Guild Wars: Nightfall PvP Preview Event: Editor Reaction

With the announcement of the new Guild Wars expansion/stand-alone game, Nightfall, ArenaNet is promising to serve up another round of that delicious Guild Wars excitement we have all come to know and love. Offering an entire new continent to explore, a rich and engrossing story-line, and two new character professions, Nightfall is sure to be worth the wait. And with the recent Nightfall PvP Preview Event still fresh in our memory, I recount my well-spent time in the land of Elona.

In my opinion, there is nothing more exciting than tearing your opponents limb-from-limb in an all-out, no-holds-barred PvP competition. With the new Nightfall classes (Paragon and Dervish) on their way, it feels as though doing this is about to get much easier. But first, a little introduction...

Dervish - holy warriors clad in nothing but robes, their scythe is a force to be reckoned with. The ability to unleash devastating attacks on multiple foes at once, while causing large amounts of explosive AoE damage, is only partially what makes the Dervish a powerhouse. While robes don't offer immense protection on the front-lines, a plethora of healing and enchantment skills will keep the Dervish standing until then end (and probably a lot longer than you). And if all this wasn't enough, they have one more trick up their sleeve that is sure to astound and amaze - by channeling their diving powers, a Dervish can transform into the physical embodiment of a God. If there were ever a time to utter "Holy crap we're all going to die," this would be it.

Paragon - adorned in glowing ivory armor encrusted with wings, the Paragon's presence on the battlefield is felt by all. Acting as the quintessential support profession, with skills to buff, heal and wreak havoc, prepare for some ass-kickin' and name-takin'. While not meant as a front-line fighter, the paragon can certainly take the heat. Their angelic and saintly presence provides teammates with increased hex and curse resistance, while verbal chants and shouts grant a boost to fighting abilities of those nearby. A spear is the Paragons weapon of choice and supplies long-range attacks as strong as a Warriors axe. With all this support and attack-power packed into a pretty little package, it's no wonder the Elonians believe Paragons were sent by the gods as guardian angels, to serve as champions for the people. After Nightfall hits store shelves, no team is sure to be without the power of a Paragon.

I'm not saying that the new classes are unbalanced, but as a Dervish I was able to tear up the battlefield in a blaze of glory. And as a Paragon, my team almost never fell at the enemy's hands. Granted we have yet to see all these new classes will have to offer, some balance issues do need to be addressed.

Despite the fact they kick some serious ass, the new classes are extremely fun to play. Not only do they offer elements not found anywhere else in Guild Wars, the southern-European feel is unique and not seen often in gaming these days. And although they don't feel quite as unified as the fairly-recently added Factions professions, I'm sure some back-story will ease my discomfort. Either way, I'm already planning to take some coincidental time off-work near the release of Nightfall.