Berserker
Description
Berserkers are melee fighting machines focused on dealing damage.
Stengths/Weaknesses
Pros
- Amazing DPS potential
- Low positioning concerns, you'll still do most DPS behind a mob but still do the majority even from the front
- Snare/Stun abilities
- Chain armour and knight table HP makes for a reasonable tank in a pinch
- Summoned axes are good ranged DPS, you'll never out range DPS a Ranger but you'll still contribute a healthy amount of damage
- Group-wide Warcry that gives overhaste similar to Monks hundred hands effect
Cons
- Low utility, you exist to DPS, nothing else
- Extremely gear dependant
- Not the most exciting class to play
- Your journey to 60 (or at least 55) will be that of a subpar warrior or rogue that hasn't learned to use the backstab button, you must persevere, all the goodness is at max level!
- Managing aggro with a poor jolt ability is hard, it's either turn off auto-attack and sacrifice DPS or die
General
Stat Priority
- Attack - Higher chance to hit, higher damage
- Accuracy - Increases chance to hit
- Strength - Increases max/average damage
- Dexterity - Increases critical damage and proc rate
- Stamina - More health means less time being dead
- Agility - More AC is never a bad thing
Focuses
- Cleave - Increases your chance to crit. A critical hit is a hit for higher damage with no additional threat
- Ferocity - Increases your chance to double attack. A double attack is great as it opens a chance for a triple attack, which is also great as a triple attack opens a chance for a flurry (once you have the AA)
- Simmering Rage - Increases your throwing damage by 5%. This directly improves Rage Volley which is $$$. This is an essential focus. Currently the only item available in game with this focus is Leggings of Wrath which drops from Venril Sathir and Drusella Sathir. Happy farming!
Augments
The appropriate nanostone for your 2 hander:
- Nanostone of Slashing - +5% 2HS
- Nanostone of Blunting - +5% 2HB
- Nanostone of Poke - +5% 2HP
And for your throwing damage:
Nanostone of Throwing - +5% Throwing
Combat Skills
Zerker skills such as stun, snare or jolt require a reagent. These are the axes that can be summoned (and used for ranged DPS). The axe required for abilities is appropriate to the level range of the ability.
You can buy axe components from any hometown where Berserkers can be created.
Buy Axe Components > Summon Axes > Use snare/stun/jolt > Profit!
| Level | Name | Effect | Recast | Timer | Reagent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corroded Axe | Summon a Corroded Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
| 5 | Blunt Axe | Summon a Blunt Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
| 8 | Leg Strike | Snare | 12 seconds | 9 | Blunt Axe | Location |
| 10 | Steel Axe | Summon a Steel Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
| 15 | Bearded Axe | Summon a Bearded Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
| 16 | Head Strike | Stun | 12 seconds | 9 | Blunt Axe | Location |
| 20 | Mithril Axe | Summon a Mithril Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
| 24 | Divertive Strike | Jolt (250) | 12 seconds | 1 | Blunt Axe | Location |
| 25 | Balanced War Axe | Summon a Balanced War Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Basic Axe Components | Location |
| 30 | Bonesplicer Axe | Summon a Bonesplicer Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
| 32 | Leg Cut | Snare | 12 seconds | 9 | Bonesplicer Axe | Location |
| 30 | Fleshtear Axe | Summon a Fleshtear Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
| 40 | Cold Steel Cleaving Axe | Summon a Cold Steel Cleaving Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
| 40 | Head Pummel | Stun | 12 seconds | 9 | Bonesplicer Axe | Location |
| 45 | Mithril Blood Axe | Summon a Mithril Blood Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
| 48 | Distracting Strike | Jolt (400) | 12 seconds | 1 | Bonesplicer Axe | Location |
| 50 | Rage Axe | Summon a Rage Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Axe Components | Location |
| 54 | Leg Slice | Snare | 12 seconds | 9 | Rage Axe | Location |
| 55 | Bloodseeker's Axe | Summon a Bloodseeker's Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Balanced Axe Components | Location |
| 60 | Battlerage Axe | Summon a Battlerage Axe (x20) | 6 seconds | 7 | Balanced Axe Components | Location |
| 60 | Confusing Strike | Jolt (550) | 12 seconds | 1 | Rage Axe | Location |
| 60 | Head Crush | Stun | 12 seconds | 9 | Rage Axe | Location |
Rotation
Reality check, this is not the most dynamic class to play. Here's the 3 step guide:
- Level 1 - 5: Auto-attack and press Kick on cooldown
- Level 6 - 54: Auto-attack and press Frenzy on cooldown (never use Kick again)
- Level 55 - 60: Auto-attack and alternate Frenzy and Rage Volley on cooldown
Rage Volley is a huge chunk of DPS. This is a global tome drop but can also be bought from Jayson in the hub. Get this the very second you turn 55 and use it every time it comes off cool down. It's amazing how many people get to 60 and don't have this!
Ancient Rage Volley is an upgrade to Rage Volley that drops from T6+ raid targets.
Discs
| Level | Name | Effect | Duration | Timer | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Resistant Discipline | Increase resists by 16-20 | 5 minutes | 4 | Location |
| 40 | Fearless Discipline | Immune to fear | 1 minute | 4 | Location |
| 50 | War Cry | 20 ATK and Hundred hands effect (lowers weapon delay) | 1 minute | 8 | Location |
| 53 | Inspired Anger | Increase chance to hit by 10000% | 30 seconds | 3 | Location |
| 54 | Cleaving Rage | Increase chance to critical hit by 10000% | 30 seconds | 3 | Location |
| 56 | Reckless Discipline | Increase chance to riposte by 10000% | 12 seconds | 2 | Location |
| 57 | Battlecry of Dravel | 30 ATK and Hundred hands effect (lowers weapon delay) | 1 minute | 8 | Location |
| 57 | Focused Fury Discipline | Increase all skill checks by 50% | 1 minute | 3 | Location |
| 58 | Blind Rage Discipline | Increase DMG by 100% and minimum DMG by 400% | 30 seconds | 3 | Location |
| 59 | Battle Focus Discipline | Increase melee avoidance by 10000% | 12 seconds | 2 | Location |
| 60 | Burning Rage Discipline | Increase DMG by 30% | 1 minute | 3 | Location |
Grouping
You're there to DPS primarily and potentially off-tank when needed. You can peel mobs off casters with a quick Leg Strike as it generates a fair amount of aggro.
Snare mobs with the Leg Strike line of abilities and stun casters with the Head Strike line of abilities.
Raiding
Situational awareness!!! a dead Zerker does 0 DPS!
General advice
- Use the same rotation as a group, ensure auto-attack is on and mash Frenzy and Rage Volley on cooldown
- Ensure you're assisting and on the correct target
- Make sure you're using bane weapons for the appropriate mob type
- If you see a caster getting beaten about and there's no tank available, let a healer know and go save a life! You can rip aggro pretty easily
- Make sure you're in a group with a Bard. Whine, moan and complain until you are. 25% over haste is the absolute best thing you can have in terms of a raid buff
Discs
- Pair Battle Cry of Dravel with Blind Rage/Burning Rage for maximum pew pew
- If you've got other melee classes in your group (MNK/ROG/BST etc.) tell them when you're firing Battle Cry, they can disc at the same time for more dps
- Burning Rage lasts twice as long as Blind Rage but only has a 30% DMG modifier compared to 100% DMG modifier and 400% minimum DMG modifier. Generally Blind Rage is the superior DMG disc. As it only lasts 30 seconds make sure A) Avatar is up (pester a shaman or swap to a ST weapon and proc it), B) Frenzy and Rage Volley is off cooldown before you use Blind Rage and C) You're not about to have to joust out of an AoE. You need to make the most of every one of those 30 seconds
Managing Aggro
We don't get the fancy evade ability of rogues and managing aggro can be tricky at times. Good tanks will help with this but learning the encounters and letting tanks build aggro will be key:
- Let the tank build aggro for a few seconds before engaging. This is the most important advice, starting a fight with the main tank fully in control and high on the threat list will allow you to DPS freely with no thought of your aggro other than a cursory eye on the threat meter. Don't worry about any other classes piling in and engaging on the pull, sit back for 5-10 seconds then step in and open fire
- If you do over aggro you have to sacrifice DPS. Jolt is on the same timer as Rage Volley and only decreases aggro by 550 (which is not alot). If that doesn't work your only other choice is to get a CoTH (mages will hate you) or turn off auto-attack and stand there like a lemon. This is why the above point is so important!
- For fights where the mob wipes aggro you need to be aware and ready to disengage and allow the tank to rebuild aggro before re-engaging
Endurance
Sadly there is nothing in the game currently that speeds up endurance regen asides from sitting out of combat. You will go through your endurance surprisingly fast using Rage Volley on cooldown and discing. Sit between fights! Better gear and augs will raise your END pool to mitigate this but I've been caught short a few times low on endurance starting an encounter. If you're not moving to a mob or engaging a mob, sit down!
Tribute
For maximum DPS:
- Arm of Power | Tier 3 | Raises STR cap by 6
- Juggler's Grace | Tier 3 | Raises DEX cap by 6
- Vengeful Aura | Tier 4 | Raises ATK by 59
Eyes of the Hunter (accuracy) and Fury of Combat (double attack) are potentially viable but I haven't parsed them or checked if they stack with other worn effects/AAs etc.
IxiQuest Spells & Abilities
The following is a list of spells available on IxiQuest (or modified here) that are not available on strictly classic servers:
- Confusing Strike - This is a level 65 jolt skill but was lowered to level 60 to make managing aggro easier
- Ancient Rage Volley - This is a custom combat skill. Rage Volley has a modifier of 38, Ancient Rage Volley has a modifier of 41
Alternate Advancement
I would prioritise these AAs at level 60 for maximum DPS:
| Name | Effect | Ranks |
|---|---|---|
| Throwing Mastery | Increases throwing damage (rage volley!) | 3 |
| Frenzied Volley | Gives a chance to throw an additional axe on rage volley | 1 |
| Combat Fury | Increases crit rate | 6 |
| Veteran's Wrath | Increases crit damage | 1 |
| Punishing Blade | Increases double attack rate | 3 |
| Blur of Axes | Increases Frenzy damage | 3 |
| Tactical Mastery | Increases chance to bypass dodge/parry/block etc. | 3 |
| Spell Casting Reinforcement | Increases clicky duration and most importantly War Cry duration! | 4 |
| Hastened War Cry | Reduces Way Cry recast by 3 minutes per rank | 3 |
After this I would chase the defensive AAs; Combat Agility, Combat Stability, Natural Durability. Then fill out the other AAs that best fits your playstyle.
In addition, all classes get access to some general abilities such as Origin, Run Speed, Bandolier Slots, Improved Stats and Stat Caps, Increased Max Buffs, Improved Regen, and more.
Further help or advice
Hit me up in game!
