History Characters / PhantasyStarOnline2Classes

* SkillGateCharacter: Hunter is arguably the simplest class to play in the game, making it relatively easy to survive and deal decent damage. But to keep up and survive tougher enemies they have to get their Perfect Guard game down pat and know how best to use their weapon types. Partisans in particular are trickier to use due to Volgraptor's mechanics, but they can deal impressive burst damage when used properly.

* SkillGateCharacter: Ranger's long range and simple skillset makes them easy to pick up, but they'll get mauled in more difficult content should players not learn how to properly position themselves, carefully aim at weak points, and utilize "Blight Rounds" for maximum effect.

* DropTheHammer: Many of their "wands" resemble hammers to whack opponents with.

* LimitBreak: The Buildup Photon Art "Imperial Cleave", exclusive to Swords. The sword forms a huge LaserBlade to unleash a giant blue SwordBeam towards the enemy. It costs the most out of all Buildup Photon Arts alongside Knuckles (3 BPA Gauge), but also inflicts the largest DPS.

** Swords' Buildup Photon Art, "Imperial Cleave", unleashes a giant blue crescent-shaped beam.

* LimitBreak: The Buildup Photon Art "Imperial Cleave", exclusive to Swords. The sword forms a huge LaserBlade to unleash a giant blue SwordBeam towards the enemy. It costs the most out of all Buildup PAs alongside Knuckles (3 BPA Gauge), but also inflicts the largest DPS.

* LaserBlade: "Cross Cut" makes the blade of the Sword even larger, while "Sacrifice Bite Zero" extends the weapon range for each attack. The [[LimitBreak Complex Photon Art]] "Imperial Cleave" is an even bigger one that makes "Cross Cut" look like a toy knife by comparison.

* SwordBeam: "Sonic Arrow" is a ring-shaped one for swords, and "Speed Rain" for Partisans.

* AttackItsWeakPoint: Rangers can ''make'' weak points via "Blight Rounds", increasing how much damage is inflicted when anyone strikes it. They also have a passive skill that boosts how much damage they can inflict on weak points. Combine both to hit ForMassiveDamage.

* BladeOnAStick: Partisans as a whole, in spite of some of the more sword-like exceptions.

* CoolPet: Ranging from horned felines (Wanda), birds of prey (Trim), winged hounds (Viola), to even dragons (Redran)!

* AnAdventurerIsYou: The Scrapper, with a touch of TheBerserker, in contrast to to the Hunter. Hitting their targets quickly in succession is the name of the game for the Fighter, and in some cases, live dangerously in the battlefield by fighting in critical condition.

** Blaze Parry is one if not the most difficult counter-attack to use, even when compared to Scion classes. However, it also hits the hardest.

* CombatMedic: Hunters can serve as impromptu healers in a pinch with their "Charged Parry" and "Healing Guard" skill. The former provides up to two seconds of Perfect Guard frames while charging a Photo nArt, while the latter heals the Hunter and all allies around them upon a successful Perfect Guard. Combine them against a multi-hit attack with allies nearby to rapidly heal yourself and them.

* DifficultButAwesome: Their "Perfect Guard" mechanic requires perfect timing to pull off, but with the appropriate skills, it can effectively nullify any kind of oncoming damage from any direction, heal a Hunter's allies, and even boost the Hunter's damage to levels comparable to Fury Stance.

* WeaponOfChoice: Swords, Partisans, and Wired Lances.
** Swords are the slowest of the bunch but possess the highest attack power. Their Photon Arts tend to be relatively slow and have charge up time that can be slashed dramatically by building up the Focus Gauge.
** Wired Lances have the longest melee range in the game and attack in broad, sweeping strikes. Their Photon Arts specialize in grappling enemies around to reposition a Hunter to avoid attacks, enter the fray, or deal AOE damage.
** Partisans attack the fastest of the bunch but have the lowest attack power. But their Focus Gauge fills up the fastest by far and they can dish out serious hurt with combo chains started with Volgraptor, a Photon Art that replicates all the damage dealt to the victim over the next few seconds after the PA hits.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: The weapon action for both the Twin Daggers and Double Sabers involves twirling, with some of the photon arts doing this as well.

* WeaponOfChoice:
** Double Sabers are all-rounder weapons suitable for both aerial and ground combat with a particular emphasis on AOE damage, making it the Fighter's best mobbing tool while also dealing good bossing damage between the use of "Whirlwind" and "Illusion Flurry".
** Twin Daggers excel at aerial combat and bossing, with multiple gap closing options and extremely fast attacks. The abundance of guard frames on their weapon action and several photon arts make them a relatively safe option, but their reliance on staying in the air makes mobbing difficult.
** Knuckles favor high-speed ground combat, rewarding Fighters for constantly attacking by increasing their attack speed so long as the Focus Gauge remains full. They have the best distance travel options available to the Fighter and can deal massive burst damage with Photon Arts like "Decimator". But they suffer from extremely short range, a lack of tracking in the air, and extremely short guard frames on their weapon action.

* WeaponOfChoice: Assault Rifles and Launchers.
** Assault Rifles deal low damage-per-hit compared to other weapons, but their long range and pinpoint accuracy makes them ideal for hitting enemy weak points for maximum damage. Rangers can also load them with special rounds that can inflict status effects upon their foes.
** Launchers are slow to fire and have relatively low projectile speed, but make up for it with high damage explosions that can wipe out crowds of enemies.

* WeaponOfChoice: Assault Rifles and Twin Machine Guns, though they heavily favor the latter. Twin Machine Guns may not share the range of an Assault Rifle, but is compensated by having the acrobatics to get up close and personal to spray faces with bullets.

* WeaponOfChoice: Rods and Talises.
** Rods are the classic MagicStaff (well, not ''actually'' magic, but keeps the spirit of it), and are the primary technique-casting weapon. It could be used as an improvised melee weapon, but it is not advised due to the low melee power rating. With the "Photon Bullet" skill, swinging it allows Forces to sling an unaspected ball of photons, in case their [=PP=] is a bit dry.
** Talises trades off some of the technique power for the ability to remotely charge techniques from wherever the Talis is located, effectively doubling their reach. "Talis Tech Bonus" encourages throwing before casting, as it boosts potency for thrown Talises.

* WeaponOfChoice: Wands and Talises, favoring the former. Wands may not have as much technique power than the Force's Rods, but are better built as a melee weapon, making Techters fare better in the front lines.

* WeaponOfChoice: Bullet Bows and Katana.
** The Bullet Bow has higher ranged power than a Ranger's arsenal, but has the drawback of having a slightly slower shooting speed. They also have to compensate for archery arcs unless they charge their shots.
** Katanas strike a balance between speed and power. Their attacks are swift and are able to guard, but have middling power and the damage mitigation isn't to the extent of a Hunter. Perfect Guarding, on the other hand, is another story altogether for Katana Bravers.

* WeaponOfChoice: Soaring Blades and Jet Boots.
** Soaring Blades are the melee power-based weapon in the Bouncer's arsenal. Though their range is a tad short, they're fast and lightweight, allowing the wielder to dash to and fro while shooting photon blades with their focus gauge.
** Jet Boots are the technique-based weapon, combining the Force's technique-casting capabilities with the agility of a Fighter. Though they have limited photon arts, they more than make up the limitations with their weapon action, which doubles as a part-two to their arts as well as a dodge action.

* WeaponOfChoice: Harmonizers (Takts in Japanese), though they're mainly to conduct the Pet's actions as they're of little use as actual weapons.

* WeaponOfChoice: Swords, Twin Machine Guns, and Talises.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Many of of a Phantom's Rifle animations involve them twirling around, such as their weapon action and the startup and ending of Shift Kugelsturm. These animations are actually invincibility frames that can be used to dodge attacks, allowing a Phantom to flashily evade while continuing to hit back.

* WeaponOfChoice: Katanas, Assault Rifles, and Rods.

* WeaponOfChoice: Double Sabers, Wands, and Dual Blades.

* ArmorPiercingAttack: Weapon Resist Rule Out lets them bypass weapon resistances, letting them whale on Phaleg, Anga Phandaj, and Omega Masquerade with impunity to make up for Luster's inability to use Techs on command and its sole WeaponOfChoice.

* WeaponOfChoice: The most straightforward example of this in the game. Lusters use Gunblades and ''only'' Gunblades.

* LaserBlade: "Cross Cut" makes the blade of the Sword even larger, while "Sacrifice Bite Zero" extends the weapon range for each attack. The [[LimitBreak Complex Photon Art]] "Imperial Cleave" is an [[UpToEleven even bigger one]] that makes "Cross Cut" look like a toy knife by comparison.

* KnifeNut: Twin Daggers. But, like the previous games, they avoid the weapon's usual connotations. Especially here where they're designed to excel at aerial combat and gain power by avoiding the ground.

* {{Meganekko}}: In the original Japanese, Herbie is named "Glass" after the large glasses it wears, and it takes the form of a cute book-wielding Pet.