Witch Hunter FeatureMar 6th, 2009 at 1:12 PM by redrocketpop

Thinking about playing a Witch Hunter?  Check out this feature from the Community Managers focusing on them!  You can see the full feature after the jump.  You can also check out our own Witch Hunter guide here.

As GOA Community Managers, we always keep an eye on the WAR player community's forums and blogs. We especially love reading threads about the game's different careers, suggestions on how to play them, how useful they are, and their pros and cons.

As GOA Community Managers, we always keep an eye on the WAR player community's forums and blogs. We especially love reading threads about the game's different careers, suggestions on how to play them, how useful they are, and their pros and cons.

This time around, we have interviewed some expert Witch Hunter players, as we have done in the past with the Rune Priest and Chosen careers.

So draw your sword and clean up your gun – let’s go burn some heretics!

“Wrapped in his long jacket and molded soft leather armor, and concealed by the shadows, he slowly approached the unsuspecting target with ashen stakes at the ready. His emotionless face was partially hidden by his wide-brimmed hat; his eyes were cold and lethal as the weapons he was holding. He crept closer, as silent and icy as the snow. With a quick gesture, he ran the victim through the back. The unaware prey fell down writhing in pain. His gaze was impassive, and in an instant, all that remained was the echo of a gunshot lingering in the air.”

The Witch Hunter Compared to the Other Careers

Witch Hunters are generally known as melee fighters. They are characterized by various abilities, some of which can be used only when invisible to the eyes of the enemy. They move silently and mercilessly on the battlefield. They pick the victim they will follow, kill with lethal precision and then purify with the holy fire of their torch. This is all accomplished in the name of their faith and to rid their path of heretics.

Here is what Thomas Leuterer from the Gorthor server thinks:

“Quoting the Holy Scriptures: ‘Burn the heretic. Kill the mutant. Purify the unclean one. ’ Do you need any other explanation? Joking apart, I am a great fan of the Warhammer lore and I have always loved the Witch Hunter. Cynical and cruel, they are motivated by a holy mission whose result justifies the means. I didn’t choose this career because of the DPS but for the charming background... and the hat.

“There is going to be a nasty surprise in store for those who think that this is a brave and unblemished character, devoted to the well-being and the defense of the Empire. The Witch Hunter is deadly, and won’t have any problem committing the most atrocious crimes if need be.”


Calamityjane from the Karak Norn server says:

“The Witch Hunters are technically on the side of the good but are far from being the ideal heroes. A Witch Hunter does not hesitate to burn entire villages to the ground, dispensing judgments of heresy and witchery here and there with the aim of rooting out corruption. This is very much a charismatic character.

“The Witch Hunter is not famous for their resistance to the enemies’ attacks.
They stand out for their exceptional charisma and ability to turn invisible before their foes. They are also cunning and agile, and all these characteristics together with the ideals that motivate them, make this character a lethal weapon for the enemy siege line.”


Kasch from the Dragonback Mountains server agrees with Calamityjane and says:

“According to their mission, the Witch Hunter has to quickly kill the Healers and all the foes that can inflict damage from long range. As soon as the effect of the Incognito Ability fades away, they become weak and don’t live for long – given that the enemies are not that happy to see them approaching out of the blue from behind. As such, they must be quick and effective, and after that they can finally die.”

Fenris from the Carroburg server also gave his opinion:

“I mainly play with the Witch Hunter because of the Incognito Ability. It allows me to be independent and 'operate' on my own against the enemy siege line.”

Fighting as a Witch Hunter

Fighting as a Witch Hunter is a challenge. A Witch Hunter cannot rely on the same physical strength or armor as a career devoted to the front line would do. However, with a bit of effort, they can fight beside tanks in the battle against Chaos.

That’s what Calamityjane from the Karak Norn server points out:

“Some would be surprised to find out that Witch Hunters can be excellent attackers, but they have a lot of different defensive strategies and they can fight side by side with tanks to send the heretics back from where they came from. As a Witch Hunter, I try to take care of my group and my game style changes according to the situation.

“Nevertheless, the vast majority of Witch Hunters needs strategy and the ability to inflict damage at the right time, or to find a way to escape if something goes wrong.”

And Fernis from the Carroburg server says:

“It is necessary to learn the tactic “Hit and Go” to survive in RvR.”

Thomas Leuterer of the Gorthor server stresses the action phase:

“Fighting is tough and it doesn’t always pay but it is the difficulty itself that makes the success more satisfying. A Witch Hunter has to think before acting and cannot launch himself against strong foes with impenetrable armor and long swords.”

Other strategies include also the defense of the Healers within the warband, as Calamityjane of the Karak Norn server states:

“The Witch Hunter is one of the most versatile careers that a warband leader could dispose of in RvR – and this may be surprising to those who think this career is characterized only by a few tricks. For example, the Witch Hunter stands out for his ability to fight against expert foes, withdraw and protect the Healers of the group.”

Fighting Against a Witch Hunter

It is arduous to fight against a Witch Hunter. They are not only a potentially invisible foe, but the amount of damage over time they can cause could kill before their time those who do not take the fight seriously. The challenge moves on a defensive level, in order to limit the initial maximum damage that this character can develop.

In spite of this, if they cannot hide, the Witch Hunters become easy targets, because  of their weak armor and defense – as also Thomas Leuterer of the Gorthor server explains:

“Their strength is built on the damage they can quickly inflict on casters, the ability to reduce the healings received by the target, and to hide from and catch the targets they choose, not only by chance. The weak points are... the excessive fragility and ... Well, that is enough!”

Kasch from the Dragonback Mountains server says:

“The weak point is represented by their survival chance, which is very low. Witch Hunters don’t have big armour but it is possible to balance this weakness, at least a little bit, by increasing the ability with the weapons, and as a consequence, the
probability of avoiding hits.”

Final Considerations

Witch Hunters are characterized by an exceptional charisma and a respectable background. They are at their most effective when they can move behind and surprise enemies with their powerful sword strikes, then unleash pistol shots to finish them – it's thrilling! If you prefer strategy to direct attacks, taking out strategically critical victims, and if you don’t mind hiding in the shadows, then the Witch Hunter is the right character for you!

But . . . are you afraid of the dark?

Interview with a Witch Hunter

We had the pleasure of speaking with Calamityjane , the Rank 40 Witch Hunter who plays on the English Karak Norn server in the guild Ascension . Read on to see what Calamityjane had to say about Witch Hunters!

Why did you choose to play a Witch Hunter?
From the moment I picked up WAR , the Witch Hunter just stood out for me. Their rich history and striking imagery got me hooked from the get-go and I haven’t looked back since. Fictional characters such as Van Helsing and Solomon Kane bear to mind when thinking of this class and they inspire the imagination of a reckless hero, hunting down evil ghouls and goblins. Technically, Witch Hunters are on the side of good, but they are far from being your average hero. A Witch Hunter don’t hesitate burning entire villages, making accusations of witchcraft and heresy left, right and centre if it means that they can uproot evil. Plain and simple, the career is just cool.

You’re a member of ‘Ascension’ of Karak Norn. Please tell us about your guild and your place in it!
Ascension is one of the best guilds I have ever been a part of, not only in this game but from other MMO’s as well. The guild is full of friendly and skilled players who love nothing more than giving the bastardly Destruction a bit of no-good.

How do you see your role in a party or a Warband? Are you a solo player or a team player?
If I join an organized Warband I very much see myself as a team player. When fighting multiple enemies, assisting your fellow team-mates and prioritizing single targets is very important. Team play is the key and that’s what this game is all about. Further, forming a small death squad of two or three Witch Hunters is a force to be reckoned with and is prone to leave a nasty stain. The Witch Hunter is second to none for scouting ahead of the main Warband, alerting them to danger. Also, picking off unfortunate stragglers while scouting is immense fun!

How do you adapt your play style after different circumstances in RvR?
The Witch Hunter can be one of the most versatile classes to have at a Warband leader’s disposal in RvR, which may come as a surprise to those who think the class is a one-trick pony. For instance, if you are facing well-organized opposition, hanging back and protecting the all-important healers of your group is something Witch Hunters excel at. A second and obvious role we fill is to sneak behind enemy lines and causing havoc within their healer ranks, spreading fear and panic in the name of Sigmar. Some might find it surprising that Witch Hunters can be excellent front-line troopers, but we’ve got a lot of defensive tricks and so we can fight alongside tanks to push heretics back to whence they came. I try to provide for my team and my play style will change between these three styles depending on the situation at hand.

How is the game User Interface working out for you and do you use any custom mods to enhance your game play?
The game interface is smooth and clean and I haven’t considered using any mods quite a while. Recently however I’ve started to use mods for fun. I recommend Dammaz Kron in particular as it keeps track of your most heated rivalries and makes hunting heretics even more fun. I also use Scrolling Combat Text and the Crafting Willard as making potions can be somewhat arduous without it.

What are the perks and flaws of the Witch Hunter, in your opinion?
Nothing comes close to the burst damage of a Witch Hunter; spiking down single targets is its forte. You can happily go off hunting the unclean all by yourself as the Witch Hunter can pretty much solo any class if you get a stealth jump on them. There is nothing more satisfying than giving a bullet to the back of the head of a blasphemous non-believer or setting them alight and slowly watching them burn into cinders. There are drawbacks however like with any class; we are technically a fairly squishy class that wears light armor and despite our tricks we can be taken down quickly with concentrated attacks. Like any career, the Witch Hunter has its few niggles but I am sure all of them will be ironed out in time.  All in all I think the class pre-patch 1.2 is well balanced and in the right hands it can be used effectively to carry out Sigmar’s fury.

Do you have any advice to offer players who are eager to play a Witch Hunter?
Stick with it. The career isn’t the easiest to play and requires a lot of patience, but once mastered it can be a most enjoyable and rewarding class. I cannot think of anything better than spending an afternoon of bringing uncompromising justice to the forces of Destruction than with the Witch Hunter. It is loaded with fun and keeps bringing me back for more.

Lastly, do you have anything you’d like to share with the community?
I hope some of this inspire you good folks to come roll a Witch Hunter and even better if you come to Norn I will welcome you with open arms and a suspicious looking eye and if not and you happen to make one of them heretic Witch Elves I’ll have a bullet with your name on it.

Make love and war! I will await you on the battlefield.

Regards, Calamityjane

Tags: News, WarhammerOnline

Comments

Free account required to post

You must log in or create an account to post messages.
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC