A Nuker is a build in which you will put stat points into intelligence. Of course there are hybrid nukes, BUT, if you want to hit the most you can: Go pure. You won’t have a ton of HP, but with the damage you will be doing, who cares? Plus, as a spear Nuker, you will have the Cheolsam Force passive from the Heuksal tree which boosts your HP by a considerable amount. This is an INT pure nuker geared towards PvE.
You will be a solo build. It will be hard to find a party because most parties are Euro and if there is a Chinese player, the party doesn’t get the max experience possible. So it would be best to find other Chinese players to party with if you plan on party play.
The trees you can take include:
Fire – recommended for PvE preferred
Lightning – Recommended
Cold – Recommended for PvP preferred
Heuksal
Choose the final tree. Let’s make this simple: If you’re going to be doing more PvE(player versus environment) then you should take the Lightning tree. The reason is that you have speed buffs, magical damage buffs, and the second strongest nuke.
If you are going to stick to PvP mainly, the Cold tree is recommended. The reason is for the defense buffs, potential freezing of the opponent (not so much at high levels) and the physical defense passive.
Heuksal tree
Annihilating Blade Series – Skip.
Fanning Spear Series – Books 1, 3, and 5. It is great for PvP.
Heuksal Spear Series – Max it. It is a standard attack line for the spear skills.
Soul Departs Series – Max it. This is going to be the most used skill line up to level 30, very strong attack line.
Ghost Spear Attack Series – Max it. Attack line almost matches the skill line above, multiple mobs at once.
Chain Spear Attack Series – Max it. This is the coolest looking skill line. Combo attacks up to 7. Only if you have the SP
Flying Dragon Spear Series – Max it. It will be the skill line you use right after Nukes, a ranged attack.
CHEOLSAM FORCE SERIES – Max it. It is a tasty HP bonus every 10 levels, and you can’t go wrong there.
Fire tree
Fire Force Series – Max it. It is your main weapon imbue, you’re going to need it.
Fire Shield Series – Optional. You will need a shield for this series, but it doesn’t hurt to have it for PvP.
Flame Body Series – Max it. You are a part of the Chinese race, and you do both magic and physical damage.
Fire Protection Series – Max it. They are Active magic resistance buffs, so take the whole line.
Fire Wall Series – Optional. It’s a good line for PvP, but you cannot walk when using.
Flame Wave Series – Pick & Choose. Your main Nukes, you don’t need every one, though.
Fire Combustion Series – Optional. For detecting Stealth/Invisible players. Good for jobbing.
Flame Devil Force Series – Max it. Your Fire passive, permanently increases physical damage.
In the Lightning tree:
Thunder Force Series – Optional. The Fire imbue is stronger, take this if you want.
Piercing Force Series – Max it. This will be your favorite buff line at higher levels.
Thunder Walk Series – Max it. You will have a great increase in running speed, take it.
Lion Shout Series – Max it. It will become quite useful under level 30, and after level 30.
Concentration Series – Max it. It will increase parry ratio.
Thunderbolt Force Series – Pick & Choose. Your second nuke line, same as Fire Nukes.
Heaven’s Force Series – Max it. Lightning passive, increases parry rate.
The Ice Skills
If you choose to take Ice over Light/Fire:
Cold Force Series – Optional. It’s the weakest of the 3 force imbues, but will provide frostbite/freeze often in PvE.
Frost Guard Series – Max it. This is the physical defense buff.
Cold Wave Attack Series – Skip. It is useless, because you will have other ice spells which can do this.
Frost Wall Series – Max it. It is perfect for PvP, I recommend this.
Frost Nova Series – Optional. It is good for when you’re surrounded by a lot of mobs, but no other practical use.
Snow Storm Series – Max it. It is the weakest of the 3, but has the largest AoE in later levels.
Snow Shield Series – Max it. It’ll be your bread and butter for PvP, and good for getting out of tight situations in PvE.
Cold Armor Series – Max it. It permanently increases physical defense, so take it.
The Armor
Garment – 20% faster run, less MP usage, but low physical defense, with high magical defense
Protector – 10% faster run, the middle of the 3 armors.
Armor – Highest physical defense, lowest magical defense, my personal favorite, even though you don’t get a seed boost. You have speed buffs.
Shield – I recommend a +5 shield or better for PvP.
The Leveling
Fast leveler, but make sure you have the SP for the skills, or you will regret it.
1 – 6 – Mangyang/Weasel, don’t use any SP.
6 – 30 – get farmed to level 30. Go to Ongs and find a free party or bot party and join with Exp Auto-Share. DON’T USE SP. Once you reach level 25-26, de-level by dying to level 19, and keep farming until you get the amount of SP you want. Preferably 30k +.
30 to level cap – Level 30, you can officially use Nukes. By this time you should have a decent amount of SP, and you should have some skills leveled. Now one way to level is by doing quests/grinding at once. As you level, try to maintain a 5-7 level gap between your highest mastery, and character level so you can keep getting good SP.
You could keep getting farmed in higher level parties, but this time using the gap system instead of not using SP. Then when you’re bored of that, go have fun hunting/thieving, Uniques, PvP, looting from grinding, ect.
No gap until 105, and farm at the Job Temple
Go the distance, and put masteries to 10, and farm 500k – 2M SP at Ongs. The best method I’ve seen for this is once you reach level 19, get the masteries to 10, then stop. Level to 24 – 26, die until you’re level 19 again, and repeat.