Post by ACC on Feb 2, 2008 19:18:28 GMT -5
Pure Specialist Guide
Purpose
This guide is designed to educate Accretians about the Specialist class, namely those who chose the pure path. For cross classing specialists, refer to another guide.
Need Confirmation:
EDIT: Virus reduces 3k pot regen to around 500-1k HP regen. (Credit goes to Souless for confirmation)
Limitations
I am by no means an expert on the game nor on the specialist class. Everything that is posted here may be subject to error. Also, this guide was based on my experience from playing a Battle Leader but may also be applied to those who chose to become Scientists. If you did choose the Scientist path or made a Spec to craft, it might be better to refer to another guide made by someone with experience as a Scientist or as a crafter. This guide also assumes that you know the basics of the game such as lvling and pting. Also,
I tend to babble a lot, forgive me for my writing style if it annoys you (this is how I write College Papers if they’re informal LOL).
Introduction
This is a guide and a call to all Accretian players to realize the value and strength of a Specialist, maybe even convince a few to create one as they are by far the fewest in number compared to Warriors and Rangers.
As of what I have observed, 50-55% are Warriors, 40% Rangers and 5-10% are Specialists. Ideally for me, it would be 45% Warrior, 35% Ranger and 20% Spec. Why so? Read on to find out. I might even convince you to become a spec.
Why create a Specialist?
Accretians are known for their brute strength as compared to Bellatos’ speed and to Coras’ intelligence. In short:
Bellato = Dodge Monkeys
Cora = Debuffs
This brute force is shown in the Accretian Warrior and Ranger classes. The Punisher, Assaulter and Mercenary are the primary attack units and PVPers of the race. Phantom Shadows are the scouts and provide long range support. Strikers are damage spikers, able to one-shot most lowbies with the dreaded Doom Blast or deliver the last hit before the enemy can use their pots. They are also counted on for DPS (Damage Per Second) on the chip in CW. However, no matter how powerful these units are, they still lack one thing, debuffs, the primary reason that Coras and Bellatos are so annoying to deal with. The closest thing they have is the punisher’s net. That is, until the Specialists come in.
A level 40 spec can remove all active buffs on an enemy and make all his resistances negative. A level 50 spec is even scarier, capable of netting someone every 2 secs or causing his pots to recover less than they should, not to mention restricting the target’s usage of skills.
To prove the point of how powerful a specialist is, two specs with lvl 50 Grenade Launchers + a powerhouse [striker, assaulter] can take down mostly anyone. One nets while the other uses Impact explosion(removes all active buffs) and Viral (disrupts potion usage).
Still not convinced to why you should be a spec? Continue to the next part then.
Being a Spec
Choose Specialist class from the Character creation screen. Now you have a lvl 1 Spec. For leveling, just follow the quests that are given to you and lvl on 6 or 7 star monsters. Do not forget to max you PTs, all of them. That’s right, all, since specs can GM all their weapon PTs by level 44 (or was it 45). For pots, money should come pretty easily since this is a medium rate server. If you’re having money problems, do not beg for money. Pick up all the loots and sell them. Don’t be lazy. You can even kill 1-4 star monsters and sell all the loot. Once you have around 1-2 million, life becomes easier. Mine ores in the core if Acc won the last CW or you can mine just beside the crag portal. Leave it mining for 2 hours or so. Then process the ores that you get. If you get an Ignorant talic or a Favor talic, sell those. Ignorants go for around 35-40 mil and Favors for 20-25 mil. Do not believe the price that you see at AH where Ignorants are 80 mil and Favors are 50 mil. Overpricing won’t do you any good, you need to sell items fast to keep leveling. Once money is no problem, you can then buy better equipment and level faster.
Once you reach lvl 30, you can then class change into an Engineer. Congratulations. Your hell begins here. Engineers, unlike warriors and rangers do not get their expert and elite skills. This means that you are stuck with your basic skills. You do however, get the ability to craft (but that is another discussion). Do not despair though. Patience and your hard work will pay off once you reach lvl 40.
Leveling once you are in your 30’s is different. You will now have to go to Armory 213 or 117 in where Bellato and Cora raiders are. For dealing with raiders, look in the section, “Dealing with Raiders”. Again, don’t forget to max you PTs.
Once you reach level 35, you have the choice to go to ether. To get there, go to HQ and find the transport ship. Buy a ticket (around 200k) and board the ship. But before even thinking of going there, you have to know that the monsters there are hard for your level. You might not even get PT since you can’t do enough damage. So I suggest staying at 117 or 213 (preferably 117 since there are less raiders) until you are level 39. If you want to power level, ask in Map chat if anyone can help you. If no one wants to, do not be a pest and spam map chat with requests, you can level on your own. Also, realize that people have their own lives and interests so they can’t help you all the time. Kill Brutals, Meat Clods and Brutal Aces to level quickly but don’t forget to max your PT’s. Maxing PT’s determine whether or not you become a good spec or a gimped one.
Word of warning: at this point, quitting becoming a spec is common. Even I experienced it. Maxing PT’s is the hardest part. Unlike rangers and warriors who only need 54 PT on their secondary weapon PT (to equip lvl 43 armor), you need 99 PT on 3 weapons (54 on launcher is the minimum). If you do manage to max PTs, congratulations. You have succeeded in creating one of the hardest characters in the game.
Once you reach level 40, you can then become either a Scientist or a Battle Leader. Since this is a guide regarding Battle Leader, choose that one. Now, life becomes easier because of 2 things, Turbo Boost (which raisers your movement speed) and Stone Statue(makes you invulnerable for 30 secs but cannot move or do anything). Usage of this skills is found in the section “Usage of Class Skill”.
Level 40+, like being in the 30’s is a whole new story. You will spend most of your time in Ether. Have lots of money so you can buy the 3k pots sold there.
Levelling would go something like (prioritizes PT over experience):
40- the Hobos outside Accrecia Wharf (forgot their name)
41-42 – The enemies in Kartella Graveyard. Avoid the Passer Alphas if you are having a hard time because they are aggro and will attack you without warning. The Hobos found there will also attack you if they notice a Passer Alpha attacking you and are near enough, so avoid attacking Passer Alphas when Hobos are near. Just go near Passer Alphas and run away to lure them to a safe spot before attacking.
43-44 – Passer Alphas are still good for PTing but will become slow exp. You can now go to White Hole to PT on the Hobos there. However, avoid Calianas and Passer Betas. They will kill you if you are unprepared. Passer Betas are aggro like Passer Alphas. Calianas are semi-agro, meaning they will attack you if you go beside them (melee range) or walk over them. They will also attack you if you attack anyone near them. Safest thing to do here is to look at your radar (Upper right). Notice the yellow dots? Those are enemies. To ensure you safety, only fight a Hobo when there are no other Caliana or Passer Beta dots in your radar.
45 – Being able to wear lvl 45 armor, you can now PT on Passer Betas and Calianas, slow Xp though. Most people stop leveling past this point since this server has Sep Jades (Wear items 5 levels higher). If you are lucky to have one, life becomes easier since you can wear level 50 launcher armor (54 Launcher PT requirement). Another suggestion, although more dangerous is to level at Volcanic Cauldron (VC). The enemies here are VERY HARD. A good idea would be to party with someone. Most people would allow you to join, if they don’t, it’s ok. You can level on Volcanic Demolis. Use Launcher + water rockets +Advanced Overdrive Charger. Don’t use a siege kit if you can’t tank one, just hit and run.
46+ - VC all the way. I am currently level 46 and have maxed my PTs except for shield and defense (91/91 for both). If you wan’t you can continue leveling to increase crafting chance. Or you can work on your items. Priority would be the Sep Jade. Since it is incredibly rare, the only way I can think to get it would be to either trade an elem for it (Pitbosses) or trade it for Upgrading Materials (a whole lot, around 40 sets of T3s +lots of talics). Or you can just donate (LOL).
Usage of Class Skills
Turbo Boost (aka Nimble Joint or NJ)– The defining skill of Battle Leaders. Almost everyone wants this buff (except some Melee users who already have too many buffs) so use it often. Rule of thumb is: buff anyone you see wearing a ranger 45+ armor or launcher armor. This ensures that you don’t accidentally buff a Warrior and remove one of his buffs. Of course, buff anyone who asks for it. Unlike Ragnarok, FP here is cheap, so don’t skimp out on your skills.
On the side note, as a spec, you will die often, especially when you are using Ranger armor. (Cell can kill me in 2 (or was it 3?) shots with +1 Int Ranger Armor (favor).) If you do, run back to the battle quickly. On your way, you will see others running, always buff them. A battle leaders secondary job other than to debuff is to get units back into battle quickly.
Stone Statue- I love this skill. Nothing annoys your opponent more than 30 secs of invulnerability. But use it only when you have no other choice. Targeted by a party of BMAUS? Use Stone Statue. When the duration is about to wear off, keep on pressing a teleport. If done right, you will port before they can do anything. Used mostly when leveling in aggressive areas such as VC. You can’t use this strategy in ether though since you can’t port. (Warning: This will really annoy your enemies and they will hate you more. LOL)
Gauge Break – The least used skill because of its cooldown (1 minute). I prefer to use NJ than this. But when fighting tanks, it is a must. Use it after you net a tank.
EDIT: Gauge Break reduces 200 def gauge PT (Thanks to Artemyth for this).
Chip War
This is where the Specs shine the most and the reason to create one (aside from crafting). You will primarily be using a grenade launcher, so buy one at Accretian Outpost. Don’t forget to buy the ammo too.
For level 40: In order of importance, first is the Impact Explosion (Removes all active skill buffs), Resist Break (Reverses the resistance of enemies 100 fire resist becomes -100 fire resist) and Microrom Gas (Reduces movement speed).
For level 50: In order of importance, first is the Holding Web (Nets the enemy), Virus Inject (Interferes with potion regeneration) and Mind Control (Restricts the usage of skills). You can also use the lvl 40 grenades.
An arrangement of the different grenades in the hotkeys would be useful to change quickly. My setup is:
F1 – Holding Web
F2 – Virus Inject
F3 – Impact Explosion
F4 – Mind Control
F5 – Resist Break
F6 – Microrom Gas
Usage of Grenades
In all cases, holding web would be the one initially used. See an enemy? Net him. Then, you can move on to other grenades depending on the enemy. My progression would go like this:
Dodge Monkey: Net->Impact Explosion->Net -> Virus Inject -> (repeat net and virus inject until you see him use a buff, if he does, Impact Explosion again)
Tank: Same as above. But don’t forget to use your Gauge Break skill after you use the initial net. Virus becomes priority to overcome his pot regen + block rate.
Mage: Net -> Mind Control -> Net -> Impact Explosion -> Net ->Mind Control -> (Repeat net and Mind Control, if you see that the enemy isn’t moving because of another person using net, use virus and mind control)
2 Handed-Weapon User: Net->Impact Explosion -> Net-> Virus-> (repeat Net and Virus)
Control Targetting
This game, like Warcraft 3, employs the usage of control+number in order to easily choose targets (although you can only choose 1 target here as compared to a group in WC3.
To do it:
1. Click on a character, whether it be an enemy or fellow race member.
2. Press Ctrl+ any number (not sure if keypad is also applicable but I use it on the Alpha-numeric side/numbers on top of the letters)
3. You have just saved a target into a number. For example, you chose the target "Heimdall" (my character on bell lol) and pressed ctrl+1. Now, pressing the number 1 would auto-target "Heimdall". This is helpful since characters move around so much in a CW and sometimes its hard to choose a target hiding in a group.
Usage of Control Targetting
As a debuffer, you should always use the control+number command in order to quickly select and debuff targets. Some tips are:
1. Listen to race chat. If you read a name being said by the one leading CW, (ex: Briareos: FF Elemental), find Elemental, put her/him into a ctrl group and debuff as needed. Now the next time it is said on race chat to FF Elemental, just press the corresponding number of Elemental and just press spacebar to quickly select and debuff her. No targetting necessary.
2. You can also target a fellow race member. However, once you press a number corresponding to an ally, commands appear on that person much like ctrl+left clicking on that person. Just click on the ground near him, press the function button corresponding to your NJ skill and press spacebar. You have just buffed your fellow race. Very useful if you are gathering at the start of CW and someone is asking an NJ. Just put that person into a ctrl group and whenever you hear him calling for an NJ, you can quickly give him one. It also serves as a reminder of the people who actually like to receive NJ as some melee warriors don't want it as it removes a buff.
3. Certain people have priority. For example: someone using an int lvl 50 Hora Bow receives more priority in getting an NJ as compared to someone using a lvl 40 Beam Seige Bow. Also, enemies also have priority in getting debuffed. A dodge monkey going inside a group of ACCs and AOEing has more priority in getting debuffed as compared to a tank just standing there and taunting you to FF him. Knowing this, put them in ctrl groups as needed.
What I do is:
Ctrl group number - Character to be targetted
1- Enemy first mentioned in race chat / or Enemy Race Leader
2- Enemy second mentioned in race chat
3- Third mentioned
4- Someone who you really hate and want to see die (lol, it may be someone who always kills you when you are levelling)
5- Reserved for your personal preference
6- Third person
7- Second Person
8- First person to ask for NJ while regrouping
9- The one leading CW / Your Race Leader
Dealing with Raiders
Raiders can and will kill you in 1 shot when you are still a lowbie. Do not be afraid to teleport when you see one. Call for repelling help and people will usually come. PM people like Briareos, haydz, RainZero, Crocodile or anyone you see using race chat (light blue text). In reporting raiders, look at the map and note where you last saw them. See those letters on the top and the numbers on the left side of the map? Those are coordinates. Cross the number and the letter, for example C-7, and report something like “Raider at C-7”. You can even note their level based on the weapon they are using (this is not necessary but it helps).
Once you are high level enough (40+), you can help in repelling, just don’t get thingyy and draw too much attention to yourself because they will target you first. My experience is that enemies target the one holding a Grenade Launcher first (in this case you). Grenades to use are the same as the ones used in CW.
Equipment
Well, since you are a Battle Leader, survival is the most important. Preferred items are defense items. For me, dodge is not worth it unless you can get it high enough (160+). Intense lvl 50 armors are your goals as well as Def and Dodge elems. Int Launcher armor is your priority since they will also be used in leveling. (I can level on Infernal Grumbles and Bolrides alone with an Int lvl 50 set.) For CW however, Ranger Armor is the best. Use Wisdom Helm. A +4 Wisdom Ranger Helm would be great (use cure chargers as well). Everything else can be favored, or dodge landings if you have the elems to reach a high dodge rate. I’m not sure if grace gloves matter for a spec (need confirmation) as I never seem to miss when debuffing (Sometimes though, it doesn’t take effect so I guess that’s considered a miss). Even with favored gloves, I can debuff a dodge monkey as much as I can a Tank.
For leveling purposes, Damage is important too. Use 10% attack rings to up your damage (use elems if you have them of course).
Final Notes
A Specs life is not as exciting as a warriors. Since you are pure spec, you won’t really get to kill anyone, but you will HELP kill a ton. You won’t be in the limelight and you would rarely (maybe never) be the Chip Bearer since you will be debuffing the whole time. But you will hear many words of appreciation for helping others. People have added me as a friend because I NJed them during CW. I also have helped bring down many raiders. The funniest experience I had was that I was with two other lvl 50 specs. We were all debuffing the enemy with no one to damage him and we all laughed until someone came and killed the guy.
In summary, a spec is different, and true to his name, he is special (Bad pun). He is an important member of the race, as much as warriors and rangers are even though he can’t kill as much as them. He can even craft to make armors for lowbies. All in all, he is built to HELP the race.
Personal Comments
EDIT: I am no longer on ACC. Pretty ironic that I made this guide on a race I'll be fighting lol. I've traded all my luck jades so I don't craft anymore, therefore disregard my previous offer on free crafting service.
PS: I forgot to mention that pure specs have one major weakness, the bellatos' Armor Riders. You can't do anything to significantly stop them as you only have basic skills. Well, you can try and use shining cut lol.
They are very good against mages though. Mind Control ruins their game plan. Just make sure you live long enough to actually get a shot off.
Purpose
This guide is designed to educate Accretians about the Specialist class, namely those who chose the pure path. For cross classing specialists, refer to another guide.
Need Confirmation:
EDIT: Virus reduces 3k pot regen to around 500-1k HP regen. (Credit goes to Souless for confirmation)
Limitations
I am by no means an expert on the game nor on the specialist class. Everything that is posted here may be subject to error. Also, this guide was based on my experience from playing a Battle Leader but may also be applied to those who chose to become Scientists. If you did choose the Scientist path or made a Spec to craft, it might be better to refer to another guide made by someone with experience as a Scientist or as a crafter. This guide also assumes that you know the basics of the game such as lvling and pting. Also,
I tend to babble a lot, forgive me for my writing style if it annoys you (this is how I write College Papers if they’re informal LOL).
Introduction
This is a guide and a call to all Accretian players to realize the value and strength of a Specialist, maybe even convince a few to create one as they are by far the fewest in number compared to Warriors and Rangers.
As of what I have observed, 50-55% are Warriors, 40% Rangers and 5-10% are Specialists. Ideally for me, it would be 45% Warrior, 35% Ranger and 20% Spec. Why so? Read on to find out. I might even convince you to become a spec.
Why create a Specialist?
Accretians are known for their brute strength as compared to Bellatos’ speed and to Coras’ intelligence. In short:
Bellato = Dodge Monkeys
Cora = Debuffs
This brute force is shown in the Accretian Warrior and Ranger classes. The Punisher, Assaulter and Mercenary are the primary attack units and PVPers of the race. Phantom Shadows are the scouts and provide long range support. Strikers are damage spikers, able to one-shot most lowbies with the dreaded Doom Blast or deliver the last hit before the enemy can use their pots. They are also counted on for DPS (Damage Per Second) on the chip in CW. However, no matter how powerful these units are, they still lack one thing, debuffs, the primary reason that Coras and Bellatos are so annoying to deal with. The closest thing they have is the punisher’s net. That is, until the Specialists come in.
A level 40 spec can remove all active buffs on an enemy and make all his resistances negative. A level 50 spec is even scarier, capable of netting someone every 2 secs or causing his pots to recover less than they should, not to mention restricting the target’s usage of skills.
To prove the point of how powerful a specialist is, two specs with lvl 50 Grenade Launchers + a powerhouse [striker, assaulter] can take down mostly anyone. One nets while the other uses Impact explosion(removes all active buffs) and Viral (disrupts potion usage).
Still not convinced to why you should be a spec? Continue to the next part then.
Being a Spec
Choose Specialist class from the Character creation screen. Now you have a lvl 1 Spec. For leveling, just follow the quests that are given to you and lvl on 6 or 7 star monsters. Do not forget to max you PTs, all of them. That’s right, all, since specs can GM all their weapon PTs by level 44 (or was it 45). For pots, money should come pretty easily since this is a medium rate server. If you’re having money problems, do not beg for money. Pick up all the loots and sell them. Don’t be lazy. You can even kill 1-4 star monsters and sell all the loot. Once you have around 1-2 million, life becomes easier. Mine ores in the core if Acc won the last CW or you can mine just beside the crag portal. Leave it mining for 2 hours or so. Then process the ores that you get. If you get an Ignorant talic or a Favor talic, sell those. Ignorants go for around 35-40 mil and Favors for 20-25 mil. Do not believe the price that you see at AH where Ignorants are 80 mil and Favors are 50 mil. Overpricing won’t do you any good, you need to sell items fast to keep leveling. Once money is no problem, you can then buy better equipment and level faster.
Once you reach lvl 30, you can then class change into an Engineer. Congratulations. Your hell begins here. Engineers, unlike warriors and rangers do not get their expert and elite skills. This means that you are stuck with your basic skills. You do however, get the ability to craft (but that is another discussion). Do not despair though. Patience and your hard work will pay off once you reach lvl 40.
Leveling once you are in your 30’s is different. You will now have to go to Armory 213 or 117 in where Bellato and Cora raiders are. For dealing with raiders, look in the section, “Dealing with Raiders”. Again, don’t forget to max you PTs.
Once you reach level 35, you have the choice to go to ether. To get there, go to HQ and find the transport ship. Buy a ticket (around 200k) and board the ship. But before even thinking of going there, you have to know that the monsters there are hard for your level. You might not even get PT since you can’t do enough damage. So I suggest staying at 117 or 213 (preferably 117 since there are less raiders) until you are level 39. If you want to power level, ask in Map chat if anyone can help you. If no one wants to, do not be a pest and spam map chat with requests, you can level on your own. Also, realize that people have their own lives and interests so they can’t help you all the time. Kill Brutals, Meat Clods and Brutal Aces to level quickly but don’t forget to max your PT’s. Maxing PT’s determine whether or not you become a good spec or a gimped one.
Word of warning: at this point, quitting becoming a spec is common. Even I experienced it. Maxing PT’s is the hardest part. Unlike rangers and warriors who only need 54 PT on their secondary weapon PT (to equip lvl 43 armor), you need 99 PT on 3 weapons (54 on launcher is the minimum). If you do manage to max PTs, congratulations. You have succeeded in creating one of the hardest characters in the game.
Once you reach level 40, you can then become either a Scientist or a Battle Leader. Since this is a guide regarding Battle Leader, choose that one. Now, life becomes easier because of 2 things, Turbo Boost (which raisers your movement speed) and Stone Statue(makes you invulnerable for 30 secs but cannot move or do anything). Usage of this skills is found in the section “Usage of Class Skill”.
Level 40+, like being in the 30’s is a whole new story. You will spend most of your time in Ether. Have lots of money so you can buy the 3k pots sold there.
Levelling would go something like (prioritizes PT over experience):
40- the Hobos outside Accrecia Wharf (forgot their name)
41-42 – The enemies in Kartella Graveyard. Avoid the Passer Alphas if you are having a hard time because they are aggro and will attack you without warning. The Hobos found there will also attack you if they notice a Passer Alpha attacking you and are near enough, so avoid attacking Passer Alphas when Hobos are near. Just go near Passer Alphas and run away to lure them to a safe spot before attacking.
43-44 – Passer Alphas are still good for PTing but will become slow exp. You can now go to White Hole to PT on the Hobos there. However, avoid Calianas and Passer Betas. They will kill you if you are unprepared. Passer Betas are aggro like Passer Alphas. Calianas are semi-agro, meaning they will attack you if you go beside them (melee range) or walk over them. They will also attack you if you attack anyone near them. Safest thing to do here is to look at your radar (Upper right). Notice the yellow dots? Those are enemies. To ensure you safety, only fight a Hobo when there are no other Caliana or Passer Beta dots in your radar.
45 – Being able to wear lvl 45 armor, you can now PT on Passer Betas and Calianas, slow Xp though. Most people stop leveling past this point since this server has Sep Jades (Wear items 5 levels higher). If you are lucky to have one, life becomes easier since you can wear level 50 launcher armor (54 Launcher PT requirement). Another suggestion, although more dangerous is to level at Volcanic Cauldron (VC). The enemies here are VERY HARD. A good idea would be to party with someone. Most people would allow you to join, if they don’t, it’s ok. You can level on Volcanic Demolis. Use Launcher + water rockets +Advanced Overdrive Charger. Don’t use a siege kit if you can’t tank one, just hit and run.
46+ - VC all the way. I am currently level 46 and have maxed my PTs except for shield and defense (91/91 for both). If you wan’t you can continue leveling to increase crafting chance. Or you can work on your items. Priority would be the Sep Jade. Since it is incredibly rare, the only way I can think to get it would be to either trade an elem for it (Pitbosses) or trade it for Upgrading Materials (a whole lot, around 40 sets of T3s +lots of talics). Or you can just donate (LOL).
Usage of Class Skills
Turbo Boost (aka Nimble Joint or NJ)– The defining skill of Battle Leaders. Almost everyone wants this buff (except some Melee users who already have too many buffs) so use it often. Rule of thumb is: buff anyone you see wearing a ranger 45+ armor or launcher armor. This ensures that you don’t accidentally buff a Warrior and remove one of his buffs. Of course, buff anyone who asks for it. Unlike Ragnarok, FP here is cheap, so don’t skimp out on your skills.
On the side note, as a spec, you will die often, especially when you are using Ranger armor. (Cell can kill me in 2 (or was it 3?) shots with +1 Int Ranger Armor (favor).) If you do, run back to the battle quickly. On your way, you will see others running, always buff them. A battle leaders secondary job other than to debuff is to get units back into battle quickly.
Stone Statue- I love this skill. Nothing annoys your opponent more than 30 secs of invulnerability. But use it only when you have no other choice. Targeted by a party of BMAUS? Use Stone Statue. When the duration is about to wear off, keep on pressing a teleport. If done right, you will port before they can do anything. Used mostly when leveling in aggressive areas such as VC. You can’t use this strategy in ether though since you can’t port. (Warning: This will really annoy your enemies and they will hate you more. LOL)
Gauge Break – The least used skill because of its cooldown (1 minute). I prefer to use NJ than this. But when fighting tanks, it is a must. Use it after you net a tank.
EDIT: Gauge Break reduces 200 def gauge PT (Thanks to Artemyth for this).
Chip War
This is where the Specs shine the most and the reason to create one (aside from crafting). You will primarily be using a grenade launcher, so buy one at Accretian Outpost. Don’t forget to buy the ammo too.
For level 40: In order of importance, first is the Impact Explosion (Removes all active skill buffs), Resist Break (Reverses the resistance of enemies 100 fire resist becomes -100 fire resist) and Microrom Gas (Reduces movement speed).
For level 50: In order of importance, first is the Holding Web (Nets the enemy), Virus Inject (Interferes with potion regeneration) and Mind Control (Restricts the usage of skills). You can also use the lvl 40 grenades.
An arrangement of the different grenades in the hotkeys would be useful to change quickly. My setup is:
F1 – Holding Web
F2 – Virus Inject
F3 – Impact Explosion
F4 – Mind Control
F5 – Resist Break
F6 – Microrom Gas
Usage of Grenades
In all cases, holding web would be the one initially used. See an enemy? Net him. Then, you can move on to other grenades depending on the enemy. My progression would go like this:
Dodge Monkey: Net->Impact Explosion->Net -> Virus Inject -> (repeat net and virus inject until you see him use a buff, if he does, Impact Explosion again)
Tank: Same as above. But don’t forget to use your Gauge Break skill after you use the initial net. Virus becomes priority to overcome his pot regen + block rate.
Mage: Net -> Mind Control -> Net -> Impact Explosion -> Net ->Mind Control -> (Repeat net and Mind Control, if you see that the enemy isn’t moving because of another person using net, use virus and mind control)
2 Handed-Weapon User: Net->Impact Explosion -> Net-> Virus-> (repeat Net and Virus)
Control Targetting
This game, like Warcraft 3, employs the usage of control+number in order to easily choose targets (although you can only choose 1 target here as compared to a group in WC3.
To do it:
1. Click on a character, whether it be an enemy or fellow race member.
2. Press Ctrl+ any number (not sure if keypad is also applicable but I use it on the Alpha-numeric side/numbers on top of the letters)
3. You have just saved a target into a number. For example, you chose the target "Heimdall" (my character on bell lol) and pressed ctrl+1. Now, pressing the number 1 would auto-target "Heimdall". This is helpful since characters move around so much in a CW and sometimes its hard to choose a target hiding in a group.
Usage of Control Targetting
As a debuffer, you should always use the control+number command in order to quickly select and debuff targets. Some tips are:
1. Listen to race chat. If you read a name being said by the one leading CW, (ex: Briareos: FF Elemental), find Elemental, put her/him into a ctrl group and debuff as needed. Now the next time it is said on race chat to FF Elemental, just press the corresponding number of Elemental and just press spacebar to quickly select and debuff her. No targetting necessary.
2. You can also target a fellow race member. However, once you press a number corresponding to an ally, commands appear on that person much like ctrl+left clicking on that person. Just click on the ground near him, press the function button corresponding to your NJ skill and press spacebar. You have just buffed your fellow race. Very useful if you are gathering at the start of CW and someone is asking an NJ. Just put that person into a ctrl group and whenever you hear him calling for an NJ, you can quickly give him one. It also serves as a reminder of the people who actually like to receive NJ as some melee warriors don't want it as it removes a buff.
3. Certain people have priority. For example: someone using an int lvl 50 Hora Bow receives more priority in getting an NJ as compared to someone using a lvl 40 Beam Seige Bow. Also, enemies also have priority in getting debuffed. A dodge monkey going inside a group of ACCs and AOEing has more priority in getting debuffed as compared to a tank just standing there and taunting you to FF him. Knowing this, put them in ctrl groups as needed.
What I do is:
Ctrl group number - Character to be targetted
1- Enemy first mentioned in race chat / or Enemy Race Leader
2- Enemy second mentioned in race chat
3- Third mentioned
4- Someone who you really hate and want to see die (lol, it may be someone who always kills you when you are levelling)
5- Reserved for your personal preference
6- Third person
7- Second Person
8- First person to ask for NJ while regrouping
9- The one leading CW / Your Race Leader
Dealing with Raiders
Raiders can and will kill you in 1 shot when you are still a lowbie. Do not be afraid to teleport when you see one. Call for repelling help and people will usually come. PM people like Briareos, haydz, RainZero, Crocodile or anyone you see using race chat (light blue text). In reporting raiders, look at the map and note where you last saw them. See those letters on the top and the numbers on the left side of the map? Those are coordinates. Cross the number and the letter, for example C-7, and report something like “Raider at C-7”. You can even note their level based on the weapon they are using (this is not necessary but it helps).
Once you are high level enough (40+), you can help in repelling, just don’t get thingyy and draw too much attention to yourself because they will target you first. My experience is that enemies target the one holding a Grenade Launcher first (in this case you). Grenades to use are the same as the ones used in CW.
Equipment
Well, since you are a Battle Leader, survival is the most important. Preferred items are defense items. For me, dodge is not worth it unless you can get it high enough (160+). Intense lvl 50 armors are your goals as well as Def and Dodge elems. Int Launcher armor is your priority since they will also be used in leveling. (I can level on Infernal Grumbles and Bolrides alone with an Int lvl 50 set.) For CW however, Ranger Armor is the best. Use Wisdom Helm. A +4 Wisdom Ranger Helm would be great (use cure chargers as well). Everything else can be favored, or dodge landings if you have the elems to reach a high dodge rate. I’m not sure if grace gloves matter for a spec (need confirmation) as I never seem to miss when debuffing (Sometimes though, it doesn’t take effect so I guess that’s considered a miss). Even with favored gloves, I can debuff a dodge monkey as much as I can a Tank.
For leveling purposes, Damage is important too. Use 10% attack rings to up your damage (use elems if you have them of course).
Final Notes
A Specs life is not as exciting as a warriors. Since you are pure spec, you won’t really get to kill anyone, but you will HELP kill a ton. You won’t be in the limelight and you would rarely (maybe never) be the Chip Bearer since you will be debuffing the whole time. But you will hear many words of appreciation for helping others. People have added me as a friend because I NJed them during CW. I also have helped bring down many raiders. The funniest experience I had was that I was with two other lvl 50 specs. We were all debuffing the enemy with no one to damage him and we all laughed until someone came and killed the guy.
In summary, a spec is different, and true to his name, he is special (Bad pun). He is an important member of the race, as much as warriors and rangers are even though he can’t kill as much as them. He can even craft to make armors for lowbies. All in all, he is built to HELP the race.
Personal Comments
EDIT: I am no longer on ACC. Pretty ironic that I made this guide on a race I'll be fighting lol. I've traded all my luck jades so I don't craft anymore, therefore disregard my previous offer on free crafting service.
PS: I forgot to mention that pure specs have one major weakness, the bellatos' Armor Riders. You can't do anything to significantly stop them as you only have basic skills. Well, you can try and use shining cut lol.
They are very good against mages though. Mind Control ruins their game plan. Just make sure you live long enough to actually get a shot off.