White Lion Feature

Posted on Apr.15, 2009, in guides category

White Lions are fearsome and skilled High Elf warriors who originate from the wild land of Chrace. The pelt they adorn is taken from a white lion that they defeated on their own, thus proving their strength and skill in combat. In Warhammer, White Lions usually serve as bodyguards for the Phoenix King, but some of them choose a different path by trying to tame lion cubs, eventually fostering them into mighty War Lions.

Such a dangerous task does not go without a worthy reward – a War Lion can grow up to be the size of an adult horse, making them ferocious allies on the battlefield. As such, players who choose to play a White Lion in Warhammer Online may call upon one of these beasts to help them in combat; and instill fear in the hearts of their enemies as they wield their Great Axe like no other in the Old World.

Many choose the career first for its appearance and background, as Norea from Carroburg admitted:

“I wanted to play the White Lion because of the concept art, the fact that there were so few screenshots of it before release, as well as his ‘lone hunter’ style.”

Cälipso from Montañas Negras agrees:

“I chose to play a White Lion because aesthetically it really is an imposing character, and it’s quite fast on the battlefield, which I found very appealing.”

In RvR, players agree that their main role is to try to take the less resilient enemies down, such as healers and ranged DPS careers.

“In open RvR, I try not to get into the heat of the battle, since this usually means a quick death. Instead, I try flanking my enemies, trying to reach the soft targets such as casters and supporters. With the support of other melees, it’s easy to wreak havoc in there. I try and use my mobility to get where I’m needed most,” comments Norea.

Odessa from Athel Loren believes that the role of the White Lion has been (and still is) changing:

“Its role has evolved a lot since the last update (1.2), and will probably change again with 1.3. I see the White Lion as a single-target damage-dealer career, who has to assist other players in order to kill a single enemy very quickly, then switch to the next one, and so on.

“The role of melee DPS careers, [including] the White Lion, is – in my opinion – to focus on cloth-wearing careers by going slightly beyond the enemy lines. However, this changed a lot with the 1.2 update and many White Lions have now switched from an Axeman specialization to the Hunter one in order to deal high AoE damage and possibly finish off wounded enemy players.”

When it comes to the target of choice however, White Lions definitely crave healers,

a meal they sometimes have to fight for with Witch Elves and Witch Hunters around:

“My usual prey on the battlefield are Goblin Shamans and Chaos Zealots, because they are the ones on whom the result of large battles hangs the most. Also, I have a soft spot for Witch Elves, but that’s a matter of personal hatred,” admits Cälipso.

Yrerenofir from Gorthor adds:

“The White Lion finds his best role as an anti-caster career thanks to great mobility and the possibility to deal a lot of damage in a short time. I admit, though, that it’s very difficult for a healer to keep him up and this may cause a problem when it comes to his survivability.

When tanks are battling each other on the front lines, I usually slip away and lay waste on the back lines: healers are the most wanted in this phase – enemy ones…and allied ones who try to keep me alive.”

Of course, the lion itself is an important aspect of the White Lion’s gameplay; although some players prefer not to use it, as they find it too difficult to manage this quasi-second character. However, when both master and pet – White Lion and War Lion – work in conjunction, the result is deadly. That said, one has to be extremely careful as the career will never be as robust as an Ironbreaker or a Knight of the Blazing Sun. Here is some advice from Cälipso:

“Patience and skill are what you need at the beginning in order to control this character; you also need to adapt yourself to the use of the pet. But once you learn how to use the abilities of your feline companion to the maximum, you realize how powerful this class is. I believe that you can make more damage like no other, with proper use of its abilities.”

Odessa concludes:

“Move, move, always be on the move. Forward, backward, retreat to avoid arrows and spells, then go right back into the action. Stay still or attack up front, and you risk being spotted by a tank, a Squig Herder, or multiple enemies assisting each other.

Our survivability being quite low, we have to compensate by being mobile. And please heal us, we’re fragile!”

:careers, white lion

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