A hybrid character is probably not the best character to choose as your first character. They can be a lot of work to train the skills, and even in normal grind the smashes and nukes are slow to train too. If you do that training though you'll have a character that is one of the easiest to grind on the normal maps, and if you're good at PvP, later you'll be able to stand your own against warriors too.

The last time I wrote about builds was for warriors, and as I said I'm not the greatest expert on character builds, but I can tell you what is working for me and my Hybrid character AxeDriver.

Let me say it again, you really have to do the training on all of your skills as early as possible. Let me show you the buff bar for AxeDriver. The image is a little small, but you'll get the idea.

1. Lightfoot at c11
2. Advanced Meditation at C10
3. Advanced Steps at C10
4. Basic Bandit Protection at C10 (50 points of Defense)
5. Hybrid all Attributes Buff at C12 (+19 all Attributes)
6. Reflection Buff at C9 (insane skill to level up)
7. Hybrid Constitution Buff at C12 (other roles would kill for this skill)
8. Healing Skill at C12
9. Resurrection Skill at C6 (Rule Number One: Do Not Die!)
10. Cry of an Old Tiger at C2 (not a clue what it does, but it is up to the level cap)

You should level up these skills as the level cap allows, and not later than the SM level party quest at SM7. If you do that work your character will rule the PvE game. Others will run to you for your buffs, and you'll never have a problem getting a party. Bosses will fall to their knees before you, and you'll be soloing dungeons and getting rich on the loot. So go train your skills.

The only break I'll give is on the Reflection Buff because that is really hard to level. Still, you can easily get to C6 by using cheap intermediate manuals and experience events to level that skill. To do more than that gets expensive, but if you think it's hard, wait until I show you the buff bar for my nuker.

As for the character build and what to do with the attribute points, let me say again that your needs will change as your character develops, just like it does for a warrior. Early on your hybrid will fight just like a warrior, but you'll place your attribute points a little differently.

Strength and Dexterity points will be similar to a warrior, but you won't need Constitution points except to equip relics. Early on you won't need much wisdom either because you don't get nukes right away. Wisdom is the Hybrid penalty stat anyway, so there is no need to waste points at the start. The rest of your points should be placed on Essence so that you can enjoy the long grinding time. Let the warriors run off to meditate, while you stay and heal yourself and continue the grind.

By the time you finish the second role quests at EC 6, and before you start the EC level Party Quest you should seriously consider starting to add attribute points to Wisdom so that your nuking skills start to become more accurate. You've probably noticed by now that your nukes miss a lot. You can get the attention of a mob with it but you usually miss. Adding to Wisdom adds to your CK Attack Rating, just like adding to Dexterity adds to your normal Attack Rating. A well developed hybrid will need both skills.

One nice benefit if you've been building your character like I suggested, by the time you're at EC 6 you'll have lots and lots of Essence to work with. Essence helps to determine your CK Damage, just like Strength gives you your normal damage number. As you add wisdom during the EC party quest, you'll start hitting your targets with your nukes, and doing quite a bit of damage too.

Those are my base stats on AxeDriver at FC3. I have a base 40 Wisdom and that is more than enough for now. As I level up I'm adding 2 points of Strength, 1 of Essence and 1 of Dexterity at each level. If you don't have a premium account, you will probably want more Essence that what I have now.

What I've got with these attribute numbers is a well rounded character that I can grind almost with out any effort, and I may have the start of a good PvP hybrid on my hands. How about you? How are you building your Hybrid?

- SpearDriver