Sun-Tzu's Guide to Combat in Vanguard
Sun-Tzu was a Chinese general who wrote a military treatise called The Art of War. Although written about 2400 years ago, it is still arguably the most important work on the subject of military strategy. The Drunken Dwarf examines how Sun-Tzu's maxims apply to combat in Vanguard!
Volume IV - 12/16/05 - Welcome to this week's installment of The Art of War! In The Art of War, I take Sun-Tzu's wisdom and apply it to the world of Telon. This week I examine the necessity of tailoring your strategy to match your opponent.
Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.. Sun-Tzu
...In relation to the foe whom he is facing. - In many games, players have had to adjust to their opponents. In EverQuest, players had sets of "resist gear" they would use when faced with powerful elemental, poison, or magical attacks. In high-end raids, some warriors would use "charisma gear" to better their chances of success with the spell "Divine Intervention."
Vanguard promises to take this to an entirely new level.
Stances - Heavy fighters in Vanguard will choose a fighting stance. Some opponents will require that the fighter use a defensive stance in order to survive the incoming blows, while others may have devastating attacks that are best avoided by taking an offensive stance and killing the monster before he has a chance to use them.
Special Attacks - Much like stances, the Vanguard fighter will need to decide if they are going to use defensive abilities or instead choose to complete offensive attack chains. Is it better to use a rescue to intercept one blow aimed at the group's sorcerer, or should you use an ability that generates a high amount of threat in an attempt to turn the focus of attacks back on yourself? The answer will depend on the nature of your opponent. The successful fighter will shape his course according to the nature of his opponent, much like water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows.
Equipment - Vanguard promises to require situational gear far more frequently than previous MMOs. Resistance gear is sure to be a major part of any heavy fighter's pack, but it will be sharing space with many other "sets" of armor. A successful fighter will have intelligence gear to use when an opponent has such a devastating special attack that it absolutely must be detected and countered before it lands. He will have strength gear for situations in which he must maximize his damage. He will have dexterity or agility gear to use when he must avoid incoming attacks instead of relying on his armor to mitigate the damage. We are still not sure what each of the abilities will do, but the developers have promised that they will ALL be important to all the classes. A good fighter will have gear ready to help him "shape his course" no matter what the nature of his foe.
Summary - Gear, stances, special attacks... the soldier intent on victory will learn how and when to use each of these tools to adapt to and overcome any opponent he meets on the field of battle. No longer will there be a single path to victory no matter what sort of enemy you face. The fighter who heeds the advice of Sun-Tzu will be a fierce combatant in any situation.
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-The Drunken Dwarf