So you’re sick of healing? You’ve come to right place. Here you’ll find all the info I have learnt from personal experience, and research. there’s alot of reading, but it’s well worth it.

Abreviations:
BRM = battle Ringmaster
BP = billposter
FS = fullsuport
AOE = area of effect
merkaba = ringmaster’s lvl 80 aoe spell

Table of contents
1: Introduction
2: Is Battle RM right for you?
3: Builds and Equips overview (including AOE RM)
4: technique / leveling guide
5: hybrid BRMs / grinding with a partner
6: AOE guide
7: Pros / Cons
8: Video’s and links

Introduction

My first character was a FS assist, and to this day i still play it. i started a full INT build all the way to lvl 60. I then started pumping STA all the way to lvl 80 for CW. I always had a facination about the different partners i had. all the different styles and techniques they had, and being able to adapt myself was quite a thrill. but eventually i got bored of healing and buffing, and i decided to switch to a BRM.

Is Battle RM right for you?

First of all, if you aren’t lvl 60+, you can just become a billposter…this guide is directed towards lvl 60+ FS. it’s also recomended you max stonehand, or at least get it very high.

You may be concidering making the change to BRM. You don’t want to start a new character to make a BP, but you want to start fighting. you can’t stand being behind the attacker, you may even sometimes smack the monsters with your stick, to help your partner. you probably don’t have much money, want to start making money and getting drops. you want to kill giants on your own watch, not needing a partner if you want to let off some steam on monsters. you may feel like your being used, as a tool rather than a partner, or maybe you just want to be useful in a guildwar. these are ALL good reasons to consider becoming a BRM.

Youre going to have to make your own money for a restat and equips…though if you are a lvl 80+ RM, you can do CW runs to pay off your equipment, that’s how i did it.

Builds and Equips overview

vital equipment: Gknuckle….THAT’S IT! it doesn’t matter what equips you have, as long as you have a gknuckle, you’re set! the extra speed and health from the guardian knuckle is vital to a BRM. you can have +3 equipment if you like, it doesn’t matter. Now, you don’t NEED the gknuckle, but you need at least a CW knuckle. The difference is very noticeable though, and I garuntee you will be much happier with a gknuckle.

recomened equipment: it is recomended you purchase the lvl 75 green set for RM. pact for males, paxt for females. the extra INT and def helps. mighteers and strentes help ALOT no matter what class you are, so if possible maybe consider getting some. anything that adds damage, speed, or health is what you’re looking for. if you decide to pierce your equipment, go for defence or health. ancient shield is nice too.

builds
**All builds assume you have maxed cannonball. if you don’t, you need to add more dex…example:

cannonball lvl 13, adds 13 dex…cannonball lvl 20, adds 20 dex
difference of 7 DEX, you need to add an extra 7 DEX to your build.

high damage, slow attack
STR: xxx
STA: 15
DEX: 25
INT: 15

recomended build
STR: xxx
STA: 15-40
DEX: 61
INT: 15

high speed, less damage (if you can’t afford a gknuckle)
STR: xxx
STA: 35-40
DEX: 96
INT: 15

AOE (merkaba)
STR: 15
STA: 120-150
DEX: 15
INT: xxx

Suicide AOE (merkaba) for all you hardcore aoers with leet equips and assists XD
STR: 15
STA: 80-100
DEX: 15
INT: xxx

**For a good PK build simply use the recomened build with 30 STA

Build overviews

high damage, slow attack: use a gknuckle, OR hknuckle. you will be dealing about the same damage as a BP, but slower. harder to stun monsters, recomend you have decent equips. this build is great for guildwars. If you have an RM with GT this build is totally awesome.

recomended build
good for pvp, giant hunting, and grinding. pretty high damage, not as much as a BP, great for stunning victims. awesome for 1v1 Pk. all around good build.

budjet build, if you can’t afford a gknuckle
your damage will be significantly lower than most people, BUT, you can still do well in PVP and giant hunting, because you can stun your oponent with your speed. only use this build if you are poor……..which, as a FS assist, is probably the case. I recomend using a CW knuckle. they are only a few mil, and will be a decent replacement for a Gknuckle…

AOE build this is a rather interesting aproach to grinding. you MUST be lvl 80+ and have maxed merkaba in order to pull this off. if you have +3 equips, go for 150 STA, if you have good equips, consider going for lower STA…this build makes you a lean, mean, killing machine in guildwars, and isn’t too bad for 1v1 either……don’t try giant hunting though, you’ll get laughed at =D. Please note, this is not the "merkaba / burstcrack" aoe method, this is pure tanking and intended for people who are double aoeing, or solo aoeing.

techniques / leveling guide

First of all, you aren’t a BP, and you aren’t superman. you need to watch your back, and buy LOTS of star candies. you are however, super fast, and super strong…so also keep that in mind. you don’t need 30 STA like BPs do…you can survive on 15 STA, and i have the video’s to prove it a bit later. If you feel you need more, then add more, it’s no big deal.

skills you should try to max:
heapup,haste, cannonball,beefup,protect,spirit fortune (SF), stonehand, and accuracy.

-Ok, you’ll want to start by loading your starcandies into your f-keys.
-next, in your actionslot, have skills in this order (stonehand, protection, SF) depending on your level of course, you may not have SF.
-You’ll need to have your stick and knuckle+shield in the f-key as well…here’s an example so you get the idea…you can put your buffs wherever you like…this is just an example. but keep in mind you are going to need to quickly change from stick to knuckle+shield. after a while you’ll get used to it:

grinding: you’ll go through star candies at a very quick rate, so stock up. buff yourself, and slip on your knuckle+shield. beat the crap out of everything! lol. you’re main technique will be to stun the enemy so that you can save your food, and money. you rely on stun more than a BP does, and if you get agro’s, you’ll have to smack one until it’s stunned, and smack the other until it’s stunned, and alternate until you have one oponent in your way. be careful not to corner yourself too, if you start getting crits, you’ll find it hard to keep up and might sometimes have to run away if things get too dicey. after a while you’ll get used to the high damage you’ll be taking, and i can’t stress enough that you will be using alot of food if you aren’t stunning you’re enemy. I highly recomend you element your equipment to at least +3.

PVP:
duels: basically, just click really fast and watch the sparks fly. seariously, dueling is pretty easy for a BRM.

guildwar: this is were the fun begins. try to stay away from rangers and yoyo-jesters, as well as most AoE people. just pretend you’re a BP basically. it’s best to choose a target that’s killing someone else. that way you can get right up close easily, and stun them to death. once they are stunned, you’ve basically won, asuming you can damage them enough, or don’t die yourself.

Arena: not much to say here, just keep your eyes open, if someone catches you by suprise, you’re basically dead. If you a acro use DI and run towards you….RUN!! lol. I’ve had a few people tell me that 15 STA isn’t enough for the arena. That’s true, but now that we can awaken things in v11 you can get 25 sta on your suit, knuckle, and shield XD

**remember, you have the advantage of FAST, STRONG attacks that usually overwhelm you’re oponent. killing giants is easy if you stun them and keep your health up. you’re going to be faster than most BPs while dealing nearly the same damage unless they are running a high STR build…and uh, don’t feel bad when you get owned in one shot by asal, it happens alot.

hybrid BRMs / grinding with a partner

a hybrid RM, is a RM who does support, but also fights…meaning, you fight with you’re partner while supporting them. to do this, it’s recomended you run with this build:

Hybrid RM
STR: xxx
STA: 15-30
DEX: 61
INT: 35-60 ish

You buff you’re partner with the actionslot only, so basically, heapup, haste, beefup, accuracy, protect. then buff yourself fully and grind as usual. the idea behind this, is that you can heal you partner if you get bored, or if they get into trouble, you can actually help them by fighting. you’ll want a bit of extra INT so you aren’t constantly buffing you’re partner, rather than fighting…some RMs even add up to 80 INT…just remember, the more int you add, the less damage you will deal. find an equilibrium that suits you.

AOE guide (merkaba)

I don’t care what anyone thinks, AoE RMs are one of the most effective tanks, and AoE’ers. this build will make you one of the most feared targets in a guild war. at lvl 89, and 150 STA, i had about 11.8k health…11800 health as a ringmaster…AoE is only good if you are in the levels of 9x+ imo. it’s mainly for pvp, and CW fun. you can survive about 6 regular hits from the CW without healing…without prevention…check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhS3h2LGC-4


the key to grinding, is low level mobs, but LOTS of them.

EDIT:: well, there’s recently been an explosion of 105+ aoe RMs. I am not lvl 105, so I can’t give a build, but AOE rms can go all the way to lvl 120 and beyond. it’s not to be underestimated. now that we have the new mobs in the desert, AOE works great! there’s tons of spawn, and ideal conditions to aoe.

my aoe method (the cheapass method lol):
prevention is Key for this build, if you don’t have it maxed, do so immediately, you need it. as you grind, you will almost NEVER NEED FOOD OR HEALING. yes that’s right…no food. you gather up a ton of mobs 3-4 levels highers, and cast prevention when you’re health get’s low. it’ll heal you, and you just need to recast it. use cheap pills as your HP nears the 10% mark if you like, just to be safe but I never really did.

AOE dueling / pvp:
oh yes…i went there…the best technique i could come up with is, rely on your high sta. cast stonehand, and keep your stick on…when the match starts, pray to whatever god it is you pray to, and hope they get stunned. you can stun with the stick, just smack em around while they tickle you with their week attacks…cast merkaba when their stunned, and continues beating the crap out of them…done…their screwed, use holycross too for good measures. prevention increases your chances and wining, so use it always. It’s quite funny to watch them attacking and finally get your HP down, only to have prevention kick in and heal you 100%

Pro’s and Con’s of the recomended build

Pro’s
-fast, powerful, stun you’re oponent and overwhelm them with you’re damage
-great giant hunting
-great PVP damage
-you’re basically a BP, but you can always restat back to full support and still have your much wanted RM skills.
-people gawk at you
-no need for fancy equipment
-you can be self sufficient and get you’re own drops

Con’s
-you’re a cloth for the most part, it’s easy to die if you don’t pay attention
-go through alot of food
-buff times are low, just like a BP
-have to switch weapons to cast SF
-not great for CW, in fact don’t even attempt it
-need a gknuckle for maximum effect
-have to rely on you’re stun alot
-if you lag alot, you’re going to have trouble staying alive
-you probably wont have much money because you were a FS assist for 60+ levels, and on that note, you now have to concider upgrading your weapons, just like any other fighter.

Video’s and links

AoE RM:

http://s90.photobucket.com/albums/k280/ … oE_RM2.flv


AoE RM (high lvl, not me):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60XsSe14 … ed&search=


RM in the mines (high str build)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M64OUxCanXo


RM owning a BP in duel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpYxAyGxhLc

Credits go to mojo60659.