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Message: <blockquote data-quote="yesnomu" data-source="post: 5326800" data-attributes="member: 77306">1. The full set of the Essentials (Heroes X, Monster Vault, DM thingy) should be enough to run a game with. Close to every rule is in the Rules Compendium as well.2. Essentials is trying to be a partial reboot, is how I read it. They want a new starting point for people to get into the game, and part of that is adding new builds that hew closer to older editions (fighters who mostly just hit things, wizard schools of magic). They exist completely separately from the PHB and Power lines (in fact, neither is even mentioned in Heroes of the Fallen Lands), to try I guess to reduce what players think they'll need to play.3. Eh. Very few rules have changed, so this isn't 4.5. It's really just more classically-designed versions of the old classes. I'd call it 4e: Classic Edition or something--but I am no marketer.4. No. -The Slayer and Knight are almost completely worse than the base Fighter without dailies and encounters--their only advantage is their simplicity. (They really run out of gas at epic, it's just sad.) The Slayer in particular is pretty awful, considering that the base Fighter can push near-striker level damage while still defending.-The new rogue build is fun but has no off-turn or minor action attacks, not to mention that all rogues now SA 1/turn, so they're likely worse as well. -Warpriests appear very locked into power choices for not much gain, although they're certainly the best melee cleric so far. I would play them over a battle cleric, but that's not my favorite type of cleric anyway.-The mage is the closest to being "strictly better" than the base wizard, getting an encounter power spellbook and some fun bonus features in exchange for ritual casting and implement mastery. On the other hand, the way I read it, they are locked into one paragon path, which is alright but not spectacular. This is the closest, but I still might go base wizard for the flexibility of PP options/free rituals.5 & 6. Are they a new player? If so, the mage is presented more simply, without a barrage of options like Arcane Power and the like. Otherwise, I'd show them both types, and they could pick which they liked more. There are still advantages to the PHB wizard.Older classes are absolutely not outdated. In fact, if you like the older classes, most of the Essentials classes will probably be too simple for your tastes. I'm playing a Shaman now, and wouldn't consider dropping it for anything other than a Mage--and probably not that either.</blockquote>

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