Defender Mage Build (Extended to 195)

Created my tank build quite a while ago, but that time I was still a dumb tank and mage tank is not well favourable. Since there is heavy change in the skill list and build, I make a new thread instead to make things easier.

Some advantage I need to point out for using mage tank:
• Freedom of long range prorate and skill cast
• MP charge + Maxi., work both inside and outside battle. This help your tank more flexible with mana pool
• Highest tumble chance while using impact (also AoE). Magic skill cannot be missed/evaded
• Additional support skill

Some downside:
• Need extra source of aggro
• Rely on buff skill for aggro
• Low aspd and slow animation for normal attack. Slower prorate

Spoiler: Requirement

Minimum 198 Skill point – Optimal at 256
Reach 15 MP to get the most out of MP charge + Maxi.
Spina... Yea sadly

Spoiler: Stats

Standard: VIT > MTL till 500 stats then VIT rest
Focus MDEF: VIT > INT till 500 stats then VIT/MTL
Balance: VIT > INT (50) > MTL till 500 stats then VIT/INT

Spoiler: Skill Build

I release skill in order of what skill point is more important to reach first.
All lower tier skills that are not stated means keep them at level 5 e.g.: War Cry 1 –> Sword Mastery 5 - Quick Slash 5 - War Cry 1
If skill have minimum and maximum range e.g.: Impact 7 – 10 –> Try to reach minimum 7 first, then come back later to max out this skill
Read the note for each skill.

Magic Skill (SP 53 – 56)

Impact 7 – 10: Combo skill, higher level to raise tumble chance
Finale 1: Combo ender
MP charge 10
Maximiser 10​

Blade Skill (SP 11 – 15)

War Cry 1 – 10: Essential for combo and aggro draw​

Martial Skill (SP 6)

Smash 6: Flinch combo​

Shield Skill (SP 35)

Shield Bash 10: Stun combo
Guardian 10: Your existence rely on this
Force Shield and Magical Shield are optional if you want more passive defense​

Knight Skill (SP 11 – 20)

P. Defense 1 – 10: Good to max out, but do consider use Heal before hand​

Shot Skill (SP 20 – 30)

Quick Draw 10: Recover MP for combo
Decoy Shot 0 – 10: Nice for lazy boss, will be added into separated combo​

Assassin Skill (SP 6)

Backstep 1: Separate skill for escape​

Support Skill (SP 35 – 45)

Recovery 10: Still needed even with high MTL, your team as well
Sanctuary 10: Combo to reduce annoying damage
Heal 10: Somewhat slow to cast, but main healing on this
First Aid 10​

Survival Skill (SP 15 – 25)

HP Boost 10
Play Dead 0 – 10​

Mononofu Skill (SP 6)

Shukuchi 1​

Minstrel Skill (SP 0 – 7)

You'll need spina for this. But speed up your non-interrupt combo
Life Song 1
Fairy Song 1​

Priest Skill

Bless and Advance Bless are optional for Tank to focus on INT. Also a combo opener​

End of Skill Build.

Spoiler: Combo & Skills

Interruption focus:

Stun + Tumble + Aggro: [Shield Bash] > [War Cry – Save] > [Impact – Cons] > [Guardian – Swift] ||| 1 MP + Long cast
Flinch + Tumble + Defense: [Smash] > [Impact – Save] > [Sanctuary – Swift] ||| 1 MP​

Tumble free:

Stun + Aggro: [Shield Bash] > [Guardian – Save] > [War Cry – Swift] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP + Long cast
Stun: [Shield Bash] > [Guardian – Save] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP
Flinch + Defense: [Smash] > [Sanctuary – Save] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP​

No interruption:

Aggro: [Protection] > > [Guardian – Save] > [War Cry – Swift] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP + Very long cast
Defense: [Aegis] > [Sanctuary – Save] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP + Long cast
Aggro: [Healing Song] > > [Guardian – Save] > [War Cry – Swift] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP + Faster cast
Defense: [Life Song] > [Sanctuary – Save] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP + Fastest cast​

Decoy:

Short range decoy: [Assault Attack] > [Decoy Shot – Save] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP
Long range decoy: [Fairy Song] > [Decoy Shot – Save] > [Finale – Smite] ||| 1 MP
Decoy in mage still need to be close range, but with minstrel skill it is easier to cast and lure boss afterward​

Skills to add in shortcut, excluding combos:

P. Defense || Backstep || Heal || Recovery || MP charge || Maximiser || War Cry
War Cry spam is exclusive to mage tank due to fast recover MP pool. Spam for aggro drawing. Fastest and safest group aggro draw of all tank.​

If you are still confusing how these play styles work out, here are few examples but feel free to mix things up:

Aggro combo first > Spam War Cry > MP charge > repeat War Cry
Either spam interruption focus on no interruption skill to boss. Give another shortcut to change them between skill sets
Another tank in team? Heal/Recovery/Interruption combo/War Cry spam​

Spoiler: Equipment & Xtal

I am not going much detaisl in this section, cause the equipments and xtals keep changing from time to time. It is also exchangeable between other tanks.
Recommend to stat your weapon and armor for aggro and crit rate: Weapon: Cr18Cr%18Aggro10, Armor: Cr18Cr%18Aggro10
Don't forget MP boost limit.

Gimme some feedback and equipment/xtal suggestions so I can improve this build over time ^^

 

Throw away that shot skill tree, it's useless when you already have maximizer and MP charge. About bless and INT stat, it's a bit hard to use bless if doesnt have decent INT, on the other hand INT is pretty much useless since MDEF (just like DEF) only giving high number of magic resistance until 250 value, higher than that wont give much difference. Your stat distribution make me think that you dont know how much of crucial the ailment resistance while the meta tank will probably make sure to have 100% ailment resistance first.
If you really want to use bless and increase the healing value, i think the stat distribution will be 100 VIT>max MTL>some INT>rest VIT. Distributing stat to VIT>INT to increase MDEF value is useless.

 

Shot skill tree is not useless since you still get that quick draw, decoy or not that the option to pick based on boss
Also I do really want to avoid that meta tank option, rather this build is for balancing out the support and tank at same time. Not only focus on support or tank, but both altogether. Putting too much INT will be far off risky, bless is purely optional and focus healing is on Heal.

 

Pretty straightforward but you only have 75% of flinch rate but 100% on tumble and stun. Thats quite nice. Its nice for a player who can effort 100 crt rate from equipment >_< . I think about the aggro, you might have no issues if your aggro combo made from buff skills. I use lil empress dress -25% aggro but i still can handle aggro from hb player but i need to spam aggro combo (all buff skill) quite a lot. I think mage can give tremendous aggro better than ohs depends on occasion. Btw, i just realized the sanctuary became more and more useless now.

 

Yea the sanctuary is getting useless due to boss either hits real hard or doesn't even hurt at all :V
Also even at level 10 Impact, the tumble chance is 90% (65% skill + 25% staff). Though the group tumble is really neat.

 

why not go for level 10 impact ? as far as i know level 10 will give 75% and 25 % from staff .

 

How much hp does life song add again? Does it also affect pt members?

 

while my low level other me use finale+guardian to hold aggro .-.
aint tht versatile but it works for me ._.b

 

Yes, should go for impact 10. The requirement is first get to impact 7 during leveling, then continue to 10 once you got all essential skills.
You can check on Coryn again, I strongly believe it is 90% chance tumble. Rarely, the impact hit the target without causing tumble or even show enemy resist it.

 

I only check once at level 10 life song and level 10 buff add exactly 1/3 of my Max HP and pt member also get the buff. Though I wouldn't consider level up this skill as buff for tank since either getting hit or using skill after life song interrupt buff effect (combo). Dancer skill would fit into Tank as a buff with slightly longer cast animation but that crap is currently at 8mil spinas :V