On July 9, the MMORPG Swords of Legends Online celebrates its release. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch has already played the alpha and beta in advance and wants to tell you which classes exist and which are particularly worthwhile for beginners.
These classes are offered by Swords of Legends: At the start of the MMORPG, you have the choice of 6 different classes. Each of them has two specializations, between which you can switch outside of combat at any time and free of charge:
- Reaper – An assassin with scythes (DPS), who can also be a healer in the second path
- Berserker – A classic melee fighter who can deal damage or tank
- Sword Mage – A DPS class that uses swords in close or ranged combat, depending on which specialization is chosen
- Bard – A class with a string instrument that can deal damage or heal
- Summoner – A damage dealer in ranged combat who can also heal in the second path
- Spear Master – A melee fighter who can act as a damage dealer or tank
In the alpha and beta, we tried out each class and played at least until level 20 and three of them to max level. From these experiences, we created a small ranking of which classes are particularly worthwhile for beginners and offer a good gaming experience at the start.
Can you play each class in SOLO? Yes, I had no particular difficulties leveling with any character, so in the end, you can choose the class you feel most like.
In the endgame, every class is supposed to be useful in its own way and playable in dungeons and raids as well as in PvP, according to the information from China. These are a good guideline because, according to the official FAQ, the balancing of our version is based on the most current version in China (via Gameforge).
All information about the PvE and PvP content of Swords of Legends can be found in this article:
Dynamic battles as Berserker and Spear Master
Which classes are particularly suitable for beginners? On the way to max level, the Berserker and the Spear Master made the best impression. They provided the most fun due to their dynamics, and the content was particularly easy to manage with them.
What is so good about the Berserker? The Berserker uses a large sword in combat and strikes very quickly with it. This brought me a lot of joy in the alpha and felt incredibly satisfying. Additionally, particularly strong attacks can be charged while continuing to apply spells without interrupting the charge. This further increased the dynamics in combat.
The Berserker is also quite simple in terms of gameplay as a Destroyer (DPS): jump on enemies and hit them until they are defeated. This should not pose any difficulties even for MMORPG newcomers.
This linear gameplay is also directly felt in the available resources:
- The first mechanic of the Berserker is Cloud Power. It is automatically charged through attacks and abilities. Once the Cloud Power is fully charged, you can execute a powerful attack that deals more damage.
- The second resource is called Storm State and can be activated through a special ability. This increases your damage for a short period of time.
- As a third option, there is the Overload State, the tank equivalent of Storm State. By activating it, your movement speed increases, and you take less damage.
In the endgame, the Berserker primarily assumes the role of the tank in dungeons and raids (with the specialization Drunkard). This basically secures you a spot in any group. However, theoretically, you could also remain a damage dealer.
What makes the Spear Fighter special? The Spear Master is a melee fighter and uses a spear, with which he can attack at lightning speed as well as effectively defend himself. This also fits his two skill paths, between which you can switch freely outside of combat:
- As a General, you take on the role of a DPS class. As a Spear Master, you can throw enemies into the air, rendering them incapacitated. Additionally, your attacks generally become stronger and harder, leading to more damage.
- As Phalanx, you become the tank. This grants you a taunt and allows you to summon a shield wall that protects you and allies from incoming damage.
What is particularly cool about the Spear Fighter is his ability as an “Engineer.” He can summon a construct where players can repair their equipment or sell items.
However, I found him a bit slower and less dynamic during my tests in the alpha than the Berserker and Reaper.
Reaper and Summoner are also easy to play
Which classes are also good for beginners? Both the Reaper and the Summoner are still excellent choices for entry-level classes. However, the Reaper has it a bit tougher in the endgame as an assassin, while he performs well as a healer.
What is so good about the Reaper? The Reaper impresses mainly with its dynamics in the early game and its flexibility in the endgame. With its scythe as a weapon, the Reaper attacks quickly and also has crowd control, its own stun breaks to free itself from CC, and DoTs (abilities that deal damage over time).
Another useful mechanic is invisibility, which can be used in both PvE and PvP. This allows you to sneak past one or another enemy group comfortably. However, the Reaper’s hit points are on the lower side, as is usual for assassins. A little caution is therefore advisable.
The Reaper relies on one resource: Incantation. This is filled through basic attacks and can then be spent on a powerful ability to deal massive damage.
Through its second skill path, the Occultist, you can step into a healer role, which is also useful for dungeons, raids, and PvP. Surprisingly, the Reaper is a very effective healer with a wide kit of different abilities that can restore health.
What makes the Summoner special? As the name suggests, the Summoner can call creatures for assistance. Depending on the specialization, these differ slightly:
- With Wrath of Nature (DPS), spirits are summoned that you can then unleash on your enemies. Additionally, you work with various companions, such as a fox-like creature or Goldfeather, a bird. Besides these summons, there are also various nature spells you can use.
- With Nüwa’s Blessing, your Summoner transforms into a healer. Here, the spiritual energy of nature plays an important role. In addition to classic healing spells, there is the healing fairy Molou that you can summon. This also has abilities that support your allies.
For beginners, the Summoner is particularly suitable because of its creatures that can take a lot of work off you. However, I found some of its animations to be too long, and resources were quickly consumed, which is why I give the first two mentioned classes a slight edge in terms of fun factor.
Sword Mages and Bards lag behind in the early game
What problems does the Sword Mage have? At the beginning, I found the Sword Mage to be rather a complex class because there are many combos one must know. If these are not used correctly, there are often longer phases in combat where only auto-attacks can be used because the other 3 resources are depleted.
However, this is mitigated as the level increases and with the learning of the combos.
A downside for the Sword Mage is that it only has DPS paths. No matter how you play the class, you can only sign up as a DD for dungeons and raids.
What problems does the Bard have? The Bard is particularly useful as a support and healer in the endgame. Additionally, it is an unusual class that fights with a string instrument.
The problem, however, is that he has some abilities for which he must stand still while casting. All other classes are more dynamic and agile. This makes the Bard not as fun for beginners as, for example, the Berserker. However, those who want to play the class will hardly notice the disadvantages in gameplay.
How the classes play later in the endgame can be seen in the first videos from the developers. They have already shown content from the dungeons: Gameplay of the MMORPG Swords of Legends shows what to expect in dungeons.
