Greatsword / Spear PvE Build Guide
Last Updated:January 29, 2025|Changelog
Welcome to the Greatsword / Spear PvE Build Guide. While Gladiator loses out on Critical Hit Chance by not using a dagger, damage is still relatively high due to having multiple Heavy Attack Chance buffs! Sentinel's Bastion from Spear and Cold Warrior from Greatsword ensure well over 700+ Heavy Attack Chance! Robust Constitution allows for incredible sustain in all facets of the game as an added cherry on top!
Gladiator also has great AoE solutions for open world farming! Spear's Javelin Inferno and Phoenix Barrage can sometimes kill entire packs on their own. Greatsword also adds AoE with Frost Cleaving and the Skill Specialization, AoE Damage from Guillotine Blade.
End Game Greatsword / Spear PvE Build
PvE Gear Progression
Hover over the items to see multiple / alternative gear sources! Hovering over the items also show the traits!
- These builds get revamped upon the release of Talandre, due to the addition of T2 Epic gear.
- No more changes are planned for these builds until T2 gear is released.
- This doesn't mean I won't add additional gearing options.
- With 2-Star Dungeons and Material Transmutation out, every piece of armor / accessory is accessible. Thus, there aren't any "No Field Boss" gear versions.
Rune Building Philosophy (Click Me!)
Transition
Transition
Build
Archboss
Story Greatsword / Spear PvE Build
Most of the Blue/Purple armor pieces are used for a while as well as the Violent Signet. Feel free to trait these items out whenever possible as obtaining T1 Epic items takes some players a few weeks.
Transition Blues
- If you want to skip straight to the End Game Builds directly by purchasing items on the Auction House, fully upgrade and trait out the cheapest blue items for an easier time traiting / upgrading T1 Epic items.
Your Goals
- Do contracts immediately to acquire Contract Coins so you can buy Quality Lithograph: Weapons, Quality Lithograph: Armor, and Quality Lithograph: Accessories to craft Green Gear to complete Lithograph Book entries for Blue Gear.
- This is also done to purchase Precious Epic Lv. 1 Weapon Selection Chest and receive the Heroic Polearm of the Resistance.
- Farm accessible gear by doing Open World Dungeons.
- Trait those accessible gear.
- Extract traits from gear to sell in the Auction House for Lucent.
- Turn valuable gear into Lithographs and sell them in the Auction House.
Traits
- Trait this gear as best as you can. You don't need to go hard until you start acquiring Purple Gear.
- If transitioning to Purple Gear immediately, fill up a blue item with cheap traits before transferring.
Lithograph Book Entries
- Violent Signet
- Complete the Elemental Rings Lithograph Book Entry.
- Glade Stalker Boots
- Complete the Offroad Footwear Lithograph Book Entry.
- Deadeye's Cloak
- Complete the Beginner Cloaks of Victory Lithograph Book Entry.
Open World Dungeon Sources
- Both Elusive Hexweaver Hat and Elusive Hexweaver Pants come from Ant's Nest Open World Dungeon.
- Duskblood Gloves comes from Saurodoma Island Open World Dungeon.
Greatsword / Spear PvE Build
Your Mid Game build is the point from where you should farm Co-Op Dungeons and the Open World Dungeons for gear. This build can perform well in all content that allows you to farm for the End Game Builds.
Before transferring or upgrading your Purple pieces, fully trait and upgrade a Blue gear piece first and use it to transfer over to your Purple piece. A fully traited blue piece gives you 960 Blessings for you to use.
Your Goals
- Farm accessible gear by doing Open World Dungeons and Co-Op Dungeons.
- Extract traits from gear for Lucent.
- Turn important Purple Gear acquired from Co-Op Dungeons into Lithographs and sell them on the Auction House as long as they aren't items used in the End Game Builds.
Check out our Dungeon Guides before diving into dungeons to learn all the mechanics and speed run methods!
Traits
- First, prioritize all 3 traits on the weapons.
- Afterward, upgrade damage traits such as Skill Damage Boost and Buff Duration on accessories and armors.
- Lastly, obtain Max Health traits before Evasion / Mana Regen traits.
Dungeon Farming Priority
Whatever blue armor pieces you wear don't matter for PvE, as they are placeholders until your End Game gear. Use whatever blue pieces you want.
- Butcher's Canyon
- Tyrant's Isle
Co-Op Dungeon Sources
- Ancient Saurodoma Bracers from Tyrant's Isle
- Duke Magna's Fury Warblade from Butcher's Canyon
- Butcher's Belt from Butcher's Canyon
Crafted Items
- Clasp of the Conqueror
- Obtained by crafting Precious Epic Equipment Chest: Abyss.
- Amber Dimensional Band
- Obtained by crafting Precious Epic Accessory Selection Chest.
Greatsword / Spear PvE
End Game Build w/ Runes
PvE Stats and Traits
- Hover over each item to see the specific traits recommended.
- Prioritize the Offensive Traits on Weapons and Accessories.
- Next up is Mana / HP Traits on Armors and Accessories.
- Evasion is good defensively as it helps evade attacks from NPCs.
- Maximizing Critical Damage and Heavy Attack Chance, this build makes use of the two best damage increasing stats available.
Gear Sources (Click Me!)
Archboss Greatsword / Spear PvE Build
Skill Builds and Rotations
- Gladiator PvE rotates between using buffs to increase the damage of their hard-hitting skills and exploding their Ignite / Burst Stacks with Spear.
Global Cooldown Priority
The highest damaging skills, Guillotine Blade and Death Blow should always be used after buff skills such as Abyssal Cleave and Phoenix Barrage.
- Unyielding Sentinel is important for increased damage during the burst window.
- Use the Skill Specialization Sentinel's Bastion to instantly gain the Heavy Attack Chance buff.
- Phoenix Barrage grants Critical Damage for a few seconds after use, be certain to use before the biggest damaging skills.
- Willbreaker lowers the target's defense which is integral for maximizing damage.
- Stunning Blow puts a "Shock" debuff on bosses. This debuff synergizes well with Gladiators as Cold Warrior grants increased Critical Hit and Heavy Attack Chance against Stunned or Shocked targets.
Gladiator Opening Combo
- Gale Rush
- Willbreaker
- Sentinel's Bastion
- Frost Cleaving
- Stunning Blow
- Culling Arc
- Phoenix Barrage
- If your attack speed is too low, use this after Brutal Fury
- Brutal Fury
- Death Blow
- Abyssal Cleave
- Guillotine Blade
- Rising Slash
- Both hits.
- This is your general-purpose AoE PvE clearing build for Greatsword / Spear.
- Abyssal Cleave should always be used after the mobs are pulled close together to increase your damage output and keep them in place.
Javelin Inferno Combo
This is your Spear AoE Combo which is pretty straightforward.
- Sentinel's Bastion
- Frost Cleaving
- Normally the additional AoE hit happens during Phoenix Barrage animation.
- Abyssal Cleave
- Phoenix Barrage
- Explosive Fury
- Spam this as up to 4-5 times to get max Ember Stacks.
- Either use this to get stacks while aggroing mobs, or after Phoenix Barrage.
- There is kind of a cleave behind the target with this skill so position yourself, so the other mobs are near/behind the target.
- Javelin Inferno
Additional Skills
- Guillotine Blade and Cruel Smite are both great additional AoE skills to use if there are some extra mobs left alive.
Skill Prioritization
Active Priority
Passive Priority
Guardians
Guardians are special transformations that add offensive or defensive buffs or attacks to your character for 30 seconds.
- Shade Revenant Stheno is the premium choice for additional damage.
Summary
- Gladiator provides high damage due to having multiple Heavy Attack Chance buffs!
- Robust Constitution allows for incredible sustain in all faucets of the game as an added cherry on top.
- Gladiator PvE rotates between using buffs to increase the damage of their hardest hitting skills and exploding Ignite / Burst Stacks with Spear.
- Gladiator also has great AoE solutions as well for open world farming by making use of Javelin Inferno.
- Place full Boss Melee Heavy Attack Chance Runes in every accessory slot to reach over 1000 Heavy Attack Chance before any buffs.
Credits
Written by Bloo
Reviewed by Nymphellas and Tenkiei