[b]As a disclaimer, I would like to take a moment to assure people that all opinions on this post are purely personal. Whatever I say is not necessarily the "best" statement.[/b]
After playing extensively with all three classes and all six foci, I've put this guide together for those people who may be curious about which type of behavior each Class and Focus is tailored towards. Some people may find that certain classes or Foci simply don't fit their playstyle. This is a 3-part informational source to help you find and understand which class suits you and others best.
[b]Hunter[/b]
Although frowned upon by many a Destiny player as being the "cheapest" or "most OP" class in the game, none can deny the power of a Hunter. Although lightly armored with a moderate regeneration time, the Hunter excels in extreme mobility. This makes a Hunter hard to pin down, and nearly impossible to corner. Hunters are the tacticians of the three classes, and use an array of skills to gain the tactical advantage. A good Hunter always has a backup and contingency plan -be it a Throwing Knife, a Tripmine, or invisibility. The Hunter is, most specifically, tailored to the kinds of players who enjoy quick hit-and-run tactics. Hunters can quickly infiltrate, deal massive damage, and exfiltrate with little time for their opponents to react and return fire. The Hunter's biggest weakness is their stats. If a Hunter has exhausted all of their contingencies and trump cards, it typically takes little to finish them off. With only moderate armor and recovery, Hunters simply are not meant for taking too many hits. Being the typical personification of a hunter/stealth type, they also do little in the way of team support aside from using their invisibility to revive fallen comrades without the fear of enemy fire. The Hunter's two Foci, Gunslinger and Bladedancer, are made for the people who are supremely confident and excel in either long-range or close-quarters combat. While they may appear to be “cheap” or “noobish” certain parts to a Hunter do indeed require a degree of skill in order to use effectively. Hunters are more difficult to use, starting off, but mastery can make you a deadly foe, even by Guardian standards.
[b]Gunslinger[/b] Of the six Foci, this one is probably the second-most-challenging. Gunslingers are the marksmen of the Guardians, with a great deal of important skills tailored towards precision kills. Skills such as Chain of Woe, Gunslinger's Trance, Knife Juggler, Tripmine Grenade, and even Golden Gun itself are all highly dependent on the user's ability to aim. Careful shots are rewarded with faster reload speed or increased weapon stability, on top of the simple fact that you've also managed to kill your enemy. Tripmine Grenades are deadly explosives capable of either locking down a point for a few precious seconds, or quickly eliminating an unsuspecting target; However, take heed, as these grenades must be aimed with care. Even the slightest bulge in a wall or ceiling could point your tripmine at a useless direction. Golden Gun is a very peculiar Super, because unlike other Supers, you are able to move around freely with it, and have a limited number of shots, which must be aimed carefully enough if you want to actually gain a kill. The other thing that makes Golden Gun peculiar is that it's the only Super which does NOT grant any damage reduction whatsoever (Arc Blade gives 50%, Radiance is 50-65%, Nova Bomb and Fist of Havoc are 65-80%, and Ward of Dawn is as high as 50% with Armor of Light). This means that you cannot afford to be reckless with Golden Gun, as a single shot could literally cost you your whole Super. Gunslinger is a Focus meant for those who enjoy racking up the precision kills, and who excel in the area of accuracy and weapon precision. Take aim, Guardians.
[b]Bladedancer[/b] This is a Focus made for all those assassins and ninjas out there, the ones who enjoy a little cloak-and-dagger action. The Bladedancer Focus is built around close-quarters combat and the use of the Hunter's melee attack. While grenades tend to play a minor role in the ways of the Bladedancer, they are nonetheless effective if used properly, or with the right timing. Blink Strike is an extended-range melee strike. Although it deals no additional damage than a regular melee attack (unless it is equipped with Backstab and used on a target from behind), it is a good way to quickly finish off a weakened target if they are close enough. Sometimes, in combat, that one fraction of a second is what will make the difference. Bladedancers also have the Stalker ability, which turns them invisible after crouching for about 4 seconds. This invisibility also activates with Escape Artist Blink Strike and Vansih Arc Blade. The invisibility will mask the Hunter from physical and electronic sensors (eyesight and radar) making an invisible Hunter an elsive predator. Keen-eyed Guardians can still make out the slight distortion of an invisible Hunter, and deal with them quickly. Invisibility doesn't mean invincibility. Arc Blade is the Bladedancer's Super, which emits a loud crack when activated, grants 50% damage reduction, 50% increase to running speed, and can unleash as many as seven strikes within the time limit. Skilled and clever Bladedancers can use the Razor's Edge ability on Arc blade to send a shockwave into a Ward of Dawn, as the shockwave would travel UNDER the lip of the barrier. Arc Blade is considered by many to be the deadliest Super, as its speed and mobility, combined with the time limit placed upon it, makes Arc Blade more capable at racking up a massive body count in PvP. This particular focus is desired by people who play Crucible extensively, due to its ease of use. Look behind you, Guardians.
Feel free to leave a comment below if these guides were helpful to you in any way. Hopefully this guide will be able to help new Guardians find the class and Focus that’s right for them.
Here are the links to my guides on the Warlock and Titan
[b]Warlock[/b] http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/88285741/0/0/1
[b]Titan[/b] http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/88278644/0/0/1
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I almost never use invisibility. I much prefer being able to use my melee near-constantly and healing anytime I get a kill with it or Arc Blade. I can survive situations that normally are unlikely so by judicious use of those skills. And while it's counterable and sometimes tricky to aim Razor's Edge is extremely effective at clearing mobs, catching players off guard and landing hits on big targets (yes even bosses). I'm also a fan of the ready weapons perk, makes it possible for me to have quick reflexes and versatility on the fly. In terms of the grenades, the only one I really use all that much is arcbolt. It acts as a free hit around corners, a good mob clearer or precursor to soften them up and it's hell on arc shields. In pvp it can act like a compass to give me a headsup where a target is around the corner, even if it doesn't land. Used that many times to flush out or surprise shotgun/fusion rifle corner campers. Just my own personal opinions based on my own experiences, take or leave with as much salt as ya like.