The Monk Temple

[Meleena]

Ok since all the other DDs have their own thread, here's one for the coolest Job (and class) in the game at the moment.
Pick up your gloves, wear your bandanas and feel free discuss everything about "The way of the 100 Fists!"

Best skills, best gear, best rotations and every cool thing you find about Pugilists and Monks!

Have fun!

[Yagoua]

I am on the server with you and I concur that Monk is indeed the coolest class. Why use a weapon when you have your fist?

[JayG]

I played PGL up until lvl 20 during open beta and I love the class. Started leveling Archer and Lancer as well but will prob make PGL/Monk my main class.

[Gilthaen]

I am on the server with you and I concur that Monk is indeed the coolest class. Why use a weapon when you have your fist?

The same reason that no war ever is fought with fists... but I'll let you continue RPing

[Dawning-Blue]

I like monk too it's a cool job. It will great if someone can post some tips on how to play it well

[Kimille]

I like monk too it's a cool job. I will great if someone can post some tips on how to play it well

I too would like some tips really, if anyone has some to share. It's one of the classes/jobs I'm interested in, but I really feel I know next to nothing about it. It could be that that knowledge will come in time though, or that I may know more than I think I know. c_c

Supposing I could ask a few questions to get this rolling: Crit rate obviously is good for pgl (and likely mnk dur), but is getting gear with determination also good? Will that help overall damage? I'm really not completely sure on that particular 'stat' for anything, to be honest. :C

Edit, due to the obnoxious limit...:

Am i the only pug on Coeurl U_U , feel lonely...

I am on Coeurl, unless something bad happens again. XD;

Also, THANK YOU EVERYONE! Lots of helpful information for me. I know some of it, but there were details that I greatly lacked, especially with the determination 'stat'(forget who posted info on atm, but <3). I mostly lacked a bit on the longer fights. Often the trash mobs wouldn't last too terribly long, and I could barely get a second 'combo' in. Generally speaking, I'd stay on the flank (didn't have anything to do from behind) when in a party, and moved mostly to dodge any cone/AoE.

Now I'm excited to play pgl more, and pretty much still have another week before I can do it. :C

[Vensaval]

In response to Dawning-Blue and Kimille. Editing this to post the rotation instead of leaving it as a question due to the post limit.

I'll post how I worked my rotation during beta (Phases 3 & 4). Not sure how helpful it'll be, but it may give ya'll ideas or something. This is with the knowledge I have of playing up to Level 35 due to the cap in Phase 3.

This is how I personally went about it. After opening up with Touch of Death to get the DoT going, I would continue with:

Bootshine -> Twin Snakes (for the damage buff) -> Demolish (second DoT and begin stacking Greased Lightning) -> Bootshine -> True Strike -> Snap Punch -> Bootshine -> Twin Snakes (buff runs out usually right before using it again) -> Snap Punch (both DoTs are still going) -> Bootshine -> True Strike -> Demolish (get the DoT going again) -> Bootshine -> Twin Snakes -> Snap Punch -> Bootshine -> True Strike -> Snap Punch -> Bootshine -> Twin Snakes -> Demolish -> Touch of Death (both DoTs renewed) -> repeat

This is how my typical rotation would go without interruption (though there are always distractions). Interlaced with buff applications such as Featherfoot & Internal Realase as well as Haymaker for its slow, should it be available.

Basically, start with getting both DoTs on the enemy, applying your buffs, and activating the other buff from Twin Snakes. Go through two 'rounds' of Snap Punch before applying Demolish DoT again. Go through Demolish twice before applying Touch of Death DoT again. Use Twin Snakes every other 'round' to keep the buff up. I treat it as a Touch of Death DoT lasting two Demolish DoTs and one Demolish DoT lasting two Twin Snakes damage buffs.

Of course, keep your positioning in mind. Try to be behind enemies as often as possible. If this helps at all, then I'm glad.


[May make this a separate post once able. The limit's a pain.]

DoTs right now, until proven otherwise do not fit in our rotation.

I very much disagree. It'd be unwise to underestimate our DoTs. Now, as far as I know, the way DoTs work in this game is that the damage ticks every three seconds, yes? In that case:

Touch of Death lasts for 30 seconds with a potency of 25 after the initial 20 potency attack. That means it ticks 10 times during the time it's on. Giving Touch of Death an overall potency of 270.

Demolish lasts for 18 seconds with a potency of 40. It doesn't have an initial hit, but it keeps the Greased Lightning stacks up. During the time it's up, it has an overall potency of 240.

The only skill we have available to us that comes close to the damage these two dish out is Mercy Stroke (200 potency); which is a Marauder skill that requires the enemy to be below 20% health.

There's also Snap Punch that can have a potency of 180, but only if performed behind a target.

If fitting those two skills into your rotation is what you're worried about, then that's really just the challenge of mastering this class/job. It may be odd at first, but it's not too difficult once you get the hang of it.

I am disappointed that NO ONE has listed FRACTURE (another available DoT) from MRD to their rotation. I keep all three up when going through my combos.

Forgive me. Wasn't paying enough attention as I was looking through the skills.

So we also have Fracture available to us from Marauder. Lasts for 18 seconds (since we lack the trait) with a potency of 20. Initial potency of 100, as well. Making an overall potency of 220.

With all three ticking at the same time, over the course of one Touch of Death, two Demolishes, and two Fractures (simultaneously, of course), the three DoTs will have put out a combined total of 1190 potency. We would be having that additional damage stacked on top of the damage being dished out by our main skills. I like this very much.

Of course, it goes without saying that these values don't really matter on trash mobs since they'll be dead before the DoTs utilize their full potential. If anything, work in just a single Demolish whilst fighting trash mobs and save both Touch of Death & Fracture for tougher foes.

[chocomaid]

Played quite a few classes in the beta and by far, pugilist/monk is the most fluid and striking, and of course the most fun to play

[PotatoCat]

I LOVE Monk, most fun class in the whole roster imo.

[Kitfox]

I like monk too it's a cool job. It will great if someone can post some tips on how to play it well

Use flanking and back attacking correctly with weaponskills and keep your buffs up, you'll be golden! It was so sad to see PGLs in beta phases standing still and spamming 1-2-3 with no knowledge of the skill tooltips...