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Dynamic Duos: Offensive Fighter + Healer
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Dynamic Duos: Healer +
Offensive Fighter

By Ralsu and
Dalmarus 

style="font-style: italic;">November 6th, 2007



This
week, I continue Ralsu's
exploration of which combinations you think make the best duo. Ralsu
plays in duos quite a bit in Vanguard due to his hectic schedule, so he
has shared some of his opinions, too. I will divide them into a couple
of categories that I see as the basis for most duos involving a healer
and an offensive fighter and offer my take on them. I am focusing only
on healer/offensive fighter combos this time. If you don't understand a
term
or abbreviation I use here, please check our style="font-weight: bold;"
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=135&meid=109">Game
Terms 101.



The combination of healer + offensive fighter is not an uncommon one.
The
logic behind it stems from the fact that while an offensive fighter may
not have the armor class and / or hit points to soak up the amount of
damage a tank does, the increased DPS ensures shorter battles. A healer
may have to work a little harder in sustained battles paired with an
offensive fighter,  but the shortened duration of most battles
should give them an opportunity to be more than a heal bot as well.

Bloodmage as Healer

A duo
featuring a Blood Mage can be devastating indeed. Not only is a
well-played Blood Mage able to deal large amounts of damage, but the
use of Frenzied Symbiote on thier partner will increase this duo's DPS
even further. For other Symbiote ideas, check out our style="font-weight: bold;"
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=654">Blood
Mage Guide to Symbiotes.



Pros:

Blood Mage
can create symbiotes to suit the needs of the duo May be the
highest DPS output of the offensive fighter/healer duos

Cons:

Blood Mages cannot take hits as well as Clerics, Disciples,
or Shamans
Blood Mage is harder to learn to play well than a pure
healer

Cleric as Healer

While Clerics may currently be considered a bit over-powered, their
uesfulness to this duo cannot be denied. Not only can they keep their
offensive fighter of choice healed (obviously), but with their ability
to withstand more punishment than the other healers, they can handled
adds with little worry to the duo as well.



Pros:

Clerics
take hits better than any other healer

Cleric
Affinities add some versatility to the mix

Cons:

Durability of the Cleric may create a false sense of
security
Cleric may be the most boring of the healers in Vanguard

Disciple as Healer

Having the ability to heal through multiple sources (energy and Jin)
while being able to contribute a moderate amount of DPS makes Disciples
an impressive choice when pairing them with an offensive fighter..



Pros:

Heals can
come from Jin and energy

Feign Death
ability for when things go wrong

Cons:

Disciples cannot take hits as well as Clerics or Shamans
with shields
Learning to play a Disciple well may be difficult for some
players

Shaman
as Healer

Shamans have a very diverse amount of skills dependant upon which
patron they chose to follow. Followers of Hayatet are able to add extra
DPS, followers of Rakurr are able to add DoTs, and followers of Tuurgin
are able to off-tank reasonably well. 



Pros:

Shaman pet
either adds damage or a security blanket

Shaman can
buff the offensive fighter for damage or nuke to add damage depending
on choice of patron

Cons:

Can be low on magical damage depending on Shaman's choice
of patron
Shamans cannot take hits as well as Clerics

src="http://media.tentonhammer.com/vanguard/gallery/albums/album35/Bard_paperdoll.jpg"
align="left">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 href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&file=index&func=display&ceid=350&meid=144">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 style="font-style: italic;">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 style="font-style: italic;">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
Now it's your turn.
Tell us which
duo is best!
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What is the key to making the most powerful healer + offensive fighter
combo?

Choose Bloodmage as the healer
Pick Cleric for the healer Disciple as healer Grab a Shaman as the healer Use a Bard for the offensive fighter
Get a Monk for the offensive fighter
Take the Ranger as the offensive fighter
Select a Rogue for the offensive fighter
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