Slayer


 * "Death on a sword's edge."

The slayer is a light armored class which wields a greatsword with melee offensive damage-dealing capabilities. Being a deadly foe worth some forethought before engaging, the slayer's way of fighting involves great powers which would end in destruction if not avoided.

Korean name for class is musa (무사) which means warrior.

Official description
"Slayers blend high mobility with high damage capabilities, a versatile and valuable party member, and a gifted solo act, too. It takes a certain flair to wield a massive weapon, and slayers move so freely and easily with their huge blades that they might be dancing with silk. A slayer wades into the fight like a two-edged whirlwind, swinging his powerful sword in deadly arcs, and evading his foes in a graceful dance. The slayer does his job with aggressive swordplay, graceful evasive moves, and overwhelming force. Wide-sweeping circular attacks mow down enemies on all sides, agile dodges puts the slayer behind the foe, and leaping backflip kicks stun the enemy and open distance. Despite their light armor, slayers can fight in the thick of things along with warriors. They are faster and more mobile than berserkers, and their whirling attack style allows them to excel at taking out surrounding mobs. Like warriors, slayers can dodge out of harm's way and come up behind foes. Because they don't draw aggro as easily as some other classes, slayers excel at attacking enemies from the rear while tanks keep them busy from the other sides."

General
Slayer in one of the oldest classes in TERA, one of the original two melee dps classes. Slayer was, along with berserker, one of two classes, that started off with 0 mana and had to gain mana by fighting before they could use their main attack skills.

One "theme" of slayer class is powerlinks, skills buffing other skills and damage building up while you fight. Many slayer attack skills resist damage, staggers and knockdowns while used, which makes the class much tankier that the armor type would tell. This is remnant of old bosses and dungeons, where knockdowns were much more common. Also some slayer skills could not be interrupted to dodge.

One addition in PC versions of TERA is the Propulsion passive skill. As attack speeds have increased this helps with cooldowns and slayer does not need to use more filler skills as it would have without.

Interestingly, slayer works very well even with high ping. This is probably due lowish actions-per-minute and to the way skills are chained together in TERA. Although one meme about slayers is the common occurrence of desyncs that happen with the class. Sometimes slayer attacking boss would just phase through to the front of boss or inside it (as happened with Verno in DFNM). This seems to be pretty much fixed now. (Maybe Apex skill Savage Strike is a meme referring this.)

Slayer, along archer, is first class that gets new Class Change aka "Apex 2.0" skills. This allows unlocking new "Dragon Slayer" skills. Using new skills in totally optional and can be switched off any times. New skills are unlocked with Innate Power manuals from Developement Merchant which you should use anyway, since they simply increase damage if new skills are not used.

In PVP slayer is known for its high damage skills and combos (Eviscerate one-shotting players when this skill was added). However, the class has limited defensive means and it's not that hard to counter.

Equipment


Often underestimated as a slow attacking class, the slayer turns out to be one of the fastest classes only to be surpassed by the warrior thanks to their given combo skills. Equipped with a leather armor, the slayer is not too weak yet not too strong on the defensive lines, alongside of their handful of dodging skills. Their weapon of choice, the greatsword, often seems a slow weapon, can deal massively fast damage once a full combo has been reached successfully without a single miss, requiring great precision to use the weapon to its full potential.

Skills


Slayer is combo-based melee class. Majority of slayer damage dealing capability is based on skills buffing other skills with powerlink glyphs. Most of the slayer attack skills can be comboed to.

As noted in skill description Overhand Strike can be chained after, , Leaping Strike, Stunning Backhand, Startling Kick, , Fury Strike and some other skills. It has very short cooldown (4 sec) and nice damage. It also has good chance to reset itself when used and damage stacks when you use it (max 15 +2% damage). It however has low crit chance, although buffed to have 10% crit chance over normal 1&times; skills. Overhand Strike can also be glyphed to restore slayer's health if needed.

The most important skills here are:, which gives 2&times; crit chance for next 4 seconds. It also buffs Whirlwind's and Overhand Strike's damage. on the other hand buffs all damage 10% for next 4 seconds. This skill also gets 112 extra crit when glyphed (3&times; crit rate glyph means slayer's base crit rate of 56 is tripled).

The hardest hitting slayer skill is. This skill also has 3&times; crit chance, which means it basically always crits massive damage. Measured Slice itself casts very slowly, and must be chained from Overhand Strike or Eviscerate. As we notice Measured Slice and have same cooldown time, and Eviscerate buffs Measured Slice damage by 25%, we have rudimentary slayer rotation ready:

Thanks to passive skill skills' cooldowns are reduced when other skills in rotation do critical hits. This rotation probably needs some filler skills. Good candidate is which gets extra 112 crit rate if glyphed. Also -> OH chain is good since it casts very fast, and can be glyphed to speed up Whirlwind. (Actually does more damage than glyphed Fury Strike and is equally fast). Leaping Strike -> OH also feels fast.

Also the charge skill should be used to either speed up Whirlwind or to buff Knockdown Strike always when it's available.

For movement and evasion slayer gets quite standards skills: Backstab moves slayer behind target, and Evasive Roll moves short distance and can be used to pass through enemies. Both skills also have iframe to dodge special attacks and pass through enemies.

Slayer also gets quite standards boost skill for extra damage: In Cold Blood buffs damage and attack speed for 20 seconds. Casting it resets most attack skills, also your Overhand Strike gets 100% reset chance during the boost (called Ultimate Overhand Strike).

Slayer used to have other buff skill named. When used it buffed damage of next attack skill. This skill has now been reworked as toggle and when switched on (as it always should be) it gives buffs every 4 seconds.

As slayer was, along with berserker, one of two classes, that started off with 0 mana. Therefore slayer also gets skill to gain more mana. Old Triumphant Shout is now merged to Tenacity, which also increases resistance to stun.

Before Exodor gear Slayer did regularly had problems with mana, especially during attack speed buff lancer can give. Generally best solution for mana problems is using dyad armor crystal with Glistering effect. Simple remedy for mana problems is to use first hit of Combo Attack as part of rotation.

Apex changes
After awakening slayers get three most active skills and several passives.

Punishing Blow is very strong skill that works like "filler skill". It should always be cast when available after Overhand Strike or Measured Slice, rather while Whirlwind damage buff is active.

Savage Strike slashes slayer forward very fast and moves through allies and enemies. It's best used for repositioning, since after the strike slayer gets guaranteed back attacks against monsters for 5 seconds. This skill can be used again before cooldown hits, but second hit cancels back-attack effect. Savage Strike also has hidden feature not mentioned anywhere that allows so called "Reverse Chaining". One second after you cast the skill, you may use any other skill with fast speed like it was part of combo. This allows ie. fast Measure Slice or Overhand Strike.

Unsheathe is unique charge skill. It charges three stages and hits all enemies around slayer, knocking them down. Skill has very long 3 minute cooldown.

Racial traits
Being able to pick between one of the seven races proves to be a tough choice. Each race has their own unique racial traits that can effectively improve the gameplay of the slayer, depending on race choice:
 * Amani have a lot of defensive capabilities coming from, and  which can greatly increase defense when needed the most.
 * Baraka have, a healing ability that can fully recover all health, and more mobility coming from , and which gives them more health than any others, only when they constantly die.
 * Castanic have which increases their running speed during combat for dodging magic circles, and  which gives them a higher chance to shoot a critical hit from the back.
 * High elves have which completely recovers their mana, and  which restores an amount of mana upon revival to get back into combat quickly.
 * Humans have and  which greatly increases their defense when facing enemy players, aside from that, they have  which restores an amount of health upon revival to get them back into combat quickly.
 * Poporis and elins have nothing that could assist a slayer in combat. Instead, they get multiple abilities for non-combat situations such as swimming and movement speed outside combat.

Generally races are not picked due skills they provide but for other reason, most notable being small differences in different skills' animation speeds. Castanics are know for their faster first hit in combo attack (auto-attack) which is sometimes used to provide more mana or simply as filler skill. Also Castanic crit passive helps especially slayer. Popori slayers have became somewhat popular lately after patch which equalized animation distances in some skills, like evasion rolls. Baraka slayer is generally considered bad choice due their slow animations.

Saabi's Slayer Guide recommends Human Male and Female, Castanic Male and Female or Elin for PVE. Avoid Popori due its extremely slow Evasive Roll.

Gearing and Attributes
For gear with enigmatic rolls you can pick, recommended weapon rolls are Damage vs. enraged monster; Damage vs. enraged monsters; +6.9% damage from behind and Flat 6% damage, and Cooldown reduction. With low gear that has only 4 enigmatic lines pick Cooldown reduction as first roll. Recommended chest line is increased damage of Overhand Strike. (Crystals, rollable weapon lines incl. double cooldown and chest line are not available on level 68/69 Exodor gear or on new gear released after that.)

With new Exodor gear slayer uses gear with physical amplification: Dauntless Azart or Annihilation gear, and Kaia's Fury set.

Slayer main skills have rather low crit chance. Build crit using rings, earrings and necklace and underwear.

Desired crit factor depends on player character level and boss level. For level 65 endgame where dungeon bosses are commonly level 68 slayer discord recommends 320 crit as ideal crit factor.

For early level 70 content (AQ with level 71 bosses) crit factor goes as low as 260-270 (+ mystic or food buff, add 10 for each level you're below 70). Later level 70 content bosses are level 73 you must use higher crit factor. Some noted number to aim for is 336 crit factor (incl. all buffs). Generally slayer should aim for overall ~80% crits. You can check this number only with DPS meter and tools like moongourd.com.

For summer 2021 endgame superior Ishara's Halidom V and Amarun's Relic V with Kaia's Fury accessories with full Skill Advancement gives around 300 crit even with full power set of Warlord's rings, earrings and necklace.

As of spring 2022 with Frost Flower gear full violet gear with Starglimmer accessories gives around 400 crit. Use one golded relic or halidom and rest power. Btw, considering new stats, slayer never rolls for physical ignore. New passive Strong Blade gives it based on physical amp, also new Heart Thrust gives temporary buff. Roll for piercing to reach 10k and physical crit power and finally amplification.

Crystals
Slayer uses standard melee Weapon Crystals: Bitter, Savage, Focused and Pounding.

Glyphs
Specializing in glyphs like all classes means a great deal to customization. Notable glyphs are:


 * Empowered Knockdown Strike: Increases skill damage by 30%.
 * Empowered Knockdown Strike: Doubles the chance to crit for 4 seconds.
 * Powerlinked Knockdown Strike: Increases skill damage of Whirlwind by 25% for a few seconds
 * Powerlinked Knockdown Strike: Increases skill damage of Overhand Strike by 20% for a few seconds


 * Empowered Whirlwind: Increases skill damage by 10% for 4 seconds.
 * Keen Whirlwind: Triples Crit Factor.


 * Carving Measured Slice: Triples the chance to crit.


 * Persistent Overhand Strike: 70% chance to eliminate cooldown


 * Keen Heart Thrust: Triples Crit Factor.
 * Empowered Heart Thrust: Increases skill damage by 30%.


 * Empowered Fury Strike: Increases skill damage by 40%.


 * Energetic Eviscerate: Decreases cooldown by 20%
 * Powerlinked Eviscerate: Increases skill damage of Measured Slice by 25% for a few seconds
 * Empowered Eviscerate: Increases skill damage by 25%.
 * Powerlinked Eviscerate: Increases skill damage of Overhand Strike by 25% for a few seconds


 * Energetic Headlong Rush: Decreases cooldown by 25%
 * Powerlinked Headlong Rush: Increases skill damage of Knockdown Strike by 25% for a few seconds

For PVP.
 * Energetic Backstab: Decreases cooldown by 20%
 * Energetic Tenacity: Decreases cooldown by 30%
 * Lingering Startling Kick: Increases effect duration by 30%

Enhancement Points
Strengthen Offense:
 * Mighty Attack, max this first
 * Overhand Strike: Force, very high priority
 * Overhand Strike: Extra-Force, very high priority


 * Whirlwind: Critical Pummel, very good
 * Eviscerate: Counter, very good

EP Damage is useless.

Speed Increase:
 * Whirlwind: Velocity, very high priority. This gives 25% casting speed for this slow skill.
 * Headlong Rush: Amplification, very good
 * Startling Kick: Velocity, good in PVP
 * Startling Kick: Chained Speed Skating, good in PVP

Resource Recovery:
 * Knockdown Strike: Reload, curiosity
 * Measured Slice: Recharge, put 1 point here
 * Measured Slice: Fresh Start, useful in handling large groups of mobs, not generally
 * Retaliate: Turning Tables, useful in PVP

Defense/Special: Giving some skills chance for "Wound" debuff is too weak to be useful.
 * Mighty Defense, max this
 * Mighty Phoenix, spend 1 point here
 * Lethal Lesson might be useful in PVP, less nowadays

Skill Advancementment
There are three good options for Tenacity.

Tenacity: Rebirth is self-heal, which is nice while soloing. Tenacity: Insight is self-cleanse. It's good option with bosses that have damage-over-time mechanics (and your healer is dead). However, it can't cleanse stun, and actual Tenacity effect (stun resistance) is not applied, so it's not for PVP.

Tenacity: Mental Strength is very OP in PVP. This option gives 3 seconds (first nerfed to 5 sec, then to 3) immunity to stuns and knockdowns.

In Cold Blood: Focus is best choice of normal use. Other options are meh.

In Cold Blood: Balance Factor is meant for soloing, however Savage Strike can give same effect (hits against monsters counted from behind).

Card Collection
Generally first max physical crit power, then max physical amplification.

See August 2021 card builds.