RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume offers a wide variety of classes to the player, but isn’t always clear about what sets them apart. This week, we’ll be taking a closer look at what makes each class tick, along with a few suggestions for skills and abilities to give them.

Swordsman
Considered more or less the basic unit, this one-handed sword-wielder’s stats are pretty average all around. The main attraction of this class, and one that underscores the importance of a high movement stat, is that its base Move is four. This allows the Swordsman to get a leg up on slower but harder-hitting classes like the Heavy Swordsman, making them more efficient users of items and skills like Provoke and Pacify.

Heavy Swordsman
With an exceptional HP and Reduce Damage score, Heavy Swordsmen tend to be the tanks of the game, taking the heaviest physical hits and striking back with aplomb. This class’s huge advantages are offset rather disappointingly, however, by very poor stats in pretty much every other area; Heavy Swordsmen have very low Avoid, Hit, and Resist Magic scores, making them a bit of a sitting duck when it comes to magic. Combined with a bargain basement Move score of three, Heavy Swordsmen require frequent use of the Dash skill to stay in the front of the formation where they can be useful.

Lancer
In a pinch, Lancers can take the place of Heavy Swordsmen where tanking duties are concerned. They’ve got very solid stats in the same areas, and although their Avoid score is still in the toilet, Lancers have no trouble with accuracy given that huge Hit stat. Lancers also get around the movement score of three they were saddled with by having a weapon with a much more impressive attack range, allowing them to nail foes in many cases without running the risk of a counterattack. Dash is pretty much a recommended skill for all characters in Covenant of the Plume, but Lancers put it to especially good use given the extended range of their weapon.

Archer
One of the first classes available to the player, and one of the most useful despite some unimpressive stats, Archers are great additions to any party that needs a bit of a long-range boost. The main selling point of the Archer class is, first and foremost, the amazing attack range. Although the Archer’s movement rate is only three, the fact that they can hit anywhere in a 9×9 grid around themselves gives them an unparallelled ability to hit without being hit, smacking even Mages around without risking a nasty counterattack. This attack range also makes the Archer a great user of the Transpose skill, allowing them to swap places with the enemy and still be able to join in on the attack.

Mage
The only class to make use of the Magic stat, Mages are, as you’d expect in a game with so many classes with low Resist Magic scores, pretty darn powerful. But beyond raw damage, Mages are also surprisingly flexible. With the purchase of the correct Codex, Mages can not only attack, but heal, support, and even target multiple foes at once. All this versatility and power makes the Mage easy to recommend; have at least one in your party. This versatility and power does come at a price, however. Mages have a low movement score, an abysmal HP and Reduce Damage stat, and are at constant risk from enemy archers. Use your Mage with caution, and plan in such a way that puts him or her in a prime position to cause pain, and the game will be a lot easier.

Rogue
The last three classes have only one member each, and with good reason; they’re all pretty darn impressive. The Rogue, although saddled with the smallest attack range in the game, gets its position largely by way of having an amazing movement score, one of the highest Resist Magic stats available, and weapons that cause secondary effects like Poison and Paralysis without skimping at all on offensive power. The Rogue is a bit hamstrung in that its physical defense is paper-thin, but as is always the case with thief classes, a bit of cleverness will go a long way in making this class effective.

Samurai
The Samurai is a dead ringer for the Swordsman class, with stats that just about match in every category. The Samurai’s real claim to fame is a movement score of five, though unlike the Rogue, this impressive speed doesn’t come with any unpleasant drawbacks in stats or attack range. Overall, the Samurai isn’t quite as impressive as the other two classes in the single member category, largely due to the fact that its equipment choices are fairly restricted, but it does a great job as a scout or as enemy bait.

Pugilist
One of the oddest classes, the Pugilist combines the high Move and low attack range of the Rogue with the above average attack of the Samurai. The Pugilist also makes a great physical tank, and with a high rate of movement, it doesn’t have the same problems the Heavy Swordsman and Lancer do in keeping up with the party. The main issue with this class lies in the equipment; the Pugilist gets only very light armor, can’t wear bracers, and its weapons quickly fall behind in terms of damage.

Covenant of the Plume does a reasonable job of balancing its characters out, but Mages stand out as a bit of an unbalancing force. Still, it’s not really recommended to use more than one in a party, given how frail they can be. In all honesty, I’ve found that one Mage, two Swordsmen and a Lancer make for a well-balanced and effective party, but as always, the final decision is yours. Join us again next week for the final Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume Strategy Session for a look at the Sacrificial Skills Wyl can acquire and how best to put them to use.