If you are reading this, then it means you are from the future:
There is a new guide with up-to-date information and where I continue the discussion:
As of March 29th, 2016 this guide will no longer receive replies or updates.
What is this guide about?
This guide is for those who are interested in building their character around the Hoplite class. This means that the build should have at least Circle 2 (C2) of this class, with a high interest in going into Circle 3 (C3) but not necessary.
Why should I play a Hoplite?
Well, perhaps one of these reasons brought you here:
- You want to use a Spear as your main weapon (or a combination of Spear and Shield).
- You want to explore the so called “Boss Slayer” class.
- You strongly believe you were a Spartan in your previous life.
- You like how the Hoplite costume looks.
Maybe none of those.
Regardless of what is your reason, through this guide I hope to give you insight into what the Hoplite class offers, and hopefully help you in your decision while building your character.
No, really. Why should I play a Hoplite?
It is true that there are many classes to choose from when moving through the Swordsman class tree. Different classes value different playing styles, from high burst, to a wide arrange of skills to use, to mobility, evasion to dodge, etc.
With so many options, it is easy to feel lost into what combination of classes to choose for a build. However, there are a few key aspects that make the Hoplite class unique and could help make this decision easier:
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Playstyle
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The Hoplite is mainly an auto-attacking class. This means that most of your damage comes from using normal attacks rather than using a high amount of skills.
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However, there are high-burst skills that allow the Hoplite to deal huge amounts of damage in a short amount of time.
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Besides having a good offense, the Hoplite also has access to the use of Shield, which not only provides higher defense but also the ability to use Guard and become a good tank.
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Weapon
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The Spear is a weapon that deals bonus damage against Medium and Large type targets. Which makes it great to fight tougher opponents such as mini-bosses and bosses.
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The attack range of the Spear is higher than other weapons, which gives the Hoplite an advantage when playing around it.
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It also deals Piercing damage
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Stat allocation
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The Hoplite has access to the Finestra skill, which opens more ways of allocating stats when building a character that no other class can offer.
Overall the Hoplite is a solid class that doesn’t lack in damage, burst or tankyness, and excels at fighting Large type targets.
If this sounds like a class that you would like to play, then let’s start.
Stats
When it comes to stats for a Swordsman it always becomes a choice between high STR or high DEX. And like other classes, the Hoplite has access to different tools that benefit one particular build: High STR.
The main reason is because of the Finestra skill, which adds 10 Critical Rate per level (equal to 10 points in DEX). This means that you can acquire up to 170 Critical Rate from this skill alone, making it unnecessary to add too much DEX to deal more critical attacks.
Being able to critical hit as often without adding points into DEX gives the Hoplite a huge advantage when it comes to allocating stats. Other classes have to compromise by adding more points into DEX to gain Critical Rate, which makes their overall base damage lower.
Of course, using a high STR build comes with the disadvantage of not having as high evasion as a high DEX build would; however, here comes the second part of the Finestra skill which adds 2% Block per level. This combined with the general tankyness of a Swordsman makes it unnecessary to worry about taking damage.
Why “High STR” and not “Full STR”?
Like any other build, it also comes down to equipment. While some of us might find it easier to go Full STR, others might consider getting a few more points into CON or DEX when struggling on tougher content of the game.
What about equipment?
Use the best you can get. However, as you progress through the game try to aim to have 4 Plate armor pieces.
Before going into the class advancements, it is important to note that currently Status Reset Scrolls and Skill Reset Scrolls are easily available in the beta. Which allows us to follow different Status and Skill paths during the early stages of the game.
Take advantage of that to use more efficient leveling methods and reach the Hoplite class faster.
Swordsman (Rank 1)
Skills
Level 5: Gung Ho
Level 5: Concentrate
Level 5: Pain Barrier
You could also get Bash for additional Knock Downs, but overall it is unnecessary, even more if you choose to go with Peltasta on your first advancement.
Gung Ho and Concentrate are self-buffs that increase the overall damage you deal, so make sure to keep them up as much as possible.
Attributes
- Concentrate: Enhance (Max Level 50)
- Make sure to max this ASAP. It is cheap, but takes a long time to max out.
- Plate Mastery (Max Level 50)
- It is an expensive one, but worth it. Make sure to get 1 level of it at least every 8 to 10 character levels.
- Provoke (Max Level 10):
- It makes the role of a tank easier, it is cheap and you can learn it instantly.
- Gung Ho: Enhance (Max Level 50)
- Unlike Concentrate, Gung Ho lowers your defense by 1 for each point into this attribute, so I don’t recommend going too hard on this one at early levels. Take maybe 5 to 10 levels and max it once you consider it is worth it.
- Bash: Knockdown (Max Level 1)
- If you decided to take Bash, then get this too.
First Class Advancement (Rank 2)
Your choice of:
- Highlander: Currently the OP class, will make the early content much easier providing huge amounts of damage. Has a higher impact than Peltasta at early stages of the game (and this is a much higher impact due to Highlander’s current state in the beta).
- Peltasta: Gives you the ability to become a tank, providing a mass AoE taunt, some CC and the ability to manually block with a Shield. Has a higher impact than the other two at later stages of the game.
My recommendation is going with Peltasta, as it gives the most benefits going into later stages of the game. Plus you will be extremely useful for dungeons and grinding parties (even solo), where your AoE taunt is incredible invaluable.
Highlander
- Skills
- Level 5: Cartar Stroke
- Level 5: Wagon Wheel
- Level 5: Cross Guard
##Important Attributes
- Weapon Swap (Max Level 1)
- Use Two-handed Sword (Max Level 1)
- Two-handed Sword Mastery: Critical Attack (Max Level 5)
- Catar Stroke: Remove Knockback (Max Level 1)
- Cartar Stroke: Knockback Increase (Max Level 3)
- Cartar Stroke: Collision Damage (Max Level 1)
- Cross Guard: Extend Stagger (Max Level 3)
Peltasta
##Skills
- Swash Buckling (Level 5)
- Umbo Blow (Level 5)
- Rim Blow (Level 5)
- Guardian (Optional: At least Level 1. You can remove one point from Rim Blow to get this).
##Important Attributes
- Weapon Swap (Max Level 1)
- Shield Guard (Max Level 1)
- Shield Mastery: Block (Max Level 5)
- Swash Buckling: Maximum HP (Max Level 5)
- Umbo Blow: Add Knockdown (Max Level 3)
- Umbo Blow: Stun (Max Level 5)
- Guardian: Evasion (Max Level 3)
Hoplite Advancement (Rank 3)
We have arrived at our desired class. Now, we aren’t quite there in terms of overall class effectiveness, but we are getting close. Your experience from here until you reach Rank 4 will change depending on what class you choose for Rank 2:
Highlander
If you choose this path, then you will be happy to know that you can still use Stabbing and Pierce with Two-Handed swords, which will give you a nice boost in burst damage. However, you can’t use Finestra unless you use a Spear.
You can choose to go with Spear or Two-Handed Sword, or swap between both of them depending on the situation. Any option is viable to be honest. Just take into consideration that this is due to the beta’s current status, where Status Reset Scrolls are easily available and a full DEX Highlander can easily reset to full STR anytime.
Peltasta
Now you can swap your Sword for a Spear. Your damage output still won’t be as high as a Hoplite using a Two-Handed Sword; however, you will have a much easier time dealing with bosses and mobs in general because of your ability to manually block their attacks and the Peltasta CC skills.
Not only that, but Finestra also has good synergy with Peltasta’s attribute “Shield Mastery: Block”, which will further increase Finestra’s block increase.
You will also be more useful in parties as you can perform the role of a tank with your mass AoE and block, if you choose to party up. But you won’t have problems going solo either.
Weapon
For your first level 40 Spear, just get the best one you can get. A Winged Spontoon is fine, or if you can get one of the rare spears like Assegai, then go for it.
Skills
- Finestra (Level 5): Hoplite’s most important skill.
- Pierce (Level 5): It deals 2 hits on Medium and 3 hits on Large targets. A nice burst skill that will deal serious damage as you get stronger.
- Stabbing (Level 5): High burst skill, but requires you to stay immobile while using it. This will kill anything (but bosses) regardless of it’s level, so max it after Pierce but get 1 point early on.
What about Synchro Thrusting?
Overall, it deals some nice damage. It has the advantage of increasing it’s damage depending on your shield’s defense, so the better shield you have the more damage this skill will deal. Unfortunately, Shield defense only goes so high right now, and if you get the attribute which lowers the Strike part damage then it doesn’t mean much in the end.
If you feel like you want an extra skill, then you can keep Stabbing at level 1 and take this at level 4, but I would advice against it.
Important Attributes
- Use One-handed Spear
- Finestra: Splash (Max Level 1)
- Pierce: Bleeding (Max Level 5): It is expensive, but try to level it up as soon as you can afford it.
- Stabbing: Evasion (Max Level 5): It is expensive, but try to level it up as soon as you can afford it.
And of course, the increase damage by 1% per attribute level ones for the skills. These ones are expensive but level them up when you start getting higher amounts of gold.
Hoplite 2nd Advancement (Rank 4)
Wait. What about Cataphract?
Choosing Cataphract will give you the ability the move faster when you are mounting. It also gives you the ability to use Two-Handed Spears which have a higher base damage than One-Handed ones, and you also get a couple new skills to clear mobs.
Sounds good, right?
Well, take into consideration that going into Hoplite Circle 2 will give you the ability to keep Finestra active 100% of the time, which at level 10 will also give you +100 Critical Rate.
Cataphract isn’t able to keep Finestra active all the time, and they also require to start placing more points into DEX, otherwise they won’t be able to critical hit as often.
Sure, using a Two-Handed Spear gives you higher base damage, but staying on Hoplite allows you to keep placing more points into STR which will make up for that, while also maintaining a high critical chance thanks to Finestra level 10.
All of this makes your overall damage output higher, as STR not only gives you base damage but also Critical Damage, plus the higher skill levels of Pierce and Stabbing, and your new skill: Spear Lunge.
Delaying this power spike, which in my opinion is truly when the Hoplite class starts to shine, just to get some extra mobility isn’t worth it in my opinion.
Weapon
First, take into consideration that the quest to advance to Hoplite Circle 2 requires you to have a +6 Spear. You can go the easy route and enhance a level 40 Spear to +6 to keep it cheap. Or if it is within your gold possibilities, then you want to have that level 75 Spear at +6.
As always, you want the best Spear you can get, which would mean a Grand Spontoon. But try to at least get a Long Hasta. Other option in between is Long Spontoon.
Skills
- Finestra (Level 10)
- Level 9 allows you to tightly keep it up 100% of the time. Level 10 gives you a few more seconds, but you also want those extra stats it provides.
- Pierce (Level 10)
- This skill is your probably your best damaging skill, considering it is instant unlike Stabbing. You want to keep maxing it’s damage potential.
- Spear Lunge (At least level 1)
- This is really nice skill. When you use it, the target’s hit by it are more vulnerable to Pierce attacks for 6 seconds, and it has Overheat, which means you can use it 2 times. This will give you a big boost in damage, specially when you use it right before using Pierce and Stabbing.
- It also has nice scaling, so if you like this skill it is not that bad to level it up for some nice extra damage.
- Long Stride (At least level 1)
- This is a very nice close-gap skill. Level 1 is enough for utility, but it also deals some nice damage which could justify giving it more points.
- Stabbing (As high as you can get it)
- It will deal great damage at level 1, but the higher you can get it the better of course.
Important Attributes
- Pierce: Continuous Attack (Max Level 1)
- Long Stride: Cooldown Time Decrease (Max Level 1)
Plus the increase damage by 1% per attribute ones, of course.
Class Advancement (Rank 5 and Rank 6)
Wait, you mean no more Hoplite?
Not necessarily. While advancing to Hoplite Circle 3 would be the ideal path to continue, there are a few other paths that you could take to shake it up a little bit. After all, staying with the same class for 3 straight circles might be repetitive, but if you can take it, then you really want to stay as a Hoplite.
What are my options?
Hoplite Circle 3
Ideally, you want to advance further in the Hoplite tree. This means you will pretty much do the same stuff you have been doing before, just better. More stats from Finestra, more damage from your skills.
##Skills
- Finestra (Level 15)
- Pierce (Level 15)
- Spear Lunge (At least level 1)
- Long Stride (At least level 1)
- Throwing Spear (At least level 1)
- Stabbing (As high as you can get it with your remaining points)
##Important Attributes
- Throwing Spear: Bind (Max Level 4): It has a 60% chance to bind the target for 7 seconds.
Plus the increase damage by 1% per attribute ones, of course.
Corsair
Now, this is a class that has great synergy with the build you have been using so far.
- Corsair can use Spear as main weapon, but also use a Dagger on the off-hand to use as a secondary source of damage.
- You can still swap between Spear+Shield and Spear+Dagger.
- It will provide some nice extra CC skills.
- The outfit is just great. Aye!
Overall your damage output won’t be as severely affected since you are able to use a Spear+Dagger combination; however, you will miss out on building higher levels of your current skill set. Depending on the dagger you use, you could even get a power spike in terms of damage output.
You can go Hoplite C2 -> Corsair C2, Hoplite C3 -> Corsair C1. Either option is fine, but you really want to go with Corsair C2 to achieve it’s full potential.
Skills
Circle 1
- Jolly Roger (Level 5)
- Dust Devil (Level 5)
- Iron Hook (Optional: At least level 1)
- Keel Hauling (Optional: At least level 1)
Circle 2
- Double Weapon Assault (Level 5)
- Jolly Roger (Level 10)
- Hexen Dropper (Level 5)
- Dust Devil (Level 10 for damage build, otherwise Level 5+ for getting the Iron Hook)
- Iron Hook (Optional: At least level 1)
- Keel Hauling (Optional: At least level 1)
Important Attributes
- Dagger Mastery: Sudden Attack (Max level 5)
- Iron Hook: Chain (Max level 1)
- Jolly Roger: Unity (Max level 5)
- Keel Hauling: Bleeding (Max level 5)
Plus the increase damage by 1% per attribute ones, of course.
Doppelsoeldner
If you want to keep going deep into the damage dealing path without losing on the Hoplite Circle 3, then this is the class you want to choose.
You will gain a wide arrange of skills to improve your character past Hoplite Circle 3. From dealing even more damage through attack speed, to more active skills.
##Skills
- Cyclone (Level 5): Best skill of this class.
- Deeds of Valor (Level 5)
- Mordschalg (Level 5)
- Double Pay Earn (Optional: Level 1): While this skill sounds good on paper, I think it is extremely situational. The buff only last for as many hits as it allows you to deal, and it has a 57 seconds cooldown. In my opinion, level 1 could be maybe useful for last-hiting stuff you want to get double reward on. You can take points from Mordschalg to get this.
##Important Attributes
- Cyclone: Movement (Max Level 1)
- Mordschlag: Cloth Armor (Max Level 1)
- Double Pay Earn: Damage Taken (Max Level 1)
Plus the increase damage by 1% per attribute ones, of course.
Cataphract
This time you have the ability to keep Finestra up 100% of the time, while also having Spear Lunge in your skill kit. Now it is actually worth it to go with Cataphract.
You gain the ability to use Two-Handed Spears, as well as increase your speed through a mount (you won’t be able to use Long Stride while mounting though).
Overall I think choosing it for the mobility is fine, so I would push it to Rank 6. However, going into Cataphract at Rank 5 is fine too, if you really want to have a mount (highly recommended to push it to Rank 6 though).
What about Cataphract Circle 2?
To be honest, you don’t really gain much from going into Circle 2, but you lose a lot from not having Hoplite Circle 3.
##Skills
- Trot (Level 5)
- Earth Wave (Level 5)
- Impaler (Level 5)
##Important Attributes
- Companion Riding (Max Level 1)
- Use Two-handed Spears (Max Level 1)
- Two-handed Spear Mastery: Penetration (Max Level 4)
- Earth Wave: Earth Property (Max Level 1)
- Earth Wave: Remove Knockdown (Max Level 1)
Plus the increase damage by 1% per attribute ones, of course.
Squire
Now, this won’t give you any real combat advantage. Though, it will give you the option to set up your shop and start earning some extra gold, as well as get some incredible utility to help in parties.
However, I do strongly feel that it is not worth going Squire simply for 1 Rank, so committing to this path means going into Squire Circle 2 to truly make it worth. At least you now have a solid base class to help you level up.
##Skills
Circle 1
- Weapon Maintenance (Level 5): Most people prefer damage when it comes to upgrades, so while Armor Maintenance is an option, I think weapon is the popular one.
- Repair (Level 5)
- Arrest (Level 5)
Circle 2
- Weapon Mainteance (Level 10)
- Base Camp (At least Level 1): This one has a 6 hours cooldown, with a duration of 1.5 hours at level 1. I think the amount of points you put into this skill will depend on how long your gaming sesions are, you could go up to a duration of 3.5 hours at level 5.
- Refreshment Camp (Level 5)
##Important Attributes
- Arrest: Weaken Defense (Max Level 5)
- Arrest: Slow (Max Level 5)
- Repair: Service (Max Level 5)
- Refreshment Table: Salad (Max Level 10)
- Refreshment Table: Soup (Max Level 10)
- Refreshment Table: Sandwich (Max Level 10)
- Refreshment Table: Yogurt (Max Level 10)
- Weapon Maintenance: Count Increase (Max Level 100).
Rodelero
This is a defensive class based around your Shield.
Choosing this path will increase your ability to help your party through multiple CC skills. However, your damage output will not be as high as some of the other options. But at least most of your skills will have overheart, and you already have the Hoplite build to deal damage.
You have the option of advancing to Rodelero Circle 2 or choose Circle 1 after Hoplite Circle 3. You could even go Rodelero Circle 1 -> Fencer, as their skills work with Rapier+Shield too.
##Skills
Now, at this point the Rodelero skills are not going to deal that much damage by leveling them up, so you want to pick at least level 1 of each one of them, this way you will have multiple sources of CC to rotate.
The only skill that works on bosses is Target Smash, as all the bosses are inmune to knockback/knock-down.
Circle 1
- Shield Charge (At least Level 1)
- Montano (At least Level 1)
- Targe Smash (At least Level 1)
- Shield Push (At least Level 1)
- Shield Shoving (At least Level 1)
Circle 2
- Shield Bash (Level 5)
- Slithering (At least Level 1)
You can spend the rest of the points into the skills you like more, but give priority to those with overheat like Montano and Targe Smash.
##Important Attributes
- Shield Guard (Max Level 1)
- Montano: Size Slow (Max Level 2)
- Targe Smash: Frozen Stone (Max Level 5)
- Targe Smash: Flame (Max Level 3)
- Shield Push: Duration (Max Level 5)
Plus the increase damage by 1% per attribute ones, of course.
Fencer
Ah, the elegant class.
Now, it doesn’t have too much synergy with the build you have been using so far. You can’t use your Spear skills with Rapier (such as Finestra) and you most likely will have to change your stats to be more focused around DEX.
What it does give you is the ability to use Pierce and Stabbing on your Fencer (which already deals piercing damage). So it is nice in that aspect.
While there are better class builds to build for a Fencer, you can still make this switch if you want to. Because why not? If you want to play a Hoplite+Fencer, no one can stop you.
In the case that you do want to follow this path, then:
##Skills
- Attaque Coquile (Level 5)
- Esquive Toucher (Level 5)
- Lunge (At least Level 1)
- Sept Etoiles (At least Level 1)
- Flanconnade (At least Level 1)
##Important Attributes
- Use Rapiers (Max Level 1)
- Rapier Mastery: Aggression (Max Level 5)
Plus the increase damage by 1% per attribute ones, of course.
Peltasta
Oh yeah, you can come back to the first choice you made. This won’t give you too much CC options like Rodelero, but it allows you to use High Guard to increase the damage from Umbo Blow and Rim Blow by quite a high amount.
I don’t think it is totally worth it to go for this, but the option is there. And who knows, perhaps it could provide to be quite good.
I will leave this space just in case Peltasta becomes a better class in the future (at Circle 2 and 3), but at the moment, I think Peltasta Circle 1 is more than enough for any build.
Extra Stuff
In here I will put any extra advice I find on the way.
Your Spear.
This weapon has a longer attack range than normal weapons, and it also out-ranges the normal attack of most mobs. Use this to your advantage. If you start attacking with the tip of your Spear you will get one or two extra attacks while the mob walks up to you to be able to attack you back.
You can avoid a lot of damage this way, which results in less repairing to do.
For tougher opponents, you can even Side-step to avoid any damage.
Fighting against magical attacks.
Some people like to carry two sets of armor for this, which isn’t always easy to do, specially at early levels.
For this I instead recommend to work on your positioning, side-step and kiting to avoid their damage. You shouldn’t have any problems killing at maps that are heavy on magical mobs.
This huge wall of text is nice and all. But do you have any examples on how it would turn out?
Well, here are a few videos to give you a general feel of how the Hoplite class behaves in practice. Perhaps it is not the best example, but this is done with normal gear acquired from quests (market has been dead for forever now, so I have to work with I could get).
- Level 85 Hoplite damage test on Stumpy Tree (Level 98 mob)
- Level 89 Hoplite damage test on Tree Ambulo (Level 96 mob)
- Level 106 Hoplite damage test at Mage Tower 1F during the Goddess Gabija (4) quest
- Level 107 Hoplite killing Ginklas (Level 113 boss) at Mage Tower 1F
- Level 110 Hoplite killing Grinender (Level 123 boss) at Mage Tower 4F
- Level 112 Hoplite killing Giant Red Wood Goblin (Level 121 boss)
- Tree of Savior - Level 122 Hoplite killing Sparnashorn (Level 130 boss)
- Level 125 Hoplite grinding at Mage Tower 4F
- Level 129 Hoplite grinding at Mage Tower 5F.
- Level 181 Hoplite / Doppelsoeldner testing Cyclone on level 184 mobs
- Level 182 Hoplite / Doppelsoeldner killing Saltistter (Level 186 boss)
- Level 185 Hoplite / Doppelsoeldner killing Templeshooter (Level 191 boss)
- Level 193 Hoplite / Doppelsoeldner killing Lepus (Level 192 boss)
- Level 200 Hoplite / Doppelsoeldner killing Master Genie (Level 194 boss)
You can find more videos on that channel, where you can see me fight for the first time each boss and do silly mistakes (Sorry for the not-as-smooth videos, as you can see my FPS really drops when recording).
Finally
I will keep updating the guide with every new useful information I find. Any help that you can provide for improving this guide will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
