Twelve trails of blood in Age of Conan

Archetype: Mage

No doubt destined to be a popular class, the Heralds of Xotli evenly mix might and demonic magic to brutal ends. These men and women fervently worship the demon-god Xotli and in return are granted a shadow of his form and shreds of his magic -- small gifts that alone are reason enough for sane people to fear them in battle. Whether they're tearing through their enemies with two-handed swords or calling forth hellish fires to do their bidding, Heralds of Xolti are truly figures to be feared. Something to remember is that only Stygians can worship the demon-god Xolti for his powers.

Archetype: Mage

Pungent death and icy winds are the calling cards of Necromancers. They are another minion class, although their minions are arguably more frightful; the undying legions. These masters of death will send down a legion of hauntingly powerful undead minions while bringing forth cold, deadly ice magic. Eventually, over time, a Necromancer may even achieve lichdom -- taking the form of a supremely powerful undead archmage. Cloth, silk and daggers are their equipment and Stygian are their only origin -- as one would expect.

Archetype: Mage

The masters of demonic minions are the Demonologists -- those who crave power so much that they'll bargain with any dark force for it. The two primary focuses of this mage archetype are minions and fire/electric direct damage spells. This will most likely be an advanced class, as managing your minion plus your damage output can be a challenging task. Still, the rewards are great as there are many dark and beautiful creatures to do your bidding. Although be wary, as your only protection are cloth and silk armors. Daggers are the weapon of choice for this Stygian-only mage class.

Archetype: Rogue

Here is a class that is going to be fairly popular once Age of Conan launches in May -- simply because Conan himself was a Barbarian. Although that may be reason enough for some players to try this class out initially, there are some other pretty cool reasons to be interested in being a Barbarian. Playing as this class gets you either one giant deadly weapon or two of them -- either way you'll be doing lots of ambushing, followed up by lots of head-bashing. Surprisingly, Funcom considers these guys (and gals) to be a part of the Rogue archetype precisely because of a Barbarians' affinity for surprising enemies with ambushes. Expect to cause plenty of stun and knockback effects if you decided to play as a this class -- also expect to only wear light armors, as you'll need to be able to move around quickly. Only Cimmerians and Aquilonians can become Barbarians.

Archetype: Rogue

The only bow-specialists in Age of Conan, the Ranger is a class not to be trifled with -- as they wield several different bow attacks. At range they are a force to be reckoned with, but if you manage to close the gap on a Ranger they are defeatable. Rangers can wear medium armor and are capable of wielding either one or two weapons, but their melee ability is subpar in comparison to their ranged. They are considered a rogue archetype and therefor use stealth better than most, as it compliments their ranged preference. This is the only class that is available to all races -- Cimmerian, Stygian and Aquilonian -- so be ready to see plenty arrows whizzing through the air.

Archetype: Rogue

There are two specific things Assasins are good at: Stealth and high damage. Every class in Age of Conan can use stealth with varying degrees of success. It is the Assassin, however, that can use stealth the most effectively. Where one class may have to keep their back pressed against a wall and move slowly past enemies, the Assassin is moving speedily and worrying less about being noticed. Aside from stealth, you can also expect to be dual-wielding daggers for vicious melee attacks, using various poisons and shooting arrows from crossbows. It's also good to remember that only Aquilonians and Stygians can become this particular class.

Archetype: Soldier

Yet another name by which Conan has been called, but an entirely different beast from the Barbarian. The Conquerer is something of a support/combat class who fights alongside his allies while affecting both them and his enemies. A good example is to think of a Paladin but without the healing aspect and only defensive/offensive auras. Apart from their aura ability, Conquerers can use various battlecries to swing combat in their favor. This is another melee class that can use both two-handed weapons or dual-wield weapons. Being a soldier archetype, only Aquilonians and Cimmerians may become a Conquerer.

Archetype: Soldier

Another class that can be loosely compared to a typical Paladin is the Dark Templar. The difference, of course, is that with this class you're dealing in dark and powerful arts to achieve victory in battle. Dark Templars can suck the life from enemies to heal themselves and their allies, but also reflect magic back onto their attackers. Hyboria is a land of moral grays, meaning that NPCs won't treat you any differently than anyone else as a Dark Templar -- or any of the more 'evil' classes. However, that won't change the fact that these dark warriors can be a terrifying sight to behold in battle. You would think that because of their focus on dark magic, Dark Templars would be playable by Stygians -- but you'd be wrong. Only Aquilonians and Cimmerians are able to play as this class.

Archetype: Soldier

Out of all the classes in Age of Conan the Guardian happens to be the sturdiest of them all -- being the only class that can wear full plate, which is a step above even heavy armor. They wield sword or spear and carry a mighty shield -- did we mention they're ridiculously tough to kill? If you want to be a full-time-tank, then this is most likely the class you want to play. Aside from the insane HP and plate armor, Guardians allow for a lot of tactical flexibility. While they may not be able to employ magic, Guardians have abilities they can use on the fly in order to deal with different situations. An example would be that they can increase defense at the cost of DPS or instead lower HP to increase DPS. Only Aquilonians and Cimmerians are able to join the ranks of the Guardians.

Archetype: Healer

Out of all the healers in Age of Conan, the Priest of Mitra has the biggest focus on healing. If you want to play a more classic healer then this is where you want to be. Martial weapons and light armor are this classes' equipment of choice -- oh and shields as well. Even though their primary role tends to be healing and support, Priests of Mitra can also use their holy gifts to smite down foes. Any group of travelers would be wise to find a Priest of Mitra if at all possible, as they are masters of healing. Only the Aquilonians praise Mitra and thusly they are the only race capable of becoming a Priest of Mitra.

Archetype: Healer

Set is an old and extremely ancient god who grants those that worship him the most unbelievable powers. These powers focus primarily on storm, lightning and snaked-themed spells. Many of these spells are area of effect (AoE) spells that damage en-mass. As offensively-based as the Tempest of Set may be, it is still a healing archetype -- one that can heal more efficiently through damage. The Tempest of Set is able to cast a self-buff that will build up their next healing spell as they do more damage to their foes. For people who want to be a healer that can assist in group damage and support -- this is the class for them. This is also a Stygian only class that specializes in martial weapons, shields and light armor.

Archetype: Healer

If you want to be a healer but also be able to tear apart enemies in combat, than this is the class for you. Bear Shamans equip the heaviest armor (medium) out of all the priest classes and wield two-handed blunt objects -- although that isn't what makes them such a threat in battle. What does make them a threat is their ability to summon within them the spirit of the bear, which enhances the shaman and can heal or even revive their allies. Bear Shamans do not actually morph into a bear, but they certainly call upon the impressive power of them to great effect. Only Cimmerians can be Bear Shamans.

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