User blog:Hitsuji Mamoru/Class Qualification Ranking - "the Archer class really is made up of archers" theorem

"The Archer Class really is made up of archers"

A popular meme in the Fate franchise that I'm not going to explain. If you are here, you know why. That statement got us a laugh or a sigh at some point, but this unexpected sarcasm raise the question "is it true?". Actually, I wonder if "the --- class really is made up of " holds up for EVERY class, both as a fact and a sarcasm.

Let's find out!

Before starting this whole thing, I want to address the ranking system I'm going to use here. The Class system uses names that make English speakers laugh (Sabers aren't people, Lancers aren't spearmen etc.), and use rules that don't represent the role directly (Archers have powerful Noble Phantasms, Riders have a lot of Noble Phantasms etc.). Because thost factors make it impossible to answer with Yes or No, each Servant will be ranked as such :

E for when they don't qualify at all

D for when the Class is mostly suited for, but explanations are still needed

C for when they fit in, but their abilities aren't entirely geared towards that Class

B for when they qualify for the Class, no questions asked

A for Servants that embody the Class perfectly (when you look at them, you can almost see the Card art)

EX for the more complex situations

Modifiers will also be used if there are noteworthy elements about that Servant. I will be taking the "real life" exploits of the Heroic Spirit in consideration, and that can rank them up or down. Subjectivity will also play a role - I'm only human(?...) afterall. It's also important to note that I won't cover Extra Classes.

For now, enjoy the show everybody !

Saber= ''Heroic Spirits of the Sword. A jack-of-all-trades warrior, it combines agility and power. As skilled swordsmen, they excels in close quarters.''

According to that small description, I will rank the Sabers based of these three two facts: they have a sword and said sword is relevant and eventually fire magic beams. . And, let's not play dumb, when I say "sword" I mean any bladed melee weapon with a blade longer than its hilt...

Archer= ''Heroic Spirits of the Bow. Excellent scouts and masters of long-range warfare, they are known to possess powerful Noble Phantasms.''

I feel like this description was specifically made to excuse the meme... Anyway, regardless of such, Heroic Spirits that looks more like the Card art, a proper archer, will rank higher by default. I'll always take the power of their Noble Phantasms in account though, as it is a definite factor of the Class in the Servant system.

Lancer= ''Heroic Spirits of the Lance. Gifted with extreme agility, they are proficient in hit-and-run tactics. They wield all kind of ranged melee weapons, such as spears and lances.''

A very straight forward Class for once. No beams, no ambiguous OP super attacks, just a quick warrior wielding any kind of ranged melee weapons. Just like for Saber, I'm putting a disclaimer here: Lancer is meant to be "spearman" here, not "mounted soldier armed with a lance" ok?

Rider= ''Mounted Heroic Spirits. They are expert of mounted battle, able to tame any beasts and rides any vehicles.''

This one is going to be a major pain to rank. Most of these Servants only use their mounts/vehicles for their Noble Phantasms, and that alone makes it tricky to decide if they are good at mounted battle. That said, if they have a mythical beast or a famous mount/vehicle in their arsenal, they will rank high by default. Caster= ''Heroic Spirits of Spells and Sorcery. Proficient with magecraft of the highest caliber, they are unmatched in magic battles but have low combat abilities.''

If we go by this description, a Caster has to be as weak as wet paper, but very proficient with anything magical. It should be easy then. He wishes. BEWARE: any Casters that doesn't use magecraft of Magic will by default get a low rank. Assassin= ''Heroic Spirits of Assassination. Stealthy and deadly, they are suited for silent operations.''

Originally, the Class was restricted to true Hassans, but this limitation is long gone. Now, the requirements for this Class is stealth and Death. If a Servant represents either of those two, it qualify. It should be pretty easy! Berserker= ''Mad Heroic Spirits. Those crazed warriors have traded almost all traces of their sanity in exchange for great power.''

Here we are, the most difficult Class to rank. With so many odds among them, and the possibility for any Servants to become a Berserker thanks to one convenient skill, I will have to adjust my ranking system a bit.

Shall we finish this?

Special thanks to Rockjuve for making the tabs for me!

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