There are 4 Anthem Classes in BioWare’s co-op Action RPG Anthem. This article is dedicated to helping you learn the unique elements about each Javelin exosuit – what gear they can use, how to build different loadouts for specific needs and expeditions, what abilities each suit has and much more!
Your Javelin exosuit is the bread and butter to combat and survival in Anthem’s world. Good gear, proper loadout and knowledge of your suit’s capabilities, will save you from any situation! There are four Anthem Classes (Javelins) – Ranger, Colossus, Storm and Interceptor.
Each javelin class has a special set of four standard abilities and an ultimate ability at their disposal. In the sections below I have underlined the javelins’s main ability categories for your convenience. You are allowed to have one ability from each category at any given time. This gives you a total of five special abilities to use in battle – one melee, two weapon-based, one support and one ultimate. Between missions you can swap your loadout to perform different roles in different scenarios.
A quick word on Ultimate Abilities. These are the most devastating and deadly abilities for each exosuit and pilot. They recharge very slowly over time. The cooldown can further be shortened by defeating enemies and assisting your teammates in combat. Some special items (mods) can add an extra level of functionality and allow you to build the perfect Ultimate for your taste and needs.
Important note before we dive into the Javelin specific guides about the Damage Types in Anthem. I have a detailed overview of that topic in my Loadouts and Gear Guide, but here is the short version. There are two main damage types categories: Physical and Elemental. Physical splits into Impact (usually the weapon damage, but also some abilities) and Acid. Elementals are Fire, Ice and Electricity. Blast is a term used to describe Area-of-effect damage, it is not a different type of damage. Blast can be added to any of the Physical and Elemental attacks.
Below I have fоr you detailed guides to each one of the Javelin exosuits.
RANGER JAVELIN GUIDE
Ranger Javelin Intro
The Ranger is the most balanced of all Anthem classes with good amount of firepower and tools to resolve any problem. It is the first suit you will get to use when you start the game. Not because it’s the easiest of all four, but because of its versatility.
The Ranger is capable of wielding every weapon type except for Heavy Weapons (which can only be used by the Colossus javelin).
How BioWare describes it: The Ranger javelin has a deep bag of tricks to draw from, and there is no combat situation it can’t take on effectively. With access to a wide variety of weapon types, the Ranger is a true wild card that can complement any team and any mission.
Ranger Abilities and Gear Slots
Melee Ability – Shock Mace – Deploys an electrified mace to shock the enemy. (Electricity Primer Ability)
Grenades – AoE ability. The ability to throw different types of grenades that have unique effects on your enemies. Grenades can be picked up on the battlefield (via supply ammo crates and loot).
Frag Grenade: Deals impressive damage in a large area of effect. (Blast Detonator Ability)
Inferno Grenade: Ignites an area, dealing damage and setting enemies ablaze. (Fire Primer Ability)
Frost Grenade: Damages and freezes enemies in place. (Ice Primer Ability)
Seeker Grenades: Splits into smaller sub-munitions which seek out the nearest enemy.
Sticky Grenade: Attaches to a single target for a contained, high-damage blast. (Blast Detonator Ability)
Assault Launcher Gear– a number of modules can be loaded for an extra burst of power and flexibility in combat
Seeking Missile: Fires a projectile that seeks out a target for a small area-of-effect explosion. (Impact Detonator Ability)
Pulse Blast: Unleashes a blast of pure energy, hitting a single target with incredible force. (Impact Detonator Ability)
Spark Beam: Fires a sustained beam of energy for continuous damage.
Venom Darts: Launches a volley of darts that seek out a target for acid damage. (Acid Primer Ability)
Blast Missile: Fires a missile that explodes for area-of-effect damage.
Support Gear – Special abilities that help and aid the team in battle
Muster Point – The ability to spawn a rally point and restore abilities cooldowns for the whole team on the battlefield, who are in range.
Bulwark Point: Deploys a spherical field which deflects incoming enemy projectiles.
Ultimate Ability – Multi-target Missile Battery – Targets a number of enemies with guided projectiles and fires a series of mini-missiles for a devastating effect. (Blast Detonator Ability)
Ranger Gameplay and Loadouts Tips
Has a double-jump capability for extra mobility. Hold the button on the first jump to increase air time. It wont work on the second jump.
Jump at a greater distance by running first and then jumping.
Ranger’s Dash (dodge) ability works both on the ground and in the air. It doesn’t work underwater. Dodging (barrel roll) while flying allows you to avoid target-lock projectiles.
After a short period of time, the Ranger’s shield recovers automatically.
Venom Darts and Frag (or Sticky) Grenade do wonders at low levels and will help you speed-up your progression quite nicely. The Acid is a great debuff and primer for many types of enemies, while the Frag Grenade provides powerful Combo Detonator and nice AoE effect. The Sticky grenade has stronger single target damage and sticks to a target until it explodes, but doesn’t have AoE effect.
Frag Grenade (Last Argument) and Blast Missile (Argo’s Mace) are fantastic for all-around Grandmaster farming. The names in the brackets are Masterwork items, by the way and are great for a Blast build, combined with Divine Vengeance (MW weapon)’s explosion effect.
If you don’t have a secondary favorite weapon that you use often, always slot the ones that gives you the best inscriptions for your build. This is valid for all Javelins.
Use consumables as often as you can.
Rangers are best used for a single-target DPS. Their AoE abilities are insignificant compared to Colossus’s and Storms, for example. Still, Combo Last Argument builds are very effective in AoE
COLOSSUS JAVELIN GUIDE
Colossus Javelin Intro
The Colossus represents the raw firepower. Heavy, strong and stable, this javelin is capable of withstanding high amounts of damage. It is also perfect for players, who have adopted the brutal gameplay style. Its heavy armor, allowing them to mitigate incoming attacks while at the same time dishing out high amounts of damage with its deadly heavy weapons, make this javelin an unstoppable war machine.
The Colossus cannot use the two smallest weapon types, Pistols and SMGs, but is the only javelin sturdy enough to wield any of the Heavy Weapons.
How BioWare describes it: Meet Anthem’s Colossus, a hulking war machine designed to clear out entire hives of vicious predatory fauna with mounted artillery, heavy arms, or even, yes, a flamethrower. It’s got reinforced armor plating. It’s got jet propulsion. It’s got a cannon. I’m pretty sure it’s even got a cupholder (it doesn’t). If you’re looking to trample through the wilderness in comfort with heavy artillery strapped to your back, the Colossus is for you.
Colossus Abilities and Gear Slots
Melee Ability – Heavy Smash– Dives and smashes the ground knocking down foes and killing weaker enemies instantly, creating an opportunity for a follow-up attack (Impact Detonator Ability).
Ordnance Launcher Gear – Shoulder-mounted weapons capable of dishing insane amount of firepower.
High Explosive Mortar: Launches an explosive projectile that deals heavy area-of-effect damage. (Blast Detonator Ability)
Burst Mortar: Fires a volley of smaller mortars that spread out to pummel a wider area of effect.
Firewall Mortar: Fires a specialized mortar round that ignites a wall of flame, heavily damaging enemies that try to move through it. (Fire Primer Ability)
Lightning Coil: Strikes a single random target with an arc of electricity in front of the Colossus, prioritising targets with status effects. (Detonator Ability)
Shock Coil: Emits waves of electricity out from the Colossus, damaging all nearby enemies. (Electric Primer Ability)
Heavy Assault Launcher Gear – wrist-mounted weapons that compliment the colossus’s destructive power.
Siege Artillery: Fires a large rocket in a targeted direction. (Blast Detonator Ability)
Flame Thrower: Unleashes a continuous stream of fire to ignite enemies. (Fire Primer Ability)
Flak Cannon: Barrages nearby enemies with a short-range arc of projectiles.
Railgun: Devastates a single-target with a forceful and precise kinetic round. (Impact Detonator Ability)
Venom Spitter: Expels an acid projectile to damage enemies. (Acid Primer Ability)
Support Gear – the abilities that allow the Colossus to help other teammates in battle
Taunt: Forces all enemies within a certain radius to divert their attacks to the Colossus.
Deflector Pulse: Gives all nearby allies a damage-resistance buff.
Ultimate Ability – Siege Cannon– Devastating firepower at the click of a button. (Blast Detonator)
Colossus Gameplay and Loadouts Tips
Colossus, like the Ranger, has a double-jump capability. Holding the button on the either of the jumps increases your air time. Pressing the jump button boosts your thrusters to reach maximum altitude faster.
Same as Ranger, springint and jumping allows you to cover larger distance.
Colossus’s shield works both on ground and in the air. It is at the same time a defensive and offensive tool. It covers a 180 degree frontal arc in both cases. Sprinting towards weaker enemies and using the shield, smashes them and knocks them back. The melee attack is stronger when performed with the shield on.
The Colossus is the least mobile and agile class of all. It’s a true tank, though.
Flamethrower (Heavy Assault Launcher slot) is a fantastic primer. It works from rather short range, but the burning effect is extremely effective on many types of enemies and primes them quite quickly.
A High Explosive Mortar as a Combo Detonator in the Ordnance Launcher is a great choice to pair with the Flamethrower. It has a great damage output and hits a large area.
Use consumables as often as you can.
Colossus is not a typical tank in the standard MMO meaning of the word. It is a devastating machine, designed to draw attention with incredible firepower and AoE effects on many of its abilities.
Boost the colossus’ defenses when you plan to play the tank role. Keep in mind you will never be able to hold the boss’s attention 100% of the time like in a normal MMO. Anthem is not an MMO after all.
STORM JAVELIN GUIDE
Storm Javelin Intro
This is the mystical suit in your collection of javelins. The Storm originates from the Dominion’s Northern home – Stralheim. Storm pilots have the ability to float above the ground without depleting any resources. The suit is also capable of harnessing the raw energy of the Anthem. It is kind of a glass-cannon type of class in the game.
The Storm is capable of unleashing huge amounts of elemental power onto the enemy, but is quite weak when it comes to defending themselves and withstanding heavy hits is not their strong side.
The Storm javelin is capable of wielding every weapon type except for Heavy Weapons (which can only be used by the Colossus javelin).
The seals which are built into the Storm can use various gear to tap into the Anthem to release raw elemental energy in the form of kinesis abilities. You can equip three kinesis gear abilities total, one from each of the three categories – Blask, Focus and Support.
How BioWare describes it: With its elemental power and minimal armor, the Storm has a reputation for being a tempestuous javelin that can spell disaster for even experienced pilots. But ask anyone who’s survived a fight with one and they’ll tell you that there’s no doubting the strength of the Storm.
Storm Abilities and Gear Slots
Melee Ability – Fiery Strike – The Storm uses the seals on its arm to deliver an explosive flash, dealing damage and knocking back enemies. (Fire Detonator Ability)
Blast Seals Abilities Category:
Lightning Strike: A targeted strike that deals lightning damage in an area. (Electric Detonator Ability)
Ice Storm: Creates a field of ice that deals damage, rapidly building to a final explosion of frost. (Ice Primer Ability)
Flame Burst: A quick explosion that deals fire damage at a target location.
Ice Blast: Fires out a flurry of ice projectiles that deal damage and freeze close-range targets. (Ice Primer Ability)
Living Flame: A burst of flame energy that seeks out and ignites targets. (Fire Primer Ability)
Focus Seals Abilities Category:
Frost Shards: Rapid-fire shards of ice that slowly freeze a target in place. (Ice Primer Ability)
Burning Orb: A versatile fire ability that can be fired quickly in small shots or charged for a larger projectile that explodes. (Fire Detonator Ability)
Arc Burst: A discharge of electric energy that can be bounced off of walls to reach targets behind cover.
Glacial Spear: Fires a beam of powerful ice energy in a targeted direction. (Ice Detonator Ability)
Shock Burst: Unleashes a blast of lightning that will leap to nearby targets for heavy damage. (Electric Primer Ability)
Support Seals Abilities Category:
Wind Wall: Generates a defensive wall of wind that deflects incoming enemy projectiles.
Nexus: Creates a field which provides gear cooldown reduction to teammates who enter its radius.
Ultimate Ability – Elemental Storm – Three area-of-effect blasts in a row consisting of Frost, Electricity or Fire, ending with a meteoritic-style storm on the marked spots. (Both Primer and Detonator Aiblity)
Storm Gameplay and Loadouts Tips
Storm can only jump once. Holding the button increases the jump time. Pressing it second time will make you float slowly back towards the ground.
Same as other Javelins, Storm can increase their jump by sprinting first.
Dodging with the Storm performs a teleport – moving you from one location slightly to the direction you point to.
The Storm’s kinesis shield while floating is quite strong, but its Health pool is very small. A Storm is nothing without its shield.
Storms are designed to play from above. Floating is the key here. As a Storm you will see each combat scenario from a very different perspective.
Storms prefer weapons with longer range. Sniper rifle would be a good choice, complimented with whatever else you like in the second weapon slot (pistol could be good too).
The Storm’s abillity to hover/float nearly indefinitely is a vital part of the gameplay with this exosuit.
The Storm is not very agile. Only the Colossus is worse. Always look for cover, preferably in the air – high rocks or other obstacles that will allow you to continue the fight from the air, while not directly exposed to incoming damage.
The Storm’s AoE is the best of all four Javelins.
I suggest you pick one long-range and one short-range abilities for the Storm. Even on higher difficulties it is unlikely that you will need two abilities of the same type (range, AoE effect, etc) on one group of mobs.
Ice builds are absolute overkill. Being able to chain-freeze enemies, while priming them for your own of your teammates’ combos makes the gameplay not just much more fun, but also easier.
Use consumables as often as you can.
Storms are great both as a primer and a combo finisher. If you play with a friend, coordinate whi gets what abilities to get the most out of it.
INTERCEPTOR JAVELIN GUIDE
Interceptor Javelin Intro
The last of the Anthem Classes is the rouge-like Interceptor. This is the smallest of all four suits. It fits perfectly with players, who prefer the “sneak in, destroy and get out quick” tactics. The Interceptor is very deadly, but cannot survive long on focused firepower from the enemies.
Interceptors rely on powerful blades and an interesting set of deadly abilities that make the class extremely self-sufficient and ideal for a support role at the same time. There are three types of technique gear for this suit (you can pick one from each category for your loadout) – Assault Systems, Strike Systems and Suppport Systems. More on these below.
The Interceptor javelin is capable of wielding every weapon type except for Heavy Weapons (which can only be used by the Colossus javelin).
How BioWare describes it: With its lightning agility and powerful abilities, the Interceptor is able to turn overwhelming odds into certain victory. The Interceptor makes up for its scant armor as a true terror on the battlefield and an excellent addition to your javelin arsenal.
Interceptor Abilities and Gear Slots:
Melee Ability – Double-Bladed Daggers – Delivers a multi-hit flurry of slashes chain that can be continued indefinitely (Impact Detonator Ability)
Assault Systems:
Searching Glaive: Throws out a razor-sharp projectile that seeks out the nearest target.
Venom Bomb: Tosses a grenade which explodes, splashing all nearby enemies with acid. (Acid Primer Ability)
Cryo Glaive: Launches out a projectile that locks on to a nearby target and freezes it on impact. (Ice Primer Ability)
Cluster Mine: Throws out a group of mines onto a targeted area which explode on contact with an enemy.
Spark Dash: Dashes forward, leaving behind a trail of electricity that damages enemies. (Electric Detonator Ability)
Strike Systems:
Detonating Strike: Charges an enemy with energy which explodes after a delay. The explosion deals increased damage if the target is destroyed before the full delay. (Electric Primer Ability)
Plasma Star: Tosses a plasma-empowered shuriken at a single target, effective at long range.
Wraith Strike: Sends out a projection of the Interceptor which will attack enemies it comes in contact with.
Tempest Strike: A devastating single-target attack that can stun smaller enemies. (Impact Detonator Ability)
Venom Spray: Sprays out a jet of corrosive acid that damages all enemies hit. (Acid Primer Ability)
Support Systems:
Target Beacon: Marks a target for increased damage which will switch to another enemy if the marked target is destroyed.
Rally Cry: Removes status effects from all nearby allies.
Ultimate Ability – Assassin’s Blades – Becomes supercharged, carving its blades through enemies at high speed. (Impact Detonator Ability)
Interceptor Gameplay and Loadouts Tips
The Interceptor is by far the most agile (and smallest) exosuit of all.
Can use triple jump to cover great distance very quickly. Holding the button on the first Jump will increase your altitude. The second and third have limited capabilities, though.
Jump farther by sprinting first.
Like the triple jump, Interceptors can also triple-dash on the ground. To do that, hold the dash button.
Use the spinning roll-barrel while flying to avoid locked projectiles.
Interceptor’s shield also regenerates automatically after a short time out of combat.
The Interceptor is best when they can sneak in, hit hard and run away. Use melee builds to maximize their performance.
Use consumables as often as you can.
Loadout tip: Acid is your friend.
Here is a great infographic illustrating all abilities and their effects for all four javelins. Credit to FireDragon04 for its creation!
Check out the Interceptor Guide for a full in-depth information about the class, its basics, avilities, gear and builds!
Note: All infographics were created by Reddit user Construct_Zero and posted originally here. They are used in this guide with the explicit permission of the author, for which I am thankful.
COMBOS MECHANICS AND TEAMPLAY
Anthem is designed for teamplay. The build you choose must fit both your gameplay style and the specifics of the next expedition (mission) you are planning for.
Combos are an important part of the gun-play here. Those are combinations of two abilities applied on the same target. Some abilities can be PRIMERS, while others can be DETONATORS. These abilities are marked with a special symbol. Below I have examples for you:
IMPORATNT! BioWare updated the icons for Combo Primer and Combo Detonator.
Primer – abilities used to put a status effect on the target and prime it for a combo effect.
Combo – abilities used to complete a combo on an already primed target.
Each Javelin class has a unique personal effect added to their combos. I have listed them below:
Ranger – gets a huge crit and damage boost spike on the target. It’s great for a single target damage dealing.
Colossus – creates massive AoE explosion effect
Storm – spreads the effect to multiple targets
Interceptor – inherits the effect of the prime ability and creates an aura with it around itself. That allows him to run around for a short time “infecting” other targets nearby
There are four types of status effects you can have on yourself or on your opponent. Each one has a unique effect:
Fire (Elemental) – Sets enemies on fire. Causes them to burn and take additional damage over time.
Ice (Elemental) – Freezes enemies. Restricts their movement for the duration of the ice effect.
Electrical (Elemental) – Applies an electrical effect on the target and turns it into a conduit that disperse arcs of electricity and shock nearby enemies.
Acid (Physical) – Lowers the target’s resistances and increases their damage vulnerability.
When an enemy has an effect applied to them, marked with a little icon above their head, they are primed for combo.
The little grey “snowflake” icon tells you that the target is primed for a combo. The red overlay on that icon shows how long it is before the effect expires.
A special stat in the stat window of the weapon/gear will tell you how quickly the elemental effect can be applied until the target is primed. Additional gear perks can boost that effect.
No matter what you do, it’s important to look cool while doing it! Check out the Complete Anthem Armor Sets Catalog here on VULKK.com and pick the best pack for your javelin’s style!
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Alex "Vulkk" is the founder and editor-in-chief of VULKK.com. His deep passion for video games and love for all things Star Wars shine through the news and comprehensive guides featured on the site.
