Introduction

Hello there Adventurer!

My name is Shino!
I currently play on Prophecy(EU) in 3.0
I am a Warborn, East Faction.
Hit me up in-game I would love to talk to you!

In this guide I will teach you the ways of Darkrunner.
I have been playing this game since launch, which should be a little over 3 years now and finally felt that I had to pass on my knowledge in my guide!

I've been struggeling on choosing my class over these years, I kept switching classes over and over.
One day I tried it out, near ArcheAge 2.0 I started playing Darkrunner. I love the mobility and ways you can achieve your goals.

Many say Darkrunner is a three-button class and can beat everthing without any skill. In some cases I believe this is true, but I've been fighting other Darkrunners with much higher gear and starting winning a lot more than people thought I should.

I started playing Fresh start in 3.0 - I was thinking of going Primeval. But after level 55 I didn't feel the same way about Primeval as I did for Darkrunner. Everyone is Darkrunner at the moment, so I thought of going Enigmatist. This wasn't a total disaster, but definitly not the class for me.

My computer isn't that great anymore, it's still a nice computer but events like Abyssal Attacks is sometimes a struggle.

Index

Introduction - Here I will introduce myself.

Requirements - Here I will tell you the requirements you should have.

Starting off - Here I will give you some tips how to start off playing Darkrunner.


Abilities - Here I'll show you all the skills and when you will need to use them.

My playstyle and Rotations with Scenario's - I will teach you how to play Darkrunner here and set up some scenario's in which I show you how to deal with specific classes.

+ Darkrunner vs Primeval
+ Darkrunner vs Enigmatist
+ Darkrunner vs Darkrunner
+ Darkrunner vs Defence

Keybinds - Here I can show you my keybinds. I will give you some tips but this all up to you.

Gear - Here I will explain you the gear I go for and perhaps some alternatives to fit your playstyle.

Video's - Future Section, Here I can show everything in action and will break this down.

Requirements

I suggest you have:

- Computer to play ArcheAge atleast at solid 60 fps.

- Good ping

Optional:

- Mouse with side buttons (Explained in the Keybinds.)

Starting off

This is going to be quite important for new players. If you know all skills from all the skillsets, this will be easy for you.

Alright so in ArcheAge we have 12 skillsets:
- Battlerage
- Archery
- Sorcery
- Defence
- Auramancy
- Shadowplay
- Vitalism
- Songcraft
- Witchcraft
- Occultism

If you plan on going to play ArcheAge for a while you should look and study all the skillsets and their abilities. Perhaps some important passives like

Teleportation Discipline.

Abilities

You should study all skillsets to fully understand when to use what against your enemy.

Battlerage:

Triple Slash - Your bread and butter, used in all attacking situations.
Charge - Snares the enemy and together with Triple Slash the target will be tripped, used when you wish to trip the enemy and engage into a combo.

Whirlwind Slash - A high mana cost and high damage ability. Should be combo-ed with a slow like Throw Dagger

Bondbreaker - Very important for taking reduced damage and breaking Snares, Slows, Launches, Lassitude and Telekinesis.

Precision Strike - Highest damage spell in the Battlerage skillset. This should be used at the opponents back, to avoid Precision Strike from being blocked, parried etc.

Battle Focus - A very strong buff. Should always be used.

Tiger Strike - A long distance engagement. Should be used as a gapcloser.

Behind Enemy Lines - A very mobile and good engagement ability. Should be used to hit the enemy and use Triple Slash afterwards to trip the enemy.

Shadowplay:

Overwhelm - An stunning ability, can be blocked many times so be careful for the enemy if he/she has a shield. Once this hits, this can be Shrug It Off, so you have to use Overwhelm while the enemy is tripped, and you should use Shadowsmite after this. To get the enemy tripped again, also after the trip the enemy is not able to use physical damage skills.

Drop Back - A very useful ability for climbing Open World terrain. This ability can be combo-ed with Throw Dagger to throw the dagger from 20m instead of 10m. Dropback is a useful skill for escaping once the enemy is right at you.

Wallop - Wallop, An ability most players seem to be having trouble understanding.

So let me break the ability down here for you:

Wallop: Launches four attacks in quick succession dealing 4010 Physical Damage. The first attack interrupts the target. Every successful attack decreased Physical Defense -120. Grant sBloodthirst for each of the first three attacks, then the fourth deals melee damage equals to 192 times your stacked Bloodthirst.

I take Wallop is that I can use Wallop very quick after a trip and you can still use Precision Strike before the enemy gets back on their feet. Wallop decreases their physical defense so that's even more damage for your Precision Strike.

Reason 2 I take Wallop to fill up the 8th passive requirement Piercing. I don't take Pin Down, because it's too slow to use it after the enemy is tripped and still get a Precision Strike off. I see a lot of users take Pin Down but since everyone is 2-Handed they can't finish their combo off and I can get the advantage on the enemy.

Reason 3 Wallop deals a ton of damage when attacked from the back of the enemy and deals way more than Pin Down

Stealth - Your best option to Assassinate

Shadowsmite - Should always be used at the back of the enemy to deal 600% more physical damage. This makes the enemy shackled meaning they can't use physical skills. If this happens to you, be sure to use all of your mobility to get away.

Freerunner - Gives you movement speed, critical damage and evasion. Can be helpful to use just before Stealth.

Shadow Step - One of my favorite skills that people seem to not use or not properly use, please visit my video guide for a full explained guide how to use it.

Throw Dagger - A skill that slows the enemy. Don't forget that enemies that you hit will cast abilities with huge delay.

Auramancy:

Thwart - Always keep the Inspire buff up! Try to get minimal 2 stacks before fighting. 3 Stacks is ideal. This will help you Hearten but you can replace this ability for the passive Weapon Maneuvers or Reckless Charge I recommend you take Reckless Charge. But you should only replace Hearten if you have the auramancy lunagems in your belt!

Teleportation - Mobility, useful for quick get-aways!

Shrug It Off - Very, very important! You can break enemy combo's by interrupting their stun! Very important

Leech - Altough I dislike to use leech every duel. I do use it in Open World PVP, Like I get jumped out of nowhere i can leech him, buff up and attack him!

Mirror Warp Mirror's Warp can be casted when you use Drop Back and then when you land, you can use the 2nd cast and teleport to your desired location.

Good get-away: Drop Back + Mirror Warp 1st Cast + Teleportation + Mirror Warp 2nd cast.

My Playstyle / Rotations

People think a Darkrunner is a useless class in Open World / Raid vs Raid. I do not think so, but you do need to know how you have to play the class.

Now to begin with I am explaining the following more in-depth in the Gearing section. But the way I will be playing isn't trying to get my survivability up and try to survive 5 more seconds, instead I go FULL DAMAGE. The way this works is you have to focus on Assassinating and escaping.

Mobility:

This is your key element to your kit:
Stealth, Drop Back, Teleportation, Mirror Warp, Shadow Step, Tiger Strike and Behind Enemy Lines all play a very big roll here.
This should be used carefully.

With the nerfs of Shadow Step Darkrunner especially has been having a little harder time. Removed: 50% Chance to reset Shadow Step
It was really nice to have resets of Shadowstep as I use this ability to juke players and to outsmart my enemies when they use Behind Enemy Lines, Tiger Strike, Teleportation or Mirror Warp.

I excluded Drop Back because this should not be used as an engagement, rather use:

If you see him teleport to you use Drop Back to get out of the situation and maybe use Throw Dagger. When you use Drop Back the range of Throw Dagger will increase to 20m instead of 10m because of a combo. After that u can rush in with for example Shadow Step or Tiger Strike and quickly use Whirlwind Slash to make the enemy Trip.

Engaging:

A way to start your duel depends on your opponent. But as a standard combo here is an example:

Buff up: Battle Focus + Freerunner

Then:
Shadow Step > Leech > Overwhelm > Shadowsmite > Charge > Triple Slashx1 > Wallop > Precision Strike.

This works of course, but let's set up some scenario's in the following chapters because we can get a lot more out of Darkrunner other than a couple of combo's!

Darkrunner vs Primeval

For starters: In 3.0 Archery got buffed in Open World PvP a lot with Serpent's Sight. But 1v1 they should be an easy target for us!

Let's Analyse: The Primeval's mobility is and escapes.
For a Primeval they should have the same as us: Drop Back, Shadow Step, Teleportation, Mirror Warp. But they lack 2 engage skills we have and they don't which are: Tiger Strike, Behind Enemy Lines.
But they make up for it with abilities such as: Snare and Boneyard.

Take note: Archers have range which can be increased with Lunagems. Bow range you should expect is 25 - 28m. They have Snipe which is 0-48m and they have their new Abyssal Skill: Serpent's Sight which makes every archery skill go up to 0-50m but they are required to stand still for 4s until they take damage, if they hit something it refreshes. Meaning once they pop Serpent's Sight you should run in as fast as possible or use Stealth.

The Fight:

Run in, watch their buffs try to wait and bait it out. If they pop Intensity, freerunner even before the fight. Be sure to stealth or stay at 50m+ range. If this is not possible start to engage.

After their buffs run out you attack.
Stick to them, don't allow them to make distance!

Buff up: Battle Focus + Freerunner

Attack!

I recommend engaging like this, you should run in and just before 30m use Stealth

Behind Enemy Lines > Triple Slash If you missed or didn't miss: Overwhelm + Shadowsmite
Enemy is Tripped!

Use: Precision Strike

Use: Drop Back -> Throw Dagger to make them think they got distance. Thanks to the slow they won't be able to do much. Go back in! Shadow Step and use Whirlwind Slashx3.

Enemy is tripped.

Use: Charge + Triple Slash -> Overwhelm + Shadowsmite.

Enemy is tripped - If still alive.

Use: Behind Enemy Lines or Tiger Strike and repeat older combo's you should've won by now!

Darkrunner vs Enigmatist

For starters: Enigmatist, Sorcery especially has been nerfed in 3.0. Although the nerf Sorcery is still very strong. So be careful!

Let's Analyse: So Enigmatists have no engagements other than Shadow Step. Take this in mind and be ready to Drop Back if this happens, you could throw your Throw Dagger after that and go in with Shadow Step + Whirlwind Slashx3 and you will have his Insulating lens down and have a HUGE advantage!

- Enigmatists will have more mobility than Darkrunners if their Teleportation and/or Mirror Warp resets thanks to the passive ability Teleportation Discipline.

- Enigmatist will try to get Frigid Tracks before starting a fight. It has a channel time so be sure to take advantage of this! Rush in before they can pop it. If you fail, Drop Back > Stealth as quick as possible! Wait 9 seconds until the Frigid Tracks dissapear and then start to fight.


The Fight:

Enigmatists have very high DPS but they have channeling times to make up for it.

Be sure to waste or be faster than their Frigid Tracks. If you get frozen you are DEAD!
What you should do is:

Buff up: Battle Focus + Freerunner

Engage: Behind Enemy Lines and/or Tiger Strike | If the sorcerer uses mobility chase with Shadow Step

After that go with a Full Trip Chain and do not let him escape via his Teleportation Discipline.

Examples: Throw Dagger + Shadow Step + Whirlwind Slash -> Charge + Triple Slash + Precision Strike -> Overwhelm + Shadowsmite + Drop Back + Behind Enemy Lines + Triple Slash

Darkrunner vs Darkrunner

Yes, these are the most intresting and my favorite duels!

Before I start with the Rotations. I'd like to inform you that I've seen some people taking out some good abilities in exchange for others. For example: Mirror Warp. I've seen some Darkrunners go without this.

Take this to your advantage! You have more mobility!

For Starters: Darkrunner vs Darkrunner, they have the same engages and mobility unless taken otherwise which is a rare case though. You should definitly start off by going Stealth or a quick Shadow Step.

The Engagement:
I suggest you start off by going Stealth, if he uses Stealth most likely, My pro-tip is: Spam "Tab"+ Your bound Leech key which is "C" for me, whilst walking around. This will most likely be in your favor unless you have a difficult ping. I dislike using leech but let's be honest here. Practically it does it's job and that's of utmost importance.

A second method without Stealth would be with the use of Behind Enemy Lines. You can use it in two ways:
- Go from a long distance (40m) then use: Behind Enemy Lines to get closer and then use Tiger Strike and you have the advantage!

or

- Use Behind Enemy Lines on the target and use Triple Slash once after that. You will have the advantage

Once you have found a way to get the advantage here we go!

The Fight:

(If you dind't already)
Buff up: Battle Focus + Freerunner

I suggest once you got the advantage in some way use Overwhelm + Shadowsmite.
If you used leech, don't do that rather use Throw Dagger + Whirlwind Slashx3 and then use Overwhelm + Shadowsmite

This way the opponent is tripped now use Charge + Triple Slashx1 + Wallop to decrease his defences and then use Precision Strike.

Darkrunner vs Defence

How to beat someone who has the defence skill tree and a shield.

There currently are many classes that run without Defence but there are some classes like:

- Skullknight
- Abolisher
- Defiler
- Blighter

That do have a shield and most likely plate armor which will give you a hard time.
The pro of defence classes is that they will lack so much mobility. But in terms of damage do not underestimate them!

Everytime they use Redoubt. RUN! away! You will have such a low chance of hitting them, if you do get caught. The only option is to use Leech. Use this time to run away. There is also a chance you steal the Redoubt buff from the enemy. In this case, you're good to go all in!

9 out of 10 times with the exception of Blighter the players will not have Shadowplay and this gives you the upperhand for using Stealth. Take not that after in-gaging they could use Imprison, and there you are 1 on 1 in fight with a Tank in a closed off area. With nowhere to go what options are there? Crowd Control (CC) use everything with crowd control untill the barrier drops so you can escape and let your cooldowns rest.

Be sure to keep your hand on the Shrug It Off button, if they use Shield Slam. You escape easily and avoid getting schackled, not being able to do physical skills.

When you use any skills, CC especially go behind the enemy first. This way there is less of a chance to be able to get your CC blocked. If you have a hard time getting behind him quickly, don't hesitate to use Leech for once. They are our counters after all.

You just want to use standard combo's on them and use mobility to get away to avoid being hit by them. Use Stealth a lot more, since they do not have the mobility to catch you. Or use Stealth themselves.

I don't think fighting Plate / Shield users with Defence is hard. It got way easier with the new 2-Hander meta. Being able to penetrate 50% more through shields is just amazing!

Gear

*NOTE FOR 3.0 FRESH START - WAIT FOR PRICES OF SUN/MOON/STAR -POINTS TO LOWER AND START SAVING UP MONEY FOR REGRADING OR BUYING ARMOR/WEAPONS FROM THE AUCTION HOUSE

I would recommend the current armor for Fresh Start to get a full set of Celestial GHA, which can be upgraded from just grinding dungeons and a Mistsong Weapon = Doomshadow Nodachi*

Gearing -

There are 2 ways of gearing.

There is Agility Runner (a.k.a. Critrunner) - This allows you to evade many attacks and have more critical hits, but have less base damage.

Now I have chosen the Dual-Wield Passive for the Increased Melee Crit 8% over the 5% Extra Melee Damage.
But I do not recommend of building this way.

I do recommend you gear my way:

First of all I recommend you get everything to Divine. Celestial is fine for now. As long as you make a good income, and I'd recommend you not to get Obsidian Celestial but the Epherium crafted gear instead. You can sell this and always buy a Divine piece instead of it.

Weapon: The Ideal Weapon you should go for is something like an Ayanad Flame Nodachi. A different option is an Obsidian Greatsword. If you want to pick up an Obsidian Nodachi you should get it to epic and upgrade it to tier 7 if you want to outscale the Obsidian Greatsword. Any point below Tier 7 Epic you should go for an Obsidian Greatsword.

+ Lunafrosts / Lunagems
You should add a Honor Lunafrost that gives the weapon 3% Melee Skill Damage.
For Lunagems try to get as many 2H-Focus Gems on the weapon.

The Focus allows you to hit more of your hits as in, You get parried less, and you parry the enemy more often. You will hit less blocks on the enemy's shield. This is the most important thing for Darkrunners.

Armor:
I take 4 Pieces of Flame and fill up the rest with Obsidian. I take 4 pieces only because it gives 20-25% more Critical Hits which is REALLY good, also I'd rather have more damage and have less Hitpoints.

Helm: Silent Shadow Cap (Tier 5 Obsidian Cap) This allows you to get a lot more Melee Attack. Lunafrost: Stealth Vision Increased by 20%

Lunafrost: Stealth Detection 20% increase.
Lunagem: Attack Speed Gems

Body: Epherium/Delphinad Flame Jerkin I would recommend Epherium since it's the cheaper version. You can always sell it and get an upgrade if you want. The Obsidian Jerkin is not better compared to this.

Lunafrost: Decreased Damage 3%
Lunagem: Resilence

Waist: Epherium/Delphinad Flame Belt There simply is not an Obsidian Belt for this, the crafted belt that comes close is the Desert Belt. But I recommend this much more.

Lunadrop: Strength +9
Lunagem: Defence gems or Lucid eternal auramancy lunagems

Guards: Dark Warrior's Guards Obtained with 500 Warrior Medals and a full set of Serpentis. This is hard to regrade because if it becomes Celestial you may break it getting it to Divine

Lunadrop: Strength + 9
Lunagem: Lucid Ancient Battlerage Lunagem

Fists: Silent Shadow Fists This is your most imporant armor piece, that's why I definitly recommend you pick this up after your Epherium gear and go Divine Tier 5.

Lunafrost: Melee critical damage increase
Lunagem: Melee parry rate % increase

Cloak: Epherium/Delphinad/Ayanad Arrowflash Cloak This can be bought for 150 Prestige in your guild shop. This cloak can be upgraded by dropped Shards from Monsters in Diamond Shores and some of the Austmana Tower Monsters if this is destroyed.

Lunafrost: Perfect Fire Lunafrost

Pants: Epherium/Delphinad Flame Pants Same as for the other Flame pieces, it's just that I like more damage over Obsidian.

Lunafrost: 355 Thoughness
Lunagem: Toughness

Boots: Epherium/Delphinad Flame Boots This is the last piece you should buy, usually this is quite a bit cheaper than the other pieces.

Lunafrost: Movement speed increase (5%)
Lunagem: Movement speed increae ( 1-3% )

Video Guide

Coming soon!