Gladiator and Duelist in Lineage 2 — class guide for the Glad line

Gladiator at a glance

The glad has plenty of attack skills, and nearly every sonic one runs on charges. The class shines with burst damage and Duelist Spirit in PvP; its weak spots are M. Def. and the reliance on charges — with an empty stock, the sonic strikes simply won't fire.

How to get the Gladiator classes

Each mark has its own quest, picked up at 35, 37 and 39 respectively — Trial of the Challenger, Testimony of Trust, Test of the Duelist. Once Saga of the Duelist is done, the glad walks away with XP, adena and a Secret Book of Giants, which the very first skill enchant step consumes.

Sonic Focus charges

Each Sonic Focus cast adds one charge for 25 HP and 5 MP, with a 1 s reuse. How many charges you can hold depends on the skill level: Sonic Focus goes up from level 40 to 70, and the cap grows from one to seven. Once you are at the cap, the skill can't be used.

Energy Stone is sold in shops — carry a stack if you fight packs. In the aCis build, sonic strike damage scales with how many charges you hold at the moment of the hit, so top up to the cap before a fight. The 3rd class adds Sonic Rage (gives a charge by itself, dual swords only) and Sonic Barrier (spends five) to this list.

How to play a Gladiator in Interlude

Single target. Between mobs, charge up to the cap — the cast is short and the reuse is one second. Sonic Blaster from 600 is a handy pull. After that, on one target: Triple Sonic Slash and Double Sonic Slash off your charges, Triple Slash without them, and auto-attacks in between. Keep Vicious Stance on: critical damage +609; turning it on costs 14 MP, then it slowly drains MP every 5 seconds.

Packs. Gather the mobs and hit them with Sonic Storm in a 150 radius from 500 away; up close, use Sonic Buster in a 200 radius with a 6 s reuse. Both need two charges but only consume Energy Stone. A human fighter has a lot of HP, but without a healer don't pull a pack above your level.

Stuns. Hammer Crush works with a blunt only: a 2,009-power hit and a 9 s stun. With dual swords it is unavailable, so for PvP keep a one-handed blunt in your inventory. Fatal Strike (power 3,044) works with a sword or blunt, not with duals.

Reuse and attack speed. The reuse times in the tables are base values: 13 s for Triple Slash, 11 s for Double Sonic Slash. A guide that gives Triple Slash a 3 s reuse is quoting High Five; Interlude has nothing like that. Attack speed does cut the base 13 s: under Haste and dances Triple Slash is ready sooner, but you'll never get it down to 3 s that way. In the aCis build, reuse is divided by your attack speed relative to the base: attack twice as fast and the reuse is halved.

Mobs by race. Detect Animal Weakness gives +20% damage to animals, Detect Plant Weakness — +30% to plants, Detect Monster Weakness — +20% to monsters, Detect Dragon Weakness — +20% to dragons; each lasts 600 s. Before entering a zone, cast the one that matches the local mobs.

What does not stack

• All the Detects, Detect Insect Weakness from Warrior and both Duelist "Eyes" share one buff type. Only one stays: a new Detect replaces the old one, while Eye of Hunter and Eye of Slayer rank above any Detect, so a Detect won't land over them.
• The glad's Battle Roar stays at level 1 from Warrior (HP ×1.1) and won't land under a Prophet's Blessed Body from level 48: same type, and Blessed Body has the higher order. Against the Blessed Body a Prophet learns at 44 the order is equal — whichever was cast last stays.
• A Prophet's Haste and a Warcryer's Chant of Fury (attack speed ×1.33) are one type — whichever was cast last stays. Same for Might and Chant of Battle (P. Atk. ×1.15).
• War Cry (P. Atk. ×1.25) doesn't clash with them — it has a type of its own.

Buffs for leveling

Attack speed matters more to a glad than to other fighters: both auto-attacks and the reuse of every strike depend on it. More on that buffer in the Warcryer guide.

Gladiator skills by level

1–20 · Human Fighter

Up to level 20 your fighting rests on Power Strike: a single-target hit with a 13 s reuse. Level it every 5 levels: with a sword or blunt it's your only attack (Mortal Blow wants a dagger, Power Shot a bow).

20–40 · Warrior

Until you change to Gladiator, dual swords are pointless — Warrior has no mastery for them. Take a two-handed sword or a polearm and the matching mastery.

40–76 · Gladiator

The full Gladiator tree costs 82,349,000 SP. Learning order: Triple Slash and Dual Weapon Mastery → Sonic Focus → Double Sonic Slash and Triple Sonic Slash as they unlock → Sonic Storm for packs → armor mastery (Heavy Armor Mastery or Light Armor Mastery) → Duelist Spirit and War Frenzy for PvP. Only level Hammer Crush and Fatal Strike if you carry a blunt or sword.

Duelist — 3rd class skills

The whole 3rd class costs 359,800,000 SP, of which 150 million goes to Symbol of Energy and 80 million to Sonic Barrier. Symbol of Energy needs the Battle Force effect at level 2 or higher on the glad himself (allies put it on you). The Ancient Tactical Manual: Symbol of Energy book drops from Ornithomimus lv. 84 at 1.82%; per the aCis code, the book is only needed if spellbooks are enabled on the server. Get Sonic Rage first — charges without Sonic Focus — and Braveheart for PvP.

Gladiator skill enchanting

From level 76, 2nd class skills can be enchanted up to +30 along one of two routes. Every step costs SP and XP, and the first one also takes a Secret Book of Giants. The success chance is only high on the first steps and drops with each one after; on a fail, most servers reset the skill.

Single-target strikes come first — Triple Sonic Slash and Double Sonic Slash on the power route. Duelist skills can't be enchanted.

Gladiator gear

Dual swords are the glad's main weapon: Triple Slash, Double Sonic Slash and Triple Sonic Slash all need them. Attack values and set bonuses are from the datapack, while the sets themselves are the ones players usually recommend; the blunt in each table is the backup weapon for stuns.

1–20 · no grade

20–40 · D grade

40–52 · C grade

52–61 · B grade

61–76 · A grade

76–80 · S grade

Jewelry covers the glad's weak spot, M. Def.: at A grade a Majestic Necklace (M. Def. 85) or a Phoenix Necklace, at S a Tateossian Necklace (M. Def. 95); epic jewelry from raid bosses if you can get it.

Where to level a Gladiator

The tables show zones from player guides and the best mobs for XP in each: XP per HP and two drop items from the datapack. Drop chances are at x1 rate.

Before the class change this is solo Warrior leveling on single mobs; after it, a glad clearing packs with Sonic Storm.

Level 20–40

Best for a Gladiator: Catacomb of the Heretic and The Pilgrim's Necropolis — the most XP per HP, on par; Necropolis of Sacrifice — third by XP per HP, lower-level mobs — right after you become a Warrior.

4 more zones

Zone	Monster	Drop (chance at x1 rate)
Fortress of Resistance	Ol Mahum Lord lv. 34	Charcoal 14.29%, Suede 9.09%
	Ol Mahum Marksman lv. 28	Recipe: Dark Stockings 1.39%, Healing Potion 5.27%
	Ol Mahum Captain lv. 30	Steel 0.93%, Iron Ore 9.09%
Orc Barracks	Turek Orc Warlord lv. 30	Scroll: Enchant Weapon (Grade D) 0.1%, Recipe: Brigandine Helmet 1.01%
	Turek Orc Archer lv. 27	Adamantite Nugget 0.24%, Mithril Ore 1.19%
	Turek Orc Skirmisher lv. 28	Puma Skin Gaiters 0.11%, Recipe: Conjuror's Staff 0.11%
Plains of the Lizardmen	Leto Lizardman Warrior lv. 38	Manticore Skin Gaiters Pattern 1.31%, Manticore Skin Shirt Texture 0.84%
	Leto Lizardman Archer lv. 36	Gastraphetes Shaft 0.2%, Silver Nugget 3.12%
	Leto Lizardman Soldier lv. 37	Recipe: Artisan's frame 0.72%, Silver Nugget 2.63%
Field of Whispers	Crokian Warrior lv. 38	Recipe: Sage's Rag 0.42%, Mithril Ore 2.94%
	Dailaon lv. 37	Maingauche Edge 0.12%, Cursed Maingauche Edge 0.12%
	Rakul lv. 35	Metal Hardener 2.51%, Oriharukon Ore 0.31%

Level 40–52

Best for a Gladiator: Archaic Laboratory, where you get the most XP per HP; Garden of Eva follows with the second-best XP per HP; Catacomb of the Branded ranks third by XP per HP, and its mobs are a fair fight for a fresh Gladiator on day one of the 2nd class.

4 more zones

Zone	Monster	Drop (chance at x1 rate)
Necropolis of Worship	Vault Overlord lv. 45	Chain Mail Shirt Material 0.96%, Chain Gaiters Part 1.96%
	Catacomb Gargoyle lv. 43	Scallop Jamadhr Edge 0.57%, Recipe: Battle Axe 0.16%
	Vault Priest lv. 47	Spellbook: Servitor Empowerment 7.7%, Spellbook: Servitor Cure 12.99%
The Enchanted Valley	Unicorn lv. 49	Spellbook: Body of Avatar 3.12%, Spellbook: Forget 3.72%
	Satyr lv. 48	Spellbook: Summon Reanimated Man 4.16%, Amulet: Chant of Eagle 3.48%
	Valley Treant lv. 47	Amulet: Chant of Predator 2.53%, Spellbook: Guidance 3.64%
Alligator Island	Dailaon Lad lv. 42	Recipe: Blessed Spiritshot (C) Compressed Package (100%) 0.1%, Metallic Fiber 6.25%
	Crokian Lad Warrior lv. 43	Elven Long Sword Blade 0.19%, Claymore Blade 0.19%
	Alligator lv. 40	Bich'Hwa Edge 0.2%, Leather 1.52%
The Forest of Mirrors	Mirror lv. 49	Stiletto Edge 0.18%, Soulfire Dirk Blade 0.18%
	Taik Orc Captain lv. 44	High-Grade Life Stone: level 46 0.11%, Chain Mail Shirt Material 0.61%
	Taik Orc Archer lv. 41	Compound Braid 0.81%, Metallic Thread 1.08%

Level 52–61

Best for a Gladiator: Archaic Laboratory — the most XP per HP; The Patriot's Necropolis and Catacomb of the Apostate — on par by XP per HP; Frozen Labyrinth — Zubei B-grade parts.

3 more zones

Zone	Monster	Drop (chance at x1 rate)
The Giant's Cave	Beast Lord lv. 60	Mold Lubricant 0.56%, Great Sword Blade 0.14%
	Paliote lv. 57	Life Stone: level 58 0.34%, Enria 0.19%
	Halingka lv. 55	Mold Glue 0.46%, Life Stone: level 55 0.28%
Necropolis of Devotion	Sepulcher Guardian lv. 60	Sprite's Staff Head 0.21%, Heavy War Axe Head 0.22%
Tower of Insolence	Ghost of the Tower lv. 60	Life Stone: level 61 0.33%, Zubei's Breastplate Part 0.27%
	Seer of Hallate lv. 60	Sprite's Staff Head 0.17%, Heavy War Axe Head 0.17%

Level 61–76

Best for a Gladiator: Tower of Insolence — the most XP per HP plus Sealed Dark Crystal parts; Stakato Nest and Swamp of Screams — on par by XP per HP, and the Stakatos stand in packs made for Sonic Storm; The Saint's Necropolis — Sealed Phoenix beads and gemstones.

4 more zones

Zone	Monster	Drop (chance at x1 rate)
Catacomb of Dark Omens	Tomb Guard lv. 75	Spellbook - Curse of Doom 4.54%, Spellbook - Curse of Abyss 4.54%
	Crypt Preacher lv. 72	Sealed Dark Crystal Robe Fabric 0.23%, Sealed Tallum Tunic Texture 0.32%
Hot Springs	Hot Springs Nepenthes lv. 75	Carnage Bow Stave 0.36%, Spellbook - Fire Vortex 1.84%
	Hot Springs Flava lv. 74	Bloody Orchid Head 0.32%, Durable Metal Plate 0.34%
	Hot Springs Yeti lv. 75	Bloody Orchid Head 0.33%, Animal Skin 16.67%
Catacomb of the Witch	Tomb Sage lv. 67	Blue Wolf Tunic Fabric 0.45%, Tunic of Doom Pattern 0.45%
	Purgatory Gargoyle lv. 68	Sealed Tallum Tunic Texture 0.3%, Sealed Tallum Stockings Fabric 0.47%
	Tomb Guardian lv. 65	Evil Spirit Head 0.13%, Deadman's Glory Stone 0.14%
The Giant's Cave	Lesser Giant Soldier lv. 62	Greater Magic Haste Potion 0.61%, Crafted Leather 0.77%
	Lesser Giant Shooter lv. 63	Blue Wolf Helmet Design 0.9%, Doom Helmet Pattern 0.9%
	Lesser Giant Scout lv. 63	Life Stone: level 64 0.29%, Asofe 0.58%

Level 76–80

Best for a Gladiator: Imperial Tomb — the most XP per HP, but party only; Forge of the Gods — second-best XP per HP; Monastery of Silence — Beholder of Light's XP per HP is just slightly lower than in Forge of the Gods.

Gladiator dyes

A single dye gives no more than +4, and the total for one stat caps at +5 — that's why the second dye for the main stat in each set is a weak +1. STR is damage, DEX is attack speed and evasion, CON is HP: a glad with CON survives stuns and daggers longer.

Subclasses for a Gladiator

A subclass unlocks at level 75 — both your main class and every subclass you already have must reach it; on a default server you also need the Mimir's Elixir and Fate's Whisper quests. You can have up to three subclasses.

• Glad as the main class. You can take any 2nd class as a subclass except Gladiator, Overlord and Warsmith. Most players pick what the glad lacks: Bounty Hunter for spoil, Warcryer or Prophet to buff their own party.
• Glad as a subclass. Any class with its 2nd class done can take Gladiator as a subclass, except a Gladiator himself; a specific subclass master narrows the list by his race and type.

In this chronicle subclass skills only work while that subclass is active — they don't carry over to the main class. Subclass certificates and new Gladiator skills are there in High Five; that's covered in the High Five Gladiator guide.

Gladiator in the Olympiad

The Olympiad is open only to Noblesse and only on the main class. The Duelist brings three trump cards: Sonic Barrier — 10 seconds of invulnerability, Braveheart — 1,000 CP, Duelist Spirit — PvP damage ×1.1. Keep War Frenzy on for the whole fight and save Lionheart (60 s, 900 s reuse) for the opponent's stuns and sleeps. Symbol of Energy doesn't work in the Olympiad.

All Gladiator skills

The full Gladiator and Duelist tree — skill levels, SP and MP:

Other classes are in the Lineage 2 classes section. A glad is easiest to raise on a fresh launch: rates and start dates are in the Interlude server list and the Interlude+ selection, and new L2 servers across all chronicles are on the home page.