Axxar
08-21-2007, 10:31 AM
Some speculation on how a Marauder works best with his group, based on this factual information:
Career: Marauder
Archetype: Melee DPS
Melee DPS are:
- Close combat damage role
- Lightly armored
- Specializes in single target offense
- Rapid high damage attacks
- Good vs. Single Targets
- Strongest against ranged magic
- Weakest against heavy armor
Source: The Waaagh (http://www.warhammeralliance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15936) (Classes & Careers Discussion and Q&A).
Marauders have a close combat damage role - you want to get up close to your opponent and start beating on him with your one-handed weapon and your mutated arm. Your job in the game revolves around ripping and tearing things apart. Your offense comes at a price - you are lightly armoured, so you're not going to last long to any kind of focus fire. While not as frail and unprotected as the Magus, it's a good idea to stay good friends with your Zealot and Chosen allies so you can stay alive and do your thing. Through your mutations you may have some options to bolster your defenses if the need is dire.
Specializes in single target offense means that you will probably have very limited to no area effect power, but instead focus on one target at a time. Focusing on a single target at a time is key to unleashing your full power and do your job best. Depending on your target, you may want to pick the right mutation for the job, although it's hard to know at this point how frequently you can mutate and how much control you have over it. Basically you'll be waiting for the right moment to attack, mutate according to your target and then rush at it. Your attacks will consist of rapid high damage attacks, so you'll be a flurry of blows, causing repeated pushbacks to casters trying to get spells off. If they wish to live they have no choice but to focus your attention on you and try to keep you at range. Fortunately you have the speed and abilities to make this task difficult, but you will need to stay up close to deal your damage and stop him from casting his spells. You're not going to last long from a barrage of magic, but you will be able to reach and kill ranged DPS careers very quickly, and they will not be able to fend you off without aid from others.
The marauder is good vs. single targets, so it's important that you try to not split up your damage by attacking multiple enemies and switch from target to target. Carefully pick which one you need and only change once it's dead or if due to some event a change is required. If you and a buddy are trying to kill an Ironbreaker and a Warrior Priest comes along and starts healing him, it's probably a good idea to instead target the Warrior Priest, as he's going to be a softer target to break - and once he's down he'll no longer be able to heal the Ironbreaker.
Your only problem is enemy tanks, such as Knights of the Blazing Sun and Ironbreakers. Your attacks are weakest against heavy armour, and attacking the enemy tanks is an enormous waste of your offensive potential. In a group situation, the last thing you want to be doing is waste time fighting a tank. The problem is that tanks have the ability to make reaching your target difficult as well as block your way and slow your movement. In addition, your lack of armour means you'll be taking a lot of punishment while you try to get away. And even should you reach your taget he's going to greatly hamper your damage-dealing abilities. Basically you need to get rid of the tank to do your job properly, but fortunately you are highly mobile and can use this to attempt to manoeuver around them.. If you have ranged casters in your group you can use their aid to kill him as their magic attacks aren't affected by armour, or someone can try to root the tank to keep him off you, or you can put a tank of your own, such as a Chosen, on the enemy tank to stop him stopping you. Only once all other targets are gone should you focus on the tank, and even then you will need help to take him down, as your attacks are weak against his defenses, and his attacks are strong against your light armour.
On the other hand, you are strongest against ranged magic, meaning spellcasters such as the Bright Wizard. The Bright Wizard wears basically no armour at all, and if you pick your target right you (and other melee DPS careers) will be doing the highest single target damage possible in the game. This is where you are the most efficient and contribute the most to your group. If you don't get rid of the enemy ranged casters, they'll have an easier time to deal with your tanks, which makes it difficult to protect your own casters as well as yourself. Ranged casters and support careers will be your primary targets.
You'll also be able to damage other melee DPS careers such as the Ironbreaker reasonably well, but your main focus should be unarmoured or very lightly armoured targets. However, as you are melee you won't always have the option to safely attack your target, so you may find yourself forced to attack something else if you want to live to see the fight through. Don't just wildly sacrifice yourself by going into a large group of enemies on your own just to get a few hits on a Engineer standing in their midst, better to help kill off the Hammerer who's strayed a bit from his group and is pounding on your Zealot.
As a melee DPS career, you will have the most power in the game against single careers. Half the careers you meet - ranged DPS and support, will be easy kills if they stray from their group. If you see them straying, take advantage of it and kill them off. The only career that's truly dangerous to you is the tanks, so try to avoid these while killing everything else.
Don't forget that this post is merely speculation on my part, and that the reality of the game could deviate in from this. It is simply my interpretation and guesses for what is intended.
UPDATE: New information from the August newsletter archetype podcast.
Career: Marauder
Archetype: Melee DPS
Melee DPS are:
- Close combat damage role
- Lightly armored
- Specializes in single target offense
- Rapid high damage attacks
- Good vs. Single Targets
- Strongest against ranged magic
- Weakest against heavy armor
Source: The Waaagh (http://www.warhammeralliance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15936) (Classes & Careers Discussion and Q&A).
Marauders have a close combat damage role - you want to get up close to your opponent and start beating on him with your one-handed weapon and your mutated arm. Your job in the game revolves around ripping and tearing things apart. Your offense comes at a price - you are lightly armoured, so you're not going to last long to any kind of focus fire. While not as frail and unprotected as the Magus, it's a good idea to stay good friends with your Zealot and Chosen allies so you can stay alive and do your thing. Through your mutations you may have some options to bolster your defenses if the need is dire.
Specializes in single target offense means that you will probably have very limited to no area effect power, but instead focus on one target at a time. Focusing on a single target at a time is key to unleashing your full power and do your job best. Depending on your target, you may want to pick the right mutation for the job, although it's hard to know at this point how frequently you can mutate and how much control you have over it. Basically you'll be waiting for the right moment to attack, mutate according to your target and then rush at it. Your attacks will consist of rapid high damage attacks, so you'll be a flurry of blows, causing repeated pushbacks to casters trying to get spells off. If they wish to live they have no choice but to focus your attention on you and try to keep you at range. Fortunately you have the speed and abilities to make this task difficult, but you will need to stay up close to deal your damage and stop him from casting his spells. You're not going to last long from a barrage of magic, but you will be able to reach and kill ranged DPS careers very quickly, and they will not be able to fend you off without aid from others.
The marauder is good vs. single targets, so it's important that you try to not split up your damage by attacking multiple enemies and switch from target to target. Carefully pick which one you need and only change once it's dead or if due to some event a change is required. If you and a buddy are trying to kill an Ironbreaker and a Warrior Priest comes along and starts healing him, it's probably a good idea to instead target the Warrior Priest, as he's going to be a softer target to break - and once he's down he'll no longer be able to heal the Ironbreaker.
Your only problem is enemy tanks, such as Knights of the Blazing Sun and Ironbreakers. Your attacks are weakest against heavy armour, and attacking the enemy tanks is an enormous waste of your offensive potential. In a group situation, the last thing you want to be doing is waste time fighting a tank. The problem is that tanks have the ability to make reaching your target difficult as well as block your way and slow your movement. In addition, your lack of armour means you'll be taking a lot of punishment while you try to get away. And even should you reach your taget he's going to greatly hamper your damage-dealing abilities. Basically you need to get rid of the tank to do your job properly, but fortunately you are highly mobile and can use this to attempt to manoeuver around them.. If you have ranged casters in your group you can use their aid to kill him as their magic attacks aren't affected by armour, or someone can try to root the tank to keep him off you, or you can put a tank of your own, such as a Chosen, on the enemy tank to stop him stopping you. Only once all other targets are gone should you focus on the tank, and even then you will need help to take him down, as your attacks are weak against his defenses, and his attacks are strong against your light armour.
On the other hand, you are strongest against ranged magic, meaning spellcasters such as the Bright Wizard. The Bright Wizard wears basically no armour at all, and if you pick your target right you (and other melee DPS careers) will be doing the highest single target damage possible in the game. This is where you are the most efficient and contribute the most to your group. If you don't get rid of the enemy ranged casters, they'll have an easier time to deal with your tanks, which makes it difficult to protect your own casters as well as yourself. Ranged casters and support careers will be your primary targets.
You'll also be able to damage other melee DPS careers such as the Ironbreaker reasonably well, but your main focus should be unarmoured or very lightly armoured targets. However, as you are melee you won't always have the option to safely attack your target, so you may find yourself forced to attack something else if you want to live to see the fight through. Don't just wildly sacrifice yourself by going into a large group of enemies on your own just to get a few hits on a Engineer standing in their midst, better to help kill off the Hammerer who's strayed a bit from his group and is pounding on your Zealot.
As a melee DPS career, you will have the most power in the game against single careers. Half the careers you meet - ranged DPS and support, will be easy kills if they stray from their group. If you see them straying, take advantage of it and kill them off. The only career that's truly dangerous to you is the tanks, so try to avoid these while killing everything else.
Don't forget that this post is merely speculation on my part, and that the reality of the game could deviate in from this. It is simply my interpretation and guesses for what is intended.
UPDATE: New information from the August newsletter archetype podcast.