Rushing Dungeons (Rev. 27)

Introduction

Rush
Once a player has started to familiarize themselves with the basic dungeons in the Realm, they may find themselves wanting to speed up the process of doing dungeons in order to max faster, as getting to 8/8 can take an incredibly long time. However, clearing a dungeon, while decently safe, has its limits in terms of how fast it can be done. This is where rushing comes into the equation. This is usually accomplished by running ahead through a dungeon with only occasionally to never bothering to stop and clear the enemies in your path. While obviously much faster than clearing, this comes with the heavy cost of putting your character in extreme danger, as there are very few times that you are safe or have a chance to breathe.

When rushing a dungeon–from an Sprite World to the Lost Halls–you need to be prepared. In-depth knowledge of a dungeon is highly recommended before attempting to rush it, as without knowledge of what is most dangerous, players can easily be caught by surprise and killed quickly. All classes can feasibly rush, but some will generally outperform others.

Dedicated rushing classes include Tricksters, Kensei, Rogues, and Ninjas. Warriors, Knights, and Mystics have useful rushing talents, while Priests, Archers and Bards can rush effectively given the right equipment.

Tips

• Above all else, one of the most important things you can do is to max your character. Although the most crucial stats to max will depend from character to character, there are some generalities when it comes to maxing. Most importantly, maxing Speed and Defense to effectively run past the enemies is essential, as if you are not going fast enough, enemies can easily start to build up and kill you quickly. Similarly, maxing HP and Vitality helps by enabling bigger risks (and therefore faster rushing) by keeping you out of combat and alive for longer. For classes that require their ability to rush effectively, maxing Wisdom and Mana is very useful. Finally, maxing Dexterity and Attack is probably the least useful out of the bunch, but still can be highly effective when looking to make sure that you are not ganged up on by a gigantic horde of enemies.
• Another essential tip is to have an effective pet. While pets are extremely useful in most situations, rushing is one of few situations where the HP and MP regeneration will almost always be of use to you. Additionally, the Electric ability is extremely useful while rushing, having the ability to stop a large portion of the enemies chasing you in their tracks. While there is not a certain pet level required to start rushing, most people would generally recommend a maxed Rare pet with Heal and Magic Heal when starting off.
• Be prepared to Nexus at any time. Rushing can be a very chaotic situation to deal with, and as such can easily kill you within seconds. Remember that your character is much more valuable than the few stat pots that can be gained from the dungeon, and that there is no shame in Nexusing in a sticky situation.
• When more familiar with rushing a dungeon, occasionally glancing at the mini-map when you can can easily increase the speed and safety at which you rush, as this can help prevent you from running into dead ends and getting cornered. For easier, less dangerous dungeons, one may find themselves staring at the mini-map almost the entire time, as the mini-map almost always provides more information than you can directly see.
• Bring adequate consumables. Making sure that your potion slots are filled with useful restoratives that can be used at a moment’s notice (typically through the use of hotkeys) can easily mean the difference between life and death. HP consumables such as the Health Potion or the Healing Ichor serve to help you keep going if you are low on health, and MP consumables can help upkeep abilities.
• The Snake Eye Ring is arguably the most useful item to bring while rushing, as it can grant the Speedy buff to any class that can not otherwise have it, greatly increasing the rushing speed.
• In dungeons where teleportation is available, a common safeguard method is to type /teleport <player name> to a fellow player in the dungeon and then click somewhere else on the screen. This will leave the command in the chatbox, ready to be activated whenever by pressing the chat key twice, teleporting you to safety should you find yourself in inescapable danger.
  
  • Note that you cannot teleport to someone who is either Invisible or not in the dungeon at all. Thus, it is recommended that you carefully consider which player you have set your teleport to before rushing. Furthermore, telling them you have done so can decrease the chance that they leave or turn Invisible for whatever reason.
• It can be useful to have a piercing weapon such as the Bone Dagger, Arcane Rapier, or Staff of Esben as large swarms of enemies are hard to deal without one.
• Use common sense. Rushing dungeons can be fun, but is also highly dangerous. The smallest lapse in focus can easily spell the end of your character, and so make sure to always pay attention to what you are doing or what you are walking into.

Wizard
The Wizard is an extremely poor class for rushing. Its low Defense and low Speed means that it moves slowly and sustains a great amount of damage. With no healing abilities and robes having the lowest Defense among the armors, the Wizard can quickly get overrun if hit by too many shots. The redeeming quality is the ability to blow apart barriers and threats with the spell, but unless you have a Staff of Esben or a Staff of Unholy Sacrifice, the lack of piercing hampers your clearing. The Wizard does however have a very Speed-themed ST set; the Slurp Scion Wizard Set, which can potentially provide a Speed boost of up to +50.

Priest
The Priest’s Tome can be quite useful to heal up when low. It is also highly recommended that you use the Book of Geb, Tome of Holy Protection, and Tome of Purification. Protection grants you the Armored buff, which can greatly increase your ability to rush effectively, Puri removes status effects like Slowed and Sick, and Geb grants you the Speedy buff.

Archer
The Archer can be viable for rushing since his Quiver both pierces through enemies and paralyzes them, preventing them from pursuing you. The Quiver of Shrieking Specters is incredibly useful for rushing, grants the Speedy buff to the Archer, turning the Archer from a mediocre rushing class to an extremely viable one. Additionally, any bow above tier 8 has a wide spread of 3 piercing shots that easily shred crowds and keep enemies back.

Rogue
The Rogue is one of the best rushers in the game because of his 75 Speed and the ability to turn Invisible with his Cloak, however, this is only useful when rushing alone. While Invisible, all targeted shots will simply not shoot, and in most lower to mid-game dungeons, this is essentially all of them. This effectively makes rushing a cakewalk, as you don’t have to worry about getting shot or dying as long as you can keep up your cloak. While not essential, almost every Rogue player uses the Cloak of the Planewalker because of the fact that it is both extremely easy to obtain, and as powerful as the Cloak of Ghostly Concealment while having the ability to teleport. Teleportation not only enables safer play by allowing you to TP to a safer location, but it also greatly increases the speed at which you can rush. With a Cloak of Ghostly Concealment, you only need a pet with level 64 Magic Heal to permanently upkeep it, and the Cloak of the Planewalker only needs about level 70. Some other cloaks to keep in mind include the Legacy Ghastly Drape, which grants Speedy, increasing the Rouge’s speed to astronomical levels; Cloak of the Mad God, which grants Armored, allowing the Rouge to tank more shots in situations where Invisibility may otherwise not be quite as useful; and Cloak of Cubic Enigma, which damages enemies around you in an area of effect blast, potentially clearing them out. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that when quieted, the Rouge will automatically become uncloaked, which can leave you entirely exposed to the enemies around you.

Warrior
The Warrior is an excellent class for rushing because of the Speedy buff from his helms, and the fact that he is very tanky as a melee. These factors combined allow him to move quickly and safely through a dungeon without much concern. The Armored buff from the Helm of the Juggernaut can also be very helpful, greatly reducing any damage the Warrior might sustain, but keep in mind that it does lose the Speedy buff which some players consider more important.

Knight
The Knight’s 40 Defense and heavy armor makes him very useful at rushing; he will tank the little shots and if anything comes in the way that could hurt him, he can just stun it, or run past. Note: Be more cautious around armor breaking enemies, as you can die in less than a second if you decide to be reckless. Not the fastest but very reliable.

Paladin
The Paladin is a great class for rushing because you can hit enemies hard with the Damaging buff, while maintaining a good deal of tankiness with the Healing and HP Boost buffs.

Assassin
The Assassin–while the worst rusher in the dagger class category–has 75 Speed, and is thus extremely quick, but he does not have much else going for him.

Necromancer
The Necromancer is a decent class for rushing because of his healing ability, but you must be careful as he is only a robe class, and thus only has low Defense.

Huntress
The Huntress is a decent rusher because of the ability to inflict Slowed onto mobs of minions with her trap. The T0 trap does the job rather efficiently due to its low MP cost and its ability to slow for 3 seconds.

Mystic
The Mystic is arguably one of the best rushing classes if used properly. Her 60 Speed means she can move quickly through rooms, and her Orb allows her to effectively ignore enemies by Stasising them. Both the Soul of the Bearer and Orb of Conflict provide Speedy, which is great for rushing, however, be aware of her low Defense.

Trickster
The Trickster is another class that has the potential to be the best rushing class in the game. At her core, her 75 Speed and the ability to teleport enables the highest tiles per second in the entire game. Combined with the Snake Eye Ring, you have a class that can potentially cross the entire Realm in just a minute or two. In addition, the ability to freely teleport (save for mana costs) allows for an incredibly high skill ceiling, as it can be potentially to completely dodge through any shots that might come your way, but be careful, as you can just as easily teleport into a wall of shots and instantly die. Not only this, but the Decoy provided by the Prism also serves as a great distraction in case there are many enemies following you, provided you aim it well. In terms of consumables, the Trickster is one of the classes that benefits the most from having MP restoratives such as Magic Potions, since the only limit to the Prism is how much Mana you have. It is commonly recommended to use the Decoy Prism or the Ghostly Prism while rushing, as these two Prisms have the lowest MP costs of any teleporting Prism, allowing these two abilities to be used the most frequently out of any Prism. Other viable Prisms include the Echoes Prism, in cases where you want to teleport back to a safer place, and the Brain of the Golem, which puts a stationary decoy, distracting any enemies that are on your tail and getting rid of them.

Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a decent class for rushing. His 60 Speed and the Scepter of Fulmination’s slowing ability help. However, his low Defense means that he can’t sustain much damage.

Ninja
The Ninja is an excellent class for rushing because of the Speedy buff from all tiered stars. When rushing, it can help to use the Basic Star so that not as much Mana is wasted when throwing the star, but this is not very necessary. However, if you do not have a pet with a high enough Magic Heal level to permanently sustain the Speedy buff, the Ninja becomes much less effective at rushing. Be careful, as the Ninja is a bit squishy, and the high speed can easily propel you into a wall of shots.

Samurai
The Samurai can rush semi-effectively, relying on his higher Defense over the Ninja to make for a safer rush, however, despite this safety, his low Speed compared to the Ninja leaves a lot to be desired. His Katana can also make short work of any lesser enemies in his path or those that trail him.

Bard
The Bard generally makes for a mediocre rusher due to his fragility. However, they do have some merits, as their bows can defeat hordes of trailing enemies with ease. Higher-tiered Lutes also provide a slight defensive buff when activated and Speed boost when equipped, so those should be equipped while rushing as a Bard. However, the Snake Charmer Pungi grats Speedy, making it an excellent rushing ability, and bringing the bard up to par with many other classes.

Summoner
The Summoner is one of the poorer classes for rushing. Her 60 Speed does help her run fast, but other than that, she does not have that much else going for her. No ability currently provides that much benefit when rushing, and her low Defense leaves her susceptible to a lot of damage.

Undead Lair monsters generally do little damage to a player with maxed Defense; Knights can usually charge their way through it with ease. However, when rushing an Undead Lair, always be on the lookout for Slimes, Vampires, and Living Skeletons as they do the most damage. If you find yourself Slowed in the midst of a mob of Vampires, it is usually best to escape to the Nexus, or, if you are a Rogue/Trickster, teleport to safety immediately.

The Snake Pit is a relatively easy dungeon to rush, even for unmaxed players. The main obstacle is breaking down the walls. You should try to do this quickly without being caught by the mob of Vipers that will be following you. Any non-robe class with maxed Defense won’t take very much damage from the snakes, buying you more time to slip through the walls. For robe classes, Mystics can Stasis the groups of dangerous Greater Pit Snakes, while the Priest can heal any damage he takes.

The Manor of the Immortals can be a tricky dungeon to rush, because of Vampire Bats which inflict Confuse. The essential thing you need to know before rushing a Manor is how to safely control your character whilst confused. Try and avoid the mobs of Bats. Fortunately, bats don’t fire projectiles, but inflict Confuse when touching you. It is very difficult to go through the dungeon without being Confused, but once you are familiar with the confused controls, this problem is resolved. When you are confused, “A” moves back, “D” forward, “W” left, “S” right, and camera rotation is reversed. You can bend your hand 90 degrees to use DWAS instead of WASD (that’s the easy way to remember).

The Abyss of Demons is a dangerous dungeon to rush, as the demons/brutes can quickly surround you and kill you in seconds. Even as a Knight, their sheer numbers can overwhelm you. Abysses also tend to be long, labyrinthine, and arduous; the lava rivers also lead you to your death, as they decrease movement speed and do 45 armor-piercing damage per second. One class with a niche in rushing Abysses is the Paladin, paired with T5 or 6 seal, you can run along through the rooms shooting behind you. Your seal will be able to heal off small damage taken from lava and brutes, and provide a you with the Damaging buff which will thin the growing ranks of monsters. One problem is reaching a dead end; turning around and running through the cloud of minions is very dangerous. If possible, make a tight circle and stick to the wall to run past the few stragglers. However, if you have a Seal of Blasphemous Prayer, this problem becomes obsolete as it is easy enough to turn directly into the crowd of enemies, use your ability, and move out of their clutches again. This technique works quite effectively, but takes practice and a few maxed stats. Even when done well, a large four way intersection or reaching the boss fight and adding the White Demons with armor piercing damage to the mix can spell death for any character. That, along with the fact that clearing with even a 4/8 can take less than 5 minutes, is why rushing is highly not recommended.

The Toxic Sewers is designed to defeat many rushing tactics, as the water within slows your movement speed and stops health regeneration, allowing the densely-packed enemies within and chasing Goblin Brutes to quickly wear you down. Rogues are your best bet when trying to rush a Toxic Sewers, as they can avoid enemy detection while cloaked. Tricksters, with some amount of mastery over the class, can also rush the dungeon effectively by teleporting out of danger and avoiding trips through Sewer Water. Whichever tactic you choose, beware of Yellow and Brown Slimes and their trails–Yellow Slimes will slow you and make it easier for enemies to catch up, while Brown Slimes will quiet you, revealing you instantly if you’re a Rogue. On top of that, walking through their slime can easily stack heavy damage on you, similarly to Lava. Again similar to the Abyss, due to the nature of the dungeon encouraging a slow and careful clear, it is often easier to clear a Toxic Sewers rather than attempt to rush it on a class that does not excel at it.

The Cursed Library is generally as risky to rush as the Manor of the Immortals, as several enemies can hinder any rushing attempts, and the dungeon tends to have a few dead ends in it. Be prepared to circle back the way you came if you come across one of these dead ends. Some enemies to watch out for are the Soulless Scholars (red smaller enemies), who have slowing shots which can leave you stranded in a bad situation, Headless Specters and Bookwyrms which can devastate your character if accidentally walked near, and Hands of the Helpless, which are high-health monsters which will chase you with confusing shots, leading you into even more trouble. Once you get to the boss room, it is highly recommended to kill any chasing enemies, as Avalon the Archivist tends to be a longer fight and the outer areas of the boss room can be traversed without activating the boss.

The Puppet Master’s Theatre is a difficult dungeon to rush, as it combines the breakable walls of the Snake Pit with even deadlier enemies within. While the enemies within don’t chase the player very much, they are very densely packed and move erratically, and many of them are very dangerous to stationary targets due to their high damage output and variety of hampering status effects. Knight Puppets are capable of inflicting Armor Broken, making you take even more damage from the dungeon’s enemies, while Archer Puppets are even more dangerous, as they can inflict Slowed and Paralyzed, which can leave you stuck in the middle of a crowd of high-damage monsters. If Paralyzed and there are many enemies around, escaping to the Nexus is usually your best option rather than trying to tank the damage. Enemies with high damage output to watch out for are Warrior Puppets, whose high-damage rapid-fire shots can stack quickly when trying to break through a wall, and Wizard Puppets, who might surprise you during your rush and take out a large chunk of your health through their radial burst of shots if walked past. Huntress Puppets will also slow you, Necromancer Puppets can inflict Bleeding, and Mystic Puppets can inflict Pet Stasis, hampering your survivability during a rush. If need be, it should be easy to make an alcove in the middle of a wall to recover some HP before continuing your rush.

The Ocean Trench can prove to be quite difficult to rush. Having people to teleport to is always a good idea (see Tips for details). The Fishman Warriors and their Fishmen inflict Confused, so make sure you know how to control your character when Confused, and make sure you don’t run into a Seamare, as their paralyzing shots can quickly end a rush and even kill maxed characters. Even worse, make sure to check your oxygen bar as well. You may be able to rush fast and dodge quickly, but you oxygen will deplete, and if you’re careful, it may lead to your death.

The Tomb of the Ancients is a relatively easy dungeon to rush considering its overall difficulty. The Bloated Mummies inflicting Confused and Paralyzed (through scarabs), the Lion Archers also paralyze, but are more dangerous than the Mummies and their scarabs. Jackals are the main killers in Tombs because of their high damage output and the Jackal Lord’s ability to have many Jackal Assassins by his side, which leads to a lot of damage very quickly. They like taking advantage of you being Slowed in quicksand. In addition, be wary of turrets; they can majorly hinder your rush. Rushing with any class is good enough, but rushing on a Priest, Mystic, Warrior, Knight, or Rogue is suggested if you want to minimise the percentage of your own death because of each of their own special traits (healing, stasis, tanking, etc.). Basically, the only tip in this dungeon is to just… run. Every enemy here can deal heavy damage, and specific shots from specific enemies can probably mess you up hard, or kill you.