Knights!

What builds your character? Proving yourself worthy in combat is certainly one such thing - see our last post detailing the intricacies of Player versus Player mode in King Arthur: Knight's Tale. But today we will focus on the game's RPG elements - beside the tactical combat, there is a lot to explore in character building and moral choices.

King Arthur: Knight's Tale is a turn-based tactical game with RPG- and roguelite elements, and when we say RPG elements, we mean it. While being a battle-hardened strategist in the battlefield is the most important part of the game, gearing and leveling up your heroes properly is an essential part of the experience as well, just like in other role-playing games.

CLASSES: There are six playable classes in the game (Defender, Champion, Marksman, Vanguard, Arcanist, Sage), all vastly different in terms of gameplay. All the heroes have different skill sets as well, so in one way or another, all heroes are unique. Heroes' classes determine their base stats and their ability to wear certain type of items.

Defenders are the main tanks in the game, using one-handed blades and heavy armour. Meanwhile Champions - the main DPS dealers - specialize in two-handed weapons and -similar to tanks - heavy armour. Marksmen are the most agile ones, so they rely on bows and light armour. Vanguards are the masters of stealth and traps, using one-handed weapons and medium armour. Sages and Arcanists are both casters, so they rely mostly on their staves, but while wear medium armour, Arcanists only have light armour.

SKILLS and LEVELING UP: As you might expect it, your heroes level up - up to 25 - as they complete missions and defeat enemy encounters and gain two skill points per level. They also unlock certain level requirements for more powerful gear. Base stats, such as HP or Vitality won't increase though when you gain a level, it can only be done through item upgrades.

Distributing those two skill points per level must be the first thing to do after gaining a level. Depending on your class, unlocking a new active or passive skill requires one or two points, while upgrading an already unlocked one requires one point. Not every skill is available at the beginning though, you need to spend some points to be able to unlock other parts - containing the most powerful skills and spells - of the skill tree.

PRECIOUS LOOOOOOOOOOT: Loot isn't limited to armour and weapons, and you can collect loot in many ways and form, in fact it is one of the most important RPG elements in the game.

Rarity is also an important factor. Grey items are your typical common, starter items. Green items are a bit more rare but still relatively common, while Blue items considered to be pretty good and rare. Gold colored items are Relics, and these are the best ones, including many unique named items with special affixes and suffixes as well.

HP / VITALITY /ARMOUR: The way King Arthur: Knight's Tale manages is a unique mixture of turn-based tactical games and RPGs, and definitely worth a mention here. Our heroes don't have base HP for instance, only Armour, enchants, skills or building upgrades can grant them HP. This means, leveling up won't increase their base HP either (since there is no base stat like Constitution that'd normally define a HP / level number). This trio of health resources make Armour the first line of defense, followed by HP and Vitality. Once you start losing Vitality, you need to be extremely careful and prepare for one or more turns of regeneration in the Hospice (or a permanent visit to the Crypt)

TRAITS / LOYALTY: Traits and Loyalty give another layer to our character sheet. Your characters loyalty will increase or decrease, depending on your story choices, giving them damage bonuses, or making them weaker. So, be sure to bring a party of loyal heroes to the more difficult missions, especially on harder difficulties. Meanwhile, Traits are unique characteristics, unchangeable abilities, linked to the heroes' background, available from level one.

PARTY COMPOSITION: Planning the composition of you four-man (or sometimes five) party ahead of missions is crucial. Forming a versatile group can change the outcome of the toughest encounters very quickly, so be sure to check your heroes skills, traits and matching gear before venturing forth.

Veterans might try same-class parties, or focus on only melee or ranged heroes, but as in other RPGs, we recommend first creating parties including as many different classes as possible. Your melee tank will need some DPS assistance, and they'll definitely need ranged cover, whether it is a Marksman or an Arcanist. You'll probably won't survive either without someone buffing your party, as well as laying out traps or debuffing the enemy. It's all about team work!

The full version of King Arthur: Knight's Tale will be released on March 29, 2022. An Early Access version featuring the first act is available now on Steam!