Setting The Stones: Class Layouts and Tactics

Ok. To summarise what we have so far-

Class Mechanic

Saurus Guardian - Spawned to Protect (Class Mechanic)
Skaven Stormvermin- Packleader (Class Mechanic)

Spawned to Protect: The Saurus Guardian gains a scaling Armor and Resistance bonus based on the number of party members within 30 feet, up to a maximum of five. In addition they gain other scaling, stacking bonuses based on the 'roles' of their groupmates. Tanks will grant an increase to Strength, Melee DPS will grant an increase to Toughness, Ranged DPS will grant an increase to Weapon Skill and Healers will grant an increase to Wounds.

Packleader: The Stormvermin gains a scaling damage bonus based on the number of party members within 30 feet, up to a maximum of five. In addition they gain other scaling, stacking bonuses based on the 'roles' of their groupmates. Tanks will grant an increase to Strength, Melee DPS will grant an increase to Toughness, Ranged DPS will grant an increase to Weapon Skill and Healers will grant an increase to Wounds.

Mastery Trees

Saurus Guardians have the following three Mastery trees.

The Path of Sotek- A mastery path focused on aggression and ferocity.
The Path of Quetzl- A mastery path focused on stoic defence.
The Path of Tepok- A mastery path focused on breaking hostile magics.

Stormvermin have the following three Mastery tree.

The Path of Glory- A mastery path focused on glory-glory in offense!
The Path of Caution- A mastery path focused on cautious defense.
The Path of Cunning- A mastery path focused on cunningly thwarting magic and weakening the enemy.


Now we'll look at the other classes again - this time with racial tactics.

Black Orc- I'm Da Biggest (Wounds), Don't Bother Me None (Resistance), Stab You Gooder (+Damage)
Blackguard- Alignment of Naggaroth (Resistance), Bathing in Blood (Healing), Dark Blessings (+Heal)
Chosen - Backlash (Proc-Damage), Tzeentch's Warding (Resistance), Warped Flesh (Proc-Absorb).

Ironbreaker- Stoutness of Stone (CC Resistance), Stubborness (Resistance), Ancestral Inheritance (Armor)
KotBS- Sigmar's Favor (Proc-Heal), Unwavering Faith (Resistance), Emperor's Ward (Proc-Absorb)
Swordmaster- Centuries of Training (Proc-Damage), Bend the Winds (Resistance), Discerning Offense (Reduced Defense - sort of +Damage)


Hmm. This is odd. I was hoping for some more consistency in these tactics across the board but there isn't any. Well, not by class anyhow. Looking at it there isn't anything by race either. The only constant is +Resistance to a certain type of magical damage which I will look at in a moment.

Racial tactics are in theory common across the entire race - having checked this I can confirm this is correct.Goblins and Orcs count as different races thus have different racial tactics. In this respect Skinks and Saurus will have different tactics. The racial tactics have no real similarities apart from a universal +Resistance.

So let's make a note of that.

3 Tactics - +Resistance, ???, ???

Let's have a look at the respective pairings.

High Elves and Dark Elves.

The racial tactics for these two races seem to match up best. The High Elf racial tactics are very aggressive - Proc-Damage and Reduced Defense which is effectively +Damage. The Dark Elf tactics in respect are defensive - Both +Healing either from a source or following a kill. This is a simple pairing - 2 aggressive and 2 defensive tactics.

Empire and Chaos

This is more complicated. Chaos tactics are defensive to be honest. The proc-Absorb and the proc-Damage both depend on being attacked. The Empire tactics are also defensive. Proc-Absorb, proc-+Healing. Defensive and defensive.

Dwarfs and Greenskins (Orcs)

These are all straight increases. For Dwarfs it's Armor and resistance to crowd control, both defensive. For Orcs it's Wounds, which is essential to offensive playstyles - so aggressive and increased crit damage. So in this case it's Defensive and Aggressive.

Hmm.

We have 2 Aggressive vs. 2 Defensive - this appears twice on the racial tactics.
We have one Defensive vs. Defensive.

For Lizardmen and Skaven it opens a new, lore-friendly window.

Aggressive and Aggressive. Both races utterly loathe one another...even their 'favoured' gods are natural enemies...the rat and the serpent. So let's reflect that in their tactics.

Lizardmen - Resistance, Aggressive, Aggressive
Skaven - Resistance, Aggressive, Aggressive


Racial Resistances

Every race has a single resistance tactic. Now to have a look to see if there is a pattern.

Chaos - Elemental
Dark Elf- Spirit
Dwarf- Corporeal
Empire- Spirit
Greenskin- Spirit
High Elf- Elemental


Order - 1 Corporeal, 1 Elemental, 1 Spiritual
Destruction- 2 Spiritual, 1 Elemental

I have a theory. I suspect the damage resistance is based on the most 'common' typed damage from the opposing faction. Let's do a quick count. Forgive me if I abbreviate, this is just a quick count of what's there.

Chaos: Chosen - Abilities - 9 Spirit, Tactics- 1 Elemental
Chaos: Marauder- Abilities- 2 Corporeal, Tactics- 1 Elemental
Chaos: Magus- Abilities- 13 Spirit, 13 Elemental, Tactics- 1 Elemental
Chaos: Zealot- Abilities - 11 Corporeal, Tactics - 2 Corporeal, 1 Elemental

22 Spirit, 17 Elemental, 15 Corporeal

Empire: BW- Abilities- 13 Elemental, 10 Corporeal, Tactics- 2 Elemental
Empire: KOTBS- Abilities- 1 Elemental, Tactics- 1 Elemental
Empire: WH- Abilities- 6 Spirit, Tactics- 1 Corporeal
Empire: WP- Abilities- 2 Spirit, Tactics- 1 Spirit

17 Elemental, 11 Corporeal, 9 Spirit

Ok. That's odd. But it adds up. The most common damage type, at least with Empire and Chaos is the one that the resistance is against. From this pairing I've learned that MDPS and Healers do damage other than the resistance (and seem to have none of the resisted type for their pairing) and RDPS is a mix of approximately 50%.

I'll look at the other classes and pairings later on. What we learn from this, eh?