Basic AoE Psykeeper Guide

Introduction

If you want to become a powerful AoE Psykeeper capable of face-tanking monsters, this guide is for you. Before we dive in, here are a few notes: This guide are primarily geared toward free-to-play players. This means we’ll be working with minimal equipment—no consumables or high-level items, just a true free-to-play experience. I also assume that you have already reached level 60 with your Magician. If you haven’t reached level 60 yet, We have a 1vs1 Magician guide prepared.

Another crucial point is that this face-tanking AoE guide for Psykeepers works best if you have a Ringmaster to heal you. While it doesn’t have to be your Ringmaster—you can be healed by someone else—it’s essential to have a healer who can keep you topped up. Without a consistent support, you won’t be able to fully utilize the face-tanking potential of Psykeepers. Without healing support, you’ll need to play more defensively, pull fewer monsters, and generally face more difficulties. If you can’t support yourself or find a healer, this playstyle might not be ideal for you.

Stat Points “H”

First, let’s talk about stats. Personally, and we think many others would agree, it’s best to invest fully into INT (Intelligence) stats. By focusing on INT, you achieve a high base damage. You can then obtain the necessary defensive stats through equipment, such as sets and jewelry, which we’ll cover shortly. Going full INT allows you to stay flexible; even if you decide not to face-tank, you can still engage in hit-and-run tactics or 1v1 battles.

Investing too much in defensive stats can limit your 1vs1 damage, making hit-and-run tactics less viable. By focusing on INT, you maintain versatility and avoid the need for frequent resets if you change your playstyle.

Skill Points “K”

The skills you need as a face-tanking AoE Psykeeper are relatively straightforward:

Blinkpool – Essential for movement and pulling monsters.
Crucio Spell (Self Buff) – This skill reflects a portion of the damage back to the monsters. While it doesn’t make a huge difference, it’s a useful support factor, especially at lower levels.
Maximum Crisis – This is your primary AoE skill for face-tanking. It deals damage and has a chance to stun enemies, allowing you to both deal AoE damage and control the battlefield by preventing monsters from attacking.
Psychic Square – Another important skill, used for pulling monsters from a distance. It’s a ranged AoE skill that can pull multiple monsters if they’re clustered together.
Gravity Well – This skill creates a barrier that slows monsters by -80% speed. It’s useful for strategic play but is available only from level 100. It can be helpful, but having a Ringmaster is still preferable.

Additionally, Psychic Wall can be used in certain situations, like giants, but it doesn’t play a significant role in typical AoE face-tanking scenarios.

Skill Awakening

For skill awakening (Scroll of Weapon Bonus), you should prioritize awakening Maximum Crisis on your weapon. This is the skill you’ll use most frequently, so enhancing it will provide the greatest benefit.

Cloak

When choosing a cloak, you have two options: the 8 INT Cloak (Cloak of Wisdom) or the 8 STA Cloak (Cloak of Endurance). At lower levels, you might prefer the 8 STA Cloak for the additional stats. However, for long-term use, the 8 INT Cloak is generally a better choice.

Pets

You can choose between the Fox and the Nightmare pets. The Fox increases your INT (damage), while the Nightmare boosts your HP, which can improve your survivability. Your choice may depend on your gameplay style and whether you have a Ringmaster. If you’re focusing on price-performance, the Nightmare is often a better option for boosting HP at lower levels.

Element

For Psykeepers, element attributes on weapons are not necessary. Psykeepers do not benefit from elemental damage, so you can ignore element upgrades. If someone offers a weapon with Element +10, it’s generally not worth purchasing since it won’t benefit you. However, some players choose elements for the visual appeal, so if that’s important to you, you can consider it.

Sockets

When it comes to sockets, you can choose between Water Card (INT) and Volt Card (Skill Damage). Water Card typically offer more damage but are also more expensive. Volt Cards are more affordable and still provide a decent boost to damage. For free-to-play players, Volt Card offer better value. They also reduce MP consumption, which can be a useful side benefit even though it’s less critical for Psykeepers early on.

Important Buffs from Assist/Ringmaster for AoE Psykeeper

When it comes to buffs from an Assist or Ringmaster for AoE Psykeeper, the sequence can be a bit tricky. The exact buffs you need will depend on the level of your RM or Assist. Initially, you’ll be working on as 1v1 until you reach level 65, at this point you get the AoE skill Maximum Crisis for becoming an AoE Psykeeping. Here are the most crucial buffs you’ll need:

Heap Up – Increases your HP, which is essential for surviving in melee combat.
Patience – Boosts your block rate, making you more resilient to attacks.
Cats Reflex – Enhances your block rate further and increases your agility, which is vital for avoiding damage and performing well in AoE situations.
Haste – Increases your attack speed, allowing you to deal damage more quickly and cast skills like Maximum Crisis more efficiently.

These four buffs are critical. Heap Up and Patience are vital for increasing your survivability, while Cat’s Reflex significantly boosts your block rate, and Haste ensures you can use your skills more effectively. Other buffs, such as Cannon Ball (for block rate) and Accuracy (for hit rate), are less crucial. Mental Sign is good but you need the block, and HP first

Aim to have these five buffs (Heap Up, Patience, Cat’s Reflex, Haste, and Mental Strike) at their maximum level as soon as possible. This may not be feasible until you reach level 65, but you should prioritize getting these buffs to their maximum level as soon as you can.

Jewelry

Jewelry at level 60 can be a bit tricky due to the lack of STA jewelry options from Clockworks. Here’s what you can do:

Intiret +1 Rings – Use these for boosting your damage output. If you can, equip two Intiret +1 rings for a total of 20 INT.
Penseru +1 Earrrings – These are a good choice for additional damage, especially if you’re tanky enough and don’t need extra defense.
Mighteer Earrings – These are a good alternative if you need more Attack, but they might not be as effective as Penseru Earrings for boosting defense.

In general, we would recommend using Intiret+1 rings and Penseru +1 Earrings. Penseru +1. Earrings are affordable and provide a good boost to your defense output, especially at the beginning.

Sets

Let’s dive into the sets. At the beginning, having your set upgraded to +5 with one or two sockets is sufficient. As you progress and accumulate more funds, upgrading your set to +6 can be beneficial, although it’s not crucial. Three sockets are generally better than two, but having four sockets early on can be quite expensive. Most sets with four sockets are at least +6 and often +8, which requires a significant investment, typically several hundred million. Therefore, aim for a +5 set with one or two sockets initially, and as your budget allows, consider upgrading to +8 equipment with four sockets.

Starting Equipment: Clockwork’s Forgiel/Seidel Set (Levels 50-53)

For early equipment, specifically from levels 50 to 53, the Forged Set is recommended. Although it’s not a traditional set and doesn’t provide a set effect, it offers various benefits:

Forgiel/Seidel Helm (50 DEF)
Forgiel/Seidel Armor (5% MP, 50 DEF)
Forgiel/Seidel Gauntlets (10% casting time)
Forgiel/Seidel Boots (10 INT)

This set provides elemental resistances against Water, Fire, Earth, and Lightning, though it lacks resistance to Wind. These resistances are invaluable, allowing you to tank monsters effectively and take minimal damage. The Forgiel/Seidel remains highly effective up to level 105 due to its strong resistances. If you enhance the set with elemental upgrades (e.g., +5 Lightning against water monsters), you’ll further reduce damage, making this set exceptionally effective. We would recommend using this set until at least level 105, as it provides excellent defensive capabilities.

Psykon/Psyuniper Set (Level 105+)

The Psykon/Psyuniper Set becomes available at level 105. This set offers substantial advantages:

7% Def
10% Block Rate
15% HP Rate
10% Critical Resistance
10% Magic Defense
10% Casting Time

The increased block rate, HP rate, and critical resistance make it a better stronger choice than Forgiel/Seidel Set. The Psykon/Psyuniper Set also has the potential for higher upgrades (e.g., +8 or even +10) compared to the Forgiel/Seidel Set. If you focus on block rate, the Psykon/Psyuniper Set is a valuable upgrade from the Forgiel/Seidel Set.

Twilight/Eclipse Set (Level 120+)

Starting at level 120, the Twilight/Eclipse Set offers:

15% Casting Time
15% PvE Damage Reduction
15% PvE Damage
25% HP Rate
10% Block Rate

This set is the ultimate face-tank set

Peinn/Penel Set (Level 135+)

Now we have a odd maybe unexpected mention. At level 135, the Peinn/Penel Set offers:

30% Casting Time
10% Speed
10% Attack

This set significantly boosts cast time reduction, which is essential for maximizing damage output as a magician. Although it sacrifices some defensive stats compared to the Twilight/Eclipse Set, the increased casting time is crucial for faster spellcasting. If you can reach 200% casting time with this set, it will greatly enhance your damage output, potentially allowing you to switch to a tankier weapon to balance out the defensive loss.

Shields

When it comes to shields, their primary role is to provide awakening bonuses rather than their inherent stats. Here’s a rundown of the options:

Ancient Shield (all stats+4): Initially, this is a solid choice. If you find a good one with a beneficial awakening, it can serve you well.
Shield of Iblis (all stats+5): This shield is a good option if you can find one that is both affordable and an effective awakening. Finding a high-quality, cost-effective Shield of Iblis is challenging, but not impossible.
Azure Shield: (all stats+7): Is a good choice.
Coral Shield (all stats+10): Available from level 150, it’s currently very rare and expensive. It’s the next best shield after the Shield of Evil.
Lusaka’s Shield: This is considered the ultimate shield, especially when upgraded to +10. It offers 5% additional DEF, 5% Block Rate, all stats +10 and substantial DEF values. However, it’s extremely expensive and might be out of reach for many players.

Awakening Priorities: The most crucial stat to focus on for shields is Block Rate. Ideally, you should aim for an overall 75% Block Rate (the maximum Block Rate), though achieving this might not be feasible for Psykeepers. A shield with 15%, 14%, 13%, or as high as possible Block Rate can make a significant difference in your tanking ability. Block Rate is a crucial defensive stat, and maximizing it should be a top priority.

Weapons

For Psykeepers, it’s essential to use a wand. Here’s why: Psykeeper skills can only be executed with a wand, not a staff. Similarly, Elementor skills require a staff. Thus, your choice of weapon is dictated by the class-specific skills you need to use.

Weapon Choices:

Guardian Wand (Level 60): This wand reduces casting time by 10% and is a budget-friendly option if you are short on funds. However, it’s not the best among guardian weapons.
Branch of Rhisis (Level 45): This green wand also provides a 10% casting time and is a good alternative if you have access to it.
Rune Wand (Level 57): Offers 10% casting time and can be dropped from regular monsters.
Historic Wand (Level 75): Provides 15% casting time, 10 INT,
Legendary Golden Wand: Provides 20% casting time, 15 INT, and 5% Attack
Bloody Wand: Provides 25% casting time, Steal HP 0.8%, and 15% Attack

At Level 150 the Lamprey’s Wand (Wand of Hernes): Provides 23~28% casting time, 23~28 INT, and 15~20% Attack.

This is generally considered the best option for AoE classes. Although it might offer less casting time compared to the Bloody Wand, it provides a 4~9% chance to trigger Water Bomb. This skill deals additional AoE damage based on your main attribute, making it highly beneficial for AoE damage output.

However, Lamprey’s Wand can be quite expensive, and if you can’t afford it, don’t stress. You can use other options like the Bloody Wand in the meantime. Remember that high casting time is crucial, so losing casting time for additional HP is generally not recommended unless absolutely necessary.

AoE Psykeeper Playstyle

Here’s a brief on how to effectively play as an AoE Psykeeper:

Skills to Use: The primary skills for AoE Psykeepers are Blinkpool and Psychic Square. Blinkpool helps with movement speed, making it easier to maneuver and pull monsters. Psychic Square is used to pull multiple monsters at once.
Rotation and Positioning: After pulling the monsters, position yourself as close as possible (but not too close) and spam Maximum Crisis. This skill, combined with Gravity Well, will keep the monsters stunned and maximize your damage output.
Stunning and Damage: Use Gravity Well to stun monsters before they reach you. This setup allows you to deal damage with Maximum Crisis while minimizing the risk of getting hit. The combination of stuns and slow from Gravity Well helps manage large groups of monsters effectively.
Set Choices: High-level players often choose the 130 set for increased casting time, which is beneficial when using skills like Maximum Crisis and Gravity Well. The goal is to reach 200% casting time for optimal performance.
Alternative Strategies: If you face issues with HP or defense, consider using alternative weapons like Angel Wands or Mystical Silver Wands, though this will come at the cost of reduced cast time. Use these alternatives only if absolutely necessary, as maintaining high cast time is crucial for effective gameplay.

Overall, focus on maximizing your casting time while balancing defensive stats through gear and awakenings. Efficient gameplay involves using skills in synergy to manage and damage large groups of monsters effectively.

Source: The Guide was originally explained by Spielestyler in his YouTube video in German.