Which class to choose: tank, healer or damage dealer in a card MMORPG

“Who should I play?” is the first question in any MMORPG, and the answer shapes every fight you’ll have. In a card MMORPG your class matters even more than usual: your class is your deck. Let’s look at the roles in an MMORPG, how Zarhold’s ten classes differ and how to pick a class that’s fun both solo and in a group.

MMORPG roles: tank, healer and damage dealer

Every group MMORPG has three roles. Players call them “tank”, “healer” and “DPS” — and if you’ve seen those words in chat, here’s what they mean.

Tank

The tank takes the hits. In Zarhold a boss attacks whoever has dealt it the most damage, and the tank’s job is to pull the boss onto themselves. That’s what a taunt is for: it keeps the enemy on the tank for two turns. Three of the four classes that can tank wear plate, and they have the largest Health pools in the game.

Healer

The healer heals and protects: restoring allies’ Health, putting up shields and removing harmful effects. Healing cards and the Class Power can be aimed at an ally — that’s how a healer keeps the tank and the whole group on their feet.

Damage dealer (DPS)

A damage dealer deals damage — hence DPS, damage per second. The faster the damage dealers bring an enemy down, the shorter the fight and the less the tank and healer have to take. On the character creation screen these classes are labelled “Damage”.

Hybrid

A hybrid can fill more than one role — talents decide which. Today they tank, tomorrow they heal, and for solo questing they keep an attacking specialisation.

A group in Zarhold looks like this: a dungeon takes a tank, a healer and a damage dealer; a raid or a world boss takes a tank, a healer and three damage dealers.

Zarhold’s ten classes

Here’s who can fill which role in the dungeon queue:

• tank — Barbarian, Lightbringer, Revenant and Druid;
• healer — Priest, Lightbringer, Stormbringer and Druid;
• damage — any class, while Ranger, Rogue, Mage and Warlock are damage only.

Now each class in more detail.

Barbarian

A tank or damage dealer in plate. Uses a shield or fights with two weapons. The Barbarian has the largest Health pool in the game — 632 at level 60 without gear. Their stances change the fight for three turns: the attacking one adds 30% damage, the defensive one cuts incoming damage by 30%. The choice for those who like to stand in the front line.

Lightbringer

A hybrid who can do it all: tank, heal and hit. Wears plate and carries a shield, and fights with light — healing, shielding and dealing damage. A great pick if you want to be useful in any group.

Revenant

A hybrid in plate: tank or damage dealer. The second toughest class — 606 Health at level 60. Their weapons are disease, cold and life steal: the Revenant binds enemies in ice, wears them down with disease and heals by dealing damage.

Druid

A hybrid in leather and, alongside the Lightbringer, the only class open to all three roles. Takes hits, heals allies and, in the attacking tree, strikes every enemy at once.

Stormbringer

A hybrid in mail: healer or damage dealer. Uses a shield or two weapons. Their strength is effects that damage enemies and heal allies for several turns in a row, plus lightning that hits several targets at once.

Priest

A healer in cloth: heals, puts up wards and keeps the group standing. When needed, the Priest turns into a damage dealer — one of their talent trees deals shadow damage. Their Health is low — 356 at level 60 without gear — so in combat they rely on shields.

Ranger

A damage dealer in mail who fights with two weapons. Traps, poisons and precise shots — the Ranger wins through cunning and constant pressure.

Rogue

A damage dealer in leather with twin blades. Poisons and bleeds deal damage every turn, and finishing moves close the deal. A class for players who like to plan several turns ahead.

Mage

A damage dealer in cloth and a master of frost, fire and arcane magic. Freezes enemies and deals huge damage, but the Mage has the lowest Health of all — 331 at level 60 without gear. A classic glass cannon.

Warlock

A damage dealer in cloth: curses and drains that slowly but surely finish the enemy off. The Warlock has the most cards — 24 of their own plus 6 from talents — so their deck is the most varied.

How to choose a class: five questions

1. Which role do you enjoy? Like taking hits — look at the Barbarian and the Revenant. Like saving people — the Priest. Just want to hit things — the Mage, Warlock, Rogue or Ranger.
2. Want to be useful in any group? Pick a hybrid: the Lightbringer and the Druid fit all three roles, the Stormbringer fits healer and damage, and the Revenant fits tank and damage.
3. How forgiving do you want your class to be? Plate classes survive more mistakes: the Barbarian has almost twice the Health of the Mage. Cloth classes are strong but demand care.
4. Burst or the long game? If you like to unload everything at once, pick direct damage. If you like the long game — poisons, diseases, curses and effects that tick for several turns.
5. What will you do most? Any class can quest solo: until level 10 every Class Power attacks, and from level 20 you can keep two specialisations — one for solo play, one for groups or the arena.

Race: a bonus and two abilities

After your class comes your race. Zarhold has eleven races across three factions, and any race can be combined with any class — 110 combinations in total. Your race gives:

• a permanent bonus — for example, the Gartan get +10% Health, the Durgar +8% Health, and the Kogran, Nakar and Shaydar +6% Power each;
• two abilities: one against creatures and one against players. In a fight you only see the one that fits your opponent.

Race is a nice extra, not a life sentence: what really defines a hero is class and talents. But if you want to squeeze out every bit, match the bonus to your role: extra Health for a tank, Power for a damage dealer.

Talents: making the class your own

Your class sets your deck; talents make it yours. They unlock at level 10, when a path selection window appears:

• every class has three talent trees, and you get one point per level — 51 by level 60;
• each next row of a tree opens for every 5 points you put into it;
• until you learn the top talent of your first tree, the other two stay locked; the top talent needs 20 points in the tree, 15 for the Lightbringer;
• some talents add new cards to your deck, others change existing ones;
• from level 20 you can keep two specialisations and switch between them outside combat;
• resetting talents is always free.

So your choice at level 10 doesn’t lock you in: try it, see how your deck plays and rebuild if you don’t like it. We covered how talents change the deck in “Card MMORPGs: what they are”.

Armour and weapons by class

• Plate — Barbarian, Lightbringer, Revenant;
• mail — Ranger, Stormbringer;
• leather — Rogue, Druid;
• cloth — Priest, Mage, Warlock.

A class wears its own armour type and anything lighter. Shields are available to the Barbarian, Lightbringer and Stormbringer, and the Barbarian, Revenant, Stormbringer, Ranger and Rogue can wield two weapons. To see how the strongest heroes of your class are geared, check the Armory.

Class FAQ

What’s the best class for a beginner?

There’s no best class: all ten handle open-world quests equally well, since every Class Power attacks until level 10. If you want some breathing room early on, start with a plate class — the Barbarian, Revenant and Lightbringer have the most Health.

Can I change my class or race?

No, they’re chosen once when you create your hero. But you can keep up to ten heroes on one account.

Can I play a healer solo?

Yes. The Priest has an attacking talent tree, and from level 20 you can keep two specialisations: an attacking one for solo play and a healing one for groups. Talent resets are free.

How many cards does a class have?

Each class has 20 to 24 cards of its own, and talents add up to six more. You can see them all in your Spellbook. All your cards go into the fight, and if you have fewer than thirty, the deck is topped up with copies — no more than four of the same card.

The bottom line

Choose your class with your heart, not a spreadsheet: in a card MMORPG the winner is whoever knows their deck best, and you only get to know a deck you enjoy playing. Tank, healer, damage dealer or hybrid — create a hero and try it. If you don’t like it, there are nine more slots on your account.