Destruction Class Builds Reviewed (mid Game)

Just thought I would throw out a little briefing since I have all ten classes to at least level 20. There have been many changes, patches, etc...

The Shaman - template is Here
The Shaman loses a little bit of it's OP in the mid levels, and now in tier 4 seems to be playing decently as intended. I have no intentions of changing anything, since nothing with this build seems to be broken.

The Sorceres - template is Here
The Sorc actually becomes noticeably stronger as she goes through the mid to late levels. As such, I have no reason to change anything.

The Witch Elf - template is Here
Due to the uselessness of Weapon Skill in regards to parry percentage, this build must be changed. Instead of Weapon Skill the Renown points will be placed in Strength. Although I do not see any reason to spec out of "Carnage", I will still have to do a rebuild as the slotted tactics were greatly dependant on having a high chance to parry.

The Squig Herder - template is Here
This build needs an entire overhaul. The premise that the path of "Quick Shootin" was the "PvP build" was incorrect. Although this build allows you a little better survivability, you pay for that by coughing up quite a bit of DPS. The tree I am currently using is the path of "Big Shootin". It seems to be doing just fine, so this is most likely what I will be spec'ed in at 40.

The Black Orc - template is Here
As far as PvP goes, this build does exactly what was intended. In PvE however, I have noticed a little weakness, since I am defense spec'ed it does take quite a bit longer to kill mobs when compared to other classes. Since all my builds are PvP based, there is no reason to change anything at this time.

The Magus - template is Here
The Magus is my second to the least favorite toon to play. You cannot AOE DPS like the Sorc, and you cannot single target DPS like the Squig. Since I am still considered a "Ranged DPS" class, I have a hard time trying to figure out how I can be useful to a group. I have no plans to change the build as I do not see the build being broke, in my opinion, the whole class is broke. There is an OP ability if you spec in the "Daemonology" tree,(Chaotic Rift) however I do not like being a "one trick Pony" and the OP of it will be patched out.

The Zealot - template is Here (Title is mislabeled as Shaman)
This is another build that must be overhauled as it seems to have went down the toilet. Dark Rites is actually a lot better as far as raw healing power goes, as such, that is what I have respec'ed to.

The Disciple of Khaine - template is Here
Not too much to say here, the build seems to be doing just fine. Very strong in any(PvP or PvE) solo situation, however cannot "out heal" a Shaman or Zealot.(As intended?)

The Marauder - template is Here
Absolutely the last on the list as far as viability goes, I dread having to play this toon.(You will not notice this weakness until you hit mid tier two to the beginning of tier three) The build will have to be overhauled as well, changing to "Monstrosity" as it does, at least, give the class a small amount of utility.

The Chosen - template is Here
I was a little concerned making a "tank" class carry a 2H, however everything seems to be going fine at this point, as such I do not see a reason to change anything.

More Warhammer online Exploits

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you to subscribe to our RSS feed! or joine us on Twitter

Read rest of entry

Warhammer online builds: Chosen Template

This is going to be a 2H build, as such your top three stats will be:

• Strength = adds to melee DPS


• Toughness = reduces incoming DPS


• Wounds = adds to hit points

The 25 points will be placed as follows: (There will be a few extra points gained by RvR rewards, however we will not use them here)

15 in "Dread"
Buy the following skills in the Dread tree for one point each:

• Feed on the Weary


• Relentless


• Oppressing Blows


• Rending Blade


• Warping Embrace

Skills in the tree you do not buy: "Crippling Strikes" and "Dreadful Terror"

The last 5 points will be put in the Discord tree. Any additional points should also be placed in Discord, there is no reason to buy the bottom or second to the bottom skill in the tree.

80 RvR points to be placed in:

• Might level 1 = 1 point


• Might level 2 = 3 points


• Might level 3 = 6 points


• Might level 4 = 10 points


• Might level 5 = 14 points

• Fortitude level 1 = 1 point


• Fortitude level 2 = 3 points

• Assault level 1 = 2 points


• Assault level 2 = 4 points


• Assault level 3 = 6 points

• Opportunist level 1 = 5 points


• Opportunist level 2 = 10 points


• Opportunist level 3 = 15 points

The purpose of this build is to have enough armor and defense to burst through the enemy frontlines and survive long enough to take down enemy nukers(s) before they can make a difference. Since you are 2H, you will have more then enough DPS to kill them quickly, even if they have a healer on them.

Here are the planned active morale skills:

• Level 1 = Inevit Changing


• Level 2 = Raze


• Level 3 = Sprout Carapace


• Level 4 = Warping Embrace

Slotted Tactics can be changed "on the fly", as long as you are not in combat. Since there are 5 quick slots available, I would use each group for a different purpose. One for PvP Group, and one for PvP solo. Here is my grouping for a "PvP Group":

• Oppressing Blows


• Unstoppable Juggernaut


• Feed on the Weary


• Warped Flesh

Build Strength:
Decent DPS with boosted AP regen.

The slotted tactics is what really adds to the core of this build. +15% chance to crit, dispel root and snares every 20 seconds, draining action points every 10 seconds, and 25% chance to proc a shield REALLY helps push a 2H tank through the front lines.

Build Weakness:

A little weak on defense.

Not having a shield will cause some extra pain, as long as you have a decent healer nearby, you should be fine.

You can see this build here

More Warhammer online Templates

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you to subscribe to my RSS feed!

Read rest of entry

WAR Exploit: All Auras At Once as Chosen

The only way to take full advantage of this exploit is to have the tactic that makes their auras cost 0 action points. Then you must have a G13 or G15 logitech keyboard.

If you have a G13 or G15 logitech keyboard you can bind the key board to hit several keys extremely fast.

Bind a key to memorize and hit all your auras at once.

After doing so when you hit the key it will light up all your auras which will majorly debuff any mobs around you and buff yourself in turn. it will only last 10 seconds before you have to hit it again. It's really amazing when you're pulling mobs into an aoe group to kill because they become extremely debuffed..

Have fun with that one.. I know several of my guildies are atm!

More WAR Exploits

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you to subscribe to my RSS feed!

Read rest of entry

WoW vs. WAR

World of Warcraft and Warhammer: Age of Reckoning, the MvP vs the new comer pretty much. I will just contrast the two games, as I have played WoW for 4 years, and played a good amount of Warhammer Beta, getting 4 toons to 20.

-RACES-

.:WoW-Races:. .:WAR-Races:.
Alliance - Order

Night Elves <--> High Elves
Humans <--> Empire
Dwarves <--> Dwarves
Gnomes
Draenei

Horde - Destruction

Orcs <--> Orcs
Trolls <--> Goblin
Blood Elves <--> Dark Elves
Tauren Chaos
Undead

Race Conclusion
World of Warcraft obviously has more races, some very similar to the few found in Warhammer. WoW has 10 Races, WAR is short by three.

-CLASSES-
.:WoW-Classes:.
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior

.:WAR Classes:.


.:Classes Conclusion:.
Once again, WoW has more choice than WAR. Though the segregation of roles in WAR is more solid in WoW, making a PvE / RvR(PvP) group easier to organize than it would be in WoW. Where in WoW there are many specs for the classes, though not all of those specs are really in demand, leaving you groupless.

-CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION-
.:WoW:. .:WAR:.
<--Hair-->
<--Face-->
<--Piercings/scars/etc;-->
<--Skin Tone-->
Eyes
Armor Dye
Trophies

Character Customization Conclusion
WAR has really more choices than WoW to customize and individualize your character. It is very rare, that one would see another player that looks alike. You can dye your armor in WAR with dye's, and you can also equip trophies, that appear on you character (placement varies on race).

LEVELING/QUESTING
If you have ever played WoW you would know that questing was a big hassle, especially if the quests were "kill X and get me # of Y" and Y would never drop. In WAR when you have those type of those quests, Y will always drop! Questing in WAR is a very big improvement from WoW's.

In WAR there are PQ's also known as Public Quest's. PQ's is a good way to get gear, there are certain zones in which these PQ's are active. They reset every 2 minutes after one is done. To get gear in a PQ you must contribute by either, healing / tanking / dps'ing.

PVP / RVR
PvP, player versus player. RvR, realm versus realm. In WoW PvP is really just a grind fest. Farm honor, farm BG marks, farm TONS of honor and marks. WAR has a different approach to gearing through killing enemy players. RvR is two realms competing in a Scenario(SC).

When you kill an enemy player in WAR you gain exp., renown pts., gold, and sometimes even GEAR when you loot their dead bodies. The more you contributed into killing the enemy the more likely an item will drop for you. Healers can do the same, just how much healing they put out on those around.

WAR has three kinds / types of PvP. Skirmishes, the basic world RvR enabled areas. Battlefields, open world RvR, with strategic points that need to be captured. Battlefields require the usage of artillery and siege weapons, to destroy the enemy factions castle. Lastly there are the Scenarios, Scenarios are instanced, where there are strategic pts and all objectives of the SC's vary.

FINAL VERDICT
WAR imo, seems to be the better choice for casual players and players who just want to get straight to the action of killing and gearing themselves. They really cut down all the down time, that players would find when playing WoW. Also WAR supplies a large amount of individualism in the game, the way you can customize your character. The character customizations make up for the lack of races.

More Warhammer online Reviews

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you to subscribe to my RSS feed!

Read rest of entry

Chaos Chosen class review

Overview: Few understand what it means to give your life in service to Tzeentch, the Raven God. To truly be one of the favored amongst the bringer of change's army grants you immense power, at only the cost of your soul. The Chosen lead the Chaos armies into battle with themselves at the front. With the ability to take a lot of damage, cause a decent amount of damage, and the myriad different Auras of power granted to them by Tzeentch, the Chaos Chosen are truly a force to be reckoned with. The effects of their auras set the Chosen apart from other fighters. From auras that buff the rest of the parties damage and resistances to auras that heal the Chosen himself, there are a host of different effects you can chose from depending on the situation.

Strengths:

• The ability to take lots of damage with an above average amount of hit points.


• The ability to deal more damage than other tanks on average.


• Auras that cause different effects such as buffing or damage.

Weaknesses:

• Lack of ranged attacks makes fighting from a distance effectively impossible.


• Lifetap aura doesn't heal for enough to offset combat damage.


• Weak against ranged damage classes

PvE Overview
The Chaos Chosen is hard to beat in PvE play. With their high tolerance for damage and ability to enhance their DPS through their different auras, they tend to solo quickly and effectively. Their abilities are derived from their auras, which they can use to either enhance their ability to resist damage, resist effects, or even afford them self minor heals during combat.

While in a group, the Chosen can stand out as a huge asset to the team. Their ability to buff the team through their auras allows the group a chance to increase their DPS or their resists. With the power of their auras generating extra hate to increase the taunts they already have, a Chosen shouldn't have too much trouble keeping the DPS classes out of trouble.

RvR Overview
The Chaos Chosen's chosen mode of combat is up close and personal. The combination of their ability to soak damage, do a decent amount of damage, and the effects of a their auras make the Chosen a hard foe to bring down. However, beware the ranged DPS classes. If they can draw a bead on you, they'll light you up. If you catch it soon enough however, you should be able to confront them before you die and that's where you shine. Let's face it, for a Chosen of Tzeentch, nothing is quite as fun as beating up on a cloth wearer trying to defend themselves in vain. Healers are your BFF's (best friends forever) and with a dedicated healer you go from being a pain to an outright unstoppable

Chaos Chosen Mastery Paths
Path of Strife: A This Path of Mastery focuses on increasing your DPS, which makes it potentially both sick AND wrong. In order to travel the path of "Chosen the Destructor" you will need to abandon your shield in favor of a two handed weapon, so you do sacrifice some protection in order to deal out more of the hurt.

Path of Retaliation: A This Path of Mastery focuses on being able to take the beating and outlast your foes. This is the path that allows you to be like Marv from Sin City ("Is that all you've got?!") and take an inhuman beating. These abilities allow you to define the battle lines because you ARE the battle lines.

Path of Discord: A This Path of Mastery focuses on the use of your auras. Tzeentch's gifts aren't wasted on the foolish and the Chosen who walk this path will be able to utilize their gifts in ways that other Chosen only dream of. From enhancing your melee attacks to unleashing blasts of magical power, this is the Caster Tank's path of choice.




More Warhammer online Guides

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you to subscribe to my RSS feed!

Read rest of entry

A Beginner's Guide to Warhammer Lore

INTRODUCTION
Warhammer is a fantasy world created by Games Workshop in 1983 to play host to a tabletop miniature wargame. Originally intended to be another way for D&D players to use their legions of lead figures, Warhammer soon took a life of its own, spawning books, a role-playing game, computer games, jewelry, a heavy metal album, and a pub. Warhammer: Age of Reckoning (or "WAR") is based off of the intellectual property that creates the backdrop for these various bits of consumer media.

The Warhammer story, or background, is vast. It begins tens of thousands of years before the current day with the Old Ones: beings of vast power that sailed between worlds on a sea of infinite potential (known as the Warp, Aethyr, or Realm of Chaos). Armed with incomprehensible techno-magicks and knowledge, the Old Ones raised the races of the Warhammer World from barbarism, teaching elf and dwarf how to draw upon the Realm of Chaos to shape extra-dimensional potential into physical forms… or magic, and bestowing upon them the joys of enlightened civilization. This golden age ended too soon, however, as the Old Ones were exterminated or driven away by things from the Aethyr: the daemons of Chaos and Ruinous Powers native to that Realm. Given form and purpose by the Warp-reflected flaws of mortals, these daemons invaded the Warhammer World, ending the age of Law and advancement brought about by the Old Ones. Many millennia later, the children of the Old Ones continue the battle gainst Chaos.

It is important to note that there are many, varied, implementations of Warhammer lore; none are more "right" or "official" than others. To put it quite simply, according to GW: THERE IS NO WARHAMMER CANON. Players are free to pick, choose, and research the bits they like.

WHERE DID GAMES WORKSHOP COME UP WITH THIS STUFF?
Warhammer's imagery and style are influenced heavily by gritty, classic fantasy authors, such as Michael Moorcock, Robert E. Howard, and H.P. Lovecraft, as well as real-world history and a bit of Tolkien. Designers also list influences such as Terry Gilliam, Black Adder, and Monty Python. The Warhammer world is a playground-like amalgam of everything from Napoleonic gun lines, to sanity-blasting tentacled horrors, to halfings and their giant cocks (depictions of a large rooster that serves as a provincial symbol for the little folk). Those interested in learning more might be urged to pick up some of these older books; Warhammer’s roots are clearly evident in Conan, Elric, and Martin Luther.

THE WARHAMMER WORLD
The unnamed (to its inhabitants) Warhammer world roughly resembles our own. A map can be found here. At the “heart” of the known setting is the Old World, analogous to Earth’s Europe. Here one finds the human nations of the Empire, Bretonnia, Kislev, brutal Nosrca, Tilea, and Estalia as well as the remnants of the Dwarfs’ ancient empire beneath the mountains. Scattered pockets of wood elves (both civilized and less so…) share lands with the Empire and Bretonnia. To the south, past the rogue settlements of the Border Princes and orc-infested Badlands, lie trackless deserts. Cut through by the great River Mortis, the ancient, dusty realm of Nehekkarha lies not-as-silent as it should be, duly earning its title as the Land of the Dead. Past here, one finds the mysterious human nation of Araby, rife with proscribed cults and unknown magic, with the dark jungles of the Southlands engulfing the rest of the southern continent. Nothing but sun-mad orcs and the remains of the Old Ones’ world live here.

To the east lie the dead plains of the Dark Lands, choked with the fumes of Chaos Dwarf industry. Yet further east, in the Mountains of Mourn, are the Ogre Kingdoms. These inhospitable vaults are dotted with the scattered ruins of forgotten civilizations and shaggy prehistoric beasts, pierced in the south by the Silver Road, the sole not-so-safe route between the lands of the Old World and mysterious Far East. Of the kingdoms of Ind, Cathay, and Nippon little is known… other than that the presence of Chaos.

In the middle of the Great Ocean hides Ulthuan, the last great holding of the Asur, first and favorite children of the Old Ones. This magic and mist enshrouded isle contains the kingdoms of the High Elves, including mystical Avelorn and stately Eataine; recently opened to outsiders by the Phoenix King Finubar. Unknown to most of the Warhammer world, Ulthuan is of critical importance. In ancient times, the elves created a vortex of Chaos energy, woven of the structure of the island itself. This vortex drained the Chaos-stuff feeding daemonic legions after the fall of the Old Ones, allowing the elves to fight back and forestall the end of the world. Were this vortex to ever fail, Ulthuan would sink beneath the waves, heralding the final invasion of Chaos.

West of Ulthuan one finds the brooding forests and icy mountains of Naggaroth, the Land of Chill. Now refuge of the Druchii, exiled for millennia from Ulthuan, this is a land as cruel as its inhabitants. To the south is fabled Lustria, where the seat of the Old Ones lies rotting in the jungles. Overseen by things blindly following the edicts of the lost Old Ones, many attempt to enter these jungles to secure the gold and riches within. A few even make it back.

Finally, at the very ends of the Warhammer world lie madness and infinity. The collapsed interdimensional gates of the Old Ones spill Aethyr into the material, and thoughts of mortals into the Realm of Chaos. Surrounding the northern pole gate are the Chaos Wastes, lands of blended Warp and Material, realms of madness, eternal war, and the whims of the Chaos Gods. No one can leave this place entirely untouched by Chaos.

WARHAMMER ARMIES
Considering the wargame roots, Warhammer is often seen in terms of armies and military units, as well as nations and species.

Beasts of Chaos
Hidden in the darkest places of the world are the Beasts of Chaos. Beastmen, Minotaurs, Centaurs, and other spawn of the Dark Gods, these things are Warhammer’s version of the archetypal medieval daemonic satyr or beast in the woods. Beastmen were once human, but became the true and favored children of the Dark Gods when the Warp Gates fell, spilling pure Aethyr into the world. They’re still closely linked too; often a human baby is born horned and hoofed. These turnskins are either killed by Witch Hunters and priests, or taken by insane but loving parents into the woods, where they’re left for the Beasts.

Bretonnia
A thousand years younger than the Empire, the Bretonni tribe became the nation of Bretonnia under the guidance of Giles le Breton. Eschewing the philosophy and science of the Empire in favor of mysticism and feudalism, Bretonnians rely on the martial strength of their lordly knights in battle. They follow the edicts of the Lady, a goddess of suspect origin, but sometimes uphold her message of honor and mercy. A curious blend of pre-revolution France, English fighting styles, and Le Morte d’Arthur, the Bretonnians are a bit of an anachronism compared to the rest of the Old World.

Dark Elves
Warhammer’s version of the Melnibonean archetype, the Druchii have little to do with D&D dark elves or Tolkien’s fading perfect beings. Inheritors of the Phoenix King’s crown by way of heredity, the dark elves followed Malekith, son of the first Phoenix King, into exile after he was driven from Ulthuan by conspirators. The Druchii respect strength above all, and solely worship Khaine, the elven god of war. Taking a cue from the original sorcerers and their Chaos vortex, the Druchii do not fear Chaos, but seek to bind it to their will and purpose. Some would say this has corrupted them as a race and nation, but the dark elves don’t (officially) worship the Dark Gods- just see them as a means to an end.

Daemons ofChaos
At the heart of the Ream of Chaos lie the architects of the Old Ones’ fall. Born of fear and rage, ambition and despair, the most primal of these beings are the most powerful; the Great Gods of Chaos, four brothers who would see the end of the world. First among them is great Khorne, lord of all that is war, hatred, and bloodshed. There are few the martially-minded god hates so much as his sibling, the passionate Slaanesh. Patron of excess and indulgence, Slaanesh is least amongst the Chaos gods but popular with depraved cults of the Empire. Jovial grandfather Nurgle seeks to enrich the world’s despair by blessing mortals with virulent plagues and pestilences. Finally, of primary import to WAR is Tzeentch, the Architect of Fate. Tzeentch brings hope. Hope of change without reason or balance; Tzeentch is a manipulator, plotter, and sorcerer. His touch brings ambition and madness.

At times, the powers of Chaos put their differences aside and send splinters of their selves into the material world; where the skin of reality is thin, daemons can step into the mortal realms and fulfill the urges of their patron.

Dogs of War
As an army, Dogs of War include everything from Tilean pikes and crossbowmen to suicidal Dwarf pirates to an exiled Asur prince and his dragon. This has allowed GW to release a number of unique and interesting models over the years, often from nations that don’t warrant their own armies. Araby, Tilea, Estalia, and rogue elements of other armies have all been detailed.

Dwarfs
As those following WAR are probably aware, Warhammer dwarfs are the Nordic and Tolkien archetype taken to an extreme. More obsessive, drunk, and gold-hungry than most settings’ dwarfs, these guys are a major reason for the success of the Empire, having taught humans ironworking, gunpowder, and numerous other advances. The friendship between the dwarf kings and Empire is one of the few true alliances in the Warhammer world. The dwarfs once held a mighty empire running the length and breadth of the Old World. A mysterious cataclysm befell them many years before the founding of the Empire, followed by battles against the greenskins, then a costly war against the elves known as the “War of Vengeance”. These events saw the dwarfs greatly reduced in power, but through sheer spite and stubbornness, the race continues to survive.

The Empire
The point-of-view for most of the Warhammer World (and setting for WFRP), the Empire is an especially mad take on the 16th century, pre-Protestant Holy Roman Empire. The Empire learned metalworking and industry from the dwarfs, and were taught magic by the elves. The last true hopes of civilization against Chaos, Imperial armies combine gunlines, professional soldiers, knights, artillery, and magic to defeat their foes. Founded by Sigmar two and a half millennia before the current game period, Imperials now worship their founder as a god. It was Sigmar who forged the first true alliance with the dwarfs, saving their High King from capture by a superior band of orcs. For this, Sigmar was granted the hammer Ghal-Maraz, an heirloom dwarf runic hammer (and the titular weapon for the setting)… which is probably still carried by Karl-Franz, the current Emperor.

High Elves
First experiment of the Old Ones, these ancient and lawful beings taught the elves their magic, art, song, and civilization. Unlike other experiments, elven history vaguely remembers the Old Ones, giving them a racial memory and learning that vastly exceeds all others. Physically resistant to Chaos, the elves still suffer the moral and mental effects, especially when succumbing to their own arrogance and passions. High elf culture is extremely rigid and controlled because of this and they see themselves as the protectors of the world, justifying their near-fascism and unchallenged control of major sea-routes. Unlike the Tolkien archetype, the Asur are warriors and imperialists, with a strong fascination in the arts of warfare and bloodshed.

Lizardmen
During their time elevating the races of the Warhammer world, the Old Ones also created servants to help them with their work. After their fall, these servants blindly continued the Old Ones’ inscrutable plans, carrying on adjustment of the planet itself and battling Chaos in all its forms. The mighty Slaan, beings of immense Aethyric and psychic ability, interpret the Old Ones plans, while the Skinks act as their agents. Saurus warriors emerge from spawning pools, ready to defend their Lustrian homes, while Kroxigor and other prehistoric beasts are used for industry and war.

Ogre Kingdoms
One of the final experiments of the Old Ones, Ogres are among the most physically robust and resistant to Chaos. Not completely resistant, however, as an event early in their development lead them to worship of an entity known as the Great Maw, and granted the race an all-consuming hunger to fuel their massive bodies. Ogres have no allegiance to Chaos, though, nor hatred of it, often showing up as Dogs of War or mercenaries in the armies of humans, Orcs, Chaos, and anyone else willing to pay a bit of coin or bucket of stew.

Greenskins
Mushrooms? Monsters? Degenerate barbarians? However one classifies Orcs and Goblins, the only certainty is that they’re as certain as death and taxes. Little more complex than human two-year olds in massively tough and muscled bodies (or quick and wiry in the case of Goblins) greenskins enjoy nothing more than scrappin’ and fightin’. Dey’s ded ‘ard too, and dem Gobbos is pretty kunnin’ too, tho dey’s a buncha weedy gits. All ‘oomies need to know is dat da Waaagh! can’t be stopped and yous gonna get yer ‘ed bashed right in!

Skaven
There is no such thing as skaven. Just because you’ve seen evidence of rat-like beastmen doesn’t mean there’s some sort of intelligent Chaos beats below all the cities of the world, with technology that surpasses the Empire and a master plan to rule the ruins of civilization. That’s ridiculous.

Tomb Kings
Before the time of Sigmar, the first true civilization of Man arose in the deserts south of the Old World. Living amongst architecture strangely reminiscent of both Lustrian ruins and the monuments of the high elves, the people of ancient Nehekhara considered themselves the favored children of the gods. Over time, they came to fear and worship death above all else, believing their lives were mere preparation for a glorious and shining afterlife; much like the real world’s ancient Egyptians. For one Nehekharan, however, the afterlife was not enough; a brother of the Priest-King of mighty Khemri, this man sought eternal life and coveted the lands of all Nehekhara to be his shining paradise. After capturing and torturing the secrets of magic from stranded Druchii sailors, this man developed the science that would one day be known as Necromancy; power over the dead and death itself. Distilling an elixir from human blood, he was able to prolong his life, eventually usurping his brother and taking Khemri as his own. Eventually, the other Priest-Kings united and drove him into the desert, where he passed beyond the realm of the living, but did not truly die.

In his bitterness at being driven out, this man, known as the Accursed One to Nehekharans and He Who Shall Not Be Named to modern Arabyans, polluted the headwaters of the River Mortis, the very backbone of life in Nehekhara. Not content with merely bringing the ancient nation to its knees, he then attempted to cast a single spell that would awaken the entire nation from death and bind them to his will, creating an eternal army to rule the world with. Though he cast the spell and tore generations of Nehekharans from their graves, he was mysteriously interrupted at the peak of the spell, losing control of his would-be slaves. The Tomb Kings and their entombed soldiers were not put to rest, however, and have since resumed the activities of their lives, protecting their dusty homes from invaders and warring against each other. All of these undead, however, nurse a hatred for he who tore them from the afterlife, and the dry desert winds carry their whispers of the Great Necromancer’s hated name; Nagash.

Vampire Counts
As with most undead in the Warhammer world, the vampires have roots in old Nehekhara. When Nagash was driven from Khemri by an alliance of kings, samples of his Elixir of Life and notes were captured and taken as spoils. In the city-state of Lahmia, the queen and her court drank of the Elixir and continued Nagash’s experiments. Soon these depraved nobles learned to sustain themselves indefinitely, not just by consuming the Elixir, but by drawing the very essence of life from living beings. Their souls sustained thusly, their bodies became strong and fast, driven by their own willpower and able to grasp and manipulate the Aethyr. These beings, known later as vampires, were eventually discovered by the Priest-Kings of other cities and driven out, later allying with, then fleeing from, Nagash.

In the modern Warhammer world, the vampires are often split along lines of bloodline and creed, following common archetypes of vampires from all of fantasy stories. Some have infiltrated the nobility of the Empire, counts of the blighted province of Sylvania. Some vampires are physically powerful, while others great sorcerers and necromancers. Some are affected by curses laid upon them by Nagash for their escape and cannot tolerate sunlight or holy relics. All are selfish and driven to make use of their long lives; whether through study, survival, or conquest.

Warriors of Chaos
Mortals who flock to the standards of the Dark Gods can consist of the disillusioned, the corrupt, and the insane. Some are refugees from the civilized nations of the Old World, while the bulk come from tribes of corrupted Norse. Living in the ever-changing wastes beyond Norsca and Kislev, bands of these warriors dedicate themselves to the Gods of Chaos, fighting for glory, the capricious favor of the gods, and the ultimate gift of Daemonhood. At times, a great champion will arise, sometimes dedicated to a single god, others loyal to all Chaos as a pantheon. These champions will then sweep from the north at the head of a vast horde, encased in dark iron armor and wielding weapons of madness and gifts of mutation from their gods.

Wood Elves
Long before the birth of Sigmar, the elves withdrew from their extensive colonies in the Old World. Caught between an unwinnable war against the dwarfs and civil war led by Malekith, the Asur were forced to the defensive. Not all the elven colonists followed the Phoenix King’s call for retreat, however. Small pockets of elves remained behind, in particular the colonists who settled in an ancient and dark forest known as Athel Loren. One of the most ancient and untouched woods of the world, Loren is a living, breathing entity, jealous of its borders and willing and able to brutally protect itself. Allied with the forest, the former elven colonists, called Asraii have returned to many of their rustic roots, favoring bow and bronze spear, eschewing advanced metalworking and armor. Wood elves owe more to medieval legends of forest spirits than Tolkien’s elves; they’re feral and vengeful, uncaring for little but defending the forest.

More Warhammer online Guides

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you to subscribe to my RSS feed!

Read rest of entry

3.3 Witch Hunter Class Review

Ok, Here is the first installment of Class Reviews from 3.3. The Witch Hunter, I may do some more, however with the NDA Dropping soon next week (hopefully) and about 60k+ people joining. They may not be as needed.

Quests / Public Quests in all zones
Scenarios in all zones
Open RvR in all zones

Intro: Witch Hunter
I have done a couple of these for Destro classes, and this is my first for Order. I played several Order classes, and I felt this one would be the best suited for the first review. If I do another one, it will most likely be an order class. Any ways. Once again, I am keeping to the format I have been in the past. Leveling the way I feel Mythic inteded us to level. A little PvE Questing, a little bit of Public Quests, a little bit of Scenarios, and a little bit of Open RvR.

Solo PvE Leveling via Quests:
Hmm. What to say. How about OMG easy. This class kills mobs of equal level almost as fast as a Sorc or Bright Wiz. I dont know if there is really anything else I Can put in here. I actually found solo PvE on this toon easier than the BW/Sorc because of the increased armor/HPs. Sorcs/BWs are glass cannons in every single aspect of them. The Witch Hunter can take a few hits before they need to /release

Public Quests:
Not so easy to come in first/second on a WH. As a WH, you DPS and when you are done DPSing you DPS some more. The problem is on public quests, is that you really dont have the AoE capabilities of the BW to MASS dps. So BWs pass you on the list. Aside from the fact that I SERIOUSLY belive that healing and tanking get WAY more contribution points than DPS, and you have a scenario where getting top of the contribution is quite difficult. I am not saying it cant be done, because it can. However it is not as easy as some of the other classes. I will say this. It is much easier than on a Witch Elf who has doesnt have the nifty gun to start fights and at least have a little aggro generation counting twords contribution.

PvP Scenarios:
The Holy Grail (IMHO) for the Witch Hunter. Small Controlled environments where Tanks are WAY easy to distract, and squishies are ALWAYS unprotected in the back of the pack. To all those people who say that the Stealth mechanic that Mythic has implemented is "Worthless". They obviously dont use it in scenarios. IF your Morale is up. YOU WILL ABSOLUTLY DESTROY whatever clothie you decide to stealth up to, and I mean DESTROY. Oh and there are two wonderfully beutiful mechanics that this class has. One, when people run from you, your gun does great damage. And Two, when people sprint from you, you can snare them with your gun. OMG useful for those squishies that run like chickens as soon as you pop on them. Oh and when you are running from someone. Hit them with a snare. Sprint away, and then you kyte them like whoa.


Open RvR:
This is where things get a little more difficult. Again, you have it better than the Witch Elf who is pure melee. But your gun just cant pump out the DPS of a ranged DPS so to do some real damage you really have to get into melee yourself. So were are the problems you ask? Well in open RvR, Tanks dont really have a lot to do especially at keeps and whatnot. So what do they do? They hang out by the squishies. Any tank worth his weight will immediatly put his guard on whatever squishy you are attacking. Fortunatly for the Witch Hunter, the Destruction players in the beta seem to be the more tunnel vision people who cant seem to realize there is a need to switch guard around, or switch targets, or assist for that matter. It is a real good thing for the WH, but a bad thing for Destruction in general. (remember I played both sides a TON).

In general I dont mind "suicide" missions, so I will often find a squishy outside a keep healing or casting thier little dark magic, and I will stealth to them and kill them before the tanks/healers can realize what is happening. Quite worth it IMO.

Your greatest asset though, is your ability to snare people with your gun. Nothing like causing those fleeing weaklings to be snared and sumarily obliterated by the little zerg that could. A good WH with a good Warrior Priest will make a GREAT team. Even better if they have one of those OMG anoying Ironbreakers with them. Man those little buggers are hard to kill. I am so glad that the class seems so unapealing to people, because they are absolutly the hardest class in the game to kill. The best way to kill one of them (not a problem for the WH cause they are the same side) is to just ignore them and whoop up on everyone else, then OMGZERG the IB that is left. (sorry for getting off topic there, I just hope the class doesnt get popular since I will be going Destro with my guild)


PvP WEAKNESS:
TANKS.Tanks.tanks. Without a shadow of a doubt, tanks are the ying to the WH yang. They are the one factor that all WH's must consider before attacking a target. For 2 simple reasons. 1: Guard. Man that is a WH' WORST enemy, hands down. 2. Melee MITIGATION. I dont think of myself as the best PvPer, but I think Im ok, since that is what I loved to do in DAOC and WoW. But, man Tanks are difficult to deal with. If they are guarding the squishy you are trying to kill, you wont do enough damage to kill it before you die. For one reason. TAUNT. Good tanks will drop guard on the squish, taunt you (so they do extra damage on you until you hit them 3 times) and then they will commence to whoop your backside like you stole something. So you basically have to switch targets and hit them 3 times, or you have to run away.

Again, the beuty of this is the fact that right now, destruction players for the most part get tunnel vision. So they dont switch thier guard, taunt or snare. So normally I can destroy a sorc or a shaman before I die. Oh another great thing about them (destruction players), they seem to run at the first sign of resistance. IT is so funny. Run from a WH and you will die. Your best bet is to try and dook it out until your help comes.

Totally Unimportant:
I personally think that besides the Chaos Champion, this is the coolest looking class in the game. Very "Van Helsing" which I personally like. And this class is HANDS DOWN better than the Witch Elf. The only reason I could see playing a WE instead of a WH, is because you are some wierdo dude that wants to stair at pixilated boobies all day while you play the game. The mechincs of the WH are better, and your ability to snare with your gun makes you 100x more useful. Besides, what other class gets the sweet pimp hats.

More Warhammer online Class Review

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you to subscribe to my RSS feed!

Read rest of entry

Patch notes for european beta

For anyone who cares to read patch notes here take some :

General
Setbacks now have diminishing returns on them; after the fifth setback during the same cast, further attacks will not be able to setback that cast any longer.
Individual ticks of DoTs will no longer setback an ability (the first tick, or 'landing', of a DoT will cause a setback chance). Channeled abilities should generally cause a setback chance each tick of damage.
Melee range has been increased to 5 feet. This removes the dead zone between when a melee attack can be used vs when a ranged attack can be used.
The four healer careers, Warrior Priest, Zealot, Disciple and Archmage, have seen significant changes for this round of Beta. An overview of what these entail can be found on the forums.

Renown Abilities
The Bane series of tactics now requires a single tactic slot.
Opportunist, Sure Shot, Focused Power and Natural fighter rewards will no longer display a buff icon after they have been purchased.

Bright Wizard
Explosive Shielding Tactic – Flame shield will now activate against all attack types instead of just melee.
Flame Shield will now base its damage on the caster's rank and mastery, but will be credited to the effect holder.
Flames of Rhuin will now base its damage on the caster's rank and mastery, but will be credited to the effect holder.
Choking Smoke has been rebalanced.
Burning Iron has had its cast time increased and cool down increased.

Chosen
Fixed many tooltip errors on Chosen abilities.
Trembling Weakness will now properly upgrade its effect as the Chosen increases in rank.
Warping Embrace will no longer be affected by stats or critical hits.
Gushing Wound (Tactic) now does: Seeping Wound gains a 25% chance to snare targets by 40% for 3s.

Marauder
Fixed tool tip description on Corrupted Edge. It now correctly states that it increase Strength instead of Weapon Skill.
Fixed tool tip description on Hulking Brute; this tactic actually modifies Toughness, not Weapon Skill and Initiative.
Feeding on Fear now displays a tactic Buff icon after it procs. In addition, crits made during the buff will no longer reset the timer back to 5 seconds.

Shadow Warrior
Spiral Fletched Arrow will now deal the same damage from any distance.
Removed the stance requirement text from the main body of the ability descriptions.
Opportunistic Strike damage and cooldown have been increased.
The cost of Throat Shot has been reduced, but the cooldown has increased.
Glass Arrow and Acid Arrow have been redesigned.
General damage and AP cost adjustments have been made on many of the Shadow Warrior abilities.

Sorcerer
If the initial target of Shadow Knives breaks Line of Sight to the caster or goes out of range, Shadow Knives will be interrupted.
Shadow Knives now pulses its damage slower, but does more damage per tick to make the total damage done by the ability stay the same.
Stricken Limbs has been rebalanced.
Stricken Voices has had its reuse time increased.
Hand of Ruin has a shorter maximum duration and will always be setback by attacks.
Word of Pain can only be stacked a maximum of 3 times, and the damage per counter has been increased.

Swordmaster
Redirecting force now requires a block before being used. This ability has been changed to an opener.
Gryphon's Lash has been moved from mastery to core at rank 8.
Sapping Strike has been moved from core to mastery at 5 points in Path Of Khaine.
Crashing Wave has been moved to level 18
Dazzling Strike has been moved to level 35
Wall of Darting Steel has been moved to level 40
Graceful Precision applies its effect to Gryphon’s Lash instead of Graceful Strike.
Graceful Precision has been renamed Gryphon’s Precision.

Witch Elf
Treacherous Assault no longer provides a damage buff.
Shadow Prowler now has a brief build time, and will be interrupted by any hit.
Shadow Prowler's effectiveness has been slightly reduced.
Shadow Prowler now costs slightly more APs per second , has an increased cooldown and the maximum duration of Stealth has been lowered to 30s.
Kiss of Death will no longer stack multiple copies from the same caster on the target.
The damage from Kiss of Death will now be distributed in a shorter amount of time (the damage is unchanged).
Kiss of Betrayal has had its toughness debuff reduced slightly, but duration extended.
Envenomed Blade will now only raise the chance to proc a poison to a maximum of 50%, instead of a flat 50% add on whatever else is already there.
Enthrall has been removed.
A new ability, Feinted Positioning, has been added to the Witch Elf in place of Enthrall.
Agonizing Wound has had its cost changed to 45 AP, its damage increased and it will now ignore armor from the rear position.
Throat Slitter has had its positional requirement removed, and will now only deal damage from the rear position.
Ruthless Assault now costs 25 AP/second. Its damage will now increase based upon the number of combo points.
Elixir of the Cauldron’s increased critical chance will now only work from behind the target.
Heart Seeker’s damage has been increased and now requires rear position.
Sacrificial Stab’s damage has been increased and now requires rear position.

Witch Hunter
Fervor is now part of the Path of Cleansing, and deals less damage over more time.
Sudden Accusation no longer provides an AP regeneration buff.
Incognito now has a brief build time, and will be interrupted by any hit.
Slightly reduced Incognito's effectiveness has been reduced slightly.
Incognito now costs slightly more AP/s, has an increased cooldown and the maximum duration of Stealth has been lowered to 30s.
A bug has been fixed in which Burn Away Lies was incorrectly labeled as a ranged attack.
The ability Powder Shot has been removed and replaced by a new ability: Feinted Positioning.
Torment has had its positional requirement removed, its damage increased and will now ignore armor from the rear.
Pistol Whip has had its damage increased, and now has a rear-positional requirement.
Silence the Heretic has been changed. It now requires a rear-positional rather than a front positional.
Burn Away Lies now deals increased damage and has a rear positional requirement.


Gamewide Content Changes
In response to analysis of our most recent phase of Beta, we have adjusted the level of difficulty for our standard PQs to be easier to complete. Now, two of the three public quests in each chapter have been revised to require only six to nine players to complete. The third public quest in each chapter is harder and requires two or three groups (at least twelve players) to complete.
We have adjusted the item and influence rewards of harder PQs to be greater than the rewards for standard difficulty PQs. We will continue to adjust loot, influence, and experience as needed in the future, and we are also planning on adding a UI element in a future Beta version to identify PQs that are hard difficulty. For this particular release, the following PQs are Hard: Chaos Ruins, Lake of the Damned, Bitterschaum Swamp, Unterbaum Cemetary, Mud Flats, Serpent's Fang, Bitterspring, Village Vermin, Tempest Horn, and Tower of the Elves. All other PQs you will encounter should be the easier Standard level of difficulty.
The overall requirements for basic, advanced, and elite influence rewards have been reduced for each chapter of the game. This reduction was not applied to the starting chapters as the numbers there are already in alignment with this newest change. We expect this reduction to provide greater opportunities for you to access each chapter’s influence rewards.
Tier Three Empire and Chaos Content: The zones of High Pass and Talabecland are ready for questing and exploration when a break is needed from the intense action of RvR battle.
Tier Four Empire and Chaos Content: The RvR Campaign rages all the way from the heart of the Empire in Reikland, through the war ravaged city of Praag, to the forbidding Chaos Wastes, and these zones will be opened in order to allow you to fight the RvR campaign there. When venturing into these zones, please keep in mind that the non-RvR quests and content there has only been roughed in, and is not fully ready for play. There’s a war raging in the RvR areas, and your realm needs you there!
We have resolved an issue where monsters would continue to bring friends, even when group members were not within visual range (yes, even lowly snotlings have friends). Monsters should now only BAF when group members are nearby.
To better support the war, Warcamp trainers and Renown merchants have relocated their shops to the RvR Keeps. You will find 3 merchants and one trainer on the third floor of each keep when it is captured. Please make them feel welcomed, especially if you are of an opposing realm.
In response to community feedback, Special con enemies have been renamed to the more IP appropriate Champions. This category name change does not affect their abilities or anything else about these dangerous foes.

Renown Items
Renown items have had their Renown requirements lowered by three levels. For example, if a Renown item has a level requirement of level 15, its Renown-rank requirement is now level 12.
Renown stores have been moved to the keeps (they’re on the third floor). Your realm must control the keep in order for you to have access to the Renown merchants.

RVR

Keeps
The Keep Lord Guards will now defend the Keep Lord when he or she is attacked.
Broadcasts will be sent to the RvR area by the victor when a Keep changes hands.
Renown Merchants and Trainers have taken up residence in keeps. These NPCs can be attacked and slain.
Keep Lords and Keep Guards now have appropriate abilities and tethers.
Keep and Gatehouse Doors have had their hitpoints increased based on Tier.
Players now properly receive Renown when taking over a Keep



AND HERE some clarifications about the cancelled i beta phase

Altdorf RvR (Contested Altdorf)
When the City goes into a contested state, it will become an instance. Players inside the City when this occurs will be given a message asking them to either stay and fight, or go to safe ground.

Players choosing to stay and fight will be placed in the Warquarters of Altdorf. Players choosing to go to safety will be placed at a blackmarket in Reikwald (the Fortress Zone).
Any players not in the City will gain entry into the contested version of Altdorf by going through the main gate or alternate gates.

Once inside the City, players will be in a safe spawn location behind three gates. Simply right click the gate to be teleported to the other side, and begin your assault or defense of the City’s Warquarters.

Control over the City is determined by battling over seven objectives in the WarQuarters of Altdorf. Gaining control over these objectives will work via population disparity mechanics. The more players you have in the area of a capture location, the faster you will capture it (similar to the Nordenwatch Scenario).

Each Capture location will contribute points over time to a “Meta Pool” of points which is tallied across all instances of the City. Population ratios have been put in place to ensure that instances with possibly imbalanced numbers will contribute differently than instances with even numbers.

Please note that simply getting control over the seven objectives in your instance will not result in winning. Players must maintain control and continue feeding the “Meta Pool” until the predetermined amount of points which result in winning control over the City is met.

The Zone Control Bar will display how well your Realm is doing as a race toward the center of the Control Bar.

If the forces of Order defend the City, the City will remain in its contested state for two hours before resetting back to the standard Altdorf. Once this occurs, the Campaign will reset. Players wanting to leave the contested city may simply click on the portal gate within their safe spawn location.

If the forces of Destruction take the City, a message will indicate such and the City will then be open for pillaging!

Items of Interest
What can I do in a city that is under attack?
Players will battle against each other in the War Quarters, one side trying to gain access to the city while the other side attempts to defend. Should the invader win, the city gates will fall and the pillaging begins.
Players may destroy objects, burn objects, smash open interior doors and kill citizens!
Players may participate in “invader quests” that will present rewards to the player along with increasing their capital city rating value
The enemy may participate in any available content that is in the city. For further clarification, if a certain dungeon is only available during city rating 4 and the enemy so happens to invade the city when it is at a city rating of 4, the dungeon is open to the enemy to explore!
Players may attack and capture the enemy’s King!
By gaining ownership of a city, the enemy will have forced players to use outside resources to perform their banking, auctioneering and other utilities, but at a higher price

Read rest of entry