Features

Class Update: Guardians

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allclasses_newiconsClass Update

guardian_newclassiconGuardians

«Only in combat you shall find out who you are» (Explorer Elian Waveharp Evilbane)

CLASS PASSIVE: heroicdeed_newiconHeroic Deed: Guardians have all cool-downs reduced by 1. This passive ability is stronger than it may seem, not only because it applies to all abilities, but also because it stacks with the cool-down reduction provided by items.

guardian_newclassiconINTRODUCTION:

Guardians rely heavily on Strength, which is their main stat. Most of their abilities scale off Strength. As a rule, such abilities cost a percentage of the unit’s current Mana, allowing them to rely less on the Mana regeneration provided by Spirit (Focused Mind Passive). Guardians will also learn all base elemental magic abilities (Rank I and II). Depending on how players will spend TP, Guardians can also become powerful casters.

  • Guardians will also benefit from heroism_iconLife Steal (Effect): here’s more.

guardian_newclassiconMAIN ABILITIES:

  • Double Attack (No Ranks): randomly damages either twice the same opponent, or once two enemies, dealing roughly 95% physical damage * 2. CD: 3 Turns.
  • Raging Blow (No Ranks): leads an attack made of three hits randomly damaging the opponents, dealing roughly 90% physical damage * 3. CD: 5 Turns. By the way, Raging Blow is learnt automatically by all non-caster classes simply using Double Attack at least 35 times. Also, along with Double Attack, Raging Blow is the Guardian’s only ability that can virtually target more than one enemy.
  • Righteous Slash (Rank I, II, III): imbues the unit’s weapon with Holy Magic, also dealing roughly 98/118/144% damage. Cost: 8/7/6% current Mana. Righteous Slash always hits twice the same opponent. CD: 3/3/2 Turns. RS’s damage can be mitigated by high Defense and Holy Resistance.
  • bash_newiconBash (Rank I, II, III): the unit lashes out against the enemy, dealing roughly 160/192/235% damage. Cost: 11/10/9% current Mana. CD: 2/2/2 Turns. bash_newiconBash (All Ranks) can apply Bleed Status, dealing an additional damage of 24% of the target’s maximum HP over 2 Turns.
  • Unleash Fury (Rank I, II, III): gives a state of temporary frenzy, dealing roughly 235/282/345% damage. Cost: 19/18/17% current Mana. CD: 2/2/2 Turns.
  • Elemental Nemesis (Rank I, II, III): imbues the unit’s weapon with all natural Elements, dealing roughly 330/396/484% damage. Cost: 24/23/22% current Mana. CD: 4/4/4 Turns. Also, at its maximum rank, Elemental Nemesis will ignore the target’s Defense, dealing true damage.

guardian_newclassiconOTHER ABILITIES:

  • Guardians will learn 3 abilities which can change the target’s Status on hit: Silence, Paralyse and Confusion. Although these abilities will always deal 100% weapon damage, all bosses will be immune to Status ailments.
  • Rapid Fire OD: rapidly strikes one enemy multiple times: each strike deals physical damage scaling off 87% Strength.
  • Weapon Throw OD: hurls a throwing weapon at an enemy for 297% physical damage – scaling off Strength.
  • Iron-Cutting Sword OD: slashes one enemy multiple times, dealing 394% physical damage – scaling off Strength – with each strike. Also applies Bleed Status.
  • Megante OD: sacrifices HP to annihilate all enemies with a blast of Divine energy. Megante OD deals 16.25 magic damage scaling off the target’s current HP, which becomes the real multiplier for the damage output. Guardians, however, will not pass out after casting: they will retain 1 HP. Megante’s damage can be mitigated only by Divine Resistance. Since bosses will be immune to Divine, see Divine Intervention.
  • Divine Intervention (cost: 10% Mana) removes all enemies’ immunity to Divine (3 Turns). Divine Intervention takes the enemy’s resistance to Divine down a level, from E to D: if they used to be immune, they will now take 50% Divine damage from Megante OD. After 3 Turns they will become immune again, and Megante will not deal any damage at all.
  • As’tron (Rank I, II; cost: 26/31% Mana) (Updated!): the ability nullifies some of damage taken regardless of its nature. This ability has been changed to its original Dragon Quest concept. The name means “turning into iron” and it was meant from the beginning to add some movement impairing effect. As’tron (All Ranks) will always be cast as soon as all actions have been selected, regardless of Haste.
    • As’tron (I) protects all allies from 64% magic damage (2-Turn duration): characters won’t be able to take any action while affected by the shield.
    • As’tron (II) protects all allies from 82% magic damage (2-Turn duration): characters won’t be able to take any action while affected by the shield.
    • As’tron (All Ranks) also cancels all other similar effects.
    • The purpose of As’tron (All Ranks) is to buy players some time: even when standing idle, all characters will benefit from healing-over-time effects, Mana regeneration provided by Spirit or other buffs, and of course cool-downs. This ability is meant to give players some time to gather their strengths.
  • Sacred Shield (No Ranks, No Cost): reduces all damage taken by 90% but its target cannot use magic (2 Turns). Sacred Shield will also immediately remove all Status ailments, and it grants immunity to all Status changes. Guardians will be able to cast Sacred Shield on themselves alone. While under this Status, all-source healing received by Guardians will be reduced (namely Nature, Divine and Arcane).
  • Fubāha (No Ranks; cost: 14% Mana): increases both Fire and Ice Resistances for 2 Turns.
  • Mahoageru (No Ranks): transfers 27% of the user’s Mana to one ally.

guardian_newclassiconSOME FINAL TIPS ON GUARDIANS:

  • Even if Guardians can choose to increase their Intellect, and magic damage, I would recommend doing so just for balance, and here’s why: Defense has no impact whatsoever on the magic damage taken. There is no such thing as a general “magic resistance” stat: characters can have their elemental resistance increased specifically, either by equipment or spells (Fubāha, for instance). All characters can select Guard: guarding will slightly reduce all damage taken for one turn. On the other hand, Defense protects against all physical attacks.
  • Divine Intervention and Megante OD are designed to be cast one after the other against bosses, while their use in normal encounters would turn out to be a waste. Also, Megante should be the opening move of the encounter as soon as reaching 950 OD Points and casting Divine Intervention to take the boss’s HP down significantly. Guardians will be in need of strong heals after this, or they will be easily taken down.
  • Sacred Shield feels over-powered right now, because Guardians are not significantly disadvantaged by Silence Status. Silence affects only magic, it has no impact on physical attacks. The shield also grants immunity to all Status ailments. The real side-effect is the less healing received from all sources.

guardian_newclassiconPROS AND CONS:

  • Guardians have great survivability.
  • Guardians do not depend on Mana or Spirit for the damage they deal. All they need is Strength.
  • Guardians have all cool-downs reduced by 1, because of their unique passive.
  • If their enemy’s Defense is too high, Guardians will deal almost no damage, because they have no way to penetrate that Defense.
  • Almost none of their abilities target more than one enemy.
  • Guardians cannot heal themselves directly.

DISCLAIMER: All of the icons published within this post were either original or edits. It would be best if you PM’ed me before using them, just to be sure that you credit the right people. Thank you.

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