PvEPvPLeveling · Global Season 1

Chanter

A staff fighter who buffs the whole party: mantras for damage and speed, Power of the Storm for cooldowns, and a Dark Crush combo that still hits hard.

Role
Melee support · buffer
Weapon
Staff
Difficulty
Medium
Updated
Patch
Season 1

Source: Arthars Gaming (TW client) · notXeon · WallyJTV · Grobs · Oct 6, 2026Source: TitanTheF · Grobs · Sep 27, 2026Source: Questlog · Oct 12, 2026

Who to watch: notXeonWallyJTV all creators →

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Leveling progress

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Tick steps as you go. Progress is saved in this browser, separately for each class.

PvP: role and approach

Play as a mobile support who can interrupt an attacker and join burst. In groups, keep the healer and focused ally alive before chasing damage. The starting four stigmas favor team survival; the swaps trade healing and shielding for solo pressure.

Starter recommendations based on Global client skill data, checked October 12, 2026. These are editorial choices, not a verified tournament meta. Adapt to your unlocked skills, opponents and party.

Overview

The Chanter fights in melee with a staff and makes the whole party stronger at the same time: a buffer and a backup healer that every group wants. Don't expect top damage — with equal gear Chanter and Cleric are the two lowest damage dealers — but the party hits harder, dies less and gets its debuffs cleansed.

The build in one sentence

Keep Undefeated Mantra on and hold the macro on the line where Spinning Strike, Marchutan's Wrath and Impactful Crush open Dark Crush again and again, weaving Onslaught between every hit.

How Dark Crush works: it can only be used for a short time after a ranged skill — 2 seconds after Spinning Strike or Impactful Crush, 3 seconds after Marchutan's Wrath. At skill level 16 its own cooldown disappears, so inside that window you press it again and again. Everything in the build is about keeping that window open.

The PvE mode follows Arthars Gaming's Chanter starter guide (video, September 26; eight months on the class on the Taiwan server), read frame by frame. Leveling follows TitanTheF's sheet. Checked against Grobs' Chanter PvE guide (English, global, October 5).

Patch Season 1. The build is checked against guides from the global servers: 4 stigmas, cap 20.

Global Season 1: what changes

  • 4 stigma slots, capped at 20. The Chanter has more useful stigmas than slots, so the four you take are a real choice (see Stigmas).
  • Little cooldown reduction and combat speed at the start. Every specialization that shortens a cooldown is worth more, and fights last longer than on Taiwan.
  • Skill level 20 is hard to reach in Season 1. Plan for 16 on the key skills first; 20 comes from arcana later.
  • Bigger groups (5-player expeditions, 10-player sanctuaries): with a Cleric in the party your mantra does not stack with Light of Protection (at the same level yours wins), and Wave Blow's debuff does not stack with the Cleric's Debilitating Mark.
  • PvP: everyone starts on the same limited gear and no meta has formed yet.

Active skills and passives are identical in the global and KR/TW data; stigmas lose their level-25 tier.

PvP skills and specializations

Levels below are targets including gear and board bonuses. Highlighted specializations are starter picks: prioritize control, mobility and survival before chasing level 20 everywhere.

  • Impactful Crush Core
    16
    Player control is chance-based. Check whether it landed before committing the next skill.
    • 8Changes to mobile skill
    • 16+20% [Impactful Crush] Stun Chance
    All specializations
    • 8Changes to AoE damage
    • 8+1s [Impactful Crush] Stun duration
    • 8Changes to mobile skill
    • 12+30% Skill Speed
    • 16+20% [Impactful Crush] Stun Chance
  • Wave Blow Core
    12
    Confirm the stun before following with knockdown; stop if the target breaks free.
    • 8+6m Range
    • 12-15% target's PvE Damage Boost and -7.5% PvP Damage Boost for 10s
    All specializations
    • 8Multi-Hit on hit
    • 8+6m Range
    • 8+1s Knockdown duration
    • 12-15% target's PvE Damage Boost and -7.5% PvP Damage Boost for 10s
    • 16-5s cooldown
  • Dark Crush Core
    16
    Spend the damage window while it is available; do not chase beyond your team to finish the sequence.
    • 12Adds [Piercing Strike] Chain Skill
    • 16Removes [Dark Crush] cooldown
    All specializations
    • 8Absorbs 0.7% HP
    • 8Deals extra damage on attacking a target afflicted with Impact-type status
    • 8Critical Hit on hit
    • 12Adds [Piercing Strike] Chain Skill
    • 16Removes [Dark Crush] cooldown
  • Recuperation Core
    12
    Keep the party heal and debuff removal available for pressure; do not spend it only to fill a damage gap.
    • 8Removes up to 2 debuffs
    • 12+5% HP restored
    All specializations
    • 8+1 consecutive use and Heal over Time can stack up to 2 times
    • 8Removes up to 2 debuffs
    • 8+4s healing duration
    • 12+5% HP restored
    • 16-3s cooldown
  • Defiance Core
    16
    Keep this off the damage macro. The selected level-16 option adds PvP damage tolerance during Tenacity.
    • 12+2s Tenacity duration
    • 16+50% PvE Damage Tolerance and +25% PvP Damage Tolerance for Tenacity duration
    All specializations
    • 8Adds [Crushing Strike] Chain Skill
    • 8Restores 1000 Stamina on using [Defiance]
    • 8Restores 10% HP on using [Defiance]
    • 12+2s Tenacity duration
    • 16+50% PvE Damage Tolerance and +25% PvP Damage Tolerance for Tenacity duration

Skills

Only three skill levels matter: 12, 16 and 20 — that is where a new specialization or slot opens; a level in between adds almost nothing. Skill points give 10, Daevanion +4, the two rings +2, arcana the rest. Get the key skills to 16 first.

  • Dark Crush Core
    16 20
    Your main damage and the first skill to take to 16: without the cooldown removal the class doesn't work. At 20 add the guaranteed crit — then every Dark Crush gets the full Wind's Promise bonus.
    • 12Adds [Piercing Strike] Chain Skill
    • 16Removes [Dark Crush] cooldown
    • 20Critical Hit on hit
    All specializations
    • 8Absorbs 0.7% HP
    • 8Deals extra damage on attacking a target afflicted with Impact-type status
    • 12Adds [Piercing Strike] Chain Skill
    • 16Removes [Dark Crush] cooldown
  • Onslaught Core
    16 20
    Basic attack you weave between everything: restores MP, shortens Spinning Strike's cooldown, and at 16 adds Storm Chain. The third pick at 20 is yours: damage or the HP absorb.
    • 12-1s [Spinning Strike] cooldown on hit
    • 16Adds [Storm Chain] Chain Skill
    • 20+50% Multi-Hit on hit
    All specializations
    • 8+20% MP restored
    • 8Absorbs 0.7% HP
    • 12-1s [Spinning Strike] cooldown on hit
    • 16Adds [Storm Chain] Chain Skill
  • Spinning Strike Core
    16 20
    One of your hardest hits: stacking +15% Critical Damage for 30s, and it opens Dark Crush. At 20 add the pick that ignores Block and Evasion and always crits. Grobs takes that pick already at 16 and drops −5s instead. Skip the heal boost — you are not the main healer.
    • 8-5s cooldown
    • 8Up to +20% damage when less targets hit
    • 20Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as a Critical Hit
    All specializations
    • 8-5s cooldown
    • 8+10% Heal Boost (up to 20%)
    • 8Up to +20% damage when less targets hit
    • 1240% chance to inflict Seal for 3s
  • Incandescent Blow Core
    16
    The filler while Dark Crush is closed: +12% on a single target and Multi-Hit. No good third pick exists, so 16 is enough.
    • 8Deals up to 12% more damage when less targets are hit
    • 16Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as Multi-Hit
    All specializations
    • 8-20% MP consumed
    • 8+200 Block while using skill
    • 8Deals up to 12% more damage when less targets are hit
    • 12-200 enemy Accuracy for 3s on landing Bursting Blow
    • 16Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as Multi-Hit
  • Recuperation Core
    12
    Your only heal outside stigmas, and your cleanse. 12 is enough (notXeon, WallyJTV): +5% HP — the base heal is a flat number — and a second charge. Swap the charge for the two-debuff cleanse on debuff-heavy fights; go to 16 for −3s only if you are the only healer. Grobs takes 16 and −3s in place of +5% HP.
    • 8+1 consecutive use and Heal over Time can stack up to 2 times
    • 12+5% HP restored
    All specializations
    • 8+1 consecutive use and Heal over Time can stack up to 2 times
    • 8Removes up to 2 debuffs
    • 8+4s healing duration
    • 12+5% HP restored
    • 16-3s cooldown
  • Defiance Core
    16
    CC break: +2s Tenacity with 50% damage tolerance for the whole time — seven seconds in which you can stand in mechanics.
    • 12+2s Tenacity duration
    • 16+50% PvE Damage Tolerance and +25% PvP Damage Tolerance for Tenacity duration
    All specializations
    • 8Adds [Crushing Strike] Chain Skill
    • 8Restores 1000 Stamina on using [Defiance]
    • 8Restores 10% HP on using [Defiance]
    • 12+2s Tenacity duration
    • 16+50% PvE Damage Tolerance and +25% PvP Damage Tolerance for Tenacity duration
  • Impactful Crush Optional
    12
    Ranged skill that opens Dark Crush; mobile and faster. 12 is enough — the level-16 pick is for PvP.
    • 8Changes to mobile skill
    • 12+30% Skill Speed
    All specializations
    • 8Changes to AoE damage
    • 8+1s [Impactful Crush] Stun duration
    • 8Changes to mobile skill
    • 12+30% Skill Speed
    • 16+20% [Impactful Crush] Stun Chance
  • Wave Blow Optional
    12
    −15% boss damage for 10s and a 10m reach. Its animation weaves badly: press it only when there is a gap, never instead of Dark Crush.
    • 8+6m Range
    • 12-15% target's PvE Damage Boost and -7.5% PvP Damage Boost for 10s
    All specializations
    • 8Multi-Hit on hit
    • 8+6m Range
    • 8+1s Knockdown duration
    • 12-15% target's PvE Damage Boost and -7.5% PvP Damage Boost for 10s
    • 16-5s cooldown
  • Rushing Smash Optional
    12
    Gap-closer that resets on a kill — dash from pack to pack. Never take the charge pick: charged skills are a damage loss.
    • 850% chance to trigger [Heat Wave Blow] on hit
    • 12Resets cooldown on defeating an enemy
    All specializations
    • 8-20% target's Impact-type Resist for 5s
    • 8Changes to Charge Skill, dealing up to 200% more damage
    • 850% chance to trigger [Heat Wave Blow] on hit
    • 12Resets cooldown on defeating an enemy
    • 16Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as Multi-Hit
  • Tremor Crush Optional
    12
    Dodge that pays its stamina back and a 20m gap-closer.
    • 8Restores 300 Stamina on hit
    • 8+10m [Tremor Crush] range
    All specializations
    • 8Restores 300 Stamina on hit
    • 8+10m [Tremor Crush] range
    • 8+50% Multi-Hit on hit
    • 12Adds [Surging Strike] Chain Skill
    • 16+25% [Tremor Crush] Stun Chance
  • Heat Wave Blow Optional
    12
    Hits hard, but you rarely have a moment for it in PvE now that Dark Crush carries the rotation.
    • 8Up to +20% damage when more targets hit
    • 12Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as Multi-Hit
    All specializations
    • 840% chance to inflict Stun for 3s
    • 8+20% Seal Chance
    • 8Up to +20% damage when more targets hit
    • 12Ignores Block and Evasion and lands as Multi-Hit
    • 1625% chance to reset [Heat Wave Blow] cooldown on Block
  • Gust Rampage Skip
    0–8
    Only on Staggered targets, and a boss is staggered two or three times a fight — not worth the points in Season 1.
    All specializations
    • 8Absorbs 5% HP
    • 8Restores 120 MP
    • 8Changes to mobile skill
    • 12Multi-Hit on hit
    • 16-1s all skill cooldowns on hit

PvP passive priorities

  • Attack Preparation
  • Impact Hit
  • Protection Circle
  • Survival Willpower

Start with these damage, control and defensive passives. If you die during the first enemy burst, invest in survival before more damage; inspect each tooltip rather than copying the PvE order.

Passives

There are enough skill points to max almost every passive. Gear lines are scarce, so put them on the first three.

PassivePriorityWhy
Attack Preparation1 · maxFlat PvE Damage Boost, Defense and Accuracy — always works.
Inspiring Spell2 · maxCritical Hit and Perfect Chance. Wind's Promise only pays off on crits, so this comes first (notXeon, WallyJTV).
Wind's Promise3 · maxCritical Damage Boost and extra damage; pairs with Dark Crush's guaranteed crit. No level gate — max it as soon as you have it.
Impact Hit4 · maxDouble Chance — a straight damage increase.
Protection CirclemaxA big shield when your HP drops below half and a small one for the party on every hit — the best defensive passive and the first one after the damage ones.
Earth's Promise5−PvE Damage Tolerance on the target, but it is up about half the time and overlaps with the Cleric's Chain of Torment.
Blessing of Life, Survival Willpowerpoints onlyFree to max with skill points; don't spend gear lines on them.
Crossguard, Raging SpellskipDo next to nothing in PvE — reroll them off your gear.

PvP gear decisions

Use your existing gear to start. Check Accuracy against your opponents, then balance HP, PvP damage tolerance and status resistance with damage. There is no universal Accuracy cap here. PvE-only bonuses do not become PvP bonuses; keep a separate skill preset and use the PvP board route below.

Gear

  • Rings: the only place for active skills — four or five lines (crafted rings have one more) that take the key skills from 14 to 16.
  • Weapon and guard: never put skills there — their damage lines are worth more.
  • Passives come from the other pieces. Global gear also rolls Might, Precision and Combat Speed there, so expect fewer passive lines than on Taiwan.
  • Accuracy is short early on: without it you have to hit bosses from behind and get parried.
  • Manastones: Attack, Critical Hit, Accuracy. Guard (off-hand) to +10.

How gear gets stronger

1 · Enhance

  • Gold gear succeeds 100% up to +10; after that the chance drops (+13 → +14 is about 25%, +5% after each fail).
  • A fail never breaks the item — only the materials and kina are spent.
  • Above +15 you also need Amplify Stone (Unique), made in Substance Morph from Amplify Stone Fragment (Unique) and Enhance Stone. Each step past +15 on offensive items adds Attack %.
  • Cost grows with item level. Transfer Stone: Weapon (Unique) / Transfer Stone: Armor (Unique) move the enhancement level and rolled lines to another item (not accessories) — so you can enhance a cheap piece and move it later.

2 · Soul binding (rerolling lines)

  • Adds random lines to a piece: stats, or +1 level to a skill (actives on weapons and rings, passives on armor, necklaces and earrings; bracelets roll Daeva stats). The slot decides what can roll.
  • Tab 1 raises the quality of the lines, tab 2 rerolls them — with unneeded gold gear or reroll items — tab 3 uses books. Sync Stone (Unique) comes from the battle pass, hard dungeons and dungeons from 2,800.
  • Roll only on pieces you will keep (crafted or top-tier dungeon gear), and only when the piece already has one of the top lines from the table below.

3 · Manastones (rerolling their stats)

  • The number of slots depends on rarity (white 1, green 2, and so on; top pieces have 4). There are two kinds — for weapons and armor, and for accessories — each in a normal and a PvP version (Superior Manastone).
  • A manastone's stats can be fine-tuned (rerolled) towards offensive ones; this class's picks are in the last card of “Soul-bind priority by slot” below.
  • Don't chase perfect rolls in Season 1 — a reroll costs roughly 200–300k kina on Taiwan, and one good Attack line is enough for now.

4 · Theostones (main hand and off-hand)

  • Theostones (Theostone: Jumentis's Dexterity) go only into the weapon and the guard (off-hand) — weapons have one theostone slot.
  • Each one adds an effect: damage, damage over time or control.
  • It triggers with a chance on attack, so the higher your Combat Speed, the more often it fires — another reason Combat Speed tops most weapon lists.

From the “After 45” guide and the class guides on this site. After 45 →

Soul-bind priority by slot

Highest priority first. Only lines the slot can actually roll are listed.

Weapon

  1. Combat Speed
  2. Weapon Damage Boost
  3. Damage Boost
  4. Might
  5. Accuracy

Helmet

  1. Double Chance
  2. Accuracy
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Attack
  6. Critical Hit

Shoulders

  1. Critical Damage Boost
  2. Double Chance
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Attack
  6. Critical Hit

Chest

  1. Damage Boost
  2. Accuracy
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Attack
  6. Critical Hit

Gloves

  1. Combat Speed
  2. Perfect Chance
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Attack
  6. Critical Hit

Legs

  1. Attack
  2. Damage Tolerance
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Perfect Chance
  6. Critical Hit

Boots

  1. Move Speed
  2. Perfect Chance
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Attack
  6. Critical Hit

Necklace

  1. Combat Speed
  2. Might
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Precision
  6. Attack

Earring

  1. Move Speed
  2. Might
  3. Attack Preparation
  4. Inspiring Spell
  5. Precision
  6. Attack

Ring

  1. Dark Crush
  2. Onslaught
  3. Spinning Strike
  4. Incandescent Blow
  5. Might
  6. Attack
  7. Critical Hit

Bracelet

  1. Time
  2. Life
  3. Freedom
  4. Destruction

Manastones

  1. Attack
  2. Critical Hit
  3. Accuracy

PvE. Compiled from this guide's sources; stat names other than the Daevanion ones follow the game's terms. Earrings and rings use the same list for both pieces. Fill these lines in the build planner →

Arcana

Season 1 has five cards and two sets. Arthars' pick is three Primal Vigor cards plus the Bell and the Mirror from Magic Armor; four Primal Vigor cards (+150 PvE Attack) work too.

CardStatSetRoll for
Chalice of VigorTimePrimal VigorWhatever key skill is still short of 20
Parchment of VigorLifePrimal VigorDark Crush, Onslaught, Spinning Strike
Compass of VigorFreedomPrimal VigorIncandescent Blow, Recuperation; Defiance is fine
Bell of MagicDestructionMagic ArmorAttack Preparation
Mirror of MagicWisdomMagic ArmorImpact Hit, Wind's Promise

Set bonuses

Primal Vigor

  • 2× +60 PvE Attack when HP is 70% or more
  • 4× +150 PvE Attack when HP is 70% or more

Magic Armor

  • 2× Restores 1,500 MP when MP is 20% or less [30s cooldown]
  • 4× +1,000 PvE Defense when MP is 50% or more

Leveling a card adds up to +4 to its skills at random — plan for about +2. That is enough: 10 from points, 4 from Daevanion and 2 from a card make 16, and the ring lines go to other skills.

Don't overspend on these cards: they are replaced as soon as Season 2 brings new ones. Illusion (cooldowns) on the Mirror is the full-support alternative to Wisdom.

Pets (Genus Insight)

  • Five wheels, one per genus: Cogni, Fera, Natura, Varian and Special. Each has nine slots, and slot N opens at Insight level N. Leveling pets of a genus and every Analyze give that wheel Insight EXP.
  • Analyze (Soul Crystals + Kinah) rerolls every unlocked line. Don't lock before the wheel is level 9–10: locked lines give no Insight EXP and each lock raises the cost. After that, lock only lines close to their maximum.
  • Slot 4 matters most — it is the wheel's own damage line, and Double Chance on the Special wheel is the best line of the whole system. Then slot 7.
  • The Special wheel only takes Special Soul Crystals — or the rainbow Soul Crystals that work on every wheel — so it levels the slowest. Save rainbow crystals for it.
  • Korean-server guides number the slots differently — compare them by stat, not by slot number.
SlotTake, best first
1 · 5
Max AttackAttack Bonus
2 · 8
HP Increase
3 · 6 · 9
AccuracyCritical HitPower Shard Bonus
4
CogniCritical Damage BoostDamage Boost
FeraWeapon Damage BoostDamage Boost
NaturaMulti-Hit ChancePerfect Chance
VarianBack Attack Damage BoostFront Attack Damage Boost
SpecialDouble Chance
7
Cogni · FeraDamage TolerancePvE Damage ToleranceEndurance
Natura · VarianPvE Damage ToleranceEndurance
SpecialDamage ToleranceEndurance

Slot pools come from the global client data; the picks start from gameplay.tips' global list and are adjusted for the class. gameplay.tips · questlog.gg

Daevanion boards

Daevanion takes your skills from 10 to 14 and adds stats. Each blue node gives +1 level to its skill.

  • Priority: blue nodes for Dark Crush, Onslaught, Spinning Strike and Incandescent Blow, then orange nodes.
  • Priority: blue nodes for Impactful Crush, Wave Blow, Defiance.
  • No Ariel on global: there are five boards, and the level-45 one, Azphel, gives only PvP Damage Boost and Tolerance — in PvE finish the first four.
  • Azphel (level 45) is all PvP Damage Boost and Tolerance — take it, and Triniel earlier.
BoardUnlockOrange nodes
NezekanLv 12Combat Speed, Cooldown Reduction
ZikelLv 20Damage Boost, Damage Tolerance
VaizelLv 30Critical Damage Boost and Tolerance
TrinielLv 40Multi-Hit Chance and Resist
AzphelLv 45PvP Damage Boost and Tolerance — no skill nodes

The route on the boards

The real global boards from the game data. Gold marks the cheapest path from Start to the nodes this guide takes — the blue nodes of the priority skills and the orange nodes; hover any node to see what it gives.

CrossguardWave BlowProtection CircleDark CrushBlessing of LifeRushing SmashRecuperationInspiring SpellIncandescent BlowAttack PreparationDefianceGust RampageInspiring SpellOnslaughtAttack PreparationTremor CrushImpactful CrushCrossguardHeat Wave BlowProtection CircleSpinning StrikeBlessing of Life
279 points in total skill levels

Dark Crush +4Incandescent Blow +4Onslaught +4Spinning Strike +4

on the way:Protection Circle +2Earth's Promise +2Raging Spell +2Tremor Crush +2Crossguard +1Heat Wave Blow +1Blessing of Life +1Wave Blow +1Attack Preparation +1Impactful Crush +1Wind's Promise +1Impact Hit +1Rushing Smash +1Survival Willpower +1

stat · 1 passive · 2 skill · 3 special · 4 stat · 2–3 route

CrossguardWave BlowProtection CircleDark CrushBlessing of LifeRushing SmashRecuperationInspiring SpellIncandescent BlowAttack PreparationDefianceGust RampageInspiring SpellOnslaughtAttack PreparationTremor CrushImpactful CrushCrossguardHeat Wave BlowProtection CircleSpinning StrikeBlessing of Life
381 points in total skill levels

Wave Blow +4Defiance +4Impactful Crush +4

on the way:Protection Circle +3Wind's Promise +3Blessing of Life +2Inspiring Spell +2Attack Preparation +2Incandescent Blow +2Dark Crush +2Impact Hit +2Heat Wave Blow +1Earth's Promise +1Crossguard +1Survival Willpower +1

stat · 1 passive · 2 skill · 3 special · 4 stat · 2–3 route

Boards and costs come from the global client data (questlog.gg); the path is calculated, not taken from a video. Values can change with patches — check the in-game board before committing a full route.

Four-slot PvP starter setup

A balanced four-slot starting point. Each swap replaces a slot; do not equip every listed option together. The planner equips these stigmas at level 1; aim for the key unlock levels noted below as resources allow.

  1. Undefeated MantraUndefeated Mantra
  2. Power of the StormPower of the Storm
  3. Healing TouchHealing Touch
  4. Impeding AuthorityImpeding Authority
  • Healing Touch → Marchutan's Wrath: more control or pressure in small fights
  • Impeding Authority → Fracturing Blow: more burst pressure when survival is already covered

Healing Touch cleanses five debuffs only at stigma 15. Marchutan's Wrath gains Stun at 10 and healing/potion suppression at 15. Dark Crush loses its cooldown at skill 16 but still needs an opener. Tremor Crush can follow a dodge or be used while flying.

Stigmas

Three are locked in; the fourth is a choice. Level them in this order — Undefeated Mantra to 20 comes before everything else.

  • Undefeated Mantra Core
    Lv 20
    The reason a party takes a Chanter: PvE damage and tolerance, Critical Hit, Accuracy, Critical Damage and Double Chance for everyone. First to 20, and it never leaves your bar.
    • 5+100 Critical Hit
    • 10+100 Accuracy
    • 15+5% Critical Damage Boost
    • 20+5% Double Chance
    All specializations
    • 5+100 Critical Hit
    • 10+100 Accuracy
    • 15+5% Critical Damage Boost
    • 20+5% Double Chance
  • Marchutan's Wrath Core
    Lv 1
    A third ranged skill that opens Dark Crush for 3 seconds — it nearly doubles your Dark Crush time. One point is enough: the higher tiers are for PvP.
    All specializations
    • 5Up to +20% damage when less targets hit
    • 1050% chance to inflict Stun for 3s
    • 15-70% Incoming Heal and Potion Recovery
    • 20+25% additional Stun Chance
  • Focused Defense Core
    Lv 5
    A block with two charges at level 5. Underrated: it lets a melee stay on the boss through most attacks instead of running out.
    • 5+1 consecutive use
    All specializations
    • 5+1 consecutive use
    • 10Changes to mobile skill
    • 15+20% Move Speed for 3s on Block
    • 20Restores 5% HP once on Parry
  • Sprint Mantra Optional
    Lv 10
    Move speed, +10% incoming heal and stamina regeneration, so the party can dodge almost without limit — notXeon runs it in dungeons and while farming, and takes it off in PvP. Grobs runs it always, instead of Focused Defense: with a Chanter the party walks out of most attacks, and every hit has a 15% chance to heal it. Its healing is negligible — don't level it past 10.
    • 5+10% Incoming Heal
    • 10+30% Natural Stamina Regen
    All specializations
    • 5+10% Incoming Heal
    • 10+30% Natural Stamina Regen
    • 15+50% amount restored when HP is 50% or less
    • 20+10% Restoration
  • Power of the Storm Core
    Lv 5 20
    +20% Combat Speed and −20% cooldowns for 10s (the party gets +20% and −10%). notXeon takes it in every kind of content: while nobody has Combat Speed it is one of your biggest damage buffs. Level 5 cuts its cooldown by 30s; 20 adds Attack for you and the party. Grobs' order: this one to 5, then Undefeated Mantra to 20, then the rest.
    • 5-30s cooldown
    • 10+200 Accuracy
    • 15+200 Critical Hit
    • 20+20% Caster Attack and +10% party member Attack
    All specializations
    • 5-30s cooldown
    • 10+200 Accuracy
    • 15+200 Critical Hit
    • 20+20% Caster Attack and +10% party member Attack
  • Healing Touch Optional
    no Cleric
    Strong emergency heal: more at low HP, and at 15 it removes five debuffs. Take it when you are the only healer or the fight is heavy on debuffs. Grobs skips it even then: too little healing for a 30-second cooldown — more damage and buffs help the party more.
    • 5+20% amount healed when HP is 50% or less
    • 10Restores 1000 Stamina
    • 15Removes 5 debuff(s)
    All specializations
    • 5+20% amount healed when HP is 50% or less
    • 10Restores 1000 Stamina
    • 15Removes 5 debuff(s)
    • 20+5% HP restored
  • Impeding Authority Optional
    progression
    A shield for the party — more effective HP while the group is still learning a fight.
    • 5+15% Defense
    • 10+10% Incoming Heal
    • 15+10% PvE Damage Tolerance, +5% PvP Damage Tolerance
    All specializations
    • 5+15% Defense
    • 10+10% Incoming Heal
    • 15+10% PvE Damage Tolerance, +5% PvP Damage Tolerance
    • 20Restores 7% of Max HP when Protective Shield ends or is broken
  • Guardian Blessing Optional
    no slot
    ×1.5 Wind's Promise at 15 is a real damage gain, but with four slots there is no room for it in Season 1.
    • 5+10% Status Effect Resist
    • 10x1.5 [Crossguard] effect for the duration
    • 15x1.5 [Wind's Promise] effect for the duration
    All specializations
    • 5+10% Status Effect Resist
    • 10x1.5 [Crossguard] effect for the duration
    • 15x1.5 [Wind's Promise] effect for the duration
    • 20+10% Incoming Heal
  • Obliterate Optional
    stagger
    AoE knockdown for packs while leveling. WallyJTV keeps it at the cap for bosses with a stagger check: 50 Stagger Gauge Damage when the group needs it.
    • 5Up to +20% damage when more targets hit
    All specializations
    • 5Up to +20% damage when more targets hit
    • 10+20% Skill Speed
    • 15Critical Hit on hit
    • 20+25% Knockdown Chance

Mantras are toggles: switch them on once and keep them out of any macro — a second press turns them off. Barrier Spell, Ensnaring Mark, and Assault Shock have no place in PvE. Fracturing Blow is Grobs' pick for a premade group early in the season: Defense is a flat reduction, so lowering it is worth most while gear is low.

PvP combat and decisions

Duels and small fights

Open at range with Impactful Crush. If the stun lands and you can reach, follow with Wave Blow. Reopen Dark Crush with Spinning Strike and use its short window. Keep a movement skill for the opponent’s escape rather than rushing twice immediately.

Impactful Crush→Wave Blow→Spinning Strike→Dark Crush

This is a conditional sequence, not an automatic macro. Continue only if control lands and range permits; change plans when the target breaks free or becomes immune.

Abyss and group fights

Stay close enough to support the focused ally. Shield before incoming burst, cleanse meaningful debuffs with Recuperation, then heal. Use control to peel for your healer. Coordinate mantra overlap with the Cleric rather than assuming identical party buffs stack.

What to keep manual

Keep crowd control, escapes, cleanses and defensive cooldowns on separate keys. Do not hold the PvE macro through an enemy immunity window. Save one escape, watch the enemy CC break, and reconnect with your team before re-engaging.

Verified client mechanics: Impactful Crush · Healing Touch · Marchutan's Wrath

Macro & rotation

Example hotbar layout

Example for this guide’s main PvE setup. Stacked skills follow the lines below; separate utility keys are suggestions you can rebind. Keep manual skills outside the macro and follow the notes below for optional skills and alternative builds. On narrow screens, scroll the bar sideways to see every key.

Impactful CrushMarchutan's WrathSpinning StrikeDark Crush 1
Incandescent Blow 2
Undefeated Mantra 3
Sprint Mantra 4
Recuperation Q
Power of the Storm E
Tremor CrushRushing Smash F
Onslaught LMB

As in the game: a stacked line fires its bottom skill first; gold lines are the ones the macro presses. Hover an icon for the skill.

AION 2 has two separate tools:

  • Hotbar line — several skills stacked on one hotbar button. Pressing it casts the highest-priority skill that's ready, and in AION 2 the bottom slot has the highest priority. The cards show each line top to bottom as in the game.
  • In-game macro — while you hold its key, it presses your hotbar buttons in order and cancels animation tails. Skills on cooldown are skipped.

1. Hotbar lines

Grobs' global setup (frame 19:05): all three openers sit on one line with Dark Crush at the bottom, so after every opener the line goes straight back to Dark Crush; Incandescent Blow has a line of its own.

1Dark Crush line
  1. 4 Impactful Crush
  2. 3 Marchutan's Wrath
  3. 2 Spinning Strike
  4. 1 Dark Crush

In-game order, top to bottom. 1 = highest priority — the bottom slot.

Dark Crush whenever its window is open; when it closes, Spinning Strike opens it again, then Marchutan's Wrath, then Impactful Crush.

2Filler
  1. 1 Incandescent Blow

In-game order, top to bottom. 1 = highest priority — the bottom slot.

Outside the macro — the rest of his bar:

FGap-closer line
  1. 2 Tremor Crush
  2. 1 Rushing Smash

In-game order, top to bottom. 1 = highest priority — the bottom slot.

Rushing Smash (resets on a kill), Tremor Crush when it is on cooldown.

  • Own keysLMB Onslaught, 3 Undefeated Mantra and 4 Sprint Mantra (toggles — switch them on once), Q Recuperation, E Power of the Storm.

Before Dark Crush reaches 16 its cooldown breaks this line: the macro spends the openers while Dark Crush is still cooling down, and the 3-second window goes to waste. notXeon's fix until then: keep one opener on its own key and press it yourself the moment Dark Crush is ready again.

2. In-game macro

Two steps, 10 ms each, on a key you can hold all the time (most players use RMB):

  1. 1Dark Crush line10 ms
  2. 2Filler10 ms

3. What you actually press

  • OpenPower of the Storm first, Rushing Smash to the boss, then the macro.
  • HoldThe macro key together with Onslaught on LMB — Onslaught weaves between every step. When all openers are on cooldown, the macro falls back to Incandescent Blow.
  • By handRecuperation when the party loses HP or needs a cleanse, Wave Blow only in a gap, the gap-closers.

Another option: Arthars' line

One line with Incandescent Blow in it and Marchutan's Wrath on its own key; the macro presses the line, then Onslaught.

EDark Crush line
  1. 4 Incandescent Blow
  2. 3 Impactful Crush
  3. 2 Spinning Strike
  4. 1 Dark Crush

In-game order, top to bottom. 1 = highest priority — the bottom slot.

Dark Crush fires whenever its window is open. When it closes, Spinning Strike opens it again, then Impactful Crush does; Incandescent Blow fills in when both are on cooldown.

Keep Marchutan's Wrath off this line. On its own key it is your reserve: a way to open Dark Crush when both ranged skills are on cooldown, or right after you had to step away from the boss. On the line it would push Incandescent Blow out of the rotation.

  1. 1Dark Crush line10 ms
  2. 2Onslaught10 ms

With this line spam Onslaught and the line key yourself as well — your own presses land between the macro's steps; Focused Defense on big hits.

Where the damage comes from in Arthars' test: Dark Crush and its Piercing Strike follow-up about 40%, then Bursting Blow, Storm Chain, Incandescent Blow and Spinning Strike at about 10% each. That is why Dark Crush goes to 16 first and Onslaught needs Storm Chain.

Recap

  • Skills: Dark Crush, Onslaught, Spinning Strike 16 → 20; Incandescent Blow, Defiance 16; Recuperation and the rest 12.
  • Stigmas: Undefeated Mantra 20, Power of the Storm 5 → 20, Marchutan's Wrath 1, Focused Defense 5; Sprint Mantra in dungeons, Obliterate for stagger checks.
  • Passives: Attack Preparation, Inspiring Spell, Wind's Promise, Impact Hit; Protection Circle to the max.
  • Macro: Dark Crush line with all three openers → Incandescent Blow, Onslaught held on LMB.

How to fight while leveling

  • Packs: Rushing Smash in (resets on a kill) → Obliterate → Crush line + Onslaught.
  • Elites: Impactful Crush (stun) → Dark Crush → Wave Blow → Spinning Strike → Dark Crush again.
  • Mana: Onslaught restores MP on every hit — never stop weaving it.
  • Low HP: Recuperation, and Sprint Mantra heals on hits.

Leveling macro

While leveling, before Dark Crush reaches 16, TitanTheF's simpler setup works from level 1: the Crush line on RMB, Onslaught on LMB and the in-game macro (Power of the Storm → Onslaught → Wave line → Onslaught) on the middle mouse button. Early build at 1–45: Onslaught, Incandescent Blow, Spinning Strike and Rushing Smash to 12, everything else to 8.

RMBCrush line
  1. 4 Incandescent Blow
  2. 3 Spinning Strike
  3. 2 Dark Crush
  4. 1 Impactful Crush

In-game order, top to bottom. 1 = highest priority — the bottom slot.

Grobs' early setup: one line — Dark Crush, Spinning Strike, Incandescent Blow — with LMB and the macro held together. Press Impactful Crush yourself whenever Dark Crush is ready again, so the macro doesn't wait for Spinning Strike. Onslaught takes the HP absorb and Multi-Hit; Impactful Crush needs only level 8 with the mobile pick.

Starting build 1–45 (aion2t) → · 45+ goal build →

Sources

All sources and creators →

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