The IceDrakes Full Cleric Guide

The cleric is the main support character in the game. You don't have the ability to tank most of the bosses because the physical damage will grind you into dust. People say that you can't deal as much damage as a wizard, I find this point debatable if you have the right build. Playing a cleric requires less skill than other classes, but your abilities will be defined by how you build it. Clerics are not huge on solo play, but you'll make lots of friends playing a cleric.

Your Role
Your role in a party will be healing the tank and squad, debuffing powerful monsters, reviving, and supporting the offensive front. Pushing too much towards attacking and debuffing leaves your heals in vain - too much to heals makes your attack and debuff suffer. Balancing both is the way to be a good cleric, choosing one or the other is not. With this in mind, also pay special attention to the builds below.

Skill Points

 * Mag - Magic : (1 Mag = + magic attack based on your level and equipment magic attack)


 * Str - Strength : (no special attribute worth mentioning for clerics)


 * Will be let at a minimum to meet your armor's requirements. Usually equals putting 0.5 Str every level for magic robes, 1 Str for light armors, and 2.5 Str for heavy armors.


 * Dex - Dexterity : (20 Dex = 1% critical rate)


 * Neither the additional evasion rate nor the higher critical rate are high enough to compare with the magic attack and defense you gain from Mag. Hence your Dex should never exceed the minimum amount required for your armor. That usually equals putting 1 Dex every level for light armors, 0.5 Dex for heavy armors, and of course 0 for magic robes.
 * Note: Magic never misses so there is no point in increasing your accuracy. My recommendation is to get it to 20 while in the early levels to increase your crit rate and then leave it there.


 * Vit - Vitality : (1 Vit = 10 HP)


 * It might be tempting to put some points into it in the early levels, but it totally obliterates your damage output later when each point of Mag gets more and more valuable. Plus, the amount of HP you gain from Vit is simply too low to make any difference. Let it at 5 or if you have the cash to spare, decrease it to 3 by restatting. Getting the lacking HP solely through your equipment will be much more effective.

Note: 30-50 Vit before level 90 (optional reset after) will let you save some money/effort because you wont be forced to refine/shard too much for PvE purposes (Soulbanisher from TT, RB Gamma under lvl 80). For PvP purposes (especially PKing in squad or 'cata-team' member in Territory War) clerics cap their Vit from 5 to 150. Remember, a dead cleric heals no one.

Builds
There are a number of builds you can play as a cleric. The most common (and known, to my knowledge) are as follows:


 * Pure Mag:


 * This is the most common build. (Best in my opinion.) Only enough Strength for your equipment and dump the rest into Magic. You see big numbers pop up on your opponent, and big ones pop up on you. Your healing output is superb. You also die in 2 hits to most bosses after level 70, so caution is advised. The really cool part is that you can take out most mobs before they get to you, and it is nearly impossible to KS a cleric of this build with proper skills. I have had people try, I have not had anyone succeed yet that was reasonably near my level range.


 * Stats:
 * 9 Magic and 1 Strength for every 2 levels.
 * Note: there are NO points to HP in this build, the increased defense from the Mag points makes up for it somewhat.


 * Armor:
 * Arcane
 * Ornaments:
 * Physical defense necklaces + belts and +magic attack rings ONLY


 * Hybrid: 


 * This is probably the second most common build. You add at least enough Strength and Magic for your weapons and armors, then drop some into Vitality. This is mainly for those that want to solo everything, or don't deal well with dying occasionally.


 * Stats:
 * At least 6 Magic and 1 Strength every 2 levels. You have 3 extra points to distribute as you please.
 * Keep in mind, that points to Dex have almost no benefit to you at all.


 * Armor:
 * Arcane
 * Ornaments:
 * Physical defense necklaces + belts and +magic attack rings ONLY


 * Light Armor: 


 * More physical defense, but also a more restricted build. You give up the ability to add Vitality when you need/want it for some physical defense. It's good, in its own way. This build has a slightly higher critical hit rate, and the ability to wear both light armor and arcane. Versatile, yes, but the damage you are able to deal is very lacking. Also keep in mind that your healing power is tied to your base damage so they will suck too.

Build is dedicated to endgame, where high refines of weapon and armor will make up for points lost in Str and Dex.


 * Stats:
 * 6 Magic, 2 Strength, and 2 Dexterity every 2 levels.


 * Heavy Armor: (Not common, but just had to say it. Someone somewhere has done this I am sure.)


 * So, you wanna be a rock eh? Should think about building a barb or a BM. I don't see a HA cleric doing anything but sitting and casting Ironheart on himself while the squad, (yes, squad, not gonna get very far hitting things with your fists, you only have enough mana to keep yourself almost healed,) does all the work. The only purpose I see for this is to be used as bait. Might as well put all the points to HP and walk around naked.


 * Stats:
 * A lot of Strength, a lot of Dexterity, little Magic. Ummm, Clerics are supposed to use Magic right? OK. Next section.

Skills
This is my opinion on skills. I can only say what I, SylenThunder, think you should have, it's really only a personal preference. Please do note, however, that what I have written here is based on personal experience. I have made my mistakes and learned from them. That is largely what led to me writing this guide, the Skills section is the most critical part of this guide because the skills that you have, and the level of those skills, will determine your effectiveness in the cleric role that you choose to play.

(Read here for a more in-depth explanation of the individual skills):

Every skill is connected to a tree (except masteries), and the previous skill must be learned beforehand.

Masteries

 * Flight Mastery


 * Learned at level 9
 * Mastered at level 54


 * Up to you, really. If you want an "almost-free" pair of +2 wings (this only works with the white wings), then by all means, get it. Note: almost-free means that you don't spend real money in the boutique for these. You will still be wasting a lot of valuable spirit points on it.


 * Metal Mastery


 * Learned at level 29
 * Mastered at level 74


 * This mastery does not show its use until after your metal attacks are already maxed. Not a priority. Level it when you have spirit and coin to spare.

Tree 1: The Healing Tree

 * Blessing of the Purehearted - (BotP)


 * Learned at level 1
 * Mastered at level 45


 * A long channeling, long casting heal. Heals a lot, yes, but a very, very situational heal. Leaving it at 1 will not hurt you. In fact, it is recommended because this skill is just about the most useless one available to you. It can be handy in the very early levels, but I wouldn't take it past 3 until MUCH later in the game. Cast it only when you have plenty of time to spare.
 * Note: Leveling this spell doesn't hurt much - when maxed it heals same amount of HP as 2 Wellspring Surges in a row, but slightly faster and for less mana. Though on higher levels you will choose to use Stream of Rejuvenation instead of it, so it still is 'worst' heal, but not so useless like many people say.


 * Sage version has a 25% lower mana cost.
 * Demon version has a 25% chance to recover 5% of maximum MP.


 * Ironheart Blessing - (IH)


 * Learned at level 6
 * Mastered at level 51


 * The bread and butter of the healing tree. Heals over the course of 15 seconds. And the effect of this spell is also stackable, making it a vital part of how we defeat certain bosses. Keeping maxed for your level is an absolute must.


 * Sage version recovers an additional 10% more HP.
 * Demon version also recovers 300 MP over 15 seconds.


 * Wellspring Surge - (WS)


 * Learned at level 9
 * Mastered at level 54


 * A quick heal. This is one of your more important heals, second to Ironheart of course, but having it maxed early is not advisable. It heals small amount, but instantly. It's great for that pick-me-up after the mob is dead. I don't recommend raising it above level 3 until you are at least in your 50's. You have a lot more important things to spend your spirit points on.


 * Sage version reduces channeling time to 1.2 seconds.
 * Demon version gains an additional 20% Chi with each cast.


 * Revive - (Res/Rez)


 * Learned at level 19
 * Mastered at level 64


 * The only one in the game. It's useless to yourself, but everybody you resurrect with it maxed will love you. Leveling is up to you, but if you don't keep it up, don't go around resurrecting people. They won't be happy.


 * Sage version extends range to 40 meters.
 * Demon version cuts channeling time in half.


 * Purify


 * Learned at level 29
 * Mastered at level 74


 * Leveling it a lot early is not recommended, but getting to at least 5-7 by level 60-69 is a must (though you don't need to hurry if you are not planning to AoE grind). You should have it to level 10 by your 80's. It's the key to our fabled AoE-poison grind and the only way to defeat certain bosses. Leveling it decreases the cool down time and increases range.


 * Sage version reduces casting time to 0.5 seconds and reduces cooldown time to 1 second.
 * Demon version does not consume Chi when cast.


 * Chromatic Healing Beam - (CHB)


 * Learned at level 39
 * Mastered at level 75


 * Your AoE heal. It heals everybody within a certain radius, healing power and radius climbing with every level. Its uses are limited to squad play and FBs. The hardest part about using this skill is that the BMs and barbs never hang around long enough to get hit with it, they are usually running off to the next mob when you're halfway through casting. Use it when more than 2-3 DDs are getting hits, otherwise heal with single heals. You don't need to hurry with maxing this skill level it slower than other, more important skills.


 * Sage version extends area of effect by 5 meters.
 * Demon version recovers an extra 600 HP.


 * Stream of Rejuvenation - (SoR)


 * Learned at level 49
 * Mastered at level 85


 * This heal has the potential to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's a mixture of Wellspring Surge and Ironheart Blessing - heals a lot quickly and some over time. The downfall? It cost a lot of mana. Don't worry about leveling it for a while, getting 1 level is enough for now. Leveled and with channeling reductions, it can be even better than IH on high bosses.


 * Sage version gains 30% extra Chi with each cast.
 * Demon version temporarily grants the target an additional 100% bonus to equipment's physical defense.


 * Regeneration Aura - (BB)


 * Learned at level 59


 * AKA: Blue Bubble, or BB. Reduces all damage taken by squad members in a radius around you by 50%, and heals them every 5 seconds. It is a must for every cleric, get it as soon as it's available.


 * Heaven's Wrath - (RB)


 * Learned at level 59


 * AKA: Red Bubble, or RB. Increased damage bonus by 100% (1/2 spark) and attack and channeling speed by 20% of everybody in a radius around you. Not as high of a requirement as BB, but getting it won't hurt either. With two clerics and an DD squad, a BB / RB combo totally rocks on bosses and zhen.

Tree 2: The Buffing Tree

 * Vanguard Spirit - (VS)


 * Learned at level 9
 * Mastered at level 36


 * An important buff. Maxed out it adds a whopping 60% of your base physical defense to your physical defense. A very important skill. Max it when you can; but don't put it over your attacks and heals.


 * Sage version grants the target an additional 100% physical defense over 10 seconds.
 * Demon version: Both you and the target have a 25% chance to gain 25 Chi.


 * Magic Shell - (MS)


 * Learned at level 16
 * Mastered at level 43


 * Another important buff, though not as important as Vanguard Spirit. Max it early, but don't put it over your previous buffs, attacks, or heals.


 * Sage version increases the target's channeling speed by 20% for 10 seconds.
 * Demon version: Both you and the target have a 25% chance to gain 25 Chi.


 * Celestial Guardian's Seal - (CGS)


 * Learned at level 23
 * Mastered at level 50


 * People debate its usefulness. Personally, I love this buff. Makes things a lot quicker, in my opinion. Maxing early, however, is not recommended. Wait until you're in your 60s to max it, it costs too much so early. Never put this over your previous buffs, attacks or heals.


 * Sage version recovers 1200 HP over 15 seconds.
 * Demon version recovers 900 MP over 15 seconds.


 * Spirit's Gift - (SG)


 * Learned at level 29
 * Mastered at level 56


 * Adds a lot to your magic attack, very useful. I would level this over Celestial Guardian. Though, again, don't level it over your previous buffs, (excluding celestial guardian,) attacks, or heals.


 * Sage version adds 900 MP over 15 seconds.
 * Demon version grants an additional 150% to magic attack for the first 10 seconds.


 * Greater Protective Aura


 * Learned at level 39


 * AoE version of Vanguard Spirit. Last 30 minutes longer. Getting it is up to you, though it does save mana in a full squad.


 * Aegis Spirit


 * Learned at level 46


 * AoE version of Magic Shell. Last 30 minutes longer. Getting it is up to you, though it does save mana in a full squad.


 * Exalted Renewal


 * Learned at level 53


 * AoE version of Celestial Guardian. Last 30 minutes longer. Getting it is up to you, though it does save mana in a full squad.


 * Arcane Empowerment


 * Learned at level 59


 * AoE version of Spirit's Gift. Last 30 minutes longer. Getting it is up to you, though it does save mana in a full squad.

Tree 3: The Damage Tree

 * Plume Shot -


 * Learned at level 1
 * Mastered at level 45


 * Your basic attack. It's power comes from your magic attack, though the damage is physical. A deadly attack. Max this to your level. It is one of the only attacks that will help you against metal mobs, the other is razor feathers.


 * Sage version does an additional 800 damage.
 * Demon version reduces both channel and cooldown times to 1.2 seconds.


 * Plume Shell -


 * Learned at level 9
 * Mastered at level 54


 * Your only defense against physical attacks. Maxed converts 80% of incoming physical damage into hits on your mana. It will save your life, and is a must when you hit 60. Leveling it slowly will be fine.


 * Sage version always absorbs 85% of incoming damage.
 * Demon version only requires 15 Chi.


 * Razor Feathers -


 * Learned at level 23
 * Mastered at level 68


 * Your first AoE-ish attack. Though I think this spell is golden, and it's the key to our AoE grind, although leveling it early is not recommended. Never level this over your more important heals and attacks. Its damage is also physical, dealing almost twice as much as plume shot. A well timed razor feather will leave an opponent arcane wearer in the dirt. Level 1 will suffice until after 40.


 * Sage version extends area of effect radius by 2 meters.
 * Demon version reduces cooldown to 6 seconds.


 * Elemental Seal -


 * Learned at level 19
 * Mastered at level 64


 * Though I believe this skill to be useful, leveling it early, (and by early, I mean before the 60s when there are much better skills,) is not recommended. It takes a small amount of magic defense from your opponent, keep in mind that it does the same to you as well. Useless on normal monsters, but on bosses does wonders.


 * Sage version always lasts 25 seconds.
 * ''Demon version only reduces your magic defense for 15 seconds.


 * Dimensional Seal -


 * Learned at level 29
 * Mastered at level 74


 * See above description for Elemental Seal. But keep in mind that other classes have same or better physical debuff (which your will overwrite).


 * Sage version increases physical defense reduction duration on the enemy to 25 seconds.
 * Demon version decreases physical defense reduction duration on you to 15 seconds.


 * Silence Seal -


 * Learned at level 39
 * Mastered at level 75


 * This skill doesn't shine in PvE, really. It's useful, but has a high chance of breaking. In PvP, it could be used to put a physical based opponent at bay for a short time, but they have the ability to break the seal. Ignore this until you actually think it's worth your time.


 * Sage version extends freeze effect by 2 seconds.
 * Demon version does not reduce your attack damage.


 * Chromatic Seal -


 * Learned at level 49
 * Mastered at level 85


 * Puts your opponent to sleep. Level 1 is 12 seconds. This seal can break like the Silent Seal when your squadmates are DDing on the mob. When you are solo, it provides ample time to heal yourself, run away, debuff, charge up a long-casting skill, etc. As soon as you hit whoever you used this seal on it will be awoken. Level 1 will suffice for a long time.


 * Sage version extends the sleep duration by 4 seconds.
 * Demon version causes no reduction to speed.

Tree 4: The Metal Damage Tree

 * Great Cyclone -


 * Learned at level 3
 * Mastered at level 48


 * It channels fast, cast fast, slows your opponent, and does significant damage. Damn, a skill can do all that? Sliced Bread. Max immediately. This is your most used attack.


 * Sage version reduces enemy's speed by 45% and increases effect duration by 1 second.
 * Demon version does an extra 600 damage.


 * Thunderball -


 * Learned at level 16
 * Mastered at level 61


 * DoT metal attack. Though I'm unsure of its true purpose, it is a decent skill when maxed. However, there are more important skills at this level. Save leveling it for a lot later. Just for comparison, at level 67, (full Arcane,) I get about 3-5K total damage from Thunderball at level 6, and 7-10k damage from Wield Thunder which is also at level 6.  I SO wish I had left it alone and spent the spirit elsewhere.


 * Sage version does an extra 15% Metal damage.
 * Demon version reduces the duration of the damage over time to 12 seconds.


 * Siren's Kiss -


 * Learned at level 29
 * Mastered at level 74


 * It has a very wide ranged AoE effect around you, has a chance to freezes your opponent for a short time, and deals significant damage. It doesn't add damage from your weapon, however, so it doesn't hit as high as other skills; and it uses a spark. 1 level is enough for a while, move on. I mostly use it when in a pinch with multiple mobs on me. I'm also Ironhearting a lot at this point. I'm at level 78 and have only brought this to level 3.


 * Sage version has a 25% chance to cast without consuming Spark.
 * Demon version reduces cooldown time to 10 seconds.


 * Wield Thunder -


 * Learned at level 44
 * Mastered at level 80


 * Our only non-chi nuke. Does significantly more damage than Plume Shot and Great Cyclone, but it comes with a hefty channeling time and a large mana cost. If you are in a PvP server, maxing is a must. When you do start leveling this, (40's is what I recommend,) I can deal quite a massive amount of damage, but because of cast time, I recommend it to be a starter shot.


 * Sage version has a 50% chance to gain additional 30 Chi on a successful hit.
 * Demon version reduces enemy's Metal resistance by 30% for 10 seconds.


 * Tempest -


 * Learned at level 59
 * Mastered at level 86


 * The hardest hitting, most devastating, and most beautiful spell we have. This is a chi skill, and it's totally worth it. It hits significantly harder than anything else we have, but it comes at a very heavy price. Leveling this early is a big no-no. Get it to level 1, of course, but leveling it up before the other important skills around this level? No. Save your SP for something else right now.


 * Sage version has a 50% chance to cast with only one Spark consumed.
 * Demon version has a 25% chance to freeze enemies for 8 seconds.

Gameplay
Make sure, whether you're fighting monsters or players, to always have your buffs activated.

Your gameplay is quite simple and based around what you're doing. Healing? Keep the person that is taking damage alive. Archer or Veno in the squad? Watch out for them, they have a habit of stealing aggression from your tank.

People often question the solo ability of a cleric. I personally find it to be one of the easiest classes to solo with. If the monster is physical and you can't kill it before it hits you, kite it by exclusively using Great Cyclone and Plume Shell. Magic monster? Doesn't matter, their magic is null on your amazing arcane robes (assuming you took that route); drop a heal after or stack Ironheart a few times before a fight, you'll be fine.

In player vs. player, you usually have an easy time with most classes (unless they get the drop on you, then you might as well start praying). Plume shell against physical opponents, plume shot and razor feathers against robes, remember to heal yourself. I cannot stress that enough. A cleric does not have the defense of a barbarian, the evasion of an archer, or the ability to dodge attacks like a wizard. Healing is your advantage. Use it.

In Territory Wars (TW), PvP or PvE, your job is simple: keep your squad alive, revive when needed, buff if they wear off/after res. On occasion, when you see your team is fine, drop a few debuffs/attacks on your opponents. Seal/Sleep pesky barbarians, blademasters and archers. I would recommend flying when moving to a squad member if you know it will help get there easier, but don't if there's a lot of patrol in the skies.

Grinding
As your level increases, the exp from questing diminishes until eventually grinding takes over the most part of your time. A Full Arcane Cleric can sometimes be a pain to level, so you need to look out for special spots which are best suited for your strengths. Until level 75, it's best to grind on nearby magic or poison mobs, preferably in the air or underwater since they give much more exp on average, and are also more spaced out for higher security from aggro spawns.


 * Level 37 – 44: : Native Vipion level 41, flying poison mob. Location: North of Swiftwind Tribe.


 * Level 45 – 52: : Evolved Vipion level 50, flying poison mob. Location: Around the Elf, Untamed and Human starter towns.


 * Level 53 – 57: : Vipion Revolutionary level 54, flying poison mob. Location: City of Misfortune.


 * Level 58 – 62: : Foxwing Supreme level 60, flying magic mob. Location: North of Tusk Town, or around the starter towns for non-aggro. Best is north of Broken Bridge Village.


 * Level 63 – 64: : Vampiric Nightstalker level 62, flying magic mob. Location: Village of the Dreaming Cloud.


 * Level 65 – 70: : Minion of Alucard level 68, flying magic mob. Location: Swamp of the Wraiths, around the Altar of Disbelief.


 * Level 71 – 74: : Carrion Vulture level 72, wood element flying magic mob. Location: Fragrant Hills, north of Sanctuary.


 * Level 75 – 82: : Mothran Dazzlewing level 80, wood element flying magic mob. Location: Lake of Woe, west of Dream Weaver Port. This is where the famous butterfly parties start: A group of 6 people using an exp scroll and killing as many butterflies as they can during 1 full hour. It's considered the cheaper alternative to AoE, as the exp reward is enormous compared to normal grinding.


 * Level 83 – 90: : Ultrafin Supreme level 88. Location: Sea of Isolation. Fish parties work the same as the butterflies. Alternatively, if you don't find enough people for your squad, you can solo AoE at the level 85 poison mobs called Malicious Cadevil, east of Thousand Streams. Be aware that their stacked poison can be quite strong, so I advise you to max purify to avoid any casualties.