TERA: Lancer PVE Guide

Introduction

Want to create a fast, mobile character with high DPS? Then this class is not for you, go make a Warrior; but if you are looking for fun and a challenge, then Lancer is your class!

Table of Contents

1. Equipment
2. Crystal Setup
3. Skills and Glyphs
4. Skill Rotations and Tips
5. Consumables
6. Positioning
7. Conclusion
8. References

Equipment

The newest sets are Nightforge, Wonderholme, Strikeforce and Steadfast, so you should focus on getting any of these sets instead of going for Agnitor/Abyss/Queens Wrath/Regent/Temple sets, which are good as sleeper sets.

Weapon

Nightforge (PvE) Weapon:

Strikeforce Weapon:

1. Your attacks draw X% more aggro.
2. Increases your attack speed by X%.
3. You deal X% extra damage to the target with the highest aggro to you.
4. Increases your crit rate by X.
5. Decreases cooldown by X%.

Don't forget, your goal is not to DPS, leave it to DPS classes. Your role is to draw as much aggro as you can, so the other party members can DPS continuously.

Chest

1. Increases the damage of Spring Attack by 15%.
2. Reduces damage by X%.
3. Damage from enraged monsters decrease by X%.
4. Raises max HP by X%.
5. Heals additional HP by X% when recieving HP recovery effect.

The 'best combination' of rolls on the chest can be very different, depending on the playstyle.

Gloves

For offense:

1.  Increase attack speed by X%
2.  Power increases by X
3.  Increases your crit rate by X

For tanking:

1.  Increase attack speed by X%
2.  Increases monster aggro by X%
3.  Increases your crit rate by X

PvE Boots

(image will be replaced by another one of nightforge +12 PvE boots)

1.  Increases movement speed by X%
2.  Restore X% of your HP every 5 seconds
3.  Reduces slowing effects by X%

Earrings

Zenith Earrings

• Raise max HP by X%
• Decreases duration of stun effects by X%
• Decreases poison damage by X%

'Raise max HP' stat is very useful for tanking, obviously, the more HP you have, the less risk of getting killed by the monsters. 'Decreases stun duration' stat can be useful as well. ex. Kelsaik's Nest - having two earrings with stun duration reduction will allow you to block Kelsaik's big jump.

You can get stunned by Bandersnatch and it is important to be able to move again and continue tanking as soon as possible.

'Decreases poison damage' stat is good for Manaya's Core debuff mechanics or Bandersnatch's (WH) wide range AoE poison attacks.

 

Necklace

Zenith Necklace

1. Your attacks draw X% more aggro

Zenith set is dropped by the last boss (Barbosa) of Shattered Fleet and Kerkion in Channelworks.

 

The only useful (rerollable) stat you need on the necklace is the aggro bonus. (For solo play it is useful to have/use a necklace with dmg bonus, but as a tanking class, drawing aggro should be your first goal.)

Rings

Heart's defense is the real tanker's ring. If you don't have or didn't get yet, try to equip Seasoned Noctenium Ring. These items are BoP (Bind on Pickup) and are dropped by the BAM monster in Vault of Flames/Winter/Seas or Vault of Allies (accessible in set times (different in other alliances) by the teleport NPC in alliance halls).

Crystal Setup

It's important...no...its VERY important to have the right crystal setup, otherwise you won't be able to tank properly.

Party Play

Weapons:

•  Fine Threatening Crux x4

Using this setup on weapon means +60% aggro which is a HUGE difference. Lancers are not DPS classes (though it is possible to reach somewhat high dmg in some cases), so if you don't use threatening cruxes, you probably won't be able to hold aggro against DPS classes in your party.

•  Fine Threatening Crux x3
•  Fine Focused Crux x1

Another option is the usage of Fine Threatening  Cruxes and Fine Focused Crux. Monsters often enrage, and higher damage draws more aggro. I would recommend using this setup only if you have bonus aggro stats rolled on the weapon.

In some cases it is extremely hard to hold aggro of a boss from the beginning until the end. Let's use Nightmare One-Eyed Jack ("Clown") in Wonderholme Hard Mode as an example. Even with a "perfect" setup of crystals you may have a hard time holding aggro against the other (typically 7) DPS party members. You should expect aggro to be ripped from you at times, but how fast you can get aggro back is what defines a good tank.

Chest Armor:

•  Anarchic Crux x4

Why? If you are doing your job really well, all the mobs/bosses will be attacking you. Every Lancer makes mistakes sometimes, that is why boss damage decreasing effect is very useful.

Solo play

Weapons:

For BAMs:

•  Mutinous Crux x4

Bored of killing trash mobs, and want something bigger? If you are going to solo BAMs (open-world or instance bosses), use Mutinous Cruxes to make your rotations more effective.

For normal mobs:

•  Hunter's Crux x4

Lancers can have fun soloing, since it is quite easy with this class. If you are about to clear an instance with lots of mobs, or just farming normal monsters (or questing), you should use Hunter's Cruxes in your weapon.

Chest Armor:

For BAMs:

•  Anarchic Crux x4

For normal mobs:

•  Stalwart Crux x4

Jewellery:

Party play:

•  Pristine Threatening Zyrk x4

Each zyrk increases your aggro by 3% for a total of 12%. Pristine Threatening Zyrks can be purchased at the Hyderad Legacy merchant in Bastion.

Solo play:

•  Pristine Powerful Zyrk x4

Power means higher dmg (+0.6% / 1 power), obviously good to use. Pristine Powerful Zyrks can be purchased at the Shariar merchant in Zulfikar Fortress.

Skills and Glyphs

Icon	Name	Level	MP Cost	Cooldown	Description
	Stand Fast	1	30	-	Block frontal attacks with your shield. Damage reduction depends on your equipment. Reduces damage as long as you hold down the skill button. Allies behind you also get damage reduction.
	Combo Attack I	1	0	-	Strike one or more targets in front of you, and gain MP with each hit. Successive strikes do more damage, up to three hits, with the third hit dealing substantially more.
	Shield Barrage I	2	75 75	4sec	Move forward, attacking target with your shield. Repeat the attack up to 2 hits, and the last hit may briefly stun your target.
	Spring Attack I	4	300	4sec	Leap to your foe and strike a hard blow. You can activate this skill faster if you first use Shield Bash, Shield Barrage, or the third consecutive hit of Combo Attack.
	Shield Bash	6	200	25sec	Briefly stun one or more foes.
	Charging Lunge	8	200	10sec	Charge a short distance and impale your target.
	Retaliate I	12	0	15sec	Leap to your feet while attacking the target. You can only use this skill when knocked down.
	Second Wind I	14	360	1min	Instantly replenish X HP.
	Challenging Shout I	18	300	10sec	Draw the attention of enemies within 10m, increasing their aggro towards you.
	Onslaught I	20	500	11sec	Rush your foe and lunge repeatedly. You are less likely to be knocked down or immobilized, and you only take half damage.
	Guardian Shout	22	400	5min	Adds 91% to Endurance of other group members within 20m for 30sec. Does not apply to you. Effect ends if you are knocked down.
	Shield Counter I	26	230	5sec	Gain a chance to shield-thump your foe while using the Stand Fast skill. You can't be knocked down or immobilized, and you take half damage while using the skill.
	Leash I	26	200	40sec	Throw a magical hook and chain that pulls one enemy within 18m towards you. Not effective on huge opponents.
	Debilitate	28	150	3.5sec	Briefly weaken the Endurance of your foes by 3%. Effect stacks up to three times.
	Wallop	28	300	10sec	Jump forward and hammer the ground with your shield to inflict damage with a chance of stunning your targets. You can activate this skill faster if you first use Charging Lunge, Shield Barrage, Debilitate, Shield Counter, or Spring Attack.
	Menacing Wave	32	300	30sec	Blast a wave that briefly decreases movement and attack speed of all targets within 7m by 30%.
	Iron Will I	36	250	20sec	Your iron will absorbs X damage, consuming 1 MP for every X damage absorbed. Effect ends when you absorb damage beyond the limit, when you run out of MP, or after 10sec.
	Master's Leash	42	100	45sec	Throw another hook to pull the target nearer. You can use this skill only after using Leash.
	Leash: Master's Leash (Passive)	42	-	-	You can follow up with the Master's Leash skill after you use Leash.
	Lockdown Blow	46	200	15sec	Deliver a crippling attack in front of you, briefly decreasing the target's speed by 30%.
	Infuriate	50	0	5min	Infuriate all monsters within 10m and increase your aggro to the maximum amount. Cast time of 1.3sec.
	Pledge of Protection	56	300	1min	Absorb 35% of damage done to other group members within 20m for 12sec by taking it on yourself. Your defense determines how much damage they take.
	Adrenaline Rush	58	0	2min	Your attack speed increases by 15% for 20sec.
	Chained Leash	60	350	1min 10secs	Throw a chain around a target within 15m and pull up to 6 enemies within 15m together into a tight group. Chained Leash stuns the target.

[Glyphs part is still missing, but will be put in here later.]

Skill Rotations and Tips

When you're PvEing, please use savagery scrolls and nostrums. It will make your rotation a lot smoother and stronger.

Standard Skill Chains:

 Shield Barrage (2 hits) >  Spring Attack (activates faster) >  Wallop (activates faster)

 Debilitate >  Wallop

 Shield Bash (stun) >  Onslaught (activates faster)

Do NOT use the Onslaught chain while tanking for a party due to its warp bug; there's a chance you will randomly teleport behind the enemy. You're more prone to warping during Onslaught the higher your ping is. Due to the fact that the risk is still there regardless, just don't use Onslaught in party play.

Using stun moves is situational, depending on what boss you are fighting. Some bosses have really high stun resist, and some you want to stun to prevent doing certain moves. ie. Kelsaik and Manaya are immune to CC, while Barbosa in Shattered Fleet can be stunned to prevent enrage phase.

As you are tanking, try to use  Challenging Shout (main aggro skill) everytime it is off CD. Be careful though, Challenging Shout animation can not be interrupted by blocking, so it is better to wait for the boss to attack before using this skill.

If you have no problems holding aggro and blocking the incoming attacks, you can focus on the next thing. Try to keep 3 stacks of  Debilitate on at all times, because it gives the opponent -3% endurance debuff per stack. Stacked endurance debuff on bosses can greatly increase your party's DPS.

Another useful skill is  Leash. Leash has a range of 18m,  Chained Leash (aka. Giga Leash) has 15m. Using Leash in party play can make the run faster and easier.

Leash can only pull normal mobs or minions, BAMs cannot be moved but can be stunned. Leash and Master's Leash also generate decent aggro.

Use Leash and Master's Leash to grab one or two monsters, or use Chained Leash to move more enemies into one place.

(In some cases it is obvious to use Leash, especially if your party is waiting for it. ie. Pull the totem in Wonderholme NM/HM halfway between Felbane (caged Teralith) and Bandersnatch.

Consumables

Charms

There are three standard charms for PvE:

•  Greater Power Charms
•  Greater Enduring Charms
•  Greater Infused Charms

Greater Power Charms:

• At 120 stamina, they provide 18 Power.
• At 135 stamina, they provide 21 Power.

Greater Enduring Charms:

• At 120 stamina, they provide 15 Endurance.
• At 135 stamina, they provide 18 Endurance.

Greater Infused Charms:

• At 120 stamina, they provide around 6.5% MP recovery every 5 seconds.
• At 135 stamina, they provide around 7.8% MP recovery every 5 seconds.
• The lower your stamina = lower MP recovery rate + lower max MP.

Other useful items

You should always have these items in your inventory:

• Healing Potion/Draught VIII
• Scroll of Savagery V (useful to reach higher DPS [~higher aggro] by increasing your crit damage)
• Nostrum of Energy V (decreases cooldown of melee skills)
• Combat Panacea (adds +40% stamina, can be used in combat)
• Arunic Panacea (instantly replenish your stamina [to 120], cannot be used while in combat)
• Rapid Resurrection Scroll (resurrects nearest party member in the circle, 1/2 cast time of normal resurrection scroll)
• Crystalbind and/or Complete Crystalbind (Crystalbind will be destroyed upon death instead of crystals)

• Noctenium Infusion (increases your dmg and aggro)
• Mana Potion/Draught VIII
• Panaceaic Bolster III (your stamina does not decrease in combat while in effect)
• Bandages (HP, can be used out of combat only)
• Campfire and Firewood
• Goddess' Blessing (self-resurrection possibility)

Positioning

We are at the most important part, positioning. We have seen already the ways to hold aggro, now comes what this is for. Tanks are able to position bosses to stand in the right place and make monsters attack them and not the other party members.

Wall-tanking

Wall-tanking is a popular and effective technique to position the boss. As the name suggests, it means that the tank aggros the boss and fights it near the wall of the room, or in a corner. This will help keep the boss in place and make killing the boss much easier for everyone else.

Wall-tanking is better if you have learned the boss attack patterns, because it often means that your camera/viewpoint is stuck in the wall or you can only see a part of the monster.

Some Special Cases of Positioning:

Wonderholme HM

At the last boss, Nightmare Bandersnatch, bad positioning can mean a wipe for your party. When the bosses HP reaches 13% the shield phase begins. Bandersnatch goes into the center of the room. Your job here is to keep the boss facing the entrance or towards the double stairs of the room. There are no attacks in this phase, no blocking or moving is needed, you only have to hold still and keep aggro.

Kelsaik's Nest

Two minutes after Kelsaik's HP drops below 30% in NM and 45% in HM, he will move to the center of the room and a crystal will be spawned. Kelsaik will then jump onto the cliff on the side of the area. After the grey smoke appears a lava flow will kill everyone who isn't standing behind the two popup walls, which are triggered right after the crystal is destroyed. (Walls are there only for about 4-5 sec, so if the crystal is destroyed right after spawning, the walls will lower before the lava comes.)

Tanks should try to keep Kelsaik facing one direction only so the other party members have an easier job switching their debuffs. At 10-15% HP the boss must not be in the center! Tank it far away, if not, anyone from your party (Sorc/Archer AoE, etc.) can easily destroy the summoned crystal immediately by accident.

Conclusion

Some useful and interesting quick tips/information:

• Time your  Challenging Shout between two attacks.
• Keep the boss facing towards you, and have its back facing the healer and all DPS.
• Most skills can be instantly block-cancelled using  Stand Fast.
• Use  Iron Will as soon as you can to prevent taking damage, or to neutralize effects of HP debuffs (such as bleed, burn, etc.)
• Always use  Shield Counter after successful blocking to replenish a part of your resolve, and draw high aggro.
• Blocking prevents you from getting any buffs/debuffs from the current attack. Not true for every attack, however this is useful to know when running KN for example, where debuff-swapping is very important.
• If you are trying to escape, don't use  Charging Lunge when you are close to a large, otherwise you will charge into the monster instead of getting away. To get around this, walk out a couple meters and point your camera down, then use Charging Lunge.
• Some AoE attacks cannot be blocked. ie. Manaya's bomb and donut attack, or Bandersnatch's green circle AoE and purple spit attack. However some attacks -considered one hitters- can be blocked with better gear, ie. LoT lava flow or Kelsaik's crystal phase. 
• Blocking doesn't make you invincible, the damage absorbed depends on your weapon's block stat.

References

• http://tera4you.blogspot.hu/
• http://teratoday.com/
• http://tera.enmasse.com/media