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PALADIN:
category:
balanced
Paladin
is strong...umm...not really. Paladin is the weakest (combat-wise)
character in the game. True, he can take a few hits, but that's about it.
While his weapons are reliable, and some are even inexpensive, mana-wise speaking,
- they all are also weak, and deliver damage rather slowly. An issue that
in the later episodes can get you killed. The Purifier, - Paladin's
ultimate weapon, is fast - but demands an unfair mana price for its
weakling puny projectiles. And yet, as crazy as it sounds - you will need
it for its fire-rate.
Also,
just as curious is the fact that his 3rd weapon is NOT
stronger than the 2nd. And that will plunge you into all sorts of
mana shifts of unexpected kind, making you dependent on this
or that weapon. Cutting through Werejaguars with an axe can be
mana-expensive and scorpions mandate axe's projectile range
leaving you with very little options to choose your strategies from.
Alas, he
cannot benefit from enemies' deaths and that can be
a disappointment in harder standoffs. And his
abilities are completely useless...
Fortunately Paladin has the best use of the Glyphs,
which will help him anytime. Not as fun as the other characters, - but
still pretty cool. After all, 4 playable heroes are better than 3!
CRUSADER:
category: shifting
Crusader is
perhaps the most balanced of all characters, even though
he comes with a heavy flaw of his 2nd weapon becoming nearly useless
toward the 2nd episode.
Yes, - the Ice Staff will become increasingly weak as
the game progresses, and will throw you more often than you think at
the mercy of your green-mana based weapon.
Additionally, Crusader has a very weak use of the Glyphs.
Having that off
the table - the rest is only advantages that
Crusader has over almost any other character:
- benefits
directly from enemies deaths
- best 3rd weapon in the game
- can heal himself
- reliable 1st weapon
- well powered ultimate weapon
- good
armor class
the further you
advance, the more you will be inclined to use the
Lightbringer, along the rocket-launcher-like Meteor Staff, and that is a
good decision always, although since both feed on the green mana - you'll
need to plan your battles carefully, so that you don't end up with the
useless blue mana. With all that said, tomed-up version of the Ice Staff
is actually very powerful, as well as it has great range. It will serve
you well even in the final episodes, since it can clear an entire room of
even the most powerful enemies..
ASSASSIN
category:
ultimate weapon dependant.
Assassin, in fact,
is sort of fun to play, - as soon as you reach the 2nd
episode, and get the grenades - then the Hexen2-party begins:
grenades are tricky to use, but you must learn to use them - because
the Assassin is heavily dependent on their destructive might, until the
Scarab Staff falls into her hands, of course.
With that neat
little staff she can kill ANYBODY and spend
almost no mana at all!!! The Staff literally rips everything to shreds and
cancels enemies from existence virtually for free. It is almost like a
cheat! And her ability to charge the Scarab Staff can make
mince meat even of a toughs like a Skull Wizard in no time!
The only
exception being the Medusa, since this epic monster
requires special approach.
With all that,
her crossbow is only going to serve you during the 1st
episode, since immediately after it - it scales down dramatically,
becoming increasingly useless.
Even the most basic spiders will be quite expensive to kill with the
crossbow, compared to just 1 shot of Scarab Staff which takes only 1
point of mana!
On the other
hand, she has a moderate use of the Glyphs, which can
work for some neat traps - but rather weak first weapon, completely
useless abilities and (alas) she cannot benefit from enemies deaths.
That of course does not hinder her rule over all episodes after the 2nd,
but somewhat diminishes the gameplay fun-factor.
DEMONESS:
category:
ultimate weapon dependant
Demoness is a
strange character, she has no melee weapon and her 2nd
and 3rd weapons are a lame knock-off from Hexen-1.
with that said,
not only her 2nd and 3rd weapons are a lame knock off,
they are also quite useless. After the 2nd episode begins - they will
down-scale and
become so weak, that you'll have to waste tons of mana just to kill
anybody. And like it or not, but that you will have to do - because
somehow you have to get to her ultimate Tempest Staff, which changes the
picture dramatically.
Fortunately,
unlike the Assassin - Demoness has a great first weapon,
which will serve you very well through an entire game! Actually it is the
best first weapon in Hexen-2! Because it is a ranged weapon, that costs no
mana at all! It will help you greatly through the 1st episode, will be
invaluable against the Werejaguars, and even save mana in the battle
versus Mummy Lords.
Her Acid Rune is
just as weak as the Assassin's crossbow,
albeit it is faster and has better range, still versus anybody
else but the knight archers - it is a total waste.
The Firestorm
doesn't go far from it, - despite it's fancy and
quite strong powered attack; in the normal state it is very weak,
and will take you dozens of mana to get rid of any enemy who is
above cannon fodder.
The post-burn damage , should you choose to take advantage of it,
will make you run for cover all the time and using repulsion discs
to save your ass.....not too good, but will have to do - until you get
your hands on the Tempest Staff.
And when you do
- then you can relax and watch the battlefields
bow to your wrath. It is not cheap, mana-wise, but it is
the most effective and in fact most economical way to get rid of
anybody you will face as Demoness.
Alternating between her first weapon and the ultimate one - you'll
carve a perfectly balanced path of destruction through Hexen-2.
It takes 3 hits
to get rid of a mummy lord, which equals 18 of both mana.
Yes, it is very expensive compared to Assassin or even Crusader,
but compared to other weapons of Demoness, it is dirt-cheap.
You will, in
fact use the Staff on anybody that it is not
wise to fight with the 1st weapon alone.
And vise versa, you will fight with the 1st weapon when it makes sense.
You'll find that it is about 60-40 or 70-30 in favor of the Tempest Staff,
which is alright.
In the Greek episode, of course, - the odds will shift toward 90-10 or
80-20 in favor of the Tempest Staff.
Last to say,
Demoness unfortunately cannot benefit from enemies
deaths and has no useful abilities. Her masochistic mana skill although
can give you some mana here and there, but we generally prefer to get hit
as little as possible - so you should dismiss the idea of ever resorting to
it.
Demoness is very weak physically, even weaker than the Assassin.
All it takes is 2-3 well placed hits - and she is history. So watch it.
NECROMANCER
category:
balanced
The only problem
with the Necromancer - is that his ultimate weapon is shamefully weak, and
expensive for all its uselessness. If you try to use it, you'll be running out of mana before
you know it, - while the monsters you fire upon, - will stand and laugh at
ya. But, if you forego this nuisance, then you are to
discover that Necromancer is indeed a well-balanced power character.
He benefits the
best from enemies deaths, can harvest health from monsters with his sickle
and his 2nd and 3rd weapons are very effective and never scale down, even as
the game progresses very far.
With that, i
must say that his weapons are a little more expensive than those
of other characters - except maybe Demoness, but unlike Demoness, Assassin
or Crusader - Necromancer's weapons are powerful, and they never drop in
effectiveness nor in strength. Watch your mana counters when having your
weapons powered up - it takes quite a bit of a cost to it.
All in all - the
Necromancer is more than well equipped to deal with anybody - he can
destroy any enemy, with any weapon, at any chapter of the game, - and be
lightning fast while at it; as long you have mana,
that is. His free weapon will only do good in specific
situations, but be sure to use it whenever possible - so find all such
moments in the game.
Last to
say, - Necromancer has pretty good use of the Glyphs,
so you are all armed and ready!
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