There are various types of Riders that roam the lands, from those that wield the elements of fire and water to those who destroy their enemies through brute strength.
Whether a Guardian, Priest, Wizard, Berserker, Assassin, Ranger, Trickster or Magician each style of Rider has a unique role in combat.
Berserkers specialize in close-combat destruction.
Guardians possess skills to protect party members.
Wizards strike from afar with the power of the elements.
Priests use the power of the light to attack enemies and heal friends.
Assassins catch enemies off guard to land fatal attacks.
Rangers use the power of chaos to cause devastating damage.
The Trickster is focused on summoning familiar spells that deal damage and buffs to her and her team. Her focus is more on helping the group than dealing damage.
Magician is a magic class focused on chaos magic, has a high DPS and is also considered a damage class like the wizard.
In the end, these Riders will utilize their varied skills to protect their allies and bring down their enemies.
(Assassin)
Assassins are nimble warriors, soaring in to deliver a lethal chain of killing blows and aerial combos before disappearing to a safe distance.
They capitalize on fast-paced chains of attacks that stun, wound, and air-lock or knock down foes for a short time.
These effects are very short-lived, but if used correctly the assassin will be able to completely incapacitate and kill any single opponent in one smooth ultimate rotation of combinations.
Assassins are a dagger-wielding DPS class.
Quick and nimble, assassins utilizes every tool in their kit to dance circles around the enemy, overwhelming them with both of their blades and disrupting them with kicks and acrobatics to prevent any counterattacks.
They capitalize on critical rates and dexterity, as their raw DPS isn't all that great; and they don't take damage very well, so it's important to stay on the move.
They are probably the hardest class to play in the game, because they don't have the added advantage of using any ranged skills except for the Dagger Throw, which only deals between 1 and 3 damage at a time.
It really only gets them away from danger for long enough to rush back in.
(Recommended Stats) Assassins should try to obtain equipment which increases Dexterity, Strength, Constitution, Physical Attack, Physical Critical Rate, Physical Critical Damage and Cooldown.
(Whirling Blades)
This is a deadly Combo attack that has 2 variations.
There is a 5-hit Combo on the ground and a 3-hit combo usable on airborne enemies only.
If used on an airborne enemy, the assassin will strike them further up into the air and they will be knocked down when they land.
This can also be used in combination with the Berserker's Rising Slash.
(Moonlight Edge)
This is an even more deadly 5-hit Combo attack that will knockdown all opponents and deal massive, complete AOE damage to anything close to or surrounding the target.
All summoned minions almost always die without a chance.
Difficulty: Hard
This class specializes in swift attacks and evasive actions to outmaneuver enemies and chain together attacks across both land and air.
(Berserker)
Berserkers wade into battle with little concern for their own lives, building rage with each blow they take to unleash devastating chains of attacks on anything within striking distance.
Berserkers are naturally strong hitters, and it's up to my training to intensify this characteristic or enhance other attributes to balance the character.
And what playstyle should you choose? I always advocate that we should choose the style we identify with the most, but some considerations can be made to guide your choice.
For example, are you playing for fun or competitively? Alone or in a team? In your team, are all players balanced as much as possible, or does each one perform a very specific role?
To visualize it better, imagine a team with three members: a Berserker, a Guardian, and a Priest, where the Berserker's role is exclusively to deal damage, the Guardian's role, in the best Murdock style, is to take hits like a condemned man, and the Priest's role is to keep everyone alive.
In this case, your playstyle as a Berserker is ultra-aggressive, and your training should focus exclusively on dealing a lot of damage very quickly.
The Glass Berserker (GB):
So you want to be the tough guy who hits all the enemies as if there’s no tomorrow? You want to focus exclusively on damage? The Glass Berserker is your playstyle.
Focus only on the attributes: Physical Attack, Strength, and Critical Damage Chance, and forget about everything else.
You'll hit like the Incredible Hulk, but you might die from the first blow.
The Meatbag (MB):
Do you want to take the lead? Is protecting your team more important than dealing damage? Don't want to move much and want to resist the most powerful attacks without hesitation? Being a more defensive style than the conventional Berserker.
The Meatbag is a Berserker who provides more support to the team, capable of providing many buffs to the team and rarely dying.
As a Meatbag, Critical Damage Chance, Constitution, HP, and both Physical and Magical Defense are your concerns.
The Guardian Wannabe (GW):
Do you have a Guardian complex? Deep down, do you want to tank? When things go bad, do you want the endurance to take a lot of hits but still hit back fiercely? This is the Berserker Tank, a hybrid style.
For this, you should invest in Constitution and Defense to resist and in Strength and Critical Damage Chance to stay Aggro.
Balance is the key; it may not be the best for hitting or defending, but it is certainly good at both.
*All styles should aim for the maximum possible cooldown reduction!
(Talents)
Talents for GB: For GB, we should maximize the damage from our talents. With this in mind, talents that synergize with strength are the most suitable.
Talents for MB: For MB, we should use talents that help the team. Combat Power and War God are two useful talents for this. Talents that synergize with constitution are also recommended.
Talents for GW: For GW, the same talents as GB are recommended.
Difficulty: Easy
This class utilizes a wide array of offensive skills and powerfull blows to dominate the battlefield, but requires careful management and timing to be effective.
(Guardian)
Guardians stand on the front lines, shielding themselves with power to keep the fight going long after everyone else has fallen.
Their prowess in individual combat is legendary.
One of the most sought-after classes for Dungeons and Raids, as their defensive power is astonishing.
They possess abilities that prevent teammates from taking damage from monsters.
Pull Guardian, Pull! A class designed to take hits, knowing this and researching various community forums, the first information about the playstyle we need to bring to you is:
How much damage should a Guardian have? Speaking of Raw DPS, you should get the maximum possible UNBUFFED DPS, that is, without the aid of buff spells as this helps to hold the aggro.
You only need physical attack and strength to achieve this DPS; you don't need critical damage.
However, COOLDOWN is essential for Guardians, but why? This allows us to use our strongest abilities more frequently; it can be as simple as using Binding or Hakain every 4 seconds.
In general, this results in a massive increase in damage reduction and DPS, as long as you are using the highest damage-dealing abilities more often,
followed by automatic or the most basic abilities, using crowd control (CC) spells to accentuate everyone's damage.
Skill rotations for this, currently, is what I have found to be the most ideal.
Skill Sequence on a Single Target: Justice Force > Binding Summons > Shield Smite > Prevailing Blow > Rising Truth > Dominant Virtue (all 6 possible hits) > Sentencing Blow.
After that, you should choose abilities to fill the 5 seconds to activate DV and SB again (5 seconds if you have 49% CDR).
Even if only Justice Slash is available.
Skill Sequence on Multiple Targets: This is where high CDR will come into play because you will use Hakain's Grasp every 4 seconds, keeping your enemies grouped for area attacks and CC attacks.
Rotation 1 - Hakain's Grasp > Sentinel Smash > Bonds of Law
These 3 rotations are what we have available at the moment, with the first one focused on crowd control.
The second rotation is the highest area damage combination after using the highest cooldown attacks.
The third rotation is the one with the highest threat/damage level, where monsters will definitely focus on you.
The advisable strategy is to use them in the sequence 1,2,3... Group and hold the monsters, tank them, and maintain high threat to keep the monsters on you.
Difficulty: Normal
This class relies on a shield and quick reflexes to deflect enemy attacks and create opportunities for various follow-up strikes.
(Magician)
Magicians harness the power of both chaos and light that devastates anyone that stands in the way.
While Magicians have very small frame much like the Tricksters, they can cast unbelievably powerful magic while on the move making them unpredictable.
A magician is a mid-tier DPS but has healing skills and talents, a high number of buffs, and survival means.
Whether solo or in a group, she is 100% useful, utilizing INT or CON talents.
Magician was the last character released and comes with an interesting set of spells.
She doesn't use mana but has a chaos bar that decreases as she uses her skills.
She has a range of unique skills, from pulling a certain number of monsters closer to summoning minions to help her in combat.
Among the recommended builds for her, the INT and CON builds are the most recommended, with INT focused on higher damage but less durability in combat,
while the CON build focuses more on keeping her alive longer, considering she also has skills that heal her and immunity skills that keep her alive longer during combat.
Regardless of the build, the magician is a great class to have in any group.
Difficulty: Very Hard
Magicians can cast unbelievably powerful magic while on the move making them unpredictable
Notes:
This is a gender locked class.
The tutorial is different from other classes.
(Priest)
Priests are a ranged magic class and the only class able to heal other players.
They are a support class, armed with a variety of ways to heal and buff him and his allies; this makes the Priest a crucial class in many dungeons and raids.
As a consequence, the Priest is relatively fragile and lacks a lot of firepower.
They are by no means defenseless though, as the very skills that support his allies can also be used to debuff and smite his foes.
Below are some highlights of the skills available to the Priest class.
(Motes)
Generated by some attacking skills, Motes are a staple resource for Priests.
Merely having motes out provide the Priest with a defense and speed boost, but their usefulness goes far beyond this passive buff.
They can be thrown at allies and himself to provide the very same buff with the addition of an increase in magic critical rate, as well as heal those hit.
When thrown at enemies, it damages and staggers them, providing a debuff that makes them more vulnerable to attacks and slows them down.
Some of the Priest's more powerful spells also require a certain amount of motes to be consumed in order to cast them.
Proper usage of motes will ensure the survivability of his allies, as well as streamline many fights.
(Healing)
As should be expected from a Priest, there are many healing tools available in the class' disposal.
They can throw their motes at injured allies, shoot a burst of healing around him, and cast a buff that heals the recipient over time.
Besides these methods, there are a few creative ways the Priest can heal those around him, including attacking enemies he inflicts with DPS spells.
Difficulty: Very Hard
This class commands powerful spells to assault enemies with the elements, stacking up powerful magical combos and relying on careful planning to survive.
(Ranger)
Rangers harness the power of chaos to rain death on their enemies.
Armed with bow and vambrace, rangers are lethal opponents both at range and in melee combat.
Ranged attacks cost Chaos while Melee attacks use Health.
With bow and arrow in hand, the Ranger stands tall as a force to be reckoned with, no matter the circumstances.
As with Magicians, Rangers also possess the ability to wield the power of chaos in their ranged attacks, while using their health to execute melee attacks.
The Ranger is therefore effective at both short and long distances, adaptable to any situation they find themselves in.
Rangers are also able to refresh their own chaos pools and heal themselves as well as other party members, making the class entirely self-sufficient.
They're able to tackle dungeons and world bosses in a solo capacity as well.
Rangers hold up as formidable fighters in the PvP arena to boot, outputting significant damage while being able to sustain themselves easily.
The Ranger is truly the epitome of what it means to be a Rider of Icarus.
Difficulty: Very Hard
The ranger specialises in hybrid combat, with the ability to use both the bow and the vambrace.
Balancing chaos and health costs are key, and, if successful, the ranger will flow seamlessly between ranged and melee combat as the situation calls for it.
(Trickster/Idol)
* Buffs allies
* PvE-focused
The trickster has a natural talent for summoning helpful grass, flowers, and dolls with her wand and teddy bear.
Her charisma brings light and joy wherever she goes, but don't underestimate her, she's just as deadly as she is adorable.
With a wand in one hand, a teddy bear in the other and bearing a design reminiscent of "League of Legends little pyromaniac Annie", Tricksters are easily one of the most visually distinct classes in Riders of Icarus.
This distinction extends somewhat into its class dynamics as well.
Tricksters dominate the battlefield with abilities that enhance allies and their skills, going so far as to even bestow temporary invincibility upon them.
The Trickster is an invaluable ally when tackling raids or world bosses.
The class boasts incredible area of effect skills that grant a mass heal to the player and their party members, deal damage to all enemies in an area and buff allies simultaneously,
or simply focus down a single enemy with a significant amount of damage.
Unfortunately, Tricksters are much more adept at sustaining their allies than holding their own in a fight without any other support.
Masters of DPS they are not, which again limits their appeal for many players.
Difficulty: Easy
Her summoning ability allows her to both attack enemies and boost the strength of her allies.
Strengthening allies at the right moment and delivering quick, decisive attacks can make this class a formidable opponent.
This is a Gender Lock Class. The tutorial is different from other classes.
(Wizard)
Wizards control the very fabric of nature, conjuring the elements to unleash massive destruction over wide areas of the battlefield.
Wizards are one of the ranged spell casters classes, they specialize in focusing large amounts of mana upon an enemy, dealing an immense amount of damage before they are even reached by enemies.
However wizards do lack in defense and health. Wizards wield a variety of spells at the cost of slow casting time.
Those that wish to select the wizard as a class should take into account the casting times and effects of the wizards magic spells.
(Area of Effect Spells)
Wizards have access to the most Area of Effects (AoE) of any class within Riders of Icarus.
Such as Thunderstorm, Fire Storm and Hail Storm just to name a few.
AoE skills do damage over time (DoT) so wizards should not forget where they have placed an AoE.
A Wizard should be very careful with AoE as you may hit a few too many enemies than you can handle.
(Mana Shield)
The Mana Shield skill allows the wizard to deploy a protective barrier made out of mana.
Instead of taking health damage, mana is consumed.
This is a very useful skill for a wizard to get out of tight situations.
Essentially the mana bar acts as a second health bar, but wizards should be very careful when using this skill as wizards may find that they have no mana left to cast any spells!.
Difficulty: Very Hard
This class commands powerful spells to assault enemies with the elements, stacking up powerful magical combos and relying on careful planning to survive.
[Skill Guide]
Greetings Riders! Welcome to our Skill Guide. Here I will explain and detail all the types of special abilities your character can have.
To start, skills can be accessed in the skill menu or by pressing the "K" key on your keyboard.
The skill window is divided into two sections:
1° Class Skills: This section contains the unique skills for your chosen class.
2° Mounted Skills: This section contains the skills you can use with the Crossbow or Spear while mounted.
How do you unlock these skills? Skills are automatically obtained as you level up your character.
Class skills are categorized into two types: Active and Passive.
ACTIVE: As the name suggests, they must be activated inside or outside of combat, by placing them in the hotkey bar or pressing the key suggested by the game in certain combos.
PASSIVE: They are automatically activated and provide buffs to the character, enhancing abilities or adding new effects to active skills.
Leveling up your skill: Skills become more powerful as you level up. As you level up your character, your skills will also level up, increasing their effect and even gaining new ones.
You can reduce the stability of stronger enemies to make them vulnerable to negative effects.
Stronger enemies, such as most bosses and mini-bosses, have a feature called automatic stability applied to them.
Stability makes them immune to status effects, crowd control, and debuffs. Additionally, sometimes the monster has strong buffs applied to it, such as high life regeneration, which is tied to its stability.
Stability can be removed from an enemy through a critical hit with certain skills called destabilizing skills.
Every monster has a number of "stacks"; as destabilizing skills are used, these stacks decrease until they reach 0, allowing you to use crowd control on the monsters, knock them down, apply debuffs, etc.
But their stability will return over time, honestly, just a few seconds later.
