AION Excellent Melee Warrior，Gladiator

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GladiatorClass Summary
The Gladiator is the weapons master of the Aion world and boasts excellent tanking and damage dealing capabilities. As such, Gladiators can fill either the tanking or dps role in a group. This class also has the widest variety of weapons available to them, being able to wield any physical weapon with the exception of the staff.
Play Style
The Gladiator is the close range, AoE damage dealing class of Aion as it has more AoE skills than any other class. As the Gladiator is a hybrid tank/dps class they have many different types of weapons to choose from. Most Gladiators generally tend to use two-handed weapons such as greatswords or polearms, given that two-handed weapons are required for their AoE skills and have a chance to knockdown an enemy when dealing a critical strike. Polearms are a 4-strike weapon which means for every attack the Gladiator is hitting the opponent up to 4 times in a swing. Some Gladiators may opt to use a dual wield approach, wielding two one-handed weapons in each hand. While dual wielding does increase the Gladiator’s single target dps, the Gladiator cannot use AoE skills without first equipping, or switching to, a two-handed weapon. A Gladiator can also choose to wield a sword or mace and a shield if their plate armor alone will not suffice. This gives the Gladiator a chance to block and mitigate some damage, though this combination is rarely seen as Gladiators can tank most mobs or bosses just fine without the use of a shield.
PvE
In solo play, Gladiators can dispatch many mobs in succession as they are protected by the same heavy plate armor as Templars and also deal high damage, bringing down their targets quickly. Using the correct combo chains are essential to allowing them to do high damage while taking very little in return. As such, there is little to no rest time between mobs and Gladiators can grind for long periods of time relying solely on a few healing skills or by using potions and treatments.
In group play, Gladiators make excellent main and off tanks even at low levels and can bring down groups of enemies, using their AoE attacks in conjunction with the high damage of a polearm. As main tanks, Gladiators use their passive skills such as Aggravation I <Aggravation I> to increase aggro generation as well as a single target Taunt I <Taunt I>. As off-tanks, Gladiators can use AoE skill chains which include skills like Rage I <Rage I> to hold aggro on multiple mobs, taking little damage themselves while a templar holds aggro on the main target.
PvP
In solo PvP, a Gladiator can stand toe to toe with any of the melee classes. The Gladiator also has many buffs that specifically increase his damage to players such as Aion’s Strength I <Aion’s Strength I>. However, as Gladiators have little in the way of magical damage mitigation as well as ranged attacks, this class is often kited easily by caster classes. While Gladiators do have an excellent ranged root ability (Ankle Snare I <Ankle Snare I>) and have the ability to attack with a bow, ranged classes will often be able to easily dispatch Gladiators.
In group PvP, a Gladiator can wreak havoc on enemy ranks as they have a variety of high damage, single target skills (Precision Cut I <Precision Cut I> being one) and AoE skills at their disposal. Being a plate class, Gladiators are not often targeted in group PvP until their Cleric or CC is dead. This gives the Gladiator the chance to fly in and attack Sorcerers and Spiritmasters and pressure the opposing Cleric. Their powerful AoE skills combined with the knockdown ability of their weapons makes Gladiator very useful in any group PvP situation.
Dual Wielding
Many Gladiators choose to Dual Wield to maximize their DPS. Dual Wielding is available to Gladiators through the Advanced Dual-Wielding I <Advanced Dual-Wielding I> Stigma. Gladiators will not be able to use any of the AoE skills available to polearms and greatswords while dual wielding. They must have a polearm or greatsword handy to switch weapons if they wish to use skills like these Seismic Wave I <Seismic Wave I> Shock Wave I <Shock Wave I> Seismic Billow I <Seismic Billow I>.
The main advantage of dual wielding is increased damage while weaving. Swords and Maces are 3-strike weapons, and with a high base attack, can crit up to 3,000 damage from auto-attacks.
PvE Strategies
Since most groups rely on CC when dealing with adds, a Dual Wield Gladiator is able to heavily damage the party’s main target while avoiding causing excess threat to all other targets in the area. They can still swap to a polearm or a greatsword to add a few AoEs then swap back to dual wielding if they choose but doing so comes at the cost of possible multi-target threat and aggroing mobs that are otherwise dormant or under the effects of Curse of Roots I <Curse of Roots I> or Sleep I <Sleep I>. This can be detrimental to the party as a whole if the Gladiator through bad choices forces the party into encounters with multiple high level Elite or better targets that  they otherwise might not have had to fight. In many cases it is better to err on the side of caution than to wipe an entire party because you were bored and wanted to take on more than you and your party can handle.
PvP Strategies
Knockdowns are still available while dual wielding. When versing another player, rely on your knockdowns to stumble your opponent as much as possible. If versing Cleric or Chanter, keep moving! Try to anticipate when a Cleric will root next and Charge to anticipate it. Save knockdowns until they cast their heals. If they use Remove Shock I <Remove Shock I>, knock them down again. Remember to use your head first and your weapons second and you will always come out as the victor vs evenly matched opponents and if all else fails there is always Valhalla!
Ending Note
The gladiator is a hybrid tank/dps class. They have many skills that increase their aggression on mobs and have a good amount of defensive capabilities, though not comparable to a templar. In exchange, gladiators boast a much higher attack and consequently do much more damage than a templar. Remember that regardless of how you play your Gladiator that they are a class inspired by Sparta and the great collesiums of old and thus meant to be both fun and able opponents designed to dish out Corporal punishment.
Gear
In PvE, gladiators can achieve varying degrees of success with mediocre gear in most cases. However, if main tanking in end game instances, good armor is a must as gladiators do not have access to the many damage negating skills of a templar. As far as armaments are concerned, procuring an attack speed boosting weapon is a priority for this class to make up for the slow attack speed of two handed weapons.
In PvP, gladiators require excellent gear to be viable as having any subpar gear will have devastating consequences. While gladiators do wear plate type armor, they are lacking in damage reducing skills and can go down quickly if not well geared. Also, as this class has little in the way of magical resistance, gladiators require excellent damage to quickly end any fights against casters by dispatching them before they get a chance to react. To achieve this, an excellent armsfused weapon (polearm, greatsword, and bow) fully socketed with attack manastones will be of great benefit. As well, many players choose to socket Magical Resistance manastones in their PvP gear when dealing with casters and Crit Strike or Attack manastones when dealing with other melee. After reaching the soft caps for Crit and Attack, the next stat should be Accuracy to reduce the evasion of attacks.
For dual wield, get a set of gold or orange daggers or maces with attack speed. Rely on stigmas like Second Wind I <Second Wind I> (or Improved Stamina I <Improved Stamina I>), Ankle Snare I <Ankle Snare I>, Lockdown V <Lockdown V> and Crippling Cut III <Crippling Cut III>.
As a final note of advice please feel free to take advantage of the Armsfusion Officer in your factions capitol city to get those extra stats and Manastone slots!
Synopsis
Good tanking capability
Excellent AoE / single-target damage output
Wide variety of weapon choices
Highly susceptible to magical attacks
Capable of high DPS with Advanced Duel-Wielding

Class SummaryThe Gladiator is the weapons master of the Aion world and boasts excellent tanking and damage dealing capabilities. As such, Gladiators can fill either the tanking or dps role in a group. This class also has the widest variety of weapons available to them, being able to wield any physical weapon with the exception of the staff.Play StyleThe Gladiator is the close range, AoE damage dealing class of Aion as it has more AoE skills than any other class. As the Gladiator is a hybrid tank/dps class they have many different types of weapons to choose from. Most Gladiators generally tend to use two-handed weapons such as greatswords or polearms, given that two-handed weapons are required for their AoE skills and have a chance to knockdown an enemy when dealing a critical strike. Polearms are a 4-strike weapon which means for every attack the Gladiator is hitting the opponent up to 4 times in a swing. Some Gladiators may opt to use a dual wield approach, wielding two one-handed weapons in each hand. While dual wielding does increase the Gladiator’s single target dps, the Gladiator cannot use AoE skills without first equipping, or switching to, a two-handed weapon. A Gladiator can also choose to wield a sword or mace and a shield if their plate armor alone will not suffice. This gives the Gladiator a chance to block and mitigate some damage, though this combination is rarely seen as Gladiators can tank most mobs or bosses just fine without the use of a shield.PvE In solo play, Gladiators can dispatch many mobs in succession as they are protected by the same heavy plate armor as Templars and also deal high damage, bringing down their targets quickly. Using the correct combo chains are essential to allowing them to do high damage while taking very little in return. As such, there is little to no rest time between mobs and Gladiators can grind for long periods of time relying solely on a few healing skills or by using potions and treatments.In group play, Gladiators make excellent main and off tanks even at low levels and can bring down groups of enemies, using their AoE attacks in conjunction with the high damage of a polearm. As main tanks, Gladiators use their passive skills such as Aggravation I <Aggravation I> to increase aggro generation as well as a single target Taunt I <Taunt I>. As off-tanks, Gladiators can use AoE skill chains which include skills like Rage I <Rage I> to hold aggro on multiple mobs, taking little damage themselves while a templar holds aggro on the main target.
PvP In solo PvP, a Gladiator can stand toe to toe with any of the melee classes. The Gladiator also has many buffs that specifically increase his damage to players such as Aion’s Strength I <Aion’s Strength I>. However, as Gladiators have little in the way of magical damage mitigation as well as ranged attacks, this class is often kited easily by caster classes. While Gladiators do have an excellent ranged root ability (Ankle Snare I <Ankle Snare I>) and have the ability to attack with a bow, ranged classes will often be able to easily dispatch Gladiators.In group PvP, a Gladiator can wreak havoc on enemy ranks as they have a variety of high damage, single target skills (Precision Cut I <Precision Cut I> being one) and AoE skills at their disposal. Being a plate class, Gladiators are not often targeted in group PvP until their Cleric or CC is dead. This gives the Gladiator the chance to fly in and attack Sorcerers and Spiritmasters and pressure the opposing Cleric. Their powerful AoE skills combined with the knockdown ability of their weapons makes Gladiator very useful in any group PvP situation.
Dual WieldingMany Gladiators choose to Dual Wield to maximize their DPS. Dual Wielding is available to Gladiators through the Advanced Dual-Wielding I <Advanced Dual-Wielding I> Stigma. Gladiators will not be able to use any of the AoE skills available to polearms and greatswords while dual wielding. They must have a polearm or greatsword handy to switch weapons if they wish to use skills like these Seismic Wave I <Seismic Wave I> Shock Wave I <Shock Wave I> Seismic Billow I <Seismic Billow I>.The main advantage of dual wielding is increased damage while weaving. Swords and Maces are 3-strike weapons, and with a high base attack, can crit up to 3,000 damage from auto-attacks.
PvE StrategiesSince most groups rely on CC when dealing with adds, a Dual Wield Gladiator is able to heavily damage the party’s main target while avoiding causing excess threat to all other targets in the area. They can still swap to a polearm or a greatsword to add a few AoEs then swap back to dual wielding if they choose but doing so comes at the cost of possible multi-target threat and aggroing mobs that are otherwise dormant or under the effects of Curse of Roots I <Curse of Roots I> or Sleep I <Sleep I>. This can be detrimental to the party as a whole if the Gladiator through bad choices forces the party into encounters with multiple high level Elite or better targets that  they otherwise might not have had to fight. In many cases it is better to err on the side of caution than to wipe an entire party because you were bored and wanted to take on more than you and your party can handle.PvP StrategiesKnockdowns are still available while dual wielding. When versing another player, rely on your knockdowns to stumble your opponent as much as possible. If versing Cleric or Chanter, keep moving! Try to anticipate when a Cleric will root next and Charge to anticipate it. Save knockdowns until they cast their heals. If they use Remove Shock I <Remove Shock I>, knock them down again. Remember to use your head first and your weapons second and you will always come out as the victor vs evenly matched opponents and if all else fails there is always Valhalla!Ending NoteThe gladiator is a hybrid tank/dps class. They have many skills that increase their aggression on mobs and have a good amount of defensive capabilities, though not comparable to a templar. In exchange, gladiators boast a much higher attack and consequently do much more damage than a templar. Remember that regardless of how you play your Gladiator that they are a class inspired by Sparta and the great collesiums of old and thus meant to be both fun and able opponents designed to dish out Corporal punishment.GearIn PvE, gladiators can achieve varying degrees of success with mediocre gear in most cases. However, if main tanking in end game instances, good armor is a must as gladiators do not have access to the many damage negating skills of a templar. As far as armaments are concerned, procuring an attack speed boosting weapon is a priority for this class to make up for the slow attack speed of two handed weapons.In PvP, gladiators require excellent gear to be viable as having any subpar gear will have devastating consequences. While gladiators do wear plate type armor, they are lacking in damage reducing skills and can go down quickly if not well geared. Also, as this class has little in the way of magical resistance, gladiators require excellent damage to quickly end any fights against casters by dispatching them before they get a chance to react. To achieve this, an excellent armsfused weapon (polearm, greatsword, and bow) fully socketed with attack manastones will be of great benefit. As well, many players choose to socket Magical Resistance manastones in their PvP gear when dealing with casters and Crit Strike or Attack manastones when dealing with other melee. After reaching the soft caps for Crit and Attack, the next stat should be Accuracy to reduce the evasion of attacks.
For dual wield, get a set of gold or orange daggers or maces with attack speed. Rely on stigmas like Second Wind I <Second Wind I> (or Improved Stamina I <Improved Stamina I>), Ankle Snare I <Ankle Snare I>, Lockdown V <Lockdown V> and Crippling Cut III <Crippling Cut III>.
As a final note of advice please feel free to take advantage of the Armsfusion Officer in your factions capitol city to get those extra stats and Manastone slots!
Synopsis Good tanking capabilityExcellent AoE / single-target damage outputWide variety of weapon choicesHighly susceptible to magical attacksCapable of high DPS with Advanced Duel-Wielding

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