[SIZE="4"]Karok: Who is he?[/SIZE]
Karok is currently unreleased in North America, and because of that, any of my information may be subject to change, or may be just plain wrong. Karok is the 4th character for Vindictus. A hulk with the ability to stop boss attacks, Grapple Bosses, and given stats to tank.
[SIZE="4"]Wait, that can't be right. I thought I heard you say "stop boss attacks"[/SIZE]
That's right. By grappling a boss's smash, you can catch the attack. By doing so, you instigate a battle with the boss. The loser incurs damage.
However! Karok is no Bob Sapp! There are distinct limitations associated with this skill. Firstly, it cost a ton of stamina. If you're low, you won't be able to win the battle before you run out, and will lose by default. So using this takes preparation, you cannot use it blindly. Also, not every boss can be countered in this way, and only certain attacks work. See this list to know which bosses from boats are compatible with this skill. If the boss or an attack is not on this list, assume the skill won't work it/him. Bosses not on this list will be grappled instead.
- Gnoll Chieftain: The Horizontal Swing
- Sturdy Emuloch: Double Punch Attack (Only the second hit)
- White Tyrant: Far Reaching Single Swipe
- Red Tyrant: Far Reaching Single Swipe
- Blood Prince: Third Attack in his Stabs Chain
- Giant Spider: Jump Attack
- Laghodessa: Jump Attack
Boss Grapples work the same as regular grapples.
[SIZE="4"]Karok Seems Really Beefy[/SIZE]
He is. With Careful timing, his attacks can be given super armor status, meaning you can never be knocked down or interrupted, but you still take damage. Because of his nature, it is recommended more so than other classes to rank skills that aid health such as health mastery and HP Potion mastery, as well as defense mastery.
[SIZE="4"]
Noted. Any other skills worth investing in?
[/SIZE]All in all, it depends on how you want to build your own Karok, but here are some pointers for making your beefy male even beefier.
Wait, hold on. I'm seeing some ranks highlighted in different colors. What's with that?
In keeping with the current style of high-quality guides here on Mabination.com, ranks highlighted in blue are ranks that are required for any build. This may be because the usefulness of this rank cannot be ignored, or it may be because that rank is required to unlock other skills. A rank highlighted in Red is strongly recommended to have. Usually this is because that rank has some kind of special bonus attached to it.
Standing Endurance:
Unlike other classes, Karok is the kind of class that you should expect to get hit. With this skill, you can more easily recover from your mistakes. It can save your life in many cases, and rank 9 adds the ability to quickly get up, even if the skill fails.
Combat Respiration:
This skill will allow you to run more, attack more, grapple more, attack grab more, and generally be more sexy in every way. You want this skill very much, and you might even want to combine it with Agility Mastery to even further boost stamina regeneration.
War Stomp:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
This is one of Karok's most powerful skills, and it'll help you do more damage if you put AP into this. This is Karok's First Combo, meaning you press the smash button without doing any normal attacks first. After the first attack, you may press the smash button more to do more attacks. Ranking it may or may not add extra hits.
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/WarStompCost.png]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/WarStompDesc.png]
Smash Mastery:
The AP Cost for this Skill is High, but it is well worth it. It can take you from doing 700 damage with smashes, to 1100. The increased knockdown chance is nothing to shake a stick at as well.
Meditation:
Your Karok is not smart. He is dumb. He won't be smart enough to do meditation efficiently, so you'll want to leave this skill at either F or E. (There are numerous threads about why you shouldn't get this skill, yet some still say they'd want it. Whether or not you rank this skill is up to you, but since you're reading this guide I assume you want my opinion. Don't rank this skill past F for your Karok.)
Shock Absorption:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
I said before that you can instill yourself with super armor, however, with this skill, you may regenerate health whenever you pull that off. Requires level 20, clear white tyrant, and 120BP in Brynn's research. To use this skill, Normal attack, Smash attack, or Dodge as the enemy attack comes to hit you. One of Karok's most important skills, recommended you take this to the max as soon as you get it.
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/ShockAbsorbCost.png]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/ShockAbsorbDesc.png]
Battle Charge:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
Dash forward holding your pillar in front of you. You can chain this attack with the dashing drop kick. Level 15 Required, purchased for 6000G
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/BattleChargeCost.png]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/BattleChargeDesc.png]
Pillar Discard:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
Throw your weapon away to allow use of bare fists in lieu of the pillar! This attack is not very fast, nor does it do much damage. Go ahead and leave this skill at F or E. However, if you want to reduce the cool down (because you want to use both pillars and Unarmed), you should rank it to reduce cool down. Makes using Shock Absorb easier. Requires level 24.
!!Keep in mind, if you want to use the pillar again, you must find it and move to its location to pick it up yourself!!
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/PillarCastCost.png]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/PillarCastDesc.png]
Unarmed:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
Karok uses his fists to attack enemies! Attacking barehanded is much faster, however, you may not use smash attacks. Unarmed attacks are not considered "Normal Attacks". You must use Pillar Discard before being able to use this skill. It is easier to use Shock absorb with unarmed attacks than with the pillar. Requires level 24.
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/UnarmedCost.png]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/UnarmedDesc.png]
Boss Grapple:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
When the boss is knocked down, you can use a grappling attack to further damage him. This skill is not that great, but will aid you if you decide to put AP into it. Learned at level 6 as part of the story. Rank E increases damage by 10%, then every rank after that increases it by 3%, ending at 22% bonus at rank A for 350 total AP. If you use this skill often, you should rank it quickly, because it is cheap and increases your grapple damage by almost one fourth. However, some say boss grapples do less damage than attacking normally, so it can be foregone. If you like viewing the animations, however, this skill is cheap enough for you to get it anyway. Even if you don't want to rank it all the way, however, you NEED to get rank D to unlock Nexus.
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/BossGrappleCost.png]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/BossGrappleDesc.png]
Nexus/Power Struggle:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
Catch a boss's smash attack and send it back at him! Requires Boss Grapple Rank D and Level 12
Smash: Grizzly Uppercut:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
Swing the pillar upward, surprising foes with a quick and powerful attack. This is Karok's second combo. To use this skill, use one normal attack, then a smash. Ranks increase the speed of the attack. [I am unsure as to how much the speed increases past rank D. The last three ranks are merely a guess.]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/GrizzlyUpperCost.png]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/GrizzlyUpperDesc.png]
Drop Kick:
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
You may only use this with the weapon equipped. I don't know much else about this skill, other than it requires a title from Quiremigal and some other skill Rank C
SP Skill SP: ëŒê°œë°”람
[SIZE="1"]-Info here may be unreliable-[/SIZE]
Only Usable with Pillars Equipped. Spin the Pole around while hitting a number of enemies. Rank C increases the number of rotations. Rank A doubles the speed of the rotation. Unlocked at level 30, requires 2 SP bars.
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/SPTable.png]
[SIZE="4"]This is Great! Now I'm ready to barge into battles, muscles bulging and flapping in the wind.[/SIZE]
What? Nai! You need some equipment.
Eq--Equip...
Weapons and Armor Man!
Okay. Where do I get that?
You craft your equipment at Ferghus. You'll want both Weapons AND Armor.
Dances With Wolves.
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/DancesWithWolves.png]
-Your first Crafted Weapon is unlocked after defeating the Gnoll Chieftain.
It costs:
- 2000 Gold
- 9 Iron Ore
- 1 Leather
- 1 Gnoll Chieftain Hammer
- 1 Ice Spirit Weapon
- 2 Eternity Erg Crystals
- 3 Metal Solvent
You can also use Crimson Rage Armor, also unlocked by clearing Decisive Battle.
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/CrimsonCost.png]
[Image: http://upload.inven.co.kr/upload/2010/12/08/bbs/i21802492.jpg]
(Image Taken From Heroes.Inven.Co.Kr)
The next weapon you should use is called [Red Metal Pillar] [SIZE="1"]-May or may not be accurate-[/SIZE]
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/RedMetalFiller.png]
(Also takes 3 of some other drop.)
Shortly after unlocking Red Metal, you'll also unlock Savage Leather. It will compliment nicely
[Image: http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g206/whyrainfalls/SavageLeather.png]
[Image: http://upload.inven.co.kr/upload/2010/12/08/bbs/i33673235.jpg]
(Image Taken From Heroes.Inven.Co.Kr)
[SIZE="4"]
What is this? I made the armor...but...the prodigious girth of my muscles prevents me from wearing it.
[/SIZE]Oh yes. In order to wear your armor and weapons, you'll need to rank the corresponding equipment mastery skill. Karok uses Heavy Armor at first, and then moves on to Plate Armor, so you'll need both those mastery skills ranked.
More?! I already have so many skills I need to take.
Oh no. You see, for these skills, you only need to rank it as long as the armor requires it. If the next armor you want to wear needs rank C Heavy Armor Mastery, get it to C, and then leave it there. It should reduce the strain on your AP. However, you might want to master these masteries right off the bat.
Why would I want to do that?
You see, Armor and Weapon Mastery skills provide bonuses in addition to unlocking higher level equipment. They'll make your equipment weigh less, and last longer. Sometimes it'll make them more effective as well. Whether you rank these skills as you go, or rank them all at once for the bonuses is up to you. If I were you, I'd rank them only as I needed them at first, but near the end of boat three, or the beginning of boat 4, I would increase them twice as much as I needed them, and have them maxed by the end of boat 4, beginning of boat 5.
I looked at those skills below and there's one called Weight endurance. That's not a mastery.
You're right! This skill increases the maximum weight you can hold for your equipment. Because I don't know how Karok's weight issues will be, I'm putting it there just in case.
Battle Pillar Mastery:
Every rank decreases the weight of pillars by 2 stones, and unlocks higher leveled pillars.
Heavy Armor Mastery:
Each rank increases the defense of the armor by about 10, decreases heavy armor weight by 2 stones, increases the max durability by 10%, and unlocks higher leveled Heavy Armors.
Plate Armor Mastery:
Each rank increases the defense of the armor by about 12, decreases Plate Armor weight by 2 stones, increases the max durability by 10%, and unlocks higher leveled Plate Armors.
Weight Endurance:
Each rank increases the maximum amount of stones you can carry by 20 stones, ending at a total of 120 stones at Rank A for 790 AP
[SIZE="4"]-More info will be posted when I get it. If you have knowledge about Karok, send me a PM and I'll include your info in this guide.-
-I need skill icons for the tables. If you have Karok Skill Icons, send them to me!-[/SIZE]