Yralyn's Complete Battlesmith Guide

Wow. I just read this guide and I was deeply amazed by Yralyn(mod on ROEmpire.com forums)'s ultimate Blacksmith knowledge. I have decided to post a copy of her guide here so you can all see it's beauty (also because blacksmiths rock and because I need them extra keywords ;o). Full credit to Yralyn for this awesome guide:

Yralyn's Complete Combat Blacksmith Guide

I. Introduction
II. Skill Descriptions
a. Merchant
b. Blacksmith
c. Comodo
III. Blacksmith
a. Types
b. Skill Builds
c. Stat Builds
IV. Leveling Guide
V. Job Change Guide
a. Novice to Merchant
b. Merchant to Blacksmith
VI. Acknowledgements
VII. Miscellaneous

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I. Introduction

After weeks, even months, of waiting for input from other blacksmiths, I've finally begun my work on what I would hope would be the best guide for combat blacksmiths, more commonly known as the battlesmith and the battleforger.

Why combat blacksmith and not simply battlesmith and battleforger? Someone in pRO once mentioned to me that the build nor the stats clearly divide a battlesmith and a battleforger. This made me think about the huge similarities and little differences between each other. So I began to ask information from other smiths by placing an incomplete guide for battlesmiths and battleforgers and hoping that other blacksmiths would fill in. Things got really complicated, but in the end I believe I have been able to gather enough info to be able to create a virtually complete guide for the combat type blacksmith.

What's new? Basically I merged the posts in the old guide, and added a few minor details thanks to the PM .Kei. sent me (he's been playing smiths since ALPHA, so you can say he really does know his stuff ).

Deleted old guide, and made the necessary adjustments

For a complete listing of weapons Blacksmiths can forge, as well as their requirements, click here: http://www.roempire.com/database/?page=items&act=forge

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

MERCHANT/BLACKSMITH SKILL TREE:



II. Skill Descriptions

a. Merchant

(10) Enlarge Weight Limit -- +100 maximum weight per level. Cost: n/a (Passive)

(10) Discount [needs: 3 Enlarge Weight Limit] -- 5% discount + 2% discount per level EXCEPT AT LEVEL 10 (DC lvl 10 = 24% DC, not 25%), applies only to NPC items. Cost: n/a (Passive)

(10) Overcharge [needs: 3 Discount] -- 5% overcharge + 2% overcharge per level EXCEPT AT LEVEL 10 (OC lvl 10 = 24% OC, not 25%), applies only to items sold to NPCs. Cost: n/a (Passive)

(10) Pushcart [needs: 5 Enlarge Weight Limit] -- lvl 1 enables rental of Pushcart from Kafra. NOTE: Movement speed with cart is: 50% Normal movement speed + (Pushcart lvl * 5%). Cost: n/a (Passive)

(10) Vending [needs: 3 Pushcart] -- Allows you to set up shop, set your own prices and minimize possibility of scams that most players experience in the typical "Deal" (bartering) system. Skill allows 2 slots available for items + 1 slot per level (for Vending). NOTE: Items to be sold MUST be placed INSIDE the Pushcart Inventory (Alt + W). Cost: 30 SP

(1) Item Appraisal -- Identify Item skill. Cost: 10 SP

(10) Mammonite -- Amplify damage using Zenny, damage calc is 100% + 50% per lvl (600% damage at lvl 10). Cost: 5 SP + 100 zenny per level (5 SP + 1000z at lvl 10)

Return to top



b. Blacksmith

(5) Iron Tempering -- lvl 1 enables refining of Iron Ore into Iron. +6% to success chance in refining Iron Ore into Iron per level. Cost: 1 Mini Furnace + 1 Iron Ore

(5) Steel Tempering [needs: 1 Iron Tempering] -- lvl 1 enables refining of Iron into Steel. +5% to success chance in refining Iron into Steel per level. Cost: 1 Mini Furnace + 5 Iron + 1 Coal

(5) Enchanted Stone Craft [needs: 1 Iron Tempering] -- lvl 1 enalbes refining of elemental ores into elemental stones. +5% to success chance in refining elemental ores into elemental stones per level. Cost 1 Mini Furnace + 10 elemental ores of the same type (elemental ores: Red Blood , Wind of Verdure , Green Live , Crystal Blue )

(5) Oridecon Research [needs: 1 Enchanted Stone Craft] -- some claim that this only works with forges that require Oridecon (lvl 3 weapons), although it is NOT required in order to forge lvl 3 weapons AND you can still successfully forge even without it. Skill Description: +10% forging success chance when forging lvl 3 weapons

(3) Smith Dagger -- enables construction of Dagger type weapons, level of weapon available depending on level of skill. +10% success chance in forging Dagger type weapons per level. Cost: 1 (Iron/Golden/Oridecon) Hammer + materials (each material differs between weapons)

(3) Smith Sword [needs: 1 Smith Dagger] -- enables construction of one-handed Sword type weapons, level of weapon depending on level of skill. +10% success chance in forging Sword type weapons per level. Cost: 1 (Iron/Golden/Oridecon) Hammer + materials

(3) Smith Two-Handed Sword [needs: 1 Smith Sword] -- enables construction of Two-Handed Sword type weapons, level of weapon depending on level of skill. +10% success chance in forging Two-Handed Sword type weapons per level. Cost: 1 (Iron/Golden/Oridecon) Hammer + materials

(3) Smith Axe [needs: 2 Smith Sword] -- enables construction of Axe type weapons, level of weapon depending on level of skill. +10% success chance in forging Axe type weapons per level. Cost: 1 (Iron/Golden/Oridecon) Hammer + materials

(3) Smith Brass Knuckles [needs: 1 Smith Dagger] -- enables construction of Knuckle type weapons, level of weapon depending on level of skill. +10% success chance in forging Knuckle type weapons per level. Cost: 1 (Iron/Golden/Oridecon) Hammer + materials

(3) Smith Mace [needs: 1 Smith Brass Knuckles] -- enables construction of Mace type weapons, level of weapon depending on level of skill. +10% success chance in forging Mace type weapons per level. Cost: 1 (Iron/Golden/Oridecon) Hammer + materials

(3) Smith Spear [needs: 2 Smith Dagger] -- enables construction of Spear type weapons, level of weapon depending on level of skill. +10% success chance in forging Spear type weapons per level. Cost: 1 (Iron/Golden/Oridecon) Hammer + materials

(1) Hilt Bind -- binds Blacksmith's weapon, preventing any chance of weapon being dropped when fainting in dungeons. Cost: n/a (Passive). With recent patches, this has been changed to:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Emperium.Org: kRO Patch - 4/13/04
STR +1, ATK +4, and Adrenaline Rush / Over Thrust / Weapon Perfection will last 10% longer.



(1) Ore Discovery [needs: 1 Steel Tempering + Hilt Bind] -- Rare chance of finding any type of forging material from any monster (those not normally dropped by the monster), namely elemental stones, elemental ores, Oridecon, Iron, Iron Ore, and Steel. Cost: n/a (Passive)

(10) Weapon Research [needs: Hilt Bind] -- +1% forging/refining success chance per level + 2 Hit per level + 2 damage per level, added damage ignores FLEE, but is affected by your weapon's cards & element; for instance, Weapon Research adds 35 instead of 20 damage if using a Wind weapon on a Frozen or Water1 or Water2 opponent, but will not hit a Whisper if you use a non-elemental weapon, like Double Beholder 2H Axe. Cost: n/a (Passive)

(1) Repair Weapon [needs: 1 Weapon Research] -- Repairs an equipment's "Broken" status, "Broken" status meaning that weapon is highlighted in red and cannot be equipped. Cost: 1 Steel [for armor], 1 Iron Ore [for weapons]. NOTE: I'm not sure if Repair Weapon needs an Iron Hammer or not... Iron Hammers are available at the Blacksmith guild if ever you need it, however.


(5) Skin Tempering -- Old version is that it gives +5% Fire resistance per level. However, with recent patches this has been modified. From Emperium.org:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Emperium.Org: kRO Patch - 4/13/04
It now reduces damages from non-elemental attacks. At LV 5, you will gain 5% damage resistance against all non-elemental attacks.



(5) Hammerfall -- Stuns enemies in a 3x3 area (although the actual stun range seems more like 5x5 ), must have an Axe or a Mace type weapon equipped. 20% + 10% Base Stun Chance per level (70% at lvl 5). Stun chance is reduced by opponent VIT & LUK/3. Cost: 10 SP

(5) Adrenaline Rush [needs: 2 Hammerfall] -- +30% ASPD on self (+25% on party members), only affects Mace & Axe using party members, will fail if Blacksmith is not using an Axe or Mace type weapon. Duration and SP cost depends on skill level. After War of Emperium, however, Adrenaline Rush was modified so that the bonus to ASPD is +25% on both self and party members. 0+30 seconds/17+3 SP per level (30 seconds, 20 SP at level 1, 150 seconds, 32 SP at level 5).

(5) Weapon Perfection [needs: 2 Adrenaline Rush + 2 Weapon Research] -- ignores size penalty of weapons, affects everyone in party including Blacksmith, regardless of weapon. 0+10 sec/20-2 SP per level (50 sec, 10 SP at level 5). [NOTE: party duration is 1/5 that of Blacksmith]

(5) Power Thrust [needs: 3 Adrenaline Rush] -- +5% attack strength per level, but supposedly increases chance of weapon gaining "Broken" status at +0.2% per level NOTE: Axe and Mace class weapons are not affected by Power Thrust's side effects; also, this no longer affects non-Axe and non-Mace weapons. 0+20 sec/20-2 SP per level (120 sec, 10 SP at level 5). [NOTE: party duration is 1/5 that of Blacksmith]

(5) Power Maximize [needs: 3 Weapon Perfection + 2 Power Thrust] -- allows you to ALWAYS deal maximum damage to opponent, but prevents natural SP regeneration and drains 1 SP every (1 * level) second(s), must be used again to deactivate. Activating cost: 10 SP

Personal Note: I think what Power Maximize actually does is to modify the attack/defense formula so that instead of the formula:

Quote:
Originally Posted by RO DataZone
(STR + [STR/10]^2 + [DEX/5] + [LUK/5] + UpgradeBonus + ImpositioManus + ATKCards + rnd(min(DEX,ATK), ATK)*SizeModifier) * SkillModifiers * (1 - DEF/100)



The attack/defense formula becomes:
(STR + [STR/10]^2 + [DEX/5] + [LUK/5] + UpgradeBonus + ImpositioManus + ATKCards)*SizeModifier) * SkillModifiers * (1 - DEF/100)

[Note the missing "rnd(min(DEX,ATK), ATK"... in other words, Power Maximize removes the DEX/ATK damage randomizer; honestly, I think it's min(HIT,ATK) and not min(DEX,ATK) based on personal experience]

Return to top



c. Comodo

Cart Change [needs: 50 Trunk (Wooden Block) + 20 Animal Skin + 20 Iron + Merchant job lvl 35 or Blacksmith] -- changes look of Pushcart depending on base level:

1~40 Normal Cart
41~65 Wooden Cart
66~80 Flower Cart
81~90 Panda Cart
91~99 Burger Cart (regular cart with hood, sign at side, & bigger wheels)

Source: http://rodatazone.simgaming.net/jobs/1/merchant.php

Cart Revolution [needs: 2 Grape Juice + 20 Iron + 15 Tentacle + 30 Sticky Mucus + 20 Fly Wings + Merchant job lvl 35 or Blacksmith] -- deal 1.5 + (Cart Weight/8000) times normal ATK damage to a 3x3 area. Attack is always NEUTRAL type regardless of weapon's element, but skill is affected by weapon's cards &/or Element. Cost: 12 SP

Crazy Uproar [needs: 7 Pearl + 50 Mushroom spore + 1 Banana Juice + Merchant job lvl 30 or Blacksmith] -- +4 STR for 5 minutes. Cost: 8 SP

First Aid [needs: 3 Red Herb + 3 Clover + Sterilized Bandage (from Nurse Officer in Prontera Castle)] -- +5 HP. Cost: 3 SP

Play Dead [needs: First Aid + Novice tag (from Nurse Officer in Prontera Castle) + Novice job lvl 7] -- Player gains "Fainted" status even if HP is full. Cannot be attacked, cannot be targeted by spells other than Heal (& possibly Double Strafe), cannot regenerate neither HP nor SP, cannot move, cannot gain EXP with even share. Must be used again to deactivated. Skill will be removed once character changes into his/her first job AND leaves the town/map where he/she changed job. SP cost: 15 SP

Return to top

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

III. Blacksmith

a. Types

Generally there are two types of Blacksmith: Battle Blacksmith and Forging Blacksmith. However, because it is possible to take both combat and forging skills (specially since you can easily max the basic combat tree with loads of skill points to spare), a third type exists: the Battle Forger, or Hybrid Blacksmith.

• The Forger -- designed mainly, if not solely, for forging, they have absolutely have NO combat skills in their build (that means NO Hammerfall, NO Skin Tempering), and take up ALL forging AND refining skills (not to mention the fact that these types put extreme emphasis on DEX and LUK). A separate guide can be found here.

EDIT: Some forgers may opt to take Mammonite in order to amplify their attacks (for levelling mostly); note, however, that low or no STR would still result in really pathetic damage, regardless.

• The Battlesmith -- designed mainly, if not solely, for combat, they take up all skills directly related to combat. While some battlesmiths would include Skin Tempering as part of their build, others would rather include smithing skills, but only for the purpose of helping them in combat (without need for a forger to support them).

• The Hybrid, a.k.a. Battleforger -- this build has no particular speciality in mind, since these types of smiths have both combat and forging skills, and using their forging skills for more than just supporting themselves; often these builds work as support for other characters, both financial and forging-wise (e.g. Knight, Blacksmith, Monk in the same server). Being so, this is the hardest to give a precise and detailed guide among the three types. Still, this is probably the best character for first-time smiths, because you will be able to experience the power of a battlesmith as well as the forging abilities of a forger, toned down as it is.

For the sake of simplicity, I combined the Battle and Hybrid types into just one category -- the Combat Blacksmith.

Return to top



b. Skill Builds

-=Combat Merchant=-

• 5/10 Enlarge Weight Limit -- weight is not an initial concern for merchants, as the Pushcart does that for them. Still, it might be a good idea to max this later when you've become a Blacksmith, especially when you're the type that doesn't want to stop to get potions from the Pushcart during Guild Fortress Sieges

• 10/3 Discount -- if this is your only merchant, this skill is best maximized. Else, get only 3, and have the other merchant discount the items for you.

• 10/? Overcharge -- the fastest way to make your merchant rich is by selling loot from other characters (or from whatever your merchant picks up from monsters). But if you think you can't max this skill because of Mammonite, then just put as much here as you can, so you can still gain a lot of zenny (specially since Mammonite is the greatest zenny drainer of a combat merchant).

• 10 Pushcart -- unless you want to keep renting a Cart or moving very slowly, this skill MUST be maxed.

• 3/4 Vending -- if you plan on getting Item Appraisal, get 3, else get 4. Too much of this skill, and you become a Vend monkey, not a combat merchant (note: you need zenny so you can use Mammonite more often... Overcharge is good, but if you don't have another merchant to vend for you, take this; if you have a vend slave, don't bother taking this).

• 1/0 Item Appraisal -- take if you don't plan on investing in Magnifiers, else don't get it at all.

• 10/0 Mammonite -- Normally I'd say always maximize Mammonite, but since not everyone is a fan of it (specially of the -1000z per use at lvl 10), this is only for hardcore pure battlesmiths who have zenny to burn. For everyone else, I'd recommend not getting it at all.

From .Kei., a veteran Blacksmith:

Quote:
Originally Posted by .Kei.
Indeed mammo is a get or nothing skill. I'd rather preset it as a skill where any battle or BATTLEforge should get. If one is planning to battle alot, they should get mammo, otherwise they would regret in the higher levels.

from 3 1/2 years of being a smith, I never really mammoed during the low levels. until I hit around lvl 80+ or so, the number of times I mammoed during a level increased. experience starts to get expensive to earn at those levels. There will be times when you get naturally mobbed (not mobbing), of course, if you are with a priest and the mobs don't hurt too much, cart revs are good enough to take care of them. now I don't know how people in ROE feel about a smith, but my personal feelings is that I will take a mob on if I know I can take them apart, with the help of pots and mammos and even hammerfall too. I dislike flywinging as that leaves a mob to other people which may kill them, and also, if I can gain the exp, why not, since the exp is hard to earn.

I have a mindset, I buy my exp with zeny. Let it be pots, let it be mammos. If I don't use money in higher levels, I don't get my exp. Personal experience.


Quote:
Originally Posted by .Kei.
I forgot to add, all players will have a decent amount of money to mammo with sooner or later, just becuase RO doesn't have enough ways to suck money out of people. But of course, its not enough to level using mammos, (mammoing everything in sight). then again, there are rich people who do.



PRE-BLACKSMITH COMBAT MERCHANT JOB 50:
5 Enlarge Weight Limit
10 Discount
10 Overcharge
10 Pushcart
3 Vending
1 Item Appraisal
10 Mammonite



-=Blacksmith=-

• 5 Hammerfall -- Initially I wanted to say "take 2 Hammerfall for leveling, 5 for PvP", but because it has such a high stun chance at lvl 5 (70%), I suggest maxing it

• 5/4 Adrenaline Rush -- Maxing this skill is a must for combat-oriented smiths, but if you really want to forge more weapons, 4 can do quite well.

• 5 Power Thrust -- it's for the damage (+25%)... to hell with its side effects; Gravity stated that Power Thrust doesn't damage Axe and Mace class weapons, and at the same time they limit Power Thrust to ONLY Axe and Mace class weapons (in other words, it DOESN'T add chance to break your weapons, since it would only work on weapons that are immune to its added breaking chance).

• 5/3/0 Weapon Perfection -- even at level 5 the duration of this skill is extremely short (50 secs at lvl 5) compared to Power Thrust (120 secs at lvl 5). If you'll use it, max it... else, take only either level 3 (for Power Maximize) or none at all (for crit smiths); this applies particularly to Mace-users, who don't need to use this skill almost 100% of the time due toe the Mace's size modifiers.

• 5/0 Power Maximize -- lvl 5 for pure battlesmiths, but don't take it if you plan on going crit battleforger (special battleforgers who abuse the LUK in their build by using crit equips instead of the usual STR increasers).

• 1 Hilt Bind -- a must, as it is a prerequisite for THE best passive skill of the smith

• 10 Weapon Research -- if anyone plans to get anything less than 10 Weapon Research, I seriously recommend that you rebuild your smith

• 1/0 Iron Tempering -- this skill works well even at lvl 1, and is a pre-requisite for Steel Tempering and Enchanted Stone Craft. If you plan on forging your own elemental battleaxe or mace, then you'd need this to refine that Iron you'd need for it. If you plan on getting Ore Discovery, then get this. If neither apply to you, don't get this.

• 1/5/0 Steel Tempering -- if you're taking this just to get Ore Discovery, get only 1. If you plan to actually USE this skill, max it. If neither apply to you, don't get this.

• 1/0 Ore Discovery -- although combat smiths could find this useful, this is absolutely useless for a PvP/WoE pure battlesmith, because you get the drops from monsters, not players

• 5/0 Skin Tempering -- useful against Fire type monsters regardless of patch, but is totally unnecessary for most combat smiths, since most PvP wizards would rather use Frost Driver + Jupitel Thunder, and WoE wizards rely more on Lord of Vermillion and Storm Gust for entrance defense (may not be the case on some servers, but Meteor Storm DOES miss, same goes with Sight Trasher, Fire Pillar is too expensive to maintain, and both Fire Pillar and Fire Wall are usually replaced by Hunter-placed traps as defense)

• ? Smith _____ -- the smith skills you take will be totally your choice.

Any extra skill points that you have no plans on placing in Blacksmith skills may be used in enhancing merchant skills (like maxing Enlarge Weight Limit).



-=Comodo=-

• Cart Change -- totally optional, but the idea of having a cute/cool-looking cart is very appealing (I love my flowery cart ^^)

• Cart Revolution -- must get. Anyone who doesn't get this skill is either a masochist or just plain crazy, as this is the ONLY anti-mob skill the merchant/blacksmith has (don't bother getting a Blast Clip, you don't have HP recovery to counter the HP sacrifice for relatively very weak damage... damage that is easily outdone by Cart Revolution)

• Crazy Uproar -- a great, if not underestimated, skill. A must-have for combat smiths

• First Aid -- vital during those early years, but could be a total waste of time when you are a Blacksmith already (specially VIT types)

• Play Dead -- useful as a novice, specially if you plan on getting high base lvl before job changing (which is usually a good thing for Merchants)

Return to top



c. Stat Builds

There are three basic builds: VIT type, AGI type, and hybrid type. Note that these are basic templates, and you can change them any way you see fit.

VIT type (with items/skills/job 50 bonus):

110 STR
50 AGI
80 VIT
50 DEX

AGI type (with items/skills/job 50 bonus):

110 STR
90 AGI
50 DEX

Hybrid type (AGI=VIT, with items/skills/job 50 bonus)

110 STR
60 AGI
60 VIT
50 DEX

Since all three can be fully attained below 99, it's possible to make AGI>VIT & VIT>AGI hybrids if you wish.

DEVELOPING EACH BUILD: the following is a suggestion as to how to distribute your stats as you go along; these do NOT include job/skill/item bonuses. You do NOT have to follow this if you already have an idea as to how you want your build to develop.

-=VIT=-
start with: 9 AGI, 9 STR, 9 VIT
10 STR
10 VIT
10 DEX
20 STR
20 VIT
30 STR
30 VIT
15 DEX
40 STR
20 DEX
40 VIT
60 STR
47 AGI
70 STR
60 VIT
80 STR
70 VIT
38 DEX
74 VIT
96 STR
(needs Crazy Uproar, +4 STR equips, Green Boots + Chainmail of Ares for HP)

-=AGI=-
start with: 9 AGI, 9 STR, 9 DEX
10 DEX
10 STR
20 AGI
20 STR
30 AGI
30 STR
15 DEX
50 AGI
40 STR
60 AGI
20 DEX
50 STR
14 VIT
60 STR
89 AGI
38 DEX
96 STR
(needs Crazy Uproar, +4 STR & +1 AGI equips, Hard Chainmail for HP)

-=AGI>VIT hybrid=-
start with: 9 AGI, 9 STR, 9 VIT
10 DEX
10 STR
10 AGI
10 VIT
20 STR
20 AGI
30 STR
30 AGI
15 VIT
15 DEX
40 STR
40 AGI
50 STR
50 AGI
20 VIT
20 DEX
67 AGI
60 STR
30 VIT
28 DEX
40 VIT
70 STR
54 VIT
96 STR
38 DEX
8 INT
(needs Crazy Uproar, +4 STR equips, Green Boots + Chainmail of Ares for HP)

-=AGIstart with: 9 AGI, 9 STR, 9 VIT
10 DEX
10 STR
10 AGI
10 VIT
20 STR
20 AGI
30 STR
30 AGI
15 VIT
15 DEX
40 STR
40 AGI
50 STR
50 AGI
20 VIT
20 DEX
57 AGI
60 STR
30 VIT
28 DEX
40 VIT
70 STR
64 VIT
96 STR
38 DEX
2 INT
8 LUK
(needs Crazy Uproar, +4 STR equips, Green Boots + Chainmail of Ares for HP)
*******
Hard Chainmail --> Pupa Card + Chainmail[1]
Chainmail of Ares --> Pecopeco Card + Chainmail[1]
Green Boots --> Matyr Card + Boots[1]
+4 STR equips --> choose: (1)2 pcs Double-Force Clips, (2)Ancient Ring of Mustle

+1 AGI equips --> choose: (1)Light Boots, (2)Sakkat, (3)Green Boots
Crazy Uproar --> Comodo skill, needs 7 Pearl + 50 Mushroom Spores + 1 Banana Juice
*******

About your stats:

STR: your total STR (I mean base STR + total bonuses) should be in 10s, because your total STR is what matters, not your base. Observe:

* 93+6 STR (job 50 bonus) = 99 STR = 99 + (90/10)² = 99 + 81 = 180 ATK bonus from STR
* 93+7 STR (job 50 + Pirate Bandana) = 100 STR = 100 + (100/10)² = 100 + 100 = 200 ATK bonus from STR

a 20 ATK bonus from just 1 more STR.

The lowest minimum STR for any melee character ought to be 80 total STR (without Bless lvl 10), although if you really want to do decent damage, 100 total STR (without Bless lvl 10) is enough.

AGI: AGI directly affects FLEE and ASPD. ASPD calculations are quite complicated, so it's easier if you go to stat calculators such as iROcalc. As for FLEE, the formula is: AGI + Base level + Item Bonus + Skill Bonus = FLEE. Basically the higher your FLEE, the more likely you'll dodge an attack.

VIT: a measure of toughness, VIT increases maxHP, decreases damage taken, increases potion effectiveness, and increases resistance to some status ailments. Note that:
1. VIT decreases damage by points; armor decreases damage by percent.
2. VIT increases mDEF also... formula is VIT = 1/2 mDEF
3. VIT increases resistance to Stun, Sleep, and Poison

INT: a measure of mental prowness/alertness (not necessarily intellectual capacity), this determines your ability to wield arcane magic [mATK; totally useless to a Blacksmith], your maximum Skill/Spell Point Reserve, and your SP regeneration rate. Since Blacksmiths usually manage with such little SP, you only need to worry about your SP regen rate, which is increased every 6 INT (which means a 4+2 INT should suffice for smiths with extra stat points).

DEX: a measure of hand flexibility and good hand-eye coordination, dexterity or DEX is one of two stats that directly affect your forging abilities (the other being LUK)... for a combat smith, 38+12 DEX would suffice for most situations, but some can go as much as 48+12 DEX for added accuracy and higher chance to succeed in forging...

LUK: Luck (LUK), a measure of how lucky your character in more ways than one, works best in 3s (for crit rate) and 10s (for dodge rate). Add one and one and you get the best LUK bonuses in 30s (30,60,90, 120):
* +0.1% forging success per 1 LUK (+3% at 30 LUK)
* +1 lucky dodge every 10 LUK (+3 Lucky Dodge at 30 LUK)
* Status Window Critical rate is 1 + LUK/3 = +11 Crit at 30 LUK
* Actual Critical rate is 1 + (LUK*0.3) = 1 + 30*.3= +10 Crit at 30 LUK
* +1 base damage per 5 LUK (+6 base damage at 30 LUK)
* LUK increases resistances to some status ailments by LUK/5, while to others by LUK/3, giving you 6 or 10 more resistance to status ailments every 30 LUK

NOTE: LUK may not be 100% necessary as a pure Battlesmith BUT can prove useful against those low LUK high DEF opponents, as their defenses can't easily be pierced by even Mammonite.

• Why is AGI a priority for hybrid builds?
AGI increases your ASPD and FLEE rate. Less hits taken means less potions needed. Also, simply put: faster attack = faster kill (does not apply to those who deal weak damage by taking too much AGI too early).

Note that early in the game VIT plays an important role, as it reduces damage taken, helping you survive longer

• I am a pure AGI, so why should I have VIT?
AGI, while helpful in killing opponents faster, does NOT protect you 100% of the time. Remember, you can only dodge a maximum of 95% of the time (unless you have really really high perfect dodge... but that's for LUK, not AGI)... and large mobs would reduce your 95% FLEE rate to 0%.

100% dodge rate is only applicable in PvP/WoE... but extremely high FLEE often leaves you vulnerable to a lot of status ailments (namely Stun, Poison and Silence) -- all can render your super-fast character totally useless in a PvP/WoE situation. And since almost everybody has Mummy Cards/decent DEX/Very Strong weapons/Envenom, it's not as easy to dodge opponents as it used to...

• I am a pure VIT, so why should I have AGI?
VIT may turn your character into a virtual tank, but it doesn't mean you're Superman But seriously, you'll need AGI both to increase your attack speed (high DEF means nothing if you attack slow as hell) and to increase your FLEE (hint: sometimes hybrids are more feared in PvP/WoE than pure builds, since players have to resort to either Quad Ancients or Double Bloody Double Ancients -- both deal less damage than Quad Bloodies).

Also, AGI helps in levelling your VIT build. A lot.

• Should my stats be in 10s?
No.

However, VIT-based DEF is calculated to be something like min(VIT*0.3) and max(VIT*0.5), so ideally to get the best out of VIT, you make it in 10s; but as I said, you do NOT have to make it in 10s.

Also, each point in AGI adds approximately 0.1~0.3 ASPD per point, depending on weapon proficiency of class, buffs, and ASPD potions. Add to that, DEX also increases ASPD, albeit less than AGI. If you're going for FLEE, AGI doesn't have to be even-numbered either (+1 AGI = +1 FLEE).

INT's bonuses are in 3,5,7 (for mATK bonuses) and 6 (for SP regen bonuses). INT-based mDEF would be approximately the same as VIT, and VIT adds 1/2 mDEF to your character. And finally, since INT doesn't have much of a use for smiths (aside from more SP), this is placed at a very low priority.

DEX bonuses are in 5s for ATK bonuses. Same with LUK.

Long story short, the only stat that HAS to be in 10s would be STR (if you're an Archer-class character, it would be DEX that has to be in 10s).

• What if I want to forge? (Battleforger only)
Here are my suggestions:

1. Get only 90 STR (no bonuses) instead of 96 STR (no bonuses) -- transfer all the stats you chopped off here into 28+2 LUK (LUK works best in 30s, all extra stats you can put in INT). You won't kill as effectively as Battlesmiths, but at least you forge better than them
2. Allocate less skill points into battle skills, more into forging -- it's painful to not get the optimal battle skills, but that is the sacrifice you'll have to make in order to forge more weapons.
3. Collect all DEX & LUK-enhancing equipment -- **do NOT consider them as your regular levelling equipment; only wear them whenever you have to forge/refine** Very affordable examples of such items are:
• Drops Card (+1 DEX, can fit up to 4 in one weapon)
• Lunatic Card (+1 LUK, can fit up to 4 in one weapon)
• Poring Card (+2 LUK, armor)
• Rocker Card (+1 DEX, armor)
• Rosary (+2 LUK, accessory, 15000z available at the Prontera Church)
• Glove (+2 DEX, accessory, dropped by Mummy)

More expensive forging equipment would be:
• Fortune Sword (+5 LUK, weapon)
• Ancient Glove[1] (+1 DEX, accessory, rare)
• Ancient Rosary[1] (+1 LUK, accessory, rare)
• Zerom Card (+3 DEX, accessory, very expensive)
• Crystal Pumps (+5 LUK, footgear, rare, female-only)

CRITICAL BLACKSMITH: If you want a very forge-oriented battleforger, and would like to try out something new, try this:

final stats, no bonuses included:
78 STR
75 AGI
33 VIT
38 DEX
58 LUK

(needs 2x Clip of Counter, +3 AGI equipment, and Mocking garment for added FLEE)

A variation of the AGI build, where attack power is replaced by the ability to crit very often (with a max ASPD of 183.00 with Verserk, Bless and Increase AGI lvl 10). I'm already in the process of testing it, and at lvl 66/37 with 50+11 STR, 66+2 AGI, 1+2 INT, 1+9 DEX and 38+1 LUK, I'm still levelling on Sandman pretty quickly (right now I'm simply vending to be able to buy a Mocking Hood at least, so I can't go level it to 99 yet...)

By the way, you only need a +10 Quadruple Critical Axe/Battleaxe when your opponent has extremely high FLEE &/or DEF (e.g. 90 DEF Knight, Mental Strength Monk, high FLEE Assassin, Baphomet).

Here is a damage-oriented crit smith...

final stats, no bonuses included:
88 STR
77 AGI
24 VIT
4 INT
18 DEX
58 LUK

Uses either Sakkat + Boots of Hermes, or Green Boots + 2x Brooch of Counter (I'd prefer the latter over the former due to the HP + DEF [you can go for a really good Bone Helm instead of Sakkat] ).

Return to top

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

IV. Levelling Guide

This is mainly for those who don't wish to (or can't get a) tank. Also, you don't have to limit yourself here since there are a LOT of other places to level up in (and not enough space here /swt)

PRE-AMATSU:

1~12 Map outside Alberta [pay_fild03] or Izlude [prt_fild08] (Alberta if you got Merchant on the Psychological Test, Izlude if you got Swordsman on the same test) -- great places to start... just don't kill the Creamy and Wormtail (Alberta) just yet.

Alternate: 1~12 Newbie Training Grounds -- The new Novice Training Grounds added job level-adding monsters, allowing you to job change IMMEDIATELY after you leave the training grounds.

13~24 Spore map [pay_fild06] or Payon Dungeons [pay_dun01] -- spores are a great source of exp at this level. Avoid the zombies (Payon) until around lvl 24.

Alternate: 12~24 Culverts/Sewers, Rocker area -- both are near Prontera, but for you to enter the Culvert, register at the Recruiter NPC in the Knight Guild (NW corner of Prontera)

25~34 Pecopecos [many maps], Culverts/Sewers [need to register first at the Prontera Knight Guild], or Payon Dungeons lvl 1/lvl 2 [pay_dun01] -- for those who plan on levelling on Pecos, remember to pack a lot of meat at first, and preferrably get an Ice Main Gauche or better. For those who plan on going Culverts, any weapon will do, but progress downwards only if you think you can handle bigger/more powerful mobs. At Payon, prepare to fight the zombies you were avoiding earlier... and in lvl 2, you can start with the Smokies at around 30~34.

35~42 Elder Wilows [pay_fild08, prt_fild10, prt_fild11], Poporings [many maps, but most in pay_fild04], Eggyra [pay_fild07, pay_fild09, pay_fild10, pay_dun02] -- Elders are easily dispatched by ice weapons, but be careful with them regardless (specially when Elder Wilows become aggressive). Poporings would be easier for you, and if you get a Poporing Card, you'll not need to worry about getting poisoned. Eggyra may be faced at level 38~42, but you might end up burning too many red potions (depending on build); will be a LOT easier if you had anti-formless &/or elemental weapons.

NOTE: If your server doesn't have aggressive Elder Wilows, you can start fighting them as early as lvl 30, although you will have to use up a lot of potions at first...

41~46 Anacondaqs [moc_fild18, sphinx dungeon 1, etc.], Poison Spores [many maps, but most in gef_dun01] -- levelling on these two can avail you of two very interesting cards: Anacondaq card (+20% damage vs. poison monsters) & Poison Spore card (Envenom lvl 1). Be VERY careful in gef_dun01 at this stage, you don't have enough HP or zenny to last against a mob (unless you happen to abuse your Mammonite... a lot), and you don't have Cart Revolution yet (you COULD use a Blast Clip, but that's a lot to ask since you'll have low INT + not enough HP to last against a mob with or without it).

Alternative: 35~46 Caramels [mjolnir_03] for AGI chars, Drainliars (Coalmines) [mjo_dun01] for VIT chars -- I found the Coalmines to be VERY good for VIT chars... store a lot of Meat in your Kafra Storage first, however, as there are no NPCs nearby to replenish your stocks.


47~64 Geffen Dungeon 1 [gef_dun01], Orc Dungeon 1 [orc_dun01] -- stay at either place when you obtain the Cart Revolution (but prepare to burn a LOT of red pots & blue herbs/grapes/blue potions). The exchange, though, is a HUGE amount of EXP on your part.
65~70 Byalan Dungeon [iz_dun02, iz_dun03, iz_dun04], Orc Dungeon 2 [orc_dun02] -- you might need a priest at Byalan lvl 5, specially with Penomena, but with a Wind weapon this place rocks If you have Bloody weapons &/or anti-poison monster weapons, go for the ZenOrc at orc_dun02

Alternatives: 47~64 Desert Wolf [moc_fild14, cmd_fild05], Drainliars (Coalmines) [mjo_dun01] -- great drops, just avoid the Wild Rose in cmd_fild05 for now... and as for Coalmines, EXP is that good

ADDED: Myst Case [Toy Factory] -- seems to be a good monster to level on regardless of class; watch out for Cruisers though (as well as KSing bots

71~80 High Orcs [gef_fild12, CT B2] or Minorous [Pyramid B2] -- High Orcs for high VIT chars, for AGI chars, it's Minorous

(Mino has lower DEX than HO [Mino: 35 | HO: 85], good for AGI chars; HO deals less damage than Mino [HO: 300+ | Mino: 600+], good for VIT chars, who, conveniently, can take a LOT more damage than AGI chars)

Added note: when you see the Minorous start casting, move AWAY from the casting circle; both Hammerfal and Heaven's Drive are bad for your HP, specially for AGI chars.

Alternative: 71~80 Wild Rose [cmd_fild05] -- remember the Wild Rose you were avoiding? Now you're strong enough to kill them (I'm not sure if AGI chars work better here... this was ulala2's suggestion)

81~99 High Orcs [CT B2, gef_fild05] -- the mobs here are still as insane as ever, but because High Orcs give sooooo much exp, this is THE place to be. If you still are a bit squeamish about the mobs, try Alarms; significantly slower, but you'll get there eventually You might want to try MVPing, but Waukeen has a better guide on MVPing, read his guide at leisure

Alternative: 81~99 Raydrics [GH Chivalry] -- a lot of players hunt Raydric Card, Chain Mail[1], and find that Raydrics give HUGE EXP per hour, so no surprise that this is one of the best levelling spots for many players. Ideal weapons here would have Santa Poring Card (since almost all opponents here are Shadow property), although if you find Santa Poring Cards very hard to obtain, Bloody weapons will do (note that Aspersio would be the best "buff" you can get from a Priest in this area [Holy Property weapon]... as long as you don't fight Jokers that change their property to Holy).



POST-AMATSU (click here to see the monster relocations made since Amatsu was implemented):

1~12 Newbie Training Grounds -- The new Novice Training Grounds added job level-adding monsters, allowing you to job change IMMEDIATELY after you leave the training grounds.

13~24 Spore map [old Elder Wilow map near Payon] or Payon Dungeons [pay_dun01] -- spores are a great source of exp at this level. Avoid the zombies (Payon) until around lvl 24.

Alternate: 12~24 Culverts/Sewers, Rocker area -- both are near Prontera, but for you to enter the Culvert, register at the Recruiter NPC in the Knight Guild (NW corner of Prontera)

25~34 Pecopecos [many maps], Culverts/Sewers [need to register first at the Prontera Knight Guild], or Payon Dungeons lvl 1/lvl 2 [pay_dun01] -- for those who plan on levelling on Pecos, remember to pack a lot of meat at first, and preferrably get an Ice Main Gauche or better. For those who plan on going Culverts, any weapon will do, but progress downwards only if you think you can handle bigger/more powerful mobs. At Payon, prepare to fight the zombies you were avoiding earlier... and in lvl 2, you can start with the Smokies at around 30~34. NOTE: Pecopecos have been pretty hard to find in Amatsu

35~42 Elder Wilows , Poporings [many maps], Male Thief Bugs -- Elders are easily dispatched by ice weapons, but be careful with them regardless (specially when Elder Wilows become aggressive). Poporings would be easier for you, and if you get a Poporing Card, you'll not need to worry about getting poisoned. Eggyra may be faced at level 38~42, but you might end up burning too many red potions (depending on build); will be a LOT easier if you had anti-formless &/or elemental weapons.

NOTE: If your server doesn't have aggressive Elder Wilows, you can start fighting them as early as lvl 30, although you will have to use up a lot of potions at first...

41~46 Anacondaqs [many maps], Poison Spores [many maps], Male Thief Bugs [Culverts lvl 3 & 4] -- Be VERY careful in Culverts at this stage, you don't have enough HP or zenny to last against a mob (unless you happen to abuse your Mammonite... a lot), and you don't have Cart Revolution yet (you COULD use a Blast Clip, but that's a lot to ask since you'll have low INT + not enough HP to last against a mob with or without it).

Alternative: 35~46 Caramels [mjolnir_03] for AGI chars, Drainliars (Coalmines) [mjo_dun01] for VIT chars -- I found the Coalmines to be VERY good for VIT chars... store a lot of Meat in your Kafra Storage first, however, as there are no NPCs nearby to replenish your stocks.


47~64 Culverts lvl 4, Orc Dungeon 1 [orc_dun01] -- stay at either place when you obtain the Cart Revolution (but prepare to burn a LOT of red pots & blue herbs/grapes/blue potions). The exchange, though, is a HUGE amount of EXP on your part.

65~70 Assassin Temple, Orc Dungeon 2 [orc_dun02] -- If you have Bloody weapons &/or anti-poison monster weapons, go for the ZenOrc at orc_dun02. With high enough AGI, you can try going for Sandman instead.

Alternatives: 47~64 Desert Wolf [moc_fild14, cmd_fild05], Drainliars (Coalmines) [mjo_dun01] -- great drops, just avoid the Wild Rose in cmd_fild05 for now... and as for Coalmines, EXP is that good

ADDED: Myst Case [Toy Factory] -- seems to be a good monster to level on regardless of class; watch out for Cruisers though (as well as KSing bots

71~80 High Orcs [gef_fild12, CT B2] or Minorous [Pyramid B2] -- High Orcs for high VIT chars, for AGI chars, it's Minorous

81~99 Minorous/Pasana/Marduk [sphinx4] -- According to atomicgm (and based on my friend's experience at lvl 98) this seems to be a better place to level now that CT2 (HO central) is no longer the map it used to be. Alternatives are Bathories [CT Underground] and Spring Rabbits/Dragontails [Turtle Island lvl 1]

Alternative: 81~99 Raydrics [GH Chivalry] -- a lot of players hunt Raydric Card, Chain Mail[1], and find that Raydrics give HUGE EXP per hour, so no surprise that this is one of the best levelling spots for many players. Ideal weapons here would have Santa Poring Card (since almost all opponents here are Shadow property), although if you find Santa Poring Cards very hard to obtain, Bloody weapons will do (note that Aspersio would be the best "buff" you can get from a Priest in this area [Holy Property weapon]... as long as you don't fight Jokers that change their property to Holy).

- - - - -

Use Light Epsilon if you can't afford Santa Poring Cards and you can't find someone who can cast Aspersio on you.

BTW, High Orcs are large size and extremely weak against Ice weapons, so you might want to consider using +5 VS Ice 2H Axe when levelling on them. If you plan on using a Cranial Buckler, switch to +10 VVS Ice Axe (for best results)

Minorous are similar to high orcs in size and elemental weakness... except that they are Brute monsters and not demi-human, so a Brutal Buckler is what you need for them, not Cranial.

Finally, never underestimate the power of status ailment cards (e.g. Familiar Card [Blind], ZenOrc Card [Poison], Savage Babe Card [Stun], Marina Card [Freeze], Magnolia Card [Curse], Plankton Card [Sleep], Metaller Card [Silence]). These cards, while not ideal in killing opponents directly, often make a near-impossible fight into an easier combat situation... here are some of the status ailments in detail:

Blind [Familiar Card]: -25 Flee and -25 Hit, it allows normally impossible-to-hit opponents (like Jakk and Wanderer) to be easily killed, as that is a lot of HIT and FLEE reduced

Poison [ZenOrc Card]: -25% VIT-based DEF, -3% maxHP per second, no HP/SP regeneration... this is one of the most underestimated status ailments in-game, often with very fatal results

Stun [Savage Babe Card]: 0 Flee, unable to move or react for the entire duration... this status effect is the main reason why Blacksmiths in alpha and beta were the most feared players in RO's PvP rooms. While it may not be as effective in PvP as it used to be, I do not see any reason as to why you would ignore this status ailment in monster-killing (Hammerfall does a better job than Savage Babe Cards, but would require SP... keep this card at hand, in case you want to go stun without using SP or if you want to use Cart Revolution to stun opponents [see here for more details])

Freeze [Marina Card]: 0 Flee, unable to move or react for one hit, changes opponent to Water1 property, -25% VIT-based DEF (forget about the +50% mDEF)... this is a very deadly status ailment in PvP, WoE and even in monster-killing. Highly effective especially with Endow Hurricane (Sage buff)

Curse [Magnolia Card]: Reduce LUK to 0, slow walking speed, -25% ATK... this is probably the most effective status ailment for crit smiths, as this would strip their opponents of whatever crit shield they have (very effective against Jokers and natural crit sins) AND helps you survive attacks even if you have relatively low HP.

Sleep [Plankton Card]: 0 Flee, unable to move or react for one hit, x2 chance for next hit to be a critical... this is deadly against VIT characters, since most of them have low INT. In monster-hunting, this can serve many functions, including surviving heavy mobs (Cart Revolution them away, and when they fall asleep... run!).

Silence [Metaller Card]: Prevent any active skills from being used... this is the most useful card against those spellcasters that frequently use skills (e.g. 9999 Heal ).

From .Kei.:

Quote:
Originally Posted by .Kei.
...with weapon research, smiths never miss. When we actually do "miss" we do 20 dmg instead. that 20 dmg is effected by the weapon you are using, so a quad bloody axe on a demi-human opponent would deal 36 damage.


...forgot to mention as well... since we never miss, status effects on a high agi opponent works very well with smiths.



Return to top

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

V. Job Change Guide

a. Novice to Merchant

The Merchant Guild Forums has an excellent guide on how to become a merchant from novice. It includes NPC names and locations, as well as how to get there.

Return to top



b. Merchant to Blacksmith

Once you reach at least job level 40 and have used up all your merchant skill points, proceed to the Blacksmith Guild in Geffen. Pre-WoE you could simply talk to the Blacksmith Guild NPC (next to Christopher) and he'll automatically make you a smith. With the introduction of the WoE patch, however, you will need to finish a job quest before you can become a blacksmith.

1. Talk to the Altazen, Blacksmith NPC in the Blacksmith Guild, Geffen -- he will direct you to Getsunfest, a blacksmith located in the Weapon/Armor dealer building in Alberta (remember where you first appeared as a novice in Alberta? It's the building just south of that).

2. Quiz -- before Getsunfest will take you under his care you must first take a quiz regarding merchant stuff. You must get 100% correct in order to continue (I got 90% on the first try and I had to re-take it). The answers are random, but relatively easy to figure out.

3. Item Quest -- if you are job 50 you can skip this task. Getsunfest will require you to bring to him a few items he needs for forging his customers' items. There are four types of items needed (depending on who his customer is):

* Payon -- 8 Iron Ore, 1 Eye Bandage (from armor dealer in Payon), 2 Blue Gemstones , 1 Arbalest (from weapon dealer)
* Morroc -- 2 Star Dust , 1 Zargon , 1 Skel Bone , 1 Gladius (from weapon dealer)
* Comodo -- 2 Animal Skin , 8 Iron , 20 Green Herb , 1 Ring Pommel Sabre (from weapon dealer)
* Geffen -- 2 Blue Gemstone , 2 steel , 1 Rotton Bandage , 1 Arc Wand (from weapon dealer)
* Izlude -- 2 Coal , 2 Red Blood , 2 Shell , 1 Tsurugi (from weapon dealer)

Once you bring these to Getsunfest, he will begin his forging. Deliver the, err, newly-forged items to his customers:

* Payon -- Telpitz (5 o'clock from the center of Payon Town)
* Morroc -- (along left wall of Morroc Town, south of entrance to Sphinx map [this would look like an Assassin, except she has cat ears and a tail ])
* Comodo -- Bizmark (left of Upper Dungeon entrance)
* Geffen -- Beyliter (immediately south of Mage Guild)
* Izlude -- Grongast (behind the weapon/armor building, look for the big statue with a knight standing in front of it)

They will give you a voucher (which reminds me of the Merchant quest) that you must take to Gestunfest.

3. Return to Blacksmith Guild, Geffen -- no, you do not become a blacksmith yet. Altazen will send you to Morroc after confirming that you've successfully accomplished Getsunfest's tasks.

4. Look for the Blacksmith girl in Morroc -- she's located somewhere near the center of Morroc Town (a bit WestSouth of the central building, next to the water). This is another quiz that, strangely, I got 100% on the first try ^^; it's a quiz regarding blacksmith stuff... forging in particular; one of the questions I got was, "Which elemental ore did you have the most in your Kafra Storage?" Since I had no ores at all at the time, it was a bonus question Once you pass this quiz, return to Geffen.

5. Final Task: Become a blacksmith -- return to Altazen and he will NOW promote you to Blacksmith status

Return to top

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

VI. Acknowledgements

I would like to thank RO Empire Forums and all its members (and mods and supermods and banned mems and troll banned mems, etc. etc. etc.) for each and every little information they have contributed (willingly or otherwise) into making this guide.

I would also like to acknowledge the Merchant Guild (for their novice to merchant guide) and RO DataZone (for their cart change skill info, among other things).

Special thanks goes to Flambeau (even if he DOES become a pain in the neck at times ), ulala2 (no matter how much I disagree with his guide and comments ), Gormenghast (for the correction on LUK bonus), ffhighwind (for pointing out the layout corrections needed), Waukeen (for adding insight on being a BS through his guide ), and all the other smiths in the Merchant/Blacksmith/Alchemist Forum (for all their questions, insights, criticisms, comments, & suggestions).

Special thanks also to Dan Dairam for making me a mod as well as Relena (for their efforts in making this THE best infobase for RO fans... at least in my opinion )

Most of all I'd like to thank God for creating me, Lee Myungjin for Ragnarok, Gravity for making it Online , and LevelUp! Games for delivering such a great game to the Philippines, as well as maintaining it -- no matter how sucky they are at it

Thanks to HealerMan of Chaos, for the information regarding the Geffen BS requirements

*New* Thanks to Velad for the Emperium.org link, as well as the info regarding Skin Tempering

Thanks to Fiona of the Winds for the actual information regarding Pushcart

Return to top

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

VII. Miscellaneous

Quote:
Originally Posted by elusivericky
well im basing my build on your vit build , but for it to be complete you gotta put equipment like what to wear for each stats build piz it would be much apreciated.



Well, the problem with suggesting ideal equipment to reach the mentioned stats would be that:

1. There are a huge variety of ways to obtain such stats using equipment. For instance:

99+6 STR [+4 Crazy | +1 Evil Wing] = 110 STR
94+6 STR [+4 Crazy | +4 Ancient Ring of Muscle | +1 Majestic Goat | +1 Extra Chain Mail] = 110 STR
95+6 STR [+4 Crazy | +4 Ancient Ring of Muscle | +1 Pirate Bandana] = 110 STR
90+6 STR [+4 Crazy | +8 2x Ancient Ring of Muscle | +1 Adurate Gemmed Sallet | +1 Extra Chain Mail] = 110 STR

it's really just how you want to get your stats.

2. Do you have the funds for such?

For the rich players I'd recommend the following stats:
95+6 STR
47+2 AGI <-- with Adrenaline & Berzerk you'll still have at least 175 ASPD
74+6 VIT
6+2 INT
38+12 DEX
1+2 LUK

and get the following items:
Majestic Goat*
Welding Mask
Cranial Buckler[1]*
Immune Manteau[1]* (anti-Bloody)
Green Boots*
Ancient Ring of Mustle[1]
Safety Ring

* - overupgraded if possible

Without upgrades you'll have 32% armor-based damage reduction, or armor-DEF, and if you made them all +6, you'll get 53% armor-DEF... that's -54% non-critical damage already... imagine taking less than 800 damage from Orc Lord, who normally deals 2000-3000 damage. And that's without priest buffs.

----------

As I said, I don't give equip lists on a general basis because it turns the guide into a shopping list. Figure out what works best with you, then do your own research regarding what items you'd be able to obtain with what you have (we have something pink, looks like a cauliflower and is covered in gray stuff inside what we call our heads... it's called a BRAIN. Please use it, thank you).

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by FATALx420engel
I think that it is bad practice to give stats with equips included and not say what these items are. I dont know what items give what stats and i dont how to get those stats. You will really help me and others as myself by at least showing us how to get these stats besides giving us stats and number that include equips i probably dont even know exist =


Err, if you wanted a list of equips, go around and check what equips give what stats.

Here are a few equips that give stat bonuses:

AGI:
Male Thiefbug Card +2 AGI
Sakkat +1 AGI
Thiefbug Card +1 AGI
Female Thiefbug Card +1 AGI
Kukre Card +2 AGI

STR:
Mantis Card +3 STR
Tarou Card +2 STR
Majestic Goat +1 STR
Evil Wing +1 STR
Picky Card +1 STR
Ring +2 STR
Ancient Ring +1 STR
Hornet Card +1 STR

DEX:
Apple o' Archer +3 DEX
Drops Card +1 DEX
Rocker Card +1 DEX

etc. etc. etc.

I avoid giving out a shopping list for three reasons:

1. I'd like to keep builds unique. By having YOU, the player, decide which equips to get for your smith in order to get the said stats, I give you the option of added variety to builds. If I wanted to give you my build, I would've posted "Yralyn's ultimate blacksmith build" or something like that

2. There are too many possible combinations that give more or less the same result. Notice that many different equips have different effects; it's up to you to decide which items work best for you. I'm not making a guide for morons, am I? (If I was, I'd post a "Yralyn's guide to smiths for dummies" or something )

3. I'd like to keep prices down. It's bad enough that Mantis Cards are expensive enough as they are... by leaving a list of things to buy, I only end up increasing the demand for the said items, raising their prices. Besides, I'm pro-poor; I don't buy zenny, I don't even have enough Php to consistently play, and I guess I always experience what 80% of the entire RO populace experiences at least once in their life: no zenny

Quote:
Originally Posted by FATALx420engel
the only stat you did give out equips for was STR. The AGI Build for example, IMO, seems impossible because i dont knoe wat equips i need to get 110-str and 90-agi and 50-dex at the same time. How did you get 50-dex and still be able to achieve 110-str and 90-agi?



Let's see:
99+6+4 STR = 109 STR. Evil Wing adds +1 STR, so you get 110 STR total
86+2 AGI = 88 AGI. Boots of Hermes (MTB Card) adds +2 AGI, so you get 90 AGI total
38+12 DEX = 50 DEX. 'Nuff said.

Even that is easily obtainable by BS standards.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FATALx420engel
yes, i could use a stat calculator but all that i've seen only tell you the name of equips and not wat stats (if any) they give you =


1. That's why RO Fansites exist; they don't exactly post item lists without BLATANTLY describing each item's DEF +/MDEF +/ATK/attribute +/status +

2. Simple math, really. Remove item in stat calculator, note total stat # 1. Then add item, note total stat # 2. total stat # 2 - total stat # 1 = item bonus

Quote:
Originally Posted by FATALx420engel
it would be REALLY be helpful if you could talk more about what equips u are talking about wen you make builds. u give us numbers but i could have tried to do these stats just as they are w/o considering equips, help plz



I have approximately five equipment lists per build (VIT, AGI, STR), and not all of them revolve around the almost-impossible-to-obtain Ancient Ring of Mustle (+4 STR).

Quote:
Originally Posted by FATALx420engel
I find it weird how you were able to get agi (in the agi build) to 90 but 80 vit (in the vit build), both with the same str and same dex. Where did you get the extra 10 points in agi? does vit take up more points or something?



Here's the deal:
• There is very little difference between 80 VIT and 90 VIT (around 400+ HP). Also, you're virtually immune to most status effects at 80 VIT, why abuse it? It's not like we're knights.

• It's easier to get 90 VIT than 90 AGI. 84+6 VIT = 90, 88+2 AGI = 90.

• AGI builds MUST go for 90 AGI (no lower), because they have too low an HP to take that many hits. VIT builds are 80 VIT because 80 VIT is a lot of HP. Hybrid builds can afford lower AGI because you get just enough HP to counter the lower FLEE rate.

• VIT builds attack really really slowly. If you want to have 1+2 AGI and 86+4 VIT, fine by me. But at least by freeing up 10 points of VIT (which is a lot of stat points by the way) AND you start with 9 AGI, you at least have the chance of getting 50 AGI 80 VIT with the right equips.

I'll show you what I mean:
110 STR
50 AGI
80 VIT
50 DEX

STR: 96 (base) +6 (job) +4 (CU*) +4 (Ancient Ring of Mustle <- Mantis Card + Ancient Ring[1])
AGI: 47 (base) +2 (job) +1 (Green Boots <- Matyr Card + Boots[1])
VIT: 74 (base) +6 (job)
DEX: 38 (base) +12 (job)

* - Crazy Uproar/Loud Exclamation

Good luck finding said equips.

Of course, an alternative would be getting two Double-Forced Clips (Tarou Card x2 + Clip x2) and a Baphomet Jr. Card. Tarou Cards give +2 STR, so two of those give the same bonus as one Ancient Ring of Mustle (you lose the other accessory slot, but if you really can't find an Ancient Ring of Mustle, then this would be one of your alternatives). When using a Baphomet Jr. instead of Matyr, you lose the +10% HP as well as the ability to wear Immune Manteau (Raydric Card), but if you can't afford to buy Matyr & Raydric, at least here's a cheaper alternative (PLUS, you can get to equip some other boots... like Hasty Boots [Moonlight Flower Card] <- this actually exists in pRO /omg)

You can also go for Majestic Goat/Deviruchi Card/Evil Wing + Clip of Mustle, or Picky Card + 2x Double-Force Clips... each combination has its pros and cons, I know, but the idea here is to make you THINK (think of what suits you best, think of where levelling is fastest, think of how you develop your character, and how to creatively optimize your smith's abilities within your financial boundaries...).

If you're the type that DOESN'T think, then go away...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Dream equipments are but dreams... stick with reality:
• 99% of the time those equips are non-existent or unavailable (it's not like an NPC sells Ancient Rings and Mantis Cards and Matyr Cards, and not everybody is that lucky to get several Ancient Rings in a matter of weeks/months... even a lvl 99 character can't get an Ancient Ring that easily... and you can't even use it until lvl 90, what are you going to do until then?)

• People who already have it will NOT give/sell it to you. (Even if they don't need it)

• when the dream equips DO come up for sale, it's either it is too expensive for your finances (if a player was selling an Ancient Ring [15m] for 1 hour, and you only have 3m with you, how do you get the remaining 12m that soon?!?), or you have to resort to illegal bids (actual money, items, etc.)... and I really do NOT see the logic of sacrificing material stuff for a virtual world; plus, it's illegal and I do NOT advocate illegal stuff here.

Point: If I post item equips, I'd rather post something people can easily get... as much as possible within a 5m budget (lvl 90+ levelling) and 10m-15m (PvP/MVP). Sounds impossible? Maybe it is, but only if you don't know how to get the best deals and the lowest bargains (and a little luck).

E.g.
110 STR
90 AGI
30 VIT
50 DEX

STR: 96 (base) +6 (job) +4 (CU) +4 (2x Tarou Card)
AGI: 86 (base) +2 (job) +1 (Sakkat) +1 (Chonchon Card)
VIT: 24 (base) +6 (job)
DEX: 38 (base) +12 (job)

Total expenses (pRO Chaos prices): 900k ~ 4m approx. (mostly depending on how overupgraded your Sakkat is)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by aldoteng
I have a sedentary Lv97 Blacksmith and I've even decided against buying Ancient Rings, because I always wonder if the extra STR bonus actually helps when others are doing better damage than me. If I have the money I'd buy Safety Rings.... or get Horong Clips or Hide Clips :P Just random ideas.



Well, since my guide focused on a VERY cheap set of equips -- particularly regarding accessories (Double-Forced Clips x2) -- you can replace the two Double-Forced Clips and replace it with a single Ancient Ring of Mustle[1] (idea inspired by efriet, who uses Safety Ring + RoM), so you can be versatile and still have enough killing power for most situations. Of course, you can also invest in a Clip of Mustle + Safety Ring + Pirate Bandana if you're REALLY cheap... but then you can't equip Bone Helm (Bone Helm + Safety Ring = 12 DEF, Pirate Bandana + Safety Ring = 8 DEF).

And as I always try to emphasize, your build and equips is your call, as only you know exactly how your build will come out in the end.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by Archangeling
hi.. i am a wannabe BS from Merchie

i decided that i am going ot make a Agi Build BS

stats-
Str 74+16
Agi 98+2
Vit 24+6
Int 16+2 (mainly to get higher msp)
Dex 48+12
Luk 1+2

Cos i HATE PVP and WOE, neither am i going to invest any money on those equips. is 60 dex really nessary with the +20 hit Weaponary Research(WR) gives ?



@Archangeling: for PvM 28+12 DEX is more than enough (since Weapon Research does add to your HIT), but for MVP you'll need all the HIT you can get, which is why 48+12 or 60 total DEX is best for MVPers.

And please don't go for such a high AGI... despite the fact that you want a high ASPD (which is why you're going for 110 AGI, yes?), it's still ATK (specially from STR) which determines how fast you kill (Mammo spams faster with more ASPD, sure, but Mammo hits harder and kills faster with more ATK).

RANT: I guess Battlesmithsmiths made people realize how important STR really is, since most players before usually went for either pure AGI or pure VIT, but no STR... and oftentimes it was the Battlesmith who either drilled VIT Knights to the ground or stopped crit sins dead on their tracks (plus, the Battlesmith was the only class that could compete against the Hunter and Wizard classes in MVPing).

Of course, those were the times when Blacksmith always = pure forger = insta-rich, which obviously doesn't necessarily apply to RO today...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by brEak
Yralyn, i think you forgot to mention Byalan Island for the levelling place when you're still a merchant through BS hood. although a lot of BOT camps in byalan still the spawn rate of monster is high and exp is fair also the loots (ex.HydraC.,TharaC.,FinHelm & ManyMore) will help to gain more zeny.

For the weapon a wind element mace will do or weapon carded with drainliars card is also good! Just my two cents!



Actually, I already know that. If you noticed from the guide, however:

Quote:
... you don't have to limit yourself here since there are a LOT of other places to level up in (and not enough space here /swt)



The places mentioned in the guide would probably have less lag because people don't visit these places anyway .I really didn't want to mention the place because it's too cramped as it is; to make more people go there would just make things worse for all non-botters (although it does make me laugh whenever I see a bot going back and forth through the portals ).

If you want to level in Byalan despite the bots and all, be my guest

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark13™
~~~ nice updated guide yralyn... /no1


@brEak: yep bayalan good spot for AGI merc to level from base 35 to base 50
~~~ to gether with the bots, but here in Loki, you get "pls avoid izlude,
~~~ bayalan dungeons" -- restarting izlude map, very often...
~~~ better you go savages or caramels or hodes base 40 to 60 (bring
~~~ clamorous weapons &/ brutal buckler)...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tristam
can anyone tell me how much ASPD
with a total 50 AGI & 50 DEX...
in Axe & mace type weapon..
/hp



@Tristam: for attack speeds, use stat calculator and compute it yourself.
~~~ http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~magnusrk/calc

[SIDE NOTE From Yralyn: This is because ASPD is a bit too complex to calculate manually ]



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Okay, these are just minor adjustments really:

1. Shiriko mentioned to me via PM that Caramels now populate mjolnir_01 instead of mjolnir_03. You might want to check it out yourselves (again, thanks Shiriko )

2. I've adjusted the non-WoE Critical Battleforger build a bit... lowered the AGI and DEX a bit, to make way for more STR and VIT. I realized that 1 or 2 ASPD lost isn't much, but 20 ATK gained IS... also, sacrificing 1% success rate and around 12 FLEE for around 1.5k HP AND higher stun resistance is better (at least in my opinion).

I'd like to iterate that the crit smith build is ONLY a prototype; there is NO established build for crit smiths ANYWHERE... and the overall strengths/weaknesses would vary from build to build.

[This is the lovely part about crit smiths: total customizability (since nobody has an exact formula for crit smiths) and total unpredictability (as nobody really knows how to go around a fast swinging, hard hitting, difficult to crit/stun opponent whose exact build is NOT 100% determined yet, even as we speak).]

We smiths have damage enhancers (WP, PT, PMax, AR, WR) and power tools (Mammo, Hammerfall, CartRevo) that we can use not only to enhance our regular attacks, but our overall performance on the field (we can obviously skip Power Maximize and Mammonite for crit smiths... but it's still your call, as Power Maximize can help minimize the damage gap between crit and non-crit, while Mammo is still a good backup killing tool; as for the other skills, they help us hit often and help us hit HARD )...

... any crit smith build that can take advantage of our damage-dealing capacity, our high ASPD, AND the ability to deal crits often (making high LUK a virtual necessity), is DEFINITELY welcome here.

Final word: Your smith is yours to develop, yours to nurture, and yours to tame and overcome. This is a guide on how to keep you from stopping because your build was too unplayable. HOWEVER, BECAUSE this is a guide, you are NOT limited to what is written here; you STILL have the option of doing it "your own way". All I'm trying to say is that we are playing an MMORPG, a Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Game... and games are to be enjoyed, not dictated, don't you think

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by winternight123
isit i am thinking of add agi up 80 luck to 56 1st before add str



NEVER RELY ON CRITS OR LUK AS A PRIMARY DAMAGE-DEALING TOOL.

STR is always and forevermore the stat that Blacksmiths WILL depend on for overall combat effectiveness (same applies to ALL melee characters, even pure crit Assassins). At lvl 66 I still deal 400+ to 816 in crit damage to opponents (depending on element, cards and buffs). Regular damage is pretty low, however (200~600 depending on element, cards and buffs). Remember, crit smiths sacrifice pure power for the ability to crit. That is why crits were never the preferred choice of most battlesmiths in terms of bringing home the bacon, so to speak

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by ragnaballs
hi yralyn...im an avid fan of ur guides here...and i thank u 4 dat....though ur guides seem to enlighten me...ive never seen any guides for a battleforger...can u enlighten me on this???...and one more Q:can u 'stack' up the skill points on a 'merchant' (eg skippin on dc and oc for forging skills l8r on BS)??is it possible??...
btw...sorry havent posted anythin on ur forums pare (i kno ur girl [i think] but i call evry1 pare anyway hope ur not offended)...



The problem with battleforgers would be that their build is 100% based on the player's preference. Basically there are two types: BATTLEforgers (who are more focused on battle than forging) and battleFORGERS (who are more focused on forging than battle). A blacksmith who is 50% battle and 50% forge is very likely to flop, because the stats would be too spread out.

BATTLEforger stats can be found in my guide:

Quote:
What if I want to forge? (Battleforger only)
1. Get only 90 STR (no bonuses) instead of 96 STR (no bonuses) -- transfer all the stats you chopped off here into 28+2 LUK (LUK works best in 30s, all extra stats you can put in INT). You won't kill as effectively as Battlesmiths, but at least you forge better than them
2. Allocate less skill points into battle skills, more into forging -- it's painful to not get the optimal battle skills, but that is the sacrifice you'll have to make in order to forge more weapons.



Here's the build I was referring to:

90+6 STR
67+2 AGI
54+6 VIT
1+2 INT
38+12 DEX
28+2 LUK

(needs +1 AGI gear, like Green Boots)

This should get you to forge VS lvl 3 elemental weapons at most Ignore Skin Tempering, as most smiths can handle PvP/WoE without it; this SHOULD get you a few more skill points for the smithing skills (you won't be able to get all, but at least you would be able to get them )

btw, you don't have to stick to this... you can lower your STR even more to get more DEX &/or LUK... too much DEX &/or LUK, however, could transform your BATTLEforger to a battleFORGER.

battleFORGER stats are more tricky, because the amount of DEX and LUK are extremely high (basically this type of battleforger is more of a soloing hybrid forger than a real battleforger)... the exact number of DEX and LUK would depend primarily on the player. Here are two suggested builds:

Build A -- higher forge chance, but VERY weak combat damage

4+6 STR
66+2 AGI
14+6 VIT
1+2 INT
78+12 DEX
88+2 LUK

If you want to play this solo, you MUST have:
+?? Ghost Bandana
+10 Chain[3] (carded)
+?? Buckler[1] (carded)
Opera or Welding Mask
+?? Hard Chain Mail
+?? Mocking Manteau
+?? Boots of Hermes
2x Ring of Mustle + Accessory of Flash (or 2x Double Forced Clip)

You'll need the AGI from GB and Boots of Hermes, the STR from your accessories (Clip/Brooch/Ring/Rosary/Earring/Belt/Necklace of Flash is needed for the added Flee and Lucky Dodge), and you'll DEFINITELY need the HP from Hard Chain Mail (the +?? represents the upgrade of your armor, basically the higher the [over]upgrade, the better).



Build B -- (-10) to DEX & LUK; a -2% to forging success rate, but a + to both offense and defense

36+6 STR
69+2 AGI
24+6 VIT
1+2 INT
68+12 DEX
78+2 LUK

same equipment as build A.

Getting more than 78+12 DEX and 88+2 LUK may or may not decrease your chances of survival, so please do so with extreme caution (I'm not kidding; you can easily destroy your character -- and morale -- if you're not up to it).

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Quote:
Originally Posted by St.Anthony
Hail the Almighty Yralyn... wakekeke. nice layout, it changed alot since the last time i copied and printed a copy of your guide. i guess i'll have to print another one since you've included alot since the last time. oh and i love the tiny cute pictures you've added for each item requirements in the different quests.

here's my story. during your early days as a BS, you could try leveling in Payon Cave lvl 4 (the place where there is a chockful number of Sohees). ive been staying in that place for only two days and i managed to level up 2 levels, considering my playing hours was only 1-2hours. i concluded that it's much faster to level here compare to byalan plus, the loots here will bring in the big bucks (shoes[1], muffler[1]) not to mention the bongun and munak hats. weeeeee!! just my opinion. you should try it out. just bring a wind element weapon as Sohees are water element.

just my two zennies..



"Almighty Yralyn"

Quote:
Originally Posted by mark13™
sure sohees have good experience, that is if you still manage to get a few of them
all to your self... since last time around 100 chars there, 5/100 real, 95/100 bot...

you do get what i mean.... but of course when you need to hunt, you need to hunt...



/shy I agree...

But, regardless of the fact that everyone wants to be a millionare and ends up botting the @!*$(&!*(! place, thanks for the suggestion... hmm... we've got to find a way to get rid of those bots...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This was my reply to a PM I received from Donkey Puncher (thanks for letting me post this ):

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yralyn

Quote:
Originally Posted by Donkey Puncher
I was skimming through your blacksmith guide and didn't see any wep suggestions maybe im just blind dunno but what do you suggest? im following ur vit build



Nah, I really didn't put in any weapon suggestions because weapons would be totally up to you. Also, the weapon list for Merchants/Blacksmiths would be more or less the same regardless of build.

Here are my suggestions:

As a merchant (any build)...

* Triple Carded Gladius/Sabre
* Elemental Damascus/Tsurugi

Carded would be to use the race/element cards (e.g. Vadon, Hydra, Drainliar, etc.), while Elemental would be those forged by other Blacksmiths. For general purpose levelling, however, a Triple Hurricane Gladius or a VeryVeryVery Strong Damascus would prove just as useful (and cheaper in the budget, too).

As a blacksmith (AGI build)...

A. At low STR
* +5 Double Carded 2H Axe
* +5 Elemental 2H Axe

B. At high STR
* +10 Quadruple Carded Battleaxe
* +5 Elemental 2H Axe

AGI builds would rely more on their Flee than their VIT for defense, thereby removing the need for a Buckler.

As a blacksmith (VIT build)...

A. At low STR
* +8 Triple Carded Chain
* +8 Elemental Swordmace

B. At high STR
* +10 Quadruple Carded Axe
* +10 Elemental Swordmace

At 50~100 STR, the Chain would deal more damage than any other carded weapon for the Blacksmith. However, at 110+ STR, the Axe would have such a high ASPD and the STR would have such a high bonus to ATK that even if the Chain had higher ATK, the Axe would have a better modifier.

- - - - -

I didn't suggest the Axe/Mace class weapons as a Merchant because you don't have Adrenaline Rush (unless you have a friend who is a Blacksmiths)... and it's all about levelling fast, which makes the Dagger/Sword class weapons ideal for Merchant-hood.



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


Hope you enjoyed!

-Yamaki