Field Guide

The second tree, gated behind holding any battle APEX node. It spends the same Mastery Points as your pathway and is exempt from pathway exclusivity in both directions, so whichever pathway you committed to, all of this is open to you.

Its top rows are the ASCENDANT tier: below All Stats+ you pick ONE of four roots at 50 Mastery Points, then ONE of the two trades beneath it. Every trade gives something up, and the loss lands at the very end of the calculation, after everything else.

Gains bonus Haste. +50 Haste.

A second tree's worth of Haste, on top of whatever your pathway gave you. The Combat tree is exempt from pathway exclusivity, so this is available whichever pathway you committed to.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Haste+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 1.
• Cost: 10 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: none. It is a root, so it unlocks as soon as the tree is open to you.

Haste+ is a flat grant: +50 Haste once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Intuition. +50 Intuition.

Flat Intuition for any build, feeding crit chance and Evasion.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Intuition+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 1.
• Cost: 10 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: none. It is a root, so it unlocks as soon as the tree is open to you.

Intuition+ is a flat grant: +50 Intuition once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Malice. +50 Malice.

Flat Malice for any build, feeding Defense Ignore.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Malice+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 1.
• Cost: 10 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: none. It is a root, so it unlocks as soon as the tree is open to you.

Malice+ is a flat grant: +50 Malice once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Stamina. +75 Stamina.

The first of the tree's larger grants, and the one every build wants — Stamina is HP.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Stamina+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 2.
• Cost: 15 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Haste+ at Lv. 3, Intuition+ at Lv. 3 and Malice+ at Lv. 3.

Stamina+ is a flat grant: +75 Stamina once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Defense. +75 Defense.

Flat Defense, the other side of that first choice. A Jagged Spikes build usually takes this one, since Defense is its attack stat as well.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Defense+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 3.
• Cost: 15 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Stamina+ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Strength+ until you use RESET MP.

Defense+ is a flat grant: +75 Defense once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Strength. +75 Strength.

Flat Strength, and the first place the tree asks you to choose: taking it locks out Defense+ on the same row.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Strength+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 3.
• Cost: 15 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Stamina+ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Defense+ until you use RESET MP.

Strength+ is a flat grant: +75 Strength once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Haste. +125 Haste.

The larger Haste grant on the Strength side of the tree.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Haste++ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 4.
• Cost: 25 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Strength+ at Lv. 5.

Haste++ is a flat grant: +125 Haste once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Haste. +125 Haste.

The larger Haste grant on the Defense side of the tree.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Haste++ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 4.
• Cost: 25 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Defense+ at Lv. 5.

Haste++ is a flat grant: +125 Haste once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Intuition. +125 Intuition.

The larger Intuition grant, feeding crit chance and Evasion.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Intuition++ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 4.
• Cost: 25 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Strength+ at Lv. 5.

Intuition++ is a flat grant: +125 Intuition once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Malice. +125 Malice.

The larger Malice grant, feeding Defense Ignore.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Malice++ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 4.
• Cost: 25 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Defense+ at Lv. 5.

Malice++ is a flat grant: +125 Malice once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Defense. +125 Defense.

The larger Defense grant, continuing the Defense side of the tree.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Defense++ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 5.
• Cost: 25 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Haste++ at Lv. 5 and Malice++ at Lv. 5.

Defense++ is a flat grant: +125 Defense once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Gains bonus Strength. +125 Strength.

The larger Strength grant, continuing the Strength side of the tree.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Strength++ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 5.
• Cost: 25 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Haste++ at Lv. 5 and Intuition++ at Lv. 5.

Strength++ is a flat grant: +125 Strength once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

+25% Critical Damage (capped at 200%). Reaches the cap with Physical Mastery or Master of Eluding.

One of three picks on its row, and the one that clamps: it stops at the ordinary Critical Damage ceiling, which a pathway capstone may already have reached for you. Check what you hold before spending here.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Critical Damage+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 6.
• Cost: 15 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Strength++ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Evasion+ and Damage Reduction+ until you use RESET MP.

+5% Damage Reduction, added after the hard cap.

Lands after the Damage Reduction hard cap, the same trick as Evasion+ on the row. For a tank it is usually the strongest of the three picks, because mitigation past the cap is unreachable any other way.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Damage Reduction+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 6.
• Cost: 15 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Defense++ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Critical Damage+ and Evasion+ until you use RESET MP.

+5% Evasion, added after the hard cap.

Lands AFTER the Evasion hard cap, which is what makes it valuable — it is one of very few things in the game that can take a stat past its own ceiling.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Evasion+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 6.
• Cost: 15 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Strength++ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Critical Damage+ and Damage Reduction+ until you use RESET MP.

Gains bonus Stamina. +125 Stamina.

More Stamina, on the way to All Stats+ and the Ascendant tier beneath it.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Stamina++ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 7.
• Cost: 25 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs any one of Critical Damage+ at Lv. 1, Evasion+ at Lv. 1 or Damage Reduction+ at Lv. 1.

Stamina++ is a flat grant: +125 Stamina once learned, written into your Mastery column on the Character page.

Monster's final Evasion −20%. Applies in Battle, the Dungeon and the Endless Boss.

Subtracts from the monster's final Evasion, so it is a damage node disguised as a stat: hits that would have missed now land. It does nothing in the Arena.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Accuracy+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 7.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Stamina++ at Lv. 5.

+250 to every primary stat except Intelligence.

The tree's own capstone: a large grant to every primary except Intelligence, and the gate to the Ascendant tier below. It is expensive, and it is the point at which the Combat tree stops being filler.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• All Stats+ sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 7.
• Cost: 250 Mastery Points, learned whole. It has 5 levels and one press buys all of them.
• Requirements: needs Accuracy+ at Lv. 5.

+25% Critical Damage, added after the 200% hard cap.

An Ascendant root. Pure upside with no trade attached, past the Critical Damage cap — the safe pick of the four, and the one a crit build takes without thinking.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Deeper Cuts sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 8.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs All Stats+ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Vital Offering, Momentum and Velocity Strike until you use RESET MP.

Deeper Cuts is an Ascendant ROOT: pick one of the four, then one of the two trades beneath it.

15% chance each turn to take one extra action (attack or cast), rolled at the start of the turn. Stacks with other extra-action effects but only adds one; the extra action cannot trigger another.

An Ascendant root that sometimes hands you a whole extra action. It stacks with the other extra-action effects but never compounds them — you get one extra action, not an extra one from each.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Momentum sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 8.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs All Stats+ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Deeper Cuts, Vital Offering and Velocity Strike until you use RESET MP.

Momentum is an Ascendant ROOT: pick one of the four, then one of the two trades beneath it.

Every hit you land deals extra pure damage equal to 100% of your Speed. Ignores Damage Reduction, cannot crit. Multi-hit skills apply it on every hit.

An Ascendant root that adds pure damage to every hit you land, scaling off Speed. Multi-hit skills apply it on every hit, so it is far stronger for a build that swings often than one that swings hard.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Velocity Strike sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 8.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs All Stats+ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Deeper Cuts, Vital Offering and Momentum until you use RESET MP.

Velocity Strike is an Ascendant ROOT: pick one of the four, then one of the two trades beneath it.

Your HP Regen no longer heals you. Instead it deals that amount to the enemy as pure damage every turn. Ignores Damage Reduction, cannot crit.

An Ascendant root that inverts a stat: your regen stops healing and starts burning the enemy every turn instead. It suits a build that was already sustaining another way, and it is a disaster for one that was relying on regen to live.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Vital Offering sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 8.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs All Stats+ at Lv. 5.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Deeper Cuts, Momentum and Velocity Strike until you use RESET MP.

Vital Offering is an Ascendant ROOT: pick one of the four, then one of the two trades beneath it.

Final Defense Ignore ×0.8. Momentum chance rises from 15% to 25%.

The Momentum trade that pays in Defense Ignore. The cheaper half for a build that was not relying on the Defense Ignore roll in the first place.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Blunt Momentum sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Momentum at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Reckless Momentum until you use RESET MP.

Blunt Momentum is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Momentum: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

Max HP ×0.8. Velocity Strike rises from 100% to 150% of your Speed.

The Velocity Strike trade that pays in max HP for the same bigger rider. The pick when your Evasion is doing real work and your HP is not.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Glass Velocity sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Velocity Strike at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Straight Line until you use RESET MP.

Glass Velocity is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Velocity Strike: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

Final Critical Hit Chance ×0.8. Critical Damage +15%, added after the hard cap.

The Deeper Cuts trade that pays in Critical Hit Chance. It suits a build whose crit chance is already at its ceiling, where the loss comes off the top and costs you nothing.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Heavy Hand sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Deeper Cuts at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Reckless Edge until you use RESET MP.

Heavy Hand is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Deeper Cuts: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

Final Damage Reduction ×0.8. HP Regen (and the Vital Offering burn) ×1.2.

The Vital Offering trade that pays in Damage Reduction for a bigger burn. Easier to afford than the max HP half if your mitigation is already past what the fight needs.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Open Guard sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Vital Offering at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Thin Blood until you use RESET MP.

Open Guard is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Vital Offering: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

Final Damage Reduction ×0.8. Critical Damage +15%, added after the hard cap.

The Deeper Cuts trade that pays in Damage Reduction. Take it if you are not being hit much — in a fight you are winning quickly, mitigation you never needed is the cheapest thing to sell.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Reckless Edge sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Deeper Cuts at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Heavy Hand until you use RESET MP.

Reckless Edge is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Deeper Cuts: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

Max HP ×0.8. Momentum chance rises from 15% to 25%.

The Momentum trade that pays in max HP for a much better chance at the extra action.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Reckless Momentum sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Momentum at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Blunt Momentum until you use RESET MP.

Reckless Momentum is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Momentum: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

Final Evasion ×0.8. Velocity Strike rises from 100% to 150% of your Speed.

The Velocity Strike trade that pays in Evasion for a bigger rider on every hit. Cheap for any build that was never dodging anyway.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Straight Line sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Velocity Strike at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Glass Velocity until you use RESET MP.

Straight Line is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Velocity Strike: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

Max HP ×0.8. HP Regen (and the Vital Offering burn) ×1.2.

The Vital Offering trade that pays in max HP for a bigger burn. The burn is your damage now, so this is the aggressive half of the pair.

• PASSIVE: it applies on its own, with nothing to cast.
• Thin Blood sits in the Combat Mastery tree, at tier 9.
• Cost: 50 Mastery Points, learned whole.
• Requirements: needs Vital Offering at Lv. 1.
• PICK ONE: learning it locks out Open Guard until you use RESET MP.

Thin Blood is an Ascendant TRADE beneath Vital Offering: every trade gives something up, and the loss is applied at the very end of the calculation, after every other bonus.

A PICK ONE: take Strength+ or Defense+ and the others are locked out until you use RESET MP. needs Stamina+ at Lv. 5.

• Strength+ — Flat Strength, and the first place the tree asks you to choose: taking it locks out Defense+ on the same row.
• Defense+ — Flat Defense, the other side of that first choice. A Jagged Spikes build usually takes this one, since Defense is its attack stat as well.

A PICK ONE: take Critical Damage+, Evasion+ or Damage Reduction+ and the others are locked out until you use RESET MP. needs Strength++ at Lv. 5.

• Critical Damage+ — One of three picks on its row, and the one that clamps: it stops at the ordinary Critical Damage ceiling, which a pathway capstone may already have reached for you. Check what you hold before spending here.
• Evasion+ — Lands AFTER the Evasion hard cap, which is what makes it valuable — it is one of very few things in the game that can take a stat past its own ceiling.
• Damage Reduction+ — Lands after the Damage Reduction hard cap, the same trick as Evasion+ on the row. For a tank it is usually the strongest of the three picks, because mitigation past the cap is unreachable any other way.

A PICK ONE: take Deeper Cuts, Vital Offering, Momentum or Velocity Strike and the others are locked out until you use RESET MP. needs All Stats+ at Lv. 5.

• Deeper Cuts — An Ascendant root. Pure upside with no trade attached, past the Critical Damage cap — the safe pick of the four, and the one a crit build takes without thinking.
• Vital Offering — An Ascendant root that inverts a stat: your regen stops healing and starts burning the enemy every turn instead. It suits a build that was already sustaining another way, and it is a disaster for one that was relying on regen to live.
• Momentum — An Ascendant root that sometimes hands you a whole extra action. It stacks with the other extra-action effects but never compounds them — you get one extra action, not an extra one from each.
• Velocity Strike — An Ascendant root that adds pure damage to every hit you land, scaling off Speed. Multi-hit skills apply it on every hit, so it is far stronger for a build that swings often than one that swings hard.

A PICK ONE: take Reckless Edge or Heavy Hand and the others are locked out until you use RESET MP. needs Deeper Cuts at Lv. 1.

• Reckless Edge — The Deeper Cuts trade that pays in Damage Reduction. Take it if you are not being hit much — in a fight you are winning quickly, mitigation you never needed is the cheapest thing to sell.
• Heavy Hand — The Deeper Cuts trade that pays in Critical Hit Chance. It suits a build whose crit chance is already at its ceiling, where the loss comes off the top and costs you nothing.

A PICK ONE: take Thin Blood or Open Guard and the others are locked out until you use RESET MP. needs Vital Offering at Lv. 1.

• Thin Blood — The Vital Offering trade that pays in max HP for a bigger burn. The burn is your damage now, so this is the aggressive half of the pair.
• Open Guard — The Vital Offering trade that pays in Damage Reduction for a bigger burn. Easier to afford than the max HP half if your mitigation is already past what the fight needs.

A PICK ONE: take Reckless Momentum or Blunt Momentum and the others are locked out until you use RESET MP. needs Momentum at Lv. 1.

• Reckless Momentum — The Momentum trade that pays in max HP for a much better chance at the extra action.
• Blunt Momentum — The Momentum trade that pays in Defense Ignore. The cheaper half for a build that was not relying on the Defense Ignore roll in the first place.

A PICK ONE: take Straight Line or Glass Velocity and the others are locked out until you use RESET MP. needs Velocity Strike at Lv. 1.

• Straight Line — The Velocity Strike trade that pays in Evasion for a bigger rider on every hit. Cheap for any build that was never dodging anyway.
• Glass Velocity — The Velocity Strike trade that pays in max HP for the same bigger rider. The pick when your Evasion is doing real work and your HP is not.