Witch class guide 2019

INTRODUCTION

The Witch class is the typical magic caster class with plenty of ranged AoE spells, slows, knock downs and stuns. Their main weapon is a staff, awakening is the Aad Sphera and their secondary weapon is a dagger. This high damage dealing class also has a range of support skills which make them highly desirable for large scale PVP. The main difference between a Wizard and a Witch is that Wizard is more aggressive and has a grab, whilst the Witch class has a block and is played more defensively with higher range. 

Witches are very strong in group PvP and sieges but are relatively weak in 1v1 PvP unless you catch your opponent off-guard and are able to stun/knock down. This class can also be played on horseback really well due to the ability to cast all your main damage skills while riding the horse. PvE is very strong and easy due to the amount of AoE skills and long range.

Strong against:

Witches are weak in 1v1 situtations and most match ups will be hard. In large scale PVP they are very strong however, against both squishy targets and also tanks because of their high burst damage and support abilities to keep them safe.

Weak against:

Witches are weak against Strikers and Mystics because of their high magic resist and chain CC. Other classes with high mobility can also be very hard to deal with, especially in 1v1 situations. 

• Striker
• Mystic
• Warrior
• Witch
• Wizard

SKILLS

Pre-Awakening skill build – Level 55 (561 skill points): http://bddatabase.net/us/skillcalc/79328
If you’ve just reached level 50 or you’re still leveling, use this build to put you in the right direction of what skills you should be using. Prioritize the following skills: Lightning Chain, Residual Lightning, Blizzard, Mana Absorption.
Make sure you reset your skills at level 56 though because you will need skill points for your awakening skills and will only really need the support skills from pre-awakening.

Post-Awakening skill build – Level 56 (556 skill points): http://bddatabase.net/us/skillcalc/79329
High-Tier skill build (without Absolute Skills) – Level 60 (1583 skill points): http://bddatabase.net/us/skillcalc/79330

End-Game skill build (inc. Absolute Skills) – Level 60 (1735 skill points): http://bddatabase.net/us/skillcalc/88604
Always prioritize Awakening skills before leveling your Absolute Skills.

• Keys in square brackets [] mean that you tap the key. For example, [Q] means you tap Q once.
• Keys in round brackets () mean that you hold the key. For example, (HOLD Q) means you hold Q until the next step. (PERMAHOLD Q) means you hold Q throughout the combo.
• Keys separated by a “+” symbol should be used at the same time. For example, [Q] + [LMB] means you tap Q and LMB at the same time.
• Keys separated by a “>” symbol show the order you should follow out the steps. For example, [Q] + [LMB] > [F] means you tap Q and LMB at the same time, then tap F
• [LMB] refers to left-clicking with your mouse, [RMB] refers to right-clicking with your mouse.
• Blue skill names are awakening skills (level 56+).

Hover over the skill names for in-game tooltips (by bddatabase.net).

General skills

Damage skills

Support skills

SKILL COMBOS

The following skill combos are known as “secret combos”. These are not all of the combos. There are many others but these are the ones that have been posted before. Some people believe that “secret combos” should remain a secret to give the people that know them an edge over others. This is why we will only be posting combos that have already been shared elsewhere.

• Keys in square brackets [] mean that you tap the key. For example, [Q] means you tap Q once.
• Keys in round brackets () mean that you hold the key. For example, (HOLD Q) means you hold Q until the next step. (PERMAHOLD Q) means you hold Q throughout the combo.
• Keys separated by a “+” symbol should be used at the same time. For example, [Q] + [LMB] means you tap Q and LMB at the same time.
• Keys separated by a “>” symbol show the order you should follow out the steps. For example, [Q] + [LMB] > [F] means you tap Q and LMB at the same time, then tap F
• [LMB] refers to left-clicking with your mouse, [RMB] refers to right-clicking with your mouse.

Required skills: Thunder Storm, Detonative Flow, Votaic Pulse  PVP Combo (Awakening skill combo)

[S] + [F] > [W] + [F] > [SHIFT] + [F]

Required skills: Detonative Flow, Thunder Storm  PVP Combo (Awakening skill combo)

[W] + [F] > [S] + [F]

Required skills: Thunder Storm, Yoke of Ordeal, Detonative Flow, Fissure Wave PVP Combo (Awakening skill combo)

[S] + [F] > [SHIFT] + [RMB] > [W] + [F]  > [S] + [LMB] + [RMB] > [LMB] + [RMB]

Required skills: Healing Aura (Awakening skill combo)

Skill Bar

You can use this skill from your hotbar whilst in awakening without switching back to your staff

ABSOLUTE SKILLS

Below are the recommended Absolute Skills you should take:Absolute: Blizzard – Requires level 59 (55 Skill Points)

Absolute: Meteor Shower – Requires level 60 (30 Skill Points)

Absolute: Blizzard and Absolute: Meteor Shower are highly recommended skills for Witch. Both of these Absolute Skills highly increase the damage of the skills, as well as reducing the cooldown of Meteor Shower to 30 seconds from 1 minute 30. Absolute: Blizzard duration is also increased. These two skills are particularly useful in large scale fights because of their large AOE damage and CC. 
You should prioritize taking Blizzard then Meteor Shower before anything else.

Absolute: Earthquake – Requires level 56 (40 Skill Points)
Absolute: Freeze – Requires level 58 (40 Skill Points)
Absolute: Frigid Fog – Requires level 56 (27 Skill Points)

Absolute: Freeze, Absolute: Frigid Fog and Absolute: Earthquake are advised but not as important. Absolute: Earthquake is used to chain your super armor and the Absolute Skill increases the duration of the skill as well as reducing it’s cooldown. You can also take Absoulte: Freeze and Figid Fog which are particularly useful in 1v1 situations, but for this you will need around 1700/1800+ Skill Points. 

Optional Absolute Skills:

Absolute: Lightning – Requires level 56 (35 Skill Points)

These Absolute Skills are more optional and totally depends on preference. Absolute: Lightning is your 100% Black Spirit Rage skill and deals the most damage out of all the skills and also stuns targets. However, it does leave you quick unprotected because it only has a Forward Guard. You won’t really be using it unless you have 100% Black Spirit Rage. 

WEAPONS/ARMOR

The best weapons in the game are currently dropped from World Bosses.
For more information on this click here to view our World Bosses guide.

Primary Weapons:
 Rosar Staff
The Rosar Staff is what you should be aiming for to level your character. You should enhance it to at least +7 for leveling and then PRI or higher as soon as possible if you don’t have Liverto/Kzarka. Aim to buy a +15 Rosar Staff if you can to save your enhancing resources. Ideally you will want to buy or make it ultimate (yellow) to close the AP difference as well. Make sure you also make use of the gem slots to get your Casting Speed and Critical Hit up to 5.

Another alternative is the Styd Staff for leveling if you are having trouble obtaining a Rosar Staff. This weapon can be bought from a Blacksmith and will give you 18 – 22 AP as well as a lot of accuracy.

 Liverto StaffLiverto is the second strongest mainhand and much easier to obtain and enhance than Kzarka. If you have enough silver to buy it at +15 or higher then you should to save enhancing materials. You will want to upgrade it to PRI or higher as soon as possible. I would recommend getting it to TRI at most and then you really want to switch to Kzarka. The liverto has slightly more AP than Yuria, but it also has a Critical Hit Rate +3 item effect.

 Kzarka Staff
Kzarka is the BiS main weapon for all classes for PVP and is a requirement for end game PVP. It has the same AP as Liverto but more accuracy and an Attack Speed +3 item effect.

Offhand Weapons:
 Steel Dagger
The Steel Dagger is currently considered the best offhand for largescale PVP if you don’t have nouver yet. It is a good selection for PVE as well if you don’t have kutum. You should enhance it to at least +7 for leveling and then PRI or higher as soon as possible. Aim to buy a +15 if you can to save your enhancing resources. Ideally you will want to buy or make it ultimate (yellow) as well.

 Bronze Dagger 

Bronze Dagger is your accuracy offhand. Witches passively have a lot of accuracy so you shouldn’t need this offhand unless you don’t have bheg’s yet and you are a low level fighting much higher levels or high evasion targets.

Parrying Dagger 

Parrying Dagger is your evasion offhand. Evasion/DR builds are completely viable on Witch and if you choose to go for this kind of playstyle then Parrying Dagger is what you will be using. I would also recommend investing in a Parrying Dagger for 1v1 PVP because the extra evasion could save you from getting grabbed and dying.

 Kutum Dagger
Kutum Dagger gives a mixture of AP and DP with added monster damage and accuracy. It also has an item effect of 10% ignore resistance and 2 gem slots. The monster damage and accuracy on this weapon undeniably make it best in slot for PVE.


 Nouver Dagger 
Nouver Dagger is considered the best in slot choice for Witches for large scale PVP if you are going with the full AP build. The weapon gives pure AP and an all resistance +10% item effect. Nouver deals more damage to non CC’d targets than Steel Dagger and also has an additional socket. If you are lacking the money to upgrade Nouver then Steel is a very good alternative for large scale PVP.


Awakening Weapons: Pri Aad Sphera
This is a green grade weapon which is sold by some Blacksmith/Arms dealers. You will also receive a +10 Pri Aad Sphera when you complete your awakening quests. This weapon has lower AP than the other options but it is still viable for PvE due to it’s Damage Against Every Species +5 item effect. It’s also much cheaper to enhance and repair max durability than the other options so if you don’t have a lot of money or participate in a lot of PvP, then this weapon is a good alternative until you get Dandelion.

 Alloria Aad Sphera
Alloria Aad Sphera is a blue grade weapon which is given to you when you complete the awakening quests. The only ways to obtain this weapon is through the quest or night vendor. This makes is hard to obtain and it can be more expensive to repair. The aad sphera is good for PvP and has higher AP than the Pri Aad Sphera. It also has a Damage Against Human +7 item effect which is good for PVP.

 Dandelion Aad Sphera 
Dandelion weapons are the BiS awakening weapons. It has much higher AP but it is only obtainable from a Dandelion Weapon Box (Karanda world boss loot) or from the night vendor.


Armor:

The best armor in the game is currently dropped from Bosses. You will want to aim to get the boots and gloves first.

 Griffon’s Helmet (helmet)   – dropped from Griffons in Kamaslyvia.
 Dim Tree Spirit’s Armor (chest) – dropped from Dim Tree Spirit.
 Bheg’s Gloves (gloves) – dropped from Bheg.
 Urugon’s Shoes (shoes)   – dropped from Monastery Leader.

 Giath’s Helmet (helmet)   alternative choice – dropped from Giath.
 Muskan’s Shoes (shoes) alternative choice  – dropped from Monastery Leader.



The full set will give you Maximum MP/WP/SP +100, Maximum HP +300, Max Stamina +200, Accuracy +1 (increases with enhancement), Evasion +1 (increases with enhancement), Attack Speed +1, Casting Speed +1
In the mean time you should be using one of the following armor sets:

A popular armor choice for Witch is to go full  Grunil set because it increases your maximum HP and will give you 2 socket slots on each piece, along with extra AP +7 set bonus. Another advantage of using this set is that it is viable on any class, allowing you to swap to another class easily.

 Full Heve set is also a very popular choice because it has an easier transition to boss gear whilst. As soon as you get one boss item with Grunil, you lose the set bonuses which Grunil weaker.

Another alternative is to use is the Lemoria set if you have Liverto. It is great for leveling because of its set bonuses and has slightly more DP than Grunil.

ACCESSORIES

There are a lot of choices available when it comes to accessories and it really depends on what you can get your hands on. The accessories you use at end game also relies heavily on all your other gear/build and also your target. Use BDOPLANNER.COM to help you build your gear. 

Earrings:

If available I recommend using the Asula’s Crimon Eye Earrings (Asula Set) if you are new to the game, this gives you 7 AP and also has very good set bonuses. Otherwise use Bares earrings for 2 AP (or other AP accessories) and switch to Witch’s Earring as soon as possible for the 5 AP.

You want to aim for DUO/TRI Witch’s Earrings (9 AP/11 AP) before swapping to a DUO Tungrade Earrings (11 AP) because of the huge difference in cost. Tungrade Earrings are BiS earrings.

Red Coral Earrings are also good on Witch if you are lacking accuracy because they give a lot of accuracy and also have a bit of AP. I would only recommend using a max of x1 Red Coral Earring and only if the earring is DUO or higher. Then use a Tree Spirit Belt as well for the extra accuracy.

The Capotia Earring is also worth mentioning. It is available at level 62+ only but is a very good earring because of it’s high AP. It makes a perfect backup for enhancing and is essentially a free TRI Tungrad Earring.