Menace wrote:Hey guys,

Recently I posted in the General Discussion forums to get some feed-back for top DPS classes. Based on that feedback I decided to roll a Twin-swords character. Now I noticed that almost every other weapon has a guide dedicated to it except Twin swords! I have a few questions pertaining to twin swords, please see my list below!

1) What are the best skills to get on your Twin swords weapon?

This question is kinda vague so I'll be a bit more specific. Right now I'm only level 23, but I'm wondering what the best skills would be on Twin-Swords to take in Dungeons. Are there any AoE skills (aside from cash-shop stuff, not a fan of pay2win) that I can get on twin-swords? What skills are MANDATORY when leveling? Can anyone make a tier-list of skills possibly?

You said non-cash shop stuff - so I have to say Crimson Cross Cut is the absolute top tier regular skill for flat damage output for twin swords. However, note that twin swords have a very hard time clearing mobs without Ougi, as their damage is cut severely if you try to hit multiple monsters. Like another individual mentioned, Lightning slash is also great - most of the higher ranked skills are, but some of them require leveling to be good, and some of them have slightly awkward animations, so you'll have to test out exactly what you like.

2) What other 3 weapons should I carry with me?

From what I've been told, since Twin swords and bows use the same main stat (dex) I carry 2 bows and 1 Twin-swords weapon. That leaves 1 weapon slot free, should I get a second pair of twin-swords OR should I get something like an odachi? From what I've researched in the other guides on the forums, the odachi is a weapon with a ton of AoE skills! I figure having these would make grinding dungeons a lot easier, but I'm not sure if it's recommended. Do you guys think it's a good idea? Can I just switch to two twin-sword weapons at level 50 (once i get certain magatamas that help increase my damage? although I dont even know what those are...but I guess that's in my next question)? What alternatives are there if it isn't a good idea?

It's not a good idea because you will either not have enough power for odachi to do damage, or not have enough dex for ts/bow to do damage. To be honest, I don't recommend going hybrid at all, until later in the game at which point you can obtain some hunter magatama. Going hybrid severely cuts your damage potential before magatama that can use multiple types of skill force can be used. If I was to compare this to something that you've played, imagine going assassin on Maple Story, and then using a dagger and using double stab. Sure - the base damage will last a certain way, but in the end, its basically completely dead and unreliable. Again though - this can be negated later on, as there are magatama that allow for hybrid builds, and you can max out multiple stats at higher levels, but in the end, someone who is dead focused on one weapon will have more damage with that weapon than someone who hybridized, as hybrid maga give lower percentages anyways.

3) What type of Magatamas should I be using?

Granted I'm only level 23 at the moment, and I've only been using magatamas I got from the main quest line, but as a result of this I can barely clear normals solo...sometimes it takes over an hour and I can even end up dying! What are some magatamas I can carry to make my job solo-ing the bosses in the dungeons easier? Anything you can suggest for both twin-swords/bows (multi-purposes magatamas) would be greatly appreciated! Also if you could tell me where to get the materials to craft them/the area to grab the quests for them, I'd really appreciate it!

Hunter (Bow and TS Skill force) <-- Damage
Other skill force maga work, but if you want to go hybrid, bow/ts is the most efficient. Naturally, get ts skill force if you want to go ts, and bow if you want to go bow. Because they're split (other than hunter, and some other exceptions that allow you to mix specific weapons), its basically inefficient to use multiple weapons, even if they scale off of the same base stat.

Chian (Life Steal on crit)
This makes you much more sustainable, and allows you to recover quickly from any mistakes you might make. Unless you're really good at the game, chian is effectively core for any melee. Even a mage friend of mine likes to use pop star (accessory with the same effect, but halved), if possible.

If you find yourself absolutely stumped, and cannot obtain either of the above, get affinity magatama.

4) What's the Twin-swords playstyle revolve around?

This sounds like a stupid question...but this is literally my first time playing a melee character in ANY mmo i've played. In the several mmos I've played (Maple, Ragnarok, WoW, PWI, Allods, TERA) I've only played ranged characters..so this type of playstyle is new to me. I try to get consecutive normal attacks off on a boss but I cant land more than 3 (even on a bow) before the boss launches some sort of ranged skill/charge attack. What sucks is when I'm using Twin-Swords it gets brutal because after I land 3 hits, the boss melee hits me and takes off like half my life bar (Tiamat im lookin at you! >.>). What can I do to make my time leveling/playing as a twin-swords player more efficient and fun? How can I be a GOOD twin-swords user? Any mentoring/guidance on this would be great, even if it's through in-game observation!

Twins in this game are basically based around knowing monster patterns, or being able to react like a god. You will have to poke at mobs, guard or dodge, and then repeat. Basically - mastering guard and roll is absolutely necessary. Don't expect to be able to continuously combo a boss if you're soloing. Later on - don't expect to use basic attacks other than to recover mana. Rely on your skills, as they'll nuke for many times more damage than a basic attack could ever hope for.

Thanks in advance for your responses!