Tharkane's The Dark Elf Compendium Parts 1 - 6

[The Fellowship of DarkMatters 2]

Many Thanks to Tharkane for his Dark Elf Compendium.

 

 

The Dark Elf Compendium

Secrets of the Cabal

Few survive the trials to assume their rightful place as the most feared and dreaded warriors of Ancaria...the Dark Elf warrior drones. Armed only with skill, determination, and a du'blade, the victorious overcome the sadistic machinations and savage minions of the cruel Dark Elven priestesses to find themselves standing amongst the Warrior Cabal, the male warrior elite. It is only then that the Dark Elf warrior truly begins to realize his potential.

 

All male Dark Elves aspire to join the Cabal...yet very few ever achieve this goal. The fortunate perish in the attempt, overcome by the Trials. The less fortunate somehow survive their failure, crawling away from the Trials to rejoin the ranks of the faceless multitude that serve as fodder on the battlefield.

 

You, however, are not one of a faceless multitude. Not only have you mastered the Trials to become one of the Cabal elite, but you are an abomination: for you, Dark Elf, have done the unthinkable and have turned your back upon your evil kind. Tales shall be written about how blood turns against blood, wielding the powers of the Cabal against the darkness that threatens to swallow all of Ancaria and ultimately, confronting the Cabal itself.

The Dark Elf - an Overview

 

Here are key features of the Dark Elf character:

• Close combat specialist
  
• Poison specialist
  
• Ranged trap specialist
  
• Master of the attack and defense
  
• Ability to deflect arrows and crossbow bolts fired upon him, and send them back against his enemies
  
• Ability to deflect magical damage directed against him, and re-direct the power against surrounding enemies
  

The Basics

 

To master the secrets of the Cabal, you must seize upon your strengths, and utilize them wisely. Dark Elf males are forbidden the use of magic by the matriarchs of their ancient society. Over time, the master Dark Elven warriors developed techniques whereby a warrior drone could gain complete control over his metabolism and other physical processes, resulting in a frightening array of supernatural powers. This, coupled with the masters' intimate knowledge of insect and herbal venoms, caustic and explosive substances, and the forbidden understanding of the fabric of the dimensions, gave them mastery over the wild lands of Ancaria in the distant past.

 

Two realms of power are available to the Dark Elf: combat moves, and traps. In the realm of combat, the Dark Elf relies upon the mastery of his endocrine system. The statistic Physical Regeneration and the skill Concentration affect this realm of powers. The swiftness in which he regains inner energy, and his ability to maintain focus and equilibrium in action enable him the more rapid use of those powers in battle.

 

In the realm of traps, the Dark Elf relies upon his training and the secret knowledge of the Cabal. The statistic [b]Physical Regeneration[/b], and the skills Trap Lore and Ballistics impact this realm of power. Physical Regeneration and Trap Lore affect how quickly he can regain the ability to use a trap in battle; Ballistics governs how quickly he deploys the traps, and their attack speed once deployed.

Combat Arts Revealed

 

Here, then, are the two realms of power as they are understood. Note: an * denotes a special move at which the Dark Elf excels beyond the norm established by the other characters in the game who share that ability.

 

Melee Combat powers (Special Moves)

• Rage (Attack)
  
• Revenge (Hard Hit)
  
• Sudden Fury (Multi-Hit)*
  
• Combat Kick
  
• Cobra
  
• Mongoose
  
• Soul Catcher
  
• Pak-Dain (Projectile Deflection)
  
• Pak-Nakor (Magic Deflection)
  

Traps

• Adrenaline
  
• Testosterone
  
• Bottomless Pit
  
• Confusion
  
• Explosive Charge
  
• Battle Fog
  
• Poison Mist
  

The Skills

 

Certain skills are available only to the Dark Elf. These skills are:

 

Blade Combat - This skill imparts the knowledge and technique needed to successfully wield the unique Dark Elf weaponry forged by the master smiths of Zhurag-Nar. Without this finesse, the wielder would doubtlessly injure himself, and likely perish from the deadly poison which seeps from the deviously placed grooves and brilliantly engineered poison ducts fasioned into the Dark Elf blades. A must for the Dark Elf who specializes in melee combat, or for the trapper who likes to cover all contingencies.

 

Trap Lore - Expanded knowledge and skill with traps. This skill shortens the regeneration time for all of the trap arts, making them available for use more quickly in combat. No self-respecting trapper would lack developing this skill...and a strategic-thinking melee specialist might also consider investing effort into this skill as well, for the secrets of Trap Lore also impart an increased understanding of the use of certain botanical and animal

regents which accelerate the production of adrenaline and testosterone within the body.

Ballistics - Practice makes perfect. Experience and skill with traps imparts the ability to utilize cunning shortcuts in the deployment of traps in battle...as well as making it possible to speed up their effectiveness in dealing out damage. The exclusive realm of the trapper, the melee specialist would find such endeavors too time consuming in battle to warrant his attention. The hybrid warrior drone, however, in his blending of melee and trapping, might consider developing this skill.

 

Regardless of your focus, all will face the prospect of hand to hand combat. What follows, then, is a primer to assist in a grasp of the basics you will need to move forward with the Dark Elf builds.

 

Melee Basics (clipped from the Dual-Wield sticky thread, with some additions)

Single Weapon Wielding

Wielding one weapon requires no special training nor ability.

 

DE Sword = Blade Combat

DE Sword + Shield = Blade Combat

DE Fist Blade* = Unarmed Combat

DE Fist Blade* + Shield = Unarmed Combat

• - This can be a bit confusing. Note that, although the Dark Elf set weapon Cordell's Dagger requires a minimum of Blade Combat skill to use, it nevertheless uses Unarmed Combat skill when used as listed above.
  

And, just for reference purposes:

 

Normal Sword = Sword Lore

Normal Sword + Shield = Sword Lore

Dagger = Sword Lore

Dagger + Shield = Sword Lore

Two-Handed Sword = Sword Lore

Axe = Axe Lore

Axe + Shield = Axe Lore

Battle Axe (Gladiator-only weapon) = Axe Lore

Mace, Hammer, Morningstar = Axe Lore

Mace, Hammer, Morningstar + Shield = Axe Lore

Cudgel (two-handed mace variant) = Axe Lore

Spear, Halberd, Lance, Pike, Staff, Mage's Small Staff = Long-Handled Weapons

Knuckles, Blade Stealer = Unarmed Combat

Knuckles/Blade Stealer + Shield = Unarmed Combat

Combat Gauntlets (Gladiator-only weapon) = Unarmed Combat

Bows, Crossbows = Ranged Combat

Dual Wielding

Wielding two weapons in one weapon slot requires the skill Dual Wielding.

 

Special Note before proceeding: Understand that while Dual Wielding skill permits your Dark Elf (and the other 2 character types that can gain it) to equip any two one handed weapons in one slot, your ability to wield a weapon is first decided by the basic requirements for the weapon in question. For example, as much as I love Seraphim swords, the mighty Dark Elf can't wield one. Just the same, if a certain weapon features "Minimum Sword Lore: X", you'll have to possess Sword Lore skill in order to equip it. Just because an item you're wearing might give a bonus to Sword Lore, if you don't at least have one skill point in Sword Lore naturally, you'll be out of luck. Items can't give you skills, they can only augment them.

 

DE Sword + DE Sword = Dual Wielding

DE Sword + Normal Sword/Dagger/Axe/Mace/Hammer/Knuckles/Blade Stealer/DE Fist Blade = Dual Wielding

DE Fist Blade + DE Fist Blade = Unarmed Combat

DE Fist Blade + Blade Stealer/Knuckles = Unarmed Combat

 

Again, just for reference:

Normal Sword + Normal Sword = Dual Wielding

Axe + Axe = Dual Wielding

Mace/Hammer/Morningstar + Mace/Hammer/Morningstar = Dual Wielding

 

Hopefully, this helps to explain Dual Wielding in the latest version of Sacred Plus. I took the time (and space) to cover other weapons so an overall understanding of the (current) game mechanics behind the weapon skills might be gained. That just helps to clarify things for the knowledge-seeker.

Summary

The most important statistic to the Dark Elf warrior is Physical Regeneration - regardless of your build, this statistic influences all of your Dark Elf powers, making them regenerate more quickly. A side effect of putting points into this statistic will be increased health points, giving your warrior the ability to withstand abusive damage in battle. The Strength statistic is also of importance to a Dark Elf melee specialist. This increases the damage dealt by melee weapons, increases basic attack rating, and boosts your health points. It also has an indirect (I.e., lesser) effect upon your defense rating.

 

Of the other statistics, Dexterity can be useful as it impacts your defense rating, and has a lesser effect upon your attack rating, and health points. Note that many Dark Elf items, such as Cordell's Dagger, imparts a hefty bonus to Dexterity. I recommend that you rely on items to boost this statistic, and focus upon increasing Physical Regeneration when you increase in level. For melee specialists, make Strength your second priority, giving it a point every third level or so.

 

Dark Elf builds and tactics will follow this first post. Use the builds that other players have devised to help you understand the Dark Elf. Then, armed with what you know, strike out and create your own.

[The Fellowship of DarkMatters 2]

Melee build/strategy

 

The Blade Masters

 

Certain warriors of the Cabal elected to focus their energies upon the mastery of close combat. Though possessing knowledge enough to inflict injury and death using a variety of means available to all of their elite brethren, these Dark Elf males relished hand to hand combat above all. These are the Blade Masters, whirling engines of destruction on the battlefield.

 

The blade master seeks to develop the strengths of the Dark Elf in the wielding of two weapons, and the mastery of the unique Dark Elf blades of Zhurag-Nar. Though certainly not the only character that can wield two weapons simultaneously - both the Gladiator and Seraphim are able - Dark Elf special moves, weaponry, and special items are designed to take full advantage of dual wielding.

Overview

The Blade Master does not merely swing weapons at his foes in battle. The field of battle is sacred to him, and it is there that he finds meaning and purpose. Combat is a science and devotion to him, and to this end he seeks to perfect deadly blows that stun, wound, and strike critically vital areas. The Trap Master casts his deadly traps amongst his enemies, seeking to lure them into certain death. The Blade Master, however, seeks to throw himself into their midst personally, where he can execute spinning blows which strike as many of his enemies as possible. He is aggressive and fearless...however, hidden beneath his battle fury is a coldly calculating strategic mind which understands that mobility on the battlefield is the key to victory. At the highest levels of difficulty, a Blade Master can successully vanquish hordes of undead, orcs, and even the deadly ice elves with his blades alone.

 

Skills already possessed: Weapon Lore, and Concentration.

Dual WIelding

 

This is the first skill gained by the apprentice Blade Master. The gaining of this skill should be immediately followed by the satisfying placement of a second weapon in your only available weapon slot. Thus begins your journey.

 

Tip: The strategically-minded Blade Master will develop weapon sets custom-tailored to take advantage of the weaknesses of his enemies. This is perhaps the greatest advantage of the Dual Wielding skill. Weapons which deal out poison damage are effective against most non-montrous opponents, such as the rogues and soldiers you will encounter. Weapons which deal out fire damage are ideal for use against the undead, which you will encounter in roving groups later on. Weapons which deal out magic damage are rather unique, and shouldn't be overlooked as many of your foes are vulnerable to magic. Study your opponents' resistances closely and develop a plan to take advantage of their weaknesses.

Agility

 

This skill should be taken the next time a new skill becomes available (level 6). In the beginning, agility will insure your survival in battle by making you more difficult to hit, and increasing your attack rating. Without the constant present benefit of a shield, the Blade Master relies upon this skill as his primary defense before he becomes more powerful later on.

 

Note: A wise Blade Master will keep a shield ready in his inventory, or waiting in an open weapon slot, for those times when he faces a multitude of foes that are wearing him down.

Constitution

 

Level 12 will see the need for this skill arise. Foes are becoming more dangerous, and more punishing with their blows. Select this skill and invest in it generously.

Armor

 

Level 20 is a critical level. You will be encountering mages and undead creatures by now, and the need for superior resistances is vital. The armor skill is a must for the Blade Master, for not only does it increase the protection and resistances offered by the armor you wear, but it also increases your movement speed while wearing it.

 

Tip: Armor, amulets, and rings should be considered the basic building blocks of the Blade Master's power. How these items are arranged in concert with the weapon sets will determine how devastating you are on the battlefield. The Forge section below will outline basic strategies in item and armor arrangement.

Blade Combat

 

Level 30 should see this skill selected. Dark Elven craftsmanship is unsurpassed in Ancaria. In ancient subterranean forges, the master smiths of Zhurag-Nar craft brilliantly wicked and dreadfully deadly tools of war: the Dark Elf blades. The Blade Master seeks to possess such blades, for they are the extensions of his fury in battle. Outsiders are mistaken when they assume that the Dark Elf weaponry drips only of poisonous substances: such is not the case. Some Du'blades blaze with fire, and others are shrouded by magic force. These are to be treasured and kept when found, for they will devastate your unwitting foes who expect venom on your blades.

 

The taking of this skill also permits the use of the powerful Dark Elf set weaponry, such as Krag's Judge, a du'blade that has three rune slots and leeches the life from your foes with each strike. Other Dark Elf set weapons, such as Ethan-Rhys' Malicious Blade, have a hightened chance of critically striking an opponent. Critical hits are the bread and butter of the Dark Elven Blade Master, who whirls about the battlefield dodging spurting showers of his opponents' blood.

The Final Skill

 

Attaining level 50 is the beginning of the journey to perfection for the Blade Master. The selection of your final skill, while as important as the others you selected earlier on, is more of a reflection of your own battle tactics and personal taste. By the time you reach this level, you will have established the beginning of your special weapon sets, which you create with loving care to dispatch your witless enemies as efficiently and as painfully as possible. You will have some experience under your belt as well. Trap Lore would be an excellent choice, as this skill shortens the regeneration of the trap CAs, of which Adrenaline and Testosterone are the greatest concern to the Blade Master.

 

Trading would also be a viable choice. Pause to consider how often you engage the merchants with your business, and how you always stop to look closely at the magical amulets and rings they offer. Trading, along with the Charisma statistic, decreases the prices you pay to the merchants for goods. The Trading skill itself improves the quality of what the merchants offer you. Thus, it is possible to engage your mercantile skill and purchase the leeching amulets, critical hit rings, and so forth you will need to remain an engine of destruction all the way to Niobium difficulty.

Tip: The wise Blade Master maintains a selection of choice rings and amulets in his personal treasure chest. He draws upon this selection when commissioning the blacksmith to create his weapon sets.

 

Parrying, while most effective when a weapon and a shield are used, is still useful to a Blade Master. An experienced Master knows when to wield two weapons, and when to use a weapon and a shield. The shield boosts defense, resistances, and can add bonuses and useful effects under the right circumstances. If you know what I am referring to, then parrying would be a good choice for you.

 

In summary, the final skill selection is up to you. It is your mark, and the brand of your particular style. Choose it well, for you never be able to select a new skill again.

 

NOTE: More to be posted in this guide, stay tuned.

[The Fellowship of DarkMatters 2]

Tips and tricks for effective use of Multi Hit CA

 

Overview

 

The use of Mutli Hit (MH) can be a very effective weapon for a skilled DE and should be considered a must by all Blade Masters.

Unlike the typical MH used by other charactors in the world of Ancaria the DEs MH has been some what specialised by the Cabal Masters into a very effective killing art. When used in combination with poison and Leach Life (LL) it can be deadly against large groups of foes of most types.

 

Effects

 

Apart from the usual effect of striking multiple opponents adjacent to your DE with in a certain radias (determind by CA level and Charactor level) it also has the special effects of knocking back and stunning your opponents.

This can be very useful when dealing with large groups as it will poison and stun most of the monsters allowing your DE time to select opponents, drink potions, cast other CAs and regain some health through LL.

 

Preperation Tips

 

This CA is most effective when used in combination with LL and poison but is still useful for low level DEs as well.

• 1: Try to equip your DE with powerful poison based weapons (this can still be used with other damage based weapons but doesnt retrieve LL as effiecently)
   
   
  
• 2: Socket as many LL Vampire runes as you can find, also note that MH Vamp runes will add to the DEs MH CA. I recomend 12-15% LL as a good level for LL.
   
   
  
• 3: Keep a careful eye on the regen time, I recomend not letting it get above 3 seconds even at the expense of power.
   
   
  
• 4: Also look out for armor and jewelry that has Regenerate Special Moves as this will help keep the regen times down.
  

Combat Tips

 

This CA is a mob killer when used effectively so use it as such.

• 1: Select your target carefully, always be aware of the hit radias of the CA (specified in the poppup box when you put your pointer on it). Also remember that your To Hit % is calculated for each opponent that can be hit with this CA so if its low then not all opponents will be hit.
   
   
  
• 2: As soon as you have used this CA look for opponents that are still next to you, these still pose a thret so attack them immediately in normal combat.
   
   
  
• 3: If all opponents have been knocked back do not stand still, use this time to check for the weakest opponent and attack him while they are stilll stunned, unless you need this time to drink a potion or activate a Adrenaline or Testosterone CA/Combo.
  Edit Addition: there is one exception to the above tip. Always target magic users first.
   
   
  
• 4: As soon as the rest of the opponents recover and crowd around you again repeat the procces.
  

Conclusion

 

As you can see this is a very powerful and useful skill for Blade Master DEs so take the time to master it, it can be a life saver!

 

 

I hope you enjoy playing your DEs and have fun all

[The Fellowship of DarkMatters 2]

The Forge

 

Alienated from your evil kin by your own choosing, you find yourself roaming Ancaria as a vagabond without a people. Your deeds do little to allay the fear your very presence inspires amongst the farmers and common folk of the lands you travel through...and were it not for the sealed letter officially proclaiming you a servant of Prince Valor, the town guard would ruthlessly pursue you. Secretly, you wish they would...however, as much as you would relish such sport, it would not help matters any if you were to slay the very ones you are now sworn to defend.

 

Wizards seek new spells to strengthen their arsenal...and the Wood Elves seek to become closer to nature to order to increase their power. As the grimoire is to the Battle Mage, and the sacred grove to the Ranger, so is the Forge to you, Dark Elf. In Zhurag-Nar, the master smiths were endlessly at work fashioning new and more devious weapons of war. You watched them eagerly, seeking to understand their ways.

 

Thus far, you have been bitterly disappointed at the lack of smiths in the Ancarian countryside. Those you have found have been bumpkins capable of little more than fashioning farming implements. If only you could, you would return to Zhurag-Nar and submit your blades to the masters. Alas, such cannot be. You would be slain on sight as a weak-willed traitor to your own people. To think, you fell victim to the wiles of a Wood Elf...

 

Fear not, Dark Elf. The time you spent observing the master smiths in your youth can assist in guiding the hands of those simpletons you are forced to deal with, transforming their crude knives and dull swords into something respectable, something worth wielding in a warrior's hand.

 

The Basics

 

You will find (or perhaps purchase) armor and weapons with slots capable of receiving amulets, rings, skeleton skulls, combat art runes, or Blacksmith art runes. These you must bring to the Blacksmith at his forge in order to blend into the slotted item. It takes skill with the hammer and anvil to do this...something which you have had little time for.

 

In Bronze level of difficuly, when you are first starting your journey, slotted armor and weaponry is a great boon to ensure your utter domination of the battlefield. Do not cast these items aside...instead, bring them to a Blacksmith at the first opportunity. By adding items to those slots, you can increase your defense, attack, levels of combat arts, skills, or increase the accuracy of your blows.

 

It is likely that the first slottable items you will find will be combat art runes. At first, you will want to read at least one or two of your own runes to give you ability with with the CA in question. However, you will want to save the combat art runes of the other characters, and use them in your slottable items. Combat art runes for the Vampiress and the Wood Elf are the most valuable in this regard. Look closely at any of those CA runes that you find.

 

The Vampiress CA runes you want to use in your items are those which add life leeching to the item. The Wood Elf CA runes you will want to use are those which add + 15 to Attack and Defense, and + 15% to all Resistances to the item they are placed in. Conversely, you may also place Dark Elf Combat runes which add + 15 to Attack and Defense in an item. This would be preferable to using the Wood Elf rune with the same effect, but it is likely that you will find more CA runes for other characters than you will for your own.

 

I suggest using the CA runes I described above because in the beginning of your journey, boosting your attack and defense ratings, resistances, and possessing the ability to leech the life of your opponents with every blow will make a tremendous difference, especially in Hard Core play online. Even with Combat Arts such as adrenaline and testosterone, you will still come out ahead if your base attack and defense ratings are high to begin with. Then, using those CAs simply serves to make you even more frightening in battle!

 

Using this rune slotting strategy, you can easily boost your attack and defense ratings over + 60, jack up your resistances over + 60%, and have a life leech rating of +12% with every hit when you are very low level. You can attain these totals by using the slots on helmets, shoulder guards, bracers, belts, leg greaves, gauntlets, boots, weapons and shields to achieve this goal. The total effect can be quite staggering, considering your low level and relative inexperience.

 

You will want to devote your ring slots to rings which boost the damage you inflict. Ideally, such a ring will also have an attack or defense rating bonus. Sometimes, they do not. No matter - you will want these rings to primarily boost damage you inflict. Keep the damage diverse - try wearing four rings which, when they are all combined, boost at least three kinds of damage. Poison is ideal, fire is good, and physical damage is almost always present on every ring. I do not suggest that a Dark Elf wear rings which do not feature added damage. The reason is simple: you can gain the armor skill, so unless a resistance ring is very exceptional, you will not want to use them. Damage is your business, warrior.

 

Even more prized are those rings which not only add damage to your blows, but also boost a statistic or skill. The most common stats boosted are Dexterity and Strength. I would suggest using those rings which boost Strength, since this increases the overall damage you inflict with melee weapons and increases your attack rating.

 

Ideally, your amulet slot will only be used for an amulet which adds defense. My philosophy is thus: you wish to attain the highest attack and defense ratings possible without the aid of any Combat Art. This way, as you are developing your Dark Elf in either Hard Core or Single Player, your chance of survival is greatly increased. On a Hard Core server, it is not unusal to run into opponents which out-level you by a great margin. Having a naturally high resistance, and attack and defense rating will serve you well, since at low levels your CAs will not be on par with the enemies you face. However, when you use adrenaline and testosterone to boost those naturally high ratings, you will become much, much more powerful and will stand a better chance of surviving the encounter.

 

Weapon Sets

 

For Dual Wielders

 

Wielding two weapons offers a distinct advantage in combat. By electing to sacrifice the relative comfort of a shield - and its attendant bonuses to resistances and defense values - you choose to concentrate most of your energies upon the weaknesses of your enemies. The weapons do not strike a target at the same time; instead, they hit one after the other, in sequence. In Sacred, the character display only shows the value for total weapon damage for one attack. When you select a weapon slot, the display tells you an average of what damage the weapon in that selected slot will inflict with one attack.

 

Naturally, with two weapons in one slot, things are complicated somewhat. The display cannot list both weapons in the slot separately. Instead, the damage threshold of both weapons is combined, and an average of the combined totals is displayed. Thus, in one dual wielding attack sequence, one weapon hits, followed by the other. The display counts both of those attacks as one for damage calculation purposes.

 

When using combat arts such as Hard Hit or Multi-Hit, however, the special move only affects one weapon in the slot. This translates to be the weapon in the right hand. When Hard Hit is used, for example, the normal dual wielding attack sequence is nullified, resulting in one strike by the aforementioned weapon.

 

Do not be discouraged, warrior. Though only one weapon will strike, that weapon is imbued with the damage bonuses and modifiers of the other weapon. This is the true beauty of dual wielding, for your weapons lend their advantages to each other. The first Blade Masters combined toxins with blades ensorcelled by the priestesses to perpetually burn with fire. No foe could stand before their mastery of combat.

 

The modifiers and bonuses of both weapons in a weapon slot combine together, or "stack." The potential here is staggering. The rings you wear upon your fingers contribute to the damage you inflict with any weapon. Wearing rings upon your fingers that adds diverse damage to your blows becomes very important to the Blade Master. Ideally, a ring that a Blade Master would covet would be one that inflicts damage, adds a +% modifier to that damage, and also offers an attack or defense bonus. A ring that adds 8-14 fire damage to a blow might not seem like much...but let's say that ring adds "Fire Damage: +11%". Another item you are using adds "Weapon Damage Fire: +33% Strength." Finally, one of your swords has a fire damage modifier on it as well - let's say "Weapon Damage Fire: + 25% Physical Regeneration." The fire damage you will inflict with every blow of a weapon will be considerable, modified further by qualities such as critical hit bonuses.

 

Herein lies the strategy, and the best way of arranging your items, rings, and amulets. Think of each ring on your finger as representing a weakness of your enemies. You discover these weaknesses by observing their resistances. The most common damage resistance in the game is resistance to physical damage. The second most common resistance is against fire. Third on the list is resistance against poison. The least common damage resistance amongst your foes is resistance to magic damage. Use this to your advantage, Blade Master.

 

Building the weapon sets

 

The Blade Master is a precise, surgical warrior on the battlefield. He wields both of his weapons with unparalleled skill. Each blow is intended to kill. His weapon sets are the heart of his trade - and he builds them with the utmost care. In the beginning of your journey through Ancaria, you will simply pick up the best weapons that you come across, and wield them both in your hands.

 

More will posted later.

[The Fellowship of DarkMatters 2]

Seldom-used Dark Elf Combat Arts

 

While I am taking a break from leveling my Dark Elf in Underworld, I thought I'd post a little about DE combat arts that are often neglected, but are highly useful.

 

Cobra: Cobra is a powerful combat art that shouldn't be ignored. With cobra, you have an effective means to overcome the toughest bosses and make mobs more manageable, regardless of your build. I know that myself and some others have sung its praises here in the forum in the past, but I feel it deserves extra mention because with cobra, super tough bossess in the Ancaria campaign such as DeMordrey (in Niobium, he is insanely tough) can fall to your greatness. Since I haven't gone very far in the Underworld campaign as of yet, I can't comment about the bossess there, except to say that cobra still works just fine in UW so far.

 

Mongoose: This is a decent puddle and obstacle-jumping CA that doesn't need much into it to work. Unlike the Glad's Stomping Jump, this CA does not need to target an enemy to work. You just click where you want to go, and your DE jumps there. It's good to use when you want to travel around the screen very quickly.

[The Fellowship of DarkMatters 2]

The Forge (good for most versions of Sacred)

 

It's hard to believe that over a year has gone by since I originally thought of posting this. I'm finally getting around to it. For Pete's sake, if I could only remember what I did with that bottle of Geritol...really, I can't remember the last time I forgot something.

The Forge

 

Weapons are the stock and trade of a BladeMaster DE. The experienced warrior understands that the key to defeating his opponent is to capitalize upon his weakness. The dual-wielding BladeMaster, dedicated and focused soley upon excellence in melee combat, realizes this goal through the forging and composition of his weapon sets.

 

The BladeMaster understands that weapon sets are the keys to his awesome power. A weapon set is defined as a pair of weapons wielded together in one weapon slot. The weapons are designed to complement one another and amplify a particular damage type. It is better to focus on one damage type per weapon set than it is to spread the damage thin between multiple forms. In simpler terms, a weapon set devoted to fiery death is more effective overall than a weapon set devoted to a bad case of heartburn, salmonella, and bruises (I.e., fire, poison and physical damage).

 

The Basics of a Weapon Set

 

Ideally, the weapons which compose a weapon set should be socketed, permitting magical rings to be strategically deployed to enhance a particular damage type. The more sockets a weapon possesses, the better.

 

The ideal ring should first inflict damage (the BladeMaster will have little to no need for rings which offer protection values, as he is a pure melee warrior and develops the Armor skill). Secondly, it should offer a bonus to attack or defense (the best ones offer both!). And thirdly, a numerical or percentile bonus to the primary damage type is greatly desired. Thus, a ring which features:

 

Attack: X

X - X (let's assume these numbers are red, indicating fire damage)

x - x (a lesser damage amount, often magic damage, or poison)

-and either-

(Strength, Dexterity, or Physical Regeneration) + X

Weapon Damage Fire: + X

Fire Damage: + X %

 

...is ideal. Such a ring is one which a BladeMaster would have a Blacksmith socket into his Fire Weapon Set.

 

In the beginning, few rings such as this one will be available. As the BladeMaster grows in power and experience, however, he will eventually come across fantastic rings crafted by the wizards of old. These are the ones he treasures and keeps, and uses in the finest weapons he can obtain. Careful choosing and patience in this matter will result in amazing victories on the battlefield. Your foes will perish in multitudes before you, be they draconian monsters or undead horrors!

 

Fire and Poison

 

The two damage types the apprentice BladeMaster begins with are fire and poison. Lesser foes rarely sport effective defenses against both damage types: typically, the resistance is against one, but not the other. Orcs, for example, are usually resistant to fire, but have a weakness to poison. The undead are nearly immune to poison, but are vulnerable to fire. The lesser dragons will fall to poisoned blades, and energy beings (ghosts and spectres) wither when exposed to burning swords.

 

Needless to say, the Dark Elves are masters of poison. Most weapons of Dark Elven manufacture are designed to deliver lethal doses of virulent poison from grooves artfully concealed along the length of the blade. These are the easiest to obtain for the young warrior of the Cabal. More difficult to find are the Dark Elf blades which burn with eldritch fire. It is likely that elven or human weapons will have to be relied upon for the Fire Weapon Sets during the early years.

 

Magic

 

As the foes of the BladeMaster increase in stature, so do their resistances to various forms of damage. At this time, the warrior might consider adding a Magic Weapon Set to his arsenal. The Poison Trolls which roam the Valley of Zhurag Nar are vulnerable to magic damage, something which should be exploited at every available opportunity. As a Battle Mage employs his spells, so the BladeMaster uses his weapons. Use them wisely, and excel where others fail.

 

Exotic Bonuses

 

Regeneration Special Move...critical hit bonuses...life leech capability...those are the keys to surviving even the most grim of battles. The young BladeMaster will add Vampiress runes which feature life leech to his weapon sockets, enabling him to never be concerned with drinking health potions. Later on, rings and weapons themselves will possess this power. The BladeMaster prefers weapons and rings which offer the exotic bonuses above all others. When he finds them, he uses them!

 

Don't Forget Bling!

 

The BladeMaster will wear rings on his fingers, much like the ones he sockets in his weapons. He needn't be overly concerned with focusing on one particular damage type in this case...anything which adds additional pain to the miserably short existence of his enemies will suffice. Remember...bonuses to attack and defense, and exotic bonuses, are icing on a BladeMaster's cake. As the old Ancarian proverb advises, "Better to hit than miss...and better to drain life from your foe instead of gulping it down from a potion bottle"... and "You always run out of health potions...but you never run out of foes." Take heed!

 

Be Creative

 

Most important of all, be creative. A Blade Master can devote himself soley to the application of poison through his Weapon Sets, and achieve great success. The prior examples are only suggestions. Shall he be brutish, utilizing mental powers to boost the secretion of testosterone from his skin, the catalyst which amplifies the potency of Dark Elven poison? Or will he be more elegant and refined in his approach, relying on weapon craft and strategy to defeat his foes? The sky is the limit!