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2148 Posts in 323 Topics by 280 members

Topic: Career Ranking - HoF

Page: 1
  • Career Ranking - HoF

    I’ve ranked the paths in order and then their respective careers. Let me know what you think/where you disagree.

    Rogues – The strongest path. You could do well with any of the careers here:
    1.   Blood Archer – The combinations possible here around the number six (sure grips, critical strike, mangle, slick, trickster etc) are immense. Heavy hitting against multiple opponents is combined with excellent healing ability. Only downside is loss of extra left-hand weapon ability.
    2.   Thief – Backstab when combined with a couple of immobilise, webbed, stun and knockdown is very handy. Cutpurse should help with money and healing – invisibility potions less useful as access to vanish anyway from the vendor in Act 3.
    3.   Venomancer – Snakestrike very useful, career gives access to venom and toxicology helps combat dangerous passives. Lose out on a talisman ability by having to have Kaala’s Scale equipped.
    4.   Pariah – Double punch and beguile both solid abilities. Slight lack of flexibility in needing two daggers.
    5.   Pilgrim – Blessed blades is a decent heal by the end of the book. But charm offensive limited as charm not a great ability otherwise. And requirement to have two swords means you miss out on the only +3 speed weapon available to a rogue.

    Mages – Mages suffer from being slower and having to use their talisman spot for the talisman associated with their careers. However, they have got some good kit and powers, with an especially good selection of powerful rings, so I rate them second here:
    1.   Runecaster – Being able to reuse your best ability (something like piercing or deflect) is very valuable and flexible. The magic boost is fine and should be played early to increase chance of reuse.
    2.   Scholar – Slightly inflexible in the use of spell books (you need to win the final team battle to get a +3 Speed Spell Book), but they have helpful damage boosts.
    3.   Geomancer – Combining tremor strike and speed potions to increase your chances of three rounds of stone rain seem the way to go with this interesting career.
    4.   Acolyte – Not bad for a starting career with moderate healing and ability to hasten defeat of an opponent. Should this career be higher?
    5.   Druid – Not a fan of the randomness and potential penalty. And normally better to be hitting with your magic than using thorn cage.

    Warriors – So I think warriors go from being the strongest path in LoS to the weakest in HoF. They don’t have any +3 speed weapons and the worst careers give very little benefit.
    1.   Monk – It is probably saying something that the best warrior career really plays like a rogue, with an extra piercing attack. Meditation a waste of time (apart from the Bee Cage).
    2.   Drake Warrior – Searing Mantle is really good, although quite a few of the harder opponents are immune. Fiery temper not much use (unless you are in hero versus hero combat where it could come into play). Has to give up a talisman ability.
    3.   Spirit Hunter – Lose out on a better main weapon and ability. Spirit Mark is like rust, which is decent, but you could not have this career and get that +2 brawn from a better weapon.
    4.   Brigand – Small Brawn/Armour boost for one round only and pitiful money collection. Suppose it is flexible as no restrictions on weapons.
    5.   Titan – So you want to reduce your speed and prevent yourself using other abilities? Yes?! Well this is the career for you. Terrible.

  • Re: Career Ranking - HoF

    Limited exposure to the HoF careers (just two playthroughs so far - as a Brigand > Drake and then a Pilgrim > Venommancer).

    I have to say that I agree with your assessment of the Titan career. I was really excited on my first playthrough as a Warrior when I saw that I had the opportunity to learn a new career and move on from the Drake - but then I was shocked when I saw the Titan's 'abilities'. I'd be really interested to know if anybody has actually played the Titan career and has had any kind of success with it.

    Looking forward to exploring all the other careers (when playing my Rogue last time, I somehow missed all the career options except for Pilgrim and Venommancer!).

  • Re: Career Ranking - HoF

    You have an exceptional knowledge and intuition for the books, Rougie. Very interesting reading! Yes, the Titan career is currently a bit of a wildcard. Originally stoneskin was going to give an armour boost, but that was open to abuse with already high armour builds. Not sure I quite solved the issue.

    Titan was meant as an 'ultimate tank'. Once you have spent all your abilities, pop stoneskin to ignore damage a 1/3 of the time, the rest you soak up with armour. Good if you have passives in play too and trample is an okish way to mop up stragglers. Essentially a support hero for Team battles - of which I hope there will be more in future ;)

  • Re: Career Ranking - HoF

    Thanks Da Boss. What I love about the books versus other gamebooks is the way you can create the combinations and "theme" your characters to fight in a particular way.

    Really interesting to hear the thinking behind the Titan Career and its use in team battles. Only problem with that is that the monster won't be attacking them, but the other hero that is dealing the damage. Can't see me giving it a go, but then tanking heroes don't tend to appeal. I don't want to spend an hour winning a battle by slowing grinding the opponent down!

  • Re: Career Ranking - HoF

    This was very useful. Looking forward to the Eye of Winter's Fury version!

  • Re: Career Ranking - HoF

    Late to the party, but thanks for that beautiful breakdown, Rougie! Blood Archer is indeed singularly awesome, but you don't get it for very long before the book is over! As such, I ended up sticking to a career as a Venommancer.

    As for Mages, the Geomancer possibilities sound extremely interesting.

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