BLADE TAKER JOB GUIDE

Stats
There are 2 options available for this build: Pure Str or Pure Vit.
Pure Str allows for harder hits, which is nice with crits.
Pure Vit adds more HP and defence for better tanking.
It all depends on which is your fighting style, so pick wisely. I have had success with both Vit and Str builds, and I feel that each has their place, and both are enjoyable to play.
My personal preference is Pure Str because my fighting style is to run around like a little kid high on sugar, while stunning and blasting everything close to me. If you are a more stationary player, Pure Vit would be a better path to follow.

Job Path
Ruffian=>Archer=>Treasure Hunter=>Blade Taker

Skills
Skills marked as "optional" are skills you should either get last or forget about all together. If the "optional" is removed in a higher job, that means it is not longer a "get last" skill. You will have extra skill points at level 125 to play around with, and they are good skills to get when you have already built your character.

Rogue
Active
Dusk Slashing (max)
Zephyr (Max)
Burning Rage (lvl 1, optional)

Passive
Deathsign (Max)
Light Armor Expertise (Max)
Light Evasion (Max)
Dagger Training (Max)
Blindside (Max)

Do not worry about maxing skills. You will have a lot of spare skill points in your 2nd job change (Archer).
Burning rage is optional. It is a nice skill for PvP and guildwars, but if you are a PvE everything, it is not as advantageous to get it immediately at this point.

Ruffian
Active
Dusk Slashing (Lvl 10)
Windbreaking (Lvl 5)
Zephyr (max)
Detect hole (max)
Burning Rage (lvl 2, optional)

Passive
Light Armor Expertise (Max)
Light Evasion (Max)
Dagger Training (Max)
Blindside (Max)
Shadow Instinct (Max)
Diabolic Instinct (Max)

Don't worry about maxing out all the skills here by level 40. You will have plenty of breathing room in your next job.



Archer
Active
Zephyr (max)
Fatal Touch (max)

Passive
Deathsign (max)
Light Armor Expertise (Max)
Light Evasion (Max)


This is going to be the most painful job because of your lack of skills. Since you don't have rapid slashing yet, leveling is slower. Do a few DD, and you will be onto TH in no time, so don't worry about it so much. An explanation of why this job was picked over Thief was outlined above. To give an example of how many skill points leeway you will have for the TH job, I had 348 skill points left to spend when I changed from Archer to TH.

Think of it as a glass cannon, the second you reach 75, you will be a crit damage machine.




Treasure Hunter
Active
Rapid slashing (lvl 1, more is not needed for this build)
Shield boomerang (Max)
Hunter Blast (Max)
Zephyr (Max)
Detect hole (Max)
Hunter Smoke (Max, Optional)
Extortion (Max, Optional)

Passive
Light Armor Expertise (Max)
Light Evasion (Max)
Dagger Training (Max)
Blindside (Max)
Shadow Instinct (Max)
Diabolic Instinct (Max)

With this job, you will eventually see your crit monster come into fruition. Leveling should be fairly easy here, just time consuming. You will have close to 60% crit chance or higher (depending on equips) before you reach level 100.



Reskill
A reskill is required because a few skills are bugged, and cannot be used while dual wielding.

Blade Taker
Active
Shield boomerang (Max)
Hunter Blast (Max)
Hunter Smoke (Max)
Zephyr (Max)
Detect Hole (Max)
Fatal Touch (Max)
Burning Rage (Max)
Predator (Max, Optional)
Extortion (Max, Optional)

Passive
Dual Wield expertise (Max)
Dual Wield Training (Max)
Deathsign (max)
Light Armor Expertise (Max)
Light Evasion (Max)
Dagger Training (Max)
Blindside (Max)
Shadow Instinct (Max)
Diabolic Instinct (Max)

Someone might ask "Why no Dual wield Mastery?" Simple, it only adds attack speed. If you have extra skill points at the end, feel free to put them in it, but the % bonus to speed isn't worth the skill points that could be used on a better skill. At level 5, your speed is only increased by 5.1% (barely noticeable) at a cost of 15 skill points. After you max out all your skills you are going to use, then it would be ok to put points into this.

My recommendation is to get skills in this order after you use a skill reset.
1.Dual wield expertise/Dual wield Expertise training/dagger training/Light armor expertise
2. Hunter Smoke/Shield Boomerang
3. Everything else (using your discretion on which skills you think you need first)

Job Change Locations
Ruffian - Tierre in Alker Harbor
Archer - Tierre in Alker Harbor
Treasure Hunter - Ellenshar in Alker Harbor
Blade Taker - Cindamook in Naila Village


How to calculate % chance to crit
You can use this simple equation:

Crit number / 1500 = % chance to crit

So for example, your critical window says "750". By simply plugging this into the equation, you should have a 50% chance to crit. At higher levels (level 105+), and with a crit slime, you should be close to 80% or 90% crit chance.


Leveling
This is just a leveling suggestion. By no means is there any basis stating that it is the best way to go. I know Dungeon Date hunting grounds are the best places to level. These spots are for the 12 hour breaks between DD times. These are the hunting grounds I use according to level with all my characters, and seems to work fairly well. I am always open to hear suggestions on better hunting grounds according to level.

1-20 Gate of Alker
20-35 Tarintus
35-40 Moonblind Swamp (only hunt Luminas)
40-65 Way to Howling Ravine and Dry Gazell Swamp
65-85 Howling Cave 1f and 2f
85-90 The Valley of Fairy
90-100 Ghost Tree Swamp
100-110 Naila Harbor
110+ Grave of the Knights



Equipment
First, I must say that this is the gear I used/plan to reuse, and it worked well for me. Second. The order of importance for philo skills are evasion, strength, then dex (basically, aim for evasion, but be satisfied with dex). Besides that, use your discretion on which stats you need most and try to put points into them.

Also, I feel that there are only 3 important levels for changing your equipment (60, 90, 105). I use the same equipment till I reach the desired level, and simply switch. This saves time from changing your equipment constantly, giving you more time to grind and level. This guide is also designed to be gold efficient. By gold efficient, I mean that you don't need to spend tons of gold to get low and mid level equipment. The equipment selected is designed to allow you to reach the final equipment tier without spending all your gold. This will allow you to save gold to buy the final tier's equipment.

Level 1 to 60
From level 1 to 60, any gear will suffice, as you are leveling so fast, it is a waste of time to hunt down any specific items, construct anything, or reinforce/enchant/philo.



Level 60ish
Weapon - Grim Reaper's Scythe
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Orichalcum
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Armor - Leather Armor Stained in Blood
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Ruby
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Gloves - Leather Gloves Stained in Blood
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Ruby
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Shoes - Leather Shoes Stained in Blood
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Emerald or Wind Crystal
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Helmet - Mask Stained in Blood
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Emerald
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion


Level 90
At this point, you should start feeling the pain of low level equipment, which means it is time to change. Guidelines are essentially the same for enchang/reinforce/philo. You have 2 options to go at this point, you can either get the full Trans set or craft your own. If you are strapped for cash, or want to save as much money as possible for the godly equipment, then craft your stuff.

Weapon - Crafted Rune knife (stats dependent on you)
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Orichalcum
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Armor - Crafted Veteran Explorer's Leather Armor or Transcendent Leather Armor
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Ruby
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Gloves - Crafted Veteran Explorer's Leather Gloves or Transcendent Leather gloves
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Ruby
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Shoes - Crafted Veteran Explorer's Leather Long Boots or Transcendent Leather Boots
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Emerald or Wind Crystal
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Helmet - Mask Stained in Blood
Enchant - Level 7
Reinforce - Emerald
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

or

Helmet - Fox's Full Helm
Enchant - N/A
Reinforce - Emerald
Philo - Strength, Dex, or Evasion

Level 101ish
Weapon - 2x Advanced knife
Enchant - Level 7+
Reinforce - Orichalcum or Litheon
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Armor - Gardener's Leather Armor
Enchant - Level 7+
Reinforce - Ruby or Opal
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Gloves - Gardener's Leather Gloves
Enchant - Level 7+
Reinforce - Ruby or Lightning strike crystal
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Shoes - Gardener's Leather Boots
Enchant - Level 7+
Reinforce - Wind Crystal
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Helmet - Kynee
Enchant - Level 7+
Reinforce - Emerald
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Rings - 2x Hathors
Enchant - Level 7+
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Necklace - Necklace of the Living body
Enchant - Level 7+
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Earrings - Caster/Gemini Set or Crafted lvl 105 earrings or Earring of Flickering Magic
Enchant - Level 7+
Philo - Strength or Evasion

Belt - Eros Belt

Headgear - Crit slime or Accuracy Halo