Berserker


 * "Powerful, yet dominating."

The berserker is a heavily armored class which specializes in the use of the axe with melee offensive damage-dealing capabilities. As they carry a large axe, they can create devastating, powerful, yet uncontrollable blows. Though this may seem like an imprecise method of attack, is very effective if it hits. Their attack range is very short, meaning that great precision is required.

Official description
"The Berserker is an offensive juggernaut who shakes the ground with each blow and sends opponents flying with every massive swing, with better-than-average defensive capabilities that include heavy armor and an axe block that absorbs damage according to the quality of the axe. berserkers have multiple ways of recharging their own mana, and can absorb damage dealt to a foe as health. Their rage and bloodlust raise their strength to help end a fight quickly. They fend for themselves better than many classes, and their capacity for sheer destruction gives them a place of honor in any party."

"Every soldier in the Valkyon Federation wonders a bit about the berserkers. After all, berserkers relish the battles everyone else would rather avoid. Berserkers set free their emotions on the battlefield. When everyone else is trying to stay cool and keep one particular emotion-fear-at bay, berserkers are livid with rage... and not shy about expressing it."

- Contents Under Pressure by David Noonan

General
Berserker in one of the oldest classes in TERA, one of the original two melee DPS classes.

Equipment


Metal Armor which greatly increases their defenses. Berserker is unique offense class that can block damage while fighting.

Skills
Berserkers are capable of dealing massive narrow damage to any foe that stands in their path with. This skill counts around 70–80% damage of berserker total DPS before apex skills are unlocked. Other skills are considered filler skills. Notable are, combo and  which casts fast and resets some animation locks on other skills.

If the berserker's health becomes too low, the berserker can stand their ground, using to defend themselves and   to regain health whilst damaging their enemies.

One special aspect of is that it cancels animations of other skills. Ie. Thunder Strike has rather long animation after damage is done. Tapping Axe Block after it and releasing allows to cast next skill faster. This is called "block-cancel".

When facing multiple enemies, the berserker has several options with which to handle such situations. can be used to strike all enemies in range.

The berserker was one of two classes, along with the slayer, that started off with 0 mana and gained mana through fighting. This has now been changed. As of Apex patch several berserker skills were merged into new skill. This skill recovers health and mana, and also causes stagger effect to opponents nearby. Skill also makes berserker immune to knockdown, stagger and stuns. As the new skill proved slightly OP, the immunities were bit later nerfed to 5 second duration.

Berserker also has few other skills that are mainly useful in PVP. slows down enemies and prevents enemy players using dodge skills. makes enemies flee randomly. throws the Axe forward knocking down enemies it hits.

Berserker still have two separate boost skills. boosts power and crit factor slight, but sacrifices endurance. This skill has also effect from merged skill and it speeds up charging skills. is more powerful boost skill with longer 3 min cooldown. It also makes harder to knock down or stun berserker.

Berserker gets basic dodge skill. Evasive Roll is standard iframe skill to dodge unblockable attacks. However berserker's skill doesn't cancel animations of other skills. Doing block-cancel before dodge maybe necessary. Other iframe skill is. This skill is bit clunky to use, as it can only be activated during charging other skill. After dodge tap skill button again to deliver hit. These skills now have separate cooldown. Also Evasive Roll is now available in normal assault mode too.

Tanking
Finally, berserker gets some skills for tanking. Tanking mode is activated with skill that draws extra aggro from monsters. However the class in not considered proper tank, as it lacks skill to enrage boss monsters. Also endurance debuff from (only available in tanking mode) is lower than other classes. While in tanking mode berserker can use as counterattack after blocking a hit. However is not available in this mode. Berserker tanking skills have not been updated since tanking was added in 2015. Other tank classes were reworked for higher damage after the brawler was added.

Tanking skills require finishing quests from Tarkloon in Highwatch at level 65. Berserker's tank mode does not exists in console versions of TERA at all.

Apex changes
After awakening skills other skills besides Thunder Strike gain damage boost. gets superior glyph to gain 2&times; crit chance and becomes one of the best berserker skills. is improved with new passive skill Eye of the Storm that creates possibility that skill resets and can be cast again immediately without charging it up again. Cyclone damage also increases on each reset. It almost doubles on second cast, and raises slower after that.

Berserker also gains new boost skill, the. Unleash transforms the character and replaces all skills with new ones. It also wipes everything from shortcut tray (including healing potions, however you can still open inventory to use them), so use buffs and brooch before it. While skill is activated only attacks specific to the mode can be used. All attack skills use HP. Also berserker can't get stunned, knocked down or can't die during the Unleash. All damage is taken after Unleash ends after 18 seconds. Be sure your healer knows what's happening.

Racial traits
Choosing between the seven races can be a tough choice. Each race has their own unique racial traits which can impact the gameplay of the berserker class.
 * Amani possess numerous defensive traits such as, and  which can greatly enhance the berserker's already significant defenses.
 * Baraka have, a healing ability that can fully restore a character's health, and greater resistance to stuns from , as well as which keeps stamina from dropping below 20%.
 * Castanic have, which increases their mobility during combat, and which gives them a higher chance to shoot a critical hit from the back.
 * High elves have which completely restores their mana and  which restores some mana upon revival allowing for a swift return to combat
 * Humans have which provides protection from stuns and knockdowns,  which greatly increases their defenses when facing enemy players, in addition they possess  which restores some health upon revival them to get back into combat quickly.
 * Poporis and Elins have nothing that could assist a berserker in combat. Instead, they get multiple abilities for non-combat situations such as swimming and out of combat movement speed increases.

Unlike many other classes variation of different races is minimal on berserker. You are actually free to choose race you want. If you really want to min-max, try castanic (female preferred for animations) for crit passive or Elin for overall animations.

Gearing and Attributes
Recommended weapon rolls are Damage vs. enraged monster; Damage vs. enraged monsters; +6.9% damage from behind and Flat 6% damage. Berserker has no need to cooldown reduction roll and usually uses 0.3 crit power as last weapon roll for more damage. Recommended chest line is increased damage of Thunderstrike. (Crystals, rollable weapon lines incl. double cooldown and chest line are not available on Exodor gear level 68/69 gear or on new level 65 Exodor Scout gear.)

With new level 70 patch Exodor gear berserker uses gear with physical amplification: Dauntless Azart or Annihilation gear. Post-Apex also berserkers commonly use double Energetic etchings. More cooldown reduction makes possible to cast Beast Fury twice when doing Unleash.

Normal TERA DPS build uses crit+crit power.

With Apex/Godsfall patch main damage skill Thunder Strike should reach around 70% crit chance with 300 crit and 90% crit chance at 400 crit. Back then reaching that high crit rate with available equipment was nearly impossible even with full crit set.

In console versions of TERA Thunder Strike was changed in patch 93.01 (September 2021) to 3&times; crit chance. This should make the skill basically auto-critting and you can go full power build.

For level 70 content as of August 2021 berserker Discord recommendation is 480 crit or GLSHM, FLNM, SC. 500 for Bahaar, FLHM.

With gear progression needed crit rate is easier to achieve. For Summer/Fall 2021 endgame full power set of Warlord rings, earrings and necklace and superior (yellow) Ishara's halidom V and Amarun's relic V with Kaia's Fury mask, brooch, belt brings character far over 350 crit factor.

With patch 93 new passives some berserker skill's damage scales directly with total HP character has. With passive Heavy Bleed damage increases by 1% per 16,666 or 33,333 HP, depending on the skill. This makes quite big changes to berserker gearing. Ishara's halidom is recommended. Also some buff foods that give extra HP are more valuable.

Crystals
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:

This is your main damage skill. Slick glyph can be dropped after apex skills are unlocked due new passive skill.
 * Carving Thunder Strike: Doubles the chance to crit.
 * Hastened Thunder Strike: Speeds charging 25%.
 * Empowered Thunder Strike: Increases additional overcharge damage by 12%.
 * Slick Thunder Strike: Eliminates slowed movement restriction
 * Sanative Thunder Strike: Decreased HP consumption by 50%

Other main damage skill.
 * Carving Cyclone: Doubles the chance to crit.
 * Empowered Cyclone: Increases additional overcharge damage by 24%.
 * Hastened Cyclone: Speeds charging 30%.


 * Persistent Lethal Strike:: 40% chance to eliminate cooldown
 * Empowered Lethal Strike: Increases skill damage by 30%.
 * Carving Lethal Strike: Doubles the chance to crit. (Apex superior glyph)


 * Hastened Raze: Speeds casting 25%.
 * Energetic Raze: Decreases cooldown 25%.


 * Hastened Flatten: Speeds casting 25%.
 * Empowered Flatten: Increases skill damage by 30%.

is removed skill and its effect is merged to Fiery Rage. It speeds up charging skills and attack speed.
 * Lingering Fiery Rage: Increases duration of Flurry of Blows effect by 35%

These are for last bit of DPS.
 * Raging Unchained Anger: 50% chance to activate Flurry of Blows I.
 * Powerlinked Vampiric Blow: Increase damage of Lethal Strike by 20% for few seconds.
 * Blazing Overwhelm: Speeds charging of Cyclone by 30% for few seconds.

Enhancement Points
Strengthen Offense:
 * Mighty Attack, max this first

EP Damage is useless.

Speed Increase:
 * Thunderstrike: Speed Skating

Cyclone: Acceleration is no needed, since there's now passive skill that does the same.

Resource Recovery:
 * Turning Tables

Defense/Special:
 * Mighty Defense, max this
 * Mighty Phoenix, spend 1 point here
 * Lethal Lesson might be useful in PVP, less nowadays
 * Sweeping Strike: Constancy, useful in PVP

There are actually very few useful talents. Some are related to meme tanking or give more mana. Use points are you see fit. If you spend all 500 you get Forest Keeper Kumas mount.

Skill Advancementment
Flatten: Damage Enhancement. Gives 200% more damage for this skill, which is nice, even it's used much. Velocity is for PVP.

Bloodlust: Outrage is only useful. Other options are for PVP.

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

See August 2021 card builds.

If you have early 2022 ultimate collection with +0.25 crit power, switch amp card (Halrath / Hasmina) to +4.8% HP.