My Game Guide

So are you new to the game? New to Fighters? New to the word Tanking? Well Seras is here to help you out! With step by step instructions on how to tank, what you need to help you tank, the many different forms of tanking, and a few tips on builds and skill empowerments.

Table of Contents
Introduction to Tanking
Builds
Weapon Types
First Steps
How to Tank: Kingdom Quest Examples
Slime Kingdom Quest
Mara Kingdom Quest
Items
Main Scrolls
Major Scrolls
Stones
Skill Empowers
Skills
Types of Tanking
The Solo
Solo Grind Locations
The Duo
The Party
The Trio
The AoE
AoE Grind Locations
Abbreviations Used/After Thoughts
Special Acknowledgments

The Class
First off, what is a fighter you ask? It is the class in Fiesta Online which uses the swords, axes, and two handed swords to fight with various monsters and players with. Known as being backbones to most parties, fighters come equipped with many different skills which allow them to handle large amounts of monsters with ease.
~The Word Tanking~
As in most online games fighters can be known as the Tank. They are basically the type of player who runs up to a monster and takes all the damage, and you can see this most often being done in a party. Sounds simple? Wrong! You can’t just run up to all monsters, you have to be prepared!

How to get started

First off builds!

[Please note any fighter with any build can truly tank, with the right equips and items some can do even better then the other builds as well. However, in most situations a pure END is seen as the tanking build of choice. This is when your considering the extra Hp and defense it adds. This doesn’t mean the other builds cannot do that type of tanking that full End build can do. It just means some are more useful for tanking while others need an extra boost from items to achieve what a full END tanker can handle.]

~The all END build~
Ah, the full End tank. Savor of the Kingdom Questers and AoE Tank extraordiair. This build almost always gets guaranties you a party, even with your slightly lower damage, your high Hp and Def will have you taking on monsters many levels above your own. Be warned though, at high levels this build can be heavily party reliant.

~The 25 Spirit Rest End build~
Feel like your not getting enough critical in your daily diet of killed monsters? No need to fear, 25 Spr is here! Adding 25 Spr to your build may not seem like much, but combined with various critical boosting items and, if you can afford it, cash shop critical sets, then you shall be scoring critical much more often then before. You can still very well tank with this build, but you will lose a bit of Hp by opting for the 25 Spr. So taking a few defense and vit scrolls when your tanking is always a good choice.

~The Pure Str Build~
Otherwise known as the Damage Dealer [DD] build. This build is known for its brute attack force and lower Hp. It may not seem useful as a tank build but given the right equips, buffs, and scrolls, this build can handle a few monsters. Though one may find that it is better if a DD fighter is in a party with another Tank built fighter handling the monsters. This is so the DD fighter can spam stun to achieve what is know as Chain Stunning. [I’ll go into this with more detail later.]

~The 25 Spirit Rest Str Build~
And last but not least the Player vs Player[PvP] or DD build known as 25 Spr full Str build. Much like a full Str fighter it can’t take as many hits as a tank. But with the proper tools it can certainly handle monsters on its own. What this build does add is a nice Critical boost to a Str build. Which when added in with an fighter spamming skills in pvp can be quite deadly.

-Note-
Now there are not only these four builds, but many different builds in fiesta waiting to be tested out. These are just some of the more common ones going around, However there are many variations out there waiting to be discovered. Remember no matter what build you are you will never need the Int stat.

The Weapons

~The One-handed Sword and Shield~: Known as the tanker’s best friend, you will most commonly see a Full End fighter using this weapon of choice. Even if you’re a DD fighter it would be wise to carry a set of these around for when your tank may happen to die. Or you become stuck in a situation that requires you to need a bit more defense.

~The Two-handed Sword~:Now Two handed swords are often seen as a balance between the One handed Sword and the Axe. It does hit faster then an axe, but when it comes down to critical dealing and damage the axe has the upper hand. But the two handed sword can be useful to tanking if you bring the right scrolls. However it does not add defense, no matter what situation your in.

~The Axe~: The Axe is the slowest weapon in the game. But its high critical percentage and raw damage can make up for it. It is also known as the DD fighter’s main weapon of choice. This weapon isn’t used as much for tanking, but if your equipped right it can be great in just about any situation. It is also great for skill spamming during guild wars.
-Note-
These are just a weapons best uses from what info I’ve gathered. The extent of their different uses can be quite different from what I’ve posted.

First Steps

You have created your first fighter, done your first quests, equipped your sword, and went off into the world? So now your ready to tank for a party right!? Not just yet! First you must learn the way of the Solo grinder. This is how most starting players will level in the beginning by killing a monster and taking breaks in your house in between each few kills. It is rather slow at times, but this way will save a bit more money for you. Rather then buying a ton of potions. It is best to have a few stones and potions at hand though. Just in-case you stumble into some trouble while grinding. Money may seem hard to get at first, but just keep gathering the drops and npcing them. Soon enough you should make enough money to afford your basic skills and items. Such as Slice and Dice, Bone Slicer, and Fatal Slash. Do remember it would be best not to use an skill points on any of your skills just yet. As these can be spent more wisely when your more certain of your build and what type of weapon you want to use in the future. And soon enough you will get your first tank skill Snearing Kick. This skill takes the monsters aggro off some one else and places it onto you.[Ex: A monster is heading toward some one in your party. You use Snearing kick while targeting the monster and it instead runs toward you and starts attacking.]
And with this skill the start of your tanking life! :3

~The Kingdom Quest~ Slime
“Sigh” The old KQ days. Full of people shouting for revives and dead clerics all around. But that is why your looking at this thread right? To avoid getting your Kingdom Quest party killed I should hope.
-Note- I’ll be using a End fighter as an example for many of these situations, however I shall add tips for non End fighters later in the guide..

Also for you to become a decent tank, complete and utter devotion to the Master, [GM]Steam is required. If you lack this devotion, you will fail utterly.

-Note- Yea…you will need that too :3

~As I was saying~
Right when you get into the KQ itself the best thing for you to do is to announce that you will be the one tanking it. This is so the Clerics know exactly who to focus their heals on and it helps the others organize into groups as well. Now as the tank you are expected to run ahead of the parties and attack monsters while taking the damage. Also if you see an archer, cleric, or mage being attacked by a monster it would be best to use Snearing Kick to get the monster off them. This is because in Slime KQ there are no revives. So it’s best not to let anyone die. Now lets say your group of parties makes it to the king slime, now its time for the boss tanking to take place.

-Note- If you find you are taking to much damage from the King Slime or the monsters in the KQ it would be best to spare some money and pick up a Vit and Def scroll. It makes it a lot easier on the clerics and helps assure you will not die so easily when the king starts spawning monsters.

It’s best that before fighting the king slime that all members of the KQ rest up beforehand to make sure no one dies quicky due to previous damage. And be sure that your clerics are a safe distance away from the King Slime, as it will start summoning mobs close to it right before its defeat. Also while fighting it be sure to spam the skill Snearing Kick on the king every time it cools down. This will make sure no other player in the kq accidentally pulls the king away from you. Keep at this till the end were the King will summon the queen and prince slimes. Just keep attacking the king and ignore the mobs at the moment, as they will be much easier to deal with when the king is down. After the king falls at last and you take the last mob down you can reap your reward and exp. Vola!, you have survived your first KQ as a tanker.

~The Kingdom Quest~ Mara Part 1

Back, and with some more experience this time around eh?
Well don’t get too sure of yourself because Mara KQ is handled in a quite different manner then the one before it. As with Slime KQ be sure to inform your fellow KQ members that you are the one tanking. Now here where it gets a bit different.

~The Kingdom Quest~ Mara Part 2
This KQ is often handled in a rush type fashion. What is rushing you ask? It is when all the tanks run ahead of the other KQ members following behind, and pull the monsters ahead with them. Away from other players. As the tanks are running they are healed by the clerics who are also following and the ones that are in their party. There will be no stopping till the KQ teams reach the middle area.
This is where the first two KQ bosses await. However this time you should have a few clerics with the skill revive. This will make it a bit more easier to handle a party member dying. Just make sure that you keep ahead of the damage dealers and clerics and that you keep running. Getting left behind in this KQ can often mean failure. And soon enough you will reach the middle. You will want to head to the right plank first. This is so your KQ group can take care of some of the monsters that were following up to this point and so everyone can rest up.
Beforehand you will want the archers or mages to lure the spawn surrounding the two bosses over to your parties resting spot. So that only the bosses remain. Then you have one boss lured over at a time. You can start with ether Mara or Marlone. It is important that you spam the skill Snearing kick whenever it cools down, just like you have done with previous bosses. And make sure that your character is attacking the bosses from the front. With you located a few spaces ahead of the said boss. This is because while your attacking the boss its AoE skill doesn’t reach the other fighters and Clerics attacking it from behind. After defeating both Mara and Marlone the path will be open to the end of the map and a choice will be presented to you. Your group can ether rush like before or they can choose to clear most of the path ahead from mobs. Its all up to the amount of time you and the groups have left to finish the KQ.
No matter how the KQ parties choose to get to the end, the boss fighting takes place the all the same. After you reach the boat and clear it of mobs the group will send an archer or a mage to lure the correct boss over to the first boat. Where you can your party is currently located.
-Note- The real Marlone has horns on his head and the real Mara has blue beads on her hat. The fight takes place the same way as the fight on the planks did. And after you kill the correct Mara and Marlone the KQ will be over and your prizes will be at hand.

The Path has been chosen
So by now you’re a level 20 or up, gotten used to your old skills, and chosen your future weapon? You feel ready to tank more then KQs correct? Then first we must get you better used to the tools of a tanker.

Tools Of The Trade And Their Many Uses.
Now you must be like “Huh!?” “What do you mean more stuff to know?!” “Hush women and let me go kill some monsters ergrg11!!1.” Well if you really wish to be a more reliable tank you can’t just jump into it. You must be ready for anything ahead of time.

~The Items~

The Main Scrolls
Vitality Scrolls: A scroll which adds onto your max hp by 200 points.
Shield Scrolls: Scroll which increases defense by 29 points.
Power Scrolls/ Aim Scrolls: A scroll which increases you aim [Not attack power] by 65 points.

Nothing like a good scroll to help you out when tanking and you may want to get used to them. Because you shall be using them for a long time to come. Not only do they make it easier on a cleric that is healing you, but they also last 1 hour to boot. As long as you do not die and lose them that is.

The Minor Scrolls
Magical Def Scrolls: A scroll which increase you defense to magical attacks for 37 points.
Nature’s Agility Scrolls: A scroll which increases your evasion by 32 points.
Speed Increase: A scroll which increases ones moving speed by 5%

These are scrolls you will not use as often at first, but at higher levels when you encounter chances for them to be much more useful. Such as higher leveled monsters that use magic attacks or if you feel like you taking one to many hits. A speed increase may not seem that helpful, but when your running from a huge mob of monsters that little amount of speed increased can save your life and your exp.

The Stones
By now this should simple enough to remember. When tanking always fill up on your Sp stones so you can spam skills and always bring a full set of Hp stones. This is for just in-case your cleric should fall in battle.

Skill Empowers
Now there are several different skills you should Empower depending on your build.

Full Party Tank:

Recommended Skill Build Set Up

Mock
5 points into Cool Down

Devastate
5 points into Cool Down
5 points into Damage Increase
5 points into Duration
5 Points into Sp Cost [Optional]

Snearing Kick
5 points into cool down.[Optional]

Precise Attack / Accurate Strike
5 points into Damage [Optional]
5 points into Cool Down [Optional]

For players who prefer to tank in a party. In parties you will need to be in control of the monsters at all times. This may require you to max the cool down on Mock because at higher levels Archers/Mages in your party will always be grabbing the aggro from what ever monster you trying to keep on you. This empowerment will also allow you to spam it much more often. And when in such parties spamming it every time it cools down will be key. A full cool down on Devastate, full Time increase, and full damage increase is also a good choice. The rest of the points can be saved for higher level skills or be used on what ever you please. Such as decreasing Sp consumption on skills or damage.

Total Damage Dealer:

Recommended Skill Build Set Up

Power Hit [2h users only]
5 points into Damage Increase
5 points into Cool Down [Optional]

Devastate
5 points into Damage Increase
5 points into Cool Down
5 points into Duration
5 points into Sp Cost [Optional]

Vitality
5 points into Cool Down [Optional]
5 points into Duration [Optional]

Precise Attack / Accurate Strike
5 points into Damage
5 points into Cool Down[Optional]

This can be a quite fun build to play with. And a lot less stressful to boot. But it can be quite a pain to find a party with. Also know for its duo-ing and solo-ing uses. Since you’re a DD it would be thought that you will be using a Two handed Sword or an Axe. This being so it would be wise to full empower Power Hit’s Maximum Damage and full empower Devastates max damage output as well. The rest of the points are up to you to choose how to use but you may want to sway toward placing them in your more powerful skills gained later on in the game. You may also consider placing some points in reducing Vitality’s Cool down and amount of time the effect lasts.

Hybrid:

Recommended Skill Build Set Up

Power Hit [2h users only]
5 points into Damage Increase
5 points into Cool Down

Devastate
5 points into Damage Increase
5 points into Cool Down
5 points into Duration
5 points into Sp Cost [Optional]

Vitality
5 points into Cool Down [Optional]
5 points into Duration [Optional]

Precise Attack / Accurate Strike
5 points into Damage
5 points into Cool Down[Optional]

Mock
5 points into Cool Down

A mix of the above skill builds. It can be used to both DD and Tank but you will lack some of the things a full DD/Tanker gets to spend points on. Much like the tank skill build you would want to max cool down on Mock. But instead of focusing points on one thing for Devastate you may want to split you point use into two different things some for cool down and some for damage. And you may want to max damage on power hit. So that you can switch between Axe and One handed weapons at will. Vitality is also an option when choosing what to empower.

The Skills
You have most likely gotten used to Snearing Kick and its useful-ness in you K.q. tanking days. Well now I shall introduce you to a few more skills that should make your tanking a bit more simpler, and yet more complex at the same time.

Mock [01] + [02] Level Req. 20, 55
So, you are used to Snearing Kick and its aggro grabbing abilities right? Well now here an skill that works like Snearing Kick but with an AoE. Now AoE means Area of effect, this is the area around your character that is effected by any skill you use. Now Snearing Kick allows you to grab one monster. But Mock allows you to grab up to five at its first teir. And up to six at its 2nd teir. And its mocks the whole area around you not just in front of you. So if your surrounded by monsters it can bring them all attacking you. This can be a life saver if your cleric is being attacked by a monster while your busy fighting another. This also can be combined with Devastate to form a great combo attack. I’ll elaborate on this later.

Snearing Kick [02] Level Req. 39
Your thinking. “What is the use of another Snearing Kick, mine works fine and saves on sp.” Well not quite, as you will notice at higher levels. See the higher levels other classes will start grabbing aggro more often because of their skills. So its natural you will need a higher level Snearing Kick to hold the aggro.
-Note-Kicking while mocking can hold the aggro of a mob better then just mocking alone. Its wise to follow up almost every mock you preform with a Snearing Kick.

Devastate [01] + [02] Level Req. 43, 53
Now for one of my more favorite skills. Devastate, and just as its name suggests it packs a huge punch. It’s also one of the first fighter AoE attacks you shall get. This skill makes Concussive Charge useless, at least in my eyes. And it hits the monsters around the front of you, not behind, but in a more in a semi-circle fashion ahead of you. This can be combined with mock to make taking on more then 2 monsters easier. And it is a key factor in AoE Grinding which I’ll give you more info on soon.
-Note-If you are a Pure End tank it may be a good idea to use a full 20 points on empowering this skill, max cool down, damage, stun duration, and Sp reduction is always a good thing to have. And it shall help a lot if you are AoE tanking. But if your not willing to spend 20 points on it then you should put full cool down and full time increase on Devastate at least if you are planning on being an AoE Tank.

Precise Attack / Accurate Strike Level Req. 60
Depending on which weapon type you choose you may want to empower one of these skills in the cool down and damage areas. Why? Because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to hold the aggro off the cleric when one of these skills lands a huge blow. Now depending on your weapon you should ether go with Precise attack empower for two handed users or Accurate Strike for those one handers. Or you can go both if you wish to jump between the weapon types. However it is a bit more point friendly if you choose to empower just one.

Vitality Level Req. 20
The Self buff known as Vitality has a verity of uses in different situations. It shines however in Duoing, Soloing. And it can be a great a boost during boss battles or PvP. However it can be limited in its usefulness during party situations because of the amount of time it takes to cast.

When the time is right…
So you have prepared yourself with all the items, skills, and you have taken the time to see what skills to empower? Well then you are ready to learn about the different methods and styles of tanking you will be using from now on. And I shall be providing tips on the best type of area styles to tank in. As you can’t just tank were ever you want. So lets move on shall we?

The Basic Types Of Tanking

The Solo
So your not a party type person eh? Well no worries it is still possible to solo at higher levels. It just is not handled the same way it was before. Before you head out and find a nice spot to solo in you should have your scrolls ready, your Hp and Sp stones full, and it would be a good idea to bring some potions just in case your stones can’t heal you fast enough. Now that your ready you must find a nice spot. Be sure it’s a not to crowded because there is always a chance of you being trained by another person fleeing from monsters themselves. Also if you can, try to find a spot were monsters do not spawn behind you so you can handle the monsters in front of you easer. In this form of tanking Snearing Kick will be your best friend again allowing you to lure one at a time. The Exp will be slower then being in a party, but you may make more money from drops in the end. You should bring the same types of items that you bring during party tanking, scrolls, a sword and shield for those times you need extra defense, and tons of potions. Full stones is always a must before setting out.

Soloing Areas
Also please remember you do not have to stick to exactly the areas suggested. Many players find their own spots to solo and stick with them. Feel free to test different areas and even go to areas that may seem out of your current level but you find that you can handle them.

[1-10]
For your first few levels you should stick around Roumen then move into Forest of Tides and Sand beach. You should be able to just solo just about anything these levels.
[10-20]
Around level 10 you can try moving onto Forest of mist, the Ratman, Boars, and such will be your best bet, or you can also try the pirates in the Sea of Greed till you reach about 20.
[20-30]
Around 20 you can still stick around the SoG area and move onto the Smart Phinos, Kebing, Little Lizardmans around the portal to Elderine. You can also try the first floor of Luminous Stone. The Grave Robbers and Keblings in this area can be soloed easily. At higher levels you can move onto the Skeleton Warriors Archers, and such running around. But I would suggest avoiding the Magic books. You can also try the Baby Bats and Gold slimes and Wolfs in Burning Hill during your early 20’s. And then move on the various Marlone solders, Captains and such located near the middle of the area.
[30-40]
-During these levels you should move onto Moonlight Tomb during your low 30’s. The Baby bats and Spiders are a great choice to go with. At mid levels you can move onto Sand hill and into Vine Tomb. Avoid soloing the magic monsters in both these areas. You can try soloing around Luminous Stone 2
[40-50]
Around 40 you should move to Goblin camp to solo. Goblins and Goblin Warriors (Yesh, they have very similar names but no, they are not the same monster. xD) are good choice. Just avoid those Goblin mages hanging around. At later levels you can move onto WereBears. You can also solo in Collapsed Prison. This area has many great choices of monsters to solo on. Harkens and Weakened Ogres may be your best beat during earlier levels and King Colls are also a option, however their magic attack makes it some what difficult. You can move onto the areas located deeper within this area at higher levels for a bit more Experience. Monsters such as Torturers and Karasian soldiers are available.
[50-60]
Durring your 50’s you should be able to make Uruga your soloing area of choice. Orcs, Orc Hunters, and King Mushrooms are some options and being so close to town you can restone quickly and get right back to killing if you should run out. You can also try the monsters located in Collapsed Prison 1 and 2, such monsters such as Red Stonies and Navars. However, it will be tricky making frequent trips from the dungeon and back to town. At later levels you can move onto the monsters within Ancient Elven Woods. Red Trumpys at lower levels, and you can move to Blue Trumpys during higher levels.
[60-70]
Areas such as Forest Of Slumber or the Land of Trials are some choices, but by now you should know exactly where you want to solo.

The Duo
CLERICS ARE A FIGHTERS BESTESTS FRIEND EVAR!
Sorry…I had to get that out of my system. But it is what duoing is all about if you think about it. And no I don’t care if your anti-social. If you want to duo make a friend with a cleric, there is no way around it. Now much like the Solo you will be luring monsters one at a time with Snearing Kick. And you will be sticking to areas were you can handle how the monsters spawn. How ever you will not have to rely on just your Hp stones with a cleric around.
-Note- You should still always bring full Hp and Sp stones and scrolls. Don’t make your cleric do all the work. And please just set the drop system to Seq. Your cleric deserves to make money too.
And if you are mobbed by chance, having a cleric around will make it much easer to handle the monsters attacking you. Also being in a party will get you increased attack and defense. This will allow you to kill faster which leads into more exp gain then just soloing alone. And you will still make money just not as much as when your just soloing. But the net gain is quite worth it in the end. Most duo-ing areas can be the same types of places you would normally solo in.
However if the cleric and the tanker are about or around the same level then you can duo in another way. Known as the DD Duo or the Nana:Yukijin Duo. In this form of duoing both members of the party attack one monster. And it does not matter which takes the aggro and the monster will be under the effect of a def debuff. You and do this for a few hours, go back to town and re-stone, then return to the spot you were and repeat. This can lead to great amounts of exp if done properly.

The Party
Tanking for a party is what your really here for I suppose. Well then shall I get started? :3

-Before hand-
Like I have stated before be sure to bring scrolls, a few potions, and full Sp and Hp stones. Also if your tanking bringing a one handed sword and shield is also a good choice. Though it is still quite possible to tank using any other weapon and the corresponding scrolls. There can be different ways to handle tanking for a party and I shall try my best to go through as many as I can. Also the way you tank changes with the type of players in your party.

The Basic Party
This is a standard party type. [Ex. One tanker, one cleric, and three other characters of various classes. Usually mages or archers or other fighters.] Now in this basic form of party its best to find a non-crowded area to grind in. And be sure that the spawn time on the monsters is not to fast, because you do not want to have another monster spawn on you while your party taking care of another. The mage or archer will lure one monster at a time toward the party. While you use Snearing Kick to grab the aggro from the mage/archer before it reaches them. Then while your party gets the lured monster’s Hp to its lowest, have the archer pull another monster towards your party. So right after the monster your killing dies you can move on to the next monster. This is what is know as chain pulling and it is for party’s who want faster exp but less time to rest between kills. Remember though if your archer/mage pulls a bit too fast you can always mock to get the monster away from the puller. But it will mean a bit more healing for the cleric.

The Dps Party
So it just so happens that the only type of character available for your party are three archers. Well this can be quite a good thing if you can pull it off right. Now archers are well known for not their brute force but their damage per second or Dps skills. Now having three archers attacking one monster with those skills and chain pulling at the same time can lead to some great exp. But the tricky thing to get around in this party is to keep the aggro off the archers by using mock and kick in unison, meaning a bit of stress on the cleric.

The Mage Party
Now much like the Dps party having three mages in your party can mean fast kills and chain pulling by the said mages can equal to great exp. But the will pull the aggro off you alot even more so then archers. So be sure to spam Kick and mock when ever possible. This party however can be amazing in AoE type party’s. I’ll go more into this a bit later.

The Stun Party
This is a party that consists of one tanker, a cleric, and three other fighters. In the type of party luring can be more difficult and haphazard because of the lack of ranged characters. But it will be much easier to deal with any extra mobs because of the skill devastate. Before you begin attacking monsters it is best to set up a stun order.

[Ex. The tanker stuns the monster first then after it wears off the next person stuns so on and so forth.]

This makes it so the monster may not even get a chance to hurt your party. Which will save on stones costs in the long run. This party formation can also be used in AoE type parties, which as I’ve stated before will be covered in another section. >:P

The Trio
-Note- Why isn’t this above the party part? Because I’m lazy thats why!
Now the Trio type of party is made up of one tanker , one archer, and one cleric. Unlike other party types you will not be pulling much, as you will be standing right on the spawn point. Crazy yes? But exp wise great! You stand there and pull every monster off your other party members while the archer keeps pulling the monsters around you toward the party when the one your killings hp gets low. Yes its hard to control the spawn and it will be hard on the cleric. But if you can get a spot were you can time the spawns, then you can be taking down monsters faster then other types. Now why you ask is it only made up of three people? Because having only 3 members eats up less exp and the cleric will only have to keep up with only three people getting attacked. I’d recommend this to higher level players though.

The AoE
Are you a bit tired of taking down monsters one at a time? Is the exp just not pulling in as fast as it was before? Are you just plain bored? Well then step up to the AoE and all its crazy monster killing goodness!

Note-Seras is not to be held responsible to any and all exp lost at attempting this, or any mental breakdowns if they should occur.

The Preparations
Before hand I would recommend bringing as many scrolls as possible such as def, vit, and the other basic types. Bring quite a few because you can never be sure when you may die and need to re-scroll. Yes there is always a high chance of you and your party dieing if you mess up. Seras should know she has failed in doing this many times.
Wearing a one handed sword and shield is also recommended as the extra Defense helps a lot in tanking the many monsters you shall mob together.

The Party Members
When making an AoE party there are some preferred party make ups to others. There is the one tanker, two cleric, and two mage party. This party is made up of two clerics in order to keep the main tanker alive when they pull the monsters together. The two mages use there AoE spells to attack the mobbed monsters all at once, while the tanked mocks and holds the mob in place. If your party is feeling up to it the extra cleric can be switched out for another mage or second dd/tanker. Though it will make it harder on the cleric.And AoE party can also be made up of a cleric and four warriors one or all being tanks. It seems like an odd party arrangement but it works if your party has a chain stunning order. [E.x One person tanks and pulls the monsters, when the tank has the monsters mobbed in one spot he/she uses Devastate to hold the mobs. While one after another the other fighters in the party use devastate to keep the mobs stunned. The time after each stuns follows a 6-7 second waiting period.]

The Methods of AoE
Before taking your party, and whatever members it is made up of, to a spot to grind it is best to find a empty space away from other parties. This is to avoid any monsters you pull getting out of control and heading toward other such parties. Thus causing all sorts of trouble. Also, be sure the spot your party will primary stand in is free of monster spawns, as you do not wish for other monsters to spawn while you are taking care of another that you have pulled. Now make sure your party is ready and buffed up before you head out to pull and mob the monsters. If you can bring lots of Hp stones and potions, so the clerics do not have to follow behind you while you mob.
Now when mobbing it can be handled in two different ways. You can pull the monsters by running past them on foot or you can mob large amounts of monsters on a rider. But, after you get the appropriate amount of monsters following behind you, it will end up with you bringing the said monsters back toward your party.
Now as for the amount to pull it is based on what you think your party can handle and what you can handle. I’d generally have to say about 5-6 monsters per pull is enough but some players can handle many, many more. Its up to you to test the waters to see how many you can handle.

Areas to AoE

[Levels 1-20]
No where yet, seeing as you have yet to gain Mock and mages do not have the skill Magic Burst. Its better to 1 by 1 during these levels.
[Levels 20-30]
AoE-ing with a party in the Sea of Greed works here. Pirates for the early levels and Keblings for the higher levels. Or you can try the monsters inhabiting Burning Hills such as the robbers, bats, golden slimes, and glow wolfs. You can also try the area around the middle of the zone but be wary of the archers.
[Levels 30-40]
Around your late 20’s- early 30’s one should head to Mt or Mourning Tomb. Some recommended spots would be the graveyard around C3 then when you feel like you can handle it move to the area around I3. Around your late 30’s you should head to Vine tomb around F7 but be careful of the monsters stun. There are other spots here but the ghosts fear skill makes it harder to AoE.
[Levels 40-44]
AoE-ing in Vine tomb is still a good choice but soon one should move onto Goblin Camp soon enough. This place is good form your late 30’s though 44 before you learn Devastate. The Goblin Swordsmen and Were-Bear area is great. Though its best to avoid the Procks and Goblin Mages areas.
[Levels 44-60]
Where you AoE during these levels can depend on your party and gears. AoE-ing in Cp is a very good choice during the early 40’s seeing as there are not many ranged monsters in this area. But be careful of the King Colls magic attacks. At higher levels you should move onto Uruga. AoE-ing Orcs and King mushrooms would be best. Then at higher levels one can move onto Red Trumpys, just watch out for the Queen Spiders. Then when one thinks they can handle it move onto AoE-ing Blue Trumpys and such. Or you could go to Cp1 and AoE the Red Stonies located at the top of the stairs in the room to the left.
[Levels 60+]
By now you should know where to AoE. Its up to you to decide were you wish to train. Just be careful, always have full stones, and well you know the rest. :3

Abbreviations Used/After Thoughts
For the new members who are not quite sure what some words mean.

Tanking
The act of using your character as a shield for the party taking all the hits from the foe as your fellow party member support you.
End
The character stat Endurance, increases block rate,def, and hp.
Spr
The character stat Spirit which increases critical percentage, magical defense, and max Sp.
Str
The character stat strength which increases damage done.
Dex
The character stat Dexterity, increases evasion and aim.
Int
The character stat Intelligence, increases Magical attack damage. Has no use for a fighter.
Build
The way a characters stats are applied.
DD
A damage dealer, known as an support character in parties.
PvP
Otherwise known as Player vs. Player. You see this a lot in guild wars in town.
PvE
Player vs. Environment, this means Player vs. Monsters or some other element that is fightable or causes you damage in the game.
Dps
Damage per second, this is seen quite a bit in archer skills such as their various poison abilities. It’s the amount of time it takes each attack to land on a monster.
AoE
Area of Effect. This is seen in Mage’s skills such as Nova and Inferno. Its a skill that damages or effects all monsters around its casting range. It also seen in several fighter’s skills such as the semi-AoE Devastate and Whirlwind .
Luring
When one member of the party, such as an long range character, uses their skills to pull a monster toward the party and allowing the tanker to grab the aggro off the other character so the rest of the party members can focus on damaging it.
Aggro
Known as Aggression. This is the monsters desired target and thier current focus as to who they are attacking.
[Ex. When a fighter uses Snearing Kick and the monsters there after attacks him/her.]
Chain Stunning
When one party member after another take turns stunning the monsters that the they are fighting. Normally a stunning order is set up by the party members before hand so that all the members of the party are not using stun at the same time.

Notes- Well that about wraps things up I suppose. Being a successful tanker will count on many things. Most notably the player behind the character itself. Some things you will learn as you go along, and some you may need to practice at. But keep at it, you never know how powerful you can become in the end. I hope my guide has helped you in any way, even if only a bit. May your exp be safe and your drops be great!

Special Acknowledgments
For all those who contributed information to the guide, Zelda231, Atmor, lordalden, vietoq, capron,Master Ahmed and the many others who helped me work out all the info. I’d also like to thank Nerria, Elias, Niv, Art Art, Alek, Eir-face, Aza, Deli Sammich, and my Cloud9 guildys and all the other people in-game who cheered me on. Lets not forget my forum guildys as well, Jello, Kitty, Saku, Zelk, Emo, Zeff, and such. Not to mention the many other people in the IRC and such, Delp, Sha, Hai, Tralin, Mist, Sheep, Waffle-Chan (Who doesn’t love to hate waffle!) and her creator Ferria. I’d also like to thank Steam for his hilarious commentary and edit to my guide, Lowbie Cretz who stickyed my guide, and the many other members of the in-game and forum community. You all kick bum!