Dread Knight Class Guide

The Fearsome Dread Knight Revealed

You asked for it, and we delivered! It seems everyone wants to know more about the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Dread Knight. Zinn comes through yet again in grand style with an information-packed guide that provides direct-from-beta goodies including spells to level 50. Check it out and get acquainted with Vanguard's dark warrior...if you dare!

Dreadful Countenance is a debuff that attaches itself to all enemies you are fighting. This debuff grows in power the longer you are fighting an enemy. The level of effectiveness is shown as a number in your “maintained effects” window. The debuff is primarily on your current target, however those enemies around you also feel the effects of this debuff at a reduced rate.

Get spooked by the Dread Knight (http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=486)

Superb guide!
I've been in between minds on a few classes, now the only two are DK and Shaman.

Thanks alot for all this info; just hope beta was here to test the chars out....... but don't get me started on that topic ;)

Yay the one I wanted most :) Dread Knight sounds like a good Tank and damage dealer, I'll have to see how that works out. Nice review :smile:

Infact its making quit the monk idea and go Dread Knight... it has forced me to change my avatar from Kotaro Fuma to Alucard :twisted:

I AGREE!!!! The way everyone's said "Warriors willl be by far the highest DPS class of the protective fighters" made me think the DK's attacks would be pretty obsolete, if not to do damage but to gain hate from the mob..
But 400% damage +100 dmg sounds pretty sick to me!

yay finaly they post the DK guide

BUT

they never say what DC does exactly. All we know its a debuff that gets better with skills used and time but what is it debuffing?

yay finaly they post the DK guide

BUT

they never say what DC does exactly. All we know its a debuff that gets better with skills used and time but what is it debuffing?

gotta agree...... what does it do?

Though this probably isn't the toon for me, thank you for this awesome preview. Much appreciated, Zinn! Shay, once again, thank for setting it up ;)

Nice preview! It's always nice to have something with so much detail to read when I should be working.

The only downside is it makes my choice of class much harder. I'd been considering making a change from my usual caster/healer main, to a melee or tank of some kind, I guess I''ll just have to try them all out ;)

Great guide Zinn!!

I was somewhat interested in the Dread Knight when I first heard about them but now I going have to rethink on who my main is going to be :lol: .

I love this class and Vulmane DRK will be my main in vanguard. I have always been a fan of the shadowknight class and I love what Vanguard has done wiht he Dread Knights.

Thanks!!

An excellent write up once again Zinn, the DK was already on my list of "to try" classes...it just moved up a couple of pegs for sure.

Just from reading the different class guides my guess as to the DC debuff is it is similar to the blood mage's blood pact. Not necessarily anything important by itself but the higher or lower it gets affects a lot of your other abilities and possibly opens up some specials. Of course this is just what I gather from reading the ability descriptions of those two classes, but hopefully Zinn (if he is able) will correct me if I am wrong.

Great write up, thanks for the info at last. I'd been leaning toward Necromancer, but awaiting the DK write-up. Now, I can see that Guukon will be reborn... just gotta figure out which race to go with... Vulmane or Orc.

Anyone in beta have any experience with the Vulmane starting area? I know you can't say much because of NDA, but the Martok writeup seems to think that the Orc starting area is really well done. I haven't heard much about the questline/etc for the Vulmanes.

Slay III: Has a 70% chance to kill an opponent that is at or below 10% health.
I wonder if that works with all mobs? like the raid bosses with insane amounts of HP :question:

Awesome Job Zinn! I hope you're getting some much-deserved rest after this one ;)

As others have pointed out, the DRK looks like it can dish out a pretty hefty beating. Along with debuffs and lifetaps, it really epitomizes what I had pictured the class to be like... Plate armor + large scary 2h wep for me, please ;) I have to ask though, is the Warrior still the #1 DPS class in the Protective Fighter category?

I wonder if that works with all mobs? like the raid bosses with insane amounts of HP :question:
I don't know, but I somehow doubt it. You know?

I don't know, but I somehow doubt it. You know?

well you never know :) but it would be abit silly... its like making the boss fight with the boss starting at 90% HP

Another thing I have been thinking about... Do you think the Stances will have visual effects? like a shadowy glow when in Shadow Meld :question:

well you never know :) but it would be abit silly... its like making the boss fight with the boss starting at 90% HP

Another thing I have been thinking about... Do you think the Stances will have visual effects? like a shadowy glow when in Shadow Meld :question:

... that would make me tingle all over...

I'm waiting to see what kind of changes the Disciple will receive... but I'm seriously falling in love with the sound of the DRK more every time I read the guide....

yay finaly they post the DK guide

BUT

they never say what DC does exactly. All we know its a debuff that gets better with skills used and time but what is it debuffing?

I am not exactly sure what DC does. The game text explains said it debilitates your foes. But when I went back in and looked at the debuff icon. This is more descriptive. I could not get a mob past level 2 DC.

Dreadful Countenance I – Your opponent begins to feel a sense of dread within them. Incoming critical +5% and all resistances reduced.

Dreadful Countenance II – Your opponent’s fear of you mounts as does the debilitation caused by it. Incoming critical +7%, all resistances reduced and incoming spiritual damage +5%.


I added this information into the DK guide. If can get a mob past DC 2 I will add the additional info. Sorry about the misunderstanding I might have been rushing a bit to get this guide finished before OB starts.

I am not exactly sure what DC does. The game text explains said it debilitates your foes. But when I went back in and looked at the debuff icon. This is more descriptive. I could not get a mob past level 2 DC.



I added this information into the DK guide. If can get a mob past DC 2 I will add the additional info. Sorry about the misunderstanding I might have been rushing a bit to get this guide finished before OB starts.

Omg that's sexy... and it helps explain the separation of tanking abilities better as well...

Pally = tank that adds survivability to the group

Warrior = Traditional aggro/dps tank

DRK = Tank that helps group kill faster

Thanks again Zinn. If it's possible, could you answer Xeb's question about different looks for dif stances?

Omg that's sexy... and it helps explain the separation of tanking abilities better as well...

Pally = tank that adds survivability to the group

Warrior = Traditional aggro/dps tank

DRK = Tank that helps group kill faster

Thanks again Zinn. If it's possible, could you answer Xeb's question about different looks for dif stances?
Sounds like a good assessment to me, but I don't have Zinn's experience to say.

Another thing I have been thinking about... Do you think the Stances will have visual effects? like a shadowy glow when in Shadow Meld :question:

I have not noticed a difference but they have not worked on animations much yet. But little things like this I doubt will make it into the game. There are just to many major issues that need fixing I don't see how they will be able to get to any of the cosmetic issues for quite sometime. But who knows.

Sounds like a good assessment to me, but I don't have Zinn's experience to say.

Man, I hope so...

With all of the aggro-based abilities in conjunction with all the debuffs and offensive capabilities, DRK's look like they can do a pretty good job of locking down a target's attention...and mitigating the damage you (and your group) receive by minimizing the time it takes to kill a target is naturally an effective method...

Gear me up with some Black Plate, a giant, nasty, twisted, evil looking 2h sword, and tell my group of friends to do their best to pull aggro off me...see just how fast we can kill things ;) And hey, if they are able to pull aggro, awesome! I get to use a rescue!! :D

Wow... this class sounds like fun, lol. I generally like to play a class that there aren't a bajillion of, but I think I might overlook that fact for the DRK ;)

I have not noticed a difference but they have not worked on animations much yet. But little things like this I doubt will make it into the game. There are just to many major issues that need fixing I don't see how they will be able to get to any of the cosmetic issues for quite sometime. But who knows.

Fair enough, not a game-breaker by any means, but it would be a nice touch for the future :)

As far as animations go, it's been my experience with other games that this is the least significant on the devs list of things to do. It seems they often get patched in after the fact. We can always hope for more cool animations and particle effects after the fact.

Bottom line for me is that even if they game isn't the most visually stunning MMO I've ever played, as long as the content is solid, and the game mechanics work well, and most importantly, it's FUN, I'll play... Guess that's why the Atari 2600 still holds a spot in my closet but the colecovision is long gone, and I don't even know how to spell eks bocks or pay station.

BTW not sure if you all noticed the vulernrabities section in the guide. I believe this is the fiorst time it has been talked about publicly. This is a feature that 95-99% of beta testers don't even know about besides use and something that can make organized groups a lot better.

BTW not sure if you all noticed the vulernrabities section in the guide. I believe this is the fiorst time it has been talked about publicly. This is a feature that 95-99% of beta testers don't even know about besides use and something that can make organized groups a lot better.

I was actually wondering about that...

Wrack and Harrow...

Wrack exploits chilled opponents, and Harrow exploits bleeding opponents. Does this mean that these two abilities can only be used when your target is either chilled (i.e. a debuff from ice spells) or bleeding (melee class debuff)?

Great writeup Zin. I personally am expecting to see a lot of Dreadknights when this goes live Q1.

Note I say live Q1 cause I wonder how many will realize the potential this brings as you state it is little known at this point, and was new to me as well.

I was actually wondering about that...

Wrack and Harrow...

Wrack exploits chilled opponents, and Harrow exploits bleeding opponents. Does this mean that these two abilities can only be used when your target is either chilled (i.e. a debuff from ice spells) or bleeding (melee class debuff)?

Yes the exploits can only be used after another class creates the vulnerability.

There is a good thread on the beta boards listing al known vulnerabilty/exploit abilties. Bleeding can be created from a Warrior ability called savage cut, rogue ability called lacerate. Chilled can be created by a Socerer Fostbite spell or Ranger blade of Winter attack.

I am 99% sure I will be playing a DK as my main. But I see some things that worry me. For example, we have this skill:

Malice IV - Deals 150% weapon damage plus 16-20 damage. Increases your Dreadful Countenance. Deals an extra 50-56 damage when flanking an enemy.

What I do not like is the hard coded values of additional damage. Sure, at release flat 16-20 more damage my be significant. But what about in 2 years when mob HPs will most certainly sky rocket? One of the problems casters faced in EQ was that fact spells were static damage values while melees constantly got upgrades to weapons that allowed more and more DPS. The only way to increase caster DPS was to increase the level cap and introduce higher level spells. Once focus effects were introduced it halped a bit.

Granted I do not know much of anything about the combat system. But I hope they have a bit of forethought, can see problems like this coming, and have systems in place to make sure balance isn't an issue 2 years down the line.

So is this going to be the main raid tank of Vangaurd? It would seem that with DC locking aggro will definately be the DRK's job. I hope so, I really like the way this class looks and I would like it to be the main raid tank.