ZAM's Exclusive In-Depth Look at TERA's Lancer

En Masse Entertainment has given us an in-depth look at the Lancer. The class is TERA's creative reinvention of the tank, but now with 100% more style.

When it comes to elements commonly found across most MMORPGs, nothing is more prevalent than the ever-stalwart presence of the designated "tanks" of the game. Always wearing heavy armor of some sort or another, the "standard MMO tank" typically wields a sword and shield, smacking things in the face to make them angry (but never dealing much damage!) and then hiding behind their shield when they get the baddies' attention.

This is not, however, the case for TERA's powerful Lancer class, as we quickly found out in our second exclusive in-depth look at the classes in TERA. Last month, we covered the agile, great-sword wielding Slayer, so this time we looked at TERA's uber tough tank: the Lancer! Wielding a massive lance and heavy shield as their armaments, the Lancer is certain to redefine what it truly means to be a tank in the MMO world and to finally abolish the silly idea that a frontline warrior always needs to have his or her "sword and board" at ready. The future is long and pointy!

Within TERA, the steady Lancers are the ones that always stand at the front of the battle, protecting their teammates and directly standing in harms way so that their allies can take refuge behind. With the advent of directional attacks in TERA's action-based combat, Lancers will need to physically stand in the way of enemy attacks, utilizing their shield-related abilities, like Stand Fast, to take damage and provide actual cover for anyone standing behind them.

The Lancer is also no slouch when it comes to offense, and while the class does not feature piles and piles of up-front damage like the Slayer or the Berserker, the Lancer more than makes up for it with his consistent presence in any battle. Lancers can also utilize powerful spear thrusts, like Lance Charge and Onslaught, to get to the heart of the battle quickly while also dealing damage. Alternatively, the Lancer can also involve his or her shield into the mix, with shield skills like Shield Bash and Shield Wallop.

Interestingly, the Lancer also features several abilities that may seem similar in nature, but provide various benefits depending on the situation. Shield Bash and Shield Wallop, for example, both use the Lancer's huge shield as a weapon, but Shield Bash is a guaranteed stun with small damage, while Shield Wallop does a lot more damage with only having a chance to stun. The Lancer also has two taunt-like abilities in the form of Infuriate and Challenging Shout; the first being on a longer cooldown but guaranteeing that the Lancer will draw enemy aggro, while the other does not guarantee aggro but can be cast on a much shorter cooldown.

All in all, the Lancer promises to be a tactical class that rewards players who play with smart positioning and intelligent use of cooldowns and abilities. If you've always wanted to be the one that your team stands behind while you skewer your foes with your spear, then the Lancer class is definitely the one for you! For some more information on the Lancer, check out the "Ten Tactics Tips for Lancers" and the newest class trailer below. Also, be sure to take a look at the exclusive Lancer screenshots in our gallery.



Ten Tactics Tips for Lancers

  1. Stand Fast uses your shield to absorb damage. Party members behind you also receive less damage while this skill is active, although some ranged skills will not fire through your defense. Stand fast when those behind you are low on health and the enemy is in front of you, for unmovable defensive power.
  2. Debilitate uses your shield to weaken your foes' endurance. You can use it up to three times to stack the effects. Once you've softened them up, a powerful skill such as Decisive Blow will do lots of extra damage.
  3. Spring Attack is a massive damage dealing skill with a slow activation time. You can speed it up by first using Shield Bash, Shield Wallop, or Combo Attack.
  4. Shield Bash does limited damage, but stuns every time. Shield Wallop does more impressive damage, and might stun on the second tap of the skill key, but it uses more MP and has a longer cooldown time. Use Shield Wallop when you need the damage and stunning is an added bonus. Use Shield Bash when you must stun. It's a good skill for those stun-and-run situations.
  5. Lancers can draw and hold aggro, which-along with their amazing shield defense-makes them excellent in a tanking role. Infuriate draws aggro every time. Challenging Shout doesn't guarantee aggro, but makes it likely. It costs the same MP, has a shorter activation time, and a cooldown 1/60th as long, so use it as needed while Infuriate is cooling down.
  6. Lance Charge and Onslaught are both charging skills that damage everything in their path. Lance Charge moves you forward 15 meters, then delivers four lance blows in quick succession. Onslaught advances you 20 yards, thrusting with the lance the entire way, for up to 12 hits. Onslaught has the higher hitting power and number of strikes, but Lance Charge costs 1/5th the MP. Lance Charge is most useful for covering ground between you and a foe rapidly, and Onslaught for doing lots and lots of damage.
  7. Retreat from multiple foes long enough for them to line up behind you in pursuit, then turn and hit them with Onslaught to take out the whole queue. Against enemies likely to knock you down, Onslaught is not only a good finisher, but it helps keep you on your feet longer.
  8. Foes too far away? Grab them from up to 15 meters with Leash, then pummel them while they're stunned, using power strikes like Shield Wallop and Spring Attack.
  9. When you're taking a beating and there's no priest in sight, Second Wind allows you to regain HP for ten seconds that may save your life.
  10. Retaliate takes advantage of a knockdown with one of the most damaging counterattacks in your arsenal. Learn to time this for maximum effect. If your foes stay nearby after attacking, use it instantly to regain your feet and minimize the extra damage you take when knocked down. If they move away, you can delay using Retaliate for a few seconds to catch them as they return in your circle of destruction.

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