The Mura-Knight: An Experience

The Muraknight I'm going to discuss here is the type that gets [Base Level + 1] LUK to counteract curse. I don't think spamming holy water is cool. I guess the purpose of this thread is to promote the Mura-build. It gets no love :<. Here, I will try to prove that a Muraknight can be effective and reasonably easy to create. I do acknowledge the fact that both VIT and AGI Knights can beat out a Muraknight in MANY aspects.

I CAN CONFIRM THAT [BASE LEVEL] + 1 LUK = CURSE IMMUNITY. Yes. This means exactly what it says. Example: A level 65 Knight with 66 LUK will completely be immune to the Muramasa's curse. However, if your LUK is EQUAL to your base level, you will still get cursed. I can confirm this!

Knight-users of ROE,

After lurking these forums for a proper Mura-build, I came to the rather sad realization that this community looks down on what I believe is a viable build. Now, I know how people on ROE feel about the Muramasa, and Muraknights. They don't stand a chance in PvP, WoE, MVP, etcetcetc. However, I longed to at least try it out; unlike many people, I enjoy PvM, which is what the Muraknight is primarily geared for. WoE/PvP isn't my life, and I'll have other characters for those things. This is why we have so many character slots. Now, before I start, here's why I love the idea of Muraknights:

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1) Criticals. I love Criticals. They're shiny and have this great sound effect. Some may say I should make a crit-sin if I like crits so much. However, that leads me to my next point... 2) Muraknights are knights and not sins. I don't like sins very much. There are a LOT of sins running around on RO. It's also an aesthetic thing, I hate the sprite for them (sin males). I just like Knights and Pecos better. Also, knights have better HP. On a side note, I can't believe sins have such a good HP mod. 3) Twohand Quicken. ASPD is awesome with this thing. Faster than sins! Uh, that's all I have to say about that. 4) Perfect Dodge. The HIGH amounts of LUK that the Mura-build requires adds to perfect dodge, an aspect of defense that is often overlooked. Once the LUK gets into the 80's and 90's, perfect dodge becomes a moderately significant benefit to the Muraknight. Remember, perfect dodging works even in mobs! And if you were to ever equip a Fortune Sword.. We're looking at least 30% perfect dodge. Wow. 5) The Muramasa itself. This is what makes the Muraknight possible. And man, I think it's a great weapon. Despite the obvious flaw (curse), it's ASPD and Crit boost are really something. Basically, I just find the sword extremely sexy. I guess this is just a personal thing. 6) The Overall Fun Factor. Showing off your lovely critical rate, messing around with a unique build, being able to explore all the stats (except INT :3).. these are all things that VIT and AGI Knights can't do without being denounced. The Muraknight was meant to be different, allowing you to be as different as you'd like. Throw in even more unorthodox ideas (relying on a Grand Peco Card, perhaps!), and you create even more possibilities for yourself.

Stat Build and Equipment:
Thanks to all users for constructive comments:

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Base level 99, Job level 50: STR 71 + 9 AGI 72 + 2 VIT 21 + 10 INT 2 DEX 31 + 6 LUK 79 + 21 Equipment: +4 Muramasa +4 Morrigane's Helm +4 Chain Mail of Luck Switching [Venuta Card] +4 Crystal Pumps +4 Mocking Muffler [Whisper Card] Rosary [1] of Chance (x2) [Green Cookie Card] Pirate Dagger Angel Wing Ears

I believe this build is balanced. Here's a breakdown:

- 71 + 9 STR is for decent damage (although I originally planned for 90 STR).
- 72 + 2 AGI accomplishes several things. Firstly, it allows you to hit 184 ASPD (with a minimum dex of 14, Berserk Potion, Muramasa, Twohand Quicken), which I believe is quite good. Secondly, it gives you an exact value for the Venuta Card's effect (1 LUK per 18 base AGI), giving you exactly 4 LUK, which is more than a Poring Card or Baby Leopard Card.
- 21 + 10 VIT isn't exactly essential, but is quite nice. I tried to shove all my extra points here. Health and defense is a Knight's forte, and one can't rely on AGI alone for defense. Besides, 72 + 2 AGI doesn't exactly give you the best FLEE. Knights also do not get Improve Dodge.
- 2 INT. Extra point. Doesn't help at all.
- 31 + 6 DEX. I was stuck on the "criticals need no DEX!" mentality, but I've finally decided that a moderate amount of DEX is essential. Your critical rate will never be like a sin's, so the HIT is needed to prevent any misses (that will greatly reduce your output).
- 79 + 21 LUK is needed for the curse immunity! This can be reduced if you are willing to spend money on Holy Waters. This is viable, since the points can really add up on this stat. I, however, hate to depend on usable items.

> +4 Muramasa: The core weapon. +30 Crit Rate, +8% ASPD. Whoo!
> +4 Morrigane's Helm: You can use a Bunny Band or a Jester Hat or whatever, but this provides you with the same LUK and better defense. But damn, it's ugly.
> +4 Chain Mail of Luck Switching [Venuta Card]: I'm using a Chain Mail because it is much more affordable than something like a Full Plate. Additionally, sins can wear Chain Mail, so if you decide to make a crit sin, then you have something that can help you. Versatility, basically.
> +4 Crystal Pumps: Loads of LUK. Overupgrade if you can; it has crap defense.
> +4 Mocking Muffler [Whisper Card]: Knights have a hard time dodging, and since the build isn't that AGI-based, you really do need the extra flee.
> Rosary [1] of Chance (x2) [Green Cookie Card]: For the LUK. 100 LUK costs a lot of points, and it's good to minimize the amount of points you have to spend.
> Pirate Dagger: Or whatever. +5 Atk is always good.
> Angel Wing Ears: For the STR. Would have gone for Fin Helm, but every point is essential.

Here are the specs with the above build and equips:

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Max HP 10451 Max SP 313 DEF 26 MDEF 16 HIT 136 FLEE 193 Perfect Dodge 11 Critical 61 MATK 2~2 ASPD 184.54 HP Regen 58 (259 with HP Recovery) SP Regen 4

The HP is decent. What really impresses me is the perfect dodge. Remember, perfect dodging works in mobs. 11%, in my opinion, is extremely high. 61% chance to crit is also decent, although a little disappointing. However, the very fast ASPD totally makes up for it. More hitting = more chances to crit.

A monster that I've always wanted to fight with such a build is the Lava Golem. It has incredibly high defense, which criticals ignore. It is also a large type monster, meaning you'll get a 100% Size Modifier. Let's see what a battle between a Muraknight and Lava Golem would look like with the above build:

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Hit Ratio 82% Dodge Ratio 60% Critical Damage 402 Critical Rate 47.3% Minimum Damage 41 Average Damage 41 Maximum Damage 69 Damage Per Second 672.26 Minimum Number of Hits 111 Average Number of Hits 118 Maximum Number of Hits 118 Average Battle Durration 36.48s Base Exp Per Hit 55Exp Job Exp Per Hit 33Exp Average Damage Recieved 1304 (1116 ~ 1492) Average Damage Recieved (w/dodge) 464.22Damage

Mini-FAQ/Guide:
A surprising number of people have been messaging me in-game about this thread, asking me for builds and leveling advice. I really can't give you exact leveling locations or stat distributions, as I do not know what your playing style is. I've always been a poor player, so I'm always trying to build characters in the most cost effective ways possible. Those with funds and friends can easily race to Knighthood. Therefore, I will list here tips, advice, and leveling spots geared for those who would like to spend the least amount of zeny possible.

Before one begins a Muraknight, one must do the following things:

1) Acquire a Muramasa, or have a potential seller in mind. You do NOT want to hit Knighthood and get stuck because you don't have a Muramasa. This equip defines the build, so get it as soon as possible! In Iris, where I play, coming across one of these things in the market is awfully, and unfortunately, rare. One friend of mine, who decided to start his own Muraknight, has even offered to buy my Muramasa, since he cannot seem to find one. Additionally, this weapon will motivate you to level!
2) Plan, plan, plan. This is important. You will need high amounts of LUK in the beginning, so pumping points into STR and AGI won't be as easy as it was on your other melee characters. There is a lot less room for mistakes here. Know where you will want to level, know when you want to hit your bonuses, and know what your final build will look like. This way, you minimize the grinding and the stress. Remember, the Muramasa is the ideal weapon to be used for this build, but at earlier levels, other weapons are a much better alternative, especially if you are rich.
3) Realize that the Muraknight is not for those who want instant gratification. Although the multiple crits early on is great, your AGI-Knight buddies will be leveling a lot faster than you are, because they will have higher STR, AGI, and DEX. Don't be discouraged!

Additional Tips (Optional):

4) Ask a friend or guild member to make an FS Acolyte. Appeal to those who have, in the past, expressed their desire to create such a character. Heal and buff support is VERY beneficial. Otherwise, you can just buy heal-slaving, although that's quite expensive and may not be worth it, especially if you find that the Muraknight is not for you.
5) Make lots of Novice Potions! Your VIT won't be very high in the beginning, so novice pots will heal you sufficiently, and save you a lot of money.
6) Make an Endow Sage on a separate account. The Muramasa lacks slots, so you cannot use cards to increase your damage. Therefore, you need as many increases to your damage as you can get, so endows are almost necessary (although not 100% required). Besides, an Endow Sage can benefit ALL of your characters, so you might as well use one. My suggestion is to share the account with your trustful friend(s), so you can split the cost of the account.
7) Do not make the Muraknight your first character. The reasons are obvious!

Leveling Spots and Stat Distribution:
This list is solely based on experience. It may not work with your playing style or build, but let me assure you, these leveling spots can be solo'd with novice potions unless otherwise indicated. The stat distribution advice will be vague, as I wish not to give out exact values (cus' I might screw people over). Please see the updates listed at the bottom of this post to get an idea of where I trained. Remember, these leveling spots are surely not the best places to go.

Novice -> Job Change: You can stay at the Training Grounds (kill those Spores!), or you can go to Poporings to make things faster. Either way, you'll burn several novpots, so get ready to make more. Remember to start with LUK when creating your character! Grab an upgraded Stiletto quickly! For those with funds, elemental daggers will speed your leveling up a lot.
1x -> 2x-3x: Culverts. This is pretty standard for all melee classes. Pump that AGI and LUK. Do not overdo it on STR unless you can afford pots or have heal support. But don't skip it entirely either. Remember, balance is key!
3x -> 40+: Byalan Dungeon 1-2. You'll see the occasional crit here and there with your LUK. It's fun. Your AGI should be high enough to dodge everything here. If not, novice pots can do the job! If you have heal and buff support, consider going to the Byalan Dungeon 3, but be careful. If you have a wind Damascus, you will level quite quickly.
40+ -> Knighthood: I basically alternated between Poison Spores [Three South of Payon] and Greatest Generals [One South, Two East of Payon]. A shield and dagger works for the Poison Spores, a good spear will work for the GG's. I used a +4 Halberd (NPC). Neither need support. Greatest Generals are great because you can alt-tab a lot and tend to other matters. Watch out for the occasional Nine Tails. If you have heal and buff support, consider going to Orc Ladies. They give great job experience. You will have access to your Muramasa soon, so make sure your LUK is catching up!

Knighthood -> Onward: [Unfinished] Unfortunately, I've initially leveled exclusively with my acolyte (now priest) friend after I hit this stage, so I do not know where to train without support. I would continue to grind at Greatest Generals or begin to spend money on potions to train on Orc Ladies. With heal support, you can go to Toy Factory 2. The loot and experience is very, very, very good here.
After my priest friend started his monk (effectively ending our training sessions), I went to Hodes/Savages at level 6x. Yes, these are terrible monsters to level on at this point, but I do not have the funds to buy pots just yet. Hodes give .01% base exp at my level, which is acceptable, since I don't mind grinding.

In proper format:
5x+ -> 6x: It's best to experiment. Now that you have THQ, you can go explore. If you can have a priest buddy help you out, go straight to Toy Factory 2. The loot and the exp are pretty amazing. Stay here as long as possible. If you do not have support, I suggest you go to something like Hodes or Savages. These things are pretty easy to dodge and give decent exp for the time it takes to kill them. Their spawn rates on their respective maps are also very good. A bonus for going after Savages is that they are large, so your damage will be maximized. For some fun at Hodes, use Magnum Break to give your weapon a boost in power and whack away. (Don't do it too often, your SP isn't high :3). The exp might be getting very slow, so try other places if you'd like.
6x -> xx: This is where I am at now. I'm at Sandmen, and they're very good exp. My kill speed is pretty high. If I had an Endow Sage, I would really be leveling quickly.

More NOT to come!

I've read a lot of negative things about Muraknights on ROE, but one major point people have made was the fact that leveling a Muraknight is difficult. One person even compared the leveling difficulty to a pureforge's. Now, this had me thinking a lot. A build that gets both STR and AGI is as hard to level as a pureforge? I didn't believe it.