AssassinThe complete guide from level 1 to Ludra: skills, stigmas, macro, stats and PvP
- Role
- Melee DPS
- Weapon
- Daggers
- Range
- Melee
- Party buffs
- no
- Difficulty
- hard
- Skills
- 12 active, 10 passive, 13 stigma
Stack insignias, then detonate
Insignia Explosion gets stronger with every insignia on the target, up to five stacks.
As of 4 October 2026, Global version. Balance patches can change values; changes to the guide are listed under News.
Overview
The Assassin fights in melee from behind the enemy. All of his buffs only affect himself. A party therefore judges him purely by his damage.
His main attacks reach 4 m. Shadowstrike teleports him behind a target up to 20 m away. From behind, Triniel’s Dagger and Ambush hit 30% harder, and his hits ignore the target’s block.
Strengths
- Highest single-target burst
- Very mobile, three dashes on the bar
- Stealth as an option in PvP
- Fast farming in the open world
Weaknesses
- Heavily dependent on his own buffs
- Little damage without buffs
- Has to stand behind the boss for full damage
How the Assassin works
Three building blocks
- Stack insignias. Every hit of Savage Roar’s three-step chain binds one insignia, and Savage Fang binds five at once. On top of that, the passive Exploit Weakness summons illusions on critical hits with a 7% chance, which also bind insignias. The maximum is 5 stacks.
- Detonate insignias. Insignia Explosion hits up to 4 enemies and gets stronger with every stack.
- Heart Gore on constant fire. Heart Gore only becomes usable after a critical hit and then has a 5 s cooldown. The stigma Illusive Clone removes this cooldown for its duration and also adds 20% of the damage dealt as additional damage.
In the Asian version, Heart Gore accounts for roughly a third and Insignia Explosion for roughly a quarter of an Assassin’s total damage. KR/TW value
Always from behind. Rear Smite, the most important passive, raises damage amplification on attacks from behind. Ambush only applies insignias when it hits the enemy from behind. If the boss moves, your dashes put you back in position.
Build at a glance (level 45, PvE)
| Main skills | Heart Gore, Insignia Explosion, Quick Slice and Savage Roar first. Level 20 is only worth it for these four; all other skills end at 12 or 16. |
|---|---|
| Stigmas | Illusive Clone, Swift Contract, Savage Fang, Triniel’s Dagger |
| Passives | Rear Smite, then Assault Stance, then Exploit Weakness, then Impact Hit |
| Keys | Hold left click (Quick Slice) and the macro key. Press buffs, Shadowstrike and, depending on the variant, Triniel’s Dagger and Savage Fang by hand. |
| Stats | Back attack damage amplification, Smite, then weapon damage amplification and critical damage amplification. The order of the last two is disputed. disputed |
Mastery skillStigmaPassive
- KR/TW valueValue from the Korean/Taiwanese version, not yet confirmed on Global
- disputedDisputed among experienced players; both positions are in the text
Active skills and specialisations
Skill points only raise a skill to level 10. Beyond that, skills rise through skill nodes on the Daevanion boards, Arcana cards and gear lines. The target levels in the table are therefore end-game goals.
Specialisations: from skill level 8 one slot is free, from 12 two. The option that unlocks at 16 takes one of those two slots until the third slot arrives at level 20. Skill and stigma resets are free.
| Skill | from Lv | CD | What it does | Specialisations | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Slice | 1 | – | Up to 4 enemies within 4 m, regenerates 100 MP. Your left click. | 1. [Insignia Explosion] cooldown −1 s on hit (12) 2. Ignores block and evasion, hits critically (16) 3. Multi-hit chance +50% (8) | 20 |
| Savage Roar | 1 | – | Up to 4 enemies within 4 m, binds 1 insignia for 10 s. | 1. Skill speed +20% (8) 2. Damage up to +12%, the fewer targets hit (8) 3. [Shadowstrike] cooldown −1 s on hit (12) | 20 |
| Heart Gore | 4 | 5 s | Only after a critical hit. Up to 4 enemies, regenerates 100 MP. | 1. Cooldown reset on critical hit (16) 2. Guaranteed multi-hit (12) 3. Absorbs 0.7% HP (8) | 20 |
| Insignia Explosion | 14 | 10 s | Target within 20 m, up to 4 enemies in a 4 m radius. Damage and stun chance rise per insignia stack. | 1. Cooldown −3 s (16) 2. Multi-hit chance +50% (8) 3. 2 insignia stacks remain after the explosion (8) | 20 |
| Shadowstrike | 1 | 20 s | Teleport behind a target within 20 m, damage and 3 s stun. | 1. Critical damage amplification +20% for 10 s on hit (8) 2. Silence for 5 s, 50% chance (8), mainly PvP | 12 |
| Ambush | 3 | 10 s | One target within 4 m, +30% damage from behind. | 1. Absorbs 3% HP (8) 2. Follow-up uses +2 (16) Alternative to 1: 2 insignias on back attack disputed | 16 |
| Storm Rampage | 5 | – | Only hits a dazed (staggered) target within 4 m. | 1. Cooldown of all skills −1 s on hit (16) 2. Guaranteed multi-hit (12) Alternative: 5% HP absorption (8) | 16 |
| Whirlwind Slice | 7 | 10 s | After a successful evade, one target within 4 m, 40% stun (NPC 100%). | 1. Range +16 m (8) 2. Multi-hit chance +50% (8) | 12 |
| Flash Slice | 8 | 10 s | Jump to the opposite side of the target, up to 4 enemies, 40% blind (NPC 100%). | 1. Range +6 m (8) 2. Can be cast 1 extra time (12) | 12 |
| Infiltrate | 10 | 20 s | After an emergency evade or while flying, behind a target within 10 m. | 1. Range +10 m (8) 2. SP regeneration +300 on hit (8) | 12 |
| Shadow Fall | 12 | 20 s | To a stunned target within 10 m, 3 s knockdown. | 1. Cooldown −5 s (8) 2. Absorbs 10% HP (8) | 12 disputed |
| Defiance | 16 | 60 s | Removes stun, knockdown, airborne, grab, frost and fear, then 5 s of tenacity (immunity to status effects). | 1. During tenacity PvE damage resistance +50%, PvP +25% (16) 2. 20% HP regeneration (8) | 16 |
Shadow Fall: Some builds take it to 12, others leave it at level 1 in PvE because it already does its job there at level 1. It belongs in the PvP preset either way. disputed
Distributing skill points at level 45
Up to level 45 you get 203 skill points from levelling. Wisdom stones give one more point each: 58 from your faction’s district quests and 2 from each of the 61 sealed dungeons, 383 in total. Taking a skill from 1 to 10 costs exactly 21 points.
| # | Skill | to | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heart Gore, Insignia Explosion, Quick Slice | 10 | 63 |
| 2 | Savage Roar | 10 | 84 |
| 3 | Shadowstrike (for its level 8 specialisation) | 8 | 97 |
| 4 | Rear Smite, then Assault Stance | 10 | 139 |
| 5 | Exploit Weakness, then Impact Hit | 10 | 181 |
| 6 | Storm Rampage | 10 | 202 |
| 7 | Infiltrate (for its level 8 specialisation) | 8 | 215 |
| 8 | Ambush | 10 | 236 |
| 9 | Determination, then Ambush Stance | 10 | 278 |
| 10 | Flash Slice, then Defense Break | 10 | 320 |
| 11 | Heightened Sixth Sense | 10 | 341 |
| 12 | Whirlwind Slice | 10 | 362 |
| 13 | Defiance | 10 | 383 |
The levelling points cover rows 1 to 6; wisdom stones pay for the rest. Leave at level 1: Shadow Fall, Apply Poison, Revitalization Contract.
Passive skills
Rear Smite, Assault Stance, Exploit Weakness and Impact Hit each go to 10 with points. Above 10 they grow through their Daevanion nodes, Arcana lines (Mirror, Bell, Chalice) and passive soul binding lines on armour, necklace and earrings.
| Prio | Passive | from Lv | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear Smite | 11 | Back attack damage amplification and damage amplification (PvE) 3% → 12.5% each, PvP 1.5% → 6.25%. |
| 2 | Assault Stance | 13 | Critical damage amplification 6% → 25%. |
| 3 | Exploit Weakness | 6 | Critical hit +100 → +290. On crit: 25% chance of +attack power for 10 s, 7% chance of up to 5 illusions that each bind one insignia. |
| 4 | Impact Hit | 15 | Hit (shock) 11.2% → 34%, Smite 0.3% → 6%. |
| 5 | Ambush Stance | 17 | For 10 s after charge or movement skills: 50% chance of additional damage per hit. |
| 6 | Determination | 25 | Additional damage against targets at 30% → 49% HP or less. |
| 7 | Defense Break | 21 | Against targets in shock state: defence −12% → −50%, status effect resistance −11% → −30% for 10 s (20 s cooldown). |
| 8 | Heightened Sixth Sense | 1 | Evasion +200, HP and max HP increased, HP regeneration on a successful evade. |
| 9 | Revitalization Contract | 23 | Status effect resistance. At 10% HP or less, instantly heals part of max HP (60 s cooldown). Important in PvP. |
| 10 | Apply Poison | 9 | 15% chance: target’s healing reduced for 10 s, poison damage over time. |
Stigmas
Stigma slots open at levels 22, 27, 32 and 37. Before that you can only equip as many stigmas as there are open slots. For the first slot you also need the ascension quest after the first story gate. It also gives your first stigma point.
| Stigma | CD | Effect | Level bonuses | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illusive Clone | 90 s | Heart Gore without cooldown, +20% of damage dealt as additional damage. 10 s (Lv 1) to 20 s (Lv 20). | 5: Status effect hit chance +10% 10: Critical damage amplification +20% 15: Exploit Weakness ×1.5 20: 50% chance of additional damage on crit | 20 |
| Swift Contract | 60 s | Combat speed +20%, 10 s (Lv 1) to 20 s (Lv 20). | 5: MP cost −20% 10: Rear Smite ×1.5 15: Assault Stance ×1.5 20: Combat speed an extra +10% | 20 |
| Savage Fang | 60 s | Up to 4 enemies within 4 m, binds 5 insignias for 10 s. | 5: Damage up to +20%, the more targets 10: Daze bar (damage) +50 15: Damage amplification PvE +10% / PvP +5% for 10 s 20: Guaranteed critical hit | 15 |
| Triniel’s Dagger | 45 s | One target within 4 m, +30% from behind, increases all of the target’s cooldowns by 5%. | 5: Usable while moving 10: Cooldown of all skills −10% on hit 15: Reset on a kill with the dagger 20: Cooldown of all skills +3% | 10 |
Values and level bonuses come from the skill texts. Savage Fang at 15 rather than 10, because the +10% PvE damage bonus only comes at 15.
Stigma points after level 45
A level costs 1 point up to level 5, 2 up to 10, 4 up to 15 and 8 up to 20. So a stigma at 20 costs 75 points, all four 300. At level 45 you have 30 points: 29 from levelling and 1 from the ascension quest.
More points come from stigma shards: 200 from the Abyss shop and 35 each from the Shugo Festa and Nightmare shops, plus arena, battlefield and ascension.
| # | Step | Points | What it gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Illusive Clone 10, the others 5 | 30 | Starting point at level 45 |
| 1 | Triniel’s Dagger to 10 disputed | 40 | −10% on all cooldowns on hit |
| 2 | Swift Contract to 10 | 50 | Rear Smite ×1.5 while active |
| 3 | Swift Contract and Illusive Clone to 15 disputed | 90 | Assault Stance ×1.5 and Exploit Weakness ×1.5 |
| 4 | Illusive Clone to 20 | 130 | 50% chance of additional damage per crit, 20 s duration |
| 5 | Swift Contract to 20 | 170 | +10% combat speed, 20 s duration |
| 6 | Savage Fang to 15 | 200 | +10% PvE damage for 10 s |
| 7 | Savage Fang, then Triniel’s Dagger to 20 KR/TW value | 300 | Guaranteed crit, and reset on kill and +3% cooldown |
Recommendations differ for the final build: some builds have Triniel’s Dagger and Savage Fang at 15, others leave Triniel’s Dagger at 10. Undisputed is that Illusive Clone and Swift Contract are upgraded first and as far as possible. disputed
Swapping stigmas by content
| Situation | Stigma | Instead of | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raid and hard content, e.g. Ludra | Evasion Stance | Savage Fang | Active block: briefly evades all damage, 20 s cooldown, usable twice from level 5. |
| Stagger checks where the party is too slow | Savage Fang at 10 | – | 50 stagger damage, 100 from stigma level 10, the highest value of all Assassin skills. |
| Open world, farming, questing | Throw Shadowblade | Savage Fang | Leap to the mob, reset after a kill from level 10. Best in a separate skill preset. |
| PvP | Evasion Contract | Savage Fang | See PvP. |
Every skill preset stores its own skill and stigma levels KR/TW value. While a stigma is on cooldown, you can’t switch presets.
Hotbar and macro
How the macro system works
- Every hotbar key is a block with up to four rows, counted from bottom to top (0 to 3). The skill at the bottom fires first. Chain skills continue upwards.
- The macro combines whole blocks and plays each block completely before moving to the next. If all skills are on cooldown, it looks for the first one available again.
- For almost every class, buffs, defensive skills and charged skills don’t belong in the macro.
- On Global, no macro key is bound by default. Path: Settings → Key Settings → General → “Skill Macro”; enter right click there and override the warning. This only works in AION 2 mode without a visible mouse cursor, not in Classic Mode.
- Weaving: Hold left click and the macro key at the same time. Your character then keeps leaving a shadow behind. That’s not a clone; it’s the sign that animations are being cancelled correctly.
- Show the boss orientation so you can see where the back is: Settings → Info Display → Combat → Display Boss Orientation Indicator → BACK.
Skill queue on or off? One side leaves it on (the default) because the macro supposedly barely works without it. The other sets Quick Slice to “queue off”. Best to test it yourself: open your own DPS meter with Ctrl + X and hold left and right click for a minute, once with and once without the queue. Early in the game compare hits, not the DPS value, because random crits distort the numbers.
Hotbar layout
A proven layout. Read each block from bottom to top; the lowest skill fires first.
Two macro variants
Macro: Block R (Heart Gore, Savage Roar) and block 8 (Insignia Explosion, Savage Fang, Triniel’s Dagger).
Savage Fang applies five insignias at once, Insignia Explosion detonates them, and Triniel’s Dagger shortens the cooldowns. While Illusive Clone is active, Heart Gore fires nonstop; Savage Roar refills the insignias in between.
By hand: key 4 (Swift Contract, Illusive Clone), Shadowstrike, Q for Ambush and Whirlwind Slice.
Macro: one row with Insignia Explosion (fires first), Heart Gore and Savage Roar.
By hand: Swift Contract, Illusive Clone, Shadowstrike, Triniel’s Dagger and Savage Fang. Triniel’s Dagger in the macro would fire too early and waste its cooldown. Press Savage Fang either before holding the keys or as the first entry in the macro, so that the first Insignia Explosion has five stacks. Ambush optionally on its own key; in the macro row it makes you stutter.
Add at most one more entry: Storm Rampage for stagger phases or Savage Fang as an opener. If your hit count drops, there’s too much in the macro.
It gets even shorter with only Insignia Explosion and Heart Gore on the right mouse button. Also: according to measurements from the Asian version, the in-game macro is somewhere between level with and about 5% behind a macro via mouse software. KR/TW value
Rotation on the boss
- Buffs from behind: first Swift Contract, then Illusive Clone. Always on the pull; later only when no mechanic is running that you have to run away from.
- Shadowstrike as soon as it’s ready: puts you behind the target and gives +20% critical damage for 10 s.
- Triniel’s Dagger and Savage Fang right after the buffs, by hand or through the macro depending on the variant.
- Hold left click and the macro key. The macro fires Insignia Explosion as soon as it’s ready and Heart Gore after every crit. Savage Roar fills the gaps.
- Situational: Storm Rampage when the boss is staggered. Infiltrate after an evade to get back behind the target from up to 20 m. Flash Slice when you’re in front of the boss. Whirlwind Slice right after an evade. Defiance when the boss stuns, grabs or knocks you down.
Save stagger skills for opening the daze bar. If a stagger check is missed, the whole party wipes in several dungeons. KR/TW value
Stagger damage of all Assassin skills
| Stagger | Skill |
|---|---|
| 50 / 100 | Savage Fang (100 from stigma level 10) |
| 20 | Triniel’s Dagger, Aerial Bind, Spiral Slice (stigmas) |
| 15 | Throw Shadowblade (+15 for the pursuit from stigma level 5), Smoke Bomb |
| 10 | Shadowstrike, Shadow Fall, Infiltrate |
| 7 | Flash Slice, Ambush, Insignia Explosion, Whirlwind Slice |
| 5 | Heart Gore |
| 2 | Savage Roar and each of its two follow-up steps |
| 0 | Storm Rampage (only hits targets that are already staggered) |
Values from the Global client.
Levelling 1–45
Level 45 is the level cap at launch. Only there do Conquest dungeons and all PvP open.
General rules
- Follow the main quest. With Alt + 1 your character automatically walks to the current quest.
- Save Odyle Energy. Energy pays for a dungeon’s reward, not for entry. Finish Exploration dungeons, but don’t loot the chest with energy. Exceptions: Fire Temple once for the weapon, Draupnir Exploration until the pity chest.
- Alts to 22 first. From about level 22 every character collects energy. If you get alts to 22 first, they collect in the background. That takes roughly 70 to 90 minutes each.
- Save for 45: Shugo Festa keys, Unique items (yellow) and manastones.
- Keep belt and amulet. They stay with you to the end. Up to +10 enhancing never fails; after that Substance Morph turns them into the next rarity. Never extract or sell them.
- Enhance little. Levelling gear gets replaced quickly. Weapon to about +5, armour not at all.
- Red ascension bar: At some point it holds up the main quest. Main quests, side quests, sealed dungeons and fortresses fill it; feathers don’t count.
- Leave the Shugo event, dimensional invasion and the Abyss until 45; before that you get less loot.
Assassin-specific
- Level 1–13: Points into Quick Slice and Savage Roar first, Heart Gore whenever its level gate allows. Early on these two deal the most damage because Heart Gore only fires after crits.
- Macro from level 4: Heart Gore at the bottom of the row, Savage Roar above it, held together with Quick Slice. From 14 put Insignia Explosion at the very bottom.
- Stigmas: Illusive Clone at 22, Swift Contract at 27, Triniel’s Dagger at 32. At 37, while questing, Throw Shadowblade at 10 in a questing preset.
- Daevanion: The boards open at 12, 20, 30 and 40. Take the levelling nodes from the Daevanion section each time.
- Mobs: Fight small groups. Quick Slice, Savage Roar, Heart Gore and Insignia Explosion each hit up to 4 enemies. An Insignia Explosion with five stacks stuns every monster it hits.
- Fragile early on: Rely on HP absorption specialisations and potions. If a story boss keeps killing you, do side quests for gear first.
| Skill | While levelling | At 45 |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Slice | Absorb 0.7% HP, from 25 also [Insignia Explosion] −1 s | Multi-hit +50% instead of absorption |
| Savage Roar | Skill speed +20% (or −20% MP if you’re short on MP) | Keep speed, add [Shadowstrike] −1 s |
| Heart Gore | Absorb 0.7% HP, from 28 multi-hit | Keep both |
| Shadowstrike | Critical damage amplification +20% for 10 s | Keep |
| Ambush | Absorb 3% HP | Keep, or 2 insignias disputed |
| Insignia Explosion | Multi-hit +50% | Add “2 stacks remain” |
| Storm Rampage | Absorb 5% HP | Keep |
Unlocks and skill points level by level
| Lv | New | Spend points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quick Slice, Shadowstrike, Savage Roar, Heightened Sixth Sense | – |
| 3 | Ambush | – |
| 4 | Heart Gore | Heart Gore 2 |
| 5 | Storm Rampage | Quick Slice 2, Savage Roar 2 |
| 6 | Exploit Weakness | Quick Slice 3, Savage Roar 3 |
| 7 | Whirlwind Slice | Heart Gore 3, Quick Slice 4 |
| 8 | Flash Slice | Savage Roar 4, Shadowstrike 2, Ambush 2 |
| 9 | Apply Poison | Shadowstrike 3, save 2 points |
| 10 | Infiltrate | Heart Gore 4, Quick Slice 5, Savage Roar 5 |
| 11 | Rear Smite | Ambush 4, Shadowstrike 4 |
| 12 | Shadow Fall, Nezekan board | Shadowstrike 5 |
| 13 | Assault Stance | Heart Gore 5, Quick Slice 6, Savage Roar 6 |
| 14 | Insignia Explosion | Insignia Explosion 2, Ambush 5, Shadowstrike 6 |
| 15 | Impact Hit | Ambush 6 |
| 16 | Defiance | Heart Gore 6, Quick Slice 7, Savage Roar 7 |
| 17 | Ambush Stance | Insignia Explosion 3, Shadowstrike 7 |
| 18 | – | Ambush 7 |
| 19 | First specialisations | Heart Gore 7, Quick Slice 8, Savage Roar 8 |
| 20 | Zikel board | Insignia Explosion 4 |
| 21 | Defense Break | save |
| 22 | Stigma slot 1: Illusive Clone | Heart Gore 8, Quick Slice 9, Savage Roar 9 |
| 23 | Revitalization Contract | Insignia Explosion 5, Shadowstrike 8 |
| 25 | Determination | Heart Gore 9, Quick Slice 10, Savage Roar 10 |
| 26 | – | Insignia Explosion 6 |
| 27 | Stigma slot 2: Swift Contract | Ambush 8, Shadowstrike 9 |
| 28 | – | Heart Gore 10 |
| 29 | – | Insignia Explosion 7, Ambush 9 |
| 30 | Vaizel board | Shadowstrike 10 |
| 31–33 | Stigma slot 3 at 32: Triniel’s Dagger | Ambush 10, Insignia Explosion 8, Storm Rampage up to 7 |
| 34–38 | Stigma slot 4 at 37: Throw Shadowblade | Storm Rampage 8, Exploit Weakness up to 9, Insignia Explosion 10 |
| 39–42 | Triniel board at 40 | Exploit Weakness 10, Rear Smite up to 10 |
| 43–45 | – | Save the remaining points, redistribute at 45 using the table above |
Calculated from the Global client, only skill points from levelling. Daevanion skill nodes and wisdom stones put you further ahead.
Daevanion boards
There are five boards: Nezekan, Zikel, Vaizel, Triniel and Azphel. Every Daevanion point spent gives exactly one gear score. Green, blue and orange nodes are linear: they cost 2, 3 or 4 points and give the same amount of gear score.
Crystals: about 136 from levelling to 45, 316 with all district quests and sealed dungeons of your faction, 366 with the 50 from the Nightmare shop. Crystals from quests and dungeons sit as items in your inventory and have to be used first.
Buy the nodes in this order on each board. Route calculated from the Global client.
How to read the boards
- Every board starts at the starting node in the centre. You can only buy a node that sits directly above, below, left or right of a node you already own; diagonals don't count.
- Nodes cost 1 to 4 Daevanion points. The grey ones give small base stats, the coloured ones give stronger stats or an extra level for a skill.
- The numbers are the recommended buying order. The highlighted nodes in between are the cheapest path there; you pick them up along the way.
- Click an entry or a number: the map shows the route up to that point and explains what the node gives.
- 1 point
- 2 points
- 3 points
- 4 points
- not on the route
- 1 order as in the list
Board node data: QuestLog.gg
Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.
1HerzstoßAktive Fähigkeit
Herzstoß: Stufe +1
Nur nach kritischem Treffer. Bis zu 4 Gegner, regeneriert 100 MP.
2GlyphenexplosionAktive Fähigkeit
Glyphenexplosion: Stufe +1
Ziel in 20 m, bis zu 4 Gegner im Umkreis von 4 m. Schaden und Betäubungschance steigen je Glyphenstapel.
3KampftempoWert
Kampftempo +1,5 %
Angriffe und Fähigkeiten laufen schneller ab, du schaffst mehr Aktionen in derselben Zeit.
4KampftempoWert
Kampftempo +1,5 %
Angriffe und Fähigkeiten laufen schneller ab, du schaffst mehr Aktionen in derselben Zeit.
5Schneller SchnittAktive Fähigkeit
Schneller Schnitt: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, regeneriert 100 MP. Dein Linksklick.
6GebrüllAktive Fähigkeit
Gebrüll der Bestie: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, bindet 1 Glyphe für 10 s.
7RückhiebPassive Fähigkeit
Rückhieb: Stufe +1
Schadensverstärkung bei Rückenangriffen und Schadensverstärkung (PvE) je 3 % → 12,5 %, PvP 1,5 % → 6,25 %.
8RückhiebPassive Fähigkeit
Rückhieb: Stufe +1
Schadensverstärkung bei Rückenangriffen und Schadensverstärkung (PvE) je 3 % → 12,5 %, PvP 1,5 % → 6,25 %.
9SturmhaltungPassive Fähigkeit
Sturmhaltung: Stufe +1
Krit.-Schadensverstärkung 6 % → 25 %.
10SturmhaltungPassive Fähigkeit
Sturmhaltung: Stufe +1
Krit.-Schadensverstärkung 6 % → 25 %.
11SchwachstellenfokusPassive Fähigkeit
Schwachstellenfokus: Stufe +1
Kritischer Treffer +100 → +290. Bei Krit: 25 % Chance auf +Angriffskraft für 10 s, 7 % Chance auf bis zu 5 Trugbilder, die je eine Glyphe binden.
12SchwachstellenfokusPassive Fähigkeit
Schwachstellenfokus: Stufe +1
Kritischer Treffer +100 → +290. Bei Krit: 25 % Chance auf +Angriffskraft für 10 s, 7 % Chance auf bis zu 5 Trugbilder, die je eine Glyphe binden.
13SchattenschlagAktive Fähigkeit
Schattenschlag: Stufe +1
Teleport hinter ein Ziel in 20 m, Schaden und 3 s Betäubung.
14Abklingzeit −1,5 %Wert
Abklingzeit −1,5 %
Deine Fähigkeiten sind schneller wieder einsatzbereit.
15Abklingzeit −1,5 %Wert
Abklingzeit −1,5 %
Deine Fähigkeiten sind schneller wieder einsatzbereit.
16SturmwirbelAktive Fähigkeit
Sturmwirbel: Stufe +1
Trifft nur ein benommenes (gestaggertes) Ziel in 4 m.
Nezekan, from level 12
- Heart Gore
- Insignia Explosion
- Combat speed
- Combat speed
- Quick Slice
- Savage Roar
- Rear Smite
- Rear Smite
- Assault Stance
- Assault Stance
- Exploit Weakness
- Exploit Weakness
- Shadowstrike
- Cooldown −1.5%
- Cooldown −1.5%
- Storm Rampage
Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.
1HerzstoßAktive Fähigkeit
Herzstoß: Stufe +1
Nur nach kritischem Treffer. Bis zu 4 Gegner, regeneriert 100 MP.
2GlyphenexplosionAktive Fähigkeit
Glyphenexplosion: Stufe +1
Ziel in 20 m, bis zu 4 Gegner im Umkreis von 4 m. Schaden und Betäubungschance steigen je Glyphenstapel.
3Schneller SchnittAktive Fähigkeit
Schneller Schnitt: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, regeneriert 100 MP. Dein Linksklick.
4GebrüllAktive Fähigkeit
Gebrüll der Bestie: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, bindet 1 Glyphe für 10 s.
5SchadensverstärkungWert
Schadensverstärkung +1,5 %
Erhöht den gesamten Schaden, den du verursachst.
6SchadensverstärkungWert
Schadensverstärkung +1,5 %
Erhöht den gesamten Schaden, den du verursachst.
7SchocktrefferPassive Fähigkeit
Schocktreffer: Stufe +1
Treffer (Schock) 11,2 % → 34 %, Wucht 0,3 % → 6 %.
8SchocktrefferPassive Fähigkeit
Schocktreffer: Stufe +1
Treffer (Schock) 11,2 % → 34 %, Wucht 0,3 % → 6 %.
9SchattenschlagAktive Fähigkeit
Schattenschlag: Stufe +1
Teleport hinter ein Ziel in 20 m, Schaden und 3 s Betäubung.
10SturmwirbelAktive Fähigkeit
Sturmwirbel: Stufe +1
Trifft nur ein benommenes (gestaggertes) Ziel in 4 m.
Zikel, from level 20
- Heart Gore
- Insignia Explosion
- Quick Slice
- Savage Roar
- Damage amplification
- Damage amplification
- Impact Hit
- Impact Hit
- Shadowstrike
- Storm Rampage
Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.
1HerzstoßAktive Fähigkeit
Herzstoß: Stufe +1
Nur nach kritischem Treffer. Bis zu 4 Gegner, regeneriert 100 MP.
2GlyphenexplosionAktive Fähigkeit
Glyphenexplosion: Stufe +1
Ziel in 20 m, bis zu 4 Gegner im Umkreis von 4 m. Schaden und Betäubungschance steigen je Glyphenstapel.
3Schneller SchnittAktive Fähigkeit
Schneller Schnitt: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, regeneriert 100 MP. Dein Linksklick.
4GebrüllAktive Fähigkeit
Gebrüll der Bestie: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, bindet 1 Glyphe für 10 s.
5RückhiebPassive Fähigkeit
Rückhieb: Stufe +1
Schadensverstärkung bei Rückenangriffen und Schadensverstärkung (PvE) je 3 % → 12,5 %, PvP 1,5 % → 6,25 %.
6SturmhaltungPassive Fähigkeit
Sturmhaltung: Stufe +1
Krit.-Schadensverstärkung 6 % → 25 %.
7Krit.-SchadensverstärkungWert
Krit.-Schadensverstärkung +1,5 %
Kritische Treffer richten mehr Schaden an.
8Krit.-SchadensverstärkungWert
Krit.-Schadensverstärkung +1,5 %
Kritische Treffer richten mehr Schaden an.
9SchwachstellenfokusPassive Fähigkeit
Schwachstellenfokus: Stufe +1
Kritischer Treffer +100 → +290. Bei Krit: 25 % Chance auf +Angriffskraft für 10 s, 7 % Chance auf bis zu 5 Trugbilder, die je eine Glyphe binden.
10SchocktrefferPassive Fähigkeit
Schocktreffer: Stufe +1
Treffer (Schock) 11,2 % → 34 %, Wucht 0,3 % → 6 %.
11SturmwirbelAktive Fähigkeit
Sturmwirbel: Stufe +1
Trifft nur ein benommenes (gestaggertes) Ziel in 4 m.
Vaizel, from level 30
- Heart Gore
- Insignia Explosion
- Quick Slice
- Savage Roar
- Rear Smite
- Assault Stance
- Critical damage amplification
- Critical damage amplification
- Exploit Weakness
- Impact Hit
- Storm Rampage
Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.
1HerzstoßAktive Fähigkeit
Herzstoß: Stufe +1
Nur nach kritischem Treffer. Bis zu 4 Gegner, regeneriert 100 MP.
2GlyphenexplosionAktive Fähigkeit
Glyphenexplosion: Stufe +1
Ziel in 20 m, bis zu 4 Gegner im Umkreis von 4 m. Schaden und Betäubungschance steigen je Glyphenstapel.
3Schneller SchnittAktive Fähigkeit
Schneller Schnitt: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, regeneriert 100 MP. Dein Linksklick.
4GebrüllAktive Fähigkeit
Gebrüll der Bestie: Stufe +1
Bis zu 4 Gegner in 4 m, bindet 1 Glyphe für 10 s.
5RückhiebPassive Fähigkeit
Rückhieb: Stufe +1
Schadensverstärkung bei Rückenangriffen und Schadensverstärkung (PvE) je 3 % → 12,5 %, PvP 1,5 % → 6,25 %.
6SturmhaltungPassive Fähigkeit
Sturmhaltung: Stufe +1
Krit.-Schadensverstärkung 6 % → 25 %.
7SchwachstellenfokusPassive Fähigkeit
Schwachstellenfokus: Stufe +1
Kritischer Treffer +100 → +290. Bei Krit: 25 % Chance auf +Angriffskraft für 10 s, 7 % Chance auf bis zu 5 Trugbilder, die je eine Glyphe binden.
8SchocktrefferPassive Fähigkeit
Schocktreffer: Stufe +1
Treffer (Schock) 11,2 % → 34 %, Wucht 0,3 % → 6 %.
9MehrfachtrefferWert
Mehrfachtreffer +1,5 %
Höhere Chance, dass ein Angriff als Mehrfachtreffer mehrmals trifft.
10MehrfachtrefferWert
Mehrfachtreffer +1,5 %
Höhere Chance, dass ein Angriff als Mehrfachtreffer mehrmals trifft.
11MehrfachtrefferWert
Mehrfachtreffer +1,5 %
Höhere Chance, dass ein Angriff als Mehrfachtreffer mehrmals trifft.
12SturmwirbelAktive Fähigkeit
Sturmwirbel: Stufe +1
Trifft nur ein benommenes (gestaggertes) Ziel in 4 m.
Triniel, from level 40
- Heart Gore
- Insignia Explosion
- Quick Slice
- Savage Roar
- Rear Smite
- Assault Stance
- Exploit Weakness
- Impact Hit
- Multi-hit
- Multi-hit
- Multi-hit
- Storm Rampage
- Skip: Ambush, Infiltrate, Defiance, Flash Slice, Whirlwind Slice, Shadow Fall, MP and crit resistance. Opinions differ on damage tolerance, multi-hit resistance and critical damage tolerance. disputed
- Above 366 crystals: the last attack and crit nodes, then survival stats.
- Azphel is a PvP board with its own crystals from the Abyss and battlefield, and costs nothing from the other boards. Everything not marked “(PvP)” also works in PvE.
Other routes set the same priorities; on Nezekan: cooldown, combat speed, Heart Gore, Quick Slice, Insignia Explosion. On Zikel damage amplification, on Vaizel critical damage amplification, on Triniel multi-hit.
Stats
| # | Stat | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Back attack damage amplification | Its own multiplier, starts at zero. On Global only on about 1 in 200 superior manastones/soul stones, in slot 4 of the Varian and Special pet boards, and through Rear Smite. |
| 2 | Smite | Take it wherever it rolls: soul binding on helmet, shoulders and cape, Special pet board (slot 4), the Wisdom Pantheon stat, Impact Hit. |
| 3 | Weapon damage amplification ≈ critical damage amplification | The order between the two is disputed; after that damage amplification. disputed |
| – | Combat speed | Only up to the next breakpoint: hits come in steps. Check on the training dummy where the hit count jumps. disputed |
| – | Critical hit | Up to the cap. Heart Gore only fires after crits. |
| – | Accuracy | Can wait. Hits from behind ignore the target’s block. |
Caps for crit and accuracy
- The cap is about 80%, reached with a lead of roughly 1,200 points over the target’s matching stat. Every 100 points of lead gives about 6–7% on average. KR/TW value
- The tooltip on Global says “max. 50%” crit rate. The Asian version had the same text, and up to roughly 80% was still measured.
- Crit specialisations on a skill that’s already at the cap are wasted.
- For the Ludra raid, about 1,450–1,500 accuracy and 1,600 crit are considered the target. Below that your hits don’t land cleanly, no matter how high your gear score is. KR/TW value
Pantheon stats: One recommendation is Wisdom, then Time, Destruction and Illusion; another is Destruction, Illusion, Death, Space and Time. For Time and Destruction the Colossus is the best source. disputed
Gear
Endgame set
| Slot | Item | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Enraged Kromede Silver Dagger | Fire Temple Conquest, vouchers for a weapon of your choice |
| Guard | Nuakum Guard | Rarest drop in Ferocious Horn Den, alternatively 3 vouchers + 2 million Kina |
| Armour | Nuakum set: helmet, shoulders, chest, gloves, legs, boots, cape | Ferocious Horn Den |
| Earrings, rings | Enraged Kromede (2 each) | Fire Temple Conquest |
| Bracelets | Pilgrim’s or Ascension bracelet | Best bracelet in Season 1: the Abyss bracelet from Ludra |
| Amulet | Revelation Amulet (Unique, weapon damage amplification 10%) |
Some item names are descriptive where no confirmed client name was available. Ludra’s Claw (Unique, item level 102) is the strongest dagger currently available. There is no Heroic gear in Season 1; Unique is the highest tier.
Lines, stones, Arcana, titles, wings
| Manastones | Back attack damage amplification, only on superior (including Abyss) manastones and soul stones. Then weapon damage amplification, critical damage amplification and damage amplification; until then a gold attack line. |
|---|---|
| Soul binding weapon, guard | Combat speed, weapon damage amplification, damage amplification, multi-hit chance, Smite |
| Soul binding armour | Helmet and cape: Smite and attack. Shoulders: crit damage and Smite. Chest: damage amplification. Gloves: combat speed. Boots: movement speed. On every piece, lines for Rear Smite, Assault Stance or Impact Hit. |
| Jewellery | Rings: Smite and +1 to Heart Gore, Insignia Explosion or Quick Slice. Necklace: combat speed and Smite. Earrings: movement speed and Smite. |
| Arcana | Parchment: Heart Gore, Quick Slice, Insignia Explosion. Compass: Savage Roar, then Storm Rampage. Bell: Assault Stance. Mirror: Rear Smite, Impact Hit, Exploit Weakness. Chalice disputed. From 45, Arcana lines raise skills above level 14. The Primal Vigor set is common: 2 pieces give +60, 4 pieces +150 PvE attack power while you have at least 70% HP. |
| Titles | Attack: “Unbound by Genus” (PvE damage 4.5%). Defence: Saint of Verteron or Altgard (damage tolerance 3%). Utility: “Empty Closet” (combat speed and cooldown 3.5%, 700 skins). |
| Wings | Veil of Darkness, Forest Spirit or Nightmare for damage, or Talisra for 4% cooldown reduction. Until then the Ultimate Daeva wings from ascension. The collection effects of all wings count; only the equip effect is a choice. disputed |
| Colossus | Zikel’s Manifestation, in the Nightmare shop for 14,000 Phantasmal Fragments |
Endgame: from 45 to Ludra
At 45, your gear score (item level), not your level, decides which content you can enter. A fresh 45 has about 780 item level.
The five phases to 1,400
- Finish the story. The quest “Diverging Paths” (Elyos) or “Farewells” (Asmodians) gives you the Unique weapon. The follow-up quest leads through Draupnir (item level 700) to the Abyss (1,000) and gives you the guard. Switch to your endgame build and open the Shugo Festa keys you saved.
- Collect one-time rewards. District quests, 61 sealed dungeons, 15 garrisons, feathers (Empyrean Traces) at the monolith, and the opposing faction’s sealed dungeons through the Spacetime Rift. Then use and spend your Daevanion Crystals. Roughly +240 item level without spending any Kina.
- Upgrade to 1,000. Amulet and belt up one tier, everything to +5, weapon to +10, cheap stones in every slot. For under 2 million Kina. Clash runes only to +1: from +2 the rune breaks on a failure.
- Enter the Abyss. From 1,000 item level. Turn in quests at Shugo Koro, finish the unlocked district quests and the ascension quest at 45, and collect feathers in the Abyss for up to 52 Azphel crystals.
- Climb to 1,400. Amulet and belt to Epic +10 and then to Unique, craft jewellery, spend surplus energy in Draupnir. Then Vakron Sky Island.
Item level gates
| Item level | Content | What drops there |
|---|---|---|
| 700 | Draupnir and Krao Cave Conquest | Armour/guard or weapons/jewellery, item level 54 |
| 1,000 | Abyss, Ascension Trial (easy) | Abyss Points for stigma shards |
| 1,400 | Vakron Sky Island, Urugugu Canyon Conquest | Armour/guard or weapons/jewellery, item level 70 |
| 1,600–2,500 | Transcendence, tiers 1–4 (1,600 / 1,900 / 2,200 / 2,500) | Main source of Arcana cards |
| 2,100 | Ferocious Horn Den, Fire Temple Conquest | Nuakum armour or Enraged Kromede weapons/jewellery, item level 86 |
| 2,800 | Ludra, raid for exactly 10 players | 1 rewarded kill per week |
| 1,000–3,000 | Nightmare, solo against one boss, up to tier 10 | Shop with Colossus, stigma shards, crystals |
All gates from the Global client. Hard modes and Ordeal don’t exist at the Global launch.
Using resources well
- Odyle Energy: regenerates 15 every three hours, and a claim costs 40. Never leave it at the cap, or the recharge is wasted. Spend it in the newest dungeon you can enter.
- Pity chests: Claiming Exploration of a new dungeon three times gives a one-time armour piece of your choice. An open selection blocks the dungeon until you take it.
- Crafting: Craft weapons and jewellery, farm armour and guards. Upgrade armour last. Crafted pieces have 5 soul binding lines instead of 4.
- Enhancing: Nothing past +10 on gear you’ll replace. +10 → +15 costs about 75 times more per item level than +0 → +5.
- Abyss Points: The Abyss shop on Global doesn’t sell gear. For the Assassin, mainly stigma shards, the first 50 at 10,000 Abyss Points each.
- Abyss time: 7 hours per week, 14 with a membership according to the tooltip disputed. Don’t stand around AFK.
Ludra: notes for Assassins
- In one phase the only correct spot is in front of the boss, because behind it is outside the arena. Shadowstrike teleports you behind the target, so here it puts you in the wrong place.
PvP
Create a second skill preset for PvP. Every preset stores its own skill and stigma levels, so your PvE build stays intact. KR/TW value The principle: pick a target, get behind it, burst it. If it’s still standing afterwards, get out and start again with the next Shadowstrike.
Sequence
- Swift Contract, then Illusive Clone, before attacking. From level 5 Illusive Clone also gives +10% status effect hit chance.
- Shadowstrike from up to 20 m: behind the target, 3 s stun. The chance isn’t reduced against players.
- Triniel’s Dagger from behind, then Shadow Fall on the stunned target (3 s knockdown).
- Insignia Explosion, then hold left click and the macro. Against players 10% stun per insignia, 50% at five.
- Get out once the burst is spent. Evasion Contract removes root and slow, makes you immune to them and gives +200 evasion.
| Area | PvP preset |
|---|---|
| Stigmas | Illusive Clone, Swift Contract, Triniel’s Dagger, Evasion Contract instead of Savage Fang |
| Skill points | Storm Rampage at 1, because only monsters have a stagger bar. Revitalization Contract at 10 instead. Raise Defiance earlier. |
| Shadowstrike | Also silence for 5 s (50%). Defiance doesn’t remove silence. |
| Optional stigmas | Shadow Walk (20 s stealth), Shadowstep (hit and back into 3 s stealth), Spiral Slice (20 m charge, removes buffs), Smoke Bomb (5 s blind) disputed |
| Amulet | Fierce Battle Amulet (PvP damage amplification 20%) instead of Revelation Amulet |
| Armour lines | Status effect resistance on every armour piece |
| Manastones | Abyss manastones with PvP lines, PvP damage amplification first |
What to watch out for
| Opponent | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Gladiator Tenaciousness, Cleric Salvation | 3 s immune to damage and status effects | Wait it out, only then Dagger and Illusive Clone |
| Chanter Barrier Spell | Party can’t drop below 10% HP for 3 s | Keep hitting: afterwards no barrier, Tenaciousness or Salvation on that player for 30 s |
| Spiritmaster: Seize Magic | Removes up to 2 buffs, 3 from stigma level 5, 5 from 15 | Expect to lose Illusive Clone and Swift Contract |
| Root and slow (Cleric, Ranger, Gladiator, Sorcerer) | Defiance doesn’t remove them | Use Evasion Contract |
| Seeds of Detection | Reveals stealth for 10 s, every 30 s | Don’t rely on stealth to escape |
Information from the Global client and proven PvP builds. Some opposing classes’ skill names are descriptive where no client name was available.
Common mistakes
Wanting everything at 20
Only Quick Slice, Savage Roar, Heart Gore and Insignia Explosion need level 20. All other skills end at 12 or 16; points beyond that are wasted there.
Attacking from the front
From the front you lose the Rear Smite bonus, and Ambush applies no insignias. Stay behind the target.
Keeping Savage Fang in the raid
In raids and hard fights, Evasion Stance as an active block is worth more. It replaces Savage Fang there.
Popping Illusive Clone before a mechanic
Not shortly before a mechanic you have to run away from. Otherwise your strongest buff goes to waste.
Too much in the macro
If the hit count drops, there’s too much in the macro. One row and at most one extra entry. Lower the graphics if frames drop.
Energy in Exploration dungeons
Energy belongs in the Conquest dungeons, not in the Exploration chests while levelling.
Status and method
Compiled from Global client data, NC’s announcements and the builds of experienced players, cross-checked across several German and English sources. Only what is confirmed goes in. Where experienced players disagree, both positions are given.
The guide is continuously maintained. What has changed is listed under News.
