Heatwave Interactive has released some new screenshots and information on the class types that are available in Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising. Keep reading after the jump to learn more about the Gladiator, Soldier, Mystic and Priest.

Gods & Heroes is currently in closed beta. The team just released a brief Q&A that explains the "punctuated" beta schedule, which basically means that members of the community will be invited to try out the game during specific testing weeks.

Gladiator: The Gladiator’s primary function is to do massive damage at melee range while wielding two weapons, but can don a shield to occasionally hold aggro on a hostile NPC. While Gladiators are able to off-tank effectively for short periods of time, they are not designed for good long-term damage mitigation. The Gladiator also has strengths in crowd control which can be used to assist the Soldier or other classes. When a Soldier and a Gladiator combine their might, they form a fearsome team.

Soldier: This class would be most enjoyed by people who like to play at the frontline and enjoy the responsibility of protecting others. Though they are able to wreak havoc with two handed weapons, the Soldier’s defining role is that of aggro management.  As Soldiers are the most durable class in the game, the other classes in the game depend on them for protection. A successful Soldier will be very aware of what is going on during combat and should be aware of when to use their many different defensive abilities. The Soldier depends on the Priest for healing and support.

Mystic: As a Mystic the player will be the master of ranged damage dealing. Mystics have a good variety of spells and are adept at doing massive direct damage, area of effect damage, debuffing enemies, summoning creatures for assistance and managing crowd control. A Mystic can draw a lot of aggro by carelessly using their high damage abilities which can lead to their death.  In some situations the Mystic must throw caution to the wind and let loose massive damage with the protection of a tank and the support of a Priest.

Priest: The Priest is the main healing class in Gods & Heroes. When playing this class the player will adopt the role of keeping their party members alive, buffing their allies, and cleansing them of any detrimental effects they might acquire in combat. Priests that focus on the darker aspects of their craft wield powerful offensive debuff and spell casting abilities which they can use to assume a damage dealing role. The Priest is extremely vulnerable to melee attacks and relies heavily on other classes to protect them from these situations.