Aion Guides: Spiritmaster PvP Guide

This guide explains how to fight against other classes using tips for General situations composed of suggestions from many high level and experienced Korean players.

Foreword

Some of the terms will be explained before the actual guide, so remember them as they will be referred quite often in the guide.

• Greater CC Pots are these: Greater Healing Potion - Items – Aion

Important Note: AionArmory's Database is from 1.0 so skills from it has lower damage/heal values on skills than the 1.2's actual values (Korean Powerbook values are much higher)

PvP Chat Tab Radar

Make sure you drag it out to an easily visible location.
This radar will let you know if any opposing faction members are within just outside of your visible range.

Also, the Wing Restraint Combo: Instant Cast Fear Skill > Restraint > Fear > Wing Root > Disenchantment Burst, Dispel Magic > Fear Shriek > Various DOT > If they come out of the Fear state and attack, use Body Root I - Skills - Aion
Yup, an instant kill combo, you will get The Joker laugh from this.

Fifth, The Spiritmaster

They possess various conditions and Damage-Over-Time skills, as well as pets that guard them.

But they still have low health and armor, considering they have to wear robe. Its a basic for them to use their skills at distance and survive until their opponent gives in.

On a side note, at ground battles you can use your Spirit to fight in different ways, but at flight, it is hard to use them properly. But they can fight Aerial Battles with skills like Wing Root I - Skills – Aion

Useful Skills in PvP

The basic and foremost strategy for Spiritmasters is keeping distance. Since they have many DOT skills that inflict conditions, its best to keep running away until their opponent dies.

• Chain of Earth I - Skills – Aion
• Erosion II - Skills – Aion
• Stone Skin II - Skills – Aion

Tornado of Wrath (Level 45 Stigma) 2s Cast 12s Recharge: Inflicts 357 Wind magical damage to a target within 25m, and inflicts 311 for 8 seconds in 2 second intervals.
Command: Substitution (Level 48) 0s cast 10m Recharge: Your spirit receives all damage you receive.

PS: I'd say its not just that, there's these two that are very useful in PvP (only useful in PvP really)

• Disenchantment Burst I - Skills – Aion
• Wing Root I - Skills – Aion

Tips from Player ? 상실, Server Jikel, Level 50, Asmodian

I wont tell you the order of skills to use in battle. Every SM has a different style, and the situations vary as well, so the list would be endless. Though the most important skills are as follows:

• Chain of Earth
  This skill slows enemys movement, and is recharged when the chain is released.
• Erosion
  A Must skill. For 15 seconds it does continuous damage, pressuring the enemy.
• Tornado of Warth
  Another must have skill. Even though I think the cast time is a bit too long, the effect is great. It is a DOT skill exclusive to SMs. Depending on the situation, use it after you've used Restraint I - Skills - Aion on the enemy.
• Restraint
  Putting this on the enemy will earn you time. They can ofc use a CC pot and come back right away, but you force them to use it and earns you 1-2 seconds, which can be very precious.
  From here, it will depend on how you use this time. I for one use Restraint > Disenchantment Burst > Chain of Earth > Erosion > and after getting some distance, Tornado of Wrath. But if he doesn't use CC pot and keeps himself chained, then I turn him/her into a Spirit. (Fear I - Skills - Aion is the first of these transformation skills, its actually 8-15 duration with 2.5s cast)
  If he uses a CC pot when you are casting this, I quickly cancel it and go with the chain above. Since he used the CC Pot, he cannot defend against the incoming debuffs.
• Command: Substitution
  Must have at ground battles. This skill puts all the damage you receive onto your summon, and this effect really makes the fight against melee classes a whole lot easier. But note that if you go farther than 10m from your spirit this buff will disappear, and lasts for 2 minutes.
  The recharge might seem long since it is 10minutes, but its that good.
• Stone Skin
  Sorcerers and Spiritmasters have this skill. It blocks out damage (upto a certain point) for 4m minutes, but when you meet a class like the Assassin this skill melts away. This is why keeping distance is important regardless. It lasts for 4 minutes, and has a recharge of 2 minutes.
  It is important to keep this up, but minus the recharge this can last for 2 minute more, so dont use it on recharge and keep it on until it has 10-20s of duration left. Or else you will not be able to use it again once it breaks.

Tips from Player ? 류드, Server Kidorun, Level 50, Elyos

Here are the stigmas that SMs use frequently:

• Fear Shriek I - Skills - Aion (13-18 seconds on K-Aion)
• Command: Substitution
• Tornado of Wrath
• Magic Blocking I - Skills - Aion (it is actually 6-8 seconds)
• Disenchantment Burst I - Skills – Aion
• Weaken Spirit I - Skills – Aion

But of course, depending on your setting Badge of Stealth and Command: Wall of Protection I - Skills - Aion are useful as well.
You will need to change stigmas depending on where you are going to fight.

If you are going to be in the Abyss for a while, take out the Command: Substitution. You'll need to fly, and dragging around a spirit that cant fly while using this skill which has a 10m range limit will see very limited uses. So you would end up with Disenchantment Burst, Magic Block, Fear Shriek, Weaken Spirit, and Tornado of Wrath.
Many people look down on the stigma Weaken Spirit, but it is one of the few skills that shoot a single high-damage packet in our skill line.

At Rift PvP, use Command: Substitution, Fear Shriek, Tornado of Wrath, Magic Block, and Disenchantment Burst. Command: Substitution is what makes SM stand out among other classes at ground battles IMO.

PS: Not in AA yet, Badge of Stealth (LvL 40 Stigma) .5s Cast 10m Recharge: Puts you and your party members within 20m range into basic Hide mode. You cannot move or use this in combat.
Also, I'd throw in this skill in the available Stigmas: Body Root I - Skills – Aion.

He listed some weirdo skill that I havent not even seen before most likely a typo to the Wall of Prot, but Im interested in this skill . No comment or description of what class or level can use this skill, most likely an all class usable skill like the Abyss Skills.

Tactics against Gladiators

They charge then unload high damaging attacks. Therefore, it is best to snare and keep distance while putting DOT on them. They do not have as much HP and defense as a Templar, but they are still high.

In the Abyss where they cant use the spirits properly while flying, it is best to keep them on the ground or just pop them out of the sky with Wing Root.

Tips from Player ? 기노모토사쿠라, Server 우르툼, Level 50, Elyos

If you fight them at ground, using these 3 skills well will make it easy

• Fear I - Skills – Aion
• Fear Shriek I - Skills – Aion
• Curse: Fire Spirit I - Skills – Aion

Erase their buffs using Disenchantment Burst and Dispel Magic, use Chain of Earth and Erosion too. If you use a spirit and the Command: Substitution skill, there is a very high chance of winning.
In aerial battles, it will be harder due to the fact that you cant use your spirit there, even with the 3 transformation curses. Use Wing Root to force them on ground or make them crash land, and keep removing their buffs to keep a faster flight speed. Without your spirit, it is not easy to fight a class with high damage and health.

PS: For those of you not familiar with high level Gladiator skills, they have a buff skill called Strengthen Wings that increases flight speed by 50%. He means erase this skill with your buff dispelling magic to keep a distance.
Also note that they can quickly run up to you and instantly inflict Aerial Thrust (only if you are on ground), so watch out for that.

Tactics against Templers

Many suggest how you deal with their Stunning Strike and armor skills will decide the victor.

If you solve this problem, you can just use Chain of Earth and various DOT to slowly pressure them down. The most important thing is how you deal with their Armor of Balance and Iron Skin.

Tips from Player ? 히밤, Server 파시메데스, Level 48, Elyos

They possess various Armor spells and nowadays the magical resistance buff skill, so they resist magic (for the duration of Armor of Interception).
First off, use your Stone Skin and a Shock Scroll (Resists that Stunning Strike). Using Disenchantment Burst and Dispel Magic will most likely leave just Armor of Balance and Iron Skin intact.
If any other buffs are remaining, check if the Armor of Interception is on him, and if it is, then run around while removing his buffs. If not, just use Chain of Earth and various DOT skills.
If you get dragged in by Stunning Strike, use Fear Shriek immediately to get away from the danger. From my experience, if you can take off their buffs, you won't have to use Fear and just deal with them with Chain and DOT.

PS: Armor of Balance: +1000 resistance to Spin, Stumble, Stun, and Knockback for 1 min 30 seconds
Armor of Interception: +800 Magical Resistance for 30 seconds
Iron Skin: Remove all debuff and 50% less damage received for 30 seconds
Stunning Strike: Pulls target 15m in range and slows movement for 10 seconds, recharge 30s.

Tactics against Rangers

The hardest class to deal with is the Ranger. Since they have ranged attacks, it would be meaningless to keep distance. They can also kill you in an explosive burst damage chain, so to a low HP and defense class, they are very hard to defeat.

But really, it will depend on who finds and attacks whom first (lulz grammar winner wtb cookie please Cynic). It is important to keep an eye on your surroundings.

Tips from Player ? Nobel, Server Triniel, Level 50,

They can use the Spiritmasters weakness to its max potential. Keeping distance is useless, and if you get hit by their Stun chain, you will die without even being able to resist. They are the arch nemesis of Spiritmasters.
If you found them first, then you can take them. Using Disenchantment Burst on their Eye skills will severely weaken their burst ability, and therefore you will be able to resist their burst.
After that, you can use various DOTs and the Chain of Earth chain to put pressure. Of course, if you use the instant cast Fear skill (Curse: Fire Spirit I assume), you can win the fight easier, but save that incase you are stuck in a 2 to 1 battle.

But if they found you first, and you've survived their burst chain, then there's many ways you can deal with them. (if you didn't survive their burst chain, then GG)
You can use the instant cast fear skill to get away, or you can use the Wing Restraint Combo to instant kill them.

PS: Even if you've erased their Eye skills, more experienced rangers will still have one eye skill left: Eye of Swiftness, which will let them spike if they can get close. The reason why you use that precious instant cast transformation is because they can silence/sleep you, then come back or just kill you.

Tactics against Assassins

Using Hide ability, Assassins hitting your back has been dangerous to every class in existence.

Especially to SMs with Robe Armors, they can be dangerous enough that you can die without being able to do anything. But if you survive, you can counterattack.

Just live! If you survive, you can win.

Tips from Player ? INRI, Server 프레기온, Level 50, Elyos

This class is all about ambushing the enemy. To withstand it, you need good gears (or you can raise your Magical Resistance to resist their Ambush) If you do get ambushed, its good to look in your RvR Radar Tab, because of the Contract of Evasion.
This skill blocks magic attacks twice, so restraint or instant fear all goes off without taking effect. If you have a good gear and survived or resisted the Ambush, you will get a chance to use one or two instant cast spells. From here, there are 3 ways.

• If you have a Spirit, use Substitution (but note that the damage transfer effect does not occur immediately on use, it has some delay before it takes effect)
• Use instant cast spells (Erosion, Chain of Earth) to erase the Contract, then Instant Cast Transformation.
• If you are about to die, the instant cast transformation (only if you don't see the Contract)

If he was transformed, use Restraint, then Fear, Summon, Weaken Spirit, Fear Shriek, Tornado of Wrath. That will take care of most of them.
If you met each other head-on, the second method is best. But if you were ambushed, you'd go with the third? but the second method can avoid the Contract of Evasion. The best thing about a head-on fight is that you use Substitution before entering range. After you've dealt some damage with Chain of Earth and Erosion, turn him into a spirit, restraint then damage.

Tactics against Sorcerers

Clash with the same Mage School. Here, it is obviously important who disrupts who first.

If you found the Sorcerer first, you can use Magic Blocking and Fear, etc to deal with them easily, but if they found you first, you will 100% receive Soul Freeze, so its best to run.

Tips from Player ? 류드, Server Kidorun, Level 50, Elyos

Though you can catch the caster types Sorcerers with Magic Blocking and Fear, if you get hit by their skill Soul Freeze, you will get silenced for a longer duration (of course, if you packed a CC Pot then it goes away, but if DOTs are stacked on top of it, many times it will not go away even if you use CC Pot. If this happens, don't even look back and run).

If the Sorcerer has his Stone Skin on (After you remove buffs), even if you use the Chain of Earth stun chain, it will be hard to damage them through their protection (if they have it on, they do not get pushed back). Therefore using your buff dispelling magic to erase Stone Skin and other buffs is something you must do.

Tactics against Spiritmasters

The victor will go to whoever attacks first and/or has better gear.

The side that finds the other first can use fear skills then use various damage skills, but if the opponent has high magical resistance, he can avoid getting caught and return fire with the same attack pattern.

Tips from Player ? Nobel, Server Triniel, Level 50, Elyos

In a fight against the same class, finding out the other first and equipment will contribute a lot to winning. You can say the side with high magical resistance will definitely win, and if its regarding skill, whoever hits who with the Wing Restraint Combo has the advantage.
My tip a head-on fight, is that first fill your flight time gauge with consumables, and use Disenchantment Burst. Take their incoming Wing Restraint Combo. Since you've filled your flight time gauge to the max, you wont drop dead. Use your own Wing Restraint Combo then, many times they'll not pay attention to their own flight gauge and would get instant killed from this combo, and since you used your Disenchantment burst earlier, you can damage them directly.

Tactics against Clerics

There isn't an annoying opponent like the Cleric who can keep him/herself clean of our damage DOTs. Even if you send your summon, he can heal and be done with it. Therefore, just ignore them and pass by, or drag the battle and hope you meet a friend of yours. The only way is to use control disruption with fear skills, then dealing damage as fast as possible. But if they resist this, it becomes real hard.

Tips from Player ? Nobel, Server Triniel, Level 50, Elyos

Their anti-condition skill Dispel will keep themselves clean of most of our ability to damage, so there aren't a lot of things to do.
Lets unload a few magical attacks. If it is not resisted, then there is hope!
Keep them on as much DOT as possible, and they would counter with their Dispel skill. Keep this up, and drag their flight time down. And by checking your own flight gauge, you'd know if you use your Wing Restraint Combo, they'd fall and die.
On the other hand, if they resist your first few magical attacks, then their setting is Magical Resistance, and it will be hard to get the instant kill combo started.
Since many Clerics are flocking to the Magical Resistance manastone setting, if you met one like this then immediately flee or meet up with someone from your faction and fight him.
However, the Disenchantment burst does not take the Magical Resistance factor into count, so it will be useful against fleeing M-Resistance Clerics.
If you are highly Magical Resistant yourself, then there is a very little chance you will die against Clerics, so drag the fight on and hope that your faction comes to your aid first.

Tactics against Chanters

Chanters are hard to beat as well, since they possess powerful heals and damage.

When they get in range, they run their ranged missile-skill Penetrating Lock I - Skills - Aion on recharge and stun you. Do whatever to get some distance. Its best to keep dispelling their buffs here and there.

Tips from Player ? Nobel, Server Triniel, Lvl 50, Elyos

They can keep their health up against your DOT damage with their own DOT heals and disrupt your ability to keep a distance using Penetrating Lock.
Against these guys, instead of trying to DOT them down you must try to drop them dead using the Wing Restraint Combo.
Keep your distance, use Disenchantment Burst and Body Root on recharge, and use Magic Blocking to pressure them, and using Wing Restraint Combo will drop their flight gauge rapidly.
Since they do not have the Dispel skill that their Priest counterpart has, they have no choice but to receive debuffs from our spells. Maintain a 25m distance and dry their flight gauge flat.

Spiritmaster PvP Video