Funcom has partnered with MMORPG.com to give our readers the first look at custom decks that players will have access to when playing The Secret World. These decks guide players in finding an awesome build for their characters in game. This time, we bring you the Neoshaman, the Magus and the Bodyguard decks. See what you think!

The Neoshaman utilizes both Blood Magic and Chaos Magic to painfully extinguish the life of his opponents. He excels at doing a lot of damage to single targets, with strong Focus attacks and a host of damage-over-time effects. The Neoshaman’s ability to impair enemies, and draw the life force from them to replenish his own, increases his survivability.

Read more of The Secret World: Neoshaman, Magus & Bodyguard Decks.

Can't wait to log in. Love this game. So different then 99% of the MMO's out there. Contemplating lifetime...we'll see.

I hope people are starting to understand the scope of the ability wheel. You can build that character you've always wanted to play.  

Awesomw stuff. My decks are still better though :p

These decks are a great marketing idea. I like it. I wonder if they will allow people to publish theirs too ingame as part of the UI.

http://werewood.wordpress.com/

Bodyguard and Neo looks great

Originally posted by cooper85

I hope people are starting to understand the scope of the ability wheel. You can build that character you've always wanted to play.  

I'm not just trying to knock the ability wheel, because it is cool...  But that's not totally true.  It doesn't seem like they're going to have pet abilities/taming.  Most of the skills are traditional damage-based skills, or they assist in damage (deal more damage to weakened opponents...).

the decks are just starting ideas.. suggested builds. the way they lay out the builds with a name is pure hype. you can mix any 2 abilities that you want to make any hybrid that you can name anything. learn the ability trees and you can make a toon exactly like what you want. the bodyguard is a pure aoe spec... shotty/hammer = aoe. it is very similar to warlock besides the the chaos magic which = defensive...so warlock is more "tank". after you try a couple abilities you can see exactly what the focus is for that tree...then build it the way you want. i found trying exactly what these decks suggested has led me into a path of rerolling. just my opinion.

Originally posted by eindinbloch

Originally posted by cooper85

I hope people are starting to understand the scope of the ability wheel. You can build that character you've always wanted to play.  

I'm not just trying to knock the ability wheel, because it is cool...  But that's not totally true.  It doesn't seem like they're going to have pet abilities/taming.  Most of the skills are traditional damage-based skills, or they assist in damage (deal more damage to weakened opponents...).

Good point no pet taming ;) 

I would say that 60% are related to damage in one form or the other. That leaves about 200 that are support, cc, and healing.  Don't quote my numbers, but they are within range.

BIg kudos on NeoShaman. I was hoping for something exactly like this. I'm thrilled. xD

 i ll try with magus deck for first time ,looking cool powers

ty for builds ,great work

Originally posted by matthewearl

the decks are just starting ideas.. suggested builds. the way they lay out the builds with a name is pure hype. you can mix any 2 abilities that you want to make any hybrid that you can name anything. learn the ability trees and you can make a toon exactly like what you want. the bodyguard is a pure aoe spec... shotty/hammer = aoe. it is very similar to warlock besides the the chaos magic which = defensive...so warlock is more "tank". after you try a couple abilities you can see exactly what the focus is for that tree...then build it the way you want. i found trying exactly what these decks suggested has led me into a path of rerolling. just my opinion.

Indeed, the decks offer a starting point for new players which introduce them to how the skills work, and some of the synergies involved in the game.  From there, I believe most players will branch out and experiment with a range of different builds to find one that's most suited to them.  So far, it looks like the skill system will offer a lot of diversity to possible builds, which allows a player to build the character they want to play.

To this point, I have been pretty impressed with the skill system.

*Looks at Bodyguard picture*

-Deck chosen-

Originally posted by cooper85

Originally posted by eindinbloch

Originally posted by cooper85

I hope people are starting to understand the scope of the ability wheel. You can build that character you've always wanted to play.  

I'm not just trying to knock the ability wheel, because it is cool...  But that's not totally true.  It doesn't seem like they're going to have pet abilities/taming.  Most of the skills are traditional damage-based skills, or they assist in damage (deal more damage to weakened opponents...).

Good point no pet taming ;) 

 

I would say that 60% are related to damage in one form or the other. That leaves about 200 that are support, cc, and healing.  Don't quote my numbers, but they are within range.

What is the % of the skills that are passive?

I've been using a Chaos/Blood build for a while now-'all magick, all the tim'e It is very versitile. The elements were always there just not a 'deck'.

Originally posted by Kuppa

Originally posted by cooper85

Originally posted by eindinbloch

Originally posted by cooper85

I hope people are starting to understand the scope of the ability wheel. You can build that character you've always wanted to play.  

I'm not just trying to knock the ability wheel, because it is cool...  But that's not totally true.  It doesn't seem like they're going to have pet abilities/taming.  Most of the skills are traditional damage-based skills, or they assist in damage (deal more damage to weakened opponents...).

Good point no pet taming ;) 

 

I would say that 60% are related to damage in one form or the other. That leaves about 200 that are support, cc, and healing.  Don't quote my numbers, but they are within range.

What is the % of the skills that are passive?

I would say close to 50%. Since there's 7 active, 7 passive slots, you'd think the amount of choice for both should be just about equal.

Originally posted by Bunnyking

Originally posted by Kuppa

Originally posted by cooper85

Originally posted by eindinbloch

Originally posted by cooper85

I hope people are starting to understand the scope of the ability wheel. You can build that character you've always wanted to play.  

I'm not just trying to knock the ability wheel, because it is cool...  But that's not totally true.  It doesn't seem like they're going to have pet abilities/taming.  Most of the skills are traditional damage-based skills, or they assist in damage (deal more damage to weakened opponents...).

Good point no pet taming ;) 

 

I would say that 60% are related to damage in one form or the other. That leaves about 200 that are support, cc, and healing.  Don't quote my numbers, but they are within range.

What is the % of the skills that are passive?

I would say close to 50%. Since there's 7 active, 7 passive slots, you'd think the amount of choice for both should be just about equal.

So theres really around 250 actual active abilities?

Playing Beta now. All I can say.. WTF did they refurb the entire thing since may. Feels much different and in such a goood way. And actually... This game is much more fantasy than I first thought. I love it and have great hopes for this title now.

Got to admit that i hate they do not have pet summoning/controling abilities in a cell/s or as a stand-alone brantch of the wheel that would allow those players that prefer that style of play to enjoy it, since really most styles are pretty well supported. I mean in many ways things like shape-shifting, summoning, and such could be turned off in most of the major hubs, and the actual system would not make having to take a pet/sommon/shift as mandatory unless you specced deep into it anyways. THings like making the abilities you use to command your et/summon/shifter-form as taking up one of the active slots, and than also having passives that aguement your pet taking up passive spots would still allow other builds to be very viable, most of all if the summoning of the pet or shiftiing is a somewhat long cast or puts you into a prone state while being used. Here's too hoping that in future patches they release a grouping of cells that deal with shifting, and sommoning pets to control for the players that like that style of play. Honestly i see it being really hard to make pet builds extremely op in tsw with the combat system, with the synergy that comes from group interaction in combat the pet-user might actually be at a disadvantage as they need to rely on the party to maximize the output of the pet they spent all their powers to get an now have no real ways of putting up status effects to expploit.