A closer look at Pagan Online's Istok, The Stalwart Protector

There's a colorful cast of characters in Pagan Online, and today Shacknews will examine Istok, The Stalwart Protector. A tank-class hero who draws on his strength and Fortitude to best opponents, Istok is the last of a line of ancient sages with powerful abilities.

Istok, The Stalwart Protector

Like many powerful and ancient beings, Istok is a man of many names — The Stalwart Protector and Ancient Sage of the Igman Mountains are such examples. According to the folks at Wargaming, Istok is the last of his kind, having been one of the only sage to survive his order's dangerous rituals.

Here's Istok's background lore and character description as featured on the official Pagan Online website:

Istok's Abilities and Stats | Strength and Fortitude

Being such a powerful character, players can expect Istok to align with what's commonly called a tank class. He's slow-moving, but his strength and area-of-attack abilities make for excellent crowd control. Even better, he can heal himself when situations get tense, and can either Taunt enemies to draw aggro or use Shield of the Righteous to protect nearby allies.

Here are each of Istok's passive and active abilities, with descriptions provided by Wargaming:

• Thundering Bulwark (passive) - By receiving damage on his shields, Istok can build static charges which temporarily increase his damage.
• Forceful Swing (left mouse) - Primary 3-hit combo that deals damage and generates resolve. Each successful hit reduces the cooldown of Shield of the Righteous by 0.3 seconds.
• Thunderslam (right mouse) - Massive frontal damage that deals lighting damage and slows enemies.
• Shield of the Righteous (shift) - Gain a temporary shield and stun immunity for yourself, and a weaker shield for all allies in range. All damage on any of the active shields generates static charges for Istok.
• Mace Throw (middle mouse) - Throw the mace for a ranged attack; the mace then return sto your hand. Each enemy hit by it is damaged and stunned.
• Taunt (E) - Taunt all enemies around you and force them to focus you.
• Thunderfist (F) - Summon a gigantic fist from the ground that deals massive damage and consumes any static charges for a bigger dmaage bonus.
• Overpower (space) - Hit all enemies around you and heal yourself for each enemy affected.

Finally, Istok's primary stats are Fortitude and Strength. Pagan Online players would be wise to make the most of these elements, especially in conjunction with the Thundering Bulwark passive. When working in groups, the strength gained from blocking attacks can be used to buff Forceful Swing, which will in turn reduce the cooldown on Shield of the Righteous. For more defensive players, buffing Fortitude and using Taunt should be able draw enemy focus and ensure that allies can make the most of their specialties.

Istok, The Stalwart Protector is but one of eight heroes available in Pagan Online. To learn more about the newest release from the developers at Wargaming, be sure to check out the latest news and guides featured on Shacknews' Pagan Online home page.

Kevin Tucker

Guides Editor

Kevin Tucker is a core component of Shacknews' powerful guide development team. For questions, concerns, tips, or to share constructive criticism, he can be reached on Twitter @dukeofgnar or through e-mail at kevin.tucker@shacknews.com.