Bard / SK / Cleric — Phlinger's Leveling Trio
Phlinger's full build guide — SK tank, Cleric heals, Bard melody sustain, with the Runny Eye into Sol B path, the gear to camp on the way, and the AA order he ran.
Bard
Shadow Knight
ClericOverview
Documented from Phlinger's build guide. Compiled guide, not his official write-up.
SK holds aggro and feigns off mistakes — Feign Death lands around 29–30, the SK slow at 23 — Cleric covers the health bar, and the Bard melody runs the whole time for sustain. The leveling path runs Runny Eye into Sol B through the mid game, with the Runny Eye gear carrying further than its level band suggests.
Stances & Invocations
Stance
Defensive
Incoming physical damage −50%, magical −20%. Every point reduced consumes equal endurance, reduced by Strategy skill.
Warrior, Paladin, Shadow Knight
Invocation
Recovery
Mana regen doubled and spells cost 5% less mana. Out-of-combat regen unaffected; the regen modifier stays active out of combat even when the invocation isn't.
Cleric, Paladin, Ranger, Shadow Knight, Druid, Bard, Shaman, Necromancer, Wizard, Magician, Enchanter, Beastlord
Divine
Spending mana heals the group member with the lowest HP percentage by that amount. Each additional wisdom class repeats the heal for 33% of the mana spent.
Cleric, Paladin, Ranger, Druid, Shaman, Beastlord
Defensive on the SK while the melody covers regen.
Key Abilities
Bard
| # | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melody stack SONG | The sustain loop — protect it with AA |
Shadow Knight
| # | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SK slow SPELL | Lands at 23 — incoming control from there on |
| 2 | Feign Death ABILITY | Around 29–30 — the mistake eraser |
Cleric
| # | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heal line SPELL | The backstop |
Leveling Path
- Blackburrow5–12
- Befallen10–20
- Runnyeye Citadel20–30
- Nagafen's Lair30–42
- Nagafen's Lair46–50
Playstyle Notes
Symphonic Aura first and always. SK slow at 23 changes the pace; Feign Death at 29–30 changes the risk. Camp the Sporelli blade before leaving Runny Eye — it is the weapon until deep Sol B.
AA Priorities
- Symphonic Aura (4+) — First, every time — tier 4 minimum, tier 5 the goal; stuns break melody
- Mastery of the Past (1–2) — Rank 1 before 25, rank 2 before 40 — fizzle control
- Defensive AAs — Alongside damage, not after it
Gear Notes
| Item | Source | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Sporelli Defender's Blade | Dropped | Runny Eye T3 — the SK weapon to camp |
| Blackened Iron / Alloy set | Dropped | Runny Eye — he still had pieces equipped at endgame on some builds |
Pros & Cons
- A complete documented 1–50 program: path, gear, AA order
- The melody-plus-heals sustain loop is nearly unkillable in level bands
- Runny Eye gear detour pays off for twenty more levels
- Pre-July-14 patch documentation
- Leveling-first — the raid variants of this core live on other pages
- Melody discipline before Symphonic Aura matures is fragile