Aion

The Warrior in Aion serves as the stalwart backbone of any group, a master of close-quarters combat and unwavering resilience. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to not only survive but thrive as a Warrior, from your first steps in Poeta or Ishalgen to mastering your chosen specialization.

Core Warrior Skills (Levels 1-9)

Before you even consider specialization, understanding your foundational Warrior skills is crucial. These abilities form the bedrock of your combat style and will be used throughout your Aion journey.

• Ferocious Strike (Level 1): Your primary single-target attack. Use it often to deal damage and build up your combo chain.
• Robust Blow (Level 3): A stronger single-target attack that combos off Ferocious Strike. Always aim to chain these two together.
• Shield Bash (Level 5): A crucial skill for interrupting enemy spell casts and stunning them briefly. Essential for controlling dangerous mobs.
• Body Smash (Level 7): A powerful single-target attack that follows Robust Blow. This three-skill chain (Ferocious Strike -> Robust Blow -> Body Smash) will be your bread and butter for early damage.
• Taunt (Level 8): Generates a significant amount of enmity (aggro) on a single target. While not a tank yet, this can be useful for pulling specific enemies or saving a squishier ally in a pinch.
• Provoking Roar (Level 9): An area-of-effect (AoE) taunt, generating enmity on multiple nearby enemies. This skill hints at the tanking potential to come.

Early Leveling Strategy (Levels 1-9)

Your initial journey as a Warrior focuses on questing and understanding basic combat mechanics. Here’s how to make the most of it:

1. Follow the Main Questline: The orange arrow quests are your priority. They provide excellent experience, essential gear, and introduce you to the game's story and mechanics.
2. Combat Rotation: For single targets, your basic rotation is Ferocious Strike -> Robust Blow -> Body Smash. Weave in Shield Bash to interrupt dangerous enemy abilities.
3. Pulling: Use Ferocious Strike or Robust Blow to pull enemies one at a time. Avoid pulling multiple enemies unless absolutely necessary, as your early AoE capabilities are limited.
4. Potions: Always carry a stack of Minor Healing Potions. You can purchase these from General Goods Merchants in your starting zone (e.g., Poeta for Asmodians, Ishalgen for Elyos).
5. Gear Upgrades: Replace your gear frequently with quest rewards. Prioritize items that offer Physical Attack, Physical Defense, and HP.

Specialization: Gladiator vs. Templar (Level 9)

At Level 9, you will undertake an Ascension quest that allows you to choose your specialization: Gladiator or Templar. This is a permanent choice, so consider it carefully!

Gladiator: Master of Offensive Melee

Gladiators are damage dealers, specializing in wielding polearms or greatswords to unleash devastating area-of-effect (AoE) attacks and control groups of enemies. They excel at clearing multiple targets quickly and providing burst damage.

• Weapon Choice: Primarily Polearms for their high base damage and AoE skills. Greatswords are also viable, offering strong single-target damage.
• Key Role: AoE Damage, Crowd Control, Secondary Tanking (with appropriate Stigmas).

Gladiator Stigma Recommendations

Stigmas are crucial for defining your Gladiator's playstyle. Here are some prioritized recommendations:

• Early Game (Levels 10-25):
  • Draining Blow: Recovers HP while dealing damage, improving survivability during solo leveling.
  • Crippling Cut: Reduces enemy attack speed, useful for mitigating incoming damage.
  • Rage: Increases your Physical Attack, boosting your damage output significantly.
• Mid Game (Levels 25-40):
  • Ankle Snare: Immobilizes an enemy, excellent for kiting or preventing escapes.
  • Wave of Earthquake: Your first powerful AoE damage skill, essential for clearing groups.
  • Sure Strike: Increases your accuracy, ensuring your attacks land more often.
• Late Game (Levels 40+):
  • Ferocious Strike III (Advanced Stigma): A powerful upgrade to your core attack, increasing its damage substantially.
  • Body Smash III (Advanced Stigma): Another significant damage boost to your combo chain.
  • Pressure Rupture: A high-damage AoE skill that also reduces enemy Physical Defense, making it invaluable for group content.

Templar: The Unyielding Protector

Templars are the quintessential tanks, utilizing a sword and shield to absorb damage, protect allies, and hold aggro. They are the frontline, ensuring their group remains safe from harm.

• Weapon Choice: Sword and Shield is mandatory for their defensive skills and threat generation.
• Key Role: Main Tank, Threat Generation, Damage Mitigation, Group Protection.

Templar Stigma Recommendations

Templar Stigmas focus on enhancing survivability, threat, and utility.

• Early Game (Levels 10-25):
  • Divine Provocation: A powerful single-target taunt, crucial for holding aggro.
  • Shield of Faith: Increases your Block and Physical Defense, significantly boosting your survivability.
  • Iron Skin: Reduces incoming damage for a short duration, an essential defensive cooldown.
• Mid Game (Levels 25-40):
  • Bodyguard: Transfers a portion of an ally's damage to you, allowing you to protect squishier party members.
  • Holy Shield: Creates a protective shield around you, absorbing a significant amount of damage.
  • Empyrean Armor: Further increases your Physical Defense and Magic Resist, making you even more resilient.
• Late Game (Levels 40+):
  • Provoking Roar II (Advanced Stigma): An upgraded AoE taunt, vital for maintaining aggro on multiple enemies.
  • Shield Counter: Deals damage and stuns an enemy after blocking an attack, adding utility to your defense.
  • Aether Armor: Significantly boosts your Magic Resist, crucial for tanking magic-heavy bosses.

Early Game Gear Considerations (Levels 1-25)

Your gear choices in the early game are straightforward: prioritize quest rewards and drops that offer the best stats for your chosen specialization.

• Armor Type: Always wear Plate Armor. It provides the highest Physical Defense.
• Stat Priority:
  • Gladiator: Physical Attack, HP, Accuracy, Critical Strike.
  • Templar: HP, Physical Defense, Block, Magic Resist, Enmity Boost.
• Accessories: Rings, earrings, and necklaces often provide valuable HP, Physical Defense, or Attack stats. Equip the best available.
• Manastones: At lower levels, Manastones are less critical, but if you find slots, prioritize:
  • Gladiator: Attack +5, Crit Strike +7.
  • Templar: HP +40, Physical Defense +5.

Basic Combat Rotation & Tips

General Warrior Tips:

• Mob Management: Always be aware of your surroundings. Don't pull more than you can handle.
• Potion Usage: Don't be afraid to use potions. Better to use one than to die and lose experience.
• Skill Chains: Pay attention to the glowing border around skills on your hotbar. This indicates a skill that can be chained from your previous action, often leading to increased damage or effects.

Gladiator Basic Rotation:

For single targets, maintain your core combo: Ferocious Strike -> Robust Blow -> Body Smash. For groups, start with a strong AoE like Wave of Earthquake (once acquired), then follow up with your single-target chain on the highest priority target, letting your AoE skills come off cooldown.

Templar Basic Rotation:

Your primary goal is to generate and maintain enmity. Start with Divine Provocation on your main target. Use Provoking Roar for groups. Weave in your damage skills (Ferocious Strike, Robust Blow, Body Smash) to maintain aggro, and use defensive cooldowns like Iron Skin or Holy Shield when taking heavy damage.

Common Pitfalls and Missables

• Skipping Quests: While grinding can be tempting, many quests offer unique gear, Stigmas, and valuable experience. Don't skip too many!
• Ignoring Stigmas: Stigmas are a core part of character progression. visit a Stigma Master regularly to equip new ones as you level up.
• Poor Gear Choices: Equipping cloth or leather armor as a Warrior is a common mistake. Always stick to Plate Armor.
• Not Understanding Your Role: A Gladiator trying to tank a difficult boss or a Templar focusing solely on damage will lead to group wipes. Understand and embrace your specialization.
• Forgetting to Repair: Your gear loses durability as you fight. Visit an Armorsmith or Weaponsmith regularly to repair your items, or they will break and lose their stats.

By following this comprehensive guide, you'll be well on your way to becoming a formidable Warrior in Aion, ready to face any challenge Aeterna throws your way!