Editing Log Horizon (section)

==The Classes==

[[File:Log_Horizon_Classes.png|500px|thumb|From Left to Right: Dorf Cleric, Elf Monk, Samurai, Human Guardian, Foxtail Druid]]

There are twelve available Classes to choose from upon Character Creation in ''Elder Tale'', plus a whole gamut of subclasses- there are currently <s>127</s> 133, with more being developed all the time.  These, along with the race a player chooses, determines what Skills can be learned.

The twelve classes are further split into four groups, based on the expected roles that they would serve in a typical party.  The Tank-DPS-Healer MMO trifecta is of course present, but Elder Tale also adds the Weapon-based classes into the mix as the main source of physical DPS.

Finally, each Class each has a few well-known builds associated to it. The characters in Log Horizon typify many of these builds, often to highlight their differing playstyles and preferences even in the same class.

===Guardian===

The tanks of the game. Their role is to take damage and manage aggro.  They have high HP pools, can equip heavy armor, and can use most weapons and shields. 

The Guardian has three main builds:

* '''Fortress''': Traditional Tank type, equipping heavy armor, shield, and a one-handed sword.
* '''Scarlet Knight''': Auto-attack type. Forgoes a shield for a two-handed weapon with HP drain and other HP drain equipment.
* '''Juggernaut''': Skill spam type, to create a damage spike on targets. Requires cooldown-reduction and mana drain/regen equipment.

===Samurai===

A regional class only available in the Yamato server, it replaces the Pirate.  Can use Japanese-themed equipment, can also dual-wield.  While it can chain several high-damage abilities, said abilities have long cooldowns, which means  its better suited for short skirmishes. 
The class has two popular builds:

* '''Sword''': The standard build using two-handed swords and heavy armor. Otherwise plays the same role as the Fortress Guardian.
* '''Vengeance''': Build focused on battlefield control, using stances and counterattacks. Requires cooldown-reduction and recovery items.

===Monk===

The hand-to-hand class, the Monk has the highest HP pool of all classes, a high resistance to Special Attacks, and the highest evasion rate.  Add to this, its skills have low cooldown times, which give it the capability to quickly chain special attacks. In return Monks can only equip light armor, and cannot use shields. The class is popular among solo players.  

The Monk has two popular builds:

* '''Kung-Fu''': Standard Monk build, focusing on punching and grapples. Often used as an off/evasion tank.
* '''Kicker''': Build focusing on kick attacks.  Relatively uncommon, as it is less capable of taking on large mobs.

===Assassin===

The main physical DPS class, Assassins are stealthy glass cannons, with almost no defensive skills.  While they can equip most bladed weapons, as well as ranged weapons, but can only use light armor, and primarily depends on its stealth skills and Evasion to survive fights.  
Because of their skillset, Assassins can also serve as spies and scouts.  

Assassins have three main builds:

* '''Shadow Blade''': Sneak attack and melee build.  Popular among solo players, it uses the Assassin's stealth skills to do infiltrate close to enemies and deal burst damage.
* '''Sniper''': Ranged status-dealing build.  Uses bows and crossbows to deal burst damage and status effects, and movement skills to get away from aggro.
* '''Sword Dancer''': Dual-wielding skill-spam build. A more front-line build that relies on chaining damage skills to take down enemies.

===Swashbuckler===

A melee class that specializes in dual-wielding and fighting multiple enemies at once.  It does relatively less damage than assassins, but in exchange its skills allow for varied attack combinations. While it is limited to light armor, it can use most bladed weapons, and has the best defensive abilities of the weapon-based classes. 

The class has at least four known builds:

* '''Dual Blade''': Considered the standard build, using dual-wielding to overwhelm enemies with weight of attacks. There's some variation depending on the weapon used, with rapiers emphasizing speed, while other weapons focus on bigger direct damage.
* '''Single Blade''': Uses a one-handed weapon [[Derp|two-handed]] and focuses on increased damage skills. Favored by solo players.
* '''Sword and Buckler''': Swaps out the additional rapier of the dual-wielder with a buckler to allow additional defense. Can serve as an off-tank, though it's not as good as Warrior-class, and its DPS is obviously lower than the other builds.
* '''Throwing Weapon''': An extremely rare build due to costs involved, becomes viable once returning weapon enhancements become available. 

===Bard===

Musical class, uses songs to buff allies or hinder enemies. The class can only equip up to leather armor, and use light weapons as well as musical instruments.  Their musical buffs last until they are cancelled, and higher-level bards can have two song effects active at the same time. 

The class has at least three popular builds:

* '''Concert Master''': Focuses on Support songs at increase their allies' combat ability. Not expected to fight on the front lines, and relies on auto-attack in combat.
* '''Prima Actor''': Focuses on Attack songs, increasing the amount of attacks done by allies as well as their damage. More effective against groups, and less effective against single enemies.
* '''Virtuoso''': Focuses on Curse songs. Weakens enemies with their songs.

===Cleric===

The stereotypical support healer. Has the highest burst-heal capability of the Healer-classes. The class can equip up to full plate armor, giving it excellent defense, but in return it has few offensive options.  

The Cleric has two popular builds:

* '''Armor Cleric''': Frontline healer, this build uses full plate armor and a shield for protection, and a mace or sword for offense.  A variant of this build uses two shields instead.  Popular with solo players due its durability, though most often seen during dungeon raids as well.
* '''High Healer''': Backline healer, usually eschewing armor for robes and weapons for staves that modify support skills. Usually has a higher MP pool as a result. 

===Kannagi===

The localized version of the Medium class, and stylized after the Japanese miko, it is a class that focuses on spells that reduce or prevent damage on a single ally or a whole party. These barriers last until a certain amount of damage gets dispelled. Aside from these, the class has a limited if weak amount of healing as back up. The Kannagi can equip up to chain mail, and can use Japanese swords and spears. 

The class has three popular builds:

* '''Prayer''': Focuses on defensive shields to protect allies. Most common build used by players.
* '''War Priest''': Offensive build, using a katana or naginata to attack, defensive skills cast on self for survivability, and Exorcism skills for damage.
* '''Bow User''': Similar to the War priest, except uses a bow for offense. Has less use for mobility, as they're often in the back line, and can focus on support and healing.

===Druid===

A nature-based healing class, druids specialize in spells that heal-over-time instead of a single burst of recovery. Aside from this, the class features a fair bit of defensive and offensive skills, making it very well-rounded. Its main weakness is that, because of its need to constantly recast spells, its fairly MP intensive.

The Druid has a three popular builds:

* '''Witch Doctor''': Focuses on regen/heal-over-time spells, with some instant heals sprinkled in.
* '''Shaman''': Focuses on offensive elemental magic, with some elemental debuffs, while keeping few healing spells.
* '''Absorber''': Melee build focusing elemental attacks and pet summons to assist in damage dealing.

===Sorcerer===

A spellcasting Class that uses powerful elemental spells to do massive damage.  In return, the Sorcerer has the lowest available HP pool and defensive options of all classes.

The class has two popular builds:

* '''Battery''': Magical field artillery, use combat spells and equip wants to blast enemies from afar.
* '''Rage''': The opposite of the Battery, this build emphasizing getting close and personal to nuke opponents.

===Summoner===

A spellcasting Class that summons monsters to aid them in battle. To balance out the fact that whatever they summon remains until dismissed, had only 1/3rd the strength of the original creature, and a Summoner can only have one summoned creature available at the time.

The class features a few popular builds:

* '''Elementaler''': Specializes in summoning elemental spirits. Has found surprisingly mundane use post-Catastrophe, such as in cooking or cleaning.
* '''Necromancer''': Specializes in summoning and controlling Undead.
* '''Puppeteer''': Specializes in summoning constructs like Golems.
* '''Beast Tamer''': Specializes in summoning phantom beasts like the Carbuncle or Unicorn. Can serve as a sub-healer in a pinch.

===Enchanter===

A spellcasting Class that specializes in buffs that assist allies, and debuffs that hinder enemies. Has the highest MP pool of the game, but in return has little offensive or defensive capability on its own.  This makes it unpopular with solo players but a key force multiplier in top raid groups.  High-level Enchanters are thus quite rare and ''know each other by name'' (akin to top group leaders in [[EVE Online|a certain other game]]).

That said, for such an unpopular class, it still has a few known builds to it:

* '''Enhancer''': Focuses on helping allies via buffs and hindering enemies via hexes.
* '''Crowd Controller''': Revolves around confusing or outright controlling large amounts of enemies with spells.
* '''Mana Controller''': A dungeon raid build, which focuses on spells that restore MP for allies.
* '''Sprinkler''': A rare offensive build, using the low cooldown time of the Pulse Bullet spell plus mana-reduction items to spam an otherwise weak damage spell up to '''thirty times a minute'''.
* '''Evil Eye''': A build that goes all in on hexes and debuffs, with little to no support buffs.