================================================================================= Ragnarok Online - Creating A Battlesmith ================================================================================= ___Table of Contents_____________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction 2. Updates 3. The Path to Battlesmith - Becoming a Merchant/Blacksmith and the Skills 4. The Vitality Battlesmith 4a. Strengths and Weaknesses 4b. Getting Started as a VIT Battlesmith - Initial Stats, Skills and Job Changes 4c. VIT Stat Build 4d. Equipping Your VIT Battlesmith 5. The Agility Blacksmith 5a. Strengths and Weaknesses 5b. Getting Started as a AGI Battlesmith - Initial Stats, Skills and Job Changes 5c. AGI Stat Build 5d. Equipping Your AGI Battlesmith 6. Battlesmith Skills 7. Contact Information and About the Author 8. The Future X. Legal Mumbo Jumbo to the MAX! ================================================================================= 1. Introdution ================================================================================= Battlesmiths - a largely ignored part of Ragnarok Online. When properly built, the powerful skills used by a Battlesmith can easily rock the house. While they don't have the mob-clearing abilities of a Knight with Bowling Bash or the ridiculous dodging power of an Assassin, the Battlesmith has its own strengths. And weaknesses. This guide will (hopefully) give you the knowledge you need to make yourself into a deadly and unexpected warrior; who ever thinks that passing Blacksmith would be capable of doing anything other than Vending or Forging? As with most specialized guides, I assume you're familiar with the basics of RO. Although you might not know everything about Merchants/Blacksmiths, you do understand the concepts of leveling up, forging, the stats, etc. I've included the Merchant and Blacksmith skills needed for everything in this guide as section five, "Battlesmith Skills." I didn't include any of the forging skills as they aren't used in a Battlesmith build. The many sections of the guide are meant to be used together; rather than lump everything into one huge paragraph, I split the skill build, stat build, equipment and leveling sections into parts. Read over each section and use the information as a whole, don't just wonder why it doesn't tell you what weapon to use in the stat build section. ================================================================================= 2. Updates ================================================================================= 4/10/2003 - Version 0.1 - Started work; wrote the introduction, grabbed some stat info, and began to construct a proper build. Look at that, I finished the whole thing. 4/13/2003 - Version 0.2 - Reworked the entire guide to add an AGI build. ================================================================================= 3. The Path to Battlesmith ================================================================================= Be sure to check which build you want to follow to know the proper stats to set on the character creation screen. This section is the generic steps taken to become a Merchant and, later, Blacksmith. ___Novice________________________________________________________________________ The Novice Battlesmith will have one of the easiest times leveling, second only to the future Swordsman. The only snag: you need 1,000 zeny to change to a Merchant. Keep your base equipment (we won't be buying any equipment until much later) and save up that zeny until you get to job level 10. With your 1,000 zeny head to Alberta to begin your quest. Pay your 1,000z and deliver the package you're given. Congratulations, you're now a Battle Merchant! ___Merchant______________________________________________________________________ So I lied a bit; there is no Battle Merchant. You'll be building yourself like a generic Merchant for a bit, except for a focus on skills to benefit yourself instead of others - not many Merchants get Overcharge, but since you're not going to be doing any Vending or Forging, it doesn't matter anyway; that Overcharging is for yourself. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I won't give a long, detailed list of places to level here. You can find that anywhere else on the internet. As a quick reference, I'd advise leveling in the Culverts outside of western Prontera until around level 40; good drops, great EXP. By the time you get that high, you should have an idea where to level. The skill build for a Merchant is entirely self-serving. You may assist someone with a quick Discount or Overcharge here and there, but all in all, you're going to use your skills for your own good; no sitting around for you. Here's the build you'll want to follow. Note that the level indicated is the amount you want to level your skill to, not the amount of points to put in to it. Example: Pushcart 5 doesn't mean put five points into Pushcart, it means make sure you're Pushcart skill is at level five before doing anything else. If you need descriptions of each skill, refer to the information in the next section, appropriatly titled "Battlesmith Skills." Increase Weight Limit 5 - Lets you level longer without returning to sell your goods. Needed for Discount. Discount 5 - Needed for Overcharge, useful until higher levels since you won't be shopping from stores anyway. Overcharge 10 - Great for getting the cash money you need, since you won't be wasting points on Vending anyway. Mammonite 10 - Your first attack skill! Increast Weight Limit 10 - Max out your storage ability. Discount 10 - Buy your armor for less. Many people noted the missing Pushcart, Vending and Item Appraisal skills. Like I said, this isn't a build that's meant to hang around town and sell stuff. The points saved from Vending and Pushcart are put towards getting more money from OC'ing your drops (make money while fighting instead of sitting) and Mammonite, a disturbingly powerful skill when used right. Because you won't be wasting your money on forging items or expensive equipment you can use Mammonite until you become a true Battlesmith. If you absolutly must have Vending, follow this build and work your ass of to level to Job Level 50: Increase Weight Limit 5 Discount 5 Overcharge 10 Mammonite 10 Pushcart 10 Vending 5 Discount 10 / Increase Weight Limit 10 - Take your pick. That's why you're a Battlesmith and not a Forgesmith - what would the point of being a Battlesmith without any kind of attack skills? Mammonite isn't the best, but no first classes get the best attacks; isn't Magnum Break just a bad version of Bowling Bash? Isn't Fire Bolt just a weaker version of Fire Pillar? Moving on. ___The Battlesmith Is Born_______________________________________________________ So you've finished beating the crap out of stuff with Mammonite, you have a mini-fortune, and you're Job Level 40 (or 50, if you decided to grab Vending). Head to south-western Geffen, the building with smoke rising from it in the very corner. Head inside and become a Blacksmith; it's that simple. No paying, no quest, no nothing. Now go out and grab yourself your first Job Level - this is where the Battlesmith fun starts. Before you try to use any of these skills you'll need a mace or an axe; I won't go into detail here, just check the weapon section. Many of the Battlesmith skills require one of the two, so I'll give you my recommendations as to which is better there. Get ready to kick some ass - Battlesmith skills are the best way for your fledgling warrior to bring some pain to the enemy and, in one case, help your party. Same rules as the Merchant build apply - raise the skill to the level indicated. Hilt Binding 1 - Required for Weaponry Research Weaponry Research 10 - Mad extra damage; needed for any Battlesmith to hold his/ her weight in battle and to get other skills. Hammer Fall 5 - Semi-useful in a mob situation, needed for Adrenaline Rush Adrenaline Rush 5 - The Battlesmith's version of Two Handed Quicken Weapon Perfection 5 - Useful in some situations, required for Maximize Power. Power Thrust 5 - Good boost for low SP. Repair Weapon 1 - Although is isn't implemented yet, Power Thrust may break your weapon in the future; this fixes a broken weapon. Maximize Power 5 - Useful in MVP situations Steel Tempering 1 - Needed for Ore Discovery. Ore Discovery 1 - Since Battlesmiths rely on weaponry to do damage, this skill will help raise your Oridecon/Elunium count, thus saving money on upgrades. This gives you to Job Level 38. From here I advise raising Merchant skills like Increase Weight Limit, Discount, or grabbing Vending/Pushcart if you haven't already. The forging skills really aren't too useful to you right now since you won't be able to level most of them high enough to forge anything worthwhile. That's basically it; you're a Battlesmith. The general fighting style is to run into a mob and kick some ass. I think I've said that plenty; maybe it should be a motto. ================================================================================= 3. The Vitality Blacksmith ================================================================================= Vitality Battlesmiths are the most common build today; the lack of the Assassins' skills make AGI builds less succesful, and as such, most warriors tend to prefer high defense over lower dodging capabilities. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3a. Strengths and Weaknesses --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ___Strengths_____________________________________________________________________ - Attack Strength - Most Battlesmith weapons have strength behind them. - Elementals - Most Battlesmith weapons can be forged with an element behind them, while many other classes have to settle for weaker weapons (Katana, Stilleto) if they want an elemental boost. - High Defense - The average Battlesmith relies on VIT to reduce damage and increase HP. ___Weaknessess___________________________________________________________________ - Attack Speed - Slow. Slow slow slow. - Skill Builds - There is basically one skill build of Battlesmith, since the selection for attack and support skills aren't entirely varied. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3b. Beginning a Vitality Battlesmith - Stat Distribution --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The basic Battlesmith focuses on VIT and STR with a touch of DEX. The recommended starting stats are 9 STR, 1 AGI, 7 VIT, 1 INT, 3 DEX and 9 LUK. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3c. VIT Stat Build --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The basic stat build for a Battlesmith is the same as any VIT/STR build with more of a focus on STR than VIT; rather than raise VIT fast and STR later, the two are raise simultaneously with DEX thrown in. STR 10 DEX 10 VIT 10 STR 20 VIT 20 DEX 30 STR 40 VIT 40 STR 60 VIT 60 DEX 40 STR 70 VIT 70 STR 90 VIT 90 The rest should be dumped into VIT with DEX as needed, a point or two each level, since DEX will cost much, much less than VIT or STR at that point. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3d. Equipping Your VIT Battlesmith --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Battlesmiths rely little on stores; initial equipment and armor will come from stores, bit you will most likely want to get your final weapon(s) from Forgesmiths as the elemental maces will help at higher levels. The following is a fairly useful Equipment Build; all you have to do is buy the equipment in the order presented. It's the same as a stat build, just with equipment. Guard Blade - Upgrade to +7 as soon as possible as this will be your only weapon for a while. Adventure Suit Hood Hat Buckler Boots Ring Pommel Saber - Upgrade to +6 as soon as possible. Chain Mail Manteau Swordmace Headgears - Although some Headgears do have benefits, this is basically up to the user; pick something that tickles your fancy. Upgrade your Swordmace to +5 slowly; it will be your main weapon. As a Mace all of the Battlesmith skills work with it. You might consider finding someone to forge a Very Strong Swordmace later in the game. When you have the money and time, you'll eventually want a Fire Swordmace and a Wind Swordmace; Ice and Earth are basically worthless elements. Upgrade all of these and you'll have a useful collection of tools to dispach the enemy with. After obtaining your final equipment (Swordmace, Manteau, Boots, Buckler, any headgear you choose, Chain Mail) you'll want to begin the hunt for the elusives; slotted equipment (Manteau, Boots, Buckler, Necklace, Ring and Chain Mail all have slotted variaties) and good accessories. Accessories for a Battlesmith should be either Necklaces (VIT +2) or Rings (STR +2), or a combination of the two. The usefulness of cards is debateable. These are a few of the more useful for each piece of equipment: Manteau - Reydric Card (Neutral Resistance +15%) Boots - Verit Card (HP and SP +8%) Buckler - Ambernite Card (DEF +2), Penomena Card (HP +15%) Chain Mail - Savage Card (VIT +3), High Orc Card (STR +2) Accessory - Mantis Card (STR +3), Sting Card (VIT +4) Choose whichever you feel suits you best. As a note, the slotted Accessories (Anciet Accessories) have a level requirement of 90, so don't expect to use them any time soon. ================================================================================= 4. The Agility Battlesmith ================================================================================= Agility Battlesmiths depend on AGI to dodge enemies and speed up their own attacks. Unlike a pure AGI build, like an Assassin, AGI Battlesmiths are more of a hybrid. Without the high Flee of an Assassin, the Battlesmith must rely on a small chunk of defense for when their AGI begins to fail. The emphasis is definatly on dodging; without the hardcore dodging power of Perfect Dodge, however, a bit of defense is neccesary to stop a complete slaughter at higher levels. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4a. Strengths and Weaknesses --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ___Strengths_____________________________________________________________________ - Attack Strength - Most Battlesmith weapons have strength behind them. - Elementals - Most Battlesmith weapons can be forged with an element behind them, while many other classes have to settle for weaker weapons (Katana, Stilleto) if they want an elemental boost. - Attack Speed - Much faster than the average Blacksmith, although still not Assassin-level. ___Weaknessess___________________________________________________________________ - Defense - Ridiculously low. - HP - Same as Defense, the lack of VIT hurts your HP count. - Skill Builds - There is basically one skill build of Battlesmith, since the selection for attack and support skills aren't entirely varied. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3b. Beginning a Vitality Battlesmith - Stat Distribution --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The basic Battlesmith focuses on AGI, STR, DEX and a touch of VIT. The recommended starting stats are 9 STR, 9 AGI, 4 VIT, 1 INT, 6 DEX and 1 LUK. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3c. AGI Stat Build --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The focus on four stats makes a proper AGI build much more difficult. The main issue was balancing STR and VIT enough to deal damage but not recieve a painful amount back. AGI must be raised as quickly as possible. STR 10 DEX 10 AGI 30 VIT 10 AGI 50 STR 20 DEX 20 AGI 70 VIT 20 STR 40 DEX 30 VIT 30 AGI 90 STR 50 VIT 50 DEX 40 Adding remaining points to AGI is pointless unless you want to be a full AGI Battlesmith. Remaining points should be split between STR and DEX, or getting AGI to 99 if you so feel the need. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3d. Equipping Your AGI Battlesmith --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Battlesmiths rely little on stores; initial equipment and armor will come from stores, bit you will most likely want to get your final weapon(s) from Forgesmiths as the elemental maces will help at higher levels. The following is a fairly useful Equipment Build; all you have to do is buy the equipment in the order presented. It's the same as a stat build, just with equipment. Guard Blade - Upgrade to +7 as soon as possible as this will be your only weapon for a while. Adventure Suit Hood Hat Buckler Boots Ring Pommel Saber - Upgrade to +6 as soon as possible. Chain Mail Manteau Swordmace Headgears - Although some Headgears do have benefits, this is basically up to the user; pick something that tickles your fancy. Upgrade your Swordmace to +5 slowly; it will be your main weapon. As a Mace all of the Battlesmith skills work with it. You might consider finding someone to forge a Very Strong Swordmace later in the game. When you have the money and time, you'll eventually want a Fire Swordmace and a Wind Swordmace; Ice and Earth are basically worthless elements. Upgrade all of these and you'll have a useful collection of tools to dispach the enemy with. An option for the AGI build is to skip the Ring Pommel Saber and go straight for the Swordmace to begin using Adrenaline Rush. After obtaining your final equipment (Swordmace, Manteau, Boots, Buckler, any headgear you choose, Chain Mail) you'll want to begin the hunt for the elusives; slotted equipment (Manteau, Boots, Buckler, Necklace, Ring and Chain Mail all have slotted variaties) and good accessories. Accessories for a Battlesmith should be Brooches (AGI +2) to give a boost to Flee. The usefulness of cards is debateable. These are a few of the more useful for each piece of equipment: Manteau - Whisper Card (Flee +20) Boots - Matyr Card (AGI +1, HP +12%) Buckler - Brilight Card (AGI +2, LUK +3), Penomena Card (HP +15%) Chain Mail - Thief Bug Card (AGI +1) Accessory - Kukre Card (AGI +2) Choose whichever you feel suits you best. As a note, the slotted Accessories (Anciet Accessories) have a level requirement of 90, so don't expect to use them any time soon. ================================================================================= 7. Battlesmith Skills ================================================================================= Here you'll find all the skills mentioned in this guide; there are other Merchant and Blacksmith skills, but, as they don't pertain to a Battlesmith, they aren't mentioned. This includes Vending and Pushcart; if you decide to get these skills, you can find the information on them. All the skill info is compiled from about fourteen different places; I rewrote all the info myself, but it isn't truly my data. Props to anyone who spent the time to figure out all this skill info. The skills are listed in the order they appear in the build. ___Increase Weight Limit___[Passive / 0 SP]______________________________________ ___Required Skills_________[None]________________________________________________ Level 1 - Weight +100 Level 2 - Weight +200 Level 3 - Weight +300 Level 4 - Weight +400 Level 5 - Weight +500 Level 6 - Weight +600 Level 7 - Weight +700 Level 8 - Weight +800 Level 9 - Weight +900 Level 10- Weight +1000 A semi-useful skill that allows you to roam around killing things longer without having to return to town to sell everything. ___Discount__________[Passive / 0 SP]____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[Increase Weight Limit Level 3]_____________________________ Level 1 - 7% Discount on anything purchased in stores. Level 2 - 9% Level 3 - 11% Level 4 - 13% Level 5 - 15% Level 6 - 17% Level 7 - 19% Level 8 - 21% Level 9 - 23% Level 10- 24% Buy your base equipment for a little less; mostly used at lower levels, since much of your equipment will be forged or bought from Vendors. ___Overcharge________[Passive / 0 SP]____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[Discount Level 3]__________________________________________ Level 1 - 7% increase to price on items sold to NPC's Level 2 - 9% Level 3 - 11% Level 4 - 13% Level 5 - 15% Level 6 - 17% Level 7 - 19% Level 8 - 21% Level 9 - 23% Level 10- 24% Increase your money-making capabilites. This gives you some extra cash for equipment and, at lower levels, Mammonite. ___Mammonite_________[Active / 5 SP]_____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[None]______________________________________________________ Level 1 - 150% Damage, 100z per use Level 2 - 200% Damage, 200z per use Level 3 - 250% Damage, 300z per use Level 4 - 300% Damage, 400z per use Level 5 - 350% Damage, 500z per use Level 6 - 400% Damage, 600z per use Level 7 - 450% Damage, 700z per use Level 8 - 500% Damage, 800z per use Level 9 - 550% Damage, 900z per use Level 10- 600% Damage, 1000z per use Huge damage for a bit of a cost. The only battle-based skill for the Merchant. ___Hilt Binding______[Passive / 0 SP]____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[None]______________________________________________________ Level 1 - Prevents you from dropping your weapon in battle. Only truly useful as a required skill for many other Battlesmith skills ___Weaponry Research___[Passive / 0 SP]__________________________________________ ___Required Skills_____[Hilt Binding Level 1]____________________________________ Level 1 - ATK +3, Hit +1 Level 2 - ATK +6, Hit +2 Level 3 - ATK +9, Hit +3 Level 4 - ATK +12, Hit +4 Level 5 - ATK +15, Hit +5 Level 6 - ATK +18, Hit +6 Level 7 - ATK +21, Hit +7 Level 8 - ATK +24, Hit +8 Level 9 - ATK +37, Hit +9 Level 10- ATK +30, Hit +10 A good boost to ATK to make up for a lack of a Weapon Mastery. The Hit bonus lets you keep DEX to a minimum to boost STR and VIT more. Weaponry Research also adds a +1% chance at a successful forging per level, but we don't much care about that, do we? ___Hammer Fall_______[Active / 10 SP]____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[None]______________________________________________________ Level 1 - 14% chance to stun enemies in a 3x3 tile area Level 2 - 18% chance to stun enemies Level 3 - 22% chance to stun enemies Level 4 - 26% chance to stun enemies Level 5 - 30% chance to stun enemies The percentage is just too low to be useful on it's own, although the area it affects almost makes up for it. Useful in opening up Adrenaline Rush. ___Adrenaline Rush___[Active / X SP]_____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[Hammer Fall Level 2]_______________________________________ Level 1 - Doubles your attack speed for 10 seconds, 27 SP per use Level 2 - 20 seconds, 24 SP per use Level 3 - 30 seconds, 21 SP per use Level 4 - 40 seconds, 18 SP per use Level 5 - 50 seconds, 15 SP per use As an added bonus, Adrenaline Rush increases your party member's attack speed by 125% no matter what weapon they have equipped. ___Weapon Perfection___[Active / X SP]___________________________________________ ___Required Skills_____[Adrenaline Rush Level 2, Weaponry Research Level 2]______ Level 1 - 100% damage against all enemies for 10 seconds, 18 SP per use Level 2 - 20 seconds, 16 SP per use Level 3 - 30 seconds, 14 SP per use Level 4 - 40 seconds, 12 SP per use Level 5 - 50 seconds, 10 SP per use Helpful when your Mace isn't doing full damage; at higher levels the SP cost is minimal for the time the effect lasts. ___Power Thrust________[Active / X SP]___________________________________________ ___Required Skills_____[Adrenaline Rush Level 3]_________________________________ Level 1 - ATK +5% for 20 seconds, 18 SP per use Level 2 - ATK +10% for 40 seconds, 16 SP per use Level 3 - ATK +15% for 50 seconds, 14 SP per use Level 4 - ATK +20% for 60 seconds, 12 SP per use Level 5 - ATK +25% for 100 seconds, 10 SP per use There's a minimal chance of breaking your weapon, which isn't implemented yet anyway. There's no arguing with the length of time this boost lasts. ___Repair Weapon_____[Active / 5 SP]_____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[Weaponry Research Level 1]_________________________________ Level 1 - Broken weapons are repaired As stated above, this isn't implemented yet, but when it is, you'll be prepared. ___Maximize Power____[Active / 1 SP per X seconds]_______________________________ ___Required Skills___[Weapon Perfection Level 3, Power Thrust Level 2]___________ Level 1 - Raises your minimum damage to equal your maximum at 1 SP per second Level 2 - 1 SP per 2 seconds Level 3 - 1 SP per 3 seconds Level 4 - 1 SP per 4 seconds Level 5 - 1 SP per 5 seconds Like performing a critical, this makes all your attacks deal their maximum amount of damage every time. The skill turns on and off. ___Steel Tempering___[Passive / 0 SP]____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[None]______________________________________________________ Level 1 - Bad chance to refine Steel The chances get higher as the skill's level is raised, but we just want level one to get Ore Discovery. ___Ore Discovery_____[Passive / 0 SP]____________________________________________ ___Required Skills___[Hilt Binding Level 1, Steel Tempering Level 1]_____________ Level 1 - Activates Ore Discovery Ore Discovery raises the rate of ore drops - Iron, Steel, etc. The main use for this is to raise the amount of Oridecon and Elunium you find to upgrade your equipment. ================================================================================= 8. Contact Information and About the Author ================================================================================= I am not currently playing iRO! You can find me on cRO (Sara) and kRO (Sakray and Chaos, mainly) under the names Crisato Gem (VIT Knight on both servers), Curse Phoenix (Fire/Saftey Wall Wizard on cRO), Tlash Onagain (Battlesmith on both servers) or Lamya (Perfect Dodge Assassin on kRO). If you want to e-mail me, I can be found at kow at krystaljungle.com. I have AIM - Paragon Rouge. I am an 18 year old writer who plays way too many games. I work at Blockbuster where we have a huge lack of RPG's. This is my fourth Ragnarok Online FAQ. ================================================================================= 9. The Future ================================================================================= -Better equipment and card information -A Forge/Battlesmith...? ================================================================================= X. Legal Mumbo Jumbo to the MAX! ================================================================================= If you'd like to put this FAQ on a page of some kind, all I ask is that you e-mail me and ask first. And don't charge, that pisses me off, especially since I don't get a cut of it. It's not that hard to drop an e-mail first. The most recent version can usually be found somewhere on my website (krystaljungle.com) and on whatever various FAQ sites I manage to get this hosted on (gamefaqs.com?) RO is Gravity's game, I don't claim to have made it or anything of that sort. I'm merely a reporter for the masses. And boy do those masses love me. As if it wasn't clear enough, let's just say all trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. Copyright 2003 Aaron Cobb Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom! You're my friend! /gogogo