Generation 15 Tips - The villainy you teach me, I will execute

Finally we get some insight to what the heck Shakespeare is doing in Mabi in the first place! Gone are the nice cutscenes though, but at least you'll be taking a break from that stage dungeon for a while. Your responses to NPCs here WILL affect the title you get at the end so keep that in mind ("the sharer of joy" if you are usually positive, otherwise "the lone wolf"). Also this arc is loosely based on "The Merchant of Venice" but quite a bit has been changed (as usual).

Who you Gonna call? (solo as the mysterious man)
Oh noes, ghosts and wisps. Not much strategy here. Just keep punching to win.

Good thing too since these guys are on a break! :P

I'm on a Boat (solo as Bassanio)
Avast! Pirate scum! At least they aren't skeletons. If you've fought bandits before they behave just like this, otherwise - time to learn how to deal with this AI. :P Most baddies here have stander of some sort so smash-mill as necessary. Your buddy Antonio can take quite a few hits but given he's fighting with a fishing rod (idiot), you'll need to do most of the killing. Since it's an RP - you lose nothing if you fail so don't worry about it too much.

No Longa in Memory (solo as Portia)
Same old monsters here, and given that this lady has one of the best bows in the game AND is an elf you may as well use it. Don't forget you can still counter and windmill even with a bow, and she can hide if you want to sneak past orb and prespawned rooms quickly.

Alby your Price of Love (need two friends)
Your allies are going to be Bassanio and Antonio meaning you as yourself should be stronger than them in this run. Depending on your level there may not be anything new down here, however if you've run all the previous generations then you may be seeing some new opponents (higher tier, all multi aggro) which I'll cover now:

Black Poisonous Spider - as their name suggests, they are poisonous so kill em quick. Windmill is ideal.
Spider Wasp - treat as a stronger version of the Longa beetles.
Beetle Wolf - wolf AI with heavy stander. Smash-mill.
Grendel - bear AI with heavy stander. Smash-mill.
Cobweb Mummy - skeleton ghost AI with different skin. Smash-mill.
Spider Archer/Ranger/Fighter/Soldier - treat as very high HP goblins that only take 50% damage. Some have poison. Fight well and be ready to trans/demi if needed.

Gremlins and Goblins (solo as William)
A potential tough fight here and you have an NPC named Bella to protect/shield you. She actually has more HP than you so use her attacks as a distraction to get in and land a smash but beware of multiaggro as your familiar opponents are all hard-hitting. Like all RPs though you can just try again if you fail.

Ashes of Rabbie (fastest with a friend)
This version of Rabbie will be harder than usual since it is scaled to your level. At "ADV" you'll encounter armored skeletons too who have heavy stander so just like the Verona Dark Skels previously just smash mill them all to death. You will also meet two types of rats - cave rats (multi aggro and spawns in big groups) and giant sewer rats (poisonous) who are best to be windmilled to death quickly, otherwise you'll find yourself dying the death of a thousand bites. Lastly you will also meet skeleton squads. These self-destructing bomb carriers are best dealt with from a-far (like the lost sahagins) but have the passive defenses to counter it, and their explosion will hurt anything nearby potentially creating chain explosions. Ensure mana shield is active regardless when they are about and once again trans/demi if needed. Fortunately there are statues to revive at in here should you die.

Cursed Avon (solo as William)
This RP is easier than the last since you now have a bow and better skills. Remember that if there's a campfire nearby you can also use it to double your damage output with the bow. Lastly you should be proficient in dealing with skeletons by now meaning the poison skelies shouldn't be able to touch you to poison your ass. The exploding skels should also be easy since you have range and the room to use it, and the Skeleton ogres behave pretty much just like regular ogres.

Leave it to Fate (solo)
Nicca and Ethna from Qilla will help you out here and they are almost unkillable so just worry about yourself. The bandits that board the vessel can be pretty tough though (and for some reason I lagged a lot when doing this) so I advise trans/demi off the bat and don't be shy with the god powers. Killing the bandit leader ends the mission.

Scars of the Past (solo as William)
Should be a piece of cake for you with your RP char's uber skills now. You can use thunder to lay waste to anything in your path and probably should charge it up once there is only one measly goblin left in the wave (let the guardsmen handle it), that way you get to blast either the black wizard or black warrior with it as soon as they spawn. Pretty fun mission.

Escape from Belvast (solo)
You have Portia with you now but she's quite fragile so you want to do most of the fighting yourself. You need to evade the big giant guards or auto-fail and the correct path is ironically where the human guards are. These guys have a bit of HP and multi-aggro (pretty much like bandits actually) so you probably should time your mission to enter before trans time (like 4 am), trans/demi up and eliminate the first two groups then trans again for the last part. Don't be shy with your powers - they are there to be used, and don't forget to consume the souls of these innocent dudes while you are at it if you get the chance. A bow can help you snipe-lure them too, and you have a bit of space to use it after the first group.

A Pound of Flesh (fastest with friends)
Exactly the same run through Alby as before (unless you reached next difficulty level), probably a good idea to bring friends to help you clear it. The boss is an old friend who had no chance against you alone so now he should be really screwed. ^_~

Teaching an old dog new Tricks

My fourth Mabinogi lesson! To find what other classes are available please see the binding post. :)

The combat system in Mabi is quite different from most other MMORPGs. Certainly from the ones I've played anyway, and thats a pretty big list. After doing your newbie quests (Giant / Elf / Iria Human) or taking classes at the School (Uladh Human) its probably a good idea to go and nail down some good combat technique with the Beginner Battle Class board that you can find at Tir Chonail, Vales, or Filia. Outside of that, the immediate areas around those towns (and Qilla too) also provide good opponents to practice basics on. Some extra notes on these before we continue that I don't feel the game teaches too well:

Combat Mode:
Try to always be on combat mode (space bar by default) when going into battle. If you don't I've found your first combo into a second skill to be more delayed than usual, which can cost you a few HPs if the enemy capitalizes on it.

Normal Attack:
If your fight method involves simply clicking like mad, they you are doing it wrong. This can get you past maybe some foxes and racoons, but wolves and up will eat you for breakfast. You have a set number of swings you can do based on your weapon and each click should be a concious action. To chain another skill at the end of the combo, you should activate it while you character performs the last attack in his or her chain. With practice you can also add an extra hit to weapons that are 2-hit or more. It's just timing and delay.

While the normal attack is the standard "defense" against Smash, don't forget you can use it while your opponent is preparing another skill. Regardless of what it is, if you reach it in time, you should be able to strike before the skill loads. This goes for you as well: When you are -preparing- a move you are technically open for attack!

Smash:
Sometimes, when executing this you will run up to your target and just stand around/lag like a buffoon - especially when the targeted foe is distant. To combat this, when you load up smash run up beside your intended victim first and only click on them when you are a step away.

Windmill:
Is perhaps the most important skill in the game, as it is your best and often your only multi-aggro handler in close quarters. This along, with refining (trust me it's hard to rank later on), should be your number one priority in ranking up first regardless of what you ultimately want to be. Remember you want -all- the skills. Windmill also ignores protection which means it does a ton of damage even against targets on defense, but if you don't kill them they will have free hits on you. When the skeletons at Rabbie do this to you, you'll see what I mean. :P

Magnum Shot:
For humans especially this should be your staple opening bow attack at the beginning for luring things when you have space to use it (elves may opt to use mirage missile depending on the situation). Stuck in a room full of monsters is probably not the ideal spot but out in the fields or in rooms that allow you to run back through hallways you should have no reason to *not* use this (well unless your targets all have natural shield). With it, you can kill off many baddies and avoid getting into multi-aggro spots. Later on you will be following this up with arrow revolver (humans) which will all but ensure your target doesn't reach you. Later on you will probably switch it out for Crash Shot which does more damage in crowded rooms but for a newbie that will be far yet. Giants will not have this ability and will probably have to resort to bolt magic for ranged lures.

Time to Train - One on One melee:
One of the best critters to train up your combat ability (as a player) on are wolves. They are very readable in combat and move fast enough to catch you if you do something wrong. I suggest finding the correct type that you can take some hits from AND can take a few hits from you. If the battle is too one sided then you will not be learning much! There are quite a few types around Tir Chonail and you can find them East of Vales as well. Mongeese use similar AI outside Qilla and North East of Filia but you may have to travel far to find the correct type to practice on.

Alternatively for more EXP make the trek to Taillteann and take the mission "Defeat the Shadow Warrior" (basic) from a Shadow Mission Bulletin board and head to the Stonehenge to enter the mission. You will be locked in with small groups of enemies but they will only fight you one at a time. Except for the archers, you'll need to be on your toes and kill them quick. :P As a general rule of thumb, while you are free to attack anything it is the enemies that have the "!!" mark that are actively seeking to kill you.

Good sparring partners for new players.

Off to the Races

My second Mabinogi lesson! To find what other classes are available please see the binding post. :)

As of this post, everyone can get a free elf AND giant character card. All you have to do is reach their home cities on the Iria continent. I suppose a quick comparison of the available races is a good thing to add here:

Humans - runs the slowest but are the most versatile skill-wise. Can dual wield swords. They also have the widest array of gear that they can equip. They are my preferred race.

Giants - runs faster than humans and are geared more close quarters combat. Can dual wield blunts. They are weaker at magic and have almost no range capabilites though, and have the least amount of equippable gear.

Elves - runs faster than giants and are geared more for ranged combat. Can shoot while mounted and can hide from enemies. They are the weakest at melee.

If you started in Uladh and want to cross over quickly just go to Actions -> Continent Warp and pick Iria. If you started in Iria then I think you have to complete some basic exploration tasks before it lets you out into Qilla Camp proper. Remember to not have anything in your hands to "collect" artifacts from pillars, other than that it should be pretty straight forward. Once you are out of the tutorial zone you'll find yourself at Qilla Base camp and can begin your run to the race of your choice. You can only get the other free character 24 hours after you get the first one.

Easiest way to reach either city is if you have friends or make friends or even just ask strangers really nicely if they can give you a lift through a mana tunnel to either/both cities. If you are very anti-social or unlucky, then you'll have to reach them on your own. It is a good idea to "tap" the Mana tunnel a short distance from Qilla Base camp (to the West) during the day when it is open to provide an easier return trip too.

To reach the Elf city of Filia, you'll need to run East (that's turn right) when you exit Qilla Base camp and hug the mountains till you find a way across to the desert. Cross that and just keep running through the Karu forest, across a bridge, and then across another huge, sand-stormy desert.  Once you get to Filia, find their leader - Castanea, she's towards the back of the town and ask her about "elf/giant alliance" to get your free card.

To reach the Giant city of Vales, you'll need to run North West (turn left) when you exit Qilla Base camp and hug the mountains till you find a small valley that leads into the Nubes mountains and eventually down into the Solea Caves. Your mini-map will not be helpful down there but it is still straight forward to traverse. Just follow the left cave wall and make sure you run through any cave walls that can be opened (easy to identify via mouse cursor). You'll pop out on a clearing then dive into another cave system. Same thing, just follow the left wall. Eventually you'll come out on the snowfields and from there is a straight forward run to Vales to talk to their King, Krug about "elf/giant alliance" to get your free card. Obviously if you ever need to run those caves from Vales to Qilla, just follow the right wall.

They hate each other so much they want to make babies.

If you are running to either do not stop for anything and try avoid all the monsters you see. The trip will take you about 40 minutes either way, possibly slightly longer to Vales due to the cave system. Near each town should be another mana tunnel that is open during the day. "Tap" these to mark them on your map. You can then travel between the ones your character knows about as much as you like when the tunnels are open. On the Uladh continent the moon gates work very much the same way, only at night.

A good side quest for you new players to do when bored (like there's not enough to do :P) is to mark every single moon gate and every single mana tunnel you can get to (each town has one nearby and the tunnels in Iria show up on your mini map). While there is no combat involved there is a lot of leg work. Your reward will be ease of travel later on, coupled with being able to see the vast landscapes in the world of Erinn. :)

Another Soul in the Stream

The first of my Mabinogi lesson! To find what other classes are available please see the binding post. :)

Mabi follows the free to play (but you get more stuff if you pay) schematic, and if this is your first time logging into the game I strongly suggest going with the free human character card they give you first - even if you ultimately want to play as an elf or a giant. You then need to pick what server you will play on - this is very important as you cannot switch around later on. If you are trying to join friends be sure to pick the same one they are on (duh), otherwise the choice is yours:

Mari is the oldest and has the highest population and probably the highest level players all around. Alexina is the newest, and most probably has the lowest population and lowest number of "high level" dudes. Tarlach and Ruairi are in between those two. If you want to personally say hi to me in-game, you can find me at Ruairi. :)

Next you actually create how your character looks like. Since it's a free card you are using, you will be limited from majority of the facial expressions and hairstyles but you can fix that later (if you really want to spend money on it) so again, don't worry too much. Your name however, cannot be changed later so pick one you are happy with.

Age is not so much an issue in the game as you will want to constantly cycle back (you'll understand why as you play). To keep it simple pick your age based on how often you can / will play. If you are going to be very active start at age 17 which I think is the oldest you can pick. If you only play once a week start at age 10. I'll explain why in a later post.

All that is left is to select your start point: I recommend Uladh / Tir Chonail if you want to play as a human. If you are really dying to play a giant or elf straight away start at Iria / Qilla. Once you are happy with everything go ahead and finish the creation process.

Hello Boobs.. I mean... World!

After talking to Mabinogi's resident guardian angel you will be asked what destiny you wish to follow. I suggest Warrior (not Fighter) first but you can pick whatever takes your fancy. Afterwards you will soon be dropped into your selected starting spot and beset by owls dropping tons of stuff on your head. Don't worry - it's natural here. If you are in Uladh then you can begin talking to townspeople and doing various little quests here and there. If you started in Uladh, I strongly recommend going to the School and taking classes from both Ranald and Lassar (she's inside) as they provide a lot of information on the battle mechanics of the game. You should also ask about "skills" from everyone you talk to because really - you will want them all.

Why you ask? Skills, more than anything else, determine your stats and each of them have around 16 ranks of effectiveness. As an example, if there are 2 archers using the same bow - the one with Rank 1 ranged mastery will not do as much damage as the one with Rank 1 ranged mastery and Rank 1 refining. At first glance, refining has nothing to do with archery at all - until you realize that each rank gives a lot of dexterity, and every 4 points of dex increases ranged damage. It is due to little quirks like this that you should work on your "main" character for everything (fighting, magic, crafting, etc.) and use mules or alts purely for storage space.