This weekend we got to play TERA and check out some of the classes. The game looks amazing and has a great combat system. With the giant monsters you’ll be facing that they have mentioned in the previews we thought it would be great to run down several of the classes.
The Lancer
This (the Lancer) is one of the key tank classes in the game. The character starts with a retractable lance, which is actually cooler that it might sound, and a shield. The main point of the class is to control and maintain the big monsters you’ll be fighting. With several defensive abilities it is important to stay focused on your target and work with the rest of your party. The Lancer can do some serious damage too. Even though they are not as damage dealing as the Berserker or Slayer, they still can dish out some great hits. The thing that sets TERA apart though it the ability to move around in combat, this is where the Lancer shines. The class (as with them all) should be played mobile and not in the typical stand and fight tank fashion.
Once you get moving on the Lancer it is all about setting up knock downs. The knock downs are a critical part of battles. The Slayer and the Berserker also have similar abilities. When a creature is down, you can keep hitting them. This allows you to build up crits and other types of damage fast. So if you spring a knock down during a boss battle, it becomes a DPS race before the creature gets back up to do as much damage as possible. The Lancer was fun and anyone who likes the tank role will be pleased with the class, they also dish out enough damage to make them viable with the protection abilities to back them up if needed.
The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is very much a ranged DPS class. You begin using fire magic and can hit targets at pretty good range. The Sorc uses their disk for spells and the graphics are actually very cool. The disk creates a great weapon that you cast with and actually gives the class an action packed flow different from the stand and cast other magic classes. Again this all adds up to movement in combat. As a Sorcerer you will be on the outside of the melee blasting magical power into the fray.
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The class definitely can hit hard but is somewhat of a glass cannon like most casting classes. The thing TERA does a great job of is taking MMO style gameplay and giving it life with some very strong interactive combat. Overall both classes played impressively. Fans of the game will come to appreciate the team work and coordination these classes will need in high level raids and more importantly in PvP combat.
