TERA: The Lancer and the Sorcerer

SBFord · March 2012

During closed beta test #4 this past weekend, we went in with a team to take a look at some of the classes in TERA. In this article, we take a look at the Lancer and the Sorcerer. Read on and enjoy!

This (the Lancer) is one of the key tank classes in the game. The character starts with a retractable lance, which is actually cooler that it might sound, and a shield. The main point of the class is to control and maintain the big monsters you’ll be fighting. With several defensive abilities it is important to stay focused on your target and work with the rest of your party. The Lancer can do some serious damage too. Even though they are not as damage dealing as the Berserker or Slayer, they still can dish out some great hits. The thing that sets TERA apart though it the ability to move around in combat, this is where the Lancer shines. The class (as with them all) should be played mobile and not in the typical stand and fight tank fashion.

Read more of Garrett Fuller's TERA: The Lancer and the Sorcerer.

Pivotelite · March 2012

Actually the lancer should try to be as still as possible and keep mobs facing away from the dps, except when avoiding obvious dungeon mechanics later on in the game. This is because all BAMs in the game(which make up a good portion of mini-bosses and bosses) have a "trample effect" where when they are moving around they step on you inflicting high damage constantly and it has a high knockdown chance leaving you incredibly vulnerable.

Due to this warrior tanks should always dodge backwards instead of side to side/forward to avoid sending the monster sprawling towards the dps on the sides and behind the monster, they also get an aeriel dodge called "death from above" at later levels which will be quite the lifesaver.

As for lancer, the damage drops off really fast as you get higher level and they become the worst damage dealers in the game apart from priests/mystics. However in contrast Sorcs get ever more powerful as they level and around level 48 they get a skill to boost animation speed by up to 70% when glyphed and this makes their dps skyrocket higher than any other class in the game. Especially coupled with the second hardest hitting skill in the game "fireblast".

You are correct in the glass cannon statement as a Sorc can and will get one shot by most bosses in this game, especially hardmode bosses.