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| Physically, fighters are the toughest profession. They have the highest stamina of the ten, which allows them to absorb more damage than any other, and they can dish out at least as much as they can take. They excel as leaders and make powerful front-line warriors to protect the weaker members of a party. However, fighters possess no magic and are relatively slow. Fighters make use of War Tactics. These skills allow fighters to do many things in battle from becoming enraged and boosting their strength, blocking allies from being hit in battle, and performing unusually heavy attacks upon their foes. The passive abilities of fighters heavily strengthen their offense, from instilling War Cry after being heavily hit, to raising their attack speed, to making use of one of the timeless means of getting things done - Revenge. Overall, fighters are lacking particularly in speed and the inability to use any form of magic. Their strengths lie in having excellent stamina, providing protection to party members, and dealing out single-target offensive damage. Fighters can take damage, dish it out, take it again, and keep throwing it back. They are renowned for making battles last. |
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If you're looking for extraordinary health, there's only one guild
worth looking at, and the Fighters guild is the one. There are few
guilds that can hope to match the staying power of a Fighter, and
those that can will have to sacrifice growth in other stats to do
so. On top of this, Fighters have access to a wide range of armor
and weaponry, almost on par with Knights.
If there is a drawback to joining the Fighter's guild, it is that their methods do not lead to as strong a body as a Knight or Black Belt. Their armor can partially compensate for this slight lack of defense though. If needed, Fighters can invest in some training that will strengthen their bodies, such that they can better absorb damage. Their natural strength and dexterity allow them to do this. |
| Starting HP: 58 / 58 | Starting MP: 3 / 3 | Starting Strength: 10 | Starting Vitality: 7 | Starting Dexterity: 10 |
| Starting Agility: 9 | Starting Willpower: 4 | Stat Gains per Level: +12 HP, +0 MP, +3 Str, +2 Vit, +3 Dex, +2 Agi | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +4/+0 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 3: War Cry
Level 4: Max MP +1 Level 5: Second hit Level 8: Max MP +1, Chop Level 12: Max MP +1 Level 13: Third hit, Painful Rage Level 18: Block Level 19: Max MP +1 Level 24: Fourth hit Level 25: Weapons Master Level 26: Max MP +1 Level 32: Lunge Level 33: Max MP +1 Level 37: Fifth hit Level 39: Max MP +1, Rampage Level 45: Max MP +1 Level 48: Leadership Level 50: Sixth hit, max MP +1 Level 56: Seventh hit, max MP +1 |
| Suggested Builds:
- Beefy Fighter (+8 HP (both bonus points) per level) Fighters are probably the only guild that can get away with this build. They already gain an absurd amount of HP, so gaining 20 per level makes them the type that can absorb so much damage that it requires multiple critical hits or high-caliber magic spells to put them down. With the less than impressive agility growth that comes with this build though, this WILL happen. On the other hand, skills such as Painful Rage and Block may well result in a Beefy Fighter fast becoming the best friend of any and all mages that accompany them. - Power Fighter (+2 str per level) With this build, you can tear through monsters with crushing blows and worthwhile accuracy. The only issues arise from average defense and poor evasion. Yes, you will deal your fair share of damage... provided you live long enough to deliver it. Painful Rage and War Cry are of great use with this approach. Having even more damage will allow you to cut down a foe in short order. - Agile Fighter (+1 str per level, +1 agi per level) This takes care of one of the main Fighter weaknesses; poor evasion. Unfortunately, this still leaves you with average defense. This is a compromise between the Power and Defensive builds, more or less. That is, you'll hit harder than a Defensive build and avoid more damage than a Power build. A Fighter's various damage-boosting skills can make up for not focusing on strength though. - Balanced Fighter (+1 str per level, alternate between vit and agi with the other point) As the name infers, this balances out the strengths and weaknesses of a Fighter. Poor agility and vitality growth is remedied, but not at the expense of attack power, due to a point to strength every level. The slight increase to evasion and defense will make things easier on the Fighter in both facets of their game. As protectors, higher defense means that they incur less damage when blocking a party member. As aggressors, better defense and evasion means that they last longer in a brawl and they incur less damage when going into a berserker rage. - Defensive Fighter (+1 vit per level, +1 agi per level) You're not going to be crushing your enemies with your blows, but you also won't be hurting due to constant heavy hits (aside from magic). This is the safest build you can go with as a Fighter, letting your various war tactics compensate for leaving strength alone. Advised Starting Inventory: - Club (120 gold; 7-13 damage, -2 attack speed) - Standard Leather (500 gold; +11 defense, -3 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
| Knights rely heavily on their equipment and are the only profession that can equip the strongest weapons and armour pieces that exist, making them walking tanks. They make great party leaders. They are distinguished from fighters in that they deal more damage and take less, but have less endurance, are slower, and also have no magical abilities. Knights make use of refined battle techniques that easily give them the power and edge to use their weapon in a variety of ways, whether it be cutting through multiple targets to splitting a single target in two. This makes the knight class deadly in both small and large battles. The passive abilities of knights improve their powerful offense. They learn to strike twice in a single attack and retort continuously in a round of fighting. Overall, knights are somewhat slow, notably in terms of agility. They possess nothing in the way of party-boosting abilities, and use no magic. Their punch lies in having the highest defense and fighting offense of any class. They are able to deal out heavy damage to single foes and often to groups of enemies as well. Unless enemies have extreme offense or magical abilities, knights are nearly impervious. Unless enemies have extreme defense, they will almost certainly be shredded by Knights; Knights ARE the tanks of Darlow. |
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Knights will probably be the best choice for those interested in
very high defense, as their natural defense grows quickly. This
combined with their vast armor selection makes them difficult to
hurt with normal attacks. They are not very fleet of foot, though.
Combined with heavy armor, this can leave Knights at the mercy of
agile opponents who can inflict multiple hits (some critical in nature)
with little difficulty. A Knight's only alternatives are to either
work on their agility, or to use lighter armor to take some weight
off of their shoulders.
Knights can use several types of weaponry, in fact more so than the Fighter guild. This allows them to choose from a wide range of attack approaches, short those involving daggers or staves. Nonetheless, Knights are the guild to go with if you want a small armies' worth of armor and weaponry to choose from. |
| Starting HP: 46 / 46 | Starting MP: 3 / 3 | Starting Strength: 12 | Starting Vitality: 7 | Starting Dexterity: 11 |
| Starting Agility: 8 | Starting Willpower: 3 | Stat Gains per Level: +9 HP, +0 MP, +3 Str, +3 Vit, +3 Dex, +2 Agi | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+0 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 3: Slash
Level 5: Max MP +1 Level 6: Second hit Level 8: Dice Level 10: Max MP +1 Level 11: Double Strike Level 14: Retort Level 15: Third hit, max MP +1 Level 20: Max MP +1, Defonce Level 26: Max MP +1, Render Level 28: Fourth hit Level 30: Endless Rebuttal Level 32: Max MP +1 Level 34: Frenzy Level 38: Max MP +1 Level 39: Fifth hit Level 40: Puree Level 45: Max MP +1, Improved Double Strike Level 50: Divide Level 51: Max MP +1, sixth hit Level 57: Max MP +1 |
| Suggested Builds:
- Beefy Knight (+6 HP (both bonus points) per level) This approach can work, but Knights do not have the luxury of superhuman natural HP growth like a Fighter does. As a result, poor evasion will catch up to a Beefy Knight much faster than for a Beefy Fighter. Lower overall HP only contributes to the danger of poor evasion. Levels fast become few and far inbetween for a Knight (as with any other class); make every point you invest into your Knight count. - Power Knight (+2 str per level) Much like with Fighters, this build will let you destroy all but the most defensive monsters. Your damage will be second to none, and your accuracy won't be far behind. Poor evasion continues to be a sore point though; you have to be careful that you aren't killed before you can make your presence known in the battle. If you intend to run through enemies as fast as possible, this is probably the best choice later on. Your high strength growth will make skills such as Dice, Puree and Frenzy do significant damage. - Agile Knight (+1 str per level, +1 agi per level) A worthwhile build, in my eyes. Keeping monsters from tearing you up with their melee is always a wise choice. Unlike an Agile Fighter, a Knight never has to worry about sub-par defense, further encouraging the use of this build. The only notable drawback is that with improved evasion, Endless Rebuttal and Retort are weakened; unlike with a Black Belt's Counter, neither skill is triggered if your attacker misses. - Defensive Knight (+3 HP (one bonus point) per level, +1 agi per level) This is a wonderful design if you want to annoy monsters. A mix of improved evasion and improved HP will serve to keep you alive. However, the lack of killing power compared to most Knight builds could prove to be annoying, and Retort and Endless Rebuttal are still less likely to trigger. Advised Starting Inventory: - Club (120 gold; 7-13 damage, -2 attack speed) - Standard Leather (500 gold; +11 defense, -3 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
| The dragoon is a fighter with a trick up their sleeve. While they have slightly weaker offense and defense compared to both fighters and knights, they have a few special abilities that makes them fatally dangerous in duels and battles with few enemies. They are also one of the quickest of the ten professions. If it was not obvious, the Dragoon has the ability to jump, which falls into the category of skills known as Sky Fighting. Once in the air, the dragoon can come down on their opponents in whatever way they choose in order to cut through defenses. A couple of skills also allow the dragoon to move quicker in combat. The dragoon's passive abilities improve their best trait - speed. Dragoons learn how to effectively dodge hits before they see them and learn to jump with ease. They also learn the ability to lash out in extreme speed during an attack, inflicting heavy damage. Overall, the dragoon is relatively weak defensively for a warrior class, has no abilities to aid the party, and possesses no magic. This is cleverly made up by having very high speed and stamina with good offense. The abilities of a dragoon makes their offense fatal in duels because they rarely miss while dealing heavy damage, in turn being difficult to hit without surefire attacks (and even then jumping consistently allows a dragoon to avoid such attacks), decreasing the burden on healers. They are great to have in a large group. |
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Out of the three 'heavy-duty' melee guilds, Dragoons are by far the
worst at being able to withstand damage... but they're arguably the
best at inflicting it and avoiding it. While their choice in armor
leaves them with a surprisingly meager defensive rating (by the end
game only the pure mages will prove to have lower defense), a Dragoon's
agility grows quickly, neutralizing the weight of heavy armor and making
it difficult for monsters to strike them physically. If need be, they
can compromise, using light armor to further enhance their evasion.
In terms of weaponry, Dragoons are not quite as versatile as members of the Fighter, Knight or even Red Mage guilds. They do however have skill with those types associated with melee guilds, such as spears, swords and polearms. A drawback to their natural skill at evading attacks is that they are not as physically strong when compared to a Knight or a Fighter. They have to work harder to do the same amount of damage, or use a lighter weapon and utilize the increased odds of a critical or mortal wound. This aside, Dragoons get excellent stats for building a melee character, comparable to a Black Belt. |
| Starting HP: 50 / 50 | Starting MP: 3 / 3 | Starting Strength: 9 | Starting Vitality: 7 | Starting Dexterity: 11 |
| Starting Agility: 10 | Starting Willpower: 5 | Stat Gains per Level: +10 HP, +0 MP, +2 Str, +2 Vit, +3 Dex, +3 Agi | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+0 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 3: Jump
Level 4: Second hit, max MP +1 Level 8: Dragoon Reflexes, max MP +1 Level 10: Third hit Level 12: Quicksilver, max MP +1 Level 16: Max MP +1, Lure Level 18: Fourth hit Level 20: Max MP +1, Dive Level 25: Max MP +1 Level 26: Fifth hit Level 27: Free Flying Level 30: Max MP +1 Level 34: Sixth hit, Slip Strike Level 35: Max MP +1 Level 40: Max MP +1, Dragoon Fury Level 45: Seventh hit, Max MP +1 Level 48: Crush Level 50: Max MP +1 Level 56: Max MP +1, eighth hit |
| Suggested Builds:
- Power Dragoon (+2 str per level) Arguably the best build for a Dragoon; you get the best pure damage output possible along with good accuracy and evasion. Sadly, monsters will still routinely take sizable chunks out of your HP whenever they cast a level 2 magic spell, and your defense is less than impressive, even considering your armor selection. This is all assuming that you are not acting like your weapon of choice is a pogo stick. By the later sections of FFTHG, you'll find that monsters are capable of considerable damage, even with level 1 magic. Take comfort in being able to avoid damage for extended periods of time (i.e., for as long as you have MP) in later sections of the game. - Well-Rounded Dragoon (+1 str per level, +1 vit per level) The name says it all; you get good growth to every stat matters to a Dragoon. There's no real weakness to this build that any other one will have (i.e., all Dragoon builds can't do squat about magic damage), so this can be a viable approach if you stick to it. You can't stay airborne forever, so minimizing possible melee damage can come in handy. - Agile Dragoon (+1 str per level, +1 agi per level) On one hand, extra agility is nice. It allows you to wear the heaviest possible armor and still have excellent evasion. However, magic will always hurt, regardless of evasion. Also, Dragoon Reflexes has fewer chances to go off if your natural evasion is already at a high level. Three agility a level is more than enough for the sake of survival. Plus, with only two vitality per level, your defense may become a concern in areas where monsters are very dexterous and very strong. Advised Starting Inventory: - Spear (140 gold; 8-12 damage, -2 attack speed) - Standard Leather (500 gold; +11 defense, -3 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
| Rangers lean more towards the warrior side rather than the mage side. They can equip most weapons and armour, but are statistically weaker compared to both fighters and knights. Rangers, however, are faster and possess a little magic, which can combine well with their fighting abilities. Being adept to the forest blesses rangers with the abilities of Wilderness Tactics. These skills allow them to camouflage themselves in battle, making them difficult to hit. They can also empower themselves with the abilities of certain animals, namely the fox, cougar, and grizzly, making rangers fierce in battle. Overall, rangers are par for a warrior class with no passive abilities. However, their ability to use magic and Wilderness Tactics, combined with the strength that they do have, makes the ranger class very well-rounded when compared to all other classes. Such variety makes them valuable in parties. They can also solo quite easily. On a side note, due to Rangers' desire to live in the wilderness, none of them claim loyalty to any kingdom or organization. |
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Rangers have the luxury of being able to decide their future, in
terms of how they will fight. They can concentrate on physical
damage, due to their ability with several types of weaponry and
armor. They can become modest mages of either inclination, due
to equally respectable willpower. The problem lies within this
versatility, though. A Ranger can attempt to be both of these at
once and fail miserably. They can attempt to focus on only physical
power, and still not be a match for a Fighter or Knight. They can
focus solely on willpower, but then they will be left with limited
magical options; unlike Red Mages, they don't get much from either
of the 'colorless' schools of magic. On top of this, they learn
magic at a much slower rate than a Red Mage.
If one understands that they are indeed closer to the melee side than the mage side, then they will be an excellent Ranger and an equally useful party member. If they concern themselves with trying to be the equal of a mage though, then they will eventually end up in an awkward situation, as they do not naturally get the magical skills necessary to be a worthwhile mage. |
| Starting HP: 42 / 42 | Starting MP: 12 / 12 | Starting Strength: 9 | Starting Vitality: 6 | Starting Dexterity: 10 |
| Starting Agility: 10 | Starting Willpower: 6 | Stat Gains per Level: +8 HP, +3 MP, +2 Str, +2 Vit, +3 Dex, +3 Agi, +2 Will | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+3 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 1: Slow 1
Level 3: Ice 1 Level 5: Second hit, Call of the Fox Level 6: Cure 1 Level 8: Antidote Level 9: Meditate Level 11: Lock 1 Level 13: Third hit Level 14: Peep Level 16: Ice 2 Level 17: Camouflage Level 18: Drain 1 Level 20: Fourth hit Level 21: Slow 2 Level 23: Cure 2 Level 24: Call of the Cougar Level 25: Boost 1 Level 28: Life 1 Level 29: Fifth hit Level 31: Barrier 1 Level 34: Hunt Level 39: Sixth hit Level 44: Call of the Grizzly Level 51: Seventh hit Level 56: Eighth hit |
| Suggested Builds:
- Spellcaster (+3 MP (one bonus point) per level, +1 will per level) Despite being the hybrid closer to a melee, trying to turn the Ranger into a mage can go better than one would think. Poor MP will be a problem; 3 per level doesn't add up to a lot of MP when your spell choices include magic like Ice 2. Taking physical damage won't be a serious problem; high natural agility discourages critical and mortal hits. Having a very limited spell set will hurt though; this is not a build you want to go with unless you wish to challenge yourself. - Melee Ranger (+2 str per level) This is a natural choice; Rangers are supposed to be more like fighters than spellcasters, so building them like one should work out better. This is especially true due to the three calls, all of which augment fighting strength. You'll be wholly removed from your meager spell set though, since you can not cast spells while transformed. This may or may not prove to be a problem. - Balanced Ranger (+1 str per level, +1 will per level) Possibly the best way to handle a Ranger using a hybrid approach. You get to boost their physical damage (+1 str) and also increase their magic skills (both in terms of healing and in terms of damage). However, as holds true with any half and half approach, you're not going to be the best at anything unless your teammates are all of the same type (all mages or all melee). Advised Starting Inventory: - Dirk (80 gold; 5-9 damage, -1 attack speed) - Standard Leather (500 gold; +11 defense, -3 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
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While thieves are statistically weaker than any of the other warriors, they have
several special abilities that can shock their opponents. They strike critical
hits in battle more often than any other profession. In addition to that, they
are the fastest of the ten professions, a good addition to any party in the case
of emergencies. Thieves also possess no magic. The abilities of thieves is
none other than Thievery. This set of skills ranges from backstabbing their
opponents to hiding in the darkness and even dealing instant kill shots. Like
rangers, thieves can also camouflage themselves. This makes thieves especially
proficient in duel battles. Thieves have arguably the most useful passive
abilities suited to their class. They can steal gold from monsters upon striking;
they can flee from battle without fail; they can hide more easily as they gain
experience; and finally, thieves learn to make their heavy hits count. Overall,
thieves are the weakest of the warrior classes in terms of endurance and strength.
However, their speed cannot be argued with - thieves are the fastest of the ten
classes. This speed, combined with their deadly arsenal of abilities, both used
and passive, make the thief class lethal in duels. They are especially good to
have in large groups when fighting monsters too tough to handle by the standard
warrior and mage classes.
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Thieves are, by nature, unnaturally agile and dexterous. If they
can wield a weapon, they will have little trouble eventually using
it to inflict serious wounds to anything sooner than any other
guild could hope to. If given a naturally light weapon, then they
become dangerous, as they find themselves able to hit monsters that
members of other guilds rarely hit, unless they use magic. The only
problem is that later on in the game, the only choice a Thief has in
terms of weaponry IS something light. Take this as you will.
To go hand in hand with this quickness is the fact that Thieves are not built to deliver solid normal hits, nor withstand an excessive amount of damage. Thieves do not have as great an armor selection as other non-magic users, which compounds their defensive issues. A Thief, if he or she is willing, can dedicate themselves to making this lack of defense not as glaring an issue. |
| Starting HP: 38 / 38 | Starting MP: 3 / 3 | Starting Strength: 8 | Starting Vitality: 6 | Starting Dexterity: 11 |
| Starting Agility: 11 | Starting Willpower: 4 | Stat Gains per Level: +8 HP, +0 MP, +2 Str, +2 Vit, +4 Dex, +3 Agi | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+0 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 3: Second hit, Hide
Level 4: Max MP +1 Level 7: Pickpocket Level 8: Third hit, max MP +1 Level 11: Backstab Level 12: Fourth hit, max MP +1 Level 16: Max MP +1 Level 17: Silent Retreat, fifth hit Level 20: Max MP +1 Level 22: Sixth hit Level 23: Camouflage Level 24: Max MP +1 Level 28: Seventh hit, max MP +1 Level 30: Skill of the Unseen Level 32: Eighth hit Level 36: Ninth hit, max MP +1 Level 37: Bloody Murder Level 40: Tenth hit, max MP +1 Level 44: Max MP +1, Cutthroat Level 50: Pressure Attack, max MP +1 Level 56: Max MP +1 |
| Suggested Builds:
- Raw Power (+2 str per level) First things first. The dominating dexterity advantage that Thieves had back in Version 4 is no longer a big issue; critical hits and mortal wounds are no longer influenced by attack speed. On top of this, the greatest weaknesses of this build back then (below average defense, poor HP) are notable issues, now that monsters use magic and are stronger overall. There's no need to be concerned though; with the right partners, this build retains its place as the best that a Thief can make use of. Most of their skills later on ignore accuracy, so it can be argued that their dexterity advantage lives on to this very day. - Defensive (+1 str per level, +1 vit per level) This is an interesting idea, due to Thieves having precious little HP to work with. If you are going to cut back on strength growth, the only option (IMO) is vitality. HP is a short-term solution, and dexterity and agility are high enough naturally. Hiding or using camouflage will improve your lifespan (and Hide is necessary for a Thief to function later on), further negating the need for extra agility or dexterity. - Resilient (+3 HP per level (one bonus point), +1 Agi per level) One of several ways to make a Thief durable is by combining additional agility grwoth with extra HP per level. This will push a Thief's HP pool up around that of a Black Belt, which can prove to be quite a lot of HP. Problems may arise due to a lack of damage, stemming from a combination of daggers with only +2 str per level, along with low resistance to magic damage by the endgame. However, these are problems that a Thief runs into regardless of their build. Advised Starting Inventory: - Dirk (80 gold; 6-9 damage, -1 attack speed) - Standard Leather (500 gold; +11 defense, -3 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
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Blackbelts are unique in that they possess no weapons at all. They don't need to!
Though blackbelts have no magic and are defensively weaker than most of the other
warriors, their punches are far from a liability in comparison to the weaponry of
knights, making Blackbelts very efficient in duels. They are also next to fighters
in endurance, making them great at the front line. Blackbelts train hard at the
powers of the Blitz. This set of skills ranges from striking a single enemy with a
pummel, to healing oneself with the Mantra, to performing a rush attack to cut
through several enemies, to using the strength of the bear to increase their power.
Blackbelts are still highly proficient in duels. The passive abilities of the
Blackbelt class give them just a few more edges in their mighty offense. They
learn to strike quickly, increasing their hits during an attack. They learn to
counter those attacking them. They also learn to be one with their abilities,
allowing them to use all of their abilities more easily. Overall, blackbelts are
weak defensively with abilities that center entirely on themselves, for only they
understand the power they possess, and it takes time to gain that understanding.
In contrast, their offense is mighty and their stamina is remarkable. These
traits combined with their abilities make it impossible to withstand the blackbelt's
offense in a long battle. More to the point, blackbelts are simply too strong for
some enemies. They also make great targets for boost spells from the mage classes.
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With muscles chiseled like steel and quite possibly as hard as that
same metal, Black Belts are well-known for their refusal to use any
form of weaponry not directly attached to their arms. This can be
an issue early on, as other melee-oriented guilds can do superior
damage with their swords, spears and axes. However, this also has
a good side; without a weapon weighing them down, their attack speed
is left unhindered, easily making them a match for most any other
guild.
They also refuse to utilize heavy armor, choosing to utilize light weight protection such as robes and body armor constructed from leather. Again, this results in less protection compared to a guild such as the Knights, but their choice in armor also means that Black Belts tend to maintain a high level of evasion in spite of lacing agility growth. Black Belts can be built in any direction in terms of melee, due to their flexible all-around stats. |
| Starting HP: 54 / 54 | Starting MP: 3 / 3 | Starting Strength: 14 | Starting Vitality: 8 | Starting Dexterity: 8 |
| Starting Agility: 9 | Starting Willpower: 6 | Stat Gains per Level: +11 HP, +0 MP, +3 Str, +3 Vit, +3 Dex, +2 Agi, +2 Will | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+0 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 3: Third hit
Level 4: Max MP +1, Pummel Level 6: Fourth hit Level 8: Max MP +1, Fast Fists Level 9: Fifth hit Level 11: Aurabolt Level 12: Max MP +1 Level 13: Sixth hit Level 16: Max MP +1 Level 17: Seventh hit Level 18: Mantra Level 20: Eighth hit, max MP +1 Level 23: Ninth hit, Countering Level 25: Max MP +1 Level 26: Tenth hit Level 28: Rush Attack Level 29: Eleventh hit Level 30: Max MP +1 Level 32: Twelfth hit Level 35: Thirteenth hit, max MP +1 Level 36: Bear Strength Level 38: Fourteenth hit Level 40: Max MP +1 Level 41: Fifteenth hit Level 42: Sixteenth hit, Inner Will Level 45: Seventeenth hit, max MP +1 Level 48: Eighteenth hit, Bum Rush Level 52: Max MP +1, nineteenth hit Level 55: Twentieth hit Level 58: Twenty-first hit, max MP +1 |
| Suggested Builds:
- Raw Power (+2 str per level) One of the best possible builds you can utilize with a Black Belt. Their natural dexterity growth is more than sufficent, but they only gain two agility per level. What this means is that evasion is the primary weakness as a Black Belt. Damage will quickly escalate due to +5 strength, combined with the fastest hit growth of any class. However, the lack of evasion is going to be a fierce foe in the late game, when robust vitality fails to compensate for a lack of armor. - Balanced (+1 agi per level, +1 will per level) This approach is viable (although not necessarily suggested for a new player), due to the fact that no stat is left behind; the only limit relates to the lack of armor later on. Going with a balance not only ties into being a Black Belt (purity of mind and body, balancing light and darkness within oneself, more blah blah words), but leads to one of the safest builds that you can go with. - Quick (+1 str per level, +1 agi per level) The extra agility will help improve your evasion, bringing it up to levels close to those that a Thief, Blue Mage and Dragoon normally approach. Having extra punch behind your, well, punches never hurts either. Your defense will be middling at best though, so any monsters fast enough to overcome your improved evasion may prove to be a thorn in your side, along with all spellcasting enemies. - Accuracy (+2 dex per level) For those who want to keep misses to a bare minimum, this approach is the best you can do. In my belief, this approach is unnecessary; four dexterity per level is enough for a Black Belt if you're interested in accuracy. Five is a complete waste, and it means your evasion is sub-par. - Willpower (+2 will per level) In my eyes, this is simply a gimmick approach and little else. The newly discovered evasion issues that BBs gained in Version 5 remain, and all things considered, boosting your willpower this much serves no beneficial purpose. Sure, you'll have extra power behind your Mantra and Aurabolt... but what good is centering your character build around two abilities that will tax what little MP Black Belts have? Advised Starting Inventory: - Standard Leather (500 gold; +11 defense, -3 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
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Redmages are the mid-point between warriors and mages. Their statistics relate
closest to that of the ranger, but redmages have more spells. The drawback is
that learn at a relatively slow rate; spells that a black or white mage learns
in their early career are spells a red mage learns near the middle. They are
however the only class that has an equal amount of punch and magic. All mages
receive the same abilities, the Mage Abilities. With these, mages can meditate
to rest their weary minds from excessive magic use or surround themselves in a
protective force field. Red mages, along with blue mages, build up a resistance
to ailments of all sorts, including being put to sleep, poisoned, or paralyzed.
This allows the redmage to continue participating in battle without needing
assistance. Overall, redmages are weak for a warrior class but very strong for a
mage class, both offensively and defensively. It is this versatility that makes
redmages unique. They can fight, heal, blast enemies with magic, and continue to
do so for the entire battle. They are the perfect support class in any party.
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At first glance, a Red Mage is similar in approach to a Ranger,
except slightly better with magic and worse with melee. However,
further study will show that Red Mages can be better all-around
characters than a Ranger. They have similar growth as a Ranger,
and have access to almost as much weaponry and armor. The main
difference is that Red Mages gain better health and magic ability
compared to a Ranger.
The main drawback Red Mages suffer from is that, like a Ranger, a Red Mage will never be the equal of one from a pure mage or melee guild. They are also slow studies, taking longer to learn new abilities and thus attain greater physical/magical power than any other guild. They are not a simple guild to be a part of; it will take much effort to utilize their full potential. When one does access that potential, they will find themselves welcome members to parties of most any build, whether magical or physical in nature. |
| Starting HP: 40 / 40 | Starting MP: 16 / 16 | Starting Strength: 8 | Starting Vitality: 6 | Starting Dexterity: 9 |
| Starting Agility: 8 | Starting Willpower: 7 | Stat Gains per Level: +9 HP, +4 MP, +2 Str, +2 Vit, +3 Dex, +3 Agi, +2 Will | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+3 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 1: Choose from Fire 1, Ice 1 or Lit 1
Level 2: Meditate Level 3: Cure 1 Level 4: Antidote Level 5: Lock 1 Level 6: Second hit Level 7: Scan Level 8: Resist Ailments Level 9: Slow 1 Level 10: Shield 1 Level 11: Boost 1 Level 12: Forcefield Level 13: Demi Level 14: Fast 1 Level 15: Rank 2 spell of whatever you picked at level 1 Level 16: Third hit, Instill Element Level 17: Drain 1 Level 19: Healstorm 1 Level 21: Cure 2 Level 22: Life 1 Level 23: Lightstorm 1 Level 24: Barrier 1 Level 25: Improved Resist Ailments Level 26: Fourth hit Level 27: Lock 2 Level 30: Restore Level 31: Fast 2 Level 32: Slow 2 Level 35: Boost 2 Level 36: Fifth hit Level 37: Rank 3 spell of whatever you picked at level 1 Level 40: Cure 3 Level 42: Master Resist Ailments Level 48: Sixth hit Level 56: Seventh hit |
| Suggested Builds:
- Well-rounded RM (+1 str per level, +1 will per level) This approach doesn't work out as well as it does with a Ranger. Red Mages take a much longer time to gain hits, so the extra power due to added strength takes longer to surface. The good side of this approach is that you will be prepared for almost any situation. In the cases of high defense, you have your choice of magic to break through the defense. In the case of elemental resistances, you have enough physical damage to be an asset. Your natural agility growth minimizes the odds of critical wounds, while your armor selection is similar to that of a melee build. So not only do you end up with what passes as respectable evasion, you can have enough defense to shrug off a surprising number of attacks. - Tank RM (+1 vit per level, +1 will per level) As one of two class in the game that learn Cure 3, a build that works on improving defense as well as spell power can prove to be a noteworthy combination. Red Mages already have naturally high defense, being a match for all melee classes except Knights, so the extra vitality serves to make them even harder to hurt short of via spellcasting. In the case that they do get hurt, a high level RM can rely on a single Cure 3 cast to negate a good deal of that damage. If there is a notable drawback to this build though, it would be a low MP pool; that extra durability may be required in order to have the time to make use of Meditate for more Cure 3 casts. - Magic Mage (+2 will per level) This is a rather useful build. The focus on willpower, combined with a Red Mage's natural stats, leaves you in a position to rival some pure mage builds in terms of magic power. You'll still not have the variety of magic damage of a Black Mage, and you'll take longer to learn the big White spells than a White Mage (if you can learn them at all)... but the only real limitation is average MP growth compared to a Blue, White or Black Mage of any design. - Magic Mage 2 (attempt to keep MP equal to HP/2, put remaining points into will) This one is slightly weaker magic-wise than the first Magic build, but there's a slight boost to MP as compensation. After a certain point, you only need put in a point to MP every six levels or so in order to keep the ratio of HP to MP around 2 to 1. The limitations of the first Magic build remain; you're not getting new spells by putting a little into MP, so BMs and BlMs are still better at mixing damage types, and WMs are still better at healing people (and sooner level-wise to boot). - Offensive RM (+1 will per level, alternate between str and dex with the other point) Similar to the well-rounded build, but with more of a focus on accuracy compared to physical power. Use this if you want to lean more on your weapon instead of your magic. Advised Starting Inventory: - Club (100 gold; 7-13 damage, -2 attack speed) - Standard Leather (500 gold; +11 defense, -3 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
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Bluemages are the second closest to the mage side, making them weak in hand-to-hand
combat. Their biggest feature is that in addition to using both basic black and
white magic, blue mages have their own category of magic, allowing them to cast
effect spells that no other class can. Blue mages can be very disruptive to enemy
defenses and provide excellent backup for warriors. They are great for large
battles. All mages receive the same abilities, the mage abilities. With these,
mages can meditate to rest their weary minds from excessive magic use or surround
themselves in a protective force field. Bluemages, alongside redmages, build up a
resistance to ailments of all sorts, including being put to sleep, poisoned, or
paralyzed. This allows the bluemage to continue participating in battle without
needing assistance. Overall, bluemages are very weak in hand-to-hand combat and
are easily injured in close combat. Their strength lies in their unique magic.
Combining the abilities of white and black magic with blue magic that is all their
own, bluemages are fierce in long, drawn-out battles. They can hinder enemies,
boost their allies, and they can continue doing so for as long as the battle rages.
They are very powerful mages that can easily irritate groups of foes.
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Blue Mages are an interesting lot. Unlike Red Mages, they do not
rely solely on magic from the dark (black) and light (white) arts.
They have mastered a different arcane art, one that seeks to hinder
foes by infecting their body with vile poisons, or forcing them to
fall into a deep sleep, unable to fight back until they either die
or awake from their magically induced slumber.
Their main choice of weaponry is also quite unorthodox for what is otherwise a pure mage guild, as Blue Mages have sometimes been seen with some form of a spear in their hands. Blue Mages are rather well-rounded, and can handle physical fighting if they are put into a situation that requires as much. However, like the other 'pure magic' guilds, it is in the best interest of the Blue Mage if he or she concentrates on willpower. |
| Starting HP: 32 / 32 | Starting MP: 20 / 20 | Starting Strength: 6 | Starting Vitality: 6 | Starting Dexterity: 9 |
| Starting Agility: 7 | Starting Willpower: 8 | Stat Gains per Level: +7 HP, +5 MP, +2 Str, +2 Vit, +2 Dex, +3 Agi, +3 Will | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+3 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 1: Sleep 1
Level 2: Meditate, Poison 1 Level 3: Choose from Fire 1, Ice 1 or Lit 1 Level 4: Scan Level 6: Weak 1 Level 7: Cure 1 Level 8: Second hit, Resist Ailments, Slow 1 Level 9: Boost 1 Level 10: Demi Level 11: Poison 2 Level 12: Dispell 1, Forcefield Level 13: Rank 2 spell of whatever you picked at level 3 Level 14: Barrier 1 Level 15: Sleep 2 Level 16: Osmose Level 17: Darkfire 1 Level 18: Third hit, Mute Level 19: Weak 2 Level 20: Cure 2 Level 21: Slow 2 Level 22: Boost 2 Level 24: Confuse Level 25: Improved Resist Ailments Level 26: Poison 3 Level 28: Barrier 2 Level 29: Fourth hit Level 30: Rank 3 spell of whatever you picked at level 3 Level 32: Weak 3 Level 33: Dispell 2 Level 34: Slow 3 Level 35: Darkfire 2 Level 37: Boost 3 Level 39: Fifth hit Level 40: Barrier 3 Level 42: Master Resist Ailments Level 46: Pearl Level 49: Sixth hit, Darkfire 3 Level 56: Seventh hit |
| Suggested Builds:
- Raw Magic (+2 will per level) What works well for a Black Mage works just as well for a Blue Mage. Better yet, there's no serious non-mage related drawback to this approach for a Blue Mage. Poor defense will still be an issue, but with +3 agi a level being a natural boost, evasion will greatly make up for that issue. Underlevelling will still pose a threat though. - Fighting Mage (+1 str per level, +1 dex per level) This approach was reasonably useful in earlier versions, but the change to weaponry has taken away most of its utility. Early on it can be useful, since the spiked club is one of the best weapons in Dainan. Later on though, when the best blue mage weapons have a single hit, not even knowledge of magic such as Boost 3 and Slow 3 will be of use to a Fighting Blue Mage. - Fighting Mage 2 (+1 will, alternate between str and dex with the other point) Decreased melee damage and accuracy, but increased magic power. Not a particularly bad idea; use this build if you want to occasionally deal with monsters using your weapon, but don't want to ignore magic entirely. You still won't see noticable melee damage, but it can be handy in a pinch (or when you're bored). - Thrifty Mage (+3 MP (one bonus point) per level, +1 will per level) The idea is to make up for lost magic damage with being able to cast spells longer without running out of MP. Probably the best approach overall; after a point, willpower stops being as much of a priority, so you could eventually switch the +1 will to a different stat like agility or even more MP. - Thrifty Mage 2 (+3 MP (one bonus point) per level, +1 agi per level) Much like with the other thrifty approach, the concept here is being able to cast magic for longer periods of time before needing to regain lost MP through meditation. Instead of improving spell damage alongside max MP, this approach improves your agility. While this results in improved evasion, it also results in a higher spot in battle order, so you can cast a status spell as soon as possible, possibly saving the rest of your party from some unwanted wear and tear. Both thrifty approaches do however leave you vulnerable to receiving damage, making a Barrier 1 or 3 spell necessary at some points. - Healthy Mage (+3 HP (one bonus point) per level, +1 will per level) Like the Thrifty Mage, but instead of adding to MP, you add to HP. Unlike with a Black Mage, this is a viable build, due to Blue Mages having better agility growth. That one point per level makes all the difference in the world, when it comes right down to it. Advised Starting Inventory: - Club (120 gold; 7-13 damage, -2 attack speed) - Hemp Robe (400 gold; +8 defense, -2 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
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White mages are the clerics of the game. They can hold their own fairly well in
direct combat and can use white spells to no end. For this, they can assist in
party recovery, which is often necessary. They are the only class that can use
every white spell available, which, like all mages, makes them formidable as
they become more experienced. They are essential for large parties. All mages
receive the same abilities, the mage abilities. With these, mages can meditate
to rest their weary minds from excessive magic use or surround themselves in a
protective force field. Whitemages, like blackmages, begin to understand the
elemental forces of Darlow. This eventually allows them to withstand such
elements. Whitemages learn to resist lightning, fire and ice as they progress
through their careers. Overall, whitemages belong in the rear, for their
endurance and defense is poor. Their offense is also fairly poor overall. The
white mage makes its mark as the best support class of the ten. Whitemages can
keep a party going in battle long after possible defeat; this makes them very
useful. They can also blast enemies with light magic, being particularly
devastating to undead. Every large group benefits from at least one whitemage.
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The counterpart to the Black Mage in terms of magic, White Mages
focus primarily on magic that protects others. They can, on rare
occasion, cast magic that will deliver damage (particularly to the
undead), but they more often are seen healing the wounds of injured
teammates, or casting barriers to reduce the damage that enemies
can inflict.
White Mages are relatively sturdy, and can wear some armor that is not widely considered as appropriate for mages (such as shields). Their weaponry tends to be either blunt (staves and clubs) or with some form of spikes. Being relatively peaceful, they shy away from anything with a sharp edge on it; why they prefer puncture wounds or impact-based trauma over cuts and gashes is for them to explain. White Mages can inflict physical damage if needed, but in order to make this a viable approach, one needs to keep in mind that the cost of improving a White Mage's melee is the power of their magic. As such, it's not always the best of ideas. |
| Starting HP: 35 / 35 | Starting MP: 24 / 24 | Starting Strength: 7 | Starting Vitality: 6 | Starting Dexterity: 8 |
| Starting Agility: 7 | Starting Willpower: 9 | Stat Gains per Level: +7 HP, +5 MP, +2 Str, +2 Vit, +3 Dex, +2 Agi, +3 Will | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+3 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 1: Cure 1
Level 2: Harm 1, Meditate Level 3: Antidote Level 4: Slow 1 Level 5: Peep Level 6: Shield 1 Level 7: Second hit Level 8: Fast 1, Resist Elements Level 11: Harm 2 Level 12: Life 1, Forcefield Level 13: Healstorm 1 Level 15: Cure 2 Level 16: Third hit Level 18: Lightstorm 1 Level 20: Restore Level 22: Slow 2 Level 24: Improved Resist Elements Level 25: Fourth hit, Fast 2 Level 27: Shield 2 Level 29: Harm 3 Level 31: Healstorm 2 Level 32: Life 2 Level 33: Fifth hit, Lightstorm 2 Level 34: Cure 3 Level 36: Slow 3 Level 40: Sixth hit, Fast 3, Master Resist Elements Level 45: Healstorm 3 Level 47: Lightstorm 3 Level 49: Seventh hit, White Level 56: Eighth hit |
| Suggested Builds:
- Raw Magic (+2 will per level) This is a tried and true design that works for any mage, when you get right down to it. Average agility growth hurts White Mages as much as it would a Black Mage, although better HP growth is a minor comfort. As is true with every mage other than Red, poor defense will rear its ugly head some time down the line. The power of a White Mage's Cure 1 under this approach really helps, as does their library of beneficial White Magic. A wise teammate will do what they can to keep you alive if they know what's good for them when you use this build. - Fighting Mage (+2 str per level) Not as uncommon as the Blue Mage version, due to increased effectiveness. White Mages have access to all blunt weaponry, the best of which has very high damage and allows four hits. Hit growth is slightly faster than that of a Blue Mage; you'll tend to gain your hits just as you find shops with clubs and maces that support that new hit. You don't have the selection of weaponry available to a Red Mage, nor will your hits increase as fast as one. Still, you have Slow and Fast on your side; accuracy will rarely become a problem. Naturally, your magic WILL take a big hit. - Agile Mage (+1 will per level, alternate between MP and agi with the other point) Agility has a double purpose for a White Mage; you get better evasion, and increased evasion speed means better odds of getting your turn early in a round. In cases where you need to get off a heal before the enemy, getting that turn early on can be all the difference in the world. It never hurts having more MP to cast spells with, too. - Thrifty Mage (+3 MP (one bonus point) per level, +1 will per level) The idea is to make up for lost magic damage with being able to cast spells longer without running out of MP. This approach isn't as good on a White Mage, due to their limited magic damage choices. The only strong point in regards to this build is that a White Mage's primary source of magic damage costs more MP on average when compared to any other mage; that extra MP is more meaningful if you tend to lean on Harm a lot, as opposed to protecting teammates with your MP. - True Balance Mage (attempt to keep MP equal to HP, str equal to vit, and dex equal to agi and will) The closest build to this one would be a Thrifty Mage who went with agi instead of will. There's no particular reaon to use this build, aside from a sense of OCD (i.e., you just HAVE to have perfectly even stats whenever possible). Since the majority of your points will be going into agility and MP, you'll be able to cast a lot of spells, and usually get your turn before the monsters attack. The power of your spells will be lacking though. Advised Starting Inventory: - Club (120 gold; 7-13 damage, -2 attack speed) - Hemp Robe (400 gold; +8 defense, -2 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
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Blackmages are notorious for being powerful and deadly. Physically, they are the
weakest of the ten professions, but their magic more than makes up for their
inability to fight directly. They can use all black spells available, and when
blackmages gain much experience, they are arguably the most dangerous profession
of the ten. All mages receive the same abilities, the mage abilities. With these,
mages can meditate to rest their weary minds from excessive magic use or surround
themselves in a protective force field. Both blackmages and whitemages begin to
understand the elemental forces of Darlow. This eventually allows them to withstand
such elements. Blackmages learn to resist lightning, fire and ice as they progress
through their careers. Overall, blackmages are, for all intents, unable to fight in
hand-to-hand combat for any effective amount of time. Their stamina, offense, and
defense is simply too low. This lack of being able to fight is brought around
harshly by their massive magical potential. No class of the ten can do as much
devastation as the mighty blackmage, nor do so in such a variety of ways. Whether
their foes are large or numerous, blackmages will always be able to bring them to
their knees. Any experienced group will want one.
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Usually secretive in appearance, and well versed in the destructive
arcane arts, black mages are those you should call on when physical
aggression is not proving to be a quick means to victory. However,
with this mastery of dark magic comes a toll on the body of the
mage. Black Mages are naturally physically frail, and can not take
physical damage well, nor inflict it well. Their choices for armor
and weaponry mirror this, being mostly daggers, staves, robes and
rings.
Intense training can counteract their physical shortcomings somewhat, but then the mage would be straying from their primary purpose: making random foes explode violently. Black Mages are best built around their willpower, which makes their spells all the more dangerous. It is also possible to make them nimble and adept at landing critical and mortal hits, but this comes with a slight decrease in the power of their magic. Enhancing their strength is not suggested. |
| Starting HP: 30 / 30 | Starting MP: 28 / 28 | Starting Strength: 6 | Starting Vitality: 6 | Starting Dexterity: 7 |
| Starting Agility: 9 | Starting Willpower: 10 | Stat Gains per Level: +6 HP, +6 MP, +1 Str, +2 Vit, +2 Dex, +2 Agi, +3 Will | Added HP/MP from Spent Points: +3/+3 | |
| Level Related Instances: |
| Level 1: Fire 1, Ice 1 and Lit 1
Level 2: Meditate Level 3: Scan Level 4: Lock 1 Level 6: Boost 1 Level 8: Demi, second hit, Resist Elements Level 9: Drain 1 Level 10: Fire 2 Level 11: Lit 2 Level 12: Ice 2, Forcefield Level 13: Dispell 1 Level 14: Stop Level 15: Osmose Level 16: Barrier 1 Level 18: Lock 2 Level 19: Third hit, Psychostorm 1 Level 20: Rub Level 21: Boost 2 Level 23: Drain 2 Level 24: Improved Resist Elements Level 25: Barrier 2 Level 26: Dispell 2 Level 28: Quarter Level 30: Ice 3, fourth hit Level 31: Fire 3 Level 32: Lit 3 Level 35: Lock 3 Level 36: Psychostorm 2 Level 38: Boost 3 Level 40: Fifth hit, Barrier 3, Master Resist Elements Level 45: Nuke Level 50: Sixth hit, Psychostorm 3 Level 56: Seventh hit |
| Suggested Builds:
- Raw Magic (+2 will per level) A popular choice, and for good reason. Black Mages are designed to inflict massive amounts of magical damage, and this is the way to best carry out that design. Poor defense and evasion will be serious issues from early on all the way to the end game though. There is very little armor available, and a Black Mage's natural agility growth is less than sufficient. Some type of healer is almost required in order to keep this build out of danger against a swarm of monsters, especially if the BM is underlevelled. - Agile Mage (+1 agi per level, +1 will per level) Problems related to evasion are largely negated with this build; the combination of light armor choices and 3 agility per level insure that evasion stays at a healthy level. Defense will still be an issue, and this does mean that the BM's magic will not be as powerful as a Raw Magic user. It's still a solid choice, and my personal favorite. - Agile Mage 2 (+1 will per level, alternate between MP and agi with the other point) This is slightly more well-rounded than the first agile build; you get a boost to MP at the cost of lower evasion. You'll be hit slightly more often and lag behind a bit in battle order, but you'll spend less time regenerating MP, due to better Meditates and (of course) a better MP pool at your disposal. - Healthy Mage (+3 HP (one bonus point) per level, +1 will per level) A build that increases HP slightly as a way to deal with a Black Mage's fraility. Magic damage is just as high as an Agile Mage, but you'll still get hit just as hard as a Raw Magic BM would, due to identical defense and agility. It comes down to being able to absorb more damage as opposed to being able to avoid more damage. - Sturdy Mage (+1 vit per level, +1 will per level) Basically a different approach when compared to the Agile Mage; instead of making yourself harder to hit, you make yourself harder to hurt. In the long run, this build is less useful, due to poor evasion leading to more hits landing, which will exceed the defense gained from this build. Advised Starting Inventory: - Hemp Robe (400 gold; +8 defense, -2 evasion) - 2 Light Healing Potions (40 gold; 120 HP) - 1 Antidote Potion (20 gold; cures poison once) |
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