Archetypes

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Video description of Archetypes

What are Hero Archetypes in Project Ascension?

Archetypes on Project Ascension are pre-constructed builds engineered to give newcomer's a structured introduction to Ascension's Classless systems, such as the Hero Architect and Mystic Enchanting.

When you click the new Choose Archetype button, you’ll be prompted to choose a Role and Playstyle. Once you do, you’ll see epic classless builds pulled from the Hero Architect based on your choices. Pick one, and you’ll enter the world as that Archetype with everything you need to start playing. As you play, you’ll automatically learn your archetype’s spells, talents, and mystic enchantments, so you can take on greater challenges Recommended if you're new to Ascension or to Azeroth as a whole, these character builds will help introduce you to Ascension game mechanics and the world of Azeroth while you imagine your ultimate Hero.

Below you'll find a large list of available Archetypes. Clicking the names of these builds will take you to overview pages for that Archetype, allowing you to get more insight into how it is played and what abilities are used.

Prefer to theorycraft? The classic Free Pick option remains for veterans.

DPS (Melee) Archetypes

Wind Rager

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
One-Handed Maces, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords

Legends speak of savage warriors who calmed themselves with ancestral winds. These fighters were known as Wind Ragers: tranquil while still, but hurricanes in combat. As a Wind Rager, you bathe your weapons in shamanistic winds, becoming a storm of steel in battle. A blur of rapid attacks, your assault is unrelenting until enemies fall, returning your rage to a calm, soothing breeze.

Warden

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Leather Armor
Polearms, Two=Handed Axes, Two-Handed Swords

Once trained to hunt the demons of the burning legion, wardens surge through the battlefield in a flash of steel. As a warden, your arsenal of weapons makes your deadly both up-close and from afar. Carve through enemies with a massive two-handed spear, then effortlessly finish fleeing foes with your glaive.

Defias Gunslinger

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Lether Armor
Guns, One-Handed Swords

Become an outlaw and duel foes at close range with gun and blade! The Defias Gunslinger is a swashbuckler who uses one hand to wield a blade and the other to fire quick, precise shots with a ranged weapon. Weave through battle, staying just out of reach, and combine deadly melee strikes with rapid shots that build combo points. When you're ready, unleash these combo points in powerful finishing moves to secure your victory.

Son of Gruul

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces

Born with colossal strength rivaling the Gronn of Outland, you are a Son of Gruul; an unstoppable force of raw destruction. Fueled by Hate, each swing of your massive axe increases your strength and transforms you into a living embodiment of fury. You can expend Hate to unleash devastating attacks that shatter the earth beneath you. A hulking monster of mythic might, the Son of Gruul carves a path of annihilation across the battlefield.

Dragon Warrior

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Maces

Agile and highly mobile, Dragon Warriors are fighters infused with draconic blood. Able to swiftly charge across the battlefield, they unleash devastating roars, stomps, and slams worthy of their bloodline. Wielding two single-handed weapons akin to claws, skilled Dragon Warriors are a sight to behold in battle. Charging from foe to foe, leaving battered corpses in their wake.

Heavyweight

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Two-Handed Maces, Two-Handed Axes, Two-Handed Swords.

Become an unstoppable force and charge through foes as a Heavyweight, a colossal fighter wielding a massive two-handed weapon. As a Heavyweight, you build up momentum by using various physical abilities before unleashing it all in a single devastating strike. A juggernaut of raw destruction, Heavyweights smash through enemies with earth-shattering blows that leave the ground trembling in their wake.

Gutripper

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Leather Armor
Daggers

Skilled with small blades, Gutrippers are brutal assassins who tear targets apart with grotesque efficiency. Capable of dealing immense burst damage, Gutrippers strike foes to inflict crippling bleed effects, draining targets of life before delivering a final execution.

Hoplite

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor + Shield
Polearms

Raise your spear and fight for glory! As a Hoplite, your raw combat prowess allows you to wield a two-handed spear and a shield simultaneously, providing both deadly offense and incredible defense. Strike foes in a flurry of blows with your spear, or toss javelins from afar to bleed them dry. Hoplites build up Combo Points to unleash devastating shield slams and dominate their enemies.

DPS (Ranged) Archetypes

Dark Ranger

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Leather Armor
Crossbows, Bows, Guns

Embrace the Shadow and become a Dark Ranger, wielding the power of the Banshee Queen as your own. As a dark ranger, you can infuse your shots with shadow damage, peppering foes in a flurry of sinister arrows. As you grow in strength, you'll gain the ability to weave shadow bolts into your arrows, dealing massive damage with each shot.

Locust Ranger

Primary Stat: Agility
Leather/Mail Armor
Staves, Bows, Guns

Locust Rangers are hunters who have learned to weave natural magics into their shots and sings. Able to poison enemies from a distance, they can weave Druidic Magic into their arrows and fire off instant spell. From infusing arrows with wrath to sending out swarms of locust onto foes, Locust Rangers specialize in quick, consistent damage. Their strongest arrows cause a buildup of poison on targets which can burst for bonus damage.

Beastial Ranger

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Leather Armor
Guns, Crossbows, Bows

Legends once spoke of Hunters who soul-bonded with their animal companions, becoming a single unit of bestial wrath. Able to channel their beast's inner rage, these Bestial Rangers lurk on the fringes of society, serving as savage mercenaries or stoic guides. As a Bestial Ranger, you share your companion's thirst for blood and can enrage alongside them to tear foes to shreds.

Marksman

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Leather Armor
Crossbows, Bows, Guns

The most skilled archers on Azeroth are known as Marksmen; precise, accurate, and deadly snipers. Whether wielding a bow or a gun, these hunters possess the grace and techniques of trained rogues, executing complex trick shots and striking multiple targets at once.

Paratrooper

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Leather Armor
Crossbows, Guns, Bows

Attacking from above your target offers a significant advantage, and no one excels at this more than a Paratrooper. As a Paratrooper, you'll launch yourself high into the air, gaining bonus damage when firing on enemies below you. A combat parachute slows your descent, not only improving your accuracy but also increasing the time you spend out of harm's way.

DPS (Caster) Archetypes

Evoker

Primary Stat: Intellect
Cloth Armor
Staves

Powerful Mages devote themselves to the study of front, fire, or arcane magic; rarely do any attempt mastery of all three. You are no ordinary mage. As an Evoker, you effortlessly weave all three elements into an unstoppable onslaught. Your Frostbolt spell triggers instant fireballs and Arcane Missiles, allowing you to combine your magic in a devastating display of power. Damage foes with bursts of different elemental blasts and bring them to their knees.

Stormcaller

Primary Stat Intellect
Cloth Armor
Staves

Those who ascend the fabled Stormpeaks of Northrend and survive are granted the Boon of Thunder, becoming Stormcallers. As an incarnation of living lightning, you become the embodiment of primordial thunderstorms. Unleash waves of Lightning Bolts and devastating Chain Lightning to shock multiple foes at once. Powerful Stormcallers can free themselves from the physical plane, gaining the ability to cast while moving.

Shadowseer

Primary Stat: Intellect
Cloth Armor
Staves

Embrace the power of the void and become the ultimate Shadow mage. As a Shadowseer, you harness the most destructive Shadow spells known to Azeroth and unleash them in flurries of dark energy. Empowered by the Dark Gods, you serve a sinister purpose, and the power you wield is immense.

Cryomancer

Primary Stat: Intellect
Cloth Armor
Staves

Master the cold grip of ice, and cripple foes with frozen magic. As a Cryomancer, you chill your enemies to a crawl while your powerful Frost spells whittle them away. Unleash devastating Blizzards and icy blasts, shock foes with frozen explosions, and even encase them in ice. Every incantation brings forth the wrath of winter, leaving your foes shivering in despair.

Druid of the Eclipse

Primary Stat: Intellect
Leather/Cloth Armor
Staves

The Night Elves of Teldrassil are no strangers to the power of the Moon; its energy fuels their strongest warriors and illuminates their people in the darkness. You, however, revere the Moon in a more profound way. As a Druid of the Eclipse, you channel power from both the Sun and the Moon. During your Lunar Phase, unleash crippling magic that deals damage over time. During your Solar Phase, switch to devastating single-target damage.

Ascendant

Primary Stat: Intellect
Mail/Cloth Armor
Staves

A zealot of the Light, the Ascendant is a Holy cleric who summons divine wrath to exorcise foes. Wielding Holy Fire and empowered Smites, the Ascendant passes judgement on the unworthy while aiding and supporting the righteous. Most Ascendants travel across Azeroth purging the wicked; how you use your power is up to you.

Fel Apostate

Primary Stat: Intellect
Cloth Armor
Staves

Wreathed in Felfire and bound in service to the Legion, the Fel Apostate is a chaotic mage who sears foes with fire and death. Wielding felflame magics, they burn enemies in a rain of fire and summon bolts of primordial chaos. Using the Beam of Hatred, they can sear foes’ souls over time, corrupting them from within before reducing them to embers.

DPS (Hybrid) Archetypes

Crusader

Primary Stat: Strength
Plate/Mail Armor
Two-Handed Swords, Two-Handed Axes, Two-Handed Maces

"Wielding the power of the Holy Light, Crusaders are the embodiments of divine justice. Often likened to angelic warriors, Crusaders Consecrate both their weapons and the ground beneath them, igniting foes in righteous fire. As a Crusader, your Seal spells boast considerable strength, allowing your weapon to deal bonus damage. Your divine fury is relentless, your justice law. Use your array of Holy weapons to bathe the wicked in Holy flames, leaving only the righteous standing.

White Walker

Primary Stat: Intellect
Leather/Cloth Armor
Two-Handed Swords, Staves, Two=Handed Maces

Cold as the frozen wastes of Northrend, White Walkers are wizards trained to wield cursed blades. Combining swordplay with the raw might of frigid magic, these frozen wraiths glide across the battlefield, slowing, stunning, and encasing foes in ice. As a White Walker, you'll build up Combo Points to unleash savage Frost magic, entombing foes in ice and snow.

Firelord

Primary Stat: Agility
Plate/Mail Armor
Two-Handed Swords, Two-Handed Maces, Two-Handed Axes

The fury of Azeroth is fueled by molten earth: a power you've harnessed and made your own. As a Firelord, you'll unleash waves of earth and fire to damage, ignite, and sear enemies, melting foes until their corpses rejoin the great flow. Molten fury powers your abilities, and each swing shakes the ground beneath you and causes explosions of elemental fire.

Master of Shadows

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Leather Armor
One-Handed Swords, Daggers, Fist Weapon

All rogues thrive in the shadows, but you have chosen a darker path. Studying the Warlocks of Azeroth, you've enhanced your martial prowess with sinister magic that shrouds your weapons in gloom. As a Master of Shadows, you combine the art of assassination with Shadow magic.

Druid of the Fang

Primary Stat: Agility
Leather Armor
Daggers

The eerie halls of the Wailing Caverns hold many secrets, and you have listened. Transformed into a Druid of the Fang, you can shift into a poisonous serpent at will and enhance your skills with poison damage. Build up Combo Points while whittling foes away with venom, then finish them off with savage attacks.

Storm Giant

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Two-Handed Swords, Two-Handed Axes, Two-Handed Maces

Unleash the fury of thunder and lightning! As a Storm Giant, you are a hulking avatar of the storm's fury. Blast enemies with thunder and lightning to electrocute multiple foes at once, and use massive weapons to charge your unrelenting maelstrom. Your hits charge up your legendary Lightning Blade, which instantly strikes foes for massive Nature damage.

Hellcat

Primary Stat: Agility
Leather Armor
Staves

Druids who channel the magic of the Firelands are known as Druids of the Flame. As one such druid, your Catform is wreathed in elemental fire, causing your attacks to deal bonus Fire damage. Build up Combo Points and unleash them in a blaze of searing flame, tearing through foes with burning claws and molten teeth.

Divine Sentinel

Primary Stat: Strength
Plate/Mail Armor
Two-Handed Swords, Staves, Two-Handed Axes

Fueled by their devotion to a higher power, the Divine Sentinel sacrifices physical power to ascend to a higher plane. Their divine strikes instead deal Holy damage, allowing them to purify foes. Armed with a massive two-handed weapon, these knights focus on heavy swings and devastating explosions of Holy energy, consecrating foes in the name of justice.

Healing (Pure Healer) Archetypes

Eternal Caretaker

Primary Stat: Spirit
Cloth Armor
Staves

Bold and dedicated clerics, Eternal Caretakers stand beside their allies in the heat of combat. Staunch and unflinching, their powerful Halo skill emits a wave of healing energy that sweeps out over nearby allies. Casting other healing spells reduces Halo's cooldown.

Tide Mender

Primary Stat: Spirit
Mail Armor
Staves

Wield the tides to heal your allies, manipulating their waves to spread among your party and keep them topped off. With Healing Wave, you can spread your Riptide to an injured party member, eventually cascading across your entire party.

Sacred Sentinel

Primary Stat: Spirit
Cloth Armor
Staves

Manipulators of Holy Light, Sacred Sentinels conjure powerful healing spells that can heal the very land itself. Create spheres of Holy radiance that periodically heal allies beneath their rays, eventually bursting for an immense heal. Allies blessed by this prayer become veiled in light, empowering your healing spells.

Naturalist

Primary Stat: Spirit
Leather/Cloth Armor
Staves

Plant healing seeds upon your allies and nurture their growth! As a Naturalist, you'll rejuvenate your party with a range of healing-over-time effects, caring for them until it’s time for them to bloom, resulting in massive bursts of healing. Maintain and manage your seedlings to keep your party moving forward!

Hierophant

Primary Stat: Spirit
Leather/Cloth Armor
Staves

A radiant vessel of Holy power that marks allies with Holy light. As a Hierophant, you'll energize party members with your Renew spell before channeling direct heals. These direct heals radiate to all other party members graced by your Renew, causing wave after wave of holy healing.

Steward of Eternity

Primary Stat: Spirit
Cloth Armor
Staves

Capture the magic of the Bronze Dragonflight and wield it as your own. As a Steward of Eternity, you'll rewind time for your allies and prevent wounds before they even occur. Place timed heals on allies that restore health after a moment, and use Arcane magic to synchronize party members' health.

Dawnkeeper

Primary Stat: Spirit
Cloth/Mail Armor
Staves

Mend your allies in the light of dawn. As a Dawnkeeper, you'll designate one party member to serve as a Beacon of Light. When you heal your Beacon with Holy Light, the power swells and bursts, healing nearby allies. Support your Beacon and light the way through the darkness!

Grove Keeper

Primary Stat: Spirit
Leather/Cloth Armor
Staves

Grove Keepers are masters of nature, utilizing healing spells that rejuvenate multiple party members at once. These powerful spells overflow from one ally to the next, ensuring that your entire group can stay in the fight.

Heals (Combat Healer) Archetypes

Cryotherapist

Primary Stat: Spirit
Cloth
Staves

Cryotherapists weave brilliant light into glistening crystals, becoming clerics of frost. As a Cryotherapist, you'll use Frostbolts to charge up Holy energy before unleashing cool winds to soothe allies' wounds. A crippling threat to foes and a chill boon to allies, Cryotherapists find a home in any party.

Tree of Wrath

Primary Stat: Spirit
Mail
Staves

Legend speaks of druidic healers who climbed the dreaded Stormpeaks of Northrend. Reaching those fabled heights, their natural magic merged with the lightning and thunder of the peaks. As one of these Druids, you can transform into a Tree of Wrath, healing allies and shocking foes simultaneously with enchanted lightning.

Grove Ranger

Primary Stat: Spirit
Leather Armor
One-Handed Swords, Bows, One-Handed Axes

At home in the wilds of Azeroth, Grove Rangers weave natural magic into their archery to imbue their shots with healing power. The same precise arrows that strike foes also heal allies, allowing the Grove Ranger to damage and heal simultaneously.

Fire Sage

Primary Stat: Spirit
Leather/Cloth Armor
Staves

Ominous and pious, Fire Sages use searing heat to incinerate foes and cauterize allies' wounds. A far cry from the gentle healing energies of Light or Nature, Fire Sages wield a Holy flame that is as adept at mending as it is at scorching heretics from the face of Azeroth.

Vampire Lord

Primary Stat: Spirit
Leather/Cloth Armor
Staves

An eerie blend of mysticism and malevolence, Vampire Lords wield shadowy magic that leeches life from foes and transfers it to allies. Wrapped in shadows and wielding unholy light, the more damage you inflict on foes, the more your allies benefit. Siphon life to restore your party in a sanguine display of cursed magic.

Tank (Melee) Archetypes

Bulwark

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Shield
One-Handed Maces, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords

Bulwarks are colossal fighters wielding mighty shields to defend their allies from harm. They can conjure a powerful barrier that blocks all attacks, and their heavy armor and imposing figures make them true immovable objects. With high stamina and block chance, they exhibit absolute fearlessness in combat.

Blade Warden

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Two-Handed Swords, Two-Handed Axes, Two-Handed Maces

Unleash devastation in a whirlwind of steel! The Blade Warden is an elegant tank, embodying the perfect blend of brutal strength and graceful precision. Wielding a colossal two-handed weapon, your strikes carve through enemies, shattering their defenses and paving the way for your allies to unleash their full fury. As a Blade Warden, you stand as an unyielding sentinel on the battlefield, effortlessly parrying and deflecting incoming blows. Every third parry empowers your abilities, granting them unique effects.

Swashbuckler

Primary Stat: Agility
Mail/Plate Armor
Daggers, One-Handed Axes
One-Handed Swords

Agile and charismatic, Swashbucklers are pirates, mercenaries, and rogues who are so skilled with a single off-hand weapon that they can effortlessly deflect and parry incoming blows. Their free hand allows them to use unique abilities and flourishes, delivering quick strikes and ripostes to counter the enemy's attacks.

Relentless

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
One-Handed Maces, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords

Some tanks believe their shield is a tool for defense, but you know better: as a Relentless, you use your shield as an offensive weapon of devastating power. Your strikes reduce the cooldown of your Shield Slam ability, allowing you to incorporate it into your onslaught. Build up Combo Points and unleash powerful combo strikes.

Vanguard Sentinel

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Two-Handed Maces, Two-Handed Swords, Two-Handed Axes

Swift and lethal, Vanguard Sentinels are the first into battle. Relying on an enhanced Charge ability to maneuver through combat, they rush from foe to foe, delivering crushing impacts. Able to increase their own damage with each Charge, they are the frontline of any party.

Carnage Incarnate

Primary Stat: Agility
Shield
Leather Armor
One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Maces

Transform into a beast of raw carnage and blood. As a Carnage Incarnate, you empower your bear form with bloody strikes that rend your foes, draining them of life. Your attacks deal crippling damage to multiple enemies at once, leaving a trail of destruction in your wake.

Tank (Magic) Archetypes

Templar of Flame

Primary Stat: Intellect
Shield
Cloth Armor
One-Handed Maces, One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Axes

Blaze a path for your allies as a Templar of Flame, a zealous paladin wielding roaring magical flames. Burn the unworthy with instant fire spells that leave lingering embers on the ground. As a Templar of Flame, you thrive in the heat of battle, incinerating multiple foes at once.

Demoniac

Primary Stat: Intellect
Cloth Armor
One-Handed Maces, Daggers, One-Handed Swords

Warlocks who succumb to rampant Fel magic become Demoniacs: corrupted demons of the Twisting Nether. As a Demoniac, you trade your mortal coil for enhanced health and defense, as well as unique Demon abilities. Burn foes surrounding you with a blazing Immolation Aura, and cleave enemies for Shadow damage with Demonic claws.

Icebound

Primary Stat: Intellect
Mail/Plate Armor
Shield
One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Maces

Wreathed in an icy cloak of Frost, the Icebound are cold, dark wraiths bound to the frozen wastes of Northrend. Though physically frail, Icebound are masters of turning Frost into magical bulwarks. As an Icebound, your spells reduce the cooldown of your Ice Barrier, granting you rapid and nearly impenetrable defense.

Tank (Hybrid) Archetypes

Mystic Knight

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Shield
One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Maces

Warriors who master the art of the arcane become Mystic Knights, weaving raw magic into their fighting style to enhance both offense and defense. As a Mystic Knight, you strike with your weapon to deal bonus Arcane damage and can create a magical barrier around yourself.

Crimson Champion

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Shield
One-Handed Maces, One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Axes

Once zealous paladins of the Scarlet Crusade, Crimson Champions disowned the order after its fall. Now they roam as powerful knights, using the Light to shield and protect allies and themselves. As a Crimson Champion, blocking attacks builds up Charges of Light, which enhance your spells with unique and powerful effects. Use this power to shield allies or decimate foes.

Stormguard

Primary Stat: Strength
Mail/Plate Armor
Two-Handed Maces, Two-Handed Axes, Two-Handed Swords

Stormguards channel the fury of thunder and lightning through their bodies, enhancing their abilities and shocking foes who get too close. Each swing of their mighty two-handed weapon sends rippling bolts of lightning surging through nearby enemies. As a Stormguard, you shock foes with a lightning-infused weapon, charging up Maelstrom stacks to unleash powerful Chain Lightning attacks. Electrocute enemies and lead your party through the maelstrom!

Plague Bearer

Primary Stat: Agility
Shield
Leather Armor
One-Handed Maces, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Swords

Overcome by the deadly diseases of the Tainted Grove, these Druids of Rot transform into monstrous bears plagued with disease. Every swipe of their tainted claws corrupts foes, causing Infected Blood, which deals damage-over-time.

Beast of Nightmare

Primary Stat: Agility
Shield
Leather Armor
One-Handed Swords, One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces

Surrender to the whispers of the Void and become a Shadow Druid. Nightmare Beasts are corrupted Dire Bears who trade physical damage for savage, Shadow claws. As an emissary of the Emerald Nightmare, your twisted claws spread Corruption to enemies. Powerful Nightmare Beasts can even launch devastating Shadow Bolts while in their monstrous Dire Bear form.

Thunderpaw

Primary Stat: Agility
Shield
Leather Armor
One-Handed Axes, One-Handed Maces, One-Handed Swords

Unleash the storm's fury! Thunderous magic transforms your Bear Form into a Thunderpaw, a colossal bear infused with the raw power of lightning. As a Thunderpaw, you become an ancestral spirit beast, that summons crackling bolts of lightning to shock foes and defend allies. Charge your fur with crackling thunder, or smash the earth with the strength of the storm.