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~Now this guide is only based from a lv 37 mercs point of view. These are my OPINIONS.
I’ll start with a image of my stats and skills. (Stats are of me naked)
Now after being level 37 and mixing the stats up a little bit at lower levels, Dex, Int, Will did NOT effect me enough to be worth adding more into. And at level 37 (20 will) does nothing for my crit rate. I rarely crit now.
Break down of Passive Skills:
Stone Skin @ (9) 381 defense
Composure @ (7) 172 hit rate
Heart of Steel @ (3) 529 health points
Two handed Mastery @ (4) 99 max damage
Aggression @ (4) 15% increased damage. (Lv4 is max)
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My thoughts on the passive skills:
Stone skin: not as useful at higher levels. A friend has level 3 stone skin and while we wear the same armor, he only takes 50 extra damage hit
Composure: Extremely useful, possibly not needed to max out asap. 5 to 7 will carry a long way it seems.
Heart of Steel: Not a total waste of points ~200 hp each skill point into it. Very useful if going a (5:1 Str/Con build.)
Two Handed Mastery: So far seems like a worthy investment. Need more research to compare if points would be better spend in Berserk.
Aggression: Having it being based on a percentage it seems like this is MOST useful at high level towards end game level.
(Gladiator Passive-Deathblow training): This skill increases only the damage dealt by critical hits. Unless you are a will build. This looks like trash.
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There are 19 skills that a gladiator can utilize (without switching to a onehand and shield)
5 are passive skills. Only 4 I see as useful right now. @level 79(Current max level) you will have 79 skill points. 17 Need to be spent to have the useful skills. 17+48-5(Number of passives already added)(Death Blow Training and Balance Up do not look necessary) 48 Will be used to max out the passives listed. This utilizes 60 of your 79 skill points. This will give you 14 points to throw around for leveling your final level skills. (Lightning Recall, Blood Fury, Tornado Slash, Gale Smash.
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General advice for stats. Str/Con/Wis (20 wis allows me to to use Upper Strike every mob and Gale Strike every Other Two mobs without having to sit down until my hp is depleted beyond "safety level" ~15%)
*5 is the number of passives already in the equation by number taken to max out passives.
Credits go to Sekia.
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Attributes/ Build:
I’d say to go with a 2str/ 1con build. I don’t think the wisdom is necessary. They added a fusion upgrade system, which is essentially buffs you can buy. If you’re gonna put sea points anywhere other than con, put them in dex. At 50 dex you will see a noticeable change in the hit-rate, and avoidance-rate. So, if that sounds good to you, go for it.
There are some Glads that live by a full constitution build for PvP and tanking. Is it effective? Yes. Is it more effective than my chosen build? I don’t know. They both work.
Skills:
I don’t think having composure at 7 is necessary either. maxing out aggression is definitely worth it. The stronger you get, the better it gets. 2H mastery is useful as the striking power increases faster than Berserk and it is permanent. Definitely put points on Gale Smash. On one of my Gladiators it is currently at level 4 and adds 1811. Which is a a nice number by any standard. Lightning Recall
is quite the AoE. At level 1 is has 1180 striking power, which is nice even if you don’t plan to level it up. At the halfway point (level 5) Tornado Slash does 1454 and a one-two combo with lightning recall is great for mobbing. Heart of Steel is useful because more health is always better. if you can outlive something, you can kill it.
Skill Combo:
Berserk, Berserker, and Blood Fury
These three skills are awesome together. Why? Simple. They stack.
Berserk: adds striking power.
Berserker: adds striking power and increases your attack and move speeds by 60%
Blood Fury: adds striking power and increases attack and move speed
they make a pretty sweet combo.
Blood Thirst: All it does is pull them toward you. Is it pointless? Heck no. It’s great for PvP. Considering that most of the other classes attack from a range and you are close range, what is better than a skill that pulls them next to you? It comes in handy, trust me.
General tips:
For grinding, listen to some music. I personally listen to something fast paced and with a rhythm. It helps the time pass.
When playing around in lawless zones, bring a buddy, or five. lawless zones are dangerous places if you’re 40 or below. Especially if you’re alone. There are plenty of people who will PK you simply because you are there.
Don’t be afraid to ask a question in the shout chat. Many players are more than willing to help you.
Save your gelt early on. You can easily find armor and weapons during the first 1-20 levels.