War Exploit: Marauder Speed Exploit

Flee will cancel charge and make you run at only flee speed. If you use flee and then charge, they both remain and will let you run faster than a mounted player. It makes it nice for getting the artifact first.

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What have I been up to this week?

Try Not To AP Dump On Squig Herder.
I having a few problems with the Squig Herder, however these problems are all due to AP.(Actually "lack of" AP) You should expect "normal" AP problems with melee DPS classes like the Witch Elf and the Marauder, however it is a little different with the Squig Herder. The Squig Herder is a "Ranged DPS" class, the same as the Sorceress and the Magus, however I do not have AP problems with either of those classes. Although I have slotted tactics to help with this problem, I will not be able to get them until I am a higher level.

The best way I can think of to help with this problem is to "throttle back" your DPS until you can get to the higher level, to get the tactics that help with AP. It may hurt a little, but I have found it to help out in long drawn PvP confrontations.


Bow Classes Get Stats With Both Weapons
In most cases a bow class does not have the melee weapon's(The weapon that the class uses when not using a bow) stats apply to the player, unless it is currently in use. In Warhammer this is not correct, my Squig Herder has both the stats on his bow AND his spear applied at the SAME time. This is really important as you should look for a spear that adds to wounds and ballistic skill, instead of DPS or melee skills.(Like Strength) This is of course assuming that you are playing your Squig Herder as a ranged class and did not spec in the path of stabbin'.

When dual wielding, we all know that both of the weapon's stats are applied to the player, so this is normal when dual wielding. I do not know if this mechanic is "working as intended", if it is not expect a nerf in the future, until then always remember you get both stat adds.

about the marauder...
Just wanted to give a little info on the Marauder. It still is the lowest class on the list when it comes to viability in PvP. Over the past couple weeks I have really paid attention to my stats compared to other stats of other Marauders in the same PvP scenario, and they are on par with others. I will continue to play with builds until I can find something that works. Right now I am still working on a Monstrosity build, and so far, it is the best choice. If anyone has any questions or advice, just let me know.

Tier Three Use Spec Skills ONLY
When you get to late tier three and through tier four, you really need to stick with your spec'ed tree skills ONLY. I am starting to see the difference in the bonus spec damage versus the other two trees and their damage across all classes. The best advice I can give is to remove ALL skills on your hotbar, except those in your spec'ed tree and those other skill that are necessary. Make sure you keep these skills separate on your hotbar so you know when you are doing your max damage/healing. If you do not separate the skills and use them all together you will gimp yourself out as you will not be using your most powerful skills 100% of the time.

Incoming Guides, Future Articles
In the upcoming weeks I will be working on providing all ten order classes with templates. I have already posted three, these can be found here:

Warrior Priest: (Hardcore combat/auto heal build)

Bright Wizard: (AOE DPS build)

Runepriest: (Hardcore PvP healing build)

After these guides are complete, I will go back to writing other articles. If you have any questions still feel free to ask, as I will still be updating the blog everyday.

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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.

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Warhammer online builds: Marauder Template

This is going to be a single target DPS build, your three top stats will be:

• Strength = adds to melee damage


• Wounds = adds to hit points


• Toughness - reduces incoming DPS

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

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

• Corrupted Edge


• Guillotine


• Mutated Aggressor


• Unst. Convulsions


• Wave of Terror


• Forked Aggression

Skills in the tree you do not buy: "Growing Instability".

The last 4 points will be put in the "Monstrosity". Any additional points should also be placed in "Monstrosity", there is no reason to buy 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 put out a huge amount of single target DPS to kill your target as quickly as possible.

Here are the planned active morale skills:

• Level 1 = Sever Nerve


• Level 2 = Great Fang


• Level 3 = Tzeentch's Reversal


• Level 4 = Forked Aggression

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 group each for a different purpose. However for the purpose of this build alone one group seems to do fine:

• Brute Force


• Unst. Convulsions


• Corrupted Edge


• Piercing Bite

Build Strength:

Best possible single target DPS

Since you are targeting nukers and healers first, they should be rather easy prey here. If you notice the tactics you are getting an additional 480 strength and a reduction of 50% of your targets armor.

Build Weakness:

No AOE

This is a single target build so you will be hurting to cause any type of AOE damage.

You can see this build here

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Marauder Class Review

Overview:
Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of the weak-bodied souls of the Order more than the grotesque vision of the Chaos Marauder charging towards them. Thought to be blessed by their Gods, these ferocious creatures fight in the name of faith and do so mercilessly. Their strength lends them the ability to cleave through enemies thoughtlessly and their corrupted mutations give power that go beyond mortal capability.

This melee DPS class is not only a blast to play, but also extremely capable in RvR and PvE combat. You'll find the mutations add, not only a distinct splash of flavor, but also an aspect of gameplay that can become a valuable asset when mastered. If you are looking for a hands on damage focused Destruction class, the Marauder is a perfect option.

Strengths:

• Hands on DPS makes for great close contact battle


• Mutations allow for amazing damage and variety of playstyle


• Fast and harsh damage plows through enemies at a high pace

Weaknesses:

• Medium armor means weaker defenses


• High damage makes this class a primary target on the battlefield


• Mutations take some knowledge of class to be properly effective

PvE Overview
The Marauder plays well in the PvP environment whether you go at it solo or hang with a group. Regardless of how you play, the very first order of business is getting to know your mutations. These "buffs" are key in your success as a player and having the right mutation for the right circumstance can be invaluable.

This class has the great benefit of being a powerful melee DPS class and still being able to take a hit, just don't be the target for long because it won't last!

RvR Overview
Prepare for a fight because this class will always be right in the fray of battle! Being a solid DPS class, the Marauder has the unfortunate trouble of being a focus of Order attacks. They want you gone and they want you gone now. The benefit of this class though is the various mutation allow for somewhat of a change up in technique that will keep the opposition on their toes.

Use your tank as your distraction then go in with the mind of playing aggressively and unpredictably. Your best line of defense will always be to kill them before they even know you were coming.

Marauder Mastery Paths
Path of Brutality: The Path of Brutality is focused around the Marauder's ability to warp his arm into a sharpened spike of bone. This blade-like appendage can deal horrifying injuries to an enemy, and a player specialized deeply in Brutality will likely be dealing the most damage possible against a single enemy, especially if the foe is distracted by others.

Path of Savagery: The Path of Savagery leads to a Marauder changing their arm into a monstrous claw, capable of tearing at enemies to cripple and hinder them while they quickly bleed to death. While perhaps not dealing as much immediately obvious damage as his other mutations, a master of Savagery kills his enemies in a more insidious way, weakening the target steadily so that they never realize just how much danger they're in until it's already too late.

Path of Monstrosity: The Path of Monstrosity focuses on the Marauder mutating their arm into a hideous club-like bludgeon of flesh and gore. The master of Monstrosity can use the massive bulk of their warped arm to defend themselves somewhat, and can sweep their limb around in broad, arcing swings, capable of damaging several enemies with each single smash.

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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.

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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

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Marauder Class Review - Thoughts on class.

Monstrosity
Switching from Brutality to Monstrosity, I'm firm in the belief that Monstrosity is not gimp at all like people think it is. Monstrosity's strength is threefold: Survivability, AoE, and Healer Disruption. Arguably Savagery will be the better healer killer with the 75% debuff (would have to test), but the ability for me to AoE knockdown is certainly valuable (you can do the AoE interrupt in Savagery, so both specs/arms have that advantage), but Savagery can't live up to the survivability power of Monstrosity. With the tactic to boost toughness, and the monstrosity arm active, I gain a whopping 45 toughness. Combined with the +1 toughness per level tactic, that's 65 toughness in all (and brings a template lvl 20 marauder to 204 toughness). The difference in my survivability when switching these specs is astronomical.

Monstrosity, however, does not live up to it's AoE name at all, and has a very weak single target game (flail being the main move, my tooltip registers a total 106 damage on flail, I'm 8 points in monstrosity). My AoE combo is Demolition (70 dmg), Concussive Jolt (93), Mouth of Tzeentch (70), Demolition (70)...and then I have to wait 17 seconds for concussive jolt to cooldown before I do it again. Total damage (by tooltip) of this combo is: 203. In reality I'm sure it hits for more (seems to), but still is rather weak. Usually I can take out only 15-20% of a Bright Wizard's health with this combo, and less on targets with more toughness. It's honestly not worth AoEing anything. It could POSSIBLY work with stacking a bunch of AoEers in an organized group (I doubt it...1 AoE heal negates 4-5 dps'ers worth of AoE damage)...but imo Chosen are much better suited to doing this with Quake + Raze.

My suggestion to Monstrosity is to do 1 of these 4:
Make Monstrosity into a AoE support line. Savagery is already a sort of single target offensive support line, Monstrosity could be the same but with AoEs.
Make Demolition spammable.
Make Demolition do substantially more damage, and give it a 3s cooldown instead of 5.
Raise the damage on all our AoE abilities.

Overall Monstrosity is much more enjoyable then Brutality imo. I have lower DPS, sure, but with some DPS support, we can actually kill a healer with a well timed Concussive Jolt and enough damage.



Problems with Marauder as a Whole:

The biggest problem we have is that we're extremely, as much as Chosen, healer dependent. It's a requirement to kill anything that isn't alone. In mass situations (5v5 or more) I still feel like we sit behind the lines way too much because of tab target -> death. Speccing Monstrosity has helped me enormously, but I still can't contribute without a dedicated healer or 3+ DoKs spamming AoE heals.

We lack appropriate damage. I'm well out damaged by any RDPS class, even when I'm on top of them (let alone when I'm not!). To me, if I have to brave the front lines, there should be some (huge) benefit to it. Either my damage should be superior, or my CC/control should. Currently RDPS outdo me in both categories, as well as having superior AoE damage. It's very frustrating to be rooted, break it, and then be rooted again right afterwards...then a 5s disable after that. I have no way of preventing a group of RDPS from doing these things to me. I've said it many times, and with all my heart and head believe it to be the right thing: but CC should be concentrated on defensively specced tanks (Corruption spec for Chosen for example). By putting the CC on tanks, you gain these benefits:

You can always do something about avoiding CC: stay out of melee range. With the CC focused on the ranged classes as it is, you can't do this as they CC you from range...or CC you to get out of range. Since healers/RDPS are the best first targets (you won't kill a SM with a healer), and those 2 archetypes have a thing for standing next to each other, it's pretty unavoidable that you're going to have to run into them and be rooted.
Tanks truly become the "protector" types. Still, as they have been for all of the time I've been in beta, tanks are still the weakest archetype by far. They don't contribute anything really meaningful when compared to other classes. Why bring a tank who can debuff things for -30% damage when you can bring a RDPS to root it for -100% damage, or disable it for the same? Their damage also doesn't compare to RDPS or even melee DPS (to be expected, but I'm listing all the ways they could contribute). The only thing they do well is die well...literally, and most people have figured out they're no threat, so they ignore them...making that role pretty much obsolete as well.
RDPS become the true squishies they should be (imo the challenge of playing a RDPS should be your own survival...prekiting should be a must), and gain a dependence on having other classes (tanks) around, just like everyone else does atm. This is my biggest gripe about RDPS atm: they depend on no one else in order to be effective, while every other archetype is dependent on another archetype to do their job (all melee need healers atm, and healers generally need DPS, with the exception of the melee healers, but I do know you guys are focusing a lot on adjusting the melee healers so I'll leave that be). If everyone else is dependent on someone else, it's only fair to make RDPS depend on something.

Praises to Marauder as a Whole

Ok, praises: first, Wave of Horror. I wish my tanks had this. It's a (dark) godsend. Second, a renewable snare. Ya, I think it should last much longer (WE snare lasts 15 seconds, mine is 5...which allows for only 2 skills to be used before I have to renew it), but it is SO vital to have such a tool on any melee class. Third: Mutating Release. Consider giving tanks this skill too. Often enough I use it and am just re-rooted, but sometimes that isn't the case and it allows me to get back in the fight.

I also think the marauder's look is superb. He still needs tons of polish graphics wise (but that's the whole game yet), but he looks like a barbaric psycho with a temper...exactly what he should look like! In addition, Convulsive Slashing is my favorite animation so far, and I do like seeing the wave animation of Demolition spread out over my foes (although it's bugged yet and doesn't always fire).


Miscellaneous Improvements that Would be Nice:

Some of the animations/sounds I don't like, they don't have enough impact. Flail is a good example. It only feels like I'm grazing my target's skin, not Flailing it off. The same is with animations/sounds for a lot of different skills: they just don't feel like they have BAM! impact. Take Slam (or any melee stun) in DAoC for example. The sound, the way your target's body rocks, and the red streaks that circle his feet give a feeling of "BAM! you've just been stunned!" (or "BAM! AAAH CRAP!" if you're the other guy). Eviscerate from WoW rogues produces a similar effect. The explosion of light and telltale sound let you know exactly what just happened. They're crisp, impactful animations and sounds.

Mouth of Tzeentch, when it interrupts a target, should have some sort of after-effect. I know there's a tactic that increases your target's build times by 1s afterwards, but 1s more to spellcasting (and it's an anti-spellcasting tool) is rather pitiful. It's better used on melee due to all the instant casts. I rather see, "When Mouth of Tzeentch interrupts a target, that target can not use skills for X seconds," with X being approx. 3 seconds.

Monstrosity needs 1 more skill dedicated to it. It only has 4 skills (Flail isn't listed on the appropriate mastery page btw), while Savagery and Brutality have 5.


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