Everquest 2 dictionary: Stances

In EverQuest II, stances are combat modes that significantly alter a character's playstyle by adjusting offensive, defensive, or utility capabilities. They allow players to adapt to different combat scenarios and roles effectively.

Key Features of Stances

• Purpose: Stances enhance specific attributes, such as damage output, defence, or support, based on combat needs.
• Activation: They are usually toggled abilities that remain active until switched off or replaced.
• Class-Specific: Certain classes, like Fighters and Beastlords, have access to stances to customize their performance.

Examples of Stances

Fighter Stances

• Defensive Stance: Enhances survivability by boosting mitigation and threat generation while reducing offensive capabilities. Ideal for tanking.
• Offensive Stance: Increases damage output and offensive stats at the cost of reduced defence. Suitable for solo play or damage roles.

Scout Stances

• Stealth/Combat Stances: Enhance burst damage or grant abilities while in stealth mode.
• Positional Stances: Provide bonuses for attacking enemies from specific positions, like behind or to the side.

Beastlord Stances

• Feral Stance: Focuses on maximizing damage output with offensive warder abilities and primal attacks. Ideal for solo play or DPS roles in groups.
• Spiritual Stance: Balances damage with healing and utility, enabling support abilities like group heals. Perfect for hybrid or support roles.

General Effects of Stances

Stance Type	Benefits	Drawbacks
Offensive Stance	Boosts damage, accuracy, and critical chance.	Reduces defence or threat management.
Defensive Stance	Increases survivability with higher defence and resistances.	Reduces offensive stats or abilities.

Practical Tips for Using Stances

• Match the Stance to the Role: Use an offensive stance for maximum damage and a defensive stance when tanking or facing challenging opponents.
• Adapt During Combat: Swap stances mid-fight to respond to changing situations.
• Understand the Trade-offs: Balance the benefits and drawbacks of each stance to optimize performance.

Stances add strategic depth to EverQuest II, empowering players to adapt their approach to the challenges they face. Mastery of stance usage is a key skill for many classes, enhancing their effectiveness and versatility.