Iop/Strength/2

This build is currently in process.

Introduction
Iop's are the second tank class. The first tank class are the Sacrier. Iops are cooler anyways :)

When I started playing I relied on Iop/Strength-Vitality guide, but I decided to make a guide of my very own build, which is mainly based in str-vit but with some additions, changes and more explanations.

Iops might look simple, but we are not! We might look stupid as plane reckless meleers, but the strategy on our attacking ways are astonishing ;-)

Iop's not a support character. Iop is a direct damage dealer, so if you are here I guess you like it!

Be aware of the fact that being a direct face to face meleer you will be constantly being hurt by your enemies. This can sometimes be avoided, sometimes not. Be ready to use a lot of bread ;)

I will make this guide in level chapters, and each level chapter will have a levelling, spell and equipment part, for p2p, f2p, poor and rich people.

Iop is quite easy at the beginning, a pain in the ass at middle levels, we could say it's a path of tears, trouble and suffer until you reach level 60. Then on, each 10 levels you get a wonderful spell, better and better untill you are unstoppable.

This build is not a pure strength build, but it mainly relies on strength specially from levels 1-59 to 80/90+.

So, here we go, enjoy!

Some hints before
Never ever put a statistic point in other stat than strength or vitality. Scroll wisdom and agility as fast as you can, and once those are done, or in the way, scroll intelligence too. Scroll chance only if you are rich or patient enough. It will just help a little to initiative and drops.

Levels 1-10
You start at Incarnam. It's recommended for first characters to stay here the first 10-15 levels, otherwise if you already got a good starting equipment you can get few levels and start your adventure in the lands of Astrub.

Spells
Your three starting spells are good. Skill up pressure up to level 5. You will achieve this at level 11. Pressure will be your main source of damage for a long time!

At level 3 you get Compulsion. It's high cost for few +damage buff, but it might be useful at the beginning of battles while you are moving towards your enemy. Never ever waste a spell point on this spell, you will regret it forever.

At level 6 you get Divine Sword. Weak air damage, self buff, high AP cost. No points on this... is not useful even as buff.

At level 9 you get Sword of Fate. It's a spell with infinite range, but linear, fire damage and high AP cost. Don't level it. Use it to damage enemies in long distances after using buffs.

Set
If you already got a Young Adventurer Set, use it. Otherwise, do quests and gather the Boone Set. If you are a newbie, don't think of getting a Piwi Set! It's not worth the time. Get a Boone Set instead. As for the weapon, get for example a Twiggy Sword, but as most of weapons are weaker than pressure, get a weapon that gives you strength, vitality, agility or/and wisdom.

Levelling
If you got no equipment source: Take advantadge of Pressure's range, kill monsters with 3MP so they can't hit you - but you actually can! Go through the first levels at piwis, small gobballs and gobblies, moskitos, etc. If you got cash from previous character(s), you could buy brokle spell, but definately  don't level it, or you will have to waste cash on it later on. It might look a very good spell at the beginning, but the high AP cost at all levels and cd is not worth 10 spell points you will need for better spells.

With a proper equipment: You can directly go Incarnam chafers, and/or do dungeon runs.

If P2P, you can also you can give a try at Astrub Rocky Inlet, using the 3 MP trick, since the mobs there move 3 squares too.

Stats
If this is your first character, you will probably haven't got a decent equipment nor decent help, so it's highly recommended to boost your vitality a little. By level 10 you should have 15 or 20 points in Vitality and 30 or 25 points into strength. The main purpose of this statistics guide is to get a lot of vitality since Iop's a meleer.

If you are provided with a good equipment, go strength all the way until you get 100 or 150. Until level 35-40, 200 vitality is enough, which can be achieved with a good Gobball Set.

Levels 11-20
It's time to leave Incarnam.

Spells
At level 11, max pressure to level 5. From now on, invest your points on intimidation. You should skill it up to level 4, to knockback enemies 3 squares, which will be a very useful spell through all your levels. From level 18 on, you should spend your points on Jump, which will be quite useful too. You may level Jump to 2 for the extra AP before levelling Intimidation further, that's up to you.

At level 12 you get Bravery Guide. Small buff for small AP cost. No points into this. Use only when you got 2 AP to waste, for example at first turn, cast this and Compulsion. When you get Power, you won't use it much anymore...

At level 17 you get Increase. Don't level it, at level 1 it already uses 1 AP. Use it when you can waste 1 AP... it will add damage to the current turn and to the next turn.

Set
Get a Gobball Hammer. In fact, it's time to get a decent Gobball Set. You can equip it all at level 10 except the belt, which requires level 20. Gobball Set gives a decent strength and intelligence, also wisdom and an extra AP, quite useful. Use it until level 46.

Levelling
You can do Prepubescent Chafers and/or Sick Grossewer Milirats up to level 20. The milirats have got only 3MP, so the moving trick is useful against them.

Around Astrub, you may fight Boars using Intimidation, or Prespics in groups to start gathering a Prespic Set which you may use later.

Mush Mushes and Wild Sunflowers in Astrub fields are also good to level, or Astrub Underground Quests.

For P2P players, the best option is to stay in Astrub Rocky Inlet, where mobs give a decent amount of exp until level 30. With a good Gobball Set, you may give a try at Lousy Pig Knights in Lousy Pig Plains, using Intimidation to keep them away. Increase, Pressure and Intimidation should do. Long fights, but rewarding exp.

Stats
By level 20 you should have 50 vitality, which will remain that way for a long time, and 45 strength. You may choose also to have 40-45 vitality and 50-55 strength. Up to you, it's your character after all!

Levels 21-30
It starts getting difficult here. If you are P2P you might start getting bored of Rocky Inlet already :P

Spells
Jump to level 5 at level 27. If you want 4 spare points for other spells like Cut, you may preffer to max jump later on.

At level 21 you get Destructive Sword. High AP cost for fire damage, don't level it.

At level 26 you get Cut. Fire linear damage with MP drain. You might need to choose between this and Vitality. I'd go for Cut: Vitality might be very useful at the beginning, but in later levels you won't use it and will preffer draining MPs from your opponents. Anyways don't level it to 5 yet, unless you don't want Mutilation, read below.

If you have got the cash, you may buy Sword Skill and level it instead of Cut/Vitality/Mutilation. Also, if you are going to use swords. Otherwise, don't level it.

From level 26/27 to 31, skill up Cut/Sword Skill if you chose one of those, or save points for Vitality. If you preffer Mutilation at later levels, just save points. You should have 10 points saved to get Power to level 5 as fast as you get it anyways.

Levelling
F2P: Crackrocks are not recommended, but they are an option. Sick Grossewer Rats if you are still in Incarnam or go plains and do Boars, and Miliboowolfs with Intimidation.

P2P: Tainela or The Gobballs' Corner are the best options. Short fights, good exp, and Gobball Horns drops to get Wisdom, and also Keys to make Dungeon runs. Wabbits and Mushds are easy too. Lousy Pig Knights start getting easier for good exp. You may try Cracklers, when they are not draining AP but MP are easy.

Stats
You should stick with 50 vitality and put all points on strength, so by level 30 you got 50 vitality and 95 strength. 5 more to go! and then on, every strength point will require 2 stat points.

Levels 31-59
The final rush. In this range of levels, each level will seem like a deeper hell than the level before. Once you get level 60, you will understand that this path of pain it's worth Strengthstorm and all the following spells and glory.

Spells
At level 31 you get Blow. Useless if you have Intimidation, but could be useful once in your life.

At level 36 you get Vitality. Level this or Cut. Or Mutilation. Your choose. Following this guide you've got spare points you may invest on this spell, or any of the other two options to skill up to level 3.

At level 42 you get Sword of Judgement, inconsistent air damage and life drain. Don't level it.

At level 48 you get Power, a very useful spell. MAx it when you get it. It will be from now on the first spell you cast on your first turn. Or the second after a Jump deppending on the map. You can also cast it on allies.

At level 54 you get Mutilation. It buffs neutral and earth attacks, damages self, but only 1%. Only costs 2 AP, so it might be very useful with Concentration and Pressure. With 7AP Pressure + 2 Mutilation might be the best source of attack, dealing up to 140 damage each turn. Anyways, at level 52 if you can get Raziel is much better.

Set
At level 41 you might want to get an Earth Kwakblade specially if you skilled up Sword Skill.

At level 46 you might want to get a Green Scaraleaf Set, and mix it with pieces of Treechnid Set and the Earth Kwak Set. If you are rich enough, get a full Earth Kwak Set, that will provide you with Strength, Vitality, Wisdom, high resist earth, 1 AP and 1 MP. If you sum up the Earth Kwak (Pet), you will get a high ammount of strength. Anyways see pet chapter below.

At level 52 you may want a Raziel. Get it if you can afford it. Raziel with Skill Sword will deal a huge amount of damage. If you got 7 ap, you can use mutilation and razile in the same turn, astonishing damage.

Levelling
Keep on the same places as above. Try lonely Treechnids and Fungui Masters. From now on you should pay and become a P2P player to play decently :D

At higher levels, other good places are Blops with Jump, Scaraleafs and Plain Boars with Intimidation or 4 MP.

Stats
Do strength until you hit 200. Then on, Vitality! You may choose to add points to vitality before hitting 200 on strength. Deppends on how good your set is, and on the amount of health you are loosing battles by.

Levels 60-69
And this is what you were fighting for. From now on, you shalt be an intelligence Iop, at least until level 70, 80 or 90, you decide. Celestial Sword deals the same damage as Strengthstorm, but may get lower rolls, but also it's AoE and has got a wider range. It has also got other drawbacks, just as hitting yourself if cast near.

Take this as a level 60-89 guide if you wish so. Just skip 70-79 (Dragoturkey set and Celestial Sword) and 80-89 (Mutilation + Concentration) part. However, from 90 on you shalt be pure strength user: Sword of Iop really kick asses.

Spells
At level 60 you get Strengthstorm, max it. 3 AP cost, high damage, a ranged fire spell. It's great for versability... and for levelling until you get better strength spells. If you haven't got a raziel, or even if you have one, this spell will kick asses. You can deal up to 400 damage a turn with a good int set, without adding a point to it nor scrolling! With intelligence scrolled, even more damage.

Set
Get a good intelligence set. Mix parts of Red Scaraleaf Set, Jellix Set and Fire Kwak Set, also get an int pet like a Beow Meow. I'm currently using Red Scara Helmet, Red Scararing, Red Scaracloak, Jellibelt (Get one with good int), Jelliboots (An extra MP is very useful), Fire Amukwak, Fire Kwakring and an Excellent King Staff, which gives a lot of int but weakens strength. Anyways you are not going to use strength for a long time.

Levelling
Do Ouginaks with Strengthstorm. Don't go on mobs with 3 or more unless all of them are level 48 or 45. If they get a good Bark roll you will die fast. The trick is to stay away from them with your 4 MP and kill the highest level first, then the other Ouginaks and then the rest. They always cast Bark. Ouginaks level 51 and above usually start first, take that in mind while taking a position at the beginning, having an Ouginak to get to you face to face will mean a fast death. If you can start attacking, don't even use Power. They can unewitch anyways. Ouginaks are really good exp, but high cost.

You may go other alternative places to win a decent amount of kamas like Treechnids (1-2 hits each), Plain Boars or Fungui Masters. From now on all of them are weak enemies. Kanigers may llok temptating, but the time it requires to kill them is not worth. If you decide Treechnids, take in mind the spiders... they are quite annoying.

If you wish, you can keep in Ouginaks 'til level 90 with Strengthstorm. And then from... you can still stay there with Sword of Iop. You decide.

Stats
Keep with vitality. Once you hit 200, you may choose to take strength to 300, or keep with vitality. I'd rather stay at 200 strength and use a good strength gear at higher levels, and have a high vitality to resist in battles. From a lot of levels you won't need strength, so set vitality as your priority.

Last but not least
This guide is to be continued soon!