[GameSpot] - Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier Style Guide: Choosing What Style Fits Best

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Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier implements many elements from the core Final Fantasy experience into a 75-player battle royale, from sword-based melee combat to magic-producing Materia. Nowhere is this more evident, however, than in the class system, allowing players to choose one of six different classes before dropping into battle, each one focusing on a different style of combat.

Whether you're a melee-heavy Warrior or a spell-casing Sorcerer, learning the basics of each class offered in Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier will greatly help your chances of success down the line. This guide will give you basic ideas and strategies, but ultimately the choice of style is yours.

(NOTE: Only one ability and skill can be equipped at any given time. An asterisk next to an ability or skill name is the default skill unlocked when the game starts.)

The Warrior fights up close and personal.

Warrior

• Trait: Fearless Charge
  • Increases targeting distance for melee attacks, and creates a shield both when attacking a target while moving and when using the Rush ability.
• Abilities
  • Rush* - Quickly dashes forward a short distance.
  • Punisher - Increases melee attack damage, melee attack range, and movement speed for a short time.
• Skills:
  • Countershield - Creates a shield when damaged. Can only be used once per experience level.
  • Survivor's Spoils* - Heals some damage every time a kill is scored with a melee attack.
  • Threaten - Decreases target's movement speed for a short time.

The Warrior is your classic frontline fighter, hacking and slashing enemies at will. It's a build made for players who prefer getting up in people's faces during a skirmish. There's no flash, no pomp and circumstance here, just a soldier with a sword (and some guns) that wants to kick butt.

Rush is a great ability to add some mobility to the Warrior's repertoire, but the bruising nature of the class means that unlocking Punisher will work a lot better for melee-based players. Couple with the Threaten skill that lowers the speed of a target, and you'll be scoring kills left and right.

Casting spells is the Sorcerer's specialty.

Sorcerer

• Trait: Magic Boost
  • Damage from Materia is increased whenever the Sorcerer upgrades their melee weapon. Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder effects are boosted. MP recovers faster.
• Abilities:
  • Arcane Field* - Creates a zone that increases MP recovery and cooldown speed for a short time. Any player on the battlefield who enters the zone receives the perks.
  • Trance - Decreases MP cost while increasing MP recovery speed. Also temporarily increases Materia level and movement speed.
• Skills:
  • Etheric Drain - Heals some damage every time a kill is scored with Materia. Also decreases MP recovery time whenever the Sorcerer is damaged.
  • Precise Casting* - Increases critical hit chance when attacking with Materia.
  • Reinvigorate - Increases the amount of HP gained with healing Materia.

The yin to the Warrior's yang, the Sorcerer focuses on conjuring spells to deal its damage properly. With boosted damage and effects from the Magic Boost trait, Sorcerers will want to stay at a distance and inflict damage using Materia found around the battlefield.

While Arcane Field is a solid ability for the class, the fact that anyone can use it limits its value unless you're alone. Switch to Trance once it's unlocked for most consistent buffs, then couple it with Precise Casting or Etheric Drain for a truly potent spellcaster.

The Ninja relies on speed and agility.

Ninja

• Trait: Acrobat
  • Gains a double jump or an extra jump after a parkour fall.
• Abilities:
  • Blade Shift - When activated, if the player throws a knife that makes contact with an enemy or object, the player instantly warps to wherever the knife made contact.
  • Hide* - The Ninja turns invisible for a short duration, appearing to other players as a green flame. The Ninja cannot attack or use items while invisible.
• Skills:
  • Escapist - Increases movement speed when inside the Hazard Zone.
  • Lightfoot - Reduces the sound of the Ninja's footsteps.
  • Retreat* - Increases movement speed for a short time when taking damage.

Nimble and fleet-footed, the Ninja style thrives on taking enemies by surprise, appearing out of nowhere to deal damage and then immediately retreating. Any abilities or skills you decide to use for your Ninja will focus on mobility, so if you prefer to hunker down during a fight this might not be for you.

The Blade Shift ability is huge for the Ninja, allowing them to warp huge distances instantaneously simply by throwing a knife. Pairing it with Lightfoot if you're offensively focused or Retreat for a more defensive approach will make your Ninja nigh untouchable.

The monk heals as much damage as it deals.

Monk

• Trait: Inner Strength
  • Whenever a Monk takes damage, they automatically heal a small percentage of it. Once per match, when the Monk's health hits 20% remaining, health will regenerate and all melee attacks become critical hits for a short time.
• Abilities:
  • Chakra Field - Creates a zone that cures poison and heals HP for the Monk and their teammates.
  • Manawall* - Creates a static wall for a brief time or until a certain amount of damage is received. Any player can use the wall as a defense.
• Skills:
  • Awakened Strength - Increases the amount of health automatically recovered through Inner Strength.
  • Chakra Unleashed - Immediately recovers HP when receiving a large amount of damage at one time. Can only be used once per experience level.
  • Leech Fists* - The Monk gains a small portion of HP whenever damaging an opponent with a melee attack.

The Monk is The First Soldier's idea of a tank, only replacing high durability with nearly universal healing. Capitalizing on that and the longevity in battle that it brings is key to a Monk's overall success.

A combination of the Leech Fists skill and the Inner Strength trait heals the Monk for every successful attack both by the Monk and by the enemy. Throw a Charka Field into the mix that heals even further, and a Monk could feasibly leave a skirmish with more health than they began with. .

The Ranger thrives on guns and long-range combat.

Ranger

• Trait: Ammunitions Expert
  • Increases ammo carry limit and ammo amounts found on the ground. Reloading time is decreased by 20%.
• Abilities:
  • Assess* - Scans the immediate area around the Ranger, marking enemy players, monsters, and effects.
  • Control - Takes control of a Slug-Ray enemy and scouts the area.
• Skills:
  • Acute Sense - An enemy's positive is revealed whenever they appear in the Ranger's scope.
  • Silencer - Reduces the sound generated by firing guns.
  • Sniper's Eye* - If the Ranger's scope finds an enemy and remains on them for a few seconds, that enemy will be marked.

As the name suggests the Ranger is the long-range specialist, preferring guns and other weapons to melee attacks. Those coming to The First Soldier from other shooter games should give Ranger a try in the beginning, as it will definitely be the best fit.

The Ammunitions Expert trait gives a Ranger a nearly limitless ammo stock, while the Assess ability and Sniper's Eye skill will mark enemies ripe for the picking. Make sure to keep enemies at a distance, and the Ranger should have no problem scoring kills.

The Dragoon uses the sky as its greatest weapon.

Dragoon

• Trait: Sky Predator
  • The Dragoon can glide when jumping from high distances. Attacking while jumping from a high distance initiates a diving attack.
• Abilities:
  • Dragon's Favor - Increases movement speed for a short time. While movement speed is increased, melee attacks will absorb MP from enemies, inflict bleed damage over time, and recover HP when an enemy is killed.
  • High Jump* - The Dragoon jumps higher than normal, initiating a glide on the way back down.
• Skills:
  • Aerial Wall* - Reduces damage from firearms when the enemy is below the Dragoon.
  • Dragon's Ire - Instantly marks any enemy that deals damage to the Dragoon. Attacking a marked enemy also decreases their MP.
  • Wide Swing - Increases the Dragoon's melee combo attack range.

The newest style appearing in The First Soldier, a Dragoon's main appeal is their air mobility, being able to jump higher than others while gliding down to the ground with every jump. The Sky Predator diving attack will catch enemies by surprise as well, especially in the style's early days.

The High Jump/Aerial Wall combo is a strong default set, allowing the Dragoon to access its air abilities while taking less damage from ranged weapons. The Dragon's Favor ability is worth exploring however, particularly with the boosts to melee attacks.

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