Ankama Games, you are relentless. Just when I thought I had wrested myself free from your open world, social MMORPG Wakfu, you pull me back into your cute, enchanting universe and turn-based strategic gameplay with Wakfu's older cousin, Dofus. Not only that, but you also tempt my wallet mercilessly with your franchise's animated TV series, trading card game, comics, manga, and action figures.
For the uninitiated, Dofus is a Flash-based MMORPG with an anime-inspired 2D art style and tactical, turn-based combat system. Considered one of the most popular MMORPGs in France and well-known around the world, Dofus has most of the features you'd expect from an MMO, including 15 character classes, 22 crafting professions, pets and mounts, dungeons and group content, PvP, and a heck of a lot more. Like Wakfu, the game has a quirky universe with colorful characters and a distinctly humorous personality, but Dofus differs from its younger counterpart by being a bit more direct and traditional in its approach and quest content, with fewer sandbox elements.
)
I got to take the new Foggernauts' Steam class for a spin and check out its technomagical abilities and turret-based combat. Foggernauts are billed as being "technomagical tacticians," and distinguish themselves by creating danger zones and defensive zones on the battlefield with their turrets. These zones work much as advertised, in that danger zones are areas in which a turret will do damage, whereas defensive zones allow for healing. Foggernauts utilize three types of turrets, namely, the "Harpooner," "Lifesaver," and "Tacturret," but can also do direct damage themselves while pushing or pulling enemies around in combat. Additionally, the Foggernaut class sports a bunch of buff spells, and does best in melee combat when equipped with hammers or shovels.
Like other classes in Dofus, Foggernauts can focus on different elemental spell paths, specializing in Fire, Water, and Earth damage, and their spells can affect their turrets. So, at level 1 you can drop a Harpooner nearby, which will start doing fire or earth damage to enemies within range once you hit it with a level 1 Pilfer or Anchor spell, respectively. Alternatively, you can attack a monster directly with Pilfer to steal HP or with Anchor to inflict damage, and both spells have the funny, colorful combat animations that you'd expect from an Ankama game. Once you get to level 3, you can cast the spell Evolution, which will unlock new spells for one of your conjured turrets, or increase one of your allies' Power.
)
As you gain in level, you'll continue to increase your library of spells, while upgrading your existing abilities by using them. At level 6, you'll unlock your first water-based spell, Torrent, which will do water damage to an opponent and pull them towards you, or enable water damage by the Harpooner. Reaching level 17 will get you the Lifesaver, a healing turret, and level 42 will gain you the Tacturret, a turret that pushes and pulls monsters and allies around the battlefield. Earlier spells as well as new ones have the potential to affect these turrets' effectiveness as well: Torrent will activate "Magnatron" mode on the Tacturret, which seems to pull monsters and allies within range towards it, while the level 54 spell First Aid will heal your ally and allow her/him to be targeted by the Lifesaver's special spell, which is unlocked at the turret's max level of 3.
)
The Foggernaut has a bunch of other cool spells, like level 31's Vapour, a fire AoE spell that allows the Harpooner to do fire damage, level 70's Ambush, which does, fire, water and earth damage, and marks a target for the Harpooner's special spell, and level 80's Froth, an AoE water spell that enables water damage on the Harpooner. Of course, you can also unlock the Summoning of Foggernaut Dopple spell at level 200, which I can only assume conjures either a gleefully mischievous imp companion or a pint of technomagical Bavarian ale.
All in all, the Foggernauts' Steam class is a fun addition to the Dofus universe with some new and colorful spells and tactical combat potential. The class's turrets and push-pull abilities add an interesting dynamic that allows for more control of the battlefield, with the potential for tactical depth and synergies with overlapping abilities that Dofus' classes are known for. Most importantly, the Foggernauts' Steam class has introduced me to a new way to throw money at Ankama Games, with the vibrant and intriguing world of Dofus. Best of all, Dofus has a lot of free content to try out in the Astrub Village starter region, and a subscription, which will allow you access to everything including the new class, runs for a cool $6.90 per month.
)
Are you playing Dofus? Have you tried the new Foggernauts' Steam class? Let us know in the comments below!
