Templar 101: A Newcomers Guide
Templar
Each week Guardian Defenses strives to bring you the best insight for those seeking to take up arms as the mighty Guardian known only as a Templar. Your Host, Fonix, is ahead of the curve on all affairs related to the “Maestro of Defense.”
Hello there readers, this is the first installment of a little thing I like to call Guardian Defenses, the self-proclaimed home for Templars. Seeing as this is the first issue, and all of you are first time readers I would like to take a quick second to introduce myself. I have been an avid MMO lover for many years now, experiencing the best and worst of almost every MMO to date. From the lands of Everquest to the universe known as the World of Warcraft, I have been there and back on many adventures. Today I am an avid Aion player and I strive to bring you the best of the world of Atreia, more specifically the world of the Templar.
In the beginning:
Looking at the world of Atreia there are many classes and styles of play, for many of us, the Templar holds a few basic aspects that we have fallen in love with. As the ancient Atreian proverb states, ‘When all else fails, send a Templar.” As a Templar there is one main expectation we must understand when going through our adventures: we are the punching bags of Aion. Easier said than done. Our main role will be the role of a Tank. We will be on the front lines, bash, smashing, clashing, and being face to face with the nasties of Atreia. Bringing our Sword and Board attitude to the table, the Templar has the highest defenses of all the classes in Aion. On the flip side we can also drop our beloved sword and shield, at times, for a greatsword and dish our some pretty hefty damage. Our main weapons of damage are swords, maces, and shields, and our armor of choice is plate. If taking high amounts of damage, being on the front lines, and using a sword and board sounds like a hell of a good time to you, then the Templar is for you.
Templar Basics:
Once you have taken that initial step and chosen to play a Templar, there are a few little tidbits of information you might want to carry with you on your journeys. Besides the basics of Aion, which can be found here: (http://powerwiki.na.aiononline.com/aion/Beginner’s+Guide), there are a few things you should know. As a Templar you can grind all day long, if you manage your skills correctly. Herb Treatment, a skill you gain at level 10, is a Templar’s best friend when leveling or grinding. As we have said before, the Templar has amazing defenses, and using this healing skill is a way to keep grinding long into the night. As a Templar we have many abilities that stun our foes, and boost our defenses, these abilities are the key to playing a Templar. In my opinion, managing your stuns and knowing when to use your defensive abilities can make or break a Templar. Chaining skills, as a Templar, is important. Making the decision in the battle as to if you should deal more damage or brace for impact is an important one. My quick rule of thumb is that if you can get away with dealing more damage, while ensuring you and your group’s survival, do it. This will not only add to DPS (Damage Per Second), but it will increase your Enmity (Aggro in the world of Aion) towards your foe. When grinding I love opening with Ferocious Strike then Rage. This provides some quick opening damage, while allowing you sometime to manage your skills. Another helpful tip for grinding is if you get low on health when fighting a mob, just pop Rage then use Herb treatment. The time frame for Rage will more than cover the cast time for Herb Treatment. I will leave the more advanced tactics of the Templar encounters to further Theorycrafting and later articles, but for now, Herb Treatment and knowing what your skills do will keep you going all night.
Manastones Galore!
In moving through the world of Atreia there is something we all have noticed, there are Manastones for EVERYTHING! A unique aspect of Aion is the ability to socket your armor and weapons with items called Manastones. These little stones add a variety of stats to your character. As a Templar it can be confusing as to which of these little wonders we should use. Now many people say that it depends on play style, and to a degree that is true, but when it comes to a Templar there are three important manastones: HP, Shield Block, and Critical Strike. All of these manastones are useful to the Templar class, and each one has their place in the Templar’s arsenal. Shield block is a favorite of mine, due mainly to the fact that as a Templar many of our skills are used after a block, such as Provoking Shield Counter and Shield Counter. Now this may change when Endgame comes into play, but for now I’ll stick with my Shield Block manastones.
And thus friends I take my leave. There will be future articles to tie up any loose ends, and if you have any questions or comments feel free to comment below, and I will answer as many as I can. Thanks for reading, and may your adventures bring you honor and glory!
This is Fonix signing off.
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