To become a great general you have to be a master strategist and tactician, but before then you have to be effective on the field of battle as a combatant in your chosen class. In a series of guides in the days and weeks ahead, we’re going to look at some of the classes that will feature Conqueror’s Blade, so you can think about how you want to approach the game when starting out.

There are two important things to bear in mind regarding classes. The obvious one is that they are subject to a great deal of change between now and when Conqueror’s Blade launches later in the year. The other is that it’s useful to think of them as weapon specialisations rather than traditional character classes, in that you’re not necessarily locked into a single class for the entire life of your character.

You may choose to start with a ranged weapon, for example, but may want to add another string to your bow, so to speak, by acquiring the means to be able to engage in close encounters. As you become more experienced you can branch out to other weapons and become a more versatile presence on the battlefield. Or, you may prefer to remain focused on one weapon, perfecting your art and acquiring ever more effective weapons for your chosen class.

Obviously the classes won’t deviate much from historical reality and are designed to overlap sufficiently the Venn diagrams of DPS/tank, melee/range and solo/crowd control. In addition, each class will have abilities that will allow them to engage the enemy outside of their respective archetypes. For example, sword and shield characters, as well as able to deflect incoming damage, can make use of devastating shield charges and sweeping sword attacks in order to break a stout defence.

Then there is the aspect of how armies will be composed and how generals will work together. A musketeer may fear being charged by a nodachi-wielding warrior, for obvious reasons, but with one or two generals supporting their wavering comrade with bows, the outlook of one single encounter and how it feeds the narrative of an ongoing war might quickly change for all concerned.