Just when I thought I was caught up with all of my characters…they had to go and release a new class. The Summoner is unique however in that it is the only class that can summon units and send them against the never-ending waves of bad guys via an RTS (Real Time Strategy) interface. As a diehard RTS fan, I could have sworn I heard “Ode to Joy” thundering in my ears when I discovered this new feature…but does it really work?
Dungeon Defenders: Summoner
I’m not going to lie to you, this particular class is going to take some getting used to. You can summon archers, spiders, orcs, mages, warriors, and ogres…you know…things you’ve been killing by the billions all of the time. Each type of unit (called minions) has a summoning cost and counts toward a shared minion unit cap, just like towers. What I find interesting is that the minion unit (MU) cap is separate from the defense unit (DU) cap for towers…meaning that summoned minions do not count against the shared tower unit cap. This allows friends to team up without having to step over each other as much and opens the door for all new strategies.
Ogres are expensive, but pack a mean punch.
You’ll have a wide range of abilities and commands at your disposal. Phase Shift will allow you to move through objects and not be targetable, while Flash Heal will heal all nearby minions and hero defenses. Entering Overlord Mode will activate a top down view similar to that of an RTS game where you’ll be able to select minions and tell them what to do via drag, point, and click. When you’re not in Overlord Mode, you’ll still be able to issue orders with your primary and secondary attack buttons. Oh, did I mention that the Summoner doesn’t use weapons, but can have two pets?
I just want to make them go…
I find it difficult sometimes to tell who is who in Overlord Mode…luckily, your selected units will have green rings around them.
Overall, the Summoner class is a welcome addition to the Dungeon Defenders saga…but don’t expect to master it overnight.
—