Arbalester (High Five) guide — Arbalester
Arbalester class guide for Lineage 2 High Five: how to get the class, which skills to take, what to wear and where to level.
"A lyrical digression"
"A wind rises. A wind that can become a hurricane and shake the foundations of the universe. The wind of the Kamael..."
The Kamael
are the most mysterious race of the LA2 world. Born in the Age of Myths, these
mysterious beings have kept their own unique culture,
living within the borders of the Isle of Souls. Unlike the other five races,
which were created by the gods.
It's assumed that the Kamael were
originally created by the Giants. The original purpose of their creation was
to fight against the Gods and their creations. When the Giants
lost their war against the Gods, the Soul Island was sealed in another
dimension. And now, centuries later, the mighty Kamael race
has returned to change the course of the war.
The Kamael are a dark race, and to maintain their power they draw strength from the souls of their victims.
The Kamael choose their class depending on gender. Male Kamael prefer ancient swords, and female Kamael prefer crossbows.
The rapier
is available to both. They can wear only light
armor. Because of their demonic nature, they are hard to heal.
Her frowning gaze is fixed on the horizon.
A warm, faithful wind plays with her bangs.
And the sun spun like a wheel
And the Arbalester descended from the sky to the earth.
First of all, to answer those looking for an uber-dominating DD here: you're in the wrong thread.
It's
like a feeling — at first unclear, mysterious, often even
irritating... But if you understand the whole essence of this class
and win the Arbalester's favor, you won't trade her for any other
class.
The Arbalester, even though she carries a crossbow (she transforms
any bow with the Change Weapon skill), is not essentially a full-fledged
archer DD; rather she can be described as a Spotter-DD-Guardian
(RT+Bow+...).
The class is essentially unique — its skills and play order
set it apart from other archers. When transforming a bow into a crossbow, you lose
almost half of P. Atk. and critical, but attack speed and accuracy
increase significantly.
The main
difference between the Arbalester and other archers is that normal shots don't
cost MP, i.e. all the MP is left for skills.
Let's divide the skills into 3 parts: active, passive and Trickster skills.
Skills
Active skills
[[Hard_March_(479)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Hard_March_(479)&action=submit (lv. 24) - "Increases own speed. MP continually decreases." - Increases
speed by 20, constantly drains mana; at levels 80+ the amount
of MP spent and regen balance out.
[[Furious_Soul_(482)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Furious_Soul_(482)&action=submit
(lv. 24) - "Communicates with absorbed soul to increase critical rate
and critical damage. P. Def. is decreased while the effect lasts." - For
1 min 30 sec (cooldown 1.15 min) raises crit rate by +20% and crit damage by +20%, but
lowers P. Def. by -20%. In PvP and the Olympiad against mages it's useful, but
against others it's useless.
[[Fire_Trap_(514)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Fire_Trap_(514)&action=submit (lv. 28) - "Summon a trap that damages a single target." - Sets a trap that hits a single enemy.
[[Warp_(628)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Warp_(628)&action=submit (lv. 32) - The character jumps forward by 400. It's considered mastery if you
can predict exactly where you'll land)
[[Fast_Shot_(490)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Fast_Shot_(490)&action=submit (lv. 32) - "Temporarily increases your crossbow attack speed." - a self-buff that raises crossbow attack speed by 12%.
Dark Armor (level 32) - "Increases resistance to dark attacks" adds +10 dark resistance to the class. (consumes MP constantly)
Dark Armor (level 36) - "Grants the ability to do dark damage." Adds +10 dark to
crossbow damage. (Considering that the crossbow's main attack skill Twin
Shot has no Dark enchant - feel free to tuck it away).
[[Ultimate_Escape_(622)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Ultimate_Escape_(622)&action=submit (lv. 36) - "Greatly increases own Evasion rate and speed instantly." at skill level 2
(lv. 52) adds +66 speed and +35 evasion for 20 sec.
[[Soul_Shock_(627)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Soul_Shock_(627)&action=submit (lv. 36) - A shot with a fear effect, lasts about 5 sec - range 200. After
level 76+ it loses its value against opponents of equal level. (The skill
can be enchanted for chance; I didn't enchant it myself)
Resident Guidance (level 40) - "Launches 2 bolts in rapid succession. Critical hit is
possible. Over-hit is possible. Requires a crossbow." - a shot of 2
arrows. The Arbalester's main attack skill, range -900, reuse 3 sec,
crit chance about -30%; when 2 arrows are fired, the crit power is always equal
to the x2 multiplier.
[[Real_Target_(522)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Real_Target_(522)&action=submit (lv. 40) - "Temporarily decreases resistance to bow/crossbow attacks. " -
lowers defense against bows and crossbows for 30 seconds. Cooldown -3 sec. At skill level 4
it lowers crossbow resistance by 40% and bow resistance by 24%. Range - 900
It's
the Arbalester's main skill. With this skill, RT will make all the archers in your party fall madly
in love with you. With RT, the Arbalester in leveling
acts as the target spotter for mobs, and in PvP often takes on
this role too; the archers just shoot on the Arbalester's assist. The skill's
land rate is the most successful of all existing ones - about 95%.
Binding Trap (level 40) - "Summon a trap to ensnare the enemy." - sets
a root trap; it stays on the target for about 5-15 seconds. At high levels -
a useless toy
[[Life_to_Soul_(502)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Life_to_Soul_(502)&action=submit (lv. 40) - "Cannibalizes your own life to increase your soul." - at the cost
of HP increases the number of souls. At skill level 5 it adds +5 souls in exchange for
328 HP
A practically useless skill once its much more successful equivalent
appears a bit later, Soul Gathering.. It only makes sense to use it
to deliberately drop your own HP; reuse - 10 sec.
[[Shift_Target_(489)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Shift_Target_(489)&action=submit (lv. 40) - "Transfers the Aggression of nearby enemies to a selected
party members only. Requires a crossbow." - shifts the target of the nearest
enemy onto a party member you choose. The skill is cast at point-blank range, which for
an Arbalester is hardly desirable, and it's a lot of actions just to shift
the target off yourself; in PvP you won't have time to look and think about whom to shift
the aggro to; the success rate is low.
[[Bleeding_Shot_(509)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Bleeding_Shot_(509)&action=submit (lv. 43) - "Shoots a sharp bolt that causes the enemy to bleed. Requires a
crossbow. Consume Special Bolt. Over-hit is possible. " - fires
an arrow that causes bleeding; requires Special Bolt; can
crit. Takes about 90 HP/tick, lasts 20 sec, i.e. -1800 HP over
20 sec. Like a DoT + shot. Practically useless at high levels. Though...
the skill can be enchanted for chance; from personal experience, with the skill enchanted
to +16 for chance, it's a bit of fun in the Olympiad against characters far
below the Arbalester's level)
[[Create_Special_Bolt_(621)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Create_Special_Bolt_(621)&action=submit (lv. 43) - "Creates a bolt to be used with a special skill." - Creates 1
speacial bolt. Required for the skills Bleeding Shot and Deadly Roulette.
costs 38 MP.
Summon Swoop Cannon (level 43) – "Summon a mirror image that distracts the enemy" Creates
a mirror image that confuses the enemy. Enchant it for power; it pulls
the target off the Arbalester quite well — the skill works 1-2 times, then smart people
figure out where to hit)
[[Rising_Shot_(508)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Rising_Shot_(508)&action=submit (lv. 46)
- "Shoot a bolt that rises from the ground. Requires a crossbow.
Over-hit is possible." - Fires arrows that strike from under the ground.
Range - 500. The animation looks pretty - in practice it's completely
useless.
[[Soul_Gathering_(625)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Soul_Gathering_(625)&action=submit (lv. 46) - "Gather nearby souls. The maximum number of souls can be
absorbed at once. Consumes 10 Spirit Ores." - Replaces the earlier Life to Soul,
the difference being that for 10 Spirit Ores it fills the Arbalester with the maximum
possible number of souls. At level 74 the last skill level refills
40 souls at once.
[[Poison_Trap_(515)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Poison_Trap_(515)&action=submit (lv. 49) - "Summon a trap that sprays poison around." - Summons a trap
that sprays poison around. Completely useless. A trap thrown
by an Arbalester 80+ kills a level 23 mob in 3 seconds)
[[Temptation_(511)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Temptation_(511)&action=submit (lv. 49) - "Quietly lures an enemy. " Lures an enemy without drawing everyone's attention.
[[Quiver_of_Bolts:_B_Grade_(620)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Quiver_of_Bolts:_B_Grade_(620)&action=submit (lv. 52)
- "Summons Silver Bolts. Minimum 700, maximum 2800 bolts are summoned.
Consumes 1 Crystal: B-Grade." - like all archers, creates from 1
Crystal: B-Grade from 700 to 2800 arrows
[[Slow_Trap_(516)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Slow_Trap_(516)&action=submit (lv. 52) - "Summon a trap that slows down nearby enemies." - Sets
a slowing mass trap. The success chance isn't very high, but in
places where many enemies gather it has a decent chance to catch a couple
of warriors. Lowers attack speed, casting speed and speed by 30%. When enchanted for
power it's quite useful in the Olympiad.
[[Flash_Trap_(517)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Flash_Trap_(517)&action=submit (lv. 55) - "Summon a trap that instantly puts a nearby target into shock
with intense light." - A light trap, the equivalent of the archers' mass
stun. Given the small chance and the 3-second stun, it's useless at
high levels.
[[Soul_Barrier_(1514)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Soul_Barrier_(1514)&action=submit (lv. 58) - "Spread soul shield. Increase resistance to arrow and M. Def.
resistance." - Soul shield. +60% resistance to arrows and +100% M. Def. Lasts
10 seconds. Can be enchanted for time; each enchant adds
+1 sec, i.e. Soul Barrier+30 for time will protect you for
40 seconds with a skill cooldown of 45 sec.
[[Sharpshooting_(521)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooting_(521)&action=submit (lv. 60) - "Temporarily increases accuracy, range, P. Atk., and Critical
attack rate. Requires a crossbow. Immobilized while in effect" - the equivalent
of the archers' Snipe. +199 p.atk, +20% Crit.rate, +6 Accuracy. +200
Range
[[Quiver_of_Bolts:_A_Grade_(519)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Quiver_of_Bolts:_A_Grade_(519)&action=submit (lv. 60) - "Summons Mithril Bolts. Minimum 700, maximum 2800 bolts are
summoned. Consumes 1 Crystal: A-Grade." - creates from 1 Crystal: A-Grade from
700 to 2800 arrows.
[[Create_Dark_Seed_(513)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Create_Dark_Seed_(513)&action=submit (lv. 62) - "Transform a soul into a seed of darkness. Consumes 1
Soul." - creates Dark Seed using 1 soul; used for the skills
Imbue Dark Seed and Imbue Seed of Destruction.
[[Imbue_Dark_Seed_(523)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Imbue_Dark_Seed_(523)&action=submit (lv. 62) - "Sow a dark seed into the body of an enemy, eating up health
and eventually paralyzing the enemy when it is fully grown. Consumes 1
Dark Seed." - like a DoT + debuff; when it lands, it eats the enemy's CP/HP
and paralyzes; the chance is practically tiny.
[[Oblivion_Trap_(836)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Oblivion_Trap_(836)&action=submit (lv. 64) - "Summons a trap that causes the target to become forgetful. In
this state, the enemy has a chance to lose their target during every
attack." - Sets a trap that, when it lands, drops
the target.
[[Deadly_Roulette_(510)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Deadly_Roulette_(510)&action=submit (lv. 66) - "Can be used when HP is below 10 percent. Lethal strike is
possible. Requires a crossbow. Consumes 1 Special Bolt." - It was a rather
fun skill before it got fixed) Uses Special Bolt and triggers at
10% of the Arbalester's HP. When it lands (chance 50%, can also be enchanted for
chance) it leaves the enemy with 1 HP/1 CP. Notably: Deadly
Roulette easily pierces Hero UD and, when it
lands, deals with Zariches and Akamanahs, but the harsh conditions of use at
10% HP and a cooldown of 2 min 30 sec make the Roulette a practically unused
skill.
[[Soul_Cleanse_(1510)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Soul_Cleanse_(1510)&action=submit (lv. 66)
- "Cancel up to 3 de-buffs. Can only be used within the same
race." - Removes all debuffs from yourself and any Kamael class. With a chance
of 100% and a cooldown of 8 sec, a great thing in any situation.
[[Imbue_Seed_of_Destruction_(835)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Imbue_Seed_of_Destruction_(835)&action=submit (lv. 68) - "Plants a Seed of Destruction in the enemy's body. The seed
grows inside the body, sucking up the enemy's mana, and blocks the
enemy's skill use when it becomes fully grown. Consumes 1 Dark Seed." -
Sows a seed of destruction in the enemy's body. Growing inside the body, the seed
sucks out the enemy's mana and blocks the enemy's skills once it
has fully grown. Requires 1 pcs. of Dark Seed. Completely
non-working.
[[Quiver_of_Bolts:_S_Grade_(520)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Quiver_of_Bolts:_S_Grade_(520)&action=submit (lv. 74) - "Summons Shining Bolts. Minimum 900, maximum 3600 bolts are
summoned. Consumes 1 Crystal: S-Grade." - Using 1 Crystal:
S-Grade it produces from 900 to 3600 S arrows.
Passive skills
[[Magic_Immunity_(466)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Magic_Immunity_(466)&action=submit (lv. 5) - "Increases M. Def." - increases the character's M. Def.
[[Soul_Mastery_(467)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Soul_Mastery_(467)&action=submit (lv. 5) - "Absorbs souls. X or more Exp. is needed to absorb a soul.
There is a Y percent chance of absorbing an additional soul on a
critical hit." - Absorbs souls. A certain amount of XP is needed
to absorb a soul. There is a chance to absorb an extra
soul on a critical hit.
[[Crossbow_Mastery_(473)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Crossbow_Mastery_(473)&action=submit (lv. 20) - "Increases P. Atk. when using a crossbow." - Increases P. Atk. when using crossbows.
[[Light_Armor_Mastery_(465)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Light_Armor_Mastery_(465)&action=submit (lv. 20) - "Increases P. Def. when wearing light armor." - Increases P. Def. when wearing light armor.
[[Increase_Range_(486)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Increase_Range_(486)&action=submit (lv. 24) - "Increases crossbow range." - Increases range when shooting a crossbow.
[[Critical_Sense_(626)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Critical_Sense_(626)&action=submit (lv. 34) - "Increases critical rate and critical attack
power." - Increases the chance and power of critical hits. At skill level 4
the bonus is 25% to crits.
[[Fast_Recovery_(832)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Fast_Recovery_(832)&action=submit (lv. 43) - "Increases HP/MP/CP regeneration." - Increases HP/MP/CP. regeneration
Trickster 76+ skills
[[Health_(329)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Health_(329)&action=submit (lv. 76) - Passive - "Increases resistance to Poison and Bleed." - Increases resistance to poison and bleeding by 20%.
[[Wisdom_(328)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Wisdom_(328)&action=submit (lv. 76) - Passive - "Increases resistance to Hold, Sleep, and Mental
attacks." - Increases resistance to root, sleep and mental attacks
by 20%.
[[Skill_Mastery_(330)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Skill_Mastery_(330)&action=submit(lv. 77) - Passive - "Masters excellence in skills. Low possibility of being able to reuse skills without delay or doubles the duration.
Influenced by STR.." - Superb skill mastery. A low chance
to use a skill without cooldown or with double duration. Depends on
the STR. stat
Betrayal Mark (level 78) - An active debuff skill - "Stamp Mark of Betrayal on the enemy. When attacking enemy that has the mark, there is a chance that you will
inflict damage to the enemy's party." - Marks the enemy with the Sign
of Betrayal. When attacking an enemy marked with this sign, there's
a chance you'll deal damage to the whole enemy party.
Dark Armor (level 78) - Active - "Significantly increases excellent skill rate triggered by Skill Mastery. Consumes MP continuously." - Greatly
increases the trigger chance of Skill Mastery. Constantly consumes MP.
[[Prahnah_(1470)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Prahnah_(1470)&action=submit (lv. 78) - Active party buff - "Temporarily but significantly increases
party members' magic resistance." - For 30 seconds increases the magic
resistance of all party members by 3000 M. Def.
[[Soul_Rage_(939)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Soul_Rage_(939)&action=submit (lv. 78) - Active - like the Gladiators' charges, increases the number of souls with each hit.
[[Final_Form_(538)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Final_Form_(538)&action=submit (lv. 79) - Active - "Transform into a final battle form. Consumes 20
soul." - Turns into the final battle form. Uses 20 souls.
[[Sixth_Sense_(766)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Sixth_Sense_(766)&action=submit (level 81) - Passive - a bonus of +15 evasion at -30% HP.
[[Fighter's_Will_(758)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Fighter's_Will_(758)&action=submit (lv. 81) - Passive skill + trigger that fires when dealing damage. Adds +100 P. Atk. and 10% attack speed.
[[Archer's_Will_(759)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Archer's_Will_(759)&action=submit (lv. 81) - Passive skill + trigger that fires when dealing damage. Adds +8 accuracy and +50 range.
[[Protection_of_Rune_(755)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Protection_of_Rune_(755)&action=submit (lv. 82) - Passive skill + trigger that fires when taking damage. Adds +15% M. Def.
[[Protection_of_Elemental_(756)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Protection_of_Elemental_(756)&action=submit (lv. 82) - Passive skill + trigger that fires when taking damage.
Adds +20 defense against the elements Fire, Water, Wind, Earth.
[[Protection_of_Alignment_(757)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Protection_of_Alignment_(757)&action=submit (lv. 82) - Passive skill + trigger that fires when taking damage. Adds +20 defense against the elements Holy and Dark.
[[Wild_Shot_(790)|]] (')[http://linedia.com.ua/w/index.php?title=Wild_Shot_(790)&action=submit (lv. 83) - Active - Deals a crushing blow to the target with a wind of arrows. A kind of equivalent of Twin Shot.
Equipment
The Arbalester, and indeed all Kamael, have one peculiarity: they can only wear light sets. We simply can't put on robes or heavy armor.
You should also remember that
only bows are divided into two types - with slow and very
slow. attack speed. Crossbows converted from any bow have the same
attack speed. So when choosing a crossbow, it's enough to rely
on its P.atk - the more, naturally, the better
Let's not waste time on noob NG and D gear and go straight to C (levels 40-52).
C grade (light) levels 40-52
Armor
The very best of the existing light sets is
-
Plated Leather set (Str+4, Con-1) because of the huge P. Atk. bonus from +4 STR
At these levels you can keep wearing the D-grade 
Striped Linen Shirt — it gives good P. Def., especially if enchanted to +9+10,
and it's much easier to get than a C or B grade shirt. You can wear it until level 61
Weapons
At these levels there's no need for a serious weapon with an SA and enchanting, so you can easily get by with common. The best choice is
Common Item - Sharpshooter (Eminence Bow)
Jewelry
C-grade Common jewelry – with M. Def. – the higher, the better.
B grade (light) levels 52-61
Armor
Of the 4 light sets (Avadon, Zubei , Blue Wolf and Doom Set), the most optimal option is
STR-1, CON-2, DEX+3, chance of Poison -20%) .
If you can get decent buffs or level in a party, you can safely stay in Plated Leather. until level 61
Weapons
At these levels two kinds of crossbows are available – 
Common Item - Peacemaker (Dark Elven Long Bow), the cheaper option, and the optimal 
Common Item - Hell Hound (Bow of Peril). SAs are still not necessary, so you can easily get by with common weapons.
Jewelry
B-grade Common jewelry – with M. Def. – the higher, the better. For example, the set 
Black Ore
A grade (light) levels 61-76
Armor
Of the 5 light sets (Dark Crystal, Tallum, Majestic Set, Apella), the most optimal option is
+5759, stun resistance +50%, DEX +1, CON -1) . The other options lose to the Majestic light set.
Shirts: you can make Striped Scale Shirt, which gives a CP. bonus when enchanted to +4
Weapons
There are three A-grade crossbow options. Budget: Common Item - Doomchanter (Carnage Bow), optimal: 
Common Item - Reaper (Soul Bow), and elite: Common Item - Screaming Vengeance (Shyeed's Bow).
Buying an expensive weapon with an SA before level 76 isn't really worthwhile, so a common crossbow will be quite enough.
Jewelry
A-grade Common jewelry – Phoenix or Majestic.
S grade (light) levels 76-80
Armor
The dragon-hide set (c). (Draconic Leather Armor) - 
A very good set, you know. DEX+1, STR+1, CON-2, Atk. Spd./P. Atk. +4%, Max MP +289, penalty-free Weight Limit +5759. Plus a PvP bonus. But the tastiest part is the ability to put attribute resistances in the top and the limb pieces. A lyrical digression. Starting with S grade, we can attribute each piece of the set for elemental resistance by putting stones into it. The stones give defense against the opposite element to the one we insert. I.e. we put in Holy - we get resistance to Dark; we put in Wind - we get resistance to Earth, and so on. One piece can get at most 120 resistance to the chosen element: stones up to 60, then crystals up to 120. Starting with Freya, we can put 3 kinds of attribute into each piece of the set - one from each pair: wind-earth, water-fire, holy-dark. Naturally, it only makes sense to do this in a Draconic set if it's rare and +6, otherwise it's too expensive. We put this set on after reaching 76+; it's fairly easy to collect and cheap. The ideal leveling set. Both damage and attack speed. Well, for PvP we attribute all parts of the set for the needed resistances, otherwise better take MJ with anti-stun. Actually, lately it's trendy to have a fully rare Draconic set with all pieces enchanted to +6 or higher. In that case the Dino (more on it below) simply loses big time. But again, it's hard to get.
Dino (Dynasty) light set - 
This set is an alternative to the Draconic. Its advantage over the Draconic set is that it consists of 5 items, so we can stuff more stones into the fifth piece and be better protected. As a rule, an all-purpose set gets 4 elements + dark. If you put 900 attributes in the set, then 3 pieces get the 3 most needed attributes (180 defense against each), and the other 2 get the 3 remaining attributes whose defense matters less to us (or can be boosted with a buff) - 120 defense against each. To be fair, if it weren't for the 5 pieces (that is, more resistance) and higher P. Def., you wouldn't need to bother with the Dino set and could wear the good old Draconic. On its own it has these stats: -1 CON, +1 DEX, +1.72 Accuracy, +1.72 Evasion, +418 HP, +6 Dark Defense. But a rare Jedi wears the Dino set as it is; everyone upgrades it to suit their class - for us that's the archer version. You can upgrade the set by inserting a special essence into it AT NIGHT (wow, mystical!) at the Hellbound. It comes in level 1 and level 2. After this upgrade we get a set that ONLY an archer can wear; others have to take the essence out of the set and insert their own to put it on. Or not insert one at all. After inserting a level 1 Essence we get -2 CON, +2 DEX, +4.3 Accuracy, +321 MP, +8 Dark Defense, + (I don't know the numbers, but a little) attack speed and MP regen. If you insert a level 2 Essence, you get -2 CON, +2 DEX, +5.3 Accuracy, +321 MP, +8 Dark Defense, +3.24% attack speed and +6.6% MP regen. At the moment, with Essence prices way down, it makes sense to put in the second one right away and get decent stats from the set.
Weapons
-
Sarunga Focus (Draconic Bow), attack 356. First of all, add 150 attribute. In general, note that the maximum attribute on a weapon is 300. Up to 150 use stones, after that crystals all the way. But that's an expensive pleasure, so nobody attributes Draconic bows to 300; it's better to invest in the more fun-in-every-way Dynasty, Icarus (S80), Vesper Thrower (S84), etc.; more on those below.
For leveling you can use any (Holy/Dark is cheapest), but if you want to fight properly 1v1 or in small skirmishes, go elemental. The SA is definitely Focus, +88 to critical rate.
-
Dynasty Crossbow Focus (attack 401). (The masterwork crossbow Dynasty Crossbow - Great Gale gives an attack speed bonus)
Jewelry
The Tateossian set is the best choice at this level. Better with higher enchant and an augment. You can also put together a set of 
Dynasty jewelry.
S80 grade (light) levels 80-84
Armor
Moirai (Moirai) - 
Gear that appeared in Freya. No hassle with shoulder pads, no splitting into Berserker/Gladiator/archer versions. It gives the following stats: DEX +2, CON -2; when equipped, P. Atk. +4.26%, Atk. Spd. +4%, Speed +3%, hold resistance +50%, Fire/Water/Wind/Earth defense +3.
Put this set on as soon as you can; it's more fun than both Draconic and Dynasty in terms of boosting DPS. And root resistance comes in very handy.
Weapons
-
Icarus Shooter, aka Icarus Spitter, attack 422. This gun (unsurprisingly) hits harder than its predecessors, has the Focus SA (increases critical rate by 116), and is the most you can run with if you don't have the strength to grind to 84. The funny thing is that the SA requires level 15, while the Focus bonus is the same as on the Dynasty bow - 116. These bows usually get 300 attribute.
Jewelry
The only new choice at these levels is 
Moirai.
S84 grade (light) levels 84 - 85
Armor
Vesper light set (Vesper Leather) - 
Stats: STR+1, CON-2, DEX+1, Attack/Atk. Spd./MP +5,57 recovery speed %, Max MP +347,4.
In plain words, it's the same Draconic, but as if with a second essence: attack and attack speed are one and a half percent higher, P. Def. is higher, and the rest is the same, except for increased weight.
Oh yes, if you stick Noble Enhancement Stones in, you get the "Noble" addition to your Vesper set. It becomes prettier and cooler, and you can wear S84 cloaks with it. True, the stones cost a ton of money. Or rather, not much each, but the required number of stones makes the sum impressive.
The Vesper Noble light set (Vesper Noble Leather) gives: STR+1, CON-2, DEX+1, Atk. +5,57%, Atk. Spd. +5%, MP +5% recovery speed, Max MP +354, Evasion +3, Critical Damage + 172, Paralysis resistance + 50%.
As you can see, the boost is quite nice; it even adds crit damage :) A nice bonus for spending on stones.
Vorpal light set (Vorpal Leather) - 
Stats: STR +1, DEX +2, CON -3; when equipped, P. Atk./P. Def. +5.57%, Atk. Spd. +5%, Speed +3%,
stun resistance +50%, Critical Damage +182, Max MP +360, Fire/Water/Wind/Earth defense +5. Now this is cool, guys. It adds the sometimes much-needed P. Def., and +speed is nice too. And the most fun part is stun resistance with very high defense. In today's conditions it's the most preferable set for light armor wearers, which makes its price quite high. Plus other classes also collect it for the Olympiad.
Elegia light set (Elegia Leather) - 
Stats: STR +1, DEX +2, CON -2; when equipped, P. Atk. +6.59%, Atk. Spd. +6%, Critical Rate +17.05, paralysis resistance +50%, Speed +3%, Fire/Water/Wind/Earth defense 5.
Currently the top set in P. Def. The +3/-2 stats alone are worth it. Good attack speed, a good + to attack; it's just a pity it's DEX +2 rather than STR. P. Atk. matters more to us after all. It's already realistic to collect, but first it's a hassle, and second, Vorpal is cooler ;)
Also, starting from S80 sets, you can wear a CLOOOOAK with them, which gives nothing but bragging rights and 20 P. Def. It's made after reaching level 80 via the quest Path to Glory (hold on, Glory!); a pain because it takes long: the point is to rack up kills over 4 Territory Wars, 8 weeks in total. Then it's unsealed at an NPC and worn ONLY with an S80 set.
After level 84 you can buy an S84 cloak, which besides defense gives an attribute bonus: 30 dark/holy defense of your choice.
A separate point is the option to get raid boss cloaks from a quest, starting from level 78/80/82. Or drop them from these RBs. They drop from (and are given by the quest for) Zaken, Frintezza and Freya. To get a cloak via the quest, you need to collect 20 items from each RB, given after their death, 1 or 2 per death.
These cloaks give an attribute bonus to all attributes and let you teleport straight to the RB farming zones. Which is already sweet in itself.
Weapons
- Vesper Shooter Focus (Vesper Thrower), attack 444. Freya let us craft it, and the rare bow (if you're lucky) gives + to shooting range, which is great. The Focus SA adds 133 to critical rate. The SA requires a level 16 crystal.
-
Dominion Crossbow Focus (Skull Carnium Bow), attack 471. The machine gun from Freya. It needs a level 17 SA, which gives 139 to crit. Naturally, once you reach 84+, Vesper Thrower no longer rules. Take this thing, enchant it to +100500, put in the SA and 300 attribute, and go punish.
-
Thorne Crossbow Focus (Recurve Thorne Bow). Also from Freya; currently the top bow in the game. The dream item of everyone who reached 84. It needs a level 18 SA, which gives 139 crit. As they say, no comment... The only downside - it's hard to get. It's sold at the auction (buying it there costs a mountain of money), and drops from Antharas, Valakas and Extreme Freya, which became possible to kill only with High Five Part 4. At the time of editing this article, it hasn't been seen in living hands.
Jewelry
At these levels you can always put together a set of 
Vesper jewelry, but if possible take 
Elegia jewelry; 
Vorpal is also a good option.
Epic
The epic jewelry set for an Arbalester is the same as for any damage dealer.
It's best to get the following epics:
Earring of Antharas (M.Def:
71) Bonus to MP: +31, resistance to Bleed: +50%, increases the success rate of Bleed attacks by 40%, strengthens healing effects, adds a vampiric effect to attacks, increases resistance to Stun and mental attacks by 30%, increases the success rate of Stun and mental attacks
- Zaken's Earring (M.Def: 71) Bonus to MP: +31, resistance to Bleed: +30%, increases
the success rate of Bleed attacks by 30%, strengthens healing effects, adds a vampiric effect to attacks, increases resistance to Stun and mental attacks by 20%, increases the success rate of Stun and mental attacks
- Ring of Baium (M.Def:
48) - Bonus to MP: +21, resistance to Poison: +40%, increases the success rate of Poison attacks by 40%, increases Accuracy, increases Critical Damage, resistance to Hold: +30%, increases the success rate of Hold attacks by 30%, increases Atk. and Casting Spd
- Ring of Queen Ant (M.Def:
48) - Bonus to MP: +21, resistance to Poison: +30%, increases the success rate of Poison attacks by 30%, increases Accuracy, increases Critical Damage resistance to Hold: +20%, increases the success rate of Hold attacks by 20%
- Necklace of Valakas (M.Def
95) - Bonus to MP: +42, resistance to Sleep: +40%, increases the success rate of Sleep attacks by 40%, HP +445, reduces skill reuse, increases P. Atk and M. Atk, adds the wild magic effect, increases shield damage, increases resistance to fire attacks
Or a cheaper necklace option:
-
Frintezza's Necklace (M.Def: 95) – - Bonus to MP: +42, increases resistance to
Sleep/Paralysis/Shock by 15%, increases the success rate of Sleep/Paralysis/Shock attacks by 25%, increases resistance to Poison/Bleeding by 15%, increases the success rate of Poison/Bleeding attacks by 25%, reduces skill reuse, increases shield damage, increases resistance to dark attacks
Character leveling
C-grade
40-46
Solo:
- the area around Hunters Village
- Timak Outpost
- Sea of Spores
Party:
- Aligator Island
- Catacomb of Branded
- Forest of Evil
- Dimensional Rift 40+
46-52
Solo:
- Pavel Ruins
- Forest of Evil
- Outlaw Forest
- The Forest of Mirrors
Party:
- Plains of Glory
- War-Torn Plains
- The Cemetery
- Enchanted Valley
- Catacomb of Apostate
- Dimensional Rift 40+
B-grade
52-58
Solo:
- Anghel Waterfall
- The Cemetery
- War-Torn Plains
Party:
- Enchanted Valley
- Fields of Massacre
- The Giant's Cave
- Catacomb of Apostate
- Dimensional Rift 50+
58-61
Solo:
- The Cemetery
- Fields of Massacre
- Valley of Saints
Party:
- The Cemetery
- Devastated Castle
- The Giant's Cave
- Valley of Saint
- Catacomb of Apostate
A-grade
61-66
Solo:
- Devastated Castle
- Valley of Saints
Party:
- Devastated Castle
- Valley of Saints
- The Forbidden Gateway
- Dimensional Rift 60+
66-70
Solo:
- Valley of Saints
- The Forbidden Gateway
- Forest of the Dead
Party:
- The Forbidden Gateway
- Forest of the Dead
- Swapm of Scream
- Tower of Insolence
- Dimensional Rift 60+
70-78
Solo:
- Wall of Argos
- Imperial Tomb
- Varka\Ketra Outpost
Party:
- IoP
- Imperial Tomb
- FoG
79+
Solo:
- Giant Cave
- Field of Silence
- Den of Evil
Party:
- Mithril Mines
- HellBound
Notably, the Arbalester feels great in almost any party. From personal experience I've seen that an Arbalester + any archer can hold half the Greens under FB without much strain; the same at the Chimeras - only there you have to run after the Chimeras (thanks to RT+++). Even in parties with those who gather tons of mobs (WLs and Destroyers), the Arbalester's Prahnah will always be welcome)
- P.S. I thought for a long time whether to include this kind
of leveling or not... The Trickster can level like Warlords and Destroyers with a polearm. Naturally without gathering as huge a number of mobs as those mentioned above, but 4-5 mobs of 80+ it can handle; this is extreme leveling, though. But if you have a masochistic streak, go for it)
Subclasses - Noblesse
The Arbalester, as we know, comes from the Kamael kin, so We are special and different from the rest of this world)
First, note that all Kamael can only take other Kamael classes as subclasses, i.e. the Arbalester has only 2 subclass options:
- Arba -> sub1. Soul Breaker -> sub2. Berserker -> sub3. Inspector
- Arba -> sub1. Berserker -> sub2. Soul Breaker -> sub3. Inspector
For many this looks like a serious limitation, for some an advantage — no one of the other races encroaches on Kamael classes)
As the subclass levels up, skills open that strengthen the main class. The first two skills of each class are passives, the third is a counter-buff, the last is a transformation. You can read more about subclass skills here
Warrior ( Berserker, Soul Breaker)
- Boost CP (+738 cp)
- Resist Mental - Increased resistance to sleep, hold, paralize and shock
- Counter Haste (+33% atk. speed, 15 sec)
- Transformation: Divine Warrior
Enchanter (Inspector)
- Boost Mana (+148 mp)
- Mana Recovery (+0.5 mp/tick)
- Counter Barrier (5 sec, 3% chance)
- Transformation: Divine Enchanter
The most interesting skills for Us are 
Summoner Ability: Attribute Resistance, Summoner Ability: Attribute Resistance, Summoner Ability: Attribute Resistance and Summoner Ability: Attribute Resistance. There's one more peculiarity with the subclass quest itself for the Kamael...
So, after you hand over the top B weapon and receive a low A, the quest ends. The ordinary races run to Ladd in the Ivory Tower, but we (Kamael) need to run to our village, to our temple, to the high priest.
Take the quest from him: Seeds of Chaos
After completing it, you can choose a subclass in your village from the 2 NPCs standing higher up the stairs than the others.
The Noblesse quest is the same as for all other classes.
Tattoos - skill enchanting
C Dyes and Symbols (Symbols) don't think long: collect AA and teleport to the nearest tattoo parlor asking for "a cool tattoo like the uber archers have")) For leveling:
+ 4 STR / - 4 CON + 1 STR / - 1 CON
For PvP:
+ 4 DEX / -4 CON + 1 DEX / -1 CON
Skill enchanting
With the Trickster class we get the ability to enchant skills. For skills obtained before level 74 the maximum enchant is +30, for the Trickster +15.
This table shows the enchant chances at different levels.
I.e. the higher the level, the higher the enchant chance.
I'll describe a couple of the most needed skills that require enchanting first...
Real Target - has 4 enchant routes.
lowers the target's P.def. lowers the target's M.def. lowers the target's P.atk. lowers the target's M.atk.
Since we're almost an archer and will constantly be in archer parties, the optimal enchant route is lowering the target's P. Def.
- +1 = -0.9% target's P.def
- +30 = -27% target's P.def
Twin Shot - has 7 enchant routes, of which we're interested in 4
Power: increases skill power Cost: reduces consumption MP Fire Element: gives the skill the Fire attribute Water Element: gives the skill the Water attribute Wind Element: gives the skill the Wind attribute Earth Element: gives the skill the Earth attribute Duel: increases damage in PvP
When Twin Shot is enchanted for the same attribute as the one inserted into the crossbow, damage increases about 2 times. So the choice depends on the weapon's attribute.
Soul Barrier - 2 enchant types
increases duration
increases P.Def
The P. Def. increase is insignificant. However, considering how the skill itself works (+60% Arrow resistance and +100% M.def), each enchant for +1 increases the duration by +1 sec. It's a second-class skill, i.e. the fully enchanted skill +30 will last 40 seconds on you. The skill's reuse is 45 sec on self, i.e. with more or less decent buffs the skill almost always protects you (just don't forget about it)
Prahnah - 2 enchant types
I won't even describe what the second option is - it has a time enchant! The base skill lasts 30 seconds, and each enchant adds +2 sec. +15 Prahnah protects your party (+3k M. Def.) for a whole minute)
Augmentation - Attributes – Talismans
Augmentation is improving the capabilities of your weapon or jewelry with Life Stone.
Weapon Augmentation (Weapon augmentation)
Jewelry Augmentation (Jewelry augmentation)
Good LSs for a crossbow are the passives:
Increases critical attack rate.
Increases evasion.
Increases P. Atk.
Increases P. Def.
Increases PVP P. Atk
The best options for an Arbalester
1. Critical rate in any form of LS
2. Passive weight limit.
Attributes
You can read more about the attribute system Elemental Attribute System
Armor attributes
An attribute in armor adds resistance to the element opposite to the inserted stone. For example, Fire Stone adds resistance to Water attacks.
Attributes in armor reduce damage from weapons and skills with the same attributes.
First of all, insert the 4 main elements into armor. Into the fifth armor part you can insert either Divine or Dark or another one of the elements. I chose divine; besides, the Holy Spirit's Cloak or Knight's Cloak cloak gives +30 to Dark. resistance. Epics also give extra attributes (for example, Frintezza's Necklace gives Dark resistance)
Weapon attributes
You can insert any of the elemental attributes into the weapon - your choice. Since the main attack skill Twin Shot. can be enchanted for exactly these elements. Which element to choose is up to you.
Talismans
Talismans strengthen the character and help in combat against monsters and other characters. Talismans with a passive bonus just need to be equipped. A talisman's active skill becomes available 30 seconds after equipping. The following talismans can be considered necessary:
Red Talisman - Life Force - Fully restores MP/HP when equipped
Blue Talisman - Divine Protection - Creates a temporary protective barrier when equipped. You become invulnerable to HP/MP damage
Blue Talisman - Buff Steal - Takes the enemy's buff
Blue Talisman - Buff Cancel - Removes buffs from nearby enemies
Blue Talisman – Explosion - Increases P. Atk./ Atk. Spd.
Blue Talisman of Evasion - When equipped, increases Evasion and lowers Critical Rate against you
Blue Talisman - Attack Power - Increases P. Atk. when equipped
Blue Talisman of Defense - When equipped, strengthens defense
Yellow Talisman of Critical Dodging - When equipped, lowers the chance of Physical Critical Attacks against you.
Yellow Talisman of Violent Haste - Increases Atk. Spd
Raids
What to do in Party vs Party
So we've leveled up and geared up...
No need to think long about what to do; remember the true purpose of L2 - ganks, brawls, epics...
First, we'll have to prove our usefulness to many and reveal some personal secrets (our features and some weaknesses), since few people are familiar with a class like Trickster. yet
First, never forget that even though you run around shooting a Crossbow, you're still not a full-fledged archer DD (P. Def. is weak, you can't carry much CP...). Use all your strengths - and almost any physical party will value you properly.
I don't deny it, the Trickster deals decent damage, not far behind the same Archers, but dealing damage isn't his main task.
Our main task is using the main skill Real Target. Thanks to it, we automatically become target spotters for the Archers. Pretty soon you'll be pleased to see in Party Chat: "Archers assist the Arbalester". Live up to your party's expectations and use your skill and agility for its benefit. Don't make me blush for you). After all, the outcome of the battle largely depends on you (smartly distributing targets to DDs). It's up to you on whom and in which direction your party's main damage goes, and you must use your skills properly.
First, let's look at 3 kinds of enemy parties: archers, melee and mages.
- Archer party.
In any of the three cases, your first task is to direct your archers' damage at the first targets in battle: the Bishop, the EE, i.e. deprive the enemy party of healer support.
When facing archers, don't forget to constantly use the skill Soul Barrier; it'll serve you well. Also don't forget that all Kamael have very, very weak stun resistance - if you get close to enemy archers, you may stupidly stand stunned until your demise. Warp will help you, although you have to be very careful with the jump - instead of flying to a safe distance, you can jump into the thick of enemies just from inattention))
It all depends on how well the party plays together. Your task is to throw as many RTs on enemies as possible; the archers' task is to finish the targets on assist. With a smart setup, don't fixate on 1 target - immediately look for the next most vulnerable target - RT's 3-second reuse allows that. A bit about the unpleasant part. Very often SDs or SvMs will hang on you with their aggro - don't underestimate them; as personal practice showed, they quite often knock down your RT, which brings on a mass attack by the archers, which is exactly what they want. Your main task is to weaken the enemy party physically without getting too deep into the fight.
- Melee party.
The hardest option for you - but also the most interesting and extreme. Here you'll need all your resourcefulness and the ability to assess the situation quickly. As personal practice showed, for melee the Arbalester falls into the category of top-priority targets, right after the Bishop and the EE. Be ready for one or even 2 daggers to hang on you. Phew, it gets hot))) There are practically no ways to survive; use all your resourcefulness, Warp, UE, while not forgetting your primary task - spread RT on targets and, first of all, deprive the enemies of healing. Also keep a close eye on your precious Bishop and EE.
Not regretting your choice of class yet?) Although, honestly, such close combat with a smart party is rare, since archers and close combat rarely go together. But anything happens. Mostly we kite the melee players and take them out one by one. p.s. From personal experience: together with a Bishop we stretched a full party of melee DDs from Varka all the way to the GDD and took them out one by one in order. Don't forget - the Trickster is the fastest character in L2)
- Mage party.
I don't even know what to write here) If an enemy mage party, barely seeing a Trickster in your party, hasn't done a PR yet, you'll have to explain once again to those who don't know that they have only one choice left - press the "To Village" button. It's all about Prahnah, +3000 M. Def., which will make your party invulnerable to mages)
Though I wrote it above, I'll remind you again: use all your strengths 100% (Real Target, Soul Barrier, Prahnah, UE, Warp), while not forgetting your weaknesses (low P. Def., weak stun resistance)
Raid boss farming
Given the current chronicles, most Raid Bosses have considerably increased M. Def. and slightly decreased P. Def. Here you're practically without competition in the party if the RB is farmed by archers (which is mostly the case). Your main task is to keep RT on the RB constantly; on reuse, don't forget about your party's magic defense with Prahnah.
From personal experience I'll note that on the RBs where SA is leveled, an archer party with a Trickster mostly finishes off the RB and deals the most damage.
Grand Olympiad
The Olympiad...
How much this word means to most… Many, I think, will agree with me that "The Olympiad is the peak of achievement".
I'll say right away for those looking for Olympiad farmers - the Trickster isn't a farmer.
You should prepare for the Olympiad in two ways: spiritually and physically. I'll leave the spiritual preparation to you). On the physical side, I'll try to help you a bit.
Use the Trickster's capabilities 100%.
First of all, find the so-called "Olympiad sticks" - C and B weapons with different effects. You'll need any C or B weapon with Mental and with Focus. With the haste skill Rapid Attack they're activated, applying Haste, Mental and Focus to you respectively. With LSs it's good to add double effects to the weapons as well (active skills); preference goes to active P. Def., Celestial, P. Atk....
Don't forget about Fast Shot and Hard March
List of buffs you can apply to yourself at the Olympiad (maximum 5):
Haste
Death whisper
Focus
Guidance
Might
Wind walk
Empower
Acumen
Berserker Spirit
Your choice, depending on whom you face, remembering that you already have Haste and Focus. Death whisper, Guidance, Might and Wind walk. are preferable
The variety of classes is huge, and 2-3 pages wouldn't be enough to describe everything in detail; and you understand yourself that every Olympiad fight is unique and unrepeatable.
However, I'll write a bit about the main groups.
- Daggers
The hardest opponents because of their Hide. They go into hide and pop up right behind you with a backstab. The only option is to turn on Ultimate Escape and, while the opponent is in Hide, not stand in one place, using Warp. The chances aren't great, but there's a chance to get away from him) An extreme option is this: place a slowing trap at the entrance - Slow Trap, and only then Warp out of the cage. Fishing with live bait, considering that even if the trap triggers, he still won't come out of Hide.)
- Bows
Many have the mistaken idea that such a fight is a bow versus bow fight.
Don't compare an Archer and a Trickster as equals. There's a high chance you'll stand stunned the whole fight. The same MJ light won't help you much. Don't forget to cast Soul Barrier on yourself
- Demon Race
Here all hope is on Prahnah and Soul Barrier - they'll live up to your expectations; the main thing is to use this magic defense in time)
- Healers
A situation similar to the one with Mages
- Tanks, Gladiators, Destroyers...
Hard classes; the tactic is similar to the one described for Daggers.
Conclusion
Our fate… No development, no change… We are what we were created to be – the Kamael, the Avengers… We were born for war. Look at the Elves and the Humans. When they're born, whatever they're born as, they can become whatever they want: wizards, warriors, priests, merchants… The weak Humans turned out to be very skillful and managed to learn the magic of the Elves, become as greedy as the Dwarves, and learned to be as strong as the Orcs…
We have no God, and we can neither use holy power nor sing magic songs…
The other races are a bit better than us, but I wouldn't say in everything. The power of Darkness and Chaos flows in our veins. The power of Chaos slumbers in us, allowing us to live as we want, not as slaves of fate. No one may manipulate or control our will.
All this will allow us to lift the limits of our race and choose our own path… To go our own way…
Our further story is in your hands…
