Analysis of Masteries and Classes

[DwayneA]

To fully understand how to effectively make a character and maximize the effectiveness of all classes, you need to analyze both masteries, and the skills they offer, then choose skills that synergize well with each other in terms of the types of damage dealt, offensive buffs to increase that damage and enemy debuffs to reduce enemy resistances, and other skills for both defensive and offensive purposes.

This thread contains my analysis and what I've learned from using online skill calculators on how to maximize the potential of all masteries and how the various combinations should be built. Some say that certain mastery combinations don't synergize well or at all. But I disagree. The trick is the figure out how. Then you'll be able to maximize the potential of both masteries that make up your character.

Here's my conclusion for each mastery:

Defense: Many skills require the use of a shield to be equipped and many of those skills can only be used in melee combat. They all deal physical damage. There is a buff that increases both physical and bleeding damage, as well as another buff that increases physical damage and strength. Classes using this mastery need to use a shield and are best suited to fight in melee range inflicting physical damage.

Dream: A buff increases physical, electric burn, and vitality damage, so most classes will focus primarily on one or more from this mastery. Many attack skills inflict two of those types of damage. Options are available for warriors or casters.

Earth: Primarily a spellcasting mastery, but does have options for warrior classes if built as one. Primary damage types are physical, fire, and burning, with buffs to increase all three. Certain spells inflict more than one type of damage. Classes using this mastery will focus primarily on either fire or physical damage depending on what their second mastery is.

Hunting: Combat skills require the use of a bow, spear, or throwing weapon, so your weapon choices are limited with this mastery. Has buffs for increasing piercing and bleeding damage, so chances are your class will be built around inflicting those types of damage with bows, spears, or throwing weapons.

Nature: A support mastery as there are no skills that allow you to deal reasonable damage of your own. You have minions to do that. Wolves can buff all physical damage dealt by yourself or other minions. Depending on your second mastery, pets are either your primary source of damage, making for some powerful petmaster builds, or they are primarily used to provide distractions as the mastery has other skills to improve your survivability.

Neidan: Another hybrid mastery as it contains options for spellcasters and warriors, though there are skills that inflict elemental damage. Buffs increase the potency of potions as well as your defenses.

Rogue: A damage supplement tree as it contains buffs to increase bleeding and poison damage, as well as increase the pierce ratio of certain weapons. You'll also be able to envenom your weapon to inflict poison damage. In fact, that buff needs to be applied in order for the poison buffs that increase poison damage to be activated. Some skills also deal physical and piercing damage. Classes built with this mastery will be heavily dexterity based whether as fighters or casters, unless their second mastery focuses on elemental damage.

Rune: While there are options for melee and ranged combat as well as spellcasting, this mastery focuses primarily on elemental damage. An attack skill increases your intelligence which boosts all elemental damage. One of two masteries that allow dual wielding, though throwing weapons are best used if that option is taken, with some exceptions depending on your second mastery. Classes built with this mastery have a heavy focus on elemental damage increasing their intelligence.

Spirit: Another support mastery, but unlike Nature, has some skills that allow you to inflict damage on your own. Primarily vitality damage, but there are buffs to increase elemental, vitality, bleeding, and physical damage. Also has spells for healing and a powerful staff attack. Thanks to a debuff that reduces enemy resistance to vitality, bleeding, and life leech resistance, this can be an effective class for healing purposes as well as dealing bleeding and vitality damage. Regardless of what your second mastery is, Spirit is mainly useful for buffing your damage, debuffing your enemies, and healing yourself. Chances are that if you are building a caster, you'll be using the staff attack, with some exceptions depending on the second mastery.

Storm: Another spellcasting mastery, with a major focus on cold, lightning, and frostburn damage. There are buffs to increase, cold, frostburn, lightning, and electric burn damage. Also has buffs for increasing your defenses against certain elemental attacks. Certain spells can reduce physical resistance or enemy defensive abilities, so even melee fighters focusing on physical damage have some options here.

Warfare: The second mastery that allows dual wielding. Has a high emphasis on physical damage, though there are a couple of skills that can also inflict bleeding damage. Classes built with this mastery will focus primarily on physical damage, not just due to all the skills that inflict it, but on the physical damage buff increase and the enemy physical resistance debuff. With some exceptions, they may also dual-wield weapons.

Future posts in this thread will discuss the various synergies between the masteries for each class and overall best style for each.

[DwayneA]

I'll only post info and tips on a few classes at a time. Feel free to comment.

Assassin: Onslaught increases the physical damage inflicted by Lethal Strike and stacks with Calculated Strike. If using Blade Honing, the increased physical damage will result in increased pierce damage with swords, axes, and throwing weapons, the only weapon classes affected by Weapon Training that deal piercing damage. Cross Cut and Lacerate are also affected by Anatomy. Since this class is best built for melee combat as with any other class using Warfare, you might as well dual wield and get Blade Barrier, a great skill for any class as it combines both offense and defense when enemies get in melee range. Poison Mayhem is useful for the ability to impair the aim of your enemies. Triumph lowers the physical and stun resistance of enemies, allowing them to be more easily affected by the stun effect of Mortal Wound.

Avenger: Brimstone increases the physical damage of your bow, spear, and throwing weapons. Brimstone also affects the damage of Spear Dance if you are using a spear when surrounded by enemies. Study Prey weakens enemy resistance to physical damage. Flush Out can increase your elemental damage by reducing enemy resistance. Eruption and the Volcanic Orb tree are great spells because they inflict both fire and physical damage. Thanks to Earth Enchantment, Brimstone, and Volativity, this is the only class where the Monster Lure's Detonate can become very powerful due to the buffs to both fire and physical damage. Use bows or throwing weapons at range, they both work with the Marksmanship tree. Switch to a spear and use Spear Dance in melee range when enemies surround you. Finesse can also affect the combat abilities of the Core Dweller if you choose to use it.

Battlemage: Both masteries can deal physical damage, so use Brimstone to increase the damage dealt by Onslaught, the Battle Rage tree, Slam, Volcanic Orb, Eruption, and Meteor Rain. Be sure to take Volativity to further increase your physical damage. Fight in melee range with dual weapons and use physical spells at range to supplement your attacks and damage. Remember that Onslaught's damage does not stack with the physical damage portion of spells. This class can become one of the best physical melee casters in the game. Strengthen your defenses with Soften Metal, Heat Shield, and Stone Form.

Berserker: Both masteries use the ability to dual wield, so max both the Dual Wielding tree and Reckless Offense for the increased damage. Onslaught can also increase the damage dealt by Thunder Strike. Rune Storm also deals physical damage which isn't increased by Onslaught, but is affected by your strength stat. Seal of Fate is useful primarily for Aftershock's effects, including reduced resistance, though the ability to reduce enemy health is quite valuable. You'll be using physical damage in melee with dual weapons as Warfare has nothing to offer in the way of physical damage, though Runeword does have some options for that. Use Menhir wall for defensive purposes. The bonus to increased Offensive ability granted by Runeword Feather stacks with that of Weapon Training. Sacred Rage and Frightening Power are good for offense and defense when health gets low.

Bone Charmer: This class has the potential for some of the highest bleeding damage in the game due to all those buffs as well as the reduced Bleeding resistance from Necrosis. Detonate also gets a bonus to Physical from Unearthly Power if you choose to use it, as does Spear Dance when you are surrounded. Finesse can benefit the Outsider's melee attack by increasing the chance to reduce health by a percentage. The same for your melee attacks with a spear. Use bows or throwing weapons at range and spears in melee with Spear Dance when surrounded. As with any class that uses Spirit, use the Life Drain tree and Soul Vortex to heal yourself. Vision of Death reduces enemy damage, fumbles attacks, and impairs aim, so use that. Death Ward is good for survivability when your health gets low.

Brigand: This class gets the best piercing damage thanks to all those buffs, including Anatomy. Traps become the strongest they can get with this class with all those buffs from Hunting so use them to your advantage. You can get the highest Piercing Damage from Lethal Strike. Mortal Wound becomes even more powerful in the bleeding category due to all the buffs from Hunting. You can also use Open Wound if you like to supplement your damage as well. The Poison Gas Bomb's Shrapnel addon can really shine in this class. You'll need Poison Mayhem to impair the aim of your enemies. Blade Honing works with both spears and throwing weapons, but not with bows. Use bows and throwing weapons at range and spears in melee. Spear Dance and Blade Barrier are great for melee defenses.

[DwayneA]

Champion: Wolves can help fight alongside you and strengthen your own damage with Strength of the Pack, which also affects Slam and the Battle Rage tree. It also affects the warriors summoned by Ancestral Horn. In fact, thanks to Refresh, this is the only class that can truly make Ancestral Horn shine. Don't forget to use Battle Standard's Triumph and Plague's Susceptibility to weaken the physical resistance of enemies. Sanctuary can give you some survivability. As with any class using Nature, use the Heart of the Oak tree to boost your life, speed, and resistance to the elements. Melee with dual weapons is the way to go. While this is a powerful petmaster build where pets can deal excellent damage on their own, you can also fight alongside them thanks to your physical fighting skills. Keep the wolves healthy with the Regrowth tree.

Channeler: Heart of Frost and Static can both increase the damage dealt by Shen Pao, Echoes of the Ancestors, and Voice of the Ancients. Eye of the Storm affects all elemental damage so it too should be used as with any elemental caster. Use Weakest Chakra and Squall's Obscured Visibility to reduce resistances, though the latter can also impair enemy aim. Heart of Frost can also increase the frostburn damage of Reverberation. Huangdi's Favor can inflict lightning damage and its addon Spreading Influence can hit multiple enemies. Being a caster, a staff is the best weapon to use with Huangdi's Favor. Consequences and Mutual Suffering can further reduce enemy resistance. If you want some distractions, use the Terracotta Servants. Smoke Cloud is good for when enemies surround you. Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning are your primary lightning skills. The Wisp can also stun your enemies with Arc Discharge. Use Energy Shield and Reflection to boost your defenses.  As with any other build using Neidan, take advantage of the buffs to potions and defenses.

Conjurer: Both skills have buffs for elemental and physical damage, so you'll want to use the Volcanic Orb tree and Eruption. The Core Dweller gets more benefits from both damage buffs, though the vitality damage inflicted by the Liche King can be increased through Necrosis. Deathchill Aura stacks with Ring of Earth if you want some aura damage. With enough recharge reduction from equipment, the maxed Flame Surge tree can be a worthy replacement for Ternion Attack, even if it costs more skill points. Circle of Power increases casting speed and reduces energy costs and recharge times. Be sure to take Volativity for more buffs to your fire, physical, and burning damage. Death Ward, Outsider, the Life Drain tree, and Soul Vortex should all be used for further support and survivability.

Conqueror: You'll want to use a shield instead of dual-wielding weapons thanks to the Defense mastery. Onslaught increases the damage of your shield attacks. Colossus Form can also increase your physical damage even further by boosting your strength together with the bonus it grants to physical damage. Defensive Reaction gives another buff to physical damage. The Battle Rage tree is also good for dealing more physical damage. Triumph reduces the physical resistance of enemies. Use Shield Charge to close the distance with enemies and to disrupt their skills. The Rally tree is good for healing yourself, offering resistance, and damage reflection, all of which are useful for any class using Defense. War Wind can be good for striking multiple targets around you and Slam is good for attacking from range. It is not affected by Onslaught, but it does get a boost from Defensive Reaction and Colossus Form. If you want it, Batter and Rending Armor can be good for attacking multiple enemies in front of you. Get all of those passive shield attacks, which are useful for any class using Defense.

Contemplator: Use the trees of Distort Reality and Distortion Field as those skills are affected by the bonus from Lucid Dream. Weakest Chakra can reduce enemy resistance to those damage types. Psionic Strike, Phantom Strike, and their addons are your main attacks. Consequences and Mutual Suffering can help reduce enemy resistance. If using Terracotta Servants, use Mastermind to strengthen them. Trance of Empathy can be used to aid yourself and your minions if you use them. It also stacks with the damage reflected by Melding Armor. Smoke Cloud and Distort Reality are good for crowd control. Distortion Field is good for slowing your enemies and Chaotic Resonance can weaken their armor. Be sure to take Consequences and Mutual Suffering as you'll be fighting with your weapons and those skills can reduce enemy resistance as well.

Corsair: This is one of those builds that can benefit from the bleeding damage bonus of Defensive Reaction which stacks with Anatomy, so the bleeding damage inflicted by Open Wound, Lethal Strike, Lucky Hit, Blade Barrier, and Shrapnel will be increased. The physical damage boost from Defense Reaction can also boost Calculated Strike, Lucky Hit, and Lethal Strike. It should also increase the piercing damage you deal if you use Blade Honing with Swords, Axes, Throwing Weapons, and Spears, though you can't use the shield attacks if you use Throwing Weapons. Throwing Knives are also affected by the bleeding bonuses, but this class is better built as a melee fighter and not a caster. Use Poison Mayhem to impair enemy aim and Flash Powder to confuse your enemies as well as reducing their combat abilities.

[DwayneA]

Daoist: Aura of Tranquility and Melding Armor both stack with Ignore Pain and Dodge Attack. Weakest Chakra can also reduce the physical resistance of enemies, as can Triumph. Consequences and Mutual Suffering affect enemies struck by your weapons. Onslaught also increases the damage of Huangdi's Favor and Spreading Influence allows your attacks to hit multiple enemies. Be sure to use the potion and defense buffs. Shen Pao is good for the ability to impair aim. Breath Attack can weaken enemy combat abilities by causing fumbles, fear, or confusion.

Disruptor: Weakest Chakra can reduce all resistances, including poison, piercing, and bleeding. Make use of the poison buffs with the Poison Gas Bomb tree, as long as Envenom Weapon is active. Use Blade Barrier in melee range. Huangdi's Favor with Spreading Influence, together with Consequences and Mutual Suffering make this the best poison caster build in the game. They do a much better job than Throwing Knives with Flurry can, so don't bother with those skills. Use Mortal Wound for more poison damage in melee range, Flash Powder and Breath Attack for fumbles, fear, and confusion, and Shen Pao for impaired aim. Buff your potions and defenses.

Diviner: Thanks to Unearthly Power, Circle of Power, Necrosis, and Lucid Dream, you can have some of the highest vitality damage in the game. Unearthly Power also increases all elemental damage, including Electric Burn. Those buffs affect the trees of Psionic Touch, Distort Reality, and Distortion Wave. Phantom Strike and Dream Stealer both deal physical damage and can be good for rejuvenating yourself. Trance of Wrath can reduce enemy resistance and Mastermind affects both the Outsider and Liche King. Circle of Power can increase vitality damage and casting speed as well as reduce energy costs and recharge time.

Dragon Hunter: Use all those buffs to piercing and bleeding damage. Flush Out can also reduce elemental damage resistances to spells such as Seal of Fate and Rune Mines, both of which are affected by using Rune Weapon. Study Prey and Flush Out both stack with other skills that reduce enemy resistances, so Aftershock should work nicely to further reduce enemy resistances. Use dual throwing weapons at range and a spear with Spear Dance in melee range when surrounded. Make use of Menhir Wall for defense and Guardian Stones for tougher fights. Sacred Rage and Frightening Power are good for offense and defense as well.

Dreamkiller: The physical damage of both Calculated Strike together with Lucky Hit and Psionic Touch are affected by Lucid Dream, but Psionic Touch may be better when Psionic Beam is at high levels due to reduced charged levels, resulting in increased damage. Mastermind increases the damage of traps if you want them. Dream Stealer is good for muiltiple targets and rejuvenating yourself. Lethal Strike is also affected by the physical damage boost of Lucid Dream. Trance of Wrath reduces all resistances. It may be best to go melee, using skills that deal physical damage, though skills that also deal electric burn, poison, and bleeding may be good as long as they are used in melee range thanks to Trance of Wrath.

Druid: Wolves make great distractions as you cast spells to inflict damage. Use the elemental buffs to increase your damage. Since Storm doesn't really have anything to benefit pets, they are better used as distractions than sources of damage with this class. Use the Ice Shard and Lightning Bolt trees to deal damage. Use Heart of Frost, Static Discharge, and Eye of the Storm to buff your damage. Susceptibility and Obscured Visibility can both reduce enemy resistance. If you use the Sylvan Nymph, Nature's Wrath can also benefit from the buffs and enemy debuffs. Sanctuary and the Heart of the Oak tree are both very useful.

[DwayneA]

Elementalist: Use all those elemental buffs to increase the damage of your fire, cold, and lightning attacks. Obscured Visibility can reduce enemy resistance. The Core Dweller can make a strong tank if you need it. Be sure to take advantage of both elemental shields to increase your defenses further against all elemental attacks. The trees of Ice Shard and Lightning Bolt are your primary spells, though Eruption is also good as if the Volcanic Orb tree if you want it. Soften Metal and Stone Form are good for defense and survivability. Squall does a much better job of causing impaired aim than Fire Nova due to a much higher chance.

Esoterist: Use Rune Weapon with dual throwing weapons to increase Intelligence and boost all elemental damage of Rune Mines, Seal of Fate, Shen Pao, Echoes of the Ancestors, and Voice of the Ancients. Weakest Chakra can reduce all enemy resistance. Consequences and Mutual Suffering can also reduce resistance when you attack with your weapons. Menhir Wall does a better job of distracting your foes for defensive purposes than Terracotta Servants. Guardian Stones are good for tougher battles. Sacred Rage and Frightening Power are good skills to use for boosting defense and offense. Thunder Strike is good for attacking multiple foes at once.

Evoker: Both masteries have buffs to increase physical damage. Ring of Flame stacks with Trance of Wrath if you need aura damage. Trance of Wrath can also reduce enemy resistance. Supplement physical damage with fire and electric burn attacks. When fully maxed with enough recharge reduction, the Flame Surge tree can be a fabulous spammable attack to let your enemies get in range of your trance. If you need it, get the Core Dweller. Strengthen defenses with Stone Form, Heat Shield, and Soften Metal.

Guardian: Strength of the Pack increases all physical damage of your shield attacks together with Defensive Reaction. The Rally tree is better than Regrowth because it is not only easier to use with no cursor aiming required, but offers other benefits such as increased speed, energy regeneration, resistances, and damage reflection. Earthbind can also increase your own chance to inflict critical hits in melee combat. Use Colossus Form to increase your damage further. Susceptibility can further increase the damage you inflict by reducing enemy physical resistance. Sanctuary, together with the Heart of the Oak tree, is great for survivability.

Harbinger: Both masteries use physical damage which is further increased by Onslaught for melee attacks and Lucid Dream for all attacks. Onslaught can also further increase the damage of Psionic Touch and Phantom Strike. Triumph reduces the physical damage resistance of enemies, so use another trance other than Wrath. This is another great physical melee caster class. Distort Reality is great for crowd control. Both Doom Horn and Chaotic Resonance can affect enemy armor.

Haruspex: Physical damage boosts from Lucid Dream can increase the damage of Detonate and Spear Dance. Study Prey and Flush Out work nicely with Trance of Wrath to further reduce enemy resistance to physical, piercing, bleeding, and electric burn. Find Cover stacks with Temporal Flux to make you harder to hit with enemy projectiles. Use bows and throwing weapons at range and a spear with Spear Dance when surrounded. Spears are needed if also using Phantom Strike and Dream Stealer.

Hermit: Use wolves and Terracotta Servants to do most of your fighting for you. Both are affected by Strength of the Pack and gain further bonuses to damage from Susceptibility and Earthbind. Susceptibility can also increase the damage dealt by Shen Pao, Echoes of the Ancestors, and Voice of the Ancients. Use a staff with Huangdi's Favor and Spreading Influence to inflict Consequences and Mutual Suffering for more reduced resistance.

[DwayneA]

Illusionist: This build has some of the best poison damage in the game. Envenom your weapon to maximize poison damage of Poison Gas Bomb and Throwing Knives. If you want, you can also get the most amount of single-hit poison damage through Mortal Wound. Use wolves to tank and distract, with Susceptibility and Earthbind to increase their physical melee damage. The nymph can also deal elemental damage if you use Nature's Wrath. Remember to use Anatomy and Blade Honing to further increase the bleeding and piercing damage of Throwing Knife with Flurry as well as Blade Barrier. If you want them, Traps can also be useful.

Juggernaut: Both masteries inflict and increase physical damage. Brimstone increases damage of all shield attacks. It and Defensive Reaction increase the damage of the Volcanic Orb tree, Eruption, and Meteor Rain. Be sure to get Volativity and Colossus Form to increase your damage further. Maxed Flame Surge tree can also help increase your physical damage by reducing enemy defensive ability.

Magician: Imbue your Throwing Knives with fire and burning damage. Be sure to use Flurry as well. Poison Mayhem and Fire Nova can both impair aim, though the former also causes fear. The Core Dweller can make a powerful tank to distract damage away from you. Be sure to use Volativity to boost the damage of Volcanic Orb and Eruption as well. Meteor Rain can also be useful when surrounded. Traps are also affected by Earth Enchantment if you use them. Flash Powder is good for defensive purposes as is Stone Form and Heat Shield. Blade Honing and Anatomy increase the damage of your knives as well as Blade Barrier.

Monk: Improve your defenses with Aura of Tranquility and Melded Armor. Huangdi's Favor with Spreading Influence will help reduce enemy resistance with Consequences and Mutual Suffering. Weakest Chakra can also reduce enemy resistance to physical damage. Fight in melee with a shield. Batter and Rend Armor can help attack multiple enemies ahead of you to reduce their armor. Get Defensive Reaction and Colossus Form for more damage.

Oracle: Buff your elemental magic damage with Eye of the Storm, Unearthly Power, and Obscured Visibility. Ternion Attack is better than Ice Shards because the shorter range allows enemies to get closer to range of your Deathchill Aura for reduced vitality resistances and other effects. Use the Liche King and Outsider for distractions and Circle of Power to increase casting speed as well as reduce energy costs and recharge times. Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning are great for crowd control and attack.

[DwayneA]

Paladin: Thunderball reduces the defensive ability of your enemies and Obscured Visibility reduces resistance. For even more reduction to physical resistance, use Freezing Blast. Use Defensive Reaction and Colossus Form for more physical damage. Don't bother with Concussive Blow even though this class has more stun attacks than any other as the increase is minimal, only happens by chance, and only applies if you use axes or clubs. Make use of the shield attacks, including the passives, Shield Charge, and Batter, together with their addons. Keep the bonuses of the trees of Rally and Energy Shield active at all times.

Pilgrim: Use all those buffs to piercing and bleeding damage. Terracotta Servants can help inflict those kinds of damage with Shatter. To make it happen more often, use Forged By Fire. Study Prey and Flush Out stack with Weakest Chakra to reduce enemy resistances. Finesse also increases the combat effectiveness of Terracotta Servants. Fight from range with bows and throwing weapons and use spears in melee when surrounded with Spear Dance. Use the buffs to strengthen defense and potions.

Prophet: This class has the best electric burn damage due to both Static Field and Lucid Dream. Spell Break and Spell Shock, while useful for any class, get the best damage with the class against creatures with high energy reserves. Eye of the Storm further increases elemental damage. Since you can get damage reflection with Energy Shield's Reflection and Obscured Visibility reduces resistances, use Trance of Convalescence as the other two have effects used by your other skills. Use a staff with Psionic Beam for ranged combat.

Ranger: Finesse can help boost the combat skills of the wolves. Study Prey stacks well with Susceptibility. Since the Call of the Hunt tree affects your minions as well, you can get more bleeding damage with more points in Maul. Strength of the Pack can increase physical damage, resulting in more pierce damage with bows, spears, and throwing weapons. Be sure to use Sanctuary and the Heart of the Oak Tree. Earthbind works better at reducing enemy defensive abilities than Ensnare.

Ritualist: Mastermind increases the damage of wolves. Trance of Empathy allows them to heal themselves and reflect damage. The increased physical damage from Strength of the Pack affects all spells and attacks with physical damage. This is one of the best petmaster builds in the game. Use skills that inflict electric burn and physical damage boosted by Lucid Dream to aid your minions. Heal them with the Regrowth Tree. Susceptibility reduces enemy resistance and Earthbind affects their defensive ability, allowing your minions to deal more critical hits. Fight alongside them with the tree of Psionic Touch.

Runesmith: You'll be using a shield instead of dual wielding. You can reduce the requirements of both armor and weapons with Runeword Feather and Armor Handling. Runeword Absorb can benefit this class since you use a shield. Rune Weapon also converts the damage of your shield into elemental by a percentage.

[DwayneA]

Sage: Imbue your weapons with Cold and Lightning attacks. Flush Out can reduce enemy resistance to elemental damage. If using Freezing Blast, Study Prey can stack quite nicely for more reduced physical resistance, especially if using Spear Dance. Flush Out also stacks with Obscured Visibility. Don't forget to use Eye of the Storm to increase elemental damage. All those buffs to bleeding and pierce damage will supplement your elemental damage with bows, spears, and throwing weapons. Lightning Bold and Chain Lightning are both good for crowd control. Use spears when surrounded with Spear Dance and bows or throwing weapons at range.

Seidr Worker: Use Rune Weapon with dual throwing weapons to increase the damage of all elemental attacks, including those that deal electric burn damage. Lucid Dream does increase the damage of Unleashed. Trance of Wrath reduces elemental resistances much more than Aftershock does since it is a percentage instead of a flat amount. Menhir Wall is good for defensive purposes. Thunder Strike is good for attacking multiple enemies. Guardian Stones is great for tougher fights. Sacred Rage and Frightening Power are good for your offense and defense.

Shaman: Rune Weapon with dual weapons increases all elemental damage as does Unearthly Power, so use it instead of Ternion Attack. Use the Liche King and Outsider for distractions, Circle of Power to increase casting speed and vitality damage, and for reducing recharge time and energy costs. Thunder Strike, Menhir Wall, Guardian Stones, Sacred Rage, and Frightening Power are all great skills to use as well for offense and defense.

Skinchanger: Use wolves to act as distractions while using Susceptibility to reduce enemy resistance. Earthbind increases the combat effectiveness of wolves. Rune Weapon with dual throwing weapons increases all elemental damage of Seal of Fate and Rune Mines. Menhir Wall and Guardian Stones, together with Thunder Strike, Sacred Rage, and Frightening Power are good for offense and defense.

Slayer: Dual-wielding is possible with this class. Onslaught increases the damage of all physical attacks, except Slam. Study Prey stacks well with Triumph. Lacerate and Cross Cut are both affected by all those bleeding buffs. Spear Dance is good to replace War Wind if using a Spear. Weapon Training also affects Throwing Weapons to give another boost in attack speed also granted by Wood Lore and they can be dual-wielded, but only the first skill in the dual-wielding tree affects them. The trees of Onslaught and Marksmanship can be used together for increased damage with bows and throwing weapons if you use them.

Soothsayer: With the exception of Ternion Attack and Life Drain, you'll need to rely on your minions to deal the damage, so this is another powerful petmaster build. Unearthly Power, Strength of the Pack, and Susceptibility can increase the physical damage dealt by the wolves. Unearthly Power can also increase the damage dealt by the Outsider, Nymph, and Liche King. Circle of Power can help increase vitality damage, casting speed, and reduce recharge and energy costs. Sanctuary and the Heart of the Oak trees are both good for survivability.

Sorcerer: Imbue Throwing Knife and Flurry with cold and lightning attacks and increase the damage with Anatomy, Blade Honing, Eye of the Storm, and Obscured Visibility. Traps are also affected by Storm Nimbus and its addons. Blade Barrier is good for melee enemies. Flash Powder, Energy Shield, Reflection, and the Poison Gas Bomb tree are also worth using.

Spellbinder: Unearthly Power increases the physical damage of all shield attacks and stacks with Colossus Form and Defensive Reaction. Liche King and Outsider can act as a distraction. Keep yourself healthy with the healing spells. Use Death Ward for survivability. Deathchill Aura and its addons are great with this melee build as Necrosis reduces life leech resistance.

Spellbreaker: Unearthly Power increases the physical damage of all attacks, including Slam. Liche King and Outsider are good for distractions. Cross Cut and Lacerate gain an increase to bleeding damage from Unearthly Power and Necrosis. Necrosis also reduces life leech resistance which is great for all melee builds.

Spiritualist: Another good build for inflicting high vitality damage, increased by Unearthly Power, Necrosis, Circle of Power, and Weakest Charka. Weakest Chakra, together with the Life Drain tree can also inflict Vitality Damage. Ternion Attack is better for staves than Huangdi's Favor due to the shorter range allowing enemies to get affected by Deathchill Aura. Consequences and Mutual Suffering can also reduce resistance. Unearthly Power also affects your minions. Unearthly Power also affects Voice of the Ancients, Shen Pao, and Echoes of the Ancestors. If using Terracotta Servants, Shatter and Forged By Fire can also be of benefit due to the increased bleeding damage and the reduced resistance of enemies to it.

Stonespeaker: Use Rune Weapon with dual-throwing weapons to increase all elemental damage. The Core Dweller can make a powerful tank to distract enemies away from you. Runewords of Explode and Burn deal the best damage with this class thanks to Earth Enchantment, Brimstone, and Volativity. Volcanic Orb, Eruption, and maybe Meteor Rain can be used with Seal of Fate and Runic Mines.

Summoner: Strength of the Pack, Volaticity, and Brimstone increase all physical damage. Use Susceptibility, Volcanic Orb, Eruption, and Meteor Rain to inflict damage. The Core Dweller's damage can also be affected by buffs to physical damage. Don't forget about Sanctuary and the Heart of the Oak tree. Keep your minions healthy with Regrowth as this is another good petmaster build.

[DwayneA]

Templar: Rally and Trance of Empathy stack together for more damage reflection. Lucid Dream boosts all shield attacks. Colossus Form and Defensive Reaction can increase all physical damage dealt by skills in the Dream mastery. Use the shield attacks together with Phantom Strike and Dream Stealer. Skills that deal both physical and electric burn damage are good too.

Thane: Triumph can reduce physical as well as the stun resistance of your enemies, making them more vulnerable to Thunderball which can reduce defensive abilities and allow more critical hits in melee combat. Obscured Visibility can also reduce their resistances. Try Freezing Blast for a large decrease in physical damage resistance as well. Fight in melee range with dual weapons and inflict physical damage.

Thunderer: Use Rune Weapon with dual throwing weapons to increase all elemental damage further boosted by Eye of the Storm, such as Seal of Fate and Rune Mines. Heart of Frost can improve the damage of Freezing Mines. Static Charge can also increase the damage of Unleash. Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning are also good for crowd control.

Trickster: Anatomy can increase the bleeding damage dealt by Aftershock. Even if it is a flat value instead of a percentage, Aftershock also reduces all resistances, including poison. Rune Weapon also reduces the physical damage portion of Lethal Strike, which is another reason not to use Rune Weapon with this class. Thrown weapons are better used with Calculated Strike. Use poison attacks together with elemental attacks. You can also use traps if desired.

Warden: Spear is the way to go because you can't use a shield with a bow, nor can you use the shield attacks with a throwing weapon. All those buffs to piercing damage can improve Unyielding Phalanx. Defensive Reaction provides another boost to bleeding damage and the physical damage can also buff Spear Dance. Use Colossue Form for more damage.

Warlock: Another high bleeding damage class, but it is better to use Throwing Knife with Flurry, boosted by Unearthly Power, Necrosis, and Anatomy. Blade Honing can also increase piercing damage if you do not use a staff. If you do use a staff, use Ternion Attack. Circle of Power can increase vitality damage and casting speed as well as reduce recharge times and energy costs. Liche King and Outsider can also supplement your damage and distract your enemies away from you.

Wu: Weakest Chakra can reduce the resistance of all elemental attacks. Earth Enchantment also affects Voice of the Ancients, Shen Pao, and Echoes of the Ancestors. Forged by Fire is boosted by Earth Enchantment if you use Terracotta Servants who get a bonus to damage from Brimstone. You can use either the maxed Flame Surge tree with enough reduced recharge or a staff with Huangdi's Favor and Spreading Influence for your main attack. If using a staff, get Consequences and Mutual suffering for reduced enemy resistance.