“If fire is the creative energy of the world that shapes the future, then cold is its memory, the unchangeable past. Cold is primordial and infinite, and therefore invincible. It is an inexhaustible source of power, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that many of the immortals are turning to it to achieve their goals.” – Asterius’s Encyclopedia of Divine Powers
As we continue our coverage of Skyforge, we’re excited to be able to pull the curtain back on one of the starting classes in the game – the Cryomancer! What is it that makes this master of frozen arts so imposing? Well, keep reading to find out.
The Cryomancer wields the power of ice, and is capable of inflicting massive amounts of punishment on his (or her) enemies. While he would prefer to keep at a distance in a fight, this Lord of Cold has a chilling surprise for anyone foolish enough to come too close. Those who ally themselves with the Cryomancer will not only reap the benefit of having a powerful master of frost, but they will be able to also take advantage of the Cryomancer’s ability to slow and freeze enemies in place. Because of their versatility as both an offensive damage dealer and a supportive crowd control specialist, there is always a place for the Cryomancer as you face both monsters and fellow players.
Ice Crystal is an integral attribute of any Cryomancer. Transformed into the freezing energy by cryogenerators, Ice Crystal energy is used to fuel the abilities that make them so dangerous. Cryomancers feature a wide array of abilities, which can be broken down into the more basic offensive attacks and more spectacular skills.
A Cryomancer’s basic abilities include…
- Cryonic Pulse. Depending on how long you hold the spell, you will active one of two abilities: Shattered Storm, activated when you briefly hold the spell by clicking your mouse, focuses damage on a single target. If you hold down your mouse click you will activate Freezing Gale, which damages all enemies in a small area of effect.
- Icy Missile. Similar to Cryonic Pulse, Icy Missile has two distinct effects that will trigger based on how long you hold the spell. Short spells activate Icy Thorn, which inflicts a considerable amount of damage to one target. Spells held longer will activate Icy Dart, which will deal Damage Over Time on top of your base damage.
In addition to these basic attacks you also have an array of special abilities…
- Snowball. Used as a medium-range crowd control spell, Snowball takes enemies for a ride as they’re knocked down and then rolled up in the snowball. Eventually the snowball will break apart, letting gravity take your foes for a trip and leaving them stunned once they land.
- Ice Statue. With a sly step to the side the Cryomancer leaves behind a sculpture of himself forged wholly of ice. When an enemy strikes it, the Intense Cooling effect slows their movement. If stacked, Intense Cooling can actually freeze them in place for a time.
- Whiteout. Calling on an ice storm that rises from the earth and inflicts damage on all enemies caught in it, this is an effective AoE ability that can clear groups of foes with ease.
- Northern Breeze. When your enemy is reeling and close to defeat, this knockout ability becomes available. When cast, your slain enemy is encased in a block of ice.
When the Cryomancer has summoned enough energy, they can call on one additional, devastatingly powerful ability…
- Frost Shackles. The Cryomancer forges an icy dome around themselves that quickly expands, turning any enemy unfortunate enough to be caught inside of it into ice statues. This particular ability can also be used against game bosses that may otherwise be immune to control abilities.
These are only a few of the Cryomancer’s many abilities, of course. As your character develops through your play, you’ll have the opportunity to tweak your skills based on your playstyle; focusing on inflicting damage or making fights harder for your enemies by utilizing crowd control abilities. You can even combine the different styles. You’ll also have an assortment of passive talents, which will have an effect on the potency of your abilities, their cryogen costs to cast, and the length of their cooldowns.
As Skyforge continues to evolve as it approaches its launch you’ll be able to find a more detailed list of abilities on the game’s website.
If you choose to walk the path of the Cryomancer, you won’t have to worry about chaining together long combo attacks or prolonged charge times on certain abilities. The Cryomancer is designed to be a dynamic, combat-ready class that is both easy to learn, and nuanced enough to demand true skill to master. Freely able to move around the battlefield and with enough tricks up its sleeve to slip away from enemies that come too close, the Cryomancer is a great class for players new to Skyforge to pick up and start playing.
If the Cryomancer sounds like the type of character you’d play, you can sign up for the Skyforge Beta right now! You can also help keep the Skyforge Wiki updated by becoming a contributor. Interested, but not sure how to edit a wiki? Have no fear! We’ve provided all the instructions you’ll need in our Help Wiki, which will walk you through the whole process.