Do you know your characters role when it comes to Age of Conan Hyborian Adventure (AoC)? Perhaps you do, or maybe you are new to the Massively Multi-player Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) universe and are still learning. Well fear not. We at Ten Ton Hammer are here to help you understand the role of your chosen archetype when it comes to grouping in AoC.

AoC will require players to work together as one cohesive unit on the battle field. The rogue archetypes are damage dealing light tanks. Like other classes, the rogue will need to perform its role in support of its allies. While they can deal massive damage, players will want to moderate it in such a way that it doesn't pull the aggro from the main tank. Going damage happy can at times have disastrous consequences for that player and the group. Deal your damage in moderation and coordinate with the main tank. The best tank in the world can't hold aggro against a DPS class gone trigger happy.

Age of Conan will test the limits of those who favor the offensive fighting nature of the rogue archetype with their real time combat system. The style of the rogue varies from class to class but one thing remains constant. The rogues are high damage dealers. Their job is to dish out punishment to their foes and if the main tank suffers an untimely demise, to step in and fill the role. While the rogue is not as effective in going toe to toe with enemies as the soldier, they can take more punishment than the more squishy classes such as the mage.

A rogue’s true strength lies in their ability to bring the pain. They deal the damage and deal it well. Their downside is that they lack the hitpoints and defensive mitigation strengths of the soldier. However, the tradeoff is a good one as the rogue can dish out a load of damage quickly. If you have a soldier keeping the enemies attention, the rogue can focus on destroying the foe with their arsenal of high damage skills. There are three types of rogues in AoC and they are the assassin, the barbarian, and the ranger.

Assassin

Of the three rogue archetypes, the assassin may be the least defensively enabled. The assassin requires swift and stealthy motions to carry out a wide range of secretive and highly offensive damage attacks. The drawback to the stealthy movements is that the assassin must sacrifice the defensive benefit of heavier armors for the less defensive but more silent and mobile advantage of lighter silk based armors. This allows the assassin to move stealthily and undetected by his enemies and deliver surprising high damage attacks from the shadows. In traditional MMOGs a class of this variation benefits most by attacking from behind the enemy. In all likelihood this will also be the case for the assassin.

The assassin can benefit a group in combat by using their skills not only to deal high damage, but also to debilitate an enemy. Certain feats can allow the assassin to strike with deadly accuracy and remove an enemy’s shielding, reduce their armor, deal damage to stamina, health, and mana over time, and even force heavy armor wearing classes to suffer additional damage from ally attacks for a short while. This class will be a well sought after ally for any group.

Barbarian

The barbarian class will have the highest area of effect (AoE) melee damage skills in the game. While not as defensive as the soldier, they can still hold their ground in a toe to toe battle. Barbarians use lighter armors and focus their intent on destroying their enemies rather than protecting themselves. With that in mind, this class will be able to deal massive damage and even possibly serve as a backup tank should the need arise, but they will in no way embody the defensive superiority of the soldier.

The Barbarians primary role is one of damage dealing. This class has been designed to be as savage as the barbarians found in the Conan saga written by Robert E. Howard. This class is the embodiment of the savage viciousness one would expect from Conan himself. To compliment the barbarian damage, this class will also have the ability to buff their group with certain skills and feats. If you are a fan of the Conan stories, this class may serve as your perfect nostalgia choice if barbarism is your thing. They will compliment any group well with a strong arsenal of skills, and abilities.

Ranger

The ranger is the master of ranged weaponry. They are the only class that can use ranged combo attacks. While their primary attacks are ranged they do have abilities to deal with melee combatants that get to close. The ranger has an assortment of combos and crowd control abilities for those foes that make it past their barrage of arrows. This class will also receive a slight attack bonus for ranged attacks from the high ground.

The ranger will have the option of using a third person view for firing at their targets or using the first person view. While the first person view is a little more challenging, it also provides a longer view of the battle field. The drawback is that for the added ability to see further away, you lose the ability to see around your character as you would in third person. You will be able to see further down the field to land those far away shots, but you may run the risk of some cunning assassin getting the drop on you. The choice will be yours and you can always change between the two. Just keep a weather eye open and don't end up with a dagger in your back.

Of the three rogue classes, the ranger wears the heaviest armor. This will allow them to be a bit more defensive, but they won’t be as adept at sneaking around as the barbarian and the rogue. This can benefit them if the need ever arises for them to step in and fill the role of the tank in an emergency.

The ranger will be a benefit to any group as they bring an arsenal of ranged skills and useful abilities to the fight. To compliment their great list of skills and very useful feats, the ranger will also have the ability to track. While the specifics of tracking are still in development; we can’t say exactly how the final version will appear, but any MMOG veteran knows that a good tracker is a gold mine to a group, and in PvP the bane of another.

The rogue archetype is a great asset to have in any group. Each class brings a unique set of skills and benefits to the table. In a pinch they can even serve as an emergency tank until the actual tank is revived. Assassins are stealthy killers that can strike from the shadows, barbarians engage the enemy head on and strike with ferocity unmatched by any other melee class, and rangers will strike with deadly accuracy from the distance. Put all of that together and you have a nasty execution squad for any group and a set of classes any group will be happy to have. When AoC goes live in May, make sure to know your role.