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A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Gabihime - 12-17-2011
A Beginner?s Guide to PVM Soul Linkers
Updated as of 10/27/2013
I know what you?re thinking: what is a Soul Linker anyway???Aren?t they one of those weird extra classes that nobody plays???Don?t they practice mysterious Korean martial arts???Aren?t they only good as a support class in WoE???
Well, I?m here to answer some of these questions based on my own personal experience playing a Soul Linker.??Soul Linkers are an extended class.??They?re the 2-2 class that is available after one reaches job level 40 as a Tae Kwon Kid.??Unlike Tae Kwon Kids, Soul Linkers are primarily magic users, and not physical fighters, but if you think a Soul Linker is just a Wizard without Area of Effect spells, then you?re sorely mistaken!
Unlike the Mage tree classes, Soul Linkers have access to only one big attack spell, a single target spell called Esma which hits multiple times depending on the level of the skill learned.??The great thing about Esma is that it is regularly a non-elemental spell.??The elemental affinity of this spell can be controlled with the TKK skill ?Warm Wind.???Warm Wind makes it possible to use the standard four elements in an Esma Bolt: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire, as well as the additional elements of Ghost, Shadow, and Holy.??It is very easy to hot key multiple elements and switch between them quickly, making your Esma a deadly weapon against just about anything.
One of the other fantastic things about Soul Linkers is that they have the potential to be great tanks.??Soul Linkers get natural Vit bonuses and this, coupled with their high SP and the self-buff Kaahi makes them able to tank very large monsters on their own, with no support.??Kaahi is a reaction ability that heals the Soul Linker each time the Soul Linker takes damage from a regular hit.??(It is important to remember that Kaahi does not trigger when the Soul Linker takes damage from an attack skill like Magnum Break).??Kaahi eats through the Soul Linker?s SP, but since the Soul Linker has such high SP naturally, and Esma is such a quick spell to cast, even with very little Dex invested, that the Soul Linker is capable of mobbing multiple high level enemies solo, while taking them out one at a time using Esma bolts.
Playing a Vit heavy Soul Linker is my personal choice for PVM solo, because this makes the Soul Linker capable of tanking many large monsters on their own.??With a minimal amount of Dex invested, this build of Soul Linker does well in parties also, since Esma is such a fast spell, inside the field of Bragi/Magic Strings it becomes even quicker, letting the Soul Linker be a great single target DPS machine.??The fact that the Soul Linker can easily change elements helps amp the damage, particularly on enemies that have weaknesses to uncommon elements, like holy and shadow.
I think Soul Linker is an excellent choice for a new player?s first class for a variety of reasons.??First of all, the Soul Linker is very very cheap to run.??Since Kaahi runs straight from SP, the Soul Linker need not carry around a ton of potions to keep healed.??With high Int the Soul Linker has great SP regen, making sitting times short even to regen to maximum.??HP almost always stays topped off because of Kaahi?s reaction ability.??So long as you have any SP at all, you can still run and gun.??When you?re out, take a rest and then you can get back into the action.??Additionally, on top of the fact that a Soul Linker needs very little in the way of item overhead to level and to hunt for equipment, they also require little in the way of astronomically expensive final equips.??Because a Soul Linker cannot trans, Soul Linkers cannot use a number of trans only equipments (wool scarf, tidal sandals, Orleans Robe, etc).??This means a Soul Linker does not need a +7 Immune Wool Scarf.??Instead, an Esma bolting Soul Linker does really well in the Morpheus set, which, although a little expensive for a first time player, is still very much in the reach of one.??Morpheus gives a lot of great bonuses to Soul Linkers, all of which you want, but the most important of them is perhaps uninterruptable casting.??With this your Esmas will never be interrupted no matter how often you are hit, making it very easy for you to mob and tank the large enemies you are hunting.
So they?re cheap to run and they?re cheap to equip!??Excellent.??Another reason why they?re great first characters is because they can go almost anywhere and solo hunt lots and lots of things, making them awesome at collecting equipments or items for any secondary characters you may want.??A Vit heavy Esma Soul Linker does well in Niffleheim, Glastheim, Geffenia, Biolabs1, Magma Dungeon, Ice Dungeon, Moscovia, Clock Tower, and many other places with nothing else in her pockets besides fly wings and a butterfly wing to get home.??Carrying actual potions to heal herself and recover SP lets her go even more dangerous places, like Nameless Abbey and Splendide and Manuk fields, and in a party she can pull her weight at Dimensional Gorge.??A proper elemental Esma strike can OHKO many scrappy enemies, making the the Soul Linker a great hunting machine, even though she lacks the gank ability of rogues.??The speed at which she mows through enemies makes up for the fact that she can?t gank, and her tanking and Kaahi means hunting has less overhead than taking a rogue who must carry a lot of potions to survive.
There is a downside when hunting with an Esma bolting Soul Linker and that is carrying capacity.??As a mage class with very little strength, she can?t carry all that much.??This has never really been much of a problem for me, as I just butterfly home, dump stuff into Kafra, and then head back out to where I?m hunting, but it may get aggravating if you must walk a long distance to get back to where you were hunting.??In that case it is best to just chuck non-essential drops onto the ground and keep only the drops one is hunting for, or take a looting pet.
If PVP is a great focus of your Ragnarok life, then an Esma Soul Linker may not be the right choice for you, at least not as your PVP character.??Esma and the other Es skills cannot be used on player characters, even in PVP and WoE scenarios.??You can tear through monsters, but you won?t have the same success tearing through human enemies.
On the flip side, in a group PVP battle even as a full Esma Soul Linker you will still have some Soul Links to buff your allies with, and if you can get linked yourself you can use your Ka buffs on your buddies as well.??Ka buffs can always be used on yourself, your spouse, and your child, regardless of whether you?re soul linked.
For ideas on how to play a Soul Linker in PVP or WoE, you?ll have to go to another guide, as I?m solely a PVM player.??If you really love trouncing monsters and being a beast of a magic user who can mob big scary enemies, then Soul Linker may just be the class for you, whether you?re just starting out in Ragnarok, or are a seasoned veteran.
Things to Remember While On Your Journey to 99
Soul Linker is different from??many classes as its first class focuses on a completely different stat for damage output.??Taking advantage of HeRO?s very reasonable stat reset cost is probably your best bet here.??TKK?s are fun to play and pretty easy to level to the required level, since their Warm Wind skill gives them an edge by allowing them to use all seven of their elements on their fists.??As a TKK you want Strength for damage and either Vit or Agi for soak or dodge, whichever you?d prefer, and some Dex to hit, just like you?d build a little Swordsman, or any other melee class.
Make sure you stay in TKK long enough to get the necessary job levels.??As a Soul Linker you?ll lose the ability to use all your Tae Kwon kicks, but you will still be able to use TKK passive and support abilities.??Soul Linkers continue to have use of the following skills, even after they job change: Break Fall, Running, Peaceful Rest, Enjoyable Rest, Fighting Chant, and Warm Wind.??You can go to job level 50 if you like and this may be preferable if you plan to party with other Linkers, TKK, or Star Gladiators, since you can put more points into Peaceful Rest/Enjoyable Rest.??In any case, at least to to job level 46 so you can max your Warm Wind.??Warm Wind has several prerequisite skills (Fighting Chant, Peaceful Rest, and Enjoyable Rest) so it takes a while to get the job levels required.
When you become a Soul Linker, your damage stat becomes Int as opposed to Strength.??I focused on raising Int quickly, as the cast time for Warm Wind is relatively short even with no Dex at all.??You may want to put off your stat reset for a few Job levels until you get the skills necessary to use Esma, which will become your calling card.??My personal build maxes Int, then puts a reasonable amount into Dex, and then piles all the rest into Vit.??Depending on your access to a Morpheus set or Phen carded accessory, you may want to get a little Dex earlier than I did, simply to beat out monsters with a cast before they can interrupt you.??It is very easy to level a low level Soul Linker exactly like a mage: on stationary targets, or on non magic sensor enemies whom you cal kill with one Esma.??As your HP starts to build and you gain access to Kaahi, you can start leveling on things that aren?t rooted to the ground.
Siromas in Ice Dungeon are an easy place to begin your Esma bolting life, as very little on the first floor is aggro, and Siromas have an obvious elemental weakness.??You should hold off on Magma Dungeon until you?ve leveled a little more and are confident.??Magma has more aggro enemies that mob and larger enemies like Skoll Pup and Lava Golems on the first floor.??Don?t worry though, eventually you?ll be able to teach them a thing or two.
Besides Ice Dungeon there are lots of places you might try leveling.??Any place with a similar setup (no large aggro enemies, no assist enemies, preferably the enemies have an elemental weakness and can be taken out with one Esma) will do.??While mages may be stuck picking enemies with the elemental weakness they?ve chosen to specialize, you don?t have that problem, since you can change your elements so easily.??You?ll never have their AoEs, but you are really good at doing the things that you?re good at doing!??As I said, it?s important to remember that Soul Linkers aren?t mages, wizards, or sages.??All of those magic classes are awesome and cool, but you won?t get the most out of your Soul Linker if you play them like they?re a handicapped mage.
I personally did a great deal of my middle levelling is Moscovia3.??The enemies on this level are mobby enough to provide good experience, and you need set only two elements for the entire dungeon: wind and fire.??The only time you?ll use fire on level three will be against mavka.??The rest of the time you?ll be slinging wind spells and raking in the experience.??Mavka gives reasonable drops that can be NPC?d for cash (witherless rose and crystal mirror).??It is important to remember that none of these enemies drop cards or gear that is in demand, so you may want to consider levelling elsewhere if that is your aim.??I think I just like all the greenery and relaxing music XD.
Once you get into your 80s and 90s, your equipment should be mostly finished, your Vit should be pretty high, and your skills should be learned.??Now it?s time to go to town and hunt whatever it is your little heart desires.??Raydrics are easy to one shot and give a desired card as a drop.??Swordfish, Pasanas, and Dokebi are equally smashable.??Combine your leveling with hunting cards or equipments you?re after and you?ll have a good old time of it (and being able to switch up where you?re hunting will keep your brain from going on vacation).??Of course, you could just do Ice Titans in ID3 all the way to 99, but I think doing that would make me jump off a bridge.??Hunting a lot of places may take a little longer, but in the end I think it will be more productive for you: you?ll hopefully get a lot of useful drops to keep or sell, and you?ll have learned how to mob all sorts of different enemies and to change your elements on the fly.
Sample Stat Build
Keep in mind that this is the build I use.??If you have criticisms of it, feel free to air them, but don?t make me cry by telling me how dumb my build is XD.??It has worked pretty well so far for me, and I put a lot of thought into it.??I am by no means a Ragnarok Master, but I do research and think carefully when doing things, and I think this build reflects that.??It?s also tweaked to my personal play style, which for Soul Linker seems to be ?careen in and then smash like Godzilla.?
STR 3
AGI 1
VIT 84 + 8
INT 99 +31
DEX 46 +16
LUK 1
The first thing I should note here, is that to get that beautiful 99 + 31 Int up there I am using a piece of equipment that the new player cannot expect to have: a slotted mid.??My Sunglasses[1] fell into my lap by means of the Hatter quest, and I have an Isilla card slotted into them.??With that in mind, please regard these stats as basic guidelines for a build similar to mind that you should tweak to your own equipment and liking.??I will explain a little about each of the stats and why you want them.
First of all, the Str of 3 was simply to take care of some extra points and to give me a little extra carrying capacity, since mine is so woeful.??I got it as soon as I had settled on a final build, to ease my leveling a little.??It helps not so much to carry use items, but rather to carry loots while leveling.
My Vit is high enough so that status effects rarely ever work on me, and if they do they only last for a couple of seconds.??I used to carry green herbs to undo silence, but then I realized that by the time I had downed an herb the silence had cleared itself up anyway.??Vit means a lot of hit points, which is great.??I have close to 8000 as a level 98 character, which is pretty respectable for a magic user who can?t trans!??Vit also increases your natural defense and magic defense.??Vit should end on a 5 or a 0 to take advantage of the bonuses properly.
Your Int is your damage stat, so it should be maxed.??You?ll have enough points after maxing it to make yourself into a very reasonable tank anyway.??Your high Int also makes your SP regen great, increases your magic defense, and reduces the likelihood of certain status effects.
Dex obviously influences your cast speed.??At 46 + 16, the cast time of Esma is quick enough for me.??If you?re partying and in the field of Magic Strings/Bragi it?s like greased lightning and very easy to spam.??This is a good balance for me between Vit and Dex, but you may like having a little more Dex and a little less Vit, or vice versa.
As for Agi: there are flee based Esma bolters too, but as I have never played one, I cannot offer any advice.??A Vit tanker seemed more reasonable to me, since the Soul Linker gets such great bonuses to Vit anyway.??Agi Esma characters take advantage of the skill Kaupe to help them dodge.??If you do want to experiment with Agi, then go all the way or don?t go at all.??A little flee isn?t all that useful.??
Sample Skill Build
Tae Kwon Kid (Total 45 Points - Job Level 46)
Flying Side Kick 7
Break Fall 1
Running 10
High Jump 5
Peaceful Rest 5
Enjoyable Rest 5
Fighting Chant 5
Mild Wind 7
A note about Break Fall: while Break Fall can be your friend, it can also be your enemy.??Sure it?s great to avoid ranged damage, but Break Fall also puts you in a tumbled state, from which you have to move to cast a spell.??When you?re being mobbed my things showering you with ranged attacks, this can be very frustrating.??Although this ability is on indefinitely once activated, you can turn it off by activating it again.?? I have it on my Soul Linker, but after my experiences my husband opted not to get it on his.??It?s up to you whether you choose to get it or not, as it?s not a prerequisite for anything.??I generally don?t play with it activated, but your mileage may vary.
Soul Linker (Total 49 Points - Job Level 50)
Kaina 7
Monk Spirit 1
Priest Spirit 1
Crusader Spirit 1
Kaizel 1
Kaahi 7
Assassin Spirit 1
Rogue Spirit 1
Kaupe 3
Sage Spirit 1
Wizard Spirit 1
Estin 7
Estun 7
Esma 10
Soul Linker skills are a mess of prerequisites, that may seem a little terrifying at first.??The Class Spirits are tied to the self-buffing Ka skills as prerequisites, as well as to the offensive Es skills.??Fortunately it?s not really as complicated as it seems.??Basically it works like this: Class Spirit prereqs are tied to the offensive or defensive skills that they are similar to.??For example, Crusader, Monk, and Priest Spirits are required to learn the self-healing and self-raising skills of Kaahi and Kaizel.??Assassin and Rogue Spirits are required to learn the dodge related skill Kaupe.??Sage and Wizard Spirits are required to learn the offensive magic attacks Estin and Estun (and therefore Esma).
How to Use Esma
Unlike say, Fire Bolt, you can?t just select Esma, target your enemy and then let it roar.??In fact, you can?t target an enemy with Esma straight off at all.???But Gabi,? you say, ?Why have you been making me read this excessively long guide if I can?t even use the spell to do anything????The answer is: you can use Esma to devastate your opponents, but first you have to hit them with another spell in your repertoire.??You see, Esma is like the two in a one-two punch.??First you hit your enemies with a negative status inducing Es spell like Eske, Estin, or Estun, then for three seconds you can cast Esma on them.??That may sound like a short window, but in Ragnarok, three seconds can be a very long time.
I use Estun personally, since it does damage to all sizes of monster and has a chance to stun medium-sized ones, which is great as lots of things are medium-sized.??Estin knocks back small monsters as opposed to stunning them, but it does almost no damage when targeted at enemies that are not small category.??Eske increases an enemy?s attack by four times, but lowers its defense by half, making it easier to get in a killing strike, but making you more vulnerable to their increased damage as a result.??For three seconds after using any of these skills, Esma may be used.??Your Esma does not have to targed the same monster you Estunned, you just have to have cast it on a monster period.??This is useful when dealing with a mob of large and small HP monsters.??You can take out the little ones with Estun, and save your Esmas for the bigger monsters.??
You will get Estun and Estin at level seven as a consequence of unlocking Esma.??You will have to spend additional skill points to unlock Eske.
A Crash Course in Ka-s
The Ka skills are what save your bacon while you?re out mobbing fiends.??They are self-buffs that a Soul Linker can use on themselves.??If you are Soul Linked yourself, you can also use them on other people.??Even if you?re not Soul Linked, you can always use them on your spouse and your child.??If you try to use them on another person in any other context, you will become stunned briefly.??Possibly the best thing about Ka skills???They last forever.
Kaahi is your bread and butter.??Kaahi is a self-healing skill that activates whenever an enemy preforms a regular attack on you.??At level 7 it can heal 1400 HP a pop at a cost of 35 SP.??Of course, you can keep it on a lower level if you are fighting enemies without the capability to damage you effectively and it will cost considerably less.??With Kaahi running, you can tank very large enemies, even ones that hit for more than 1400 damage a hit, since you can wipe them out so quickly with Esma.??I can almost tank a Naga with no healing items, and they have an average hit of 8000 damage.??It?s close, so we usually end up killing one another, so it?s probably best to take some healing items if you want to hunt monsters that deal that much damage in a regular hit.
Kaizel is like Reraise or Auto-Life.??Basically if you?ve got it active and you take a killing blow, you?ll pop right back up to life, although you will take the EXP hit.??Use this sparingly, even at higher levels of the skill, because you?re usually going to get killed when you run out of SP, and if you?re out of SP you?ll probably be killed again immediately, taking a double EXP hit.??At higher levels this auto-raises you with more HP, but I didn?t have enough room in my build to get it past 1.??This can be very useful in certain situations, say partying, or if you?re hunting in a place that?s aggravating to get to, or if you simply don?t care about the EXP loss.
Kaupe is a dodge buff.??It?s quite useful, but I often don?t run with it on simply because I forget to renew it, and it only lasts until its hits are out, rather like Kyrie Elesion.??This skill allows you to absolutely dodge one attack.??I use this buff most often on my Assassin Cross husband, who gets the most mileage out of it.??The higher your flee is, the better this buff is.??If you?re not planning to buff a dodgy character, then you may want to give this skill a miss in favor of other Class Spirits.??I get good use out of it, but not for myself.
Kaina is an excellent passive skill that reduces the SP cost of Esma, Estin, and Estun by greater and greater levels the higher your level and the higher the level of your Kaina skill.??At level 90 and Kaina 7 it reduces the SP cost of the spells by 49%.??It also gives you bonus base SP and increases the effectiveness of Enjoyable Rest.??All Esma bolters should max this, because the more SP you have and the cheaper Esma is, the longer you can knock the tar out of stuff before you have to rest.
Kaite is a reflect spell.??It will reflect a certain amount of magical damage (or healing) back to the caster and then disappear.??Casting Kaite on a subject removes Assumptio.??It does not reflect any spells cast by bosses, or any magic cast by a monster above level 80.??I do not use this buff personally, so I can?t say how useful it is in PVM situations.
Some Notes About Links that are Useful in a Party Situation
This list is by no means exhaustive.??It?s just a pile of basic notes I?ve compiled!
Keep in mind that as an Esma Soul Linker, you are not a full support character, and you shouldn?t try to act like one.??Even with your bountiful SP you don?t have enough to constantly link everyone in the party and rain down Esma bolts without slowing everyone down.??It?s best to pick out one or two links for the particular party you?re in and concentrate on keeping those up when you?re not bolting the enemy.??Parties who expect an Esma linker to spend their time linking as opposed to using Esma should consider the DPS an Esma bolter is cranking out when their elements are set properly.??If you want to take a support Soul Linker with you then that?s awesome, but an Esma bolter is there to crank out damage like a Sniper.
That being said, here is a brief overview of links that can be very useful if you?re out with a party, large or small.??Besides making your party members blue (which everyone seems to like) these links have the following effects:
Wizard Link - Allows the use of magic that would normally consume a gemstone without actually consuming a gemstone.??The Wizard still needs at least one gemstone of the appropriate color in their inventory for them to cast. - I love this link.??Wizards love this link.??If there?s one link I keep up in a party, it?s this one.
Assassin Link - Of course I am partial to this one.??It doubles the damage of Sonic Blow, which can make an Assassin or Assassin Cross more terrifying than usual.??Have the Assassin use Enchant Deadly Poison and chain Sonic Blows and you?ve got a powerhouse on your hands.
Sage Link - Makes Hindsight/AutoSpell drop the highest level bolt learned, so usually that would be level 10.??Sages who like beating on things with their books love this Link, since it makes them drop much stronger spells than they would otherwise.??This can be useful if you?re partying in ID3 or anywhere else Sages like to level.
Priest Link - Makes Holy Light do five times more damage at the cost of five times the SP.??This is useful for priests who are using Holy Light to attack.??Most priests on Nameless like having it since it makes killing Flame Skulls easier.??Of course, you could always just drop a Ghost bolt on them yourself XD.
Monk Link - Raging Thrust becomes a 5x5 Splash damage attack.??SP cost for combo skills are reduced.??Monks regenerate SP even in Fury state.??I know this one is useful, but I cannot speak from experience as I have never partied with a Monk.
Crusader Link - Shield Boomerang will do 100% more damage and never miss.??Shield Crusaders obviously like this one since it has no downside.
Bard/Dancer Link - If the Bard/Dancer has learned level 10 in a song, this link allows them to use a level 10 version of the opposite gender?s song.??This can allow a dancer to dance Bragi/Magic Strings for instance, although the effectiveness of the song will still depend on the Bard or Dancer?s stats.??I personally love this one.??It can be fun just to mess around with.
Soul Linker Link - This one is obviously great, as it allows the Soul Linker to use Ka- spells on people other than themselves and their family.??Remember that Kaahi will still eat through SP though, so it may not be preferable to cast it on someone who needs a lot of SP for their own skills.
Knight Link - If the Knight knows Two Handed Quicken at level 10, this allows the use of the special skill One Handed Quicken.??This is obviously great for Agi Knights, and the only way they have access to this skill.
Star Gladiator Link - This can be wonderful if you have a Star Gladiator partner.??It allows use of Stellar, Lunar, and Solar Union.??Since Star Gladiators are not extremely common, you should probably not invest in this unless you know you?ll be partying with a Star Gladiator frequently.??
Keep in mind that in a dedicated Esma build you will not have room for all of these!??You should pick the ones that best suit the parties you are likely to find yourself in.??You will inevitably end up with Wizard, Sage, Monk, Priest, and Crusader Links regardless, however, simply due to prerequisites.
Sample Equipment
+4 Morpheus Hood
Aria Sunglasses [1] [Isilla Card]
+4 Aerial Wings
Wizardry Staff
+4 Morpheus Shawl
+4 Shoes of Witch [Eggyra Card]
Morpheus Ring
Morpheus Bracelet
Obviously I don?t expect you to have Aria Sunglasses XD.??If you can get some, then great.??If not, they?re obviously not indispensable to this build.??Likewise, you can switch out the Aerial Wings for any other elemental wings of your choice.??They?re great for the +2 stat boost.??If you are not at a level to make the wings for yourself, then Soul Linkers can use most all mage armors.??I think Gabriel just bummed around in a Mantle or Silver Robe until I got her something better to wear.??I use Glittering Jackets for my other elemental armors, like Bathory, etc, because they have decent defense and every class can wear them, so it?s great for my wimpy magic-using girls to share them.??If you have the chance, put your Eggyra into High Fashion Sandals instead of Shoes for the same defensive bonus and extra magic defense.
I love the Wizardry Staff, which no one else seems to use much.??For one thing it?s a strong staff that Soul Linkers are able to use (they are disallowed from staffs that require trans status, obviously) and the Int bonus is great, with a Dex bonus to boot!??It?s a two handed staff, so you won?t be able to use a shield, but my policy is to roar in like Godzilla, so I don?t even care.??Before you can afford your Wizardry Staff, I suggest using Evil Bone Wand or even Arc Wand.??Both are cheap solutions until you start getting your final equips.
When you?re out leveling, be sure to wear an item that helps you get additional drops.??I?ve been wearing Spare Card lately, but you can also wear Celebration Wings, Bee Wings, or a Backpack.??The extra drops can really be a helpful bonus when you?re hunting for something else.??Morpheus means we can?t really wear carded accessories that increase drops, or upper hats that increase drops, but HeRO has plenty of items to wear in the Lower and Armour slot, so you should be able to find something you can afford when you get to the 70-80 range on your first character.
A word to the wise: Complete your Morpheus Set first.??You will be very glad that you did.
UPDATE TO EQUIPMENT INFORMATION
Nowadays HeRO has the Hidden Enchant NPC??in Prontera who can take many kinds of slotted and unslotted armor and enchant them with stat bonuses.??This means that if you enchant a regular piece of armor with a +3 INT and also wear a +1 INT mid, like Black Rimmed Glasses or Sigrun?s Wings you can hit the 99 + 31 even without a slot mid.??A mage coat has an inherent + 1 INT, so only needs a + 2 enchant to hit + 3 INT.??Likewise, anything slotted with a Baby Desert Wolf card also gives 1 INT on its own.??That?s a lot of ways to reach 99 + 31 if that?s your goal.??Also, in the time since I wrote this guide, HeRO also implemented some new cards, one of which can be very useful to a Soul Linker.??Autumn Leaf Cat Card (which I did the art for, good for me!) gives a 15% bonus to Esma and a 25% bonus to Estin and Estun.??I haven?t played with this combination yet, as my Morpheus set is basically glued to my body, but it is something to consider.??Of course since Soul Linker can?t wear Orleans Robe, you?re going to need one accessory slot for a Phen Card, or otherwise sacrifice uninterruptible casting.??In any case, I am unwilling to break Morpheus because the bonuses for Soul Linker are just so good.
A Beginner?s Guide to Soul Linkers Cliff Notes Edition
- Soul Linkers are an Extended Class.??They?re the 2-2 version of Tae Kwon Kids.??Unlike TKK they are mages whose damage stat is INT.
- Through Warm Wind Soul Linkers have access to seven elements: Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Ghost, Shadow, and Holy. Esma takes the element of Warm Wind.
- Soul Linkers make great tanks since they have natural Vit bonuses and access to the HP regenerating skill Kaahi.
- Kaahi can heal as much as 1400 HP per single attack, but it does not activate when an attack skill is used, only a regular attack is made.
- Esma must be chained with another skill to be cast.??It can be chained with Estin, Estun, or Eske.
- Soul Linkers are not terribly expensive to outfit and can go hunting with very little overhead cost because of their Kaahi healing ability and natural SP regen.
- Vit heavy Soul Linkers can mob and tank very large monsters with no support because of Kaahi.
- A Vit heavy Soul Linker is a great solo character but can also do well in parties as a DPS machine.
- A Soul Linker makes great use of the Morpheus Set, which provides good bonuses and the effects of a Phen card.
- Soul Linkers should level as TKK melee characters until ready to Job Change at 46.??Then they can change to Soul Linkers and stat reset.
- Low Level Soul Linkers can level anywhere mages can level.??As they develop HP and get skills, they can go more dangerous places.??Siromas are a good place to start.??Moscovia is also enjoyable.
- High Level Soul Linkers with good equipment can go almost anywhere.??I have leveled or do actively solo level or hunt in Glastheim, Niffleheim, Rachel Sanctuary, Ice Dungeon, Magma Dungeon, Moscovia, Biolabs1, Manuk Field, Splendide Field, Khiel Robot Factory, and many other places.
SUPER TLDR: Play a Soul Linker.??They are awesome.
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Vergil - 12-18-2011
I gotta hand it to you Gab, this was so nicely composed for me that you really made me want to make a Soul Linker much sooner than later. Thank you for this beginners guide. It was a nice insightful read.
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Session - 12-18-2011
If you don't mind, I'm going to suggest a few things you may consider adding.
Somewhere early on there, you need to include that job 46-50 is what is needed for any soul linker. 46 being the baseline. Reason being, you can't use kick skills as a linker, so you need the points only for up to max warm wind, high jump, flying side kick maxed(to unlock break fall), and break fall itself.
Anything above 46 isn't really needed usually, unless you want to get the extra happy/peaceful break points for use in tandem with other taek classes. Such as, with a star glad in odin's 3.
Also, you may want to consider condensing a bit of the information there. Tis a lot for any average noobie player to take in. Add a tl;dr'ish version after the read, with basic training areas/gear setups/skill layouts, and some nifty information regarding the ka-es skills and links+duo/party purposes.
Apologies for nit-picking~ Very nice guide, best of luck with your s'linkin.
Oh, and kaahi level switching. Its not best to roll with max level all the time versus an appropriate level for where/what you're fighting. Not to mention that skills go through it's protection, but thats a given.
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Kittie - 12-18-2011
I actually think this is fine as a beginners guide, i mean coming up with gears/stats/area's are more then just a beginners guide in my opinion.
Edit: Plus it would be nice if people would do some own research or just try out some stuff other then following a guide.
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Session - 12-18-2011
^Kiss ass way to post. Having basic layouts to build on are good for those who don't know anything at all. Especially on a server with custom gears.
Research after the initial learning phase.
Edit: I like the additions! Going to have a fully fledged guide after its all done. The build is good for a vit builder. Its a preference game, and I prefer vit/defense as well, but some people like flee(especially with universal dodging gear/fortune sword) and others like more dex for rather quick casts. Not that es isn't fast enough as is, but it might be useful for some builds.
Also, although slotted mids aren't really an "option" for newer players, selling?? whatever to fund a pair of Zodiac Wings[1] (the 2m fee) + hunting down the items are a good alternative, since you get a double roll chance of the card. Can always use a valk feather band/anything else with int or cast redux or beneficial increase/def for the player's build to slap another isilla into, if even for the 2 int increase.
I'm going to bookmark this thread. You've done well~
Edit2: I find these gears useful as well, you may want to include them-elven sunglasses for resistances/any int mid, sohee/gold acidus high heels or other mdef/def giving footgear (Some like vidars shoes and the like)
RE:??A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Gabihime - 12-18-2011
Thanks for the feedback! Your notes about other gears are really useful. I can't believe I forgot you can put a headgear card into Zodiacs XD. That and the Gold Acidus Shoes alone are worth adding. I will add a section for that.
And I know my little guide is Vit biased simply because that is what I have experience with. It is not that I think Agi Esma bolters are bad, I just have no idea about them since I've never had one. I do plan to make another Esma Soul Linker with lots more Dex just to have the experience of having played one.
But until I have done so I don't want to give people advice on where to go only to have them get killed a lot of times XD.
This guide probably isn't really all that useful for anyone who has already played an Esma Soul Linker, which is why it is for beginners. What I really hope to do is introduce people who have never considered playing a Soul Linker, or maybe an extended class at all that they're definitely worth a look. If I can get some people who wouldn't have tried it out to try it out, then I'll be happy :D
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Incarn - 12-18-2011
notes from a boyfriend who raves over the opinion that soul linkers should never get hit ever:
max int forever. the more matk and int the better. you're going for one- or two-shot.
get high dex (~80 base)
whatever stats you want after that. vit's probably best but that's opinion. i wouldn't recommend agi/flee tbh but as said, opinion :U
-the suggested TK skills
-max kaupe
-max eswoo <- eswoo turns a monster's sprite only tiny and reduces their walk speed by a shitload. hella useful and not interruptible ever, even without a phen, so it's good for running away from that single monster on the map that will just utterly kill you
-he doesn't even have kaahi lolol
-the rest of the suggested SL skills
methodology:
ESWOO -> ESTIN -> ESMA
(count the 5 seconds of eswoo, since the sprite will still be small even when the effect of the skill runs out)
rinse and repeat. use running and/or high jump to stop from getting mobbed completely. high jump's cast is also not interruptible ever so it's great for getting out of a pinch.
he solo'd anubis from 70+ using this build. advantages over the one in this guide is you don't run out of sp easily because no kaahi to suck it up and phen-type gears are not required, but kaupe is also needed since you're a generally delicate being without gears
just adding another option to a different style of playing; vit linker sounds fun :o
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Kittie - 12-19-2011
Kittie Wrote:Edit: Plus it would be nice if people would do some own research or just try out some stuff other then following a guide.
Takhara Wrote:^Kiss ass way to post. Having basic layouts to build on are good for those who don't know anything at all. Especially on a server with custom gears.
Research after the initial learning phase.
Research = Learning phase, imo no need to speak with that "kiss ass" stuff.
What can a class do?
What do i want with it?
How can i do this?
All kinds of stuff to find out and do research on. With a server like ours where the amount of custom stuff is pretty high, the nicer it is to do research.
But maybe its just me, i like to read things about a class and think of possibilities and experiment with it. Going for a good build that suits what you wanna do with a class can take days/months/years to optimize.
A beginner's guide is just a way to introduce someone to a class, with giving as much freedom to experiment as possible but that is just my opinion. You can disagree of course but the way this guide is turning now its no longer a beginners guide as it starts to get more and more specific.
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - Session - 12-19-2011
Personal choice has a huge influence on the information one desires to learn. If someone wants to have a build for a PVM soul linker, this apparently will be the thread to look in.
Research and learning is grand and all, but I'm assuming the bulk of your reading in the past as a noobie was off of forum websites where others had made guides, asked your questions, and it was simply information to add to your repertoire.
That said, regardless of how specific the guide is, tis still comprehensive enough to attract a new player to the class and give them a headstart. Obviously personal learning and skill come into play as they do the things recommended, and learn better and more efficient (sometimes personally) alternatives or styles.
Problem is, you're assuming everyone cookie-cutters their classes off a guide, which is incorrect. Fabre originally showed me what linkers can do, suggested some gear/few places to go/stat layouts, and then I moved on to figure the rest out myself, researching and optimizing my own vit build to it's best. Never cared to finish 99'ing it due to other projects, but thats aside from the point.
Besides, typical run-o'-the-mill beginner's guides can be found by Google as early back as when the class came out. If that's your flavour, so be it, but its not a reason to put down what a fellow player has did a good job of organizing and taking the time to address.
RE: A Beginner's Guide to PVM Soul Linkers - The Legendary Joe - 12-19-2011
Sorta makes me wonder why more linkers don't??make sure that Osiris??is permanently dead. But then again, that's more end game, and would most definately free up some skill points.
Max SP/HP on ressurection? lvl 1 Kaizel would??make you live forever.
High end stuff aside,??I'm sorta curious how??people would level through the Taekwon stages without a resetter. Outside of going as a combat linker who shanks stuff with daggers,??my best guess would be??that happy break thing that??makes it so you can use 1 Earth spike scroll an unlimited number of times so long as Happy break is up (using up your own sp like you would if it was actually your skill).??But then again, at that level, what wind monsters are there that'd give good exp (that you can solo without getting your butt handed to you)? And even then, you lack the magic boosting weapons like rods as a TK =x
And now I'll wait for the markets to get flooded with lvl 3 and lvl 5 Earthspike scrolls??:>