A Complete Guide to Anthem's Javelins

With BioWare's Anthem releasing soon, it's time to look at an essential element of the RPG: the Javelins. In Anthem, Javelins are customizable exosuits that Freelancers wear, with each Javelin granting its wearer a unique set of superhuman abilities and weapons. Choosing a Javelin is one of the big decisions that Anthem players will have to make, and that choice will ultimately determine the kind of game experience that players can expect.

Anthem has a total of four Javelin classes: Ranger, Colossus, Storm and Interceptor. Understanding how each Javelin class works and what each brings to the table should make that decision easier. The right Javelin is the difference between life and death and will determine what role each player brings to the game. Each Javelin has a set of four ability categories, along with an ultimate ability. Players can have one ability from each category available at any given time. Players can swap out abilities between missions, as well as customize abilities as they progress through the game using skill trees.

Ultimate abilities are the deadliest and most dangerous in the game. These abilities have slow recharge rates, although players can shorten the cooldown period through fighting in battles. Anthem also features special items that can help players further customize their ultimate abilities. Here are the four Javelin classes, along with their abilities.

This Page: Anthem's Ranger & Colossus Javelins
Page 2: Anthem's Storm & Interceptor Javelins

Ranger Javelin Class in Anthem

The Ranger is the first Javelin that players will get in Anthem because of its versatility. This jack-of-all-trades suit is good for pretty much any kind of situation and can use almost every type of weapon, save for heavy weapons. With the right pilot, the Ranger can pull off pretty much survive just about any kind of situation that the game throws at it. The Ranger is the Javelin that players will train on, but many will decide to stick with it because of its versatility.

The Ranger also has a double-jump skill that lets players increase air time. The Ranger's Dash is a dodge move that works both in the air and on the ground. Also, the Ranger's shield recovers automatically after a short period of time. Here's a rundown of the Ranger's abilities and gear mods in Anthem:

Melee: Shock Mace (an electrified mace that shocks enemies).
Grenades: Frag (great damage in a large area), Inferno (fire grenade), Frost (freezes enemies), Seeker (splits into smaller parts and seeks out the enemy) and Sticky Bomb (attaches to a target).
Assault Launcher Gear: Homing Missile (fires a missile that seeks out a target), Energy Pulse (blast of pure energy against a single target), Spark Beam (sustained beam of energy), Venom Darts (volley of darts that do acid damage) and Blast Missile (fires a missile that explodes for area of effect damage).
Support Gear: Muster Point (spawns a rallying point and restores team ability cooldowns), Bulwark Point (creates a spherical shield that deflects projectiles).
Ultimate Ability: Multi-target Missile Battery (fires guided missiles that target multiple enemies).

Colossus Javelin Class in Anthem

Every online RPG needs a tank, and that's where the Colossus Javelin comes in. This exosuit is designed to withstand a lot of damage, as well as deliver heavy blows to the enemy. Although the Colossus isn't as mobile or agile as the Ranger, this is the suit class for players who want to run into battles head first. The Colossus is the only Javelin capable of using heavy weapons, but it cannot use the two smallest weapons, pistols and SMGs. It more than makes up for these limits, though, with its sheer firepower and resistance to damage.

The Colossus also has a double-jump skill, as well as allows for sprinting and running to cover larger distances faster. Its shield works in the air and on the ground, but can also be used against weak enemies to smash them and knock them back. Here are the abilities and gear mods of the Colossus Javelin:

Melee: Heavy Smash (smashes into the ground to kill weak enemies and knock down stronger ones).
Ordnance Launcher Gear: High Explosive Mortar (launches projectile for heavy area-of-effect damage), Burst Mortar (volley of smaller mortars that spread out to a wider area), Firewall Mortar (fires a mortar round of pure flame), Lightning Coil (strikes single target with electricity), Shock Coil (emits wave of electricity to damage nearby enemies).
Heavy Assault Launcher Gear: Heavy Cannon (fires large rocket), Flame Thrower (continuous stream of fire), Flak Cannon (hits nearby enemies with projectiles), Railgun (kinetic round that hits one target), Acid Spitter (spits acid projectiles).
Support Gear: Taunt (forces enemies to divert attacks to Colossus), Deflector Pulse (gives damage-resistant buff to allies).
Ultimate Ability: Siege Cannon (devastating firepower).

Page 2 of 2: Anthem's Storm & Interceptor Javelin Classes

Storm Javelin Class in Anthem

The Storm Javelin is the mystical exosuit for those players who like to use elemental abilities. The Storm, developed by the Dominion in Stralheim, uses seal technology to boost its powers, which gives it the ability to float above the ground as well as unleash raw power. Players who want to wield this exosuit will need to do their arcanist research. However, all this power comes with a downside: the Storm doesn't have a lot in the way of defense and requires a pilot who knows how to stay out of the fray of the battle and fire from a safe distance away.

Unlike the Colossus and the Ranger, the Storm can only jump once, but can still increase its jump by sprinting. When a Storm dodges, it will move from location to another, almost like a teleport. Its shield is even more important since it lacks good defensive capabilities, but it's important to remember that the best way to do battle in a Storm Javelin is by floating from above. However, the Storm has the best area-of-effect attacks of all the suits. Here are the abilities and gear mods of the Storm Javelin:

Melee: Fiery Strike (fires an explosive flash that deals damage and knocks back enemies).
Blast Seals: Lightning Strike (fires a lightning strike causing damage in an area), Ice Storm (creates an icy area that deals repeated damage until it explodes into frost), Flame Burst (explosion that deals fire damage at a targeted area), Rime Blast (fires ice projectiles that deal damage and freeze nearby enemies), Living Flame (Fires burst of flames that sets targets on fire).
Focus Seals: Hoarfrost Shards (fires shards of ice that freeze targets), Fireball (fires small fireballs or can be charged into large fireball attack), Ball Lightning (fires a ball of lightning that can bounce off walls to reach shielded targets), Glacial Beam (fires ice energy at an area), Arc Burst (Blast of lighting that leaps to nearby targets).
Support Seals: Wind Wall (creates a wall of wind to deflect projectiles), Nexus (creates field to reduce gear cooldown to teammates).
Ultimate Ability: Elemental Storm (Three elemental blasts ending with a storm on designated area).

Interceptor Javelin Class in Anthem

Every online RPG party needs at least one rogue, and that's where the Interceptor comes in. The Interceptor Javelin is the suit for players who want to sneak in, attack and sneak back out before being spotted. Although its attacks are strong, it doesn't have good defensive capabilities, so players need to take advantage of its rogue-like abilities in battle. It doesn't have a lot of armor, which means that it's small but agile. The Interceptor can wield every type of weapon, save for heavy ones.

The Interceptor has a triple-jump skill that allows it to travel distances a lot faster than other suits. The suit also allows players to do a triple-dash on the ground. Its shield only auto-regenerates when it's out of combat, but it more than makes up with that by being the most agile exosuit in the game. Here are the Interceptor's abilities and gear mods in Anthem:

Melee: Double-Bladed Daggers (leashes multiple continuous dagger slashes).
Assault Systems: Seeker Glaive (throws sharp projectile at nearest target), Acid Bomb (tosses an acid grenade), Cryo Glaive (launches projectile at nearest target to freeze it), Cluster Mine (throws group of mines at targeted area that explode on impact), Spark Dash (dash that leaves behind trail of electricity to damage enemies).
Strike Systems: Star Strike (targets enemy with a charge that eventually explodes), Plasma Star (Throws a plasma shuriken at a single target), Nova Strike (sends out a projection that attacks enemies), Tempest Strike (attack that stuns a single target), Corrosive Spray (sprays corrosive acid).
Support Systems: Target Beacon (marks a target for increased damage), Rally Cry (removes status affects from nearby allies).
Ultimate Ability: Assassin's Blades (supercharged blades that attack enemies at a high speed).