Interested in getting your adventure in the Moonlit Kingdom off to a great start? This guide offers introductions to the playstyles and equipment builds for each class, along with some general tips on improving your bunny raiding skills.
Gameplay Basics & Class Guide For Rabbit And Steel
Welcome to this Rabbit And Steel guide! Originally compiled in a Google Doc during the demo phase, this document aimed to assist new players with fundamental tips. Now, with the full release upon us, I’ve migrated these notes to a General Guide for easier access, eager to share the knowledge I’ve gathered.
Please bear in mind that this guide is still a work in progress. While the core characters haven’t changed much since the demo days, meaning the information provided here should remain relatively accurate, I intend to invest time in the current build to capture updated screenshots and to unlock and test the new classes. Additionally, I’m refining the formatting of this information, aiming to make it more accessible, whether you’re a newcomer to MMOs or a seasoned raider. Expect some polishing as I strive to improve readability.
I trust you’ll find this guide beneficial! I look forward to encountering you all on the battlefield!
Here are some general gameplay tips:
- Stay Calm and Analyze: Every pattern in the game, except for one exception, can be avoided or mitigated without relying on invulnerability. Take a moment to assess the situation before acting. If you mess up your positioning, don’t hesitate to use your Defensive ability to correct it. Even if you’re playing a class that typically uses defensive abilities aggressively, it’s better to use them to avoid unnecessary damage.
- Survival First, Damage Second: Focus on surviving rather than maximizing your damage output, especially when starting out. Rotations are designed for ideal scenarios, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. Learning to dodge attacks effectively is crucial. Knowing your rotation won’t help if you’re constantly getting knocked out.
- Always Be Casting (ABC): Keep your global cooldowns (GCDs) active by constantly casting your Primary, Secondary, and often your Special abilities. Even if the ability you use isn’t optimal for the situation, pressing something is better than leaving GCDs unused. Maximizing your damage output is essential, especially on higher difficulties.
- Practice Makes Perfect: Expect to face challenges and bosses that you won’t defeat on your first attempt. Approach each encounter as a learning experience. In the MMO raiding community, this process is known as “progression” or “prog.” Fight the boss, analyze their mechanics, devise strategies to overcome them, and then try again.
Classes in Rabbit And Steel
Wizard:
Playstyle: Build And Spend/Proc
Rotation: 4 > 2 > 3 > 2 > [1…]; 3 > 2 on cooldown
Drawing inspiration from XIV’s Black Mage, the Wizard thrives on finding a strategic spot and optimizing movement, or rather, the lack thereof. Dimi Moonblast, your primary filler ability, roots you in place during casting, while Astral Seal enhances your abilities only when you stand within its bounds. Therefore, in most encounters, your strategy involves finding a secure position to unleash a barrage of spells at the boss for about 7 seconds, though frustration may ensue if you’re forced out of your seal unexpectedly. If mobility becomes necessary, resort to your Secondary ability. While it may not pack as much punch, it allows you to maintain your agility and, more importantly, your safety.
Charged Astral Swirl delivers a potent hit with an effective potency of 420, making cooldown reduction and Haste crucial for maximizing reset opportunities (especially Haste-B, which complements Astral Seal). Additionally, prioritize Special Damage multipliers, with Primary Damage being of lesser concern. Movement speed is not a significant priority, as you’ll ideally spend most of your time rooted in place, but be cautious not to compromise it too much, as Astral Seal’s protection diminishes after the initial burst. Regarding Astral Seal, focus on enhancing its Size and Duration to prolong Haste-A uptime, ensuring optimal performance.
Assassin:
Playstyle: Proc/Positional
Rotation: 4 > 3 > [1 > 1 > 1 > 1 > 1 > 2 > 4 > 3…] (Length may vary based on GCD modifiers.); 4 > 3 on 4’s cooldown, 3 if you have 2 Charges.
The Assassin epitomizes high risk and high reward, striving to remain as close to the boss as possible. While she can adopt hit-and-run tactics if necessary (her Secondary’s 150 Potency is formidable), her primary focus is plunging her knife into the enemy’s spine with Assassinate. Utilize Shadowstep to swiftly position yourself just behind the boss, then unleash a relentless onslaught until relocation becomes imperative.
When selecting items, prioritize enhancing Assassinate’s damage multipliers to unleash devastating blows. While the exact damage formula remains unclear, a Vanished Assassinate can potentially reach a staggering effective potency of 400, especially potent when augmented by Smite, Curse, Burn, and other damage-boosting effects. Additionally, prioritize resetting your Defensive ability frequently. Not only does this create more opportunities for Vanished Assassinate, but Shadowstep also serves as an invaluable tool for repositioning, allowing you to rectify movement errors before they become apparent. Haste proves particularly beneficial in this regard, facilitating more GCDs and increasing the likelihood of triggering Swift Cut’s proc.
Heavyblade:
Playstyle: Build and Spend
Rotation: 2 > 3 > 1 > 2 > 3 > [1…]; 2 > 3 > 1 on 3’s cooldown
As perhaps the most straightforward of the rabbits, the Heavyblade Rabbit excels at delivering powerful blows without resorting to flashy maneuvers. Truth be told, your rotation isn’t overly critical; you can fare quite well by simply mashing the Primary button until circumstances demand otherwise. Defensively, Shadow Barrier doesn’t directly impact your damage output, allowing you to save it for opportune moments. Its two-second damage immunity provides a potent tool at your disposal, especially when combined with the brief invulnerability window of Spinning Leap. This makes the Heavyblade Rabbit both user-friendly and exceptionally resilient, sometimes even feeling unfairly sturdy. The only notable drawback is her slightly below-average DPS, but when you’re as durable as she is, does it truly matter?
When acquiring items, prioritize enhancements for Primary and Special abilities, with a focus on the former. Secondary damage is negligible in comparison and can be disregarded in favor of bolstering your primary offensive capabilities. While movement speed enhancements are beneficial, they’re less crucial for the Heavyblade Rabbit due to the formidable strength of Shadow Barrier. Let other rabbits prioritize mobility enhancements, as they may have a greater need for them.
Dancer:
Playstyle: Proc/Support
Rotation: 4 > 3 > [2 > 1 > 1…]; 3 on cooldown
Fans of Bard or Dancer from FFXIV will feel right at home with this rendition of musical mayhem. The Dancer’s rotation revolves around Twirling Rose as your primary damage-dealer, complemented by Falling Petal for repositioning when necessary. Aim to synchronize Golden Grace with your allies’ major bursts for optimal performance, although even pairing it with Lily Blossom or activating it on cooldown can yield respectable results.
As a Dancer, prioritize GCD and/or Cooldown Reduction to maximize the frequency of Lily Blossoms. Additionally, items that trigger based on percentage procs are highly desirable; every action you take carries a 30% chance, ensuring constant pressure on your foes with each press. With no particular stat preferences, any enhancements you acquire will likely contribute positively to your performance. Consequently, allow your allies to select their preferred items first, and then make use of whatever remains.
Druid:
Playstyle: Maintenance
Rotation: 3 > 2 > [1…]; 3 on cooldown, 2 on duration timer
Despite her charming appearance, the Druid is one of the more challenging classes to play effectively. While she boasts impressive range and isn’t particularly concerned about her position on the screen, her combat pace is notably sluggish, requiring careful setup and planning to optimize her rotation. Mobile bosses pose a significant challenge; once Lat Life is placed, it cannot be moved, necessitating a reset if the boss strays beyond its radius, resulting in precious time lost. On the flip side, Nature’s Blessing offers a rare purely defensive ability in the game, providing a swift speed boost for you and your team without any conditions attached. This allows you to conserve it until the opportune moment, aiding your team in navigating complex mechanics with ease.
While Lat Life and Summon Spirit may prove unwieldy in certain encounters, their total potencies are remarkable, standing at 680 for Summon Spirit and 720 for Lat Life. Prioritize enhancements for Secondary Damage, Special Damage, and Special Cooldown. Conversely, GCD upgrades offer minimal benefits to your Primary and are outright irrelevant to your Secondary, which isn’t significantly affected by GCD speed. Additionally, bear in mind that the potency is spread across multiple hits in 12-second intervals, diminishing the effectiveness of traits like Burn that rely on base damage. Leave these enhancements to classes with more substantial burst damage capabilities.
Conclusion:
With this information, you’re equipped to embark on your adventure into the Moonlit Kingdom. Now, go forth and assert your dominance over those mystical foes!
I’ll be eagerly awaiting your updates as you unlock and explore the other classes. Keep me posted!
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