Learn about the Pugilist class in Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth, focusing on their powerful bind skills like Concussion, Arm Crusher, and Low Blow.
Recommended Race(s): Earthlain (Highest Luck for Binds), Therian (Highest STR)
Possible equipment: Cestus, Light Armor, Clothes
The Pugilist is a pure strength class in Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth. Their skills revolve around dealing high damage output by increasing their power. The skill Overexertion provides a self-attack buff, and Thunder Fist deals significant damage to enemies. Pugilists also excel at locking down enemies, having access to all types of binds early in the game. Binding the right body parts of enemies reduces your team's received damage and disables certain enemies’ skills, allowing your team to launch a full assault on the enemies while they are helpless. Concussion, Arm Crusher, and Low Blow each attempt to bind a single enemy body part. One-Two Punch deals an extra damage punch with a % chance to activate 1, 2, or 3 of the regular binding punches on the unbound body parts of a single enemy, with a maximum possibility of four punches in a single turn. The punches activated by One-Two Punch will attempt to bind the enemy as they usually would. Pugilist also has one counterattack move, Blood Wrath, which may be activated when the user takes any damage.
Pugilist can fit into any team composition. It is best combined with Harbinger, as Wilting Miasma lowers enemies' resistance toward binds, enabling a full assault on the enemies earlier. Any class that can provide extra attack buffs or lower enemy defense is also recommended. Masurao may fit the job as this class has both _High Ground_ (attack buff) and _Armor Pierce_ (defense debuff), but other classes such as Rover, Necromancer, and Shaman may be picked. Rover has _Target Arrow_ (defense debuff), Necromancer has _Wraith Cry_ (defense debuff), and Shaman has _Ruinous Prayer_ (attack buff).
- For any Pugilist build, Concussion, Arm Crusher, and Low Blow should be learned as early as possible. Binding enemies is vital for your party's survival in the labyrinth. If enemies can be prevented from attacking, your party members will always have full health after every battle.
- After learning the basic bind skills, you can spread points to Overexertion, Thunder Fist, or One-Two Punch, depending on your desired build.
- Overexertion + Thunder Fist creates a pure brute strength build.
- Overexertion + One-Two Punch creates a lockdown build.
- Contributed by Hemless: Binding Pug (Earthlain race highly recommended)
- Start: Concussion(1) > Arm Crusher(1) > Low Blow(1)
- If you have other hard-hitting physical classes in the party, consider investing up to 4 points in Overexertion.
- Then Arm Crusher(3) > Low Blow(3) > Concussion(3)
- Then One-Two Punch to 4, 5, or 9.
- The rest of the points can be spread elsewhere; more points in Overexertion, continue leveling the Binds (to further enhance On
Pugilist Skills:
Brawl Mastery
- Type: Passive
- Max Lv Effect: Increases physical ATK by 15% only if the user equips cestus.
Phys ATK Up
- Type: Passive
- Max Lv Effect: Increases physical ATK by 15%.
Concussion
- Type: Attack
- Body Part: Arms
- Target: One enemy
- TP: 3
- Max Lv Effect: Deals bash damage and has 50% chance to inflict Head Bind. Must equip a cestus.
Arm Crusher
- Type: Attack
- Body Part: Arms
- Target: One enemy
- TP: 3
- Max Lv Effect: Deals bash damage and has 50% chance to inflict Arm Bind. Must equip a cestus.
Low Blow
- Type: Attack
- Body Part: Arms
- Target: One enemy
- TP: 3
- Max Lv Effect: Deals bash damage and has 50% chance to inflict Leg Bind. Must equip a cestus.
One-Two Punch
- Type: Attack
- Body Part: Arms
- Prerequisite Skills: Concussion (3), Arm Crusher (3), Low Blow (3)
- Target: One enemy
- TP: 5
- Max Lv Effect: Deals bash damage and has 66% chance to perform each of _Concussion_, _Arm Crusher_, and _Low Blow_ if the target doesn't suffer Head Bind, Arm Bind and Leg Bind, respectively. The chance is rolled separately for each attack. However, all additional attacks will only yield 70% of normal damage output. The target's bind state is checked before the activation of this skill; if the user activates Therian's _Binding Force_ Union Skill and manages to inflict, for example, Head Bind due to this skill, _Concussion_ may still happen. Must equip a cestus.
Blood Wrath
- Type: Passive
- Target: Self
- TP: -
- Max Lv Effect: Has 50% chance to attack one random enemy when the user takes any damage, including HP consumption effect of _Overexertion_ and _Devil Fist_. Doesn't activate for enemy's counterattack. Can only activate up to 5 times in a turn.
Overexertion
- Type: Buff
- Body Part: Head
- Prerequisite Skills: Blood Wrath (1)
- Target: One ally
- TP: 3
- Max Lv Effect: Increases physical ATK by 100% for 4 turns but the selected ally will consume 50% of their current HP for each action. If the targeted ally performs a multi-hit skill such as Fencer's _Chain_ skill, the HP consumption only applies once. Works wonder with passive skills that activate when the user is under certain amount of HP. If the targeted ally performs a skill that also consumes HP such as _Devil Fist_, the percentage of HP consumption will be added (not multiplied).
Thunder Fist
- Type: Attack
- Body Part: Arms
- Target: One enemy
- TP: 4
- Max Lv Effect: Deals bash and volt damage, but the user suffers 50% of their current HP as recoil damage when the target isn't killed. Must equip a cestus.
Devil Fist
- Type: Attack
- Body Part: Arms
- Prerequisite Skills: Thunder Fist (2)
- Target: One enemy
- TP: 7
- Max Lv Effect: Consumes 5% of own current HP to deal splashed bash damage. Must equip a cestus.
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