This is the first in a two-part series examining the Dwarven Slayer and the Orc Choppa, the two new classes being introduced to Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR). Let's start out with the Dwarven Slayer!
About the Dwarven Slayer
While many of the other races view promises and commitments with a pragmatic eye, Dwarfs hold their honor in the highest regard, and uphold their oaths in a way that can only be described as nigh-obsessive. If something somehow prevents a Dwarf from fulfilling his oath, then he becomes shamed more deeply than any other race could even conceive of. Any Dwarf dishonored so thoroughly has only one choice: to stand before Grungi and take the Slayer's oath, swearing to atone for his sin through an honorable death in combat. He forsakes his traditional armor, shaves his beard, ritually tattoos himself, and then sets off to rid himself of the shame and regret that haunt him. Slayers are just as stubborn as any other Dwarf, and dying quietly is simply not in their nature. The Slayers therefore become ruthless and terrifying fighters, throwing themselves into battle with no regard for their own well-being as they desperately search for a foe that is strong enough to end their painful quest.
Every moment of a Slayer's life is filled with the rage of their dishonor and loss. As they battle an enemy, they become more enraged with every passing moment, furious and saddened that this foe is not strong enough to bring them death's atonement. This rage fills them with deadly fury, making them more and more dangerous as it builds up. Eventually, their rage will begin to push their body past its limits, putting their own health and safely into dire straits.
What you should know about playing as a Slayer
A Slayer focuses on brutal offensive attacks. As their rage builds up, they become more and more powerful, but they will eventually start to become more vulnerable as well, as fatigue takes its toll. While Slayers are able to briefly dampen their rage by using powerful and exhausting attacks, they can never be truly calmed, and their rage will quickly begin to build once again. Playing as a Slayer will ultimately come down to your choices between allowing your rage to consume you entirely and keeping you in a massive frenzy, or constantly exhausting your rage while also forgoing the furious might that it would otherwise give you, or striking a careful balance between the two. No matter the style, all Slayers are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Fighting a Dwarven Slayer?
Even though Slayers wear almost no armor, Dwarf fortitude and the Slayer's utterly-focused nature significantly make up for it. The best tactic for defeating a Slayer is to do so quickly, and far out of the reach of their weapons. Always remember that a prolonged engagement against a Slayer is a dire gamble for you, for if you manage to survive their initial assault, the Slayer will only grow stronger as their rage builds up – but the weakness that the rage eventually inflicts may possibly work in your favor...if you can survive that long.
What does the Dwarven Slayer look like?- Mostly naked, covered in tattoos, heavy rings and bracers, shaved beard and mohawk
- Armor consists of ornate torques, bracers, girdles and thick heavy boots
- Adorned with conquest trophies of troll hide, giant's teeth, deamon skulls
- Wield finely crafted dwarf hammers or axes, or their signature weapon: the Dwarf Greataxe
Dwarven Slayer Career Masteries
Path of Trollslayer: The Path of Trollslayer focuses on fully embracing the rage of the dishonored Slayer. This rage turns them into an offensive powerhouse at the expense of straining their own bodies beyond all reasonable limits. While this leaves the Slayer quickly overextended and vulnerable with their defensive capabilities highly diminished, a specialist in this Mastery will quickly overwhelm any foe who stands before them. Slayers of this path tend to focus on a single distracted enemy.
Path of Giantslayer: The Path of Giantslayer drives the Slayer to punish their enemies with constant, powerful hits as the shamed Dwarf continuously channels their rage into exhausting attacks. This consistent burning-away of their rage results in them lacking some of the sheer brutal power that their anger would otherwise grant them, but it also prevents them from becoming overextended and vulnerable. A master of this path prefers to finish off their enemies with decisive and well-placed attacks, and is more capable of shrugging off a foe's feeble strikes.
Path of Skavenslayer: The Path of Skavenslayer focuses on using cunning to fight several opponents at once. A distinctive balance between the Slayer's two extremes of combat styles, a master Skavenslayer is adept at striking a balance between embracing their rage and anger, yet still having the presence of mind to unleash an exhaustive attack before they become too vulnerable. This more tactical-based training makes a specialist in this path adept at following the complex flow of battle, and allows them to easily deal with multiple enemies.