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Dusk wrote:-Disclaimer: Work in progress- just posting what I have so far.

So you're just coming from World of Warcraft for whatever reason, and you are wondering which class you should choose that speaks to your favorite playstyle? Never fear! Dusky B has compiled this handy guide on WAR's classes to help you get started. This guide has been compiled by a 3 year WoW player who has also been playing WAR since closed beta. Simply read the section on your favorite WoW class to identify which strengths of the class you preferred and take to heart the suggestion of what WAR class will suit your style as a starting point.
Be advised that these reccomendations are intended only as places to begin, and the individual player may find that his or her true calling in Warhammer is vastly different from what it was in Azeroth.

Priest: Holy
If your favorite thing in WoW was healing your little heart out from the back line, but you felt confined by the limits of class healing spells, you may very well enjoy the Runepriest or Zealot careers. These classes are very heavy on healing with no need to do damage in a group to "charge you up." The specialization ladders are geared towards either AoE spells, single target spells, or spells done over time. Damage spells of these classifications are paired up with healing spells of the same classification. You cannot be a "damage spec" or a "heal spec" on a zealot or runepriest. Your + damage or + healing on all spell types is improved by the intellect stat for spell damage, or the willpower stat for healing.

The strengths of these classes are their flexibility and healing power. The zealot or runepriest has the option of being very mobile in PvP situations by concentrating on instant casts and HoTs, and can be very powerful in sheer numbers healed.
If in WoW you found yourself wishing your instant casts or AoE heals were more powerful, you will find improvement on those aspects with Runepriest or Zealot.

This may also be a good option for Restoration Druids and Restoration Shaman

Priest: Shadow
Former Shadow Priests may find satisfaction following either of two paths, depending on what you craved from your experience.

If you were a player who enjoyed "helping" the group through your damage and buffs, you may enjoy the Archmage or Shaman careers. This Archetype thrives on a balance of damage and healing done. Healing spells done will charge up the strength or effectiveness of your damage spells (up to 5 charges) most notably either increasing the power of the spell or shortening the cast time. Damage spells done will likewise improve the strength or effectiveness of your healing spells (also up to 5 charges) either increasing the strength (healing done) of your heal spell, or shortening the cast time (for powerful instant cast heals) etc. If you've ever been locked in damage mode as a shadowpriest and wished you could drop a heal in shadowform, the balance of Archmage or Shaman will likely appeal to you. However be warned that in the climate of the Warhammer game world, these classes are viewed by others as healing classes, and you will be expected to fill empty HP bars when needed. Alternatively, Archmage and Shaman careers may also be largely enjoyed by the former Discipline Priest to a large extent based on the survivability as a healer/caster hybrid as well as the flexibility. If you specced your priest in such a way as to solo, you will find a similarly rewarding experience with Shaman or Archmage. This is also a viable path for the Balance Druid and perhaps the Elemental Shaman.

If you enjoyed the risk associated with a shadow priest in dealing heavy damage through shadow word death as a shadowpriest, or love the "shadowcaster" aspect for whatever reason, please see also Sorcereress and Bright Wizard.


Warlock: Demonology
Warlocks that favored the durability of soul link, or the benefit of having a pet may find their calling with the Magus or Engineer classes. While Magus is more in keeping with the roleplaying feel of the Warcraft warlock, it is worth noting that the Engineer was in fact designed as the Order mirror to the Destruction class. This Archetype is considered a ranged pet class with the equivalent of mail armor. The classes are gifted with a specialties in either AoE, Damage over Time, or Direct damage abilities. It is important to note that while warcraft players are used to summoned pets that can follow them and chase down enemies, Magus and Engineer "pets" (or turrets and bombs) are static, and attack your enemies from the point you summon or create them. This is extremely valuable in defense of RvR objectives, but take a little getting used to at first.

Warlock: Destruction
Warlocks that favored sheer high damage output and big crits as a spellcaster will find themselves at home as a Sorcerer or Bright Wizard. However great power is not without a price, and these archetypes must keep firm control on their power or risk a painful backlash. As these classes cast their spells they build up raw magical power. As this becomes more "full" critical chance and damage increases exponentially, but you also increase the chance on casting to "lose control" of the raw power and suffer backlash damage. You can manage this damage either by receiving heals, stopping your cast rotation to "cool off" your magic, or dumping it all at once in a damage spell and starting your rotation again with a fresh power buildup pool.
If you favor ranged damage with a steady output, but don't want to put up with a backlash mechanic see also Shadow Warrior.

Warlock: Affliction
Warlocks that favored killing by loading up a target with DoTs, and moving on to the next target while the spells did their work may be comfortable as a Sorcerer/Bright Wizard with a specialization in DoTs r as a Magus/Engineer in the DoT ladders.

Rogue
Melee dps that prefer a stealth mechanic have the option of a Witch Elf or Witch Hunter. These classes are very well mirrored in functionality, the most notable difference is that Witch Elf is a female character only class for destruction, and the Witch Hunter can be either gender. Both are very popular roleplaying choices. The Warhammer stealth mechanic is very different from the Warcraft in that it is not unlimited. Upon entering stealth the player can only remain hidden for a short time, or until their action points run out. The initiative stat serves to make it easier to see a stealthed character, and if you take much damage, use an ability, or perform an action like clicking on a node or door, you will be revealed and your stealth spell will go on cooldown. However you may go into stealth while in combat, and so drop aggro in PvE situations, and minor damage like DoT's will not cause you to become unhidden. It also bears mentioning that unlike Warcraft, stealth is only effective against players and humanoids. beasts, demons and undead will sense your presence reguardless.
The specialization ladders are all viable, unlike in Warcraft where certain specs were preferred for certain activities. Each spec is tailored to the player's particular playstyle, in either toe to toe combat and armor debuffs, concentration on damage over time attacks, or positional attacks. These classes are given light armor equivalent to leather (but often feels almost as weak as cloth.) Class mechanics make heavy use of a single self buff/target debuff attack at a time that persists through death for a 2 minute duration, charge-up moves and finishing moves as well as disarm, silence and stat leaching. Cat form Feral Druids may find themselves very fond of this Archetype's Toe to Toe specializations.

Mage
Mages have a number of directions to turn.
A spellcaster that prefers the "glass cannon" playstyle, and favors doing as much damage as possible before dropping will likely be happy as a Sorcerer or Bright Wizard. Both classes (as mentioned in the Destruction Warlock section) are ruled by a backlash mechanic. The higher you drive up your buildup, the greater your crit chance and damage, and the greater your chance to eat backlash damage. Fire mages in particular that enjoyed the "pyromaniac" RP playstyle will get a lot out of being a bright wizard. The player that is more interested in looking "cool" or "sexy" in the game world will likely prefer to play as a dark elf sorcerer.

The former spellcaster that preferred doing high damage output from a safe distance well out of harms way would likely be very much at home as a Shadow Warrior. Shadow Warriors are a flexible class that can specialize as a very long range stationary playstyle, a short range mobile playstyle, or a melee specialization. These options are broken down into "stances" that are available to any shadow warrior, but each stance is strengthened through the specialization ladders. This is a very good option for those that often chose to play WoW as Ice mages for the combination of survivability and sustained damage. Oddly, the Order shadow warrior is mirrored in mechanics by the destruction Squig Herder, a pet class.

Mages that loved being a magic user but loathed being "too squishy" in cloth can finally find some relief as a Magus which is remains in keeping with the sorcery playstyle, but grants you the equivalent of mail armor in addition to an arsenal of stationary pets. If you crave the ability to cast damage spells as well as heal, Archmage and Shaman are offered by Mythic. However just as I mentioned on these classes in the Shadow Priest section, the archmage and shaman classes are seen as healer hybrids, with emphasis on healer. The combination of damage and healing may be extremely fun and convenient for soloing or for PQ contribution, but don't expect the WAR community to excuse you from healing because you prefer doing damage.
Archmages and Shamen are NOT considered dps caster classes but rather as damage fueled healing classes.

Warrior: Fury
Fury Warriors capitalized on high melee damage output above all else, without the aid of stealth or positional attacks afforded the rogue, accepting the protection of heavier armor in exchange. The Marauder class suits this role to a T and seems to be designed with the people who are sick of being asked "are you tank spec" in mind. While the class armor is not as protective as plate and more akin to a heavy mail, marauder armor does offer more protection than witch elf or witch hunter armor. Marauder's class mechanic order mirror is in fact the White Lion pet class, and there is currently no other option for a heavier armor melee non pet class. The upcoming Choppa and Dwarf melee dps classes may change this and become similar offerings to ex-fury warriors playstyle wise. Specialties in this class include emphasis in different damage styles (AoE, direct, etc) and is represented by differing left arm mutations. Marauders are a male only class.

Warrior: Protection
Tanks that are designed to tank are in abundance in Warhammer, what may be suprising however, is that tanks actually are effective and useful aditions to RvR combat through abilities like hold the line and guard, as well as the heavy armor and sheilds that lend peerless survivability. Tanks will not only be in demand for their aggro holding and damage absorbtion for PvE encounters and public quests, but also are charged with aggressively attacking the enemy lines, using the player's own cunning, and not game taunt mechanics, to irritate enemy players so that they focus their attacks on the tank, while the tank protects the allies at his rear. Differing tank classes are also gifted with knockbacks, knockdowns, interrupts and damage absorbtion spells.
Tanking Classes include: Swordmaster/Black Orc, Ironbreaker/Blackguard and Knight of the Blazing Sun/Chosen.
Each archetype set includes a pure tanking specialty, a damaging specialty, and a group buffs or enemy debuffs specialty.

Ironbreaker and Blackguard are a good straightforward tanking class. The class mechanic (Hate and Grudge) are generated in a similar way to WoW's rage, through taking damage, and doing damage to power certain class abilities. However these classes also have an attack power pool to draw from as well for other abilities, which can be refilled in combat with your hate/grudge buildup.
This Archetype is noted for it's anti magic, enemy debuff abilities and CCs, and good damage output abilities for a tank class. Dwarf Iron Breakers and Dark Elf Blackguards are available in both genders.

Swordmaster and Black Orc playstyles are based on a sliding scale or balance type mechanic. By using the abilities in the first pool of abilities, you unlock the next pool of available abilities, and by using the second pool of abilities, the third tier of abilities is made available. The tanking specialties are very straightforward. The buff ladder is very effective for buffing yourself and your group. The damage specialization is more focused on buffing the damage you and your group do rather than handing you dps abilities. Black Orcs, like any other greenskin does not have a female to the species and are a male only class. Swordmasters are available in any gender.
This archetype is noted for extreme survivability and little damage. Able to solo extremely difficult mobs. Albiet slowly.

Chosen and Knight of the Blazing Sun classes are under construction. Chosen is a male only class, Knights may be any gender.

Warrior: Arms (mortal strike)
under construction


Hunter
Melee hunter- While speccing to play as a melee hunter was not terribly viable as an end game hunter in WoW, many people wished it was and preferred fighting shoulder to shoulder with their animal ally. If you've ever wished that your elf hunter could get right in the midle of the action with a big frickin axe, White Lion was intended for you. Pets in WAR do not need to be trained. You can set them for passive, agressive or defensive behaviors. White Lion pets grow and visibly age as you level, gaining longer mane and armor later in life. Appearance of lion pets is random and changes upon summoning. Pets in Warhammer do not need to be fed.

Archer (no pet hunter)- If you couldn't care less about the pet itself, but instead specced to be a pure ranged damage, you may want to consider the Shadow Warrior. Please see my description of this class in my section for Mages.

Ranged Hunter- If you favor standing back and doing your damage while the pet charges forward into harm's way on your behalf, you would be most at home as a Squig Herder. Squig herders are not the mirror to the high elf white lion pet class, but actually related to the high elf Shadow Warrior. If you crave something as similar as possible in playstyle to your WoW hunter, you will find it in the herder. Rather than havin a single squig as a pet, the Squig Herder has at his disposal an arsenal of squigs for a variety of situations.

Dwarf with a Gun- If you coveted the idea of of a beer-breath dwarf with a gun in his hand, you owe it to yourself to look into the Engineer class. The "Pets" are nothing more than stationary bombs or turrets, but the dwarf engineer is a very useful class in dps, as well as extremely effective for defense of objectives. Dwarf Engineers are mirrored by the Chaos Magus. Please see descriptions on the Magus in the section for demonology warlocks and mages.

To be continued...

Stormin wrote:I'd be interested to know if the invite restricts you to the server and side picked when it's sent, at least until the first payment comes in.

General Zod wrote:I've been playing it on and off for a couple hours now and it seems to be willing to let you transfer characters for free once it's installed without payments. (I haven't actually tried this feature yet, mind you).

Stormin wrote:Ugh, I really don't like having three posts in a row but the original warhammer online thread is way down there and this isn't worth its own thread. Here is a guide a guildie of mine did up for people moving from WoW to Warhammer to picking their classes. I feel it's inaccurate on several classes since she never played most of those classes but it should make an okay guideline.

Priest: Shadow
If you were a player who enjoyed "helping" the group through your damage and buffs, you may enjoy the Archmage or Shaman careers. This Archetype thrives on a balance of damage and healing done. Healing spells done will charge up the strength or effectiveness of your damage spells (up to 5 charges) most notably either increasing the power of the spell or shortening the cast time. Damage spells done will likewise improve the strength or effectiveness of your healing spells (also up to 5 charges) either increasing the strength (healing done) of your heal spell, or shortening the cast time (for powerful instant cast heals) etc. If you've ever been locked in damage mode as a shadowpriest and wished you could drop a heal in shadowform, the balance of Archmage or Shaman will likely appeal to you. However be warned that in the climate of the Warhammer game world, these classes are viewed by others as healing classes, and you will be expected to fill empty HP bars when needed. Alternatively, Archmage and Shaman careers may also be largely enjoyed by the former Discipline Priest to a large extent based on the survivability as a healer/caster hybrid as well as the flexibility. If you specced your priest in such a way as to solo, you will find a similarly rewarding experience with Shaman or Archmage. This is also a viable path for the Balance Druid and perhaps the Elemental Shaman.

Warrior: Protection
Tanks that are designed to tank are in abundance in Warhammer, what may be suprising however, is that tanks actually are effective and useful aditions to RvR combat through abilities like hold the line and guard, as well as the heavy armor and sheilds that lend peerless survivability. Tanks will not only be in demand for their aggro holding and damage absorbtion for PvE encounters and public quests, but also are charged with aggressively attacking the enemy lines, using the player's own cunning, and not game taunt mechanics, to irritate enemy players so that they focus their attacks on the tank, while the tank protects the allies at his rear. Differing tank classes are also gifted with knockbacks, knockdowns, interrupts and damage absorbtion spells.
Tanking Classes include: Swordmaster/Black Orc, Ironbreaker/Blackguard and Knight of the Blazing Sun/Chosen.
Each archetype set includes a pure tanking specialty, a damaging specialty, and a group buffs or enemy debuffs specialty.

General Zod wrote:This might be a silly question, but does WAR have respawn penalties, or am I just not a high enough level to notice them? I know they were fairly obvious in WoW and City of Heroes (once you hit level 10 for CoH), but so far I'm not seeing anything even though I've been killed a couple times.

Jaevric wrote: Yes, you get a wounds debuff when you respawn, 3 minutes if you're killed by a player or 15 if you die to a mob. It is a stacking debuff so if you respawn a bunch (as in an Open RvR situation) you'll start losing some serious health.

There are no penalties in terms of experience or repair costs, however, and you can get the debuff removed by a healer mob in the camps (at a price that increases with your level).

Chardok wrote:Okay, I love pet classes - but I'm so far unimpressed with my Squig herder. I'm thinking Magus now. hehe. That is anawesome guide - thank you again, stormin'!

Jaevric wrote:

General Zod wrote:This might be a silly question, but does WAR have respawn penalties, or am I just not a high enough level to notice them? I know they were fairly obvious in WoW and City of Heroes (once you hit level 10 for CoH), but so far I'm not seeing anything even though I've been killed a couple times.

Yes, you get a wounds debuff when you respawn, 3 minutes if you're killed by a player or 15 if you die to a mob. It is a stacking debuff so if you respawn a bunch (as in an Open RvR situation) you'll start losing some serious health.

There are no penalties in terms of experience or repair costs, however, and you can get the debuff removed by a healer mob in the camps (at a price that increases with your level).

General Zod wrote: Ah, okay. I thought my health fluctuating so much was just a consequence of going into RvR sections, but that explains it.

Chardok wrote:Okay, I love pet classes - but I'm so far unimpressed with my Squig herder. I'm thinking Magus now. hehe. That is anawesome guide - thank you again, stormin'!

Mind if I send that to Dusk to improve the guide?

White Haven wrote:They STILL haven't removed Electromagnet/Rift? That was ruining high-tier RvR back when I played, and that was months ago.

White Haven wrote:Out of curiosity, have they fixed the TTK on tiers 3 and 4 yet? It was great in low-tier, but as you got closer and closer to endgame DPS scaling ramped up into the stratosphere while healing/damage prevention/health/survivability scaling inched up slowly. Was great if you played a Witch Elf or a Bright Wizard, not so hot as anything else.