Grim Dawn - Misadventure #20

Crate Entertainment released new information on Grim Dawn.  The update shows the options available to those who choose the Soldier mastery.

Hello, Grim readers, and welcome back to Grim Misadventures! As you may have noticed by the playtesters lurking around the forums, we have begun the Friends and Family phase of development. These brave souls are helping us knock out some of the remaining critical issues that must be addressed before Alpha can begin.

To hold you over in the meantime, we will begin a series of updates that will familiarize you with the three masteries available to you once Alpha begins. Up first is the Soldier!

Cadence
“The use of weapon forms in combat gives your attacks a natural cadence with peaks and ebbs that, while predictable, are none the less effective and difficult to counter. When used as your default weapon attack, Cadence will magnify the power of every 3rd strike.”

Cadence is the core combat skill of the Soldier mastery. When used in place of your left click, your auto attacks will generate charges. Every third charge, you will slam your target with an overhead swing. Modifiers for this skill add bleed damage that resonates with nearby enemies and a chance to unleash one of three devastating effects with every Cadence.

Forcewave
“Such force is channeled into the attack that it compresses the very air, projecting out a wave of energy that stuns and damages foes. This attack requires a shield, two-handed crossbow or rifle.”

Forcewave is a close combat wave attack which stuns your enemies. It also serves as an excellent early level area of effect attack. Modifiers for Forcewave cause it to reduce armor and increase the stun duration along with added bleed damage.

Will to Live
“Unwilling to yield to death, you muster a final surge of strength and fight on with renewed determination.”

Will to Live is a passive defense skill which activates at low health to provide an instant heal and a temporary increase to health regeneration. The internal cooldown is short which makes this a reliable life-saver, but becoming too reliant on it could spell disaster in a tough situation.

Zolhan’s Technique
“Named for the famed fighting master, this attack uses a low center of mass and powerful thrust to imbalance your opponents.”

Zolhan’s Technique is a passive attack that triggers on your base (or Cadence) attacks. Whenever it activates, you will strike several nearby opponents with a heavy melee attack that drastically reduces their attack speed for a short duration.