Amazon's new Third Person Shooter MOBA, Crucible, gives players a lot of options when picking their character. With 10 hunters to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming at first. Picking a hunter that suits the player's play style will be vital to achieving victory, but thankfully, each hunter fits into an archetype which most players are likely familiar with by now. Each of the 10 hunters has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and it will be up to players to determine which set of skills matches them the best, but hopefully this overview makes that a bit easier.
Crucible mixes elements from popular hero shooters like Overwatch with classic MOBA elements from titles such as League of Legends. The result is a unique style of game which has already begun captivating audiences. At the moment, there are 10 characters, or hunters, for players to choose from, although this might increase in the future. No one hunter is outright better than any other, but there are certain ones which players from different backgrounds might excel with. Because of this, it is important to understand each one when making a choice to give one's team the greatest chance at victory.
Captain Mendoza - The Unity Man
Captain Mendoza is Crucible's take on this age old "hardened veteran" archetype. This is by far the character that players will be most familiar with as he is both human and plays in a familiar and simple manner. Because of this, Mendoza will likely be the best hunter in Crucible for beginners, as he will allow players to get to know the various game modes and opponents they'll be facing without spending too much effort on learning their own character. This hunter has infinite sprint, a very accurate long range pulse rifle, can call down barricades to use as cover, and can even heal himself and allies. The comparison to Overwatch's Soldier 76 is inevitable because they are very similar.
Summer - Future Galactic Champ
Summer is a rather unique character with a lot of options for both mobility and offense. She uses flamethrowers to maneuver around the battlefield and punish her enemies, and can be effective at both close and long range. She is unique in that rather than having a traditional cooldown, all of her abilities share a heat meter. Once this meter fills up, she can no longer attack for a short while. Summer is best for players that like resource management, freedom of movement, and firepower.
Earl - Just Earl
One look at Earl should tell players all they need to know about him. His heavyset physique, massive gun, and smug attitude all point towards his role as a tank. Players that like soaking damage, frustrating their enemies by being near unkillable, and having some self healing options to boot will love playing Earl, as he excels in all of those categories. His minigun can also do some heavy damage, and he can use it to rocket boost out of combat should things get too hot, making him a uniquely mobile tank as well.
Tosca - Angry Evil Genius
Like Earl, Tosca's playstyle can for the most part be recognized by her design. Small and mobile, Tosca is one of the best characters in Crucible when it comes to ambushing enemies and dealing high burst damage. She is able to teleport using her blink ability which even allows her to go through objects and walls, has a smokescreen which messes with the enemy team's vision, and has a sticky grenade that slows players down. She is great for those that enjoy dealing high damage in short periods of time, and her ability to interact with objects faster makes her useful in certain game modes.
Shakirri - First Blade of Na Dakkaru
Shakirri is arguably Crucible's best hero, as she has a solid stat spread, a great mix of utility and offense, and can be incredibly useful as a team player as well. The catch, of course, is that she is very difficult to get used to. Shakirri's sword disrupts enemy abilities while her pistol deals additional headshot damage and has good range. She also has a shield which she can use to block enemy attacks and can place a bubble which traps enemies inside while allowing allies to move freely through. Players that master Shakirri will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with.
Bugg - Happy Botani Unit
Bugg is an extremely versatile character with no shortage of utility, and he will no doubt make his way to the upper end of any Crucible hunter tier lists. Bug is capable of laying flower turrets which fire on enemies, has some interesting mobility options with limited flight, and can drop clouds of deadly poison while flying. If this wasn't enough, Bugg also can give himself or allies an overshield to help them during battle, making him one of the most useful characters to have on a team and a great choice for players that favor support roles.
Drakahl - The Insolent
Drakahl is a deceptively versatile character, but beyond this fits the heavy melee archetype well. His axe is his only form of damaging, meaning for the most part long ranged combat is out of the picture. That said, he has a wide array of abilities to help him close gaps and survive damage. Rakahl has a leap which helps him get closer to enemies, a spin attack which deals heavy damage, a ground pound which stuns enemies in a group, a grappling hook (think Roadhog from Overwatch), and can even grant himself lifesteal.
Rahi & Brother - Heroes of the Orion Belt
Rahi & Brother are a rather unique pair of characters, as their combat style focuses entirely on shields. Landing hits with Rahi's laser gun charges his shield, and his abilities can grant shields to other players or place obstacles which block projectiles and slow enemies down. Despite being slow, he is surprisingly mobile, as his super jump allows him to cover distances and he can even teleport to Brother. This is a great hunter for players that like to be in the thick of things and provide invaluable support to teammates.
Ajonah - The Ocean's Whisper
A blue alien with a sniper rifle? Widowmaker fans should be thrilled, as Ajonah occupies Crucible's best sniper role. Ajonah's sniper rifle does massive damage, especially on headshots, and she has mobility options in the form of a grappling hook which helps escape close ranged combat. She also has other utility, such as a smoke screen which blocks enemy vision or mines which slow down opponents giving chase to her. Ajonah is great for players that prefer to hang back and take out their enemies from afar with cold, calculating precision.
Sazan - One Woman Army
Sazan lives up to her title as a one-woman army, as she can be devastating when played correctly. This hunter makes use of three weapons, a shotgun, a throwing knife, and an inertia gun, and gets a different buff whenever she switches to one of these weapons. This makes her extremely versatile, able to deal with any situation, and she is even relatively easy to play. Sazan also has a dash which grants her great mobility, making her a perfect choice for players that like taking out opponents and feeling awesome while doing it.
Crucible is available now exclusively on PC.