Shillien Knight: Player Guide
"With your shield or on it": the whole truth about Shillien's knight
A player guide to the Shillien Knight, the Dark Elf knight with shield, sword, vampiric magic and cubics. Below: starting stats, Palus Knight tips up to level 40, a breakdown of skills, gear after the second profession, combat tactics and a table of skill books.
This class is a born warrior: fast, agile, strong and simply beautiful in battle. He does not dance on a blade's edge, does not cast healing spells, and has no command of wind magic or "silent movement". All he has is his shield and sword, and he either returns victorious or stays on the battlefield defeated but unbowed. Shillien's knights never hide behind others - their purpose is to go forward without looking back. Only the most talented children of the fallen goddess are knighted: they must defend themselves with sword and shield, wield the magic of absorbing others' energy, and breathe life into crystals to make them work for them.
Dark Fighter starting stats
| Stat | Value | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| STR | 41 | The strongest warriors in the game |
| CON | 32 | Physically the weakest warriors - the eternal swamps of the dark land and lack of sunlight took their toll |
| DEX | 34 | Not as nimble as the light elves, but faster than humans |
| WIT | 12 | Average |
| INT | 25 | Cold-blooded and calculating, they rarely make mistakes |
| MEN | 26 | Weakened immunity to magic |
| HP | 107 | The goddess did not bless her children with health |
| MP | 39 | No different from other fighters |
| P.Atk | 4 | Like every new fighter |
| P.Def | 72 | Same as everyone |
| M.Atk | 3 | The highest among future warriors |
| M.Def | 47 | Not bad, but one can envy the orcs |
| P.Aspd | 342 | They hit not only accurately and hard, but fast |
| M.Aspd | 226 | Higher than humans', lower than light elves' |
| Accuracy | 35 | Only the light elves surpass them |
| Critical | 45 | Second after the light elves |
| Evasion | 35 | Only the light elves can compete with them |
| Movement | 139 | Second only to the long-legged light elves |
| Load | 69,000 | They do not like carrying weight - rightly called the most "naked" race in the game |
Palus Knight: the road to knighthood
Leveling from 20 to 40 depends on luck and the player's drive, so the author does not describe it in detail.
Gear. For the Palus Knight the author recommends the Brigandine Set (+5% P.Def, +153 HP, plus +22 HP with the Brigandine Shield), and as a weapon the time-tested Sword of Revolution (79/47). Many argue whether to use two swords before level 40: double hits and higher M.Atk. But remember that one sword has fast attack speed while duals have normal. Before the second profession everyone chooses for himself, although shield skills are still weak. Ideally get an Elven Long Sword (92/54), but it all depends on money and luck.
Leveling spots for the Palus Knight are the same as for other fighters - from the Ruins of Despair to Cruma Tower. Check monster stats: some strongly resist blunt weapons, so better not to fight them alone. Up to level 40 a Palus Knight can level solo or tank in a party.
Solo leveling depends on money: with money, stock up on Soulshots and hunt yellow monsters; without it, green ones pay too - they do not hit hard and leave adena and resources. Poison, which comes at level 20, lets you level like a mage on slow monsters such as zombies or golems, but they resist magic well, so stock up on Blessed Spiritshots.
Party play:
- Two or more fighters - attack monsters in turns, watch your partner's condition and use life-saving skills in time.
- With a Cleric, Oracle or Shillien Oracle - the Palus Knight holds the monster, the support heals, buffs and helps hit when possible.
- With an Orc Shaman - a very interesting option: the shaman is a buffer with useful spells and, thanks to heavy armor, can also tank; his life spells restore your strength.
- With a combat mage - the author dislikes this combo: the fighter engages the monster, the mage kills it, but the monster quickly switches to the mage, whose magic hurts it more than the fighter's blows. A very awkward combination.
Palus Knight skills
The young Palus Knight can keep developing these skills as a Shillien Knight:
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Heavy Armor Mastery | Raises P.Def in heavy armor. Such armor will not save you from the heat or warm you in the cold, but it protects a Dark Elf's fragile body from deadly blows |
| Magic Resistance | Raises M.Def. From level 20 it already sets the Palus Knight apart from the Assassin |
| Shield Mastery | Passively raises shield block chance. A very important skill: at first you do not see the benefit - block messages drown in the combat log - but add up the health saved by blocks and you will be glad |
| Drain Health | Dark magic with vampirism: decent damage, and 20% of the damage dealt returns to you. Especially effective with Blessed Spiritshots and the Shillien Oracle's Empower |
| Freezing Strike | Slows an enemy charging at you and deals damage. Best with Blessed Spiritshots and Empower |
| Sting | A stinging strike available only to dark warriors of any profession with piercing and blunt weapons. Deals damage and leaves a bleeding wound. Cured by Vitalize from Bishops and Elven Elders and Purify from Shillien Oracles |
| Confusion | Makes an enraged enemy switch to another target if one is nearby. A bit underhanded, but many use it to save their skin. For reliability - Spiritshots and Empower |
| Aggression | Makes the enemy attack you specifically. Essential in a party when a monster goes for your mages, oracles or clerics. Remember: if the support lives, so do you |
| Poison | Poisons the enemy, making the weakened foe much easier to finish |
| Power Break | Lowers the enemy's physical attack by about 20%, noticeably reducing monster damage. Rarely lands without help - use Spiritshots. After the second profession the Power Break + Drain Energy combo helps a lot when soloing |
| Deflect Arrow | A self-buff raising defense against arrows: they break against an invisible shield |
| Focus Mind | Speeds up MP recovery - archers envy it. The Palus Knight has plenty of combat magic but, like any fighter, little mana |
| Ultimate Defense | Your last chance in a critical situation: instantly raises P.Def and M.Def dozens of times, but you cannot move while it is active. The Ultimate Defense + Scroll of Escape combo works well: within its 30 seconds you can read the scroll and escape to the nearest town |
Class change quests
At level 35 you can take the second profession quests: Trial of Duty, Testimony of Fate and Test of Witchcraft. They should pose no problems - stock up on Scrolls of Escape, Haste Potions and Soulshots. Only the golems in Ivory Tower in the last quest may trouble you: they are hard to damage, but you can use magic such as Poison and Drain Energy. Outside help will not hurt either - you only need the last hit. The full route is in Second profession: Shillien Knight.
Shillien Knight gear
Sets from the elite shop (Luxor) in Giran:
| Set | Bonus | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Chain Set | +5% P.Def against knives and daggers; +198 HP with shield | |
| Composite Set | +5795 weight limit; +5.26% M.Def with shield | |
| Full Plate Set | +269 HP; +5.24% shield block with shield | You can only collect it if you know a dwarf Bounty Hunter |
The Luxor shop in Giran takes crystals as payment: you will probably have to crystallize your old armor into D-grade crystals and buy extra C-grade crystals.
Weapons can also be bought for crystals in Giran or from traders in town squares. After level 40 it is better to forget about dual swords if you used them: you have no special skill for them, while your shield block skill is already well developed.
- In Giran: Stormbringer (107/61), Sword of Delusion (139/76).
- The dream of every Shillien Knight from 40 to 52: Samurai Longsword (156/83).
Shillien Knight skills
Cubics
Now your hero no longer has to face hardships alone: fate has given him little helpers - the cubics the profession is famous for.
| Cubic | Effect |
|---|---|
| Summon Poltergeist Cubic | The first cubic: lowers the enemy's physical attack, physical defense and attack speed. A great PvP helper: if the enemy is a fighter, the lowered attack speed can be fatal for him. Summoned with Crystal: D Grade |
| Summon Vampiric Cubic | The second cubic: drains the enemy's life and heals you for 40% of the damage dealt. Summoned with Crystal: D Grade |
| Summon Viper Cubic | The third cubic: poisons the enemy with a very strong poison that takes about half their health. Summoned with Crystal: D Grade |
To summon several cubics you need the passive Cubic Mastery: its second level at level 43 lets you keep 2 cubics at once, and learning it again at level 55 lets you summon 3.
Other skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Life Leech | Vampiric combat magic: half as strong as Drain Energy, but restores 80% of the damage dealt |
| Corpse Plague | A poisoned corpse emits a poison cloud that hits everyone nearby |
| Lightning Strike | The Shillien Knight has no skills to root an enemy in place, but at level 58 he gets this strike: it does not just stun for a couple of seconds but fully paralyzes the enemy and deals serious damage |
| Hate Aura | Provokes nearby monsters to attack you. Like Aggression, it saves party members, but like any area skill it is weaker |
| Hex | Greatly lowers the enemy's physical defense and raises the chance to crit him. A good aid in duels; for reliability - Blessed Spiritshots |
| Guard Stance | Greatly raises physical defense and block chance, but constantly consumes an enormous amount of mana. Use it only in emergencies when you are sure your mana will last the fight |
| Final Fortress | Automatically raises P.Def when health falls to a critical level |
| Aegis | Lets you block blows from any direction with a shield |
| Shield Fortress | Raises shield defense while constantly consuming mana - make sure you have enough left for other skills |
With these skills your character is a worthy opponent and a useful party member. The Shillien Knight is not considered the best tank in the game, but he has an answer to any warrior class. In a party he tanks thanks to good P.Def and the ability to provoke monsters. He is easy to heal, although his health is noticeably lower than other tanks'.
Buffs worth asking for
Buffers usually do not think to give these to a Shillien Knight, but he needs them:
- Empower - raises magic attack. The Shillien Knight is one-third mage, and extra magic power never hurts.
- Acumen - speeds up casting, for the same reasons.
- Concentration - lowers the chance of cast interruption. It seems useless for a warrior, but about 50% of the fight a Shillien Knight fights with magic, and enemy arrows and sword blows interrupt spells.
Combat tactics
Duel (PvP). Thanks to his skills the Shillien Knight is rightly considered one of the best PvP classes, and he is very fun to play. There are many tactics, but the classic scheme is Freezing Strike + Power Break + Hex, then improvise. Although the knight has good physical defense, better not to get close to characters who can stun - you can fight at range too. To perform well, study and love your character, and he will show you how to play him.
Mass battle. In a mass brawl the Shillien Knight does not shine much; his advantage is that he is far from the first to die and can always put a couple of Freezing Strikes on enemy archers. The rest depends on circumstances and luck.
Skill books
Some skills after level 40 are learned from books not sold in shops - they drop from monsters. Hunting for them can be good fun for you and your friends.
| Level | Book | Where | Monster (level) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Life Leech | Dragon Valley area | Fettered Soul (38) |
| 40 | Summon Poltergeist Cubic | Below Ivory Tower | Manashen Gargoyle (40) |
| 40 | Hex | Ivory Tower | Enchanted Monstereye (41) |
| 46 | Corpse Plague | Enchanted Valley | Valley Treant Elder (53) |
| 49 | Summon Vampiric Cubic | Enchanted Valley | Valley Treant (48) |
| 49 | Summon Viper Cubic | Enchanted Valley | Satyr Elder (54) |
| 58 | Lightning Strike | Enchanted Valley | Unicorn Elder (55) |
Original article author: Levriona