Assassin vs. Magick Archer vs. Mystic Knight

[Jjp7123]

In your opinion, which of the 3 is the best vocation and why? I'm having problems deciding between the 3, because they are all fantastic.

[zadymek]

Mystic Knight ( of course!;)

Has absoultely every damage type at his disposal, including ranged physical and climbing blunt.
Grappling vocation - think of the possibilities.
Sorcerer with a heavy armor and a shield - again, think of it.
Has unique/devastating skill combos and cheesing skills alike.
But not as cheesy as Magick Wand...I mean Archer ;)

[Fredericks of Cursewood]

You can play all 3. You don't need to min/max once you get all your gear gold rarified. I play all the vocations with the same character build.

[Gasil]

The best, in my opinion, that bests on being fun to play is Assassin because of the versatility with weapons and skills. But I swap vocation every hour or so; you don't have to marry a single vocation.

[Grr. [SG CMD] Majah Lazah]

There is no best.

MA has the best TTK and two builds that will own everything in the game regardless of mechanics, and the only hard requirement is sanctuary, which makes you immortal without using a difficulty mod, and all the advantages of strider and sorc in one package.

MK is the Guile of the game, everything requires set up or roll over, but while it lacks the nuke-on-demand power of MA, basically nothing in the game can get out of the damage loop once you've used your trap card. If you're farming, not the best class to use due to tripling of TTK under certain circumstances and builds, but once the combos execute any single enemy game is done via stun and KD, and lesser enemies are just screwed.

Ass can defend/dps on demand, and usually possess high enough Phys to overcome most thresholds even with higher magic monsters, and of course has access to cheese arrows on logistical demand, and parry powers are almost universally effective, esp with elem enchants per enemy via pawns. Assassins were nerfed for a reason.

[Sabaithal]

I've only ever played mystic knight, so make of that what you will.

But I like the mystic knight for its sheer survivability. Holy fortress will vaporize most smaller projectiles, block attacks than a normal shield won't, and consumes half the stamina when you shield does block something. Abyssal Anguish is just an awesome powerup that makes your weapon hit for 3x the damage, and most of your attacks ridiculous range, even if most of it is just heavy stagger damage. Then there's all the augments that grant health, defense, and offensive bonuses to your pawns, which you will probably need in BBI when you are out of health curatives.

And sky rapture is useful for any number of scenarios. Then there's the greatcannon-ruinous sigil Ultra DPS strategy...

Oh, and this class looks SIC with a good surcoat-cape combo going on. Great for medium armors in general.

[Guh~hey~hey~♫]

Assassin is some sort of "off/alternate-tank" class. Most is skills are for survivability, iframes, counter, but it lacks with dps skills and magic (attack and defense). Imo the only thing good with assassin is the strength stat growth.... striders are better at daggers and shortbows, rangers are better at rnage attacks, fighters are better at swords and shield.
That said, assassin is the class I play the most. It's an easy mode against any melee attackers and for casters.... you got eagle/lycean sight or silence arrows....
Probably the most autonomous class, designed to do things solo rather than in groups, which helps with power level rushes against too high level ennemies...

The best class to level as if you want to boost the strength a physical arisen.

Magic archer is easy mode archer (no need to aim anything, all shots are homing missiles). Though MA are basically mages with bow shaped staves, so trying to play them as melee characters with daggers is usually a bad idea, imo best MA is a former sorcerer with only magic attacks and buffs as dagger skills, using his bow for the dps part.
Even though they got archer in their name, they lack the best part of archer classes, access to special arrows. To be complete they would need more skill slots, especially for their magic bow.

Has a weird stat growth focused on defenses. Not a class you pick early on, more some sort of alternative for an already high/max level sorcerer.

Didnt play MK a lot.... I just dont like classes with shields in general. Something I've found particularly nice with them is the group buff for elemental affinities. So it's probably more a class you play with full parties of pawns.

The last two, MA and MK, are probably the only classes that can take advantage of both magical and physical. But that also mean you need to kinda split your stat growth between the two and so you cant really get as much as you could with a purely physical (assassin) or purely magical (sorcerer) classes.
Also, as all magical classes, they require a good knowledge of ennemies weaknesses and some sort of forward planing, because most of their skills require a charging like spells.

TL;DR: Magic archer get as boring as sorcerer pretty fast. I'm clueless about MK but I dont like shield classes so.... I'd pick assassin, it satisfy my min-maxing needs and is pretty versatile.

[zadymek]

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

Holy fortress will vaporize most smaller projectiles, block attacks than a normal shield won't, and consumes half the stamina when you shield does block something. Abyssal Anguish is just an awesome powerup that makes your weapon hit for 3x the damage,

Last time I checked Holy Fortress was all about wider shield. It blocks the same stuff with the same Stamna drain (and delays "Perfect Blocks" ;).

BTW Do you know Anguish can imbue your weapon with the debilitation of a shield (which means rusted debils cause no other option is available).

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by zadymek:

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

Holy fortress will vaporize most smaller projectiles, block attacks than a normal shield won't, and consumes half the stamina when you shield does block something. Abyssal Anguish is just an awesome powerup that makes your weapon hit for 3x the damage,

Last time I checked Holy Fortress was all about wider shield. It blocks the same stuff with the same Stamna drain (and delays "Perfect Blocks" ;).

BTW Do you know Anguish can imbue your weapon with the debilitation of a shield (which means rusted debils cause no other option is available).

Holy fortress does extend the shield, but the extended area functions more like a forcefield. Arrows fired from bandits for example usually will vaporize before they even make contact unless they use the Rapid-fire move. Same thing with goblins thrown torches.

It won't vaporize everything, and unfortunately does NOT seem to defend against dragonfire (which is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, that's half the reason you would want this thing in the first place...).

[zadymek]

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

Holy fortress does extend the shield, but the extended area functions more like a forcefield. Arrows fired from bandits for example usually will vaporize before they even make contact unless they use the Rapid-fire move. Same thing with goblins thrown torches.

It won't vaporize everything, and unfortunately does NOT seem to defend against dragonfire (which is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, that's half the reason you would want this thing in the first place...).

1. Yes, the "force field" doesn't intercept torches, and also fireballs and vertical arrows like from Hailstrom Volley. But it definitely intercepts rapid fire moves, just the force field kicks in with delay so if it's split second block there is no force field yet. Anyway, I wasn't talking about this.

2. I was talking about your "and consumes half the stamina when your shield does block something" claim. There's no change in stamina cost on blocking, zero. Either the force field intercepts a projectile and then 0 stamina cost or the shield is hit and normal stamina cost. IOW I completely disagree on this part.

3. Though I agree that not being able to block dragon fire with a force field is bs.
;)

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by zadymek:

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

Holy fortress does extend the shield, but the extended area functions more like a forcefield. Arrows fired from bandits for example usually will vaporize before they even make contact unless they use the Rapid-fire move. Same thing with goblins thrown torches.

It won't vaporize everything, and unfortunately does NOT seem to defend against dragonfire (which is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, that's half the reason you would want this thing in the first place...).

1. Yes, the "force field" doesn't intercept torches, and also fireballs and vertical arrows like from Hailstrom Volley. But it definitely intercepts rapid fire moves, just the force field kicks in with delay so if it's split second block there is no force field yet. Anyway, I wasn't talking about this.

2. I was talking about your "and consumes half the stamina when your shield does block something" claim. There's no change in stamina cost on blocking, zero. Either the force field intercepts a projectile and then 0 stamina cost or the shield is hit and normal stamina cost. IOW I completely disagree on this part.

Here's the wiki info if you don't believe what I said. Having played a mystic knight ten minutes ago, I can confirm every statement I've made.

https://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Holy_Fortress

[zadymek]

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

Here's the wiki info if you don't believe what I said. Having played a mystic knight ten minutes ago, I can confirm every statement I've made.

https://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Holy_Fortress

1. Son, I write wiki ;) Little advice. Before you'll claim something you've read at the wiki, test it yourself. PPl write wiki, and ppl make mistakes.

2. I don't see anything regarding Stamina there.
BTW I need to add the bit about "melting" projectiles.

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by zadymek:

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

Here's the wiki info if you don't believe what I said. Having played a mystic knight ten minutes ago, I can confirm every statement I've made.

https://dragonsdogma.fandom.com/wiki/Holy_Fortress

1. Son, I write wiki ;) Little advice. Before you'll claim something you've read at the wiki, test it yourself. PPl write wiki, and ppl make mistakes.

2. I don't see anything regarding Stamina there.
BTW I need to add the bit about "melting" projectiles.

I have played with holy fortress extensively, in fact I always use it anytime I get into a fight. It doesn't literally "melt" projectiles, they simply disappear if they are below a certain speed or force. Again, goblin torches are a good example of it.

And by comparing in game results, it does indeed reduce stamina drain from direct impacts. Also, direct quote from the wiki "it repels physical attacks, mitigates impact from spells and increases the blocking radius. This allows the Arisen to block more attacks and still keep footing."

I'm not going to argue about this anymore, I have to go to work.

[zadymek]

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

I'm not going to argue about this anymore, I have to go to work.

Good, one should not argue with oneself ;)

BTW Anyone ever told you you act as if you had learning disability? Definitely a doctor should look at it.

[Sabaithal]

Originally posted by zadymek:

Originally posted by Sabaithal:

I'm not going to argue about this anymore, I have to go to work.

Good, one should not argue with oneself ;)

BTW Anyone ever told you you act as if you had learning disability? Definitely a doctor should look at it.

This coming from the person who "wrote the wiki" yet seems to be in disagreement with it. I'm sure the people who actually worked on the information therein love to be told they're wrong by you.

Either way, maybe try playing as a mystic knight for a while before you start making stuff up and claiming everyone is wrong ;)

[Jay Aitch]

My favorite is a pure strength assassin that I sometimes switch over to magic archer for the immolate skill (scales with strength) while using the magick bow that regenerates health or the rusty m-bow for torpor and poison.
I also have a pure magick sorcerer that I switched to magick archer (I like glass builds).
I can't really say which is more fun or efficient as a MA, but I never got good results as a mystic knight with neither of them.