What will probably be the Aran cookie cutter skill build?

Thanks to a really extended patch, I decided to spend some idle time looking at the Aran skill tables. I do admit, just about everything they got seems useful, but we all know we won't have the SP for everything. I wonder if people already have a good idea on what will be needed and what will be least useful to an Aran. I won't be thinking up a level by level SP build, just a general list of what you must have per job.


1st job has 61 SP to go around. I therefore propose the following:

 Spoiler

10 Combo Ability (for Critical Combo in 3rd)
20 Double Swing (obviously)
15 Combo Step (traveling purposes)
16 Polearm Booster (for the -3 speed)

Reasoning: A Flash Jump like skill on a warrior class is not to scoff about. We all know how much better Dawn Warriors are with their own Flash Jump.

If Combo Ability wasn't needed for Combo Critical in 3rd I would have left it at 6. Besides, it's not like you lost anything from a level 16 booster, because after all you still get the -3 weapon speed reduction.

2nd job has 121 SP to go around. I brainstormed the following:

 Spoiler

20 Polearm Mastery (obviously)
20 Triple Swing (obviously)
21 Final Take (Knocks back 10 enemies. Still good)
20 Combo Smash (very powerful 2nd job attack)
20 Combo Drain (gets better and better the stronger you get, and is a max or none at all skill)
20 Body Pressure (This skill is definitely one that is either max or none at all)

Reasoning: Mastery, Triple Swing, and Combo Smash are no-brainers.

Combo Drain seems weak, but I believe that it will only begin to shine in 4th job when there is either massive HP washing and/or the Aran's damage is through the roof. It may be entirely possible to train on enemies without spending a single HP pot.

Body Pressure seems weird, but depending on whether it stuns the enemy, or grant godmode from the enemy, the damage reflection is hard to pass up because it's free damage.

For Final Take I decided 21 is good enough is because the level 30 version only knocks back 2 more additional enemies when at 21 you can already knockback an impressive 10. Personally at the top training areas I don't really need the need to knock back 12 enemies; 10 is already plenty.

For 3rd job you get 151 SP, so I thought of the following:

 Spoiler

20 Combo Critical (obviously)
21 Final Toss (dump points goes here. Seems least useful)
30 Combo Peril (Even more powerful finisher than Combo Smash)
20 Rolling Spin (seems like a better version of Final Take, since it costs less SP to hit 12 enemies, and a 1 second stun can give a little breathing room to recast buffs or whatnot)
20 Full Swing - Double Swing/Triple Swing (Is actually one skill instead of two. Powers up staple skills)
20 Smart Knockback (who wouldn't want to knockback Pink Bean with 10k damage?)
20 Snow Charge (A free 10% bonus damage on non ice immune/resistant is awesome)

Reasoning: Combo Critical/Peril are must haves.

Snow Charge is a free 10% damage to non ice monsters, which is a huge plus for a class that mobs like crazy, plus the slow is really nice to have.

The Full Swings power up our staple attacks, which is always nice.

Smart Knockback makes it easier to reduce how often enemies will attack you.

The reason I put spare points for Final Toss is because the damage increase for the enemies in the air seem really minuscule because it requires setting up the enemy for the bonus damage. Now I ask why deal a measly 110% to 12 enemies for a bonus +100% damage (which for Aran multipliers doesn't seem much at all) when you can kill them faster without Final Toss and/or push them forward with Final Take for a bigger mob?

4th job seems tough, but figuring out 3rd job was actually trickier. There is 243 SP to dsitribute

 Spoiler

20 High Mastery (obviously)
20 High Defense (obviously)
30 Final Blow (Hits two more enemies than Combo Smash, but doesn't require a combo counter)
30 Combo Tempest (HELL. YES.)
30 Combo Barrier (Arans can constantly only take 68% damage per hit. This will make them as hardy as any warrior out there)
30 Overswing - Double Swing/Triple Swing (Is actually one skill instead of two. Combined with the Full Swing version and I smell extremely powerful staple attacks)
30 Maple Warrior (dump skill points go here. Still a 12% STR increase)
30 Freeze Standing (Power Stance for Aran)

23 spare SP from 4th!

Reasoning: Believe it or not, 4th job has way less of a skill point problem. In fact, Aran will have excessive skill points in spite of maxing out all 4th job skills including Maple Warrior!

In fact, Arans in 4th job CAN get all their Aran related skills AND a level 30 Maple Warrior with 23 skill points to toss around. That's counting IF the Aran can afford Maple Warrior 30 otherwise they will actually have 33-34 SP to toss around.

I hope whoever makes an Aran gets a delightful read from my post created out of boredom.

*Thank you Takebacker for pointing out the Full Swing/Overswing skills only need 20/30 to max, powering up both attacks instead of one at a time. Posts were editted accordingly.