Gamespot UK does a Vanguard: Sage of Heroes - Profile Preview

The fantasy realm is a popular one for massively multiplayer role-playing games, as these magical settings let you play as a completely different race and do all sorts of heroic deeds, such as clearing out infested dungeons, slaying dragons, and generally killing everything hostile that stands in your way. With Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Sony Online Entertainment and Sigil Games, which was founded by creators of the famed EverQuest, are preparing a whole new fantasy world to explore. And there are over a dozen character classes, or careers, that you can pursue in the game. In our previous preview we covered the first five, and now we present another 10 so you can study up and figure out what you want to play as when the game launches in January.

Druids

Druids are spellcasters who can tap into the natural world, specifically stone and storm magic. This means that the druid has plenty of ways to inflict damage to the enemy, as well as aid allies. Below are some of the offensive and defensive abilities of the druid class:

Plague: The druid can use the plague to inflict physical damage to opponents over time. If used as a finishing move, the plague can inflict a lot more damage to a single opponent.

Lightning Strike: Calling upon the power of the storms, the druid can inflict arcane damage to opponents. And there's bonus damage if that opponent happens to be wet.

Okeli's Shield: This protective shield blocks incoming damage for the next two attacks.

Stifling Brambles: You can use these magical brambles to slow down opponents as well as inflict damage on them. It lasts for 36 seconds.

Phenomena are some of the most powerful spells that the druid, or any other class, can cast in the game. Phenomena are large, natural events, and they come in the form of a calamity or a wonder. Calamities are what you want to unleash on your opponents, and wonders are used to bolster your friends.

Lycanthropy: The druid and his or her allies can transform into wolves with this wonder. As a wolf, the druid has faster movement speed and damage. This wonder works better at night.

Summer's Flame: This calamity inflicts fire damage to your opponents, as well as lowers their armor class and attributes for 30 seconds, making them easier to kill.

Finally, druids can create elemental pets to assist them in battle. These pets come in storm and earth varieties. Storm pets are pretty obedient and will only attack when told, whereas earth pets will attack opponents on sight.

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