game Terms 101.

The combination of offensive fighter + caster is moderately common. The logic behind it stems from the fact that the offensive fighter can still dish out some decent punishment and take some hits while the arcane caster dishes out the heavy damage. Picking this duo also ensures you have good dps foundation when you get ready to form a group. Clearly, the shortcoming of this duo is the inability to heal effectively.

Bard as Offensive Fighter

The benefits of choosing a Bard are many. Bards give movement buffs in the form of run speed, levitation, and underwater breathing. They can craft songs to up resistances or increase damage. They have crowd control skills, and they take hits fairly well.

Pros:

• Bard can customize songs to fit the enemy
  
• Crowd control
  

Cons:

• Lower melee damage potential than Ranger (and likely the lowest among all offensive fighters)
  
• Power of buffs may be diminished without a full group to benefit
  

Monk as Offensive Fighter

The Monk has potential for a lot of raw damage. Monks also enjoy versatility in the three fighting styles (Dragon, Drunken, and Harmonious). Check out the Monk Class Guide for links to skills for each of the fighting styles. Most often, Monks are lauded for their ability to off-tank. This means adds are not nearly as devastating to a duo.

Pros:

• Monk can heal himself
  
• High melee potential from Monk
  

Cons:

• May have difficulty maintaining aggro at times
  
• Lacks the versatility of the Bard
  

Ranger as Offensive Fighter

It was common knowledge during beta that Vanguard mastermind Brad McQuaid heavily favored the Ranger. In fact, his alter ego, Aradune, was a Ranger. Knowing that, it should be no surprise that the Ranger can mete out some serious pain. The Ranger can also stalk, making it easier to drag tombstones.

Pros:

• Highest melee potential among offensive fighters
  
• Stalk to recover tombstones and scout
  

Cons:

• No way to deal with adds
  
• Lacks the versatility of the Bard
  

Rogue as Offensive Fighter

The Rogue is probably a misunderstood class in Vanguard. Played correctly, it can bring the pain, but many players lack the patience to master the poisons. Rogues are the masters of stealth and stalking, so they are terrific scouts and corpse retrievers.

  Pros:

• Creative ways to deal damage with poisons
  
• Stalk to recover tombstones and scout
  

Cons:

• Few people know how to play a Rogue well
  
• Lacks the versatility of the Bard

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-offensive fightering 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 - 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
  

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

VOTE IN OUR POLL! What is the key to making the most powerful offensive fighter + arcane caster combo? Choose Bard as the offensive fighter Pick Monk for the offensive fighter Ranger as offensive fighter Grab a Rogue for the offensive fighter 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 VOTE HERE (this poll is always open)