by Danny Gourley on Mar 29, 2009
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target="_blank">Atlantica
Online is a great game because of the many
tactical choices involved in playing it. The very first strategic
decision comes with the selection of your leader character. Use this
guide to help you weigh the positives and the negatives of each leader
option and to find the right pick to suit your play style.
Some Important Notes
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Strategy is
the name of the game, and picking the right units is key.
Atlantica
is a squad-based game where the player chooses his avatar to be the
leader and hires mercenaries to fill out the squad to a maximum of nine
units arranged on a three-by-three grid. Players get the leader plus
two mercenaries at level one. They will have a third and fourth
mercenary by level ten. Thereafter, the leader can place one new
mercenary in the unit on every tenth level up to level 50 (20, 30, 40,
50), when the squad is full. All leaders can be male or female.
While some of the leader classes also are available to Rank D
(or beginner) mercenaries you can hire from level one, a leader will
always be stronger than a mercenary of the same type. In general,
leaders are said to be about as strong as a Rank C mercenary.
Additionally, leaders can go on a special quest at level 100 to obtain
a leader-only spell for their class type. This helps distinguish
leaders from a mercenary that uses the same weapon. Also, some leader
classes are not available from level one to mercenaries, meaning a
selection of one of these classes as your leader will give you access
to the skills of that mercenary type sooner. Finally, other leader
classes are not accessible to mercenaries at all, so picking that class
for your leader is the only way to get access to those spells.
Leader types fit into three categories: melee, ranged, and
caster. Each option has benefits and deficits. Choosing melee for your
leader gives you the best growth in defense and hit points, which gives
you a better chance at surviving. However, melee characters tend to
work best on the front line of your formation, which exposes your
character to the most attacks. This can be disastrous in PvP since your
whole squad loses if your leader dies. Opting for a ranged leader
allows you to protect your character behind strong frontline
mercenaries, but it means your avatar has lower defense and hit points.
Enemies adept at ranged attacks can pick on your leader and decimate
your forces. Choosing the caster leader gives you access to heals from
the beginning of the game but gives you the least durable leader.
Continue to the next page to learn about melee leader classes
Axe and Maniac.
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Axe (melee)
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The Axe leader is similar to the Viking mercenary that players
can recruit at level 20. He wields his axe in both hands and delivers
walloping hits to an entire row with one sweep of his axe. His defense
is third best among leaders and his hit point growth is second, making
him fairly durable. Sadly, his magic defense is the worst among
leaders, and he gains action points at a slow rate, meaning he gets to
act less frequently in battle compared to other leaders. Axe leaders
cannot attack flying enemies with their standard attack.
Common Spells
Freezing Axe Freezes a row of enemies with an icy blowLevel 100 Unique Spell
Warriors Rage A passive skill that causes your leader toManiac (melee)
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The Maniac is a new leader class introduced with the
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/65453" target="_blank">February
18 patch. No mercenary compares to this class, which is open
only to players with another leader at level 100+. The maniac uses a
chainsaw to cut into a row of enemies. This leader boasts the highest
strength, defense, and hit point growth of all leader classes. Maniac
leaders cannot attack flying enemies with their standard attack.
Common Spells
Storm Blast Hit a row of enemies, reducing strength andLevel 100 Unique Spell
Destructive Instinct A passive skill that buffs yourContinue to the next page to learn about melee leader classes
Spear and Sword.
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Spear (melee)
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The Spear leader is similar to the
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/45234" target="_blank">Spearman
mercenary that players can recruit at level one. He wields
his spear in both hands and skewers two enemies in a column. His attack
power is second best among leaders but his defense and HP growth fall
in the middle. Combine the lower HP and defense with his terrible magic
defense, and the Spear can be nearly killed in one round of
concentrated combat. Spear leaders cannot attack flying enemies with
their standard attack.
Common Spells
Lightning Spear Impales two enemies in a column with anLevel 100 Unique Spell
Flame Spear A powerful attack that hits one enemy on theSword (melee)
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The Sword leader is similar to the
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mercenary that players can recruit at level one. He
brandishes a sword in one hand and can equip a shield in the other. His
defense is second best among leaders and his HP growth and attack power
are third best. Despite low magic defense, the Swords high HP enables
him to withstand most magic attacks. The ability to equip a shield
makes him even more durable. Sword leaders cannot attack flying enemies
with their standard attack.
Common Spells
Flame Sword Slashes one enemy with a flaming sword.Level 100 Unique Spell
Chaos Edge A dark attack that hits the front row. DealsContinue to the next page to learn about ranged leader classes
Bow and Cannon.
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Bow (ranged)
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The Bow leader is similar to the
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/38943" target="_blank">Archer
mercenary that players can recruit at level one. His precise
bow attacks can hit any one target in the enemy formation. His evasion
rate and magic defense are second best among leaders. Sadly, his
defense and HP growth are the worst among leaders. Bow leaders can
attack flying enemies with their standard attack.
Common Spells
Silence Damage an enemy and keep it from casting spells.Level 100 Unique Spell
Arrow Cascade Hit all enemies with a barrage of arrows.Cannon (ranged)
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The Cannon leader is similar to the
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/40183" target="_blank">Artilleryman
mercenary that players can recruit at level thirty. He fires
his cannon to hit enemies in one column and one row centered on the
target. His attributes tend toward the middle with his defensive
statistics being slightly higher than other ranged leaders. His action
power recovery is slow, so he attacks less frequently than other
leaders. Cannon leaders cannot attack flying enemies with their
standard attack.
Common Spells
Deep Insight Damage enemies in one row and one columnLevel 100 Unique Spell
Devastation Shell Hit all enemies with an explosiveContinue to the next page to learn about ranged leader classes
Gun and Musician.
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Gun (ranged)
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The Gunner leader is similar to the
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mercenary that players can recruit at level one. His rifle
shots can pierce a whole column of enemies. His evasion rate is best
among leaders but his defense and HP growth are poor. Gun leaders can
attack flying enemies with their standard attack.
Common Spells
Wild Shot Use heavy gunfire to damage two or threeLevel 100 Unique Spell
Scorching Bullets Attack enemies in one column and oneMusician (ranged)
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The Musician is a new leader class introduced with
the
target="_blank">February 18 patch. No mercenary
compares to this class. His discordant guitar riffs injure two enemies
in a column. His attributes tend toward the middle in all areas. Guitar
leaders cannot attack flying enemies with their standard attack.
Common Spells
Ravaging Melody Harms two enemies in a column whileLevel 100 Unique Spell
Requiem Harms enemies in a row while stripping theirContinue to the next page to learn about caster leader class
Staff.
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Staff (caster)
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The Staff leader is similar to the
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/45201" target="_blank">Shaman
mercenary that players can recruit at level one. He fires
magic bolts from his staff in one hand and can hold an orb to boost his
intelligence in the other. His magic defense and intelligence are best
among leaders but all other attributes are the worst. Staff leaders
cannot attack flying enemies with their standard attack.
Common Spells
Blessing of Life Heal one ally to one row of alliesLevel 100 Unique Spell
Flame Blow Attack all enemies with fiery magic. Duration