This guide is a product of having ran a couple of pretty bad Wonderholme raids. I don’t want to just put it aside as a bunch of “baddies” queueing because they can’t get a group otherwise — even if there were some pretty questionable players that had joined.
You would then think “then just make sure you only recruit item level 167+” but what do you do when that gear doesn’t even help them stay alive or DPS down the boss because they are lacking some essentials to partying? Maybe they just don’t know because a Lancer in one of the raids had the right idea in telling everyone to use a Nostrum… except he was linking a Ranger’s Nostrum which wouldn’t really help is core skill cooldowns.
So there are people with the right idea but just a little off the mark. The guide isn’t an end-all guide for partying, as usual it’s just to guide players in the right direction so that they can have a much more enjoyable time in TERA.
Preparation
Before you join a LFG or queue up for an instance make sure you’ve got a “few” essentials in your bag.
Proper Crystals
You can theoretically do any dungeon as long as you have the gear that puts you at the recommended item level (minus inner armour boost). What makes a difference is whether you have the proper crystals equipped or not. It makes a world of a difference in how much damage you do and how much damage you don’t take.
Tanks
In regards to the weapon crystals it’s whatever your preference is. Some run 3 Pounding and a Focused while others go for full Threat set-up. As a rule of thumb always start off with full threat and gradually work your way into Pounding if you feel you can keep up with them. Otherwise a 3 Threatening and a Focused will probably be the way to go.
In a later patch with the new tank class players will gain access to a new crystal which increases the Crit Power from frontal crits designed for, well, tanks. That patch will also converge what would have been 4 Threat crystals into one so that tanks can have a more offensive set-up without sacrificing their threat generation.
When that patch hits it’ll be a set-up of threat, focused, carving and the new front crit crystal.
Healers
I’m not very keen on the idea of using Carving crystals for healers and highly recommend 3 Brilliant and one Swift for weapon and full Hardy for armour. For accessories your role is to stay alive so the Grounding is recommended. A dead healer means a dead party so place priority in keeping yourself moving.
Also, please DO NOT ever use Fleetfoot crystals. They are an out of combat crystal which completely loses its purpose when you go into combat and on top of that you’re down one defensive crystal. So don’t ever use that unless you’re doing Alliance and running keys or something.
Damage Dealers
Since the last time I’ve written this guide a lot has changed. Many DPS was shifted towards Keen Vyrsks with perhaps the exception of Gunners going for Power. That is up to you and below is a basic crystal set-up for DPS. Once you’re familiar feel free to look to other sources for different set-ups.
One thing to note is to never wear Carving and Forceful at the same time. I haven’t listed Forceful below as I feel that’s not really for new players who probably don’t have a lot of Crit Factor for it to play a part just yet.
Scrolls and Nostrums
These two things are very important in raising overall DPS of the group especially when you run end-game dungeons and raids. One may think that they are expensive but wiping because you cannot meet a DPS check wastes time and money so you may as well get it right the first time.
Nostrums can be bought through the General Merchant in any town or city. You can also craft a 15 minute version through Alchemy which is well worth it for long fights so you do not forget to re-apply the potion.
Scrolls are also crafted through Alchemy. The attack scrolls last 15 minutes while the ones starred last for as long as the tool tip indicates. Tanks and DPS will generally take Scroll of Savagery while Healer would use the Scroll of Swiftness if so they desire but not necessary.
Wounded World patch will bring the next tier of Onslaught scrolls (VI).
The Scroll of Warding and Dash are situational scrolls and not every dungeon will need them. They are generally used in harder dungeons to avoid major damage / mechanics.
Consumables
Depending on the dungeon you are running there are some consumables you’d want to take. I’ll just list ones you’d want for general dungeoning and raiding.
Crystalbinds
I encourage everyone to use Crystalbinds (Complete Crystalbinds if you feel you will die more than once) as they are quite cheap on the broker. They’ll be MUCH cheaper than trying to replace an expensive Zyrk.
Charms
I also cannot stress how important it is to charm yourself (and the group) before starting a dungeon. It just makes the run so much easier with everyone doing more damage and taking less damage. Make to have the following in your bag:
- Keen or Power
- Infused
- Enduring
If you use Keen Charms make sure you allow others to move away so you don’t overwrite their Power Charms as not everyone wants to use Keen. Please, please do NOT use Speed Charms. It only affects your auto attack speed and does little to contribute to the overall DPS of the party. If your reason is to regen MP then use a potion.
And if you die remember to charm yourself. You may feel it to be expensive while learning a dungeon but that’s why we have dailies and you can always try to take turns if you’re in a static group. But don’t just assume that someone will always charm for you and you should ALWAYS pay attention to what is being thrown so you do not get something random.
Potions
It’s always good to keep a few potions for emergency situations such as when the Healer dies or is busy resurrecting someone else. MP potions are also important in maintaining your damage output and for Healers they’ll be handy if you’re having to res several people in a row.
Restoratives will recover over time while draughts will recover a set amount immediately. The former will also recover more HP/MP total over time than an immediate draught.
Class Roles
Congrats on getting this far now let’s get into your individual roles within a group. Threads pop up now and again about how bad a Healer or a Tank was. Well, there are way to improve that and it’s not just about becoming a better Healer or Tank. DPS can also play apart in assisting the key classes in doing their job.
If a Healer is having to just heal because the DPS is face-tanking all the damage then obviously they won’t have time to debuff or Mana Charge. Or if a DPS draws threat and runs far away from the Tank which makes them chase the boss around before they can even think about regaining threat.
Tanks
There are two tanks in the game, the Lancer and a Warrior in Defensive Stance. The Lancer generally has an easier time tanking as they have other skills to mitigate damage towards themselves and their group. That isn’t to say that tanking as a Warrior isn’t rewarding when you succeed.
Knowing is truly half the battle for a tank. Maybe more. If you know the movements of the boss fight it means you are less likely to face-tank damage — which means the Healer doesn’t have to heal you and can focus on support — or get knocked down during a skill which generates threat.
The other half is to be aggressive. You do not draw threat just looking pretty. You need to piss off the boss more than your DPS or Healer so you are going to need to actively attack the boss. Challenging Shout on cooldown isn’t necessary but whenever you see an opening to cast it… use it.
Healers
The supporters of the party with healing, MP regen, and debuffs. No, we’re stepping away from the old thought process of Healers only heal. This is TERA with action combat so you’re going to get in on that action. A truly stellar Healer will not only heal but improve overall party output by providing debuffs and buffs as well as giving back MP.
Priests
There are three key skills which you will be using outside of your major healing skills and buffs. These are essential to any party or raid and will put you apart from a lowly heal bot to an actual support class.
Energy Stars once glyphed will last as long as its cooldown so there should be no issues in keeping this up 100%. It is one of the best buffs in the game since its improvement.
Triple Nemesis stacks onto the boss along with Debilitate / Combative Strike and Traverse Cut. Another skill that shouldn’t have any problems with 100% uptime. Best used during Energy Stars buff to speed the cast time!
Key skills here. This returns MP for yourself and the entire party or raid. Whenever possible try to cast it in a position that will also hit the tank which they would probably appreciate as well. Don’t need to kill yourself to do that though of course. Don’t forget to run through your own Restorative Burst as well.
Mystics
If you’re the only Healer in the party then there are two (maybe three) skills which will be needed in the party aside from your Auras. If you are with a Priest there probably isn’t much for you to do aside from placing motes around the area and assisting in heals and cleanses.
NOTE: HP motes will draw quite a bit of threat at lower levels and if you do not have the best tank. It is also quite dangerous when a lot of adds are around so don’t forget to pop your fairy to heal yourself as well.
Currently Titanic Wrath overwrites Blessing of Shakan therefore do not use if your party has Priest buffs unless you are going to take responsibility and keep this buff up to make up for the lost Priest buff. With a later patch the two buffs can be applied simultaneously but until then know when to use it.
This is a good skill to cast and when glyphed you can apply to another party member. Try to keep it up during boss fights for just in case emergencies. Be warned though that if you miss casting it on someone it won’t apply for you either so tell them not to move!
This buff will stack with Priest buffs so just pop him out every 10 minutes or whenever you see someone die so that they have a little bit of extra defense.
This skill has two parts. One is to apply absorb the HP of the boss and the second activation will convert that damage into MP for your party. You can store the HP for a little bit before applying so that if danger is coming your way you can move away then come back to give MP back to your party.
Be warned though that while you are using Corruption Ring you will be unable to move quickly so make sure you are safe and only use it if you are “free” from other duties (ie. you are a second healer, your party is topped up).
Damage Dealers
You may think you have the easiest job but a good DPS allows for the Healer and Tank to have an easier time doing their job which in turn means you are able to do more damage. It’s a cycle.
A bad DPS will take too much damage which means the Healer will be overworked and won’t have time to debuff or MP regen and the Tank may lose threat because you’re basking in the glory of a 5 billion crit while either getting slapped for it across the room or you’re running across that room.
Your job is to learn the boss fights too. Maybe not to the T like the Tank but enough so you avoid any major damage. Positioning is key as well. Don’t stand behind the Tank unless the mechanic calls for you to hide behind their shield to mitigate damage. If you pull threat don’t just back up and run like a headless chicken. Try to dodge within the range of the Tank’s shout.
Be aware of your surroundings. If you just took a huge hit or you have a debuff on you don’t run circles around the Healer. Stay put, in front of them so they can heal you without having to throw their mouse at the monitor because you’re avoiding their lock-ons.
If you’ve got a Mystic as your main healer PICK THE MOTES UP (if your HP is low)! They do not have a large healing capability like a Priest so if you’re low on HP and your Mystic is far try to pick the healing mote (and if you’re a Mystic make sure you drop them). Or if you are low on MP take one of the blue ones. But at the same time don’t blindly run for one and die in the process.
In Conclusion
There is no point for me to get into individual dungeons for each class type but as long as you’ve got the very basics of party play you should be able to learn the dungeon and see what works the best for you to help the party.
In any case awareness of your surroundings will help you greatly. Do not just tunnel vision. It’s not just the Healer’s job to look at the party’s HP. Keep an eye on it as well even if you are the Tank or DPS so you know to help them out too if necessary with stuns and slows.
