Click on the text below for expanding spec information
Juggernaut - The Juggernaut pushes the battle forward, striking down enemies with little regard for their defenses.
Juggernauts are adept at both tanking and dps - they get an AoE threat ability to help control groups of mobs and also dps abilities that ignore armor or cause bleeding.
If you enjoy smashing enemies with a huge maul then this may be the class for you.
Knight - An expert in one-on-one combat, the Knight's oath to protect others makes them a powerful ally.
Knights are focused on tanking, able to wear the heaviest armor and with several high threat single target abilities. They can also support their allies with a resistance aura.
If you want to tank the biggest scariest enemies with ease then the Knight may be for you.
Marshal - A seasoned tactician and military commander who changes the tide of battle by stopping enemies in their tracks. The Marshal sees every battle as a test of their wits.
Marshals are all about controlling the flow of battle, they have an AoE root and a single target slow to enable re-positioning mid combat.
If you enjoy combining brains and brawn (or impaling enemies on a pike) this spec might suit you.
Berserker - Striking as many foes as quickly as possible, the Berserker is no stranger to the heat of battle.
If you believe an all out offensive is the best defense then the berserker might be just what you need.
Berserkers can throw themselves into a frenzy, boosting their basic attack speed and damage for a while and often alternate between duel wielding and hefting a large 2-hand weapon.
Brigand - Underhanded fighting and quick strikes, the Brigand can knock out foes as well as it can dispatch them.
If you like playing a rogue archetype and seeing big crits this might be the spec for you.
You get access to both a single target and an AoE stun, as well as a deadly finishing move.
Warden - Attuned to the world around them the resourceful Warden uses nature to attack enemies and aid their allies.
If you enjoy poisoning your enemies then wardens get several damage over time abilities for you to use.
Wardens are often the designated puller for the group thanks to the combination of a longbow and their sedation dart.
Duelist - Offensively and defensively balanced, the duelist moves quickly through the battlefield bleeding out enemies and patching up allies.
If you want to combine making your enemies bleed with fast heals then the duelist might be right for you.
They get both a single target and group heal. Careful stamina and threat management is required for this spec to shine.
Sentinel - The Sentinel is a guardian of the people; both healing and fortifying allies and themselves, while also weakening and damaging their opponents.
Sentinels specialise in healing over time, whilst also providing defense buffs and debuffs.
They can wear the most armor of all the support specs and can even briefly tank a mob if the situation becomes dire.
If you want to outlast your enemies with both healing and defense then this is the place for you.
Warlord - An imposing presence on the battlefield, Warlords use their powerful voices alongside their combat skills in battle to both inspire their allies and invoke fear in their enemies.
If you enjoy playing bards and grouping with others then this versatile class might be your calling.
Warlords maintain several battle chants in combat, and can also debuff or even fear their enemies.
Crafting Guides;
Gathering
Blacksmith
Bushcraft
Due to changing job I am no longer playing Embers Adrift and this website is no longer being updated, sorry :( I can be contacted at tallbird#9579 on discord
Official website for Embers Adrift - https://www.embersadrift.com/ this is a fan made website and has no affiliation with Stormhaven Studios or Embers Adrift
Spec Guides - Playstyle, Skills & Gear
Juggernaut DPS Tank
Knight Classic Tank
Marshal Control Tank
Berserker Frenzied Attacks
Brigand Prepare to Die
Warden Damage Over Time
Duelist Currently Unavailable
Sentinel Currently Unavailable
Warlord Currently Unavailable
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Juggernaut - Defender
Spec Overview - The juggernaut pushes the battle forward, striking down enemies with little regard for their defenses.
Juggernauts are adept at both tanking and dps - they get an AoE threat ability to help control groups of mobs and also dps abilities that ignore armor or cause bleeding.
If you enjoy smashing enemies with a huge maul then this may be the class for you.
Playstyle - Juggernauts are a versatile spec that can switch between tanking and dps as required - you might start the fight as a dps swinging a big 2H maul while another ally is tanking, but then suddenly a load of little adds swarms in, so you pop your AoE taunt and switch to shield to offtank for a bit.
Your AoE taunt won't break crowd control like stuns so Juggernauts pair well with CC specs like the brigand.
Solo play is also solid, grab yourself a big maul and go bonk some heads!
Push the battle forward
Tanking Skills
Provoke - requires lvl 2 This is one of your core threat abilities, it has a short range. Use it as the mob is running towards you and then on cooldown to maintain aggro.
Will not break crowd control.
Threatening Strike - requires lvl 1 This is your second core threat ability, which is melee range only. Use on cooldown to maintain aggro.
If you have a good weapon and are similar level to your dps you can normally maintain aggro just using provoke and threatening strike on cooldown.
Roar - requires lvl 8 This is an 360° AoE threat ability with a decent range. Use this when tanking multiple mobs, or to pick up extra adds without needing to turn and target them.
This ability will not break crowd control like stuns (it will break lull), so its very good in combination with a brigands AoE CC to maintain aggro.
This will drain your stamina fast! consider dropping provoke when AoE tanking.
Resistant - requires lvl 4 This defensive cooldown reduces your physical damage taken for a short time. Pop this whenever you are fighting harder mobs or AoE tanking to help mitigate some damage.
Utility - These defensive cooldowns are situationally useful. No Time to Die will prevent your next death. Unstoppable can be helpful against mobs that stun eg. in dryfoot basilisk ember veins.
DPS Skills
Perforate - requires lvl 22 You don't get this skill until fairly late, but once you do this should be the first ability in your rotation, try and maintain the bleed.
Breach - requires lvl 6 This is your core dps ability and you unlock it immediately at lvl 6. It ignores armor for some really beefy damage. (I like to shout BONK! over voice comms when it crits). Use on cooldown. Especially good against high armor enemies.
Collateral Damage - requires lvl 14 This is your first AoE ability that hits 2 enemies, but I also recommend using it in your normal DPS rotation as well, we don't get too many DPS abilities. It is conal with a fair range so be careful not to break any CC when you use it.
Threatening Strike - requires lvl 1 This ability does good damage but also has a hefty threat multiplier, so be cautious when using this that you don't pull aggro. Use it when your other DPS abilities are on cooldown. If you are having trouble with generating too much aggro in harder content consider dropping this for strike instead, you will do less damage but the tank won't hate you!
Gear & Professions
Weapons
- For tanking you either want a 1H & Shield (best versus harder mobs or if your gear isn't amazing) or a Maul.
- 1H maces are generally the best for threat, however swords get extra +Hit positional bonus which can be good versus harder mobs.
- 2H Maul - best for threat and also for DPS.
- Polearm - not as useful on a Juggernaut due to not benefitting from flanking.
- Shields - if you are lacking armor heater shields are best, if you are at AC soft cap then you could consider a buckler for extra parry. Kite shields are in-between the two.
Tanking - You want to prioritise hitting the AC soft cap of 50% absorb (check your combat log to see how much damage you absorb from each hit). After that you can look at stacking block / avoid / parry (1 stat = 1% chance to mitigate all damage, not everything can be dodged / blocked / parried though).
- Physical Damage Resist is also a very important stat to stack, this is a flat % damage mitigated and the majority of mobs do physical damage, so get as much of this as you can.
- Riposte adds a chance to do damage when you parry, you will probably have lowish parry so this isn't worth chasing.
- Flanking is a good threat stat that will increase the positional stats on your weapon whether you are using a 1h or a Maul. Crafted rings are a good source of this on tanks. Beware of wearing too much chitin armor as this tends to have negative flanking. Don't sacrifice AC for flanking when tanking unless you are fighting easy mobs.
- Hit & 1H/2H damage are also useful to have for threat and tend to come on crafted rings.
DPS - Flanking is a good damage stat that will increase the positional stats on your weapon, mostly found on mid-weight (leather) armor and crafted rings.
- Penetration is also a solid damage stat to stack.
- 2H damage is a % increase to your overall damage done.
- Hit is not quite as good as the other stats, better against harder mobs which are more difficult to hit.
Other Stats - Stamina Regen is super useful for both tanking and dps - more stamina = more threat output / more damage, especially shines in longer fights in dungeons or when AoE tanking (roar is quite stamina intensive). Stamina can regen in combat (at a lower rate).
- Health Regen is good for soloing as it means less downtime, somewhat useful in group play as you won't have to rely on your healer topping you up between fights. Afaik HP doesn't regen whilst in combat.
Professions - Armorsmith can craft high AC armor, and also some shields with physical damage resist.
- Outfitter can craft helm / shirt / pants / boots with either physical damage resists or parry / avoid stats. It can also craft dps gear with flanking.
- Tinker can make some nice jewellery with various stats.
- Provisioner can make potions - HP and Kings pots, also hp and stam regen food / drink.
If you want to be more self-sufficient, it's recommended to pick up the core gathering skills first BEFORE picking your production skill 3rd at tradeskill lv 12.
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Knight - Defender
Spec Overview - An expert in one-on-one combat, the Knight's oath to protect others makes them a powerful ally.
Knights are focused on tanking, able to wear the heaviest armor and with several high threat single target abilities. They can also support their allies with a resistance aura.
If you want to tank the biggest scariest enemies with ease then the Knight may be for you.
Playstyle - Knights are designed around group play and really shine when main tanking the big bad boss. However your ability to AoE tank is limited, so this spec pairs well with CC specs like the brigand, or alternatively with an offtank. You can also often bypass this problem by pairing with a Warden for more controlled pulls.
Solo play is pretty slow compared to other classes.
An oath to protect others
Threat Skills
Provoke - requires lvl 2 This is one of your core threat abilities, it has a short range. Use it as the mob is running towards you and then on cooldown to maintain aggro.
Will not break crowd control.
Threatening Strike - requires lvl 1 This is your second core threat ability, which is melee range only. Use on cooldown to maintain aggro.
If you have a good weapon and are similar level to your dps you can normally maintain aggro just using provoke and threatening strike on cooldown. However the knight has a couple more threat moves they can use.
Bash - requires lvl 14 This ability has a chunky threat modifier on it of 250%, much larger than threatening strike. As soon as you unlock this ability you want to prioritise its use over threatening strike.
You may be able to save provoke for picking up extra adds at range now instead of using it in your core threat rotation.
Crushing Blow - requires lvl 22 You don't unlock this until later on, but once you do you will want to prioritise it over everything else. It has a massive 500% threat modifier, no other ability comes close to how much threat this can produce.
Your preferred opener on mobs becomes provoke at range, and then crushing blow once they get to melee. This will create a large threat lead that will be hard for dps / heals to overcome.
Counter- requires lvl 10 - This ability is both a defensive cooldown and a small amount of extra threat rolled into one. It guarantees you will parry the next attack, taking no damage, plus you will riposte for extra damage (and therefor threat).
Utility Skills
Enraging Strike - requires lvl 6 This skill forces the mob to attack you for 8 seconds, extremely useful if someone in your group has pulled aggro or if extra mobs join the fight and are heading for your healer..
However this ability has no threat modifier at all, so it will only do a small amount of actual threat, and shouldn't be in your main threat rotation. If you haven't lost threat you probably don't need to use it!
Resistant - requires lvl 4 This defensive cooldown reduces your physical damage taken for a short time. Pop this whenever you are fighting harder mobs or AoE tanking to help mitigate some damage.
Protect - requires lvl 8 This ability is similar to resistant, but can only be used on an ally (your defensive target). If you are in a party with another tank you could use it on them to mitigate damage, if a healer or dps has aggro and you have no threat abilities off cooldown you could use this to help them survive a hit.
Inspire - requires lvl 18 This is probably your class defining ability, a 20% resistance aura for all the debuffs in the game (I think). Against certain annoying mob types eg. bears that keep dazing or basilisks that keep stunning this can make the run so much smoother and easier. Many mobs do AoE CC abilities that interupt the healer and the dps. Everyone will be grateful for this aura.
Gear & Professions
Weapons
- For tanking you either want a 1H & Shield (best versus harder mobs or if your gear isn't amazing) or a 2H if you have hit the AC soft cap and want more threat.
- 1H Sword - As knights rely on actually hitting mobs for most of their threat the +Hit positional bonus is more attractive to knights. 1H maces are also a good option if you aren't having hit problems.
- 2H Maul - best for threat if you have good armor, and also for DPS / Soloing.
- Polearm - good threat + some survivability. Some tanks swear by polearms for both group and solo play. (Note that flanking stat has no effect on polearms - you could stack chitin armor with minimal downsides)
- Shields - if you are lacking armor heater shields are best, if you are at AC soft cap then you could consider a buckler for extra parry. Kite shields are in-between the two.
Tanking - You want to prioritise hitting the AC soft cap of 50% absorb (check your combat log to see how much damage you absorb from each hit). After that you can look at stacking block / avoid / parry (1 stat = 1% chance to mitigate all damage, not everything can be dodged / blocked / parried though).
- Physical Damage Resist is also a very important stat to stack, this is a flat % damage mitigated and the majority of mobs do physical damage, so get as much of this as you can.
- Riposte adds a chance to do damage when you parry, if you enjoy using a polearm you might want to get some of this on your gear.
- Flanking is a good threat stat that will increase the positional stats on your weapon if you are using a 1H or a Maul. Crafted rings are a good source of this on tanks. Beware of wearing too much chitin armor as this tends to have negative flanking (which could impact your chance to hit with a sword). Don't sacrifice AC for flanking when tanking unless you are fighting easy mobs.
- Hit is good against higher level mobs which are more difficult to hit and also just generally to ensure your threat abilities hit harder. Tends to come on crafted rings.
Other stats
- Penetration is a solid threat stat to stack, especially good against high armor enemies.
- 1H / 2H damage is a % increase to your overall damage done.
- Stamina Regen is super useful for both tanking and dps - more stamina = more threat output, especially shines in longer fights in dungeons or when tanking multiple mobs. Stamina can regen in combat (at a lower rate).
- Health Regen is good for soloing as it means less downtime, somewhat useful in group play as you won't have to rely on your healer topping you up between fights. Afaik HP doesn't regen whilst in combat.
Professions - Armorsmith can craft high AC armor, and also some shields with physical damage resist.
- Outfitter can craft helm / shirt / pants / boots with either physical damage resists or parry / avoid stats.
- Tinker can make some nice jewellery with various stats.
- Provisioner can make potions - HP and Kings pots, also hp and stam regen food / drink.
If you want to be more self-sufficient, it's recommended to pick up the core gathering skills first BEFORE picking your production skill 3rd at tradeskill lv 12.
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Marshal - Defender
Spec Overview - A seasoned tactician and military commander who changes the tide of battle by stopping enemies in their tracks. The Marshal sees every battle as a test of their wits.
Marshals are all about controlling the flow of battle, they have an AoE root and a single target slow to enable re-positioning mid combat.
If you enjoy combining brains and brawn (or impaling enemies on a pike) this spec might suit you.
Playstyle - Marshal is an interesting spec with lots of different tools for different jobs. You have solid AoE tanking ability with Sweep + Halt, tactical pulling ability using Halt, and also good single target threat. Marshal pairs well with berzerkers in an AoE dps group.
Solo play is also fine, if not quite as fast as a striker. However you can cope with AoE pulls and bad pulls much better than most specs.
This guide is based on Asfastasican's guide to playing marshals which you can find on the official forums HERE
Tanking Skills
Threat rotation - The three skills you will need to use very often or on cooldown to hold aggro in groups are Provoke, Threatening Strike and Sweep (yes even on single targets.)
They are the TTT (triple threat trinity.) You should try to always start with Provoke at range then follow up with the other two. But for the sake of conserving stamina, you should stick to these 3 and only these three as the skills you want to use on cooldown.
If you push things further and use additional skills, you will drain your stamina past a comfortable threshold. I prefer to start a fight by Provoking then smacking it with a Sweep, because it hits hard and has the longer cooldown to get it to refresh faster.
Its worth mentioning that you should always apply provoke on a CC'ed target while its incapacitated (provoke doesn't break CC). If you don't, changes are the mob that was CC'ed will run straight at the teammate that casted it on them the moment it breaks. Poor Brigands.
Resistant - requires lvl 4 Your first defensive cooldown. What makes this skill viable is its lower stamina cost later on. Try to weave this while you are tanking in a group when you know you'll be taking decent damage for the next 20 seconds or so to help your healer.
Definitely worth using if there's 2 or more mobs hitting on you and threat is established.
Parry - requires lvl 18 This skill is another good defensive cooldown. Parry makes Polearms more effective for tanking and solo'ing, because it allows you to riposte after a successful parry more often. I now always prefer using this skill over Resistant if I'm using a polearm and only want 1 defensive cooldown.
Utility Skills
Halt - requires lvl 6 Probably your class defining skill. Just like in other mmo's, damage will break its effect.
- In groups, i recommended you Sweep first before rooting, as long as you or your group can handle a couple of hits while you cast both skills. The extra threat helps keeping them focused on you.
- This skill generates threat pretty well on its own and can be used as a pseudo-aoe taunt. You can still apply provoke on a target afterwards to increase threat on it without breaking your root.
- Want to handle one mob at a time in any situation with multiple mobs? Just root and step aside. You can then focus on the kill target.
- While main tanking or off tanking, you can aoe root a pack of incoming adds to help the healer out. Marshals can main tank, but the ability to root makes you a better off tank, considering you can root and kite mobs away or just root and buy everyone time.
- Need to gather materials in the open with a mob attacking you? Just root, collect the materials and keep going.
- You rarely need to use Tar, but using Tar does help in a number of ways. If you toggle it on, your roots will do additional damage. The damage is small BUT it helps generate threat on all of those mobs. Also, it increases duration, meaning you should consider toggling it on in urgent group situations.
Using Tar also helps a lot when dealing with diminishing returns. Root tends to be more lenient with diminishing returns, but longer roots means less DR overall.
Pressure - requires lvl 8 A fun skill to use, but overrated. It's great in solo play and a fine defensive-oriented attack, but it's main issue is its high stamina cost. This skill is meant to shine in group situations as a tool for something even off tank Marshall can contribute.
You only get 1 stack of pressure and it is consumed when an enemy attacks. It's high stamina cost is a major reason why it's not a part of the core tank rotation.
Pursuit - requires lvl 10 A versatile skill with many subtle uses, all of which I'll list here:
- In a pragmatic sense, this skill CAN be used to generate threat. If a mob is still at range after you use Provoke, use this. You can also weave it in between other skills if you have stamina to burn.
- You can use this to escape fights you can't win, because it slows down the mob AND speeds you up as well. Makes it very easy to disengage and pick your fights.
- You can use this to kite mobs and save teammates that are running. Feel free to tell them in chat that you snared the mob to let them know.
- You can actually use this to min/max and speed up travel time a little bit by using it on mobs you pass by.
Quick Strike - requires lvl 22 It starts at a high 13% stamina cost, but it's a fun skill that hits hard. It's a must have when off tanking since it doesn't generate bonus threat and is decent when used along with pressure. The extra damage modifier is good and advantage means it has a better chance of being a heavy or critical.
Gear & Professions
Armor - Generally speaking AC is king. You want to reach the AC soft cap of 50% absorb (check your combat log to see how much damage you absorb from each hit).
Block is good, and parry gets better late game as well, riposte will come if you use a polearm, but shouldn't be thought about much.
Physical damage resist is also very good and should be ranked higher than the other resists, with stun and daze also good agaist specific mobs.
Weapons
- Mace and Shield - The overall best all-purpose weapon choice for Marshals. Can be used to tank, grind and even solo granted your weapon is solid. Swords can be used as well to increase your Hit rating against higher level mobs.
- 2 Handed Mauls - Best for DPS'ing in a group. Some also prefer using this to Polearms.
- Polearms - The best for solo'ing. Parrying means less downtime and riposte also provides more possible dmg while taking hits. The only downside is that flanking gear has zero effect on your Polearm usage.
Other Stats
- Penetration is very useful on weapons and maces in general. Its worth mentioning that penetration does not directly increase your threat, but it does improve your damage.
- Hit is a good stat, but it remains to be seen if its the best stat while leveling. Hit does boost your threat, but moreso on mobs that are higher level then you.
- Flanking will buff your weapon modifiers, such as penetration, helping your threat generation. NEVER sacrifice AC for more flanking when deciding on what to equip.
- Stamina regen is crucial to every class in the game, but it helps tanks the most. More stamina obviously means you have more energy to spare and allows you to use more skills more often. More skills means more damage and more threat. More threat means DPS and strikers can push themselves further.
- Getting as much health regen on the side is great for tanks and any class too. Less downtime. But keep in mind certain types of health regen do not work in combat.
Professions - Armorsmith can craft high AC armor, and also some shields with physical damage resist.
- Outfitter can craft helm / shirt / pants / boots with either physical damage resists or parry / avoid stats.
- Tinker can make some nice jewellery with various stats.
- Provisioner can make potions - HP and Kings pots, also hp and stam regen food / drink.
If you want to be more self-sufficient, it's recommended to pick up the core gathering skills first BEFORE picking your production skill 3rd at tradeskill lv 12.
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Berserker - Striker
Spec Overview - Striking as many foes as quickly as possible, the Berserker is no stranger to the heat of battle.
If you believe an all out offensive is the best defense then the berserker might be just what you need.
Berserkers can throw themselves into a frenzy, boosting their basic attack speed and damage for a while and often alternate between duel wielding and hefting a large 2-hand weapon.
Playstyle - Berzerkers are mostly played as melee, all though you can run a 'bowzerker' if you prefer. The current meta is to switch between a big 2H weapon in your first weapon slot, and a duel wield setup in your second slot. Drain your stamina with the 2H weapon before switching to duel wield and using Fury whilst your regen stamina.
Beware that this playstyle will generate a huge amount of up-front threat, make sure to give your tank time to land a couple of aggro abilities before you unload the pain, and use Fading Strike on cooldown to help with threat management.
Solo play ability is very good.
For more in-depth theorycrafting on Berzerkers and DPS in general visit the thread on the official forums HERE
DPS Skills
Assault - requires lvl 6 This is the first ability you unlock on choosing the berzerker spec. It basically allows you to spam attack, eating through all your stamina, until either your enemy is dead or you are. Its generally advised to use this with a 2H weapon for maximum damage. Remember to save some stamina for Fury / Follow through, and also for Fading Strike, as dumping all your stamina in this way will pull aggro and piss off your tank very quickly!
Follow Through & Fury - This is your signature ability combo - Fury will give you the daze debuff, preventing you from using any other skills or items for the duration, but increasing your attack speed and damage significantly. Follow Through triggers an extra attack when you auto attack to maximise the damage during Fury, Remember to use Follow Through first!
It is normally recommended to switch to a dual wield setup for this combo with a fast weapon in your main hand (daggers preferred) and a slow hard hitting weapon in your off-hand. Every main-hand attack has a chance to proc an off-hand attack.
Arc & Pummel - You have the best AoE dps in the game with these 2 abilities. Recommended to switch to your 2H weapon for the extra range and slightly beefier damage
Utility Skills
Fading Strike - requires lvl 2 This is one of your core skills, it not only reduces your threat on the mob but also does very good damage per stamina. This should be part of your dps rotation as berzerkers generate a lot of threat.
Intimidate - requires lvl 12 This ability is an AoE lull - which means that the range at which the mobs aggro you is reduced. However you generally need to be slightly within aggro range to actually use it. The solution is to sneak up behind the mobs before you pop this.
If you are a forester or prospector this skill can also come in handy to let you gather nodes without being attacked by nearby mobs.
Guts - requires lvl 22 This is a very strong defensive cooldown, use this if you pull aggro, or to help when soloing harder mobs.
Gear & Professions
Weapons
- The majority of Berzerkers use a 2H weapon in their main weapon slot, and a duel wield setup in their second slot.
- For the 2H weapon go with the highest damage dice. Also pay attention to the positional stats - most weapons have bonuses when attacking from the side or the rear making them suited to group play, some have frontal bonuses making them better for solo play.
- For the duel wield setup you want a fast weapon in your main hand, generally crafted daggers will be the best option here, and a slow hard hitting weapon in your offhand. Note that the positionals on your off-hand will not apply to your main-hand. Daggers get lots of penetration bonus when attacking from the rear, however they have a very short range.
- You can also play this spec with a bow if you prefer ranged game play. I recommend to go woodcrafting as buying arrows can eat through your silver quite fast.
DPS Stats - Flanking is one of your main damage stats that will directly increase the positional stats on your weapon, mostly found on mid-weight (leather) armor and crafted rings.
- Penetration is also a solid damage stat to stack, especially good against heavily armoured enemies.
- 1H / 2H damage is a % increase to your overall damage done and worth looking out for on gear.
- Hit is not quite as good as the other stats, better against harder mobs which are more difficult to hit.
Other Stats - Stamina Regen is super useful for all specs - more stamina = more damage, especially shines in longer fights in dungeons. Stamina can regen in combat (at a lower rate).
- Health Regen is good for soloing as it means less downtime, somewhat useful in group play as you won't have to rely on your healer topping you up between fights. Afaik HP doesn't regen whilst in combat.
- Armor Class is helpful if you like to solo a lot or tend to pull aggro. Most high armor pieces are also very heavy and have no dps stats though.
Professions - Outfitter can craft dps gear with flanking, and also cloth inner armor with various other dps stats.
- Tinker can make daggers, which are normally better than the drops and quest rewards, and also some nice jewellery with various dps stats.
- Provisioner can make potions - HP and Kings pots, also hp and stam regen food / drink.
- Woodworker can make arrows and bows which I recommend if you want to play ranged (you will go through a lot of arrows!).
If you want to be more self-sufficient, it's recommended to pick up the core gathering skills first BEFORE picking your production skill 3rd at tradeskill lv 12.
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Brigand - Striker
Spec Overview - Underhanded fighting and quick strikes, the Brigand can knock out foes as well as it can dispatch them.
If you like playing a rogue archetype this might be the spec for you.
You get access to both a single target and an AoE stun, as well as a deadly finishing move.
Playstyle - Brigand is often played as melee with a 2H weapon for maximum damage on your execute. Second weapon slot is normally a bow for pulling. It is perfectly possible to play this spec as full ranged, but you will still need to dart into melee range to stun mobs.
Brigands are in demand for groups wanting their crowd control skills, their AoE stun will help with bad pulls or patrols and allow groups to overcome tricky dungeons with ease.
Their dps is also very good and correct timing of execute means low health mobs suddenly evaporate, whilst they generate low threat thanks to Hidden Strike and Fading Strike.
Solo play ability is very good.
For more in-depth theorycrafting on DPS specs visit the thread on the official forums HERE
DPS Skills
Overpower - requires lvl 10 This is a strong damage skill that completely ignores enemy defences, a core part of your dps rotation.
Bleeding Strike - requires lvl 4 - This is a core striker skill that is still worth using in your dps rotation, generally use this at the beginning of the fight and then maintain the bleed.
Execute - requires lvl 26 - This is your specs signature damage move. You don't unlock it for quite a while, but once you do Brigands really start to shine. This skill does more damage the less health the target has, so use it when the mobs health goes under 30% or even 20% for stupid high damage numbers.
A slow high damage weapon is best for maximising the crazy damage on this skill.
Sharpen Edge - requires lvl 14 - This is a buff that increases your penetration stat for a while, best used versus highly armoured enemies.
Utility Skills
Fading Strike - requires lvl 2 This is one of your core skills, it not only reduces your threat on the mob but also does good damage per stamina. In conjunction with Hidden Strike this should mean you stay low on the threat table.
It's worth noting that both Stun and Flash Powder generate threat, and often when the CC wears off the mobs will be heading straight to you. Hopefully your tank will have some threat on them, but you may want to save Fading Strike for helping de-aggro mobs.
If you are pulling mobs then you should also use this as soon as the tank grabs the enemy as the puller generates additional threat.
Hidden Strike - requires lvl 8 This ability generates no threat which is very useful, especially as an opener when the tank may not have much threat on the mob, and also after pulling mobs. If you use it on cooldown then you shouldn't have any threat problems.
Stun & Flash Powder - These are your crowd control abilities, Stun you get straight away at level 6 and is single target. Flash Powder you unlock later at 22 and is an AoE.
Note that both of these abilities generate threat, so the mobs may be heading for you as soon as the CC wears off.
Most mobs can only be CC'd 3 times in a row and then they become resistant, higher level mobs (red) and bosses are also generally highly resistant to CC.
Daze - requires lvl 18 This ability makes the enemy unable to use their skills for a while. Against some enemies that do AoE damage or stuns this can be very useful to use.
Gear & Professions
Weapons
- The majority of Brigands use a 2H weapon in their main weapon slot, and a bow in their second slot.
- For the 2H weapon go with the highest damage dice. Also pay attention to the positional stats - most weapons have bonuses when attacking from the side or the rear making them suited to group play, some have frontal bonuses making them better for solo play.
- You could also go duel wield if you have better 1H weapons. I would recommend both a slow main-hand and off-hand for maximum skill damage.
- There are two different types of bows, shortbows have a shorter range but can still dps in melee, whereas long bows have a much longer range, better for pulling mobs, but also a minimum range so can't dps in melee and are unsuitable for solo play unless you are adept at kiting.
DPS Stats - Flanking is one of your main damage stats that will directly increase the positional stats on your weapon, mostly found on mid-weight (leather) armor and crafted rings.
- Penetration is also a solid damage stat to stack, especially good against heavily armoured enemies.
- 1H / 2H damage is a % increase to your overall damage done and worth looking out for on gear.
- Hit is not quite as good as the other stats, better against harder mobs which are more difficult to hit.
Other Stats - Stamina Regen is super useful for all specs - more stamina = more damage, especially shines in longer fights in dungeons. Stamina can regen in combat (at a lower rate).
- Health Regen is good for soloing as it means less downtime, somewhat useful in group play as you won't have to rely on your healer topping you up between fights. Afaik HP doesn't regen whilst in combat.
- Armor Class is helpful if you like to solo a lot or tend to pull aggro. Most high armor pieces are also very heavy and have no dps stats though.
Professions - Outfitter can craft dps gear with flanking, and also cloth inner armor with various other dps stats.
- Tinker can make daggers, which are normally better than the drops and quest rewards, and also some nice jewellery with various dps stats.
- Provisioner can make potions - HP and Kings pots, also hp and stam regen food / drink.
- Woodworker can make arrows and bows which I recommend if you want to play ranged (you will go through a lot of arrows!).
If you want to be more self-sufficient, it's recommended to pick up the core gathering skills first BEFORE picking your production skill 3rd at tradeskill lv 12.
×
Warden - Striker
Spec Overview - Attuned to the world around them the resourceful Warden uses nature to attack enemies and aid their allies.
If you enjoy poisoning your enemies then wardens get several damage over time abilities for you to use.
Wardens are often the designated puller for the group thanks to the combination of a longbow and their sedation dart.
Playstyle - Wardens often attract players who prefer ranged classes, but can also be played melee if you prefer.
Wardens are valued in groups for their superior pulling ability and party speed boost. Grab yourself a long bow and you will be indispensable.
Solo play can be very good, Wardens are better at ranged kiting higher level mobs than most classes, with both DoTs and a Heal over time that works well if mobs can't get into range to hit you. They can also sneak through dangerous areas with good use of lull.
For more in-depth theorycrafting on DPS specs visit the thread on the official forums HERE
DPS Skills
Bleeding Strike & Venom Strike - These are your core damage over time abilities. Use these at the start of the fight and then on cooldown to maintain the bleed & poison dots.
Assist - requires lvl 12 - This skill has two components, firstly it does some damage to an enemy, but it also buffs an ally (your defensive target) with advantage for their next 3 hits, which means the damage dice get rolled twice and keeps the highest result.
This can be useful to use on the main tank at the start of the fight to ensure they get a solid threat lead, or on a fellow dps for more damage.
Acid Strike - requires lvl 18 - This skill does damage to both the enemy's health and armor - reduced armor means more damage on subsequent hits for the whole group. If you or your group has high values of penetration then this aspect becomes less valuble.
Utility Skills
Fading Strike - requires lvl 2 This is one of your core skills, it not only reduces your threat on the mob but also does very good damage per stamina. This should normally be part of your dps rotation.
Sedation Dart - requires lvl 12 This ability is a lull - which means that the range at which the mobs aggro you is reduced. Combine this with a longbow for precise pulling at long range - lull the first enemy and then hit a second nearby enemy, if done right only the second enemy will aggro.
This ability can let you sneak around in more dangerous areas without attracting attention. Also very useful if you are a gatherer to harvest nodes without being attacked.
Aid - requires lvl 10 This is a heal over time, but it stops working if you get hit. You could use this on party members who have taken damage but aren't currently tanking enemies, or to heal up after combat.
If you get good at kiting mobs with a bow you can also use this while soloing tougher enemies.
Lay Of The Land - requires lvl 14 This is a party wide buff that gives a movement speed boost for a while. Whether you need a quick getaway or just to speed up a long journey across the zone groups will love you for this.
Gear & Professions
Weapons
- A lot of Wardens use a long bow in their main weapon slot for both pulling and dps. Your second weapon slot could be melee if you prefer that playstyle or a shortbow for mobs that make it into melee range of you.
- There are two different types of bows, shortbows have a shorter range but can still dps in melee, whereas long bows have a much longer range, better for pulling mobs, but also a minimum range so can't dps in melee and are unsuitable for solo play unless you are adept at kiting.
- If you prefer a 2H weapon go with the highest damage dice. Also pay attention to the positional stats - most weapons have bonuses when attacking from the side or the rear making them suited to group play, some have frontal bonuses making them better for solo play.
- You could also go duel wield if you have better 1H weapons. I would recommend both a slow main-hand and off-hand for maximum skill damage.
DPS Stats - Flanking is one of your main damage stats that will directly increase the positional stats on your weapon, mostly found on mid-weight (leather) armor and crafted rings.
- Penetration is also a solid damage stat to stack, especially good against heavily armoured enemies.
- 1H / 2H damage is a % increase to your overall damage done and worth looking out for on gear.
- Hit is not quite as good as the other stats, better against harder mobs which are more difficult to hit.
Other Stats - Stamina Regen is super useful for all specs - more stamina = more damage, especially shines in longer fights in dungeons. Stamina can regen in combat (at a lower rate).
- Health Regen is good for soloing as it means less downtime, somewhat useful in group play as you won't have to rely on your healer topping you up between fights. Afaik HP doesn't regen whilst in combat.
- Armor Class is helpful if you like to solo a lot or tend to pull aggro. Most high armor pieces are also very heavy and have no dps stats though.
Professions - Woodworker can make arrows and bows which I recommend if you want to play ranged (you will go through a lot of arrows!).
- Outfitter can craft dps gear with flanking, and also cloth inner armor with various other dps stats.
- Tinker can make daggers, which are normally better than the drops and quest rewards, and also some nice jewellery with various dps stats.
- Provisioner can make potions - HP and Kings pots, also hp and stam regen food / drink.
If you want to be more self-sufficient, it's recommended to pick up the core gathering skills first BEFORE picking your production skill 3rd at tradeskill lv 12.
×
Warlord - Striker
Spec Overview - Attuned to the world around them the resourceful Warden uses nature to attack enemies and aid their allies.
If you enjoy poisoning your enemies then wardens get several damage over time abilities for you to use.
Wardens are often the designated puller for the group thanks to the combination of a longbow and their sedation dart.
Playstyle - Wardens often attract players who prefer ranged classes, but can also be played melee if you prefer.
Wardens are valued in groups for their superior pulling ability and party speed boost. Grab yourself a long bow and you will be indispensable.
Solo play can be very good, Wardens are better at ranged kiting higher level mobs than most classes, with both DoTs and a Heal over time that works well if mobs can't get into range to hit you. They can also sneak through dangerous areas with good use of lull.
For more in-depth theorycrafting on DPS specs visit the thread on the official forums HERE
DPS Skills
Bleeding Strike & Venom Strike - These are your core damage over time abilities. Use these at the start of the fight and then on cooldown to maintain the bleed & poison dots.
Assist - requires lvl 12 - This skill has two components, firstly it does some damage to an enemy, but it also buffs an ally (your defensive target) with advantage for their next 3 hits, which means the damage dice get rolled twice and keeps the highest result.
This can be useful to use on the main tank at the start of the fight to ensure they get a solid threat lead, or on a fellow dps for more damage.
Acid Strike - requires lvl 18 - This skill does damage to both the enemy's health and armor - reduced armor means more damage on subsequent hits for the whole group. If you or your group has high values of penetration then this aspect becomes less valuble.
Utility Skills
Fading Strike - requires lvl 2 This is one of your core skills, it not only reduces your threat on the mob but also does very good damage per stamina. This should normally be part of your dps rotation.
Sedation Dart - requires lvl 12 This ability is a lull - which means that the range at which the mobs aggro you is reduced. Combine this with a longbow for precise pulling at long range - lull the first enemy and then hit a second nearby enemy, if done right only the second enemy will aggro.
This ability can let you sneak around in more dangerous areas without attracting attention. Also very useful if you are a gatherer to harvest nodes without being attacked.
Aid - requires lvl 10 This is a heal over time, but it stops working if you get hit. You could use this on party members who have taken damage but aren't currently tanking enemies, or to heal up after combat.
If you get good at kiting mobs with a bow you can also use this while soloing tougher enemies.
Lay Of The Land - requires lvl 14 This is a party wide buff that gives a movement speed boost for a while. Whether you need a quick getaway or just to speed up a long journey across the zone groups will love you for this.
Gear & Professions
Weapons
- A lot of Wardens use a long bow in their main weapon slot for both pulling and dps. Your second weapon slot could be melee if you prefer that playstyle or a shortbow for mobs that make it into melee range of you.
- There are two different types of bows, shortbows have a shorter range but can still dps in melee, whereas long bows have a much longer range, better for pulling mobs, but also a minimum range so can't dps in melee and are unsuitable for solo play unless you are adept at kiting.
- If you prefer a 2H weapon go with the highest damage dice. Also pay attention to the positional stats - most weapons have bonuses when attacking from the side or the rear making them suited to group play, some have frontal bonuses making them better for solo play.
- You could also go duel wield if you have better 1H weapons. I would recommend both a slow main-hand and off-hand for maximum skill damage.
DPS Stats - Flanking is one of your main damage stats that will directly increase the positional stats on your weapon, mostly found on mid-weight (leather) armor and crafted rings.
- Penetration is also a solid damage stat to stack, especially good against heavily armoured enemies.
- 1H / 2H damage is a % increase to your overall damage done and worth looking out for on gear.
- Hit is not quite as good as the other stats, better against harder mobs which are more difficult to hit.
Other Stats - Stamina Regen is super useful for all specs - more stamina = more damage, especially shines in longer fights in dungeons. Stamina can regen in combat (at a lower rate).
- Health Regen is good for soloing as it means less downtime, somewhat useful in group play as you won't have to rely on your healer topping you up between fights. Afaik HP doesn't regen whilst in combat.
- Armor Class is helpful if you like to solo a lot or tend to pull aggro. Most high armor pieces are also very heavy and have no dps stats though.
Professions - Woodworker can make arrows and bows which I recommend if you want to play ranged (you will go through a lot of arrows!).
- Outfitter can craft dps gear with flanking, and also cloth inner armor with various other dps stats.
- Tinker can make daggers, which are normally better than the drops and quest rewards, and also some nice jewellery with various dps stats.
- Provisioner can make potions - HP and Kings pots, also hp and stam regen food / drink.
If you want to be more self-sufficient, it's recommended to pick up the core gathering skills first BEFORE picking your production skill 3rd at tradeskill lv 12.
Defender - Skilled Warriors
Threatening Strike
Strike
Provoke
Resistant
Juggernaut - Push the Battle Forward
Breach
Roar
No Time To Die
Collateral Damage
Unstoppable
Perforate
Brace
Rip
Knight - An Oath to Protect Others
Enraging Strike
Protect
Counter
Bash
Inspire
Crushing Blow
Bulwark
Inner Fire
Marshal - A Seasoned Tactician
Halt
Pressure
Pursuit
Sweep
Parry
Quick Strike
Ready
Draw Fire
×
Defender Class Information
Base stats for each specialisation
Defender: +5 THR, +3 THR
+35 to Health / +45 to Armor Weight Capacity
+5 to Resiliance / +0 to +30 to Health Regen
Juggernaut +0 to +245 Health / +0 to +45 to Armor Weight Capacity
+0 to +10 Movement Debuff Resists
Knight +0 to +231 Health / +0 to +65 to Armor Weight Capacity
+0 to +10 Mental Debuff Resists
Marshal +0 to +238 Health / +0 to +55 to Armor Weight Capacity
+0 to +10 Stun Resist
Defender Weapons Options
Shield Buckler: +Parry, +Block, +Armor Class
Kite & Heater: +Block, +Armor Class (higher)
1H Sword Position Bonus: +15 HIT, +10 PEN, +3 DMG
1H Mace Position Bonus: +5 DMG, +3 DMG
1H Axe Position Bonus: +5 DMG, +15 HIT
2H Maul Position Bonus: +5 DMG, +3 DMG
2H Polearm Position Bonus: +5 Parry, +25 Riposte
×
Threatening Strike I - Defender
Skill Requirements
Defender Lvl: 1 Rank: 1
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 10s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: Weapon Damage +12 to Health
Mods: x1.4 (140%) to Threat
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Threatening strike that gets the attention of your enemies
Threatening Strike V - Defender
Skill Requirements
Defender Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 5
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 10s
Stamina: 6%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: Weapon Damage +22 to Health
Mods: x1.7 (170%) to Threat
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Threatening strike that gets the attention of your enemies
×
Strike - Defender
Skill Requirements
Defender Lvl: 1
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 10s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: Weapon Damage +2 to Health
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Strike your enemy
×
Provoke I - Defender
Skill Requirements
Defender Lvl: 2 Rank: 1
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 10s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: 2d2 +9, x2.5 (250%) to Threat
Mods: Ignore Active Defense (block, avoid, parry)
Range: 10m Angle: 120°
Optional reagent: Irritant
Provoke your opponent encouraging them to attack you
Provoke IV - Defender
Skill Requirements
Defender Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 4
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 10s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: 5d2 +20, x4 (400%) to Threat
Mods: Ignore Active Defense (block, avoid, parry)
Range: 10m Angle: 120°
Optional reagent: Irritant
Provoke your opponent encouraging them to attack you
Irritant - reagent
Drops from: Bears, Toads
Diluted Urine - requires lvl 2 Effects: +4 to Threat
Reduced Urine - requires lvl 8 Effects: +6 to Threat
Buff: +100 to Resilience (heal when taking fatal blow), for 10s
Who has the time...
No Time To Die III - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 3
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 4m 20s
Stamina: 5%
Skill Effects
Target: Self
Buff: +100 to Resilience (heal when taking fatal blow), for 14s
Who has the time...
×
Collateral Damage I - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 14 Rank: 1
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 12%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive, AoE, 2 targets
Damage: Weapon Damage +16, x0.8 (80%) to Health
Mods: Ignore Active Defense (block, avoid, parry)
Range: As Weapon Angle: 360°
Deal damage with your weapon specific area attack to two targets
Collateral Damage III - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 3
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive, AoE, 2 targets
Damage: Weapon Damage +24 to Health
Mods: Ignore Active Defense (block, avoid, parry)
Range: As Weapon Angle: 360°
Deal damage with your weapon specific area attack to two targets
×
Unstoppable - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 18
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 1m
Stamina: 5%
Skill Effects
Target: Self (1)
Buff: +100 to Resistances: Movement, Stun, Physical Debuff, for 20s
Become Unstoppable
×
Perforate I - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 22 Rank: 1
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive
Damage: Weapon Damage +12 to Health
On Hit: 4 dmg to Health every 6s, for 30s
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Strike and cause your opponent to bleed
Perforate II - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 2
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 9%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive
Damage: Weapon Damage +16 to Health
On Hit: 5 dmg to Health every 6s, for 30s
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Strike and cause your opponent to bleed
×
Brace - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 26
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 3m
Stamina: 5%
Skill Effects
Target: Self (1)
Buff: +80 to Resistances: Melee, Ranged, for 20s
Greatly increase physical defense
×
Rip - Juggernaut
Skill Requirements
Juggernaut Lvl: 30
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 12%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive, Aoe, 4 targets
Damage: Weapon Damage +10 to Health
On Hit: 5 dmg to Health every 3s, for 10s
Range: As Weapon Angle: 360°
Rip through your enemies causing them to bleed
×
Enraging Strike I - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 6 Rank: 1
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: Weapon Damage +9 to Health
On hit: Enrage (forced aggro), for 8s
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Optional Reagent: Pheromones
Distracting strike that enrages your target forcing them to attack you
personal note - this skill has NO THREAT MULTIPLIER, it is not a threat button, it is an 'oh shit' button. Stop using it in your threat rotation, definitely don't use it as your opener!! Save it for emergencies. If you are having threat problems try changing this behaviour first.
Enraging Strike IV - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 4
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 7%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: Weapon Damage +17 to Health
On hit: Enrage (forced aggro), for 8s
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Optional Reagent: Pheromones
Distracting strike that enrages your target forcing them to attack you
personal note - this skill has NO THREAT MULTIPLIER, it is not a threat button, it is an 'oh shit' button. Stop using it in your threat rotation, definitely don't use it as your opener!! Save it for emergencies. If you are having threat problems try changing this behaviour first.
Pheromones - reagent
Drops from: Does
Stale Pheromones - requires lvl 6 Effects: +3 to Damage Effects: +2s to Duration
Weak Pheromones - requires lvl 8 Effects: +4 to Damage Effects: +2s to Duration
Pheromones - requires lvl 18 Effects: +5 to Damage Effects: +3s to Duration
×
Protect I - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 8 Rank: 1
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 1m
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Target: Defensive (1)
Buff: +40 to Damage Resist: Melee, Ranged, for 20s
Expiration: lasts for 1 hit
Range: 8m
Protect your defensive target
Protect III - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 3
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 1m
Stamina: 8%
Skill Effects
Target: Defensive (1)
Buff: +60 to Damage Resist: Melee, Ranged, for 20s
Expiration: lasts for 1 hit
Range: 8m
Protect your defensive target
×
Counter I - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 10 Rank: 1
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 30s
Stamina: 10%
Skill Effects
Buff: +100 to Active Defense: Riposte, Parry, for 10s
Expiration: lasts for 1 hit
Parry the next incoming attack and counterattack
Counter III - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 3
Execution: 1s Cooldown: 30s
Stamina: 8%
Skill Effects
Buff: +100 to Active Defense: Riposte, Parry, for 10s
Expiration: lasts for 1 hit
Parry the next incoming attack and counterattack
×
Bash I - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 14 Rank: 1
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 12%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: Weapon Damage +16 to Health
Mods: x2.5 (250%) to Threat
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Bash your enemy increasing their hatred towards you
Bash II - Knight
Skill Requirements
Knight Lvl: 30 ? Rank: 2
Execution: 2s Cooldown: 20s
Stamina: 11%
Skill Effects
Target: Offensive (1)
Damage: Weapon Damage +20 to Health
Mods: x2.5 (250%) to Threat
Range: As Weapon Angle: 90°
Bash your enemy increasing their hatred towards you