Platypus' Crusader/Hero Guide~

[Platypus]

UPDATING

I. Advantages/Disadvantages
II. Crusader Skill Descriptions
III. Crusader Skill Build
IV. Hero Skill Descriptions
V. Hero Skill Build
VI. Hero Skillbook Locations
VII. Weapon Choices


I. Advantages/Disadvantages

Advantages
~Can put in most damage over time of all warriors in most situations
~Partied for rage (not so much anymore thanks to 12 attack warrior elixirs)
~Stable damage range compared to BWs, Polearms, and Spears (swords)
~Flashy orbs!
~Owns bosses
~Balanced

Disadvantages
For a detailed thread describing a crusader's weaknesses, go here:
McDonald's Crusader Weakness Thread
~Inconsistent damage because we must charge orbs all the time
~Crappy stuns
~Difficult lvl 70-80
~Slow charging of orbs (I don't agree with this but might as well list it)

II. Crusader Skill Descriptions

Combo Attack



Each point adds 4 % wattk. Every 5 points adds 20 seconds to the total skill duration.

Lvl 1~10: 3 orbs
Lvl 11~20: 4 orbs
Lvl 21:30: 5 orbs

So, when maxed, combo attack will add 220% wattk, have 5 maximum possible orbs, last for 200 seconds, and cost 35 MP to cast.

Crusaders must cast this skill in order to be able to charge orbs. Once you use combo attack, you can charge up to 5 orbs for 200 seconds (when maxed). While you possess orbs, you can unleash the finishers panic and coma.

Hypothetical Damage Ranges with Combo Attack

Hypothetical damage ranges

Max Combo + Power Strike = base range x 3.64
Max Combo + Coma = base range x 7
Max Combo + Panic = base range x 12.25

All assuming 5 orbs. Credit goes to SergeantDan.

For more information on how combo attack works, visit this thread.

Also, check out modular's combo tables

Sword/Axe Coma



Each point adds 4% basic attack and 2% probability to stun the enemy. When maxed, it will have 200% basic attack with a 90% chance to stun each monster, with 25 total HP consumption and 26 total MP consumption per use. This is a crusader's finisher. You can only use coma when you have at least 1 orb charged, though it is recommended to wait until you have 5 orbs for maximum damage. Does high damage to 6 monsters.

Sword/Axe Panic



Each point adds to your total wattk %. The increase per point is different for each level of panic, but with 1 point it uses 150% wattk, and when maxed it uses 350% wattk. Panic does NOT put monsters into darkness. Every 10 points into panic adds 7 MP to the cast consumption. This is a crusader's second finisher. Same as above, you can't use it unless you have at least 1 orb charged. Does very high damage to one monster.

Shout




Each point adds 2% chance to stun, but at lvl 15 this decreases to +1% chance to stun per point. Every three points add 10% attack range. Shout issues an interruptable stun, meaning the monster will remain stunned as long as you don't attack it. Other players can attack it and it will remain stunned. Shout also deals damage, though it is insignificant compared to other attacking skills. When maxed, shout has 30% basic attack, a 95% chance to stun, 200% attack range, and 10 second stuns.

For more information on how shout works, visit Zenkat's thread located here.

Relax



Lvl 1~Lvl 10:+2Mp recovery every 10 seconds
Lvl 11~Lvl 20: +1Mp recovery every 10 seconds

Pretty self-explanatory...when maxed, you will heal 30 mp every 10 seconds.

Armor Crush



Every point adds 4% chance to nullify a monster's physical defense-up skill. This skill is spammable, meaning you can repeatedly use it if it doesn't work the first time. When maxed, 100% chance to nullify.

Shield Mastery



Every point adds 5% wdef to your total wdef. Only works if you have a shield equipped.


III. Crusader Skill Build

Combo attack-->Coma-->Panic-->Shout-->Armor Crush-->Relax

Lvl 70 >> 1 SP >> Combo attack (1)
Lvl 71 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (4)
Lvl 72 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (7)
Lvl 73 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (10)
Lvl 74 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (13)
Lvl 75 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (16)
Lvl 76 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (19)
Lvl 77 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (22)
Lvl 78 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (25)
Lvl 79 >> 3 SP >> Combo attack (28)
Lvl 80 >> 2 SP >> Combo attack (30)
>> 1 SP >> Coma (1)
Lvl 81 >> 3 SP >> Coma (4)
Lvl 82 >> 3 SP >> Coma (7)
Lvl 83 >> 3 SP >> Coma (10)
Lvl 84 >> 3 SP >> Coma (13)
Lvl 85 >> 3 SP >> Coma (16)
Lvl 86 >> 3 SP >> Coma (19)
Lvl 87 >> 3 SP >> Coma (22)
Lvl 88 >> 3 SP >> Coma (25)
Lvl 89 >> 3 SP >> Coma (28)
Lvl 90 >> 2 SP >> Coma (30)
>> 1 SP >> Panic (1)
Lvl 91 >> 3 SP >> Panic (4)
Lvl 92 >> 3 SP >> Panic (7)
Lvl 93 >> 3 SP >> Panic (10)
Lvl 94 >> 3 SP >> Panic (13)
Lvl 95 >> 3 SP >> Panic (16)
Lvl 96 >> 3 SP >> Panic (19)
Lvl 97 >> 3 SP >> Panic (22)
Lvl 98 >> 3 SP >> Panic (25)
Lvl 99 >> 3 SP >> Panic (28)
Lvl 100 >> 2 SP >> Panic (30)
>> 1 SP >> Shout (1)
Lvl 101 >> 3 SP >> Shout (4)
Lvl 102 >> 3 SP >> Shout (7)
Lvl 103 >> 3 SP >> Shout (10)
Lvl 104 >> 3 SP >> Shout (13)
Lvl 105 >> 3 SP >> Shout (16)
Lvl 106 >> 3 SP >> Shout (19)
Lvl 107 >> 3 SP >> Shout (22)
Lvl 108 >> 3 SP >> Shout (25)
Lvl 109 >> 3 SP >> Shout (28)
Lvl 110 >> 2 SP >> Shout (30)
>> 1 SP >> Armor Crush (1)
Lvl 111 >> 3 SP >> Armor Crush (4)
Lvl 112 >> 3 SP >> Armor Crush (7)
Lvl 113 >> 3 SP >> Relax (3)
Lvl 114 >> 3 SP >> Relax (6)
Lvl 115 >> 3 SP >> Relax (9)
Lvl 116 >> 3 SP >> Relax (12)
Lvl 117 >> 3 SP >> Relax (15)
Lvl 118 >> 3 SP >> Relax (18)
Lvl 119 >> 2 SP >> Relax (20)
>> 1 SP >> Armor Crush (8)
Lvl 120 >> 3 SP >> Armor Crush (11)


Why no shield mastery?

Even for 1h users, it is not recommended to get shield mastery, since the added WDEF will subtract minimal damage when you are taking so much from the high level monsters at lvl 100+.

Shield mastery is NOT a prerequisite of the 4th job skill blocking.

Panic Vs. Coma

There is a lot of debate on which finisher to max first, panic or coma. I have written a separate guide describing both skills in-depth, which can help you choose which route to take.
Panic Vs. Coma Guide

Armor Crush vs. Relax

Armor crush is a spammable skill, therefore, it is not required to max it. There are so few monsters that cast physical defense-up, that it's not even a very useful skill. It does work on skelegons, but the time it takes to cast successfully is not worth it compared to just attacking one more time.

Armor crush does NOT work on zakum. Priests cannot dispel wdef up either.

By getting 11 points into armor crush, you will have a 64% chance to nullify, meaning you'll rarely have to use it more than twice. Also, with 11 points in armor crush, you're able to max relax. Given the lack of uses AC possesses, I suggest maxing relax immediately after shout, and then putting in that last 11 pts in shout. Relax will help you save meso on mana potions. Also, brandish eats MUCH more MP overall than PS+SB, meaning relax is even more useful at lvl 120+ (thanks zenkat!).

The required skills for a crusader are combo attack, coma, and panic. After that, it is up to the player to decide what skill they want next. Shout seems to be the most popular 4th skill to max, because when maxed at lvl 100, it does about 1k to 6 monsters, and the stun is useful.

IV. Hero Skill Descriptions

Maple Warrior



Adds +1% to all BASE stats (excludes equip bonuses) every 2 points. At lvl 9 it adds 5% base stats, and at lvl 19 it adds +10%. lvl 20 maple warrior drops from horntail, so bank on having lvl 9 for awhile!

Monster Magnet



Pulls one monster towards you. Every point adds 2% success rate, and every 10 points add 50% range. Useless skill!

Stance




Prevents you from getting knockbacked when taking damage. Every point adds 10 seconds and +2% success rate, capping at 300 seconds and 90% success rate. Very useful for bosses!

Advanced Combo Attack



Allows for more orbs.

lvl 1=6 orbs total
lvl 7=7 orbs total
lvl 13=8 orbs total
lvl 19=9 orbs total
lvl 25=10 orbs total

Also allows for possibility for 2 orbs in one attack, starting at 31% success rate at lvl 1 and going up 1% each point, capping at 60% success rate at max. Damage also increases.

Achilles



Subtracts dmg taken. Each point subtracts an additional 0.5% dmg, starting at 0.5% and capping at 15%.

Blocking



When wearing a shield, gains possibility of completely nullifying an enemy attack. Each point adds 0.5% success rate, starting at 0.5% and maxing at 15%. Also stuns monster for 2 seconds when successful.

Rush



Dashes toward monsters, pushing them forward. Can mob up to 10 monsters at once. Each point adds 2% dmg starting at 72% and capping at 130%. Range also increases from 80% to 125%.

Brandish



New attacking skill, hits twice per attack. Lvl 1-10 hit 1 monster, lvl 11-20 hit 2 monsters, and lvl 21-30 hit 3 monsters.

Enrage



Every two points adds 1wattk. Every point adds 10 seconds. An 8minute cool down exists regardless of lvl, but it begins as soon as you use enrage, so the buff time is included in the cooldown time. Example=lvl 30 enrage=240 seconds of enrage with an 8min cooldown. 240 seconds= 4mins, but the cooldown timer started when enrage started, so when your 4mins of enrage is up, you only have 4mins of cooldown left before you can use enrage again. Lvl 30 enrage drops from horntail, so bank on having lvl 20 enrage (+21 wattk for 200 seconds) for awhile. Thanks deeyoyo for the update.


V. Hero Skill Build

Be aware that the hero skill build is significantly more subjective than the crusader skill build. More skills actually have a purpose, and it depends on the playing style of each player to decide what they want to max. I'll post a cookie-cutter build here and maybe we can improve it as we go along. This build assumes you have immediate access to all skillbooks.

Lvl 120>>1 AC, 1 Brandish, 1 Rush

1 AC allows for an immediate 6th orb and 32% chance at gaining two orbs rather than one every time you attack. Rush allows for immediate mobbing, and can also replace slash blast at lvl 1.

Lvl 121-130>>Max brandish

Brandish ultimately replaces FOUR skills: panic, coma, power strike, and slash blast.

Lvl 131-140>>Max Advanced Combo

Advanced combo helps your damage now as much as combo attack did back in 3rd job. Not much more to say.

Now the build becomes debatable. Some may choose to get lvl 9 maple hero for +5% buff of all base stats, which for a dexless hero would be ~7attk buff. Others would choose stance for better bossing and less of a nuisance when training against monsters with mattks. Enrage could be put to lvl 20 here for a 21attk buff for 200 secs every 8mins, which would be an 8attk buff over your warrior elixirs. Rush could also be maxed here simply for the range, though that is a slightly less attractive option.

Feel free to post your builds and state why you chose what you chose. I'll update accordingly.

VI. Hero Skillbook Locations

Monster Magnet: 20 - Left Pianus, Nest Golem | 30 - Right Pianus

Achilles: 20 - Skelegon, Skelosaurus | 30 - Manon

Power Stance: Skillbook - QUEST (Storybook - Crimson Balrog ["Crimson Balrog's Plan"]) | 20 - Papulatus | 30 - Zakum

Rush: Skillbook - QUEST (Storybook - Taurospears ["The Unreadable Book"]) | 20 - Left Pianus, Dark Cornian | 30 - Right Pianus

Guardian: Skillbook - QUEST | 20 - Skelosaurus | 30 - Manon

-----

Brandish: 20 - Dark Wyvern | 30 - Papulatus

Adv. Combo Attack: Skillbook - Zakum | 20 - Nest Golem | 30 - Guild Quest, Skelegon, Skelosaurus

Enrage: Skillbook - QUEST | 20 - Zakum | 30 - Horntail

Credit goes to Fiel and his fourth job skill tables located here.

VII. Weapon Choices

Sword Vs. Axe

Swords are BETTER than axes. Although axes have a higher maximum damage than swords, they also have a MUCH lower minimum damage. Crusader's damage is unstable to begin with since we're constantly rotating through orbs. Why make it worse with an axe? The only advantage to axes is that they're unique and they're cheap to buy and scroll. Other than that, swords win out in any category. Keep in mind that the lvl 40, 50, 70, 100, and 110 axes are all slow in speed, whereas all 2h swords are normal speed other than the berzerker (lvl 90) and beheader (lvl 100).
1H Vs. 2H

Brandish has the same range for both 1H and 2H weapons. Also, the lower multiplier that 1H weapons possess can be balanced with shields scrolled for wattk. Therefore, 1H weapons have the potential to be better than 2h weapons in terms of dpm.


For information on how to efficiently make and play a 1H sword crusader, feel free to visit justsomeguy's guide.

I hope this guide has helped you learn more about crusaders. Please feel free to suggest anything I might have missed in this guide.

[Fl4sHSt3P]

nice guide ^.^ , tobad i cant see pics :[

[Foxfulness]

I am a lvl 89 Crusader and I regularly party with an ice mage (he is my real life friend). When we were both lower-leveled, training at DT's was GODLY experience. Don't totally cast out DT's because sometimes it's hard for a Crusader to find a Priest who is willing to party them (especially because a low 9x priest still needs HB for MDTs). And an ice mage can also do more damage than a priest, making the exp very quick despite no holy symbol. ALso, DT's freeze but MDT's do not.

Also, now that I'm nearing the 90's, me and my ice mage will soon begin to train on Vikings together. Vikings freeze and are very fun to mass when both of us get together. This is great exp. It is not necessarily to have a party of 6+ people to gain efficient exp at Vikings.

Might want to make some notes of that ~ but really, I think that's a great overall guide. I give ya an A. Very nice.

[Platypus]

Alright I fixed the pictures.

And Foxfulness, I never really thought of training with an ice mage, since the only one I know is 13x and probably wouldn't have wanted to train with me when I was lvl 80 >_< I'll definitely add that to the guide. The only thing is, I doubt many crusaders train with ice mages regularly. I definitely need to try it though :D

[dave6726]

hey nice guide on crusaders, i think mp recovery is more important than shout though..

[RoyalCatManDo]

Very well written. :] Just a small note, shield mastery might be worth it with the advent of the 4th job. The "Blocking" skill is shield based so since you might be having a shield equipped most of the time, shield mastery might be useful to invest in.

[Platypus]

Like I said, their are certainly variations in skill builds after you max combo attack, panic, and coma. However, I believe shout to be more useful than relax, simply because I've occasionally run across a situation where rage or shout or another skill would run out as I was in a mob. With max shout, I can shout the mob to stun them all, then re-cast my skills. Maybe later I'll calculate how much meso relax saves per hour, though I'm sure it's not that signficant. But yes, it all comes down to your personal comforts. I've known several crusaders to get relax and even armor crush before shout.

And royal, I added your comment on blocking. Any more information on the skill would be appreciated as it is released. :D

[TLeviathan]

Looks promising, and I'm surprised I didn't see this months ago from you. A little error though, in that zombies only have 4500 hp, not 4900. Better that they're actually weaker than posted though.

[Tnerd]

Very nicely done. Pretty much everything is covered.

For the quotes in training areas, try to put them in OGM spoiler.

Since it says QUOTE=(insert monster name here)

Just my two cents. =p

[thiefy]

Nice guide, I think you should also add that dual ghost pirates are also good exp if you have a five person party, with a priest and four people taking a couple platforms each. I went there at around 82 and got atleast 20%/hour and I'm guessing you can get 20% there until around atleast 90 with a party.