Knight - Questions about Build, Endgame, and Optimized Leveling

Like many others, I'm returning after years of inactivity and have some questions. 

 

I've chosen to play a 1h Knight over a crossbow knight, based on many suggestions in this forum. Jerremy, you suggested to follow FireJin's 1h Knight build, but to use less dex. I am currently level 58, and have many questions:

 

1. Jerremy, do you still recommend 1h over xbow for pvm? And or pvp? 

 

2. I am under the impression that we are allowed one free skill reset. FireJin's guide uses no attack speed (for example) at end game, presumably because with skill spam there is very little auto attacking. Is there some obvious concept of leveling using an Optimized mob grinding build, and respeccing at later levels for dungeons/cd? Leveling mostly solo (lower levels are underpopulated), auto attacking is probably 80% of my damage. Solo grinding individual mobs without attack speed seems... less than ideal. Is there a build that I should be using to level, and respeccing later? Is it faster to level with xbow, or attack speed, or even two hand, then respec to a dungeon/cd build when higher level?

 

3. Should I be saving skill points for knight job advancement?

 

4. Spliffor asked a similar question in the previous thread, but I too am wondering when to allocate non-strength stats while leveling. I've currently only keep con = my level, and rest strength. Should I follow this model until 150+? When should I begin adding Sen/Dex/Int? Jerremy, you indicated you would add less Dex than FireJin. How much, and why?

 

5. Is there some known about method of leveling faster than what I am experiencing? I've read in other places on the forums that people can level to 230 in a matter of a few days using some combination of partying and high level characters. I'm grinding mobs for hours at a time, gaining only a few levels a day. Is there something I'm missing here? Others have indicated to me that they use a 2nd account with a 100+ cleric for buffs. Is this something worth investing time in?

 

I am interested in playing knight in both pvm and pvp. As I understand it, FireJin's guide is for effectiveness in group pvp. While that does sound intriguing, at the rate I'm going I won't be max level for literally months. That won't do me much good If i never hit 230 heh, so If i have to sink a few dollars into the item mall for a late game respec in order to get there significantly faster -- I'm willing to do so. I'm just unsure of generally what the hell I should be doing to expedite the process. I look forward to your responses, and a particular thank you to Jerremy for providing a host of non-outdated information to returning players like myself.

 

 

-wrekz

 

 

Like many others, I'm returning after years of inactivity and have some questions. 

 

I've chosen to play a 1h Knight over a crossbow knight, based on many suggestions in this forum. Jerremy, you suggested to follow FireJin's 1h Knight build, but to use less dex. I am currently level 58, and have many questions:

 

1. Jerremy, do you still recommend 1h over xbow for pvm? And or pvp? 

 

When it comes to pvm, I still recommend 1h over xbow. The reason being that pvm (especially endgame content like dungeons) is focused on AoEing. The only single target type of pvm is king hunting, and for that we won't be using a knight, but rather a champion who clears kings much faster. When it comes to pvp, it will depend on your style of playing. The 1h knight build is more AoE/group target based. If you prefer standing in the middle of the fight, and use your AoE's to damage and disrupt the enemy team, then a melee knight would be the pick to go. The xbow knight on the other hand is more single target based, and usually doesn't even have any AoE's. As such it is not very well fit for pvm. It excels in 1v1 pvp's and in group combat it is good for standing at a distance away from the fight, picking off targets one by one.

 

2. I am under the impression that we are allowed one free skill reset. FireJin's guide uses no attack speed (for example) at end game, presumably because with skill spam there is very little auto attacking. Is there some obvious concept of leveling using an Optimized mob grinding build, and respeccing at later levels for dungeons/cd? Leveling mostly solo (lower levels are underpopulated), auto attacking is probably 80% of my damage. Solo grinding individual mobs without attack speed seems... less than ideal. Is there a build that I should be using to level, and respeccing later? Is it faster to level with xbow, or attack speed, or even two hand, then respec to a dungeon/cd build when higher level?

 

Yes, there is one free reset at the mayor of junon. And yes, we will be using a sort of mob grinding build. First get your attack power and attack speed passive. Also all the skills of the 1h tree (all of them up to sword force). After that it'll depend on how good you are doing yourself. (see next question)

 

3. Should I be saving skill points for knight job advancement?

 

It depends. If you are having trouble staying alive at this point, invest in the defensive passives. If not, save up points for the knight job advancement. After changing to knight, get the attack power passive (at lv100 and forward you'll probably be finding a party already, and will be aoeing), the first two AoE's in the knight tree (I forgot the name of the first one, but the second one is swords of divinity). Work towards the last skill in the tree, impact wave. Once you have this, get sacrifice (the unique skill), the defensive passives, the shield passives, guard, reflect and protection. After that order doesn't really matter that much, just work towards the rest of the skills.

 

4. Spliffor asked a similar question in the previous thread, but I too am wondering when to allocate non-strength stats while leveling. I've currently only keep con = my level, and rest strength. Should I follow this model until 150+? When should I begin adding Sen/Dex/Int? Jerremy, you indicated you would add less Dex than FireJin. How much, and why?

 

Don't think you'll need any int, but basically, sen and dex aren't very important stats until later. I'll also come to explain why we don't use as much dex as FireJin's build. The main reason we add points on dex is because at some point, putting into str will cost so much that you don't profit much from it (example: at 350str you will need 70stat points to allocate one extra point on str). However, for a knight, dex has only two uses: attack power and off hand defense. I think I explained it before in a different topic, but later your base off hand defense is already so high you don't really need to invest in dex to improve it. Also, while dex does add attack power, it is only half as effective as str. So we definitely won't be putting a lot points onto dex just for a bit extra attack power. Personally I put dex to 150-200 at most. As a melee knight I'd aim for 180dex. We will be putting more points onto con. My knight build has more con to help us with slightly higher dodge target. You still don't want to attack a raider, but we will be able to hit scouts and some dex builded clerics easier. Also, if we use a low con build, should we get by an accu down, we will be having trouble hitting. So I put more onto con to have slightly more reliable accuracy.

So in the end, we will be putting sen and dex once you stop putting points onto str. During lvling the effects of sen and dex will be hardly or not noticeable at all, so we will just be pumping points onto str till it reaches 350, then add points on dex, then on sen. 

 

5. Is there some known about method of leveling faster than what I am experiencing? I've read in other places on the forums that people can level to 230 in a matter of a few days using some combination of partying and high level characters. I'm grinding mobs for hours at a time, gaining only a few levels a day. Is there something I'm missing here? Others have indicated to me that they use a 2nd account with a 100+ cleric for buffs. Is this something worth investing time in?

 

This is regretfully true. There is a large difference between newer and more experienced players when it comes to lvling. There's a few things you can do. One would be looking around for others your level range. Partying goes a lot faster than soloing nearly all the time. Take a look at DigitalKitten's leveling guide if you're not sure about the most popular spots to level. And yes, having a cleric is very useful for grinding mobs. Preferrably a max level one, but a lv100 cleric who you can use to buff your other characters with is already a very big help and it'll go much faster than having to solo without any buffs. 

 

I am interested in playing knight in both pvm and pvp. As I understand it, FireJin's guide is for effectiveness in group pvp. While that does sound intriguing, at the rate I'm going I won't be max level for literally months. That won't do me much good If i never hit 230 heh, so If i have to sink a few dollars into the item mall for a late game respec in order to get there significantly faster -- I'm willing to do so. I'm just unsure of generally what the hell I should be doing to expedite the process. I look forward to your responses, and a particular thank you to Jerremy for providing a host of non-outdated information to returning players like myself.

 

You don't have to sink a few dollars for a respec since there is one free reset, but the owners of the game always appreciate the patronage, so buying something from the item mall can be good if you think it's a good investment.

 

-wrekz

Made it a bit easier to read. Also, you're welcome. If you got any further questions, feel free to ask.

Edited by jerremy, 27 February 2014 - 07:57 PM.

Thank you for your prompt reply, I'm sure others will find this information useful as well. So just to make sure I am understanding all of this information correctly, I essentially want to level with a full support cleric. I skill into attack speed for leveling purposes, and use my free stat point redistribution at a much higher level. I level alongside my cleric at good grinding points indicated in Digital Kittens guide. What ratio of Int to Cha should my cleric have? Is enough int for weapon necessary for a support cleric, or should she just be a pure cha buff bot?

 

What level should I aim to respec my knight with my free reset?

 

Also- Are there any item mall items that are worth the purchase? I've read about costumes, weapons, backshields, etc. I also see the skillbooks for 5% ap, 10% attack speed, 5% ap and 5% defense, etc. Some of those passives look awesome, but I don't know what's available in dungeons later and what not. I see level 200s wearing black cross shield, but i also see them selling in shops for 300mil. What's your take on items that are necessary pickups vs. items that quickly become irrelevant?

Edit: More questions, hah.

Edited by wrekzz, 28 February 2014 - 03:21 AM.

Let's say why I give a lot on str, mid-high on dex, and low con

1. As I stat, that build is for war or cd. The main 1h knight duties are to protect cleric and Mage, sacrifice taunt and use protection. As 1h knight is for war is better to use chiva set. We don't rely on atsp melee hit because we almost use skill 80% of the time. You spam aoe, use protection, sacri, taunt and debuff. So my con is probably useless for me as war type because I am not going to run to hit scout, or raider because only thing I use to them are debuff and taunt. My build is going to disturb people who have low dodge class like champ, Mage and cleric.

2. Why I put High Str and Mid- high dex? With this stat build, you are able to choose what type you want do, tank or desire to kill.

If tank type you can use,
1. Cliff A7
2. Oro po7
3. Cliff 12 str, 10 hp recovery.

With high str and these set, you are going to be like so tanky with high hp recovery, high hp and 11k-12k def

If you are going for kill, you can use ap set and still can tank a bit
1. Junon ring r7, Hiria tear r7 and combat earring r7
2. Mask and back shield change stat to 12 str/20 ap

This ap set will already make 1h knight with Sword reach 2.6k ap and 10k def with full buff. And you will see the damage outcome different because knight has 4 aoe, 1 aoe is magic hit and 2 single magic hits. And as long as I use R7 with my str base stat, you will gain, ap, hp, hp recovery and def. You will be able to kill champ that hitting your Mage or cleric much faster in this set

So what I am saying is my stat build is desired for 1h knight job in war and you are able to set what you want to do, Tank or Offensive.

I will update my guide after new skill patch.

Edited by FireJin, 28 February 2014 - 02:40 AM.

FireJin, thanks for your response. I understand conceptually what you mean with the differences in your build, but I've never been in a CD. I plan to choose one of your two suggested builds as I approach 200+, but I'm not there yet ^^. 

Thank you for your prompt reply, I'm sure others will find this information useful as well. So just to make sure I am understanding all of this information correctly, I essentially want to level with a full support cleric. I skill into attack speed for leveling purposes, and use my free stat point redistribution at a much higher level. I level alongside my cleric at good grinding points indicated in Digital Kittens guide. What ratio of Int to Cha should my cleric have? Is enough int for weapon necessary for a support cleric, or should she just be a pure cha buff bot?

 

What level should I aim to respec my knight with my free reset?

 

Also- Are there any item mall items that are worth the purchase? I've read about costumes, weapons, backshields, etc. I also see the skillbooks for 5% ap, 10% attack speed, 5% ap and 5% defense, etc. Some of those passives look awesome, but I don't know what's available in dungeons later and what not. I see level 200s wearing black cross shield, but i also see them selling in shops for 300mil. What's your take on items that are necessary pickups vs. items that quickly become irrelevant?

Edit: More questions, hah.

Yes, you will want to level with a full support cleric. Either ask people around in Junon if they can give you buffs, but it will be for the better if you have a support cleric yourself as well. If you're going to make a buffer cleric, put int equal to weapon you're using, pump the rest into cha. Once cha is capped (400, but this will probably not be happening until you reach 200+) you put all the rest on int.

 

When to respec doesn't really matter that much, but I'd say once you get the AoE based lvling of the game (usually lv100ish), the attack speed is no longer that necessary, so you can reskill it then. But you can also keep it for later, it doesn't really matter.

 

it depends a little. The IM passives that you listed there can't be found in dungeons, and they're a pretty good pickup if you have the money to afford it. Especially the 10% crit passive I find very useful. All the passives in the IM that are class based (the ones that cost 5 or 2 skill points) can either be found in dungeons or in the honor/valor shop (these shops are the reward shops for doing endgame things like PvP modes and dungeons). The black cross shield can be useful early as it has some pretty high stats, but going into endgame it is mainly cosmetics, and no longer an item you use for its stats. I wouldn't spend too much on costumes and the like unless you can afford it, cause gearing yourself up can be costly, and you will definitely need to either work hard or pump some money in.

Am I understanding correctly then that any skillbook available in the item mall is obtainable in the game somehow without purchasing points? 

Am I understanding correctly then that any skillbook available in the item mall is obtainable in the game somehow without purchasing points? 

 

The Unique Passive Skillbooks are able to be purchased in game at Lyon (Premium Shops) by Premium Points. You can earn premium points by disassemble Item Mall Stuff.

 

 

Other passives such as Nimble Blessing, Markmans Blessing, etc. are only avaliable on Item Mall. So you can only spend real money for it.

If you want to get all, it cost 3200 IM Pts for 8 Skill passive books.

 

If you do not want to spend for all, I suggest you to get Accu, M-def, Def, Critical, One-hand Weapon Iron Blessing and One-hand Weapon Wind Blessing. Total 6 Passive that cost 2.4k IM Pts.

Thanks. Does your build afford skill points for the whole set? I don't plan to purchase them until high level, if at all, because while leveling I imagine it doesn't drastically increase/decrease leveling speed. Is this correct?

 

Ultimately, I just want to make sure I'm not missing any obvious purchases. New to the game, Some games have "Buy X, it will make your life infinitely easier." It's tough to determine what is good information and what is outdated. Got the knight and cleric team up to about 45 last night, and I do admit the cleric helps. 

 

Question about the cleric: Do the muses bottom tier support skills do anything better than their single target counterparts? It appears to me they just apply the buff to the whole party to save time/mp. For my purposes: Do i just want to grab 5 points in all the buffs, ignore the party buffs, and rush bonfire?

 

Thanks for your responses you two, it's been incredibly helpful.

Thanks. Does your build afford skill points for the whole set? I don't plan to purchase them until high level, if at all, because while leveling I imagine it doesn't drastically increase/decrease leveling speed. Is this correct?

Ultimately, I just want to make sure I'm not missing any obvious purchases. New to the game, Some games have "Buy X, it will make your life infinitely easier." It's tough to determine what is good information and what is outdated. Got the knight and cleric team up to about 45 last night, and I do admit the cleric helps.

Question about the cleric: Do the muses bottom tier support skills do anything better than their single target counterparts? It appears to me they just apply the buff to the whole party to save time/mp. For my purposes: Do i just want to grab 5 points in all the buffs, ignore the party buffs, and rush bonfire?

Thanks for your responses you two, it's been incredibly helpful.

As a knight , you neither have or don't have doesn't matter. But for most other classes in term of pvp, those passive are needed if you want to be better. But for knight is your choice since without it, you still can tank.

About muse question, if you do have single buff, party buff under those single buff doesn't cost any skill point.

They're not a necessity, but can be useful. Personally I like getting the ap, aspd and critical one for most of my characters. Especially the critical one, 10% increased critical rate is quite a lot at max lvl. 

Also, the blessings don't cost any skill points, so yes you can get them at your leisure, if you're prepared to pay real life money.

Much kudos to you all, good job

Always a pleassure to read other people's point of view and learn something along the way.
Cya in game Wrekz, we already met.