Second Knight

In a way, I guess I have to thank Mythic for yanking four classes from the game back in July, because it's given us something to endlessly speculate upon until we hear something official. We do know that four careers will be re-introduced to the game, and that they'll fill the roles that were left void (two tanks, two melee dpsers). What we don't know is whether or not the four careers will be the cut Knight of the Blazing Sun (KOBS), Hammerer, Choppa and Black Guard -- or whether Mythic is taking their core mechanics and working them into a new career entirely.

We've speculated on the demand for and popularity of the possibility of the Dwarf Slayer to replace the Hammerer as the melee DPSer of that race. I think there's a good chance that the Choppa and Black Guard will return as is, just retooled, because the Choppa was incredibly popular (which seems to go against it not playing well from Mythic's end) and the Black Guard definitely offers a sinister-looking tank that Dark Elf players have been salivating after.

That leaves the Knight of the Blazing Sun as our fourth career to examine as a possibility for replacement. Yes, I think we can agree that Order desperately needs a human tank in the mix to bolster the tank population that's been hurting from tank-players who aren't drawn to the squat (yet powerful) Ironbreaker or the blade-hugging (yet deadly) Swordmaster. But several are concerned about the KOBS returning as we last saw them -- high-falootin' knights with feathers springing out of their helmets like a peacock. Because nothing strikes fear harder or faster in the hearts of Destruction than feathers. (Then again, if they actually ended up looking like this... I might reconsider.)

Okay, it does seem to be a bit unfair to pick on the feathers, since this brings us a pretty unique look for tanks, kind of a Spanish conquistador thing. But the career as a whole didn't hit the "oh WOW" factor back in beta, which makes me wonder -- what if we're going to see a different knight entirely?

What someone clued me in to last week was that the Empire actually has four types of major knightly orders, of which the Knights of the Blazing Sun is just one, and one of the smaller orders at that. You also have:

• Knights Panther - a major order of knights who are quite fanatical in not allowing any servant of Chaos to live. Their look, according to Wikipedia: "the Knights still trim their clothes and crests with whatever exotic spotted or striped fur they can obtain. Their shields carry the emblem of their order, the fabled spotted panther of Araby."


• Knights of the White Wolf - the other major order, they fight with calvary warhammers and follow the god of winter, wolves and war.


• The Reiksguard - the bodyguards and personal regiment of Emperor Franz, they probably fit best in with your average mental image of a pristine, armored medieval knight.

Not to mention that there's at least a dozen other minor knightly orders of the Empire, all waiting for their turn to bash a few good heads in.

So the question is, why did Mythic pick the Knights of the Blazing Sun in the first place, and if they're not going to be coming back, which of the other knightly orders might they choose?

My gut, expansive and wise that it is, was instantly attracted to the White Wolves. Perhaps it's because I read too much George R.R. Martin, but I'd wager that the theme of that order would resonate with more MMO players than the yellow/orange/feathery KOBS would. The fact that they mostly fight with warhammers might be a stroke against them (as that might seem too similar to Warrior Priests), but... yeah, I can see people liking the concept.

What say you, Mr. Internet? If not the KOBS, who should step up to take their place?