New to RoR, help me pick a class

[sciror]

Hi all!

Decided to try Return of Reckoning since I had a blast with Warhammer back in 08-10. I love the fact that I can experience this great game once again, but I'm stuck in the starting zones/character creation since I'm very unsure what to play.

Ideally I'd like to play some kind of 2h dps spec, but not necessarily a pure dps class. I like the idea of both WP and Blorc with 2h, but I'm not sure if this is viable at all based on what I've read. But I'm also reading that the devs are actively (?) working on class/spec balance, so maybe this can become viable by the time I reach endgame?
In any case, how is the leveling (sc/dungeon/questing) for a 2h Blorc or WP? Is it a hopeless grind or can it be fun/competitive?

I'm not looking to fully shoot my own foot off with my choice here, and I'm open to running a Blorc with SnB as well, but I'd like to use a 2h if its somewhat viable.

I used to play SW a lot, and I do have that as a sort of backup-plan, but I'd like to try something new this time around

Thanks in advance for any tips and helpful insights!
See you ingame

[Gladiolix]

SnB BO is pretty solid with its tool kit, 2H on the otherhand doesn't really bring anything to group that chosen or BG doesn't do far better. Even still, BO in 2H has all the basic tanking tools, so it does work and you do get in groups with it (the punt is crap even with the tactic, but other than that he's ok). It is also arguably the coolest looking class in the game, so he has that going for him

WP in 2H is pretty solid dps, but you're prone to getting kited to death and since you're healer archetype, you're not really that welcome to groups as dps. Also 2h WP is very gear dependant, you'll start working at warlord gear (thats my experience on 2h WP at least). WP has two other working healing specs too, shield and book, making him a safe choice as you're always wanted in groups, if you're willing to swap specs.

[sciror]

It is also arguably the coolest looking class in the game, so he has that going for him

No argument here

Can you easily swap between specs, or does each spec require an entirely different set with other stats? Do you have to get both a dps set and a healing set, or does one set have the same stats?

Oh, and another thing - I'm just assuming that a BO with 2h does alot more damage than one with SnB, but how big is the difference? Can a SnB BO do good dps if specced slightly more offensive than a traditional tank spec?

[Rapzel]

SnB BO is pretty solid with its tool kit, 2H on the otherhand doesn't really bring anything to group that chosen or BG doesn't do far better. Even still, BO in 2H has all the basic tanking tools, so it does work and you do get in groups with it (the punt is crap even with the tactic, but other than that he's ok). It is also arguably the coolest looking class in the game, so he has that going for him

WP in 2H is pretty solid dps, but you're prone to getting kited to death and since you're healer archetype, you're not really that welcome to groups as dps. Also 2h WP is very gear dependant, you'll start working at warlord gear (thats my experience on 2h WP at least). WP has two other working healing specs too, shield and book, making him a safe choice as you're always wanted in groups, if you're willing to swap specs.

The punt is really good, what are you on about? The thing that is terrible is the stance swap on kd and punt, which really messed up the gameplay on borc.

OnT

Start with playing a healer, learn the basics of the game, get to know people.
Even if you dont want to play a healer see it as an investment for the future, solo play on 2H tanks and DPS is a terrible experience because they need support to excel. Moreover healers also teach you positioning and gives you fundamental knowledge of a lot of the other archetypes.

You are going to get mad over DPS that do not detaunt and LoS. As well as tanks that dont guard, or just put guard on a healer and runs away.

[nocturnalguest]

If you are ok to spec what is required by a group then you be fine with both those classes.

1. BO is pretty solid pick but you are pretty much doomed to grind to ~rr60 as SnB. You may try out 2h in midtier SCs while you level but thats not how it will look like at endgame. Starting from rr60 and onwards you are pretty save to do SCs as 2h but in oRvR you have to use shield. 2h BO not that much different from other tanks and you can do just fine in PvE dungeon gear.
Both chosen and BG are more welcomed into comps but you will find groups anyway.

2. WP is very solid pick but until absolute endgame (once you get to rr70-78+) playing 2h is the same story as playing with one hand. 2h spec as was mentioned already is very gear dependant, shield somewhat too, but 2h just aint cutting it until endgame and even there 2h WP has no proper usage in proper groups. The only option is to have fun in random none competetive SCs, but even there you'd better be a healer, either shield or book. Book spec is oRvR/city siege friendly, it seems very easy at start but experienced protier WPs do alot of tricky tricks to excel. Shield spec is for SCs, it rocks big time there, alot of assist damage, great healing, pretty interesting to play, need defensive target swaps, movement control, nice GCD management.

So pick your poison well. Keep in mind you will have to collect alot of gear, answering your question about gear - it all depends on environments you will play most. If you gonna be doing mostly SCs then you can skip tank gear on BO almost right away in T4 (you only need it to tank dungeons, mostly people advice to grind to vanq set, but i advice to grab conq asap and entirely skip vanq, its easily possible to tank every dungeon in game in conq gear as SnB, you can also use 5p conq as 2h, just skip 1 part with block on it, boots iirc), also its somewhat possible to use warlord set for both SnB and 2h, but on WP shield/2h gear overlaps so before endgame you can kinda play 2h or shield in same gear.

[Gladiolix]

The punt is really good, what are you on about? The thing that is terrible is the stance swap on kd and punt, which really messed up the gameplay on borc.

It's vertical only, tank you punt lands pretty much right next to it's guard target. Good if you have a fence you want punt someone over, nearly useless at seperating tank from it's guard target. Comparing it to my kobs punt it's laughable bad.

[Gladiolix]

Oh, and another thing - I'm just assuming that a BO with 2h does alot more damage than one with SnB, but how big is the difference? Can a SnB BO do good dps if specced slightly more offensive than a traditional tank spec?

SnB you go full deftard IMO, which makes your damage completely ignorable. I have tried more dps oriented SnB in warband play, but it costs you utility and/or survivability, and your damage is still complete fluff, not worth it IMO.

[sciror]

SnB you go full deftard IMO, which makes your damage completely ignorable. I have tried more dps oriented SnB in warband play, but it costs you utility and/or survivability, and your damage is still complete fluff, not worth it IMO.

Thanks for clearing that up - Looking like I might go the BO SnB route, perhaps play with 2H at high RR Actually pretty fun to tank, a unique experience compared to tanking in WoW for instance.

[Gladiolix]

SnB you go full deftard IMO, which makes your damage completely ignorable. I have tried more dps oriented SnB in warband play, but it costs you utility and/or survivability, and your damage is still complete fluff, not worth it IMO.

Thanks for clearing that up - Looking like I might go the BO SnB route, perhaps play with 2H at high RR Actually pretty fun to tank, a unique experience compared to tanking in WoW for instance.

SnB is a good choice in practicing tanking in this game in general, you take less damage so you can focus on your guarding duty. And yes it is unique and it is extremely powerful when done right, which makes it very fun too, to me at least.

[Uchoo]

I'm not looking to fully shoot my own foot off with my choice here, and I'm open to running a Blorc with SnB as well, but I'd like to use a 2h if its somewhat viable.
See you ingame

Borc is quite good as a 2H tank in small-scale (scenarios) but in large-scale, playing without a shield will get you killed too quickly to do anything in most cases. There are gear options to 2H in RvR but it's very endgame and requires a lot of crests that aren't being spent on your bis.