Greatsword / Crossbow PvE Build Guide

Skill Builds

Some skills appear different in the Tooltip due to its Skill Specialization.

• Cruel Smite = Valiant Brawl
• Detonation Mark = Mortal Mark
• Annihilation Barrage Shot = Wild Barrage

Buffs/Debuffs

• Mother Nature's Protest - Use the Skill Specialization Lightning Arrow for the highest damage per hit.
• Selfless Diffusion - This is used to maximize damage output of Quick Fire and other Crossbow Skills.
  • Pairing this with Flame Arrow can help to lower your cooldowns.
• Detonation Mark - Always have this up, especially before using your core damaging skills.
• DaVinci's Courage - You can use Instant Healing as well if you feel like you need additional healing.
• Weak Point Shot - You can cancel the animation with a stationary block so don't be afraid to use this whenever there's a Fury Attack.

Passive Skills

• Vital Force - Combined with Adentus's Savage Blade you get a ton of additional damage.
• Cold Warrior - Important to have this slotted while using Stunning Blow on cooldown to increase your damage.
• Victor's Morale - Your main source for Mana Regen.
• Robust Constitution - More Health = More DMG + Survivability.
• Ambidexterity - Since most of the time your Crossbow damage skills are used alongside Selfless Diffusion, you almost always land offhand attacks.
• Nature's Power - Your mobility skills have a low enough cooldown that you almost always permanently keep this buff up if you stack high buff duration.
• Piercing Strike - Your main crossbow skills land many hits so the bonus damage should increase overall DPS.
• Bloodlust Stack - With the amount of "Attack" type skills in this build, you'll have no problems getting stacks.

Skill Prioritization

• This is a general list of skills used across all forms of content that's recommended to upgrade.
  • Should there be a skill here that you don't ever plan to use in your build, skip it.
• Use Quality Skill Growth Books to upgrade your skills from Green to Blue in the order shown below. Once all skills below are Green, use the rest on other skills used in the builds above.
• Use Rare Skill Growth Books to upgrade your skills from Blue to Purple in the order shown below. Once all skills below are Blue, use the rest on other skills used in the builds above.
• Prioritize getting all these skills to blue first before getting them to purple. These are universal skills you always use.
• Upgrade the rest of your skills as you play the game.

PvE Gameplay and Skill Rotation

The idea behind this weapon combination is to use various skills that increase your damage, mark the target, and then rotate through your burst damage and cause high explosion damage from Detonation Mark. Using Selfless Diffusion before Annihilation Barrage Shot will extend the duration of Detonation Mark and allow it to pop for even higher damage.

Stat Priorities

Use the following stat priorities when following this Greatsword / Crossbow PvE Build Guide:

• Primary Stat
  • Dexterity and Strength
• Secondary Stat
  • Perception

You have 49 Stat Points you can freely allocate to any of the 4 primary Stats. Once you put 20 points into an individual Stat, it takes 2 points to increase the Stat by 1. Do not put more than 20 points into a Stat unless you are trying to reach a certain breakpoint.

You get bonuses for every 10 Stat Points you invest from 30 to 60. You invest your points based on acquiring these bonuses.

Greatsword / Crossbow excels when stacking high amounts of HP, Heavy Attack Chance, Critical Hit, Attack Speed, and Maximum Weapon Damage. All of these things are given to you by stacking Strength and Dexterity!

Mid-Game

Your first goal is to hit 60 Dexterity and 30+ Strength. As a Greatsword / Crossbow user, you care mainly about increased Heavy Attack, HP, Critical Hit, Attack Speed, and Maximum Weapon Damage. First, put points towards Dexterity to gain the additional Critical Hit to ensure high damage on your Crossbow skills. Secondly, place points into Strength for the added HP.

End Game

With Purple Gear in the End Game, we can reach all of our desired Stat Breakpoints. 50 Dexterity grants us increased Critical Hit, Bonus Damage, and rather high amounts of Attack Speed before using our buffs. Getting to 50 Strength also grants high HP and 100 Heavy Attack which can give you higher chances at doing double the damage. 40 Perception grants increased Hit and Buff Duration to ensure you're able to maintain your buffs and always land your debuffs.

Gear Progression

• The next time these builds will be revamped entirely will be when T2 Epic gear comes out.
• No more changes will be made to this gear until T2 gear comes in January or earlier.
• IF YOU ALREADY HAVE MOST OF THE ARCHIVED GEAR, STICK WITH IT UNTIL T2.
  • Rune Synergies will still work with any gear.

Story Gear

Mid Game

End Game Build

Archived Builds

Story Gear for Greatsword / Crossbow PvE Build

If you followed our Leveling Guide for Greatsword / Crossbow, you may have some of these pieces already.

Most of this gear is replaced very quickly so don't stress too much and just use whatever you've got to work towards the Mid Game builds.

Mid Game Greatsword / Crossbow PvE Build

As you progress further into the game, you gather more gear with flat Stat buffs and Dexterity to boost your raw damage. It's also more costly to trait due to the low supply in the early game.

You might find yourself still using green items and know THAT'S OK.

Transition to gear dropped from Dungeons as you play the game.

• Elite Resistance weapons should be used only as a placeholder while working towards Dungeon Weapons.
• Elite Resistance Broadsword or Elite Resistance Crossbow is obtained from the Main Story Quest.
  • Whichever one wasn't obtained, can be receive by completing their Lithograph Book entries.
    • Bigger, Better Greatswords
    • Bows that Pierce the Target

Gear Sources

• Replacing your weapons with Dungeon Weapons result in the highest damage upgrade.
  • Butcher's Canyon Co-Op Dungeon
    • Magnaduke's Berserk Blade
  • Temple of Slaughter Co-Op Dungeon
    • Rex Chimaerus's Rake Bow
• Eternal Ring of Dimension
  • Obtained by crafting Recipe: Precious Epic Accessory Selection Chest
    • Craft Dimensional Essence: Salvation by gaining 10 Boss Tokens from each T1 Dungeon.
• Elite Assassin's Cloak
  • Dropped by mobs in Purelight Hill
• Elite Resistance Visor
  • Main Story Quest reward
  • Overhead Protection Lithograph Book entry
  • Orc Brawler in Fonos Basin
• Special Resistance Tactical Armor
  • Main Story Quest reward
  • Armor of Unfaltering Protection Lithograph Book entry
  • Dropped by mobs in Shattered Temple
• Cursed Wasteland Co-Op Dungeon
  • Flying Dragon Scale Gloves
  • Reflection Breakthrough Leather Boots
• Cave of Destruction Co-Op Dungeon
  • Beast King's Gilded Bracers

• December 5th brought Rune Synergies to the game.
  • These Rune Synergies allow for additional stats to further fine-tune builds. Not everybody finds the same stats as desirable so use Rune Synergies to get the stats you want.
  • The Recommended Rune Synergies below are the most universally beneficial Runes with the current builds, feel free to adjust to your own unique builds as you see fit.
• For non-rune builds, visit the dropdown at the bottom.
• Hover over the Weapons and Accessories to see the Recommended Runes.

Bonus Damage Build

Melee Heavy Attack Build

• Both these builds include 2 Piece Death Set increasing your damage output as both builds have relatively high Critical Hit.
• The 2 Piece Imperator Set grants you an additional 150 Melee Heavy Attack Chance increasing the chances of your Greatsword skills doing double the damage.
• The 2 Piece Ghost Wolf Set adds more consistent damage by granting additional Bonus Damage on all hits dealt.
  • While technically less damage potential in comparison, the Bonus Damage build will grant higher consistent damage output.
• You focus on damage traits like Skill Damage Boost and Heavy Attack Chance. Max Health and Skill Damage Resistance are important for surviving in the more challenging dungeons.

Non-Rune Builds (CLICK ME!)

Bonus Damage Build

Melee Heavy Attack Build

Gear Sources

Gear Sources

• tal-equipment id=10612025 hide-trait-candidates=true]Reaper's Black Mask[/tal-equipment]
  • Valley of Slaughter Co-Op Dungeon
  • Drops from Adentus Field Boss
• Shadow Harvester Boots
  • Carmine Rage Island Co-Op Dungeon
  • Avolos Trackers / Umbramancers in Sanctum of Desire
• Unshakeable Gold Ring
  • Demonhoof Trackers in Syleus's Abyss 5th and 6th Floor
• Abyss Conqueror's Necklace
  • Craft Recipe: Precious Epic Equipment Chest: Abyss
• Etched Alabaster Band
  • Demonhoof Trackers in Syleuss' Abyss Floors 5/6

Bonus Damage Build

• Ghost Wolf Alter Ego Armor
  • Tyrant's Isle Co-Op Dungeon
  • Island of Terror Co-Op Dungeon
• Phantom Wolf Gloves
  • Demonhoof Butchers in Syleuss' Abyss Floors 5/6

Melee Heavy Attack Build

• tal-equipment id=10522026 hide-trait-candidates=true]Plate of the Field General[/tal-equipment]
  • Death's Abyss Co-Op Dungeon
  • Island of Terror Co-Op Dungeon
• Gauntlets of the Field General
  • Voidwastes Co-Op Dungeon
  • Reptilian Butchers / Soldiers in Saurodoma Island

Bonus Damage
Global Launch Build

Melee Heavy Attack
Global Launch Build

No Field Boss Alternative
Global Launch Build

Guardians

Guardians are special transformations that add offensive or defensive buffs or attacks to your character for 30 seconds.

• Shade Revenant Stheno - This guardian launches projectiles every second that can Crit and Heavy Attack! Since you're stacking so much Heavy Attack Chance, it's a clear decision to choose this Guardian!
  • This is the go-to Guardian for DPS.

Gameplay

Summary

• Greatsword / Crossbow allows you to play like a Bruiser with access to Melee and Mid-Ranged Damage in Throne and Liberty!
• Greatsword's skills and passives allow you to stack high amounts of Heavy Attack Chance, Hit, and Skill Damage Boost!
• Victor's Morale helps to sustain HP and Mana.
• While having high HP, you still have high amounts of damage due to Vital Force.

Credits

Written by Bloo
Reviewed by Dredscythe