GladiatorThe greatsword guide: Overhead Slam, party buffs, stigmas with and without a Templar, macro and PvP

Role
Tank and party buffer
Weapon
Greatsword
Range
Melee
Party buffs
yes
Difficulty
easy
Skills
12 active, 10 passive, 13 stigma

As of 4 October 2026, Global version. Balance patches can change values; changes to the guide are listed under News.

Contents
  1. Overview
  2. Mechanics
  3. Build
  4. Active skills
  5. Passives
  6. Stigmas
  7. Hotbar/macro
  8. Rotation
  9. Tanking
  10. Levelling
  11. Daevanion
  12. Stats
  13. PvP
  14. Mistakes
  15. Status

Overview

The Gladiator swings a greatsword in melee and is a damage class, party buffer and backup tank all at once. Without a Templar he holds the boss; with one in the party, he fights next to him at the front.

His biggest hit is Overhead Slam with its follow-up Upward Strike. Against a boss, though, it can only be used once unlocked: Rage Burst makes it available for 10 s, and every one of your attacks also has a 7% chance to unlock it. Up to skill level 16, Overhead Slam then has a 5 s cooldown.

Strengths

  • Damage, party buffs and tanking in one class
  • Party buffs through block and Lifestealing Blade
  • Lots of HP absorption, which makes him sturdy
  • Lots of crowd control (knockdown, airborne, root) in PvP

Weaknesses

  • No hard taunt: if the boss turns away, it stays away
  • Overhead Slam only after unlocking
  • Tight on mana early on
  • Party buff doesn’t stack with the Templar’s

How the Gladiator works

Three building blocks

  1. Unlock Overhead Slam. It only hits a knocked-down target. Against bosses immune to incapacitation it unlocks with a 7% chance per attack, and Rage Burst unlocks it for 10 s. The “cooldown removed” specialisation from skill level 16 lets it fire nonstop during that window.
  2. Mana through hits. Rending Blow hits up to 4 enemies and costs MP. Keen Strike, your left click, refills it: every hit of its chain gives 100 MP or more. From skill level 16, Rending Blow itself can return MP on critical hits.
  3. Pop the buffs. Ruinous Blow charges you to the target every 45 s and gives 20 s of [Prepare for Battle]: +20% PvE damage amplification, +100 critical hit. Lunge Stance raises combat speed, Zikel’s Blessing attack power.

Always from the front. Experienced Counterstrike permanently raises your damage amplification on frontal attacks. If a Templar is in front, stand next to him at the boss’s front.

Build at a glance (level 45, PvE)

Main skillsOverhead Slam, Rending Blow and Ruinous Blow to 10 first, then Keen Strike
StigmasLunge Stance and Rage Burst always. With a Templar in the party, add Zikel’s Blessing and Lifestealing Blade; without a Templar, Focused Block and a fourth one the builds disagree on. disputed
PassivesExperienced Counterstrike and Attack Preparation first, then Murderous Burst, Impact Hit and Identify Weakness
KeysHold Keen Strike and the macro key. Buffs by hand at the start of the fight, Focused Block before big boss hits.
StatsFrontal attack damage amplification, Smite, then weapon damage, critical damage and damage amplification roughly equal KR/TW value

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

With skill points a skill reaches level 10 at most; above that, Daevanion nodes, rings and Arcana cards help. One specialisation slot opens at skill level 8, a second at 12; the option at 16 takes one of those slots until level 20 opens the third. Resets are free.

Specialisations the common PvE builds agree on. Unlock level in brackets.
Skillfrom LvCDWhat it doesSpecialisations
Overhead Slam45 sOne knocked-down target within 4 m, raises aggro. Against immune targets unlocked with a 7% chance per attack.Follow-up [Upward Strike] (8)
Guaranteed critical hit (12)
Cooldown removed (16), instead of the crit; the crit returns at 20
Rending Blow1–Up to 4 enemies within 4 m, raises aggro, costs MP.Usable while moving (8)
Up to +12% damage on few targets (12)
50 MP on critical hit (16), instead of the 12%
Ruinous Blow1445 sCharge to a target within 7.5 m, up to 4 enemies. 20 s of [Prepare for Battle]: PvE damage amplification +20%, PvP +10%, critical hit +100, status effect hit chance +15%.Additional damage on hit (12)
Ignores block and evasion, multi-hit (16)
First slot: skill speed +20% or range disputed
Keen Strike1–Up to 4 enemies within 4 m, regenerates MP, raises aggro. Your left click.MP regeneration +20% (8)
[Ruinous Blow] cooldown −1 s on hit (12)
Crushing Wave820 sUp to 4 enemies within 5 m around you.Absorbs 2% HP (8)
Reset on critical hit (12)
Sword Aura Rampage5–Only hits a dazed (staggered) target within 4 m.5% HP or 120 MP disputed
Mocking Blade320 sOne target within 4 m, 3 s knockdown.Absorbs 4% HP, 15% against immune targets (bosses) (8)
Leaping Slam115 sLeap to a target within 20 m.Reset when the target dies (8)
Rush Strike1020 sAfter an emergency evade or while flying, to a target within 10 m, 30% knockdown (NPC 100%).Range +10 m (8)
Ankle Slice710 sAfter a successful block, up to 4 enemies, 50% root for 3 s (NPC 100%).Range +16 m (8)
Aerial Snare1245 sOne knocked-down target within 4 m, 50% airborne for 3 s. Against immune targets unlocked with a 5% chance.Mainly PvP: airborne chance +25% (8)
Defiance1660 sRemoves stun, knockdown, airborne, grab, frost and fear, then 5 s of tenacity.20% HP regeneration (8)

Distributing skill points at level 45

Up to 45 you get 203 skill points from levelling, 383 with all your faction’s wisdom stones. Taking a skill from 1 to 10 costs exactly 21 points.

Order at level 45, from top to bottom
#SkilltoTotal points
1Overhead Slam, Rending Blow, Ruinous Blow1063
2Keen Strike1084
3Experienced Counterstrike, Attack Preparation10126
4Crushing Wave disputed, Sword Aura Rampage, Identify Weakness, Murderous Burst, Impact Hit; Leaping Slam and Mocking Blade to 810257
5Survival Stance10278
6Leaping Slam and Mocking Blade10294
7Blood Absorption10315
8Rush Strike, Ankle Slice10357
9Defiance10378

The levelling points reach into row 4; wisdom stones pay for the rest. At level 1 in PvE: Aerial Snare, Protection Armor, Survival Willpower and Destructive Impulse.

Passive skills

Above level 10, passives grow through their Daevanion nodes, the Arcana lines of Mirror (Experienced Counterstrike, Murderous Burst, Impact Hit, Identify Weakness), Bell (Attack Preparation) and Chalice, and passive soul binding lines.

Values: level 1 → highest level shown in the skill databases. Sorted by priority.
PrioPassivefrom LvEffect
1Experienced Counterstrike21Frontal attack damage amplification 0.4% → 8%. On a successful block, for 20 s for you and the party: PvE damage amplification 5.4% → 13%, PvP 2.7% → 6.5%. Doesn’t stack with the Templar’s Fury.
2Attack Preparation13PvE damage amplification 5.5% → 15%, PvP 2.75% → 7.5%, defence 2% → 40%, accuracy +100.
3Murderous Burst25Every hit gives a stack of bloodlust. At 5 stacks, damage to up to 4 enemies within 5 m, then 3 s of critical damage amplification 5.5% → 15%.
4Impact Hit15Impact hit 11.2% → 34%, Smite 0.3% → 6%.
5Identify Weakness11Critical hit +100 → +290, perfection 0.5% → 10%.
6Survival Stance1HP, max HP, natural HP regeneration and damage resistance (PvE 5.5% → 15%).
7Blood Absorption950% chance per hit of some HP. At 50% HP or less, instantly 26% → 45% of max HP (60 s cooldown).
8Survival Willpower23Status effect resistance 17% → 55%, damage resistance under hard crowd control. Mainly PvP.
9Destructive Impulse17Additional damage against targets in shock or daze.
10Protection Armor6Block +200, HP on a successful block.

Stigmas

Slots open at 22, 27, 32 and 37. Which four stigmas a Gladiator uses depends mainly on whether there’s a Templar in the party. The Templar’s Fury replaces your block buff, no matter how high your levels are. KR/TW value

Lunge Stance, Zikel’s Blessing, Rage Burst, Lifestealing Blade. The Templar takes over the block buff, so Focused Block is dropped. From stigma level 10, Lifestealing Blade gives the whole party 20 s of [Predation], an HP absorption.

StigmaCDEffectLevel bonuses
Lunge Stance60 sCombat speed +20%, 10 s (Lv 1) to 20 s (Lv 20).5: Smite +5%
10: Movement speed +20%
15: Identify Weakness ×1.5
20: on crit 50% chance of −1 s on all cooldowns
Rage Burst45 sOne target within 4 m. Unlocks Overhead Slam for 10 s, +10% PvE damage amplification for 10 s, [Wounded]: target’s attack power −10%.5: Cooldown −15 s
10: Attack power a further −10%
15: Guaranteed critical hit
20: PvE damage amplification +10%
Zikel’s Blessing120 sAttack power +20%, accuracy +100, 10 s (Lv 1) to 20 s (Lv 20).5: Own stagger damage +50%
10: PvE damage amplification +10%
15: Multi-hit chance +50%
20: Status effect hit chance +20%
Focused Block20 sGuaranteed parry with +100% block damage reduction. Returns MP and SP and triggers the party buff.5: Twice in a row
10: Usable while moving
15: Movement speed +20% after a parry
20: 10% HP after a parry
Lifestealing Blade90 sUp to 4 enemies within 4 m, absorbs 10% HP.5: Up to +20% damage on many targets
10: [Predation] for the party, 20 s
15: Cooldown −30 s
20: HP absorption +5%

Stigma points after level 45

A level costs 1 point up to 5, 2 up to 10, 4 up to 15 and 8 up to 20. At 45 you have 30 points: one stigma at 10, three at 5. More points come from stigma shards from the Abyss shop, Shugo Festa and Nightmare shops, arena, battlefield and ascension.

  • Lunge Stance to 20 first. All builds agree on this. Only level 20 brings the chance to lower all cooldowns on crits; together with “cooldown removed” on Overhead Slam and Rage Burst’s cooldown, that keeps Overhead Slam available almost all the time.
  • With a Templar: then raise Zikel’s Blessing, Lifestealing Blade to 15 (party Predation from 10, shorter cooldown from 15), Rage Burst to 5.
  • Without a Templar: Focused Block is fine at 5. Then raise Rage Burst; at 10 it lowers the boss’s attack power by 20%, at 15 it’s a guaranteed crit. disputed

Swapping stigmas by content

SituationStigmaWhy
Stagger checks where the party is too slowWrath Wave50 stagger damage at every level, the highest value of all Gladiator skills. Usually replaces Rage Burst or Focused Block. KR/TW value
Stagger phaseZikel’s BlessingFrom level 5, +50% own stagger damage; save it for when the bar is open.

Each of the three skill presets stores its own skill and stigma levels KR/TW value. So put the with-Templar and without-Templar setups on separate presets. While a stigma is on cooldown, you can’t switch presets.

Hotbar and macro

The basics of the macro system are in the Assassin guide. For the Gladiator, the macro revolves around the row with Rending Blow; in both common setups it holds, from bottom to top, Rage Burst, Sword Aura Rampage and Rending Blow. Sword Aura Rampage only fires on a staggered boss; Rending Blow fills the rest of the time.

1
  1. Leaping Slam

To the target, 20 m

2
  1. Rush Strike

After evading

3
  1. Mocking Blade

HP emergency

4
  1. Crushing Wave

Trash, HP

5
  1. Lunge Stance
  2. Zikel’s Blessing

Buffs

8
  1. Ankle Slice
  2. Aerial Snare

Control

Q
  1. Focused Block

Before big hits

E
  1. Overhead Slam
  2. Ruinous Blow

Main damage

R
  1. Rage Burst
  2. Sword Aura Rampage
  3. Rending Blow

In the macro

LMB
  1. Keen Strike

Left click, MP

Read the lowest skill of a block; it fires first.

Macro: block R only. Overhead Slam sits on its own key and is held as well, so it fires as soon as it’s unlocked and ready.

By hand: Lunge Stance, Zikel’s Blessing, Ruinous Blow, Focused Block. Ruinous Blow from the macro can pull you forward at the wrong moment.

Left click: how long to hold it? As long as Rending Blow and Overhead Slam are below skill level 16, Keen Strike is your MP source and is held too. From 16 Rending Blow takes over with its MP specialisation, and the macro key is enough.

Rotation on the boss

  1. Close in: with Leaping Slam, or with Rush Strike after an evade.
  2. Buffs: Lunge Stance and Zikel’s Blessing together when the boss can be attacked, not during a mechanic or on adds.
  3. Ruinous Blow whenever it’s ready, for 20 s of Prepare for Battle.
  4. Hold the keys. The macro fires Rage Burst as soon as it’s ready, unlocking Overhead Slam for 10 s. Rending Blow runs in between.
  5. Focused Block just before an announced boss hit lands (red or yellow area): the hit is blocked and the party gets the buff for 20 s.
  6. Situational: Sword Aura Rampage while the boss is staggered. Mocking Blade when your HP gets low. Defiance against stun or knockdown.
Stagger damage of all Gladiator skills
StaggerSkill
50Wrath Wave (stigma)
25Ruinous Blow
20Aerial Snare (only when triggered), Rage Burst, Lifestealing Blade, Forced Restraint, Fracturing Rush (stigmas)
15Mocking Blade
10Leaping Slam, Ankle Slice, Rush Strike
5Crushing Wave, Overhead Slam and Upward Strike (when unlocked), Blade Toss
2Rending Blow and its follow-up
0Sword Aura Rampage (only hits staggered targets)

Values from the Global client.

Tanking and party

  • Aggro through hits. Keen Strike, Rending Blow, Overhead Slam and Upward Strike raise aggro. Without a Templar in the party, the boss therefore ends up on you by itself. You don’t have a taunt.
  • Block the big hit. Focused Block before impact stops the hit and gives the party the Experienced Counterstrike buff. Your held attack cancels the block early; let go briefly or block just before the hit.
  • Weaken the boss: Rage Burst applies [Wounded], −10% attack power, −20% from stigma level 10. Wounded doesn’t stack with the intimidation from the Templar’s Taunt.
  • Look after yourself: Blood Absorption heals instantly once a minute when you drop below 50% HP. Mocking Blade drains 15% HP against bosses. Defiance removes hard crowd control.

One buffer per party. Experienced Counterstrike doesn’t stack with the Templar’s Fury, and the Templar buff wins. With a Templar, he takes over the block buff and the taunt, and you bring Zikel’s Blessing and Lifestealing Blade. KR/TW value

Levelling 1–45

General levelling rules are in the tips. For the Gladiator:

  • Level 1–13: Points into Rending Blow and Keen Strike first, then Leaping Slam. Hold left click and the macro key together; Keen Strike supplies the MP.
  • Macro: one row, Overhead Slam at the bottom, Rending Blow above it. From 14 add Ruinous Blow.
  • Questing: Leaping Slam from mob to mob; its reset on a kill brings it straight back. Gather groups and absorb HP with Crushing Wave; Mocking Blade is the emergency heal.
  • Normal monsters: Against them, Overhead Slam only hits knocked-down targets, and Mocking Blade and Rush Strike knock them down. Most quest damage therefore comes from Rending Blow.
  • Stigmas: Level with the four stigmas you’ll use at 45. Zikel’s Blessing and Rage Burst come in on the later slots.
  • Daevanion: Boards at 12, 20, 30 and 40. A node on Rending Blow or Keen Strike brings their first specialisation a few levels earlier.
Specialisations while levelling and the switch at 45
SkillWhile levellingAt 45
Keen StrikeMP regeneration +20%Keep, add [Ruinous Blow] −1 s from 12
Rending BlowUsable while movingKeep, add the 12% from 12
Leaping SlamReset on killKeep
Overhead SlamFollow-up Upward StrikeKeep, add crit from 12
Mocking Blade4% / 15% HP absorptionKeep
Crushing Wave2% HP absorptionKeep
Unlocks level by level
LvNew
1Rending Blow, Keen Strike, Leaping Slam, Survival Stance
3Mocking Blade
4Overhead Slam
5Sword Aura Rampage
6Protection Armor
7Ankle Slice
8Crushing Wave
9Blood Absorption
10Rush Strike
11Identify Weakness
12Aerial Snare, Nezekan board
13Attack Preparation
14Ruinous Blow
15Impact Hit
16Defiance
17Destructive Impulse
20Zikel board
21Experienced Counterstrike
22Stigma slot 1
23Survival Willpower
25Murderous Burst
27 / 32 / 37Stigma slots 2, 3 and 4
30 / 40Vaizel and Triniel boards

From the Global client.

Daevanion boards

Crystals: about 136 from levelling to 45, 316 with all district quests and sealed dungeons, 366 with the Nightmare shop.

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.

Open and adjust this route in the Daevanion planner →

  • 1 point
  • 2 points
  • 3 points
  • 4 points
  • not on the route
  • 1 order as in the list

Board node data: QuestLog.gg

Daevanion board Nezekan: route with 13 stops, starting node in the centre12345678910111213

Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.

Nezekan, from level 12

  1. Overhead Slam
  2. Rending Blow
  3. Combat speed
  4. Combat speed
  5. Ruinous Blow
  6. Keen Strike
  7. Attack Preparation
  8. Attack Preparation
  9. Cooldown −1.5%
  10. Cooldown −1.5%
  11. Crushing Wave
  12. Identify Weakness
  13. Identify Weakness
Daevanion board Zikel: route with 15 stops, starting node in the centre123456789101112131415

Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.

Zikel, from level 20

  1. Overhead Slam
  2. Rending Blow
  3. Ruinous Blow
  4. Damage amplification
  5. Damage amplification
  6. Experienced Counterstrike
  7. Experienced Counterstrike
  8. Keen Strike
  9. Murderous Burst
  10. Murderous Burst
  11. Impact Hit
  12. Impact Hit
  13. Crushing Wave
  14. Damage resistance
  15. Damage resistance
Daevanion board Vaizel: route with 10 stops, starting node in the centre12345678910

Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.

Vaizel, from level 30

  1. Overhead Slam
  2. Rending Blow
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Experienced Counterstrike
  5. Ruinous Blow
  6. Critical damage amplification
  7. Critical damage amplification
  8. Murderous Burst
  9. Impact Hit
  10. Identify Weakness
Daevanion board Triniel: route with 11 stops, starting node in the centre1234567891011

Tip: click an entry in the list or a number on the map to see what that node gives.

Triniel, from level 40

  1. Overhead Slam
  2. Rending Blow
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Experienced Counterstrike
  5. Ruinous Blow
  6. Murderous Burst
  7. Impact Hit
  8. Multi-hit
  9. Multi-hit
  10. Multi-hit
  11. Identify Weakness
  • Skip: Aerial Snare, Defiance, Rush Strike, Leaping Slam, Mocking Blade, Ankle Slice, multi-hit resistance, critical damage tolerance, MP and crit resistance. Sword Aura Rampage is disputed. disputed
  • Azphel is the PvP board; it opens at 45 and uses its own crystals. Its damage and defence nodes only work in PvP.

Stats and gear

Stat priorities
#StatReason
1Frontal attack damage amplificationIts own multiplier, and you almost always hit from the front. On Global only on superior (including Abyss) manastones, on the Varian and Special pet boards and through Experienced Counterstrike. KR/TW value
2SmiteNot on manastones. Comes from the Special pet board, soul binding on helmet, shoulders and cape, Impact Hit and Lunge Stance.
3Weapon damage, critical damage and damage amplificationRoughly equal. KR/TW value
–Combat speedWithout speed gear your hit count drops. Combat speed works in steps, not evenly. KR/TW value

Lines, stones, Arcana

ManastonesFrontal attack damage amplification, then weapon damage, critical damage and damage amplification
Soul binding weapon, guardCombat speed, weapon damage amplification, power, accuracy, damage amplification; leave skill lines to the rings
Soul binding armourChest damage amplification, shoulders crit damage, helmet and cape Smite, gloves combat speed, boots movement speed. On every piece a +1 line for Experienced Counterstrike, Murderous Burst, Impact Hit or Attack Preparation.
RingsPower and +1 to Overhead Slam, Rending Blow or Ruinous Blow
Necklace, earringsUnique pieces with +1 passive lines; combat speed on the necklace
ArcanaParchment: Overhead Slam, Ruinous Blow. Compass: Rending Blow. Mirror: Experienced Counterstrike, Murderous Burst. Bell: Attack Preparation. Chalice disputed. disputed
Belt, amulet, runesFixed stats: Revelation Amulet (weapon damage amplification 10%) and Clash Runes; you can wear two of them at once

Endgame sets, item level gates and resources are in the endgame guide.

PvP

Create a separate preset for PvP. The principle: close in, knock down, hit the target while it’s on the ground, and let Tenaciousness carry you through the enemy’s burst.

  1. Close the gap: Leaping Slam from 20 m, Ruinous Blow from 7.5 m, Rush Strike after an evade.
  2. Blade Toss from 20 m on healers or runners: −30% defence and less healing received for 10 s.
  3. Wait for the enemy’s Defiance first. Its 5 s immunity swallows Mocking Blade and knockdown.
  4. Mocking Blade knocks down for 3 s and hits any target that isn’t immune. Follow with Overhead Slam and Upward Strike, then Aerial Snare (50% airborne, 75% with specialisation).
  5. Tenaciousness for the enemy burst: 3 s immune to damage and status effects. It doesn’t work for 30 s if a Cleric’s Salvation or a Chanter’s Barrier Spell was on you before.
PvP preset compared with PvE
AreaPvP preset
StigmasLunge Stance, Tenaciousness, Focused Block, Blade Toss
Skill pointsSword Aura Rampage and Crushing Wave at 1, Survival Willpower and Aerial Snare at 10 instead. Keep Rush Strike and Defiance at 10.
Aerial SnareAirborne chance +25%
Ankle Slice30% knockdown on hit
AmuletFierce Battle Amulet (PvP damage amplification 20%)
Armour linesStatus effect resistance on every piece

What to watch out for

OpponentWhat happensWhat to do
Hibernation (Sorcerer), Salvation (Cleric), Tenaciousness (Gladiator)3–5 s immuneWait it out, only then Mocking Blade and burst
Root (Cleric), Poach and Grapple (Templar), Bittercold Wind (Sorcerer)Held in placeLeaping Slam, Ruinous Blow and Ankle Slice with range don’t work then. Defiance doesn’t remove root, but its immunity prevents the next one.
Spiral Slice (Assassin), Seize Magic (Spiritmaster)Remove buffsExpect to lose Lunge Stance
Shield on the targetAbsorbs your burstFrom stigma level 15, Blade Toss breaks protective shields

Common mistakes

One stigma setup for everything

With a Templar, Focused Block is wasted; without a Templar, the party buff is missing without it. Create two presets.

Overhead Slam without “cooldown removed”

From skill level 16 that specialisation belongs on Overhead Slam. Only then does it fire nonstop during the Rage Burst window.

Letting go of left click too early

Below skill level 16 on Rending Blow, Keen Strike is your MP source. If mana runs out, hold only left click for a moment.

Hitting from the side or behind

Experienced Counterstrike boosts frontal attacks. Stand next to the Templar, not behind the boss.

Held key stops responding

After holding for a long time, the game pauses the repeat and tells you so. Release the key and press it again.

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.