Defense Page / White Knight FAQ

=== I. Table of Contents ================================================

I. Table of Contents
II. Version History
III. Overview FAQ
IV. Getting Started: Ability Points and Beginner Skills
V. Warrior Skills and Point Allocation
VI. Page Skills and Point Allocation
VII. White Knight Skills and Point Allocation
VIII. Equipment and Scrolling
IX. Fighting Style and Techniques
X. Appendix of Silly Arguements
XI. A Final Note
XII. Acknowledgements
XIII. Legal Disclaimer

=== II. Version History =================================================
5-13-07 v0.1 Finished basic template.
5-14-07 v0.2 Completed FAQ and ability/skill sections, excluding detailed
WK skill descriptions.
5-15-07 v0.3 Fully finished the guide. Waiting to be proofread before
distribution.
5-17-07 v0.4 Spelling and minor errors corrected, WK allocation adjusted.
5-20-07 v1.0 First complete version ready for distribution.
5-23-07 v1.1 More elaborate explanations for some equipment choices.
Adjusted Table of Contents and adjusted the formatting.
5-29-07 v1.2 Last tweaking of WK Allocation and added Appendix.
6-02-07 v1.3 Numerous small clarifications. Added Final Note.

=== III. Overview FAQ ===================================================

Q: What is a Defense Page?
A: It is exactly what it sounds like. Traditionally, Warriors sacrifice
defense for any means possible to improve their attack power. A Defense
Page is more of a tank, striving for a competitive damage output
while taking only a fraction of the damage that other character builds
take. If you are serious about learning about how this works, PLEASE read
the entire guide. People approach me in-game quite regularly, asking me
questions that have all been answered here. Do not expect to just skip to
the skill point allocation sections and know what this build is like.

Q: Taking a lot less damage sounds nice, but how much power do you give up?
A: Not as much as people think, but there are sacrifices to be made. It is
hard to put it into concrete numbers, but if you still want some ball-park
figures, then expect about a 20% drop in your max damage numbers. This does
not take into account that you will be swinging faster (Fast, sometimes
Faster attack speed), with more accuracy than many other builds, and does
not account for the extra damage done by Power Guard. It is not a surprise
that people tend to have a preconceived notion that Defense Pages do
grossly inferior damage to other builds. Done correctly, the people you
meet and party with won't know the difference.

Q: What do you get in return? I had always thought that extra WDEF didn't
do much.
A: Again, there are many factors, most importantly your level, your equips,
and the attack power of the monster you're facing. Going by prior
experience, many monsters that are considered appropriate to your level,
the same ones that do triple-digit damage to others, will do 1 point of
touch damage to you. Higher attack monsters that get over 1 point of damage
(what I like to call your "attack threshold") will still do a fraction of
the damage that it otherwise would. For example, in your 40s at Drake's
Meal Table, Wild Cargos will be doing less damage to you than Cold Eyes do
to someone else at the same level. You'll be invulnerable to Cold Eyes.
More to the point, you will be able to defeat creatures that others
wouldn't dare to try, let alone be successful against. The trend will be
that whatever list you see for monsters to train against for your level,
you will be able to do so ten to twenty levels earlier than other builds.
With preparation, you will be able to defeat creatures up to thirty levels
sooner than many of your counterparts. Defense Pages often wander around
areas that they have no business being in just because they lose their fear
of dying. You become impossible to kill under normal circumstances. It is
a good partying build, but an absolute soloing powerhouse.

Q: We've been talking about WDEF, but what about enemies that use strong
magic attacks?
A: If you are on top of an enemy touching it with your Power Guard while
meleeing, then their magic strikes and other special attacks won't connect.
This is a much different build than most are accustomed to, so your
fighting strategy has to change with it. Please see section VI, "Fighting
Style and Techniques."

Q: Is this build expensive for those that are unfunded? Can I improve
performance if I am funded?
A: This is another nice trait about this build. One-handed weapons,
especially Blunt Weapons, are as cheap as they come. Scrolls adding Weapon
Defense are also as cheap as they come. Because you are taking a lot less
damage, you will spend far less on potions. So for unfunded characters, I
can't think of a less expensive build. For those that are funded, WDEF
scrolls can be purchased at a reasonable price even for low-level equipment.
Scrolling low-level gear makes you an impenetrable beast right from the
start.

Q: So, why a Page? Why not any Warrior?
A: Despite having Hyper Body, Spearmen don't use shields and don't have
Power Guard, making them ill-suited for this build. Fighters are a more
reasonable alternative, having Power Guard and later Shield Mastery just
like Pages, along with useful abilities as a Crusader that stun groups of
mobs, but Rage reduces Defense, if only by ten points. Pages instead get
Threaten, which is often the difference between taking some damage and no
damage at all. White Knights can render groups of enemies helpless with
area stun or freeze, with a repeatable six-monster area-effect 90%-stun
250%-base-damage element-infused attack. So while I'd love to see a Defense
Fighter in action, I feel that Pages lend themselves a bit better for this
build, and will concentrate on them exclusively.

Q: I'm still not sold on this idea. Doesn't effective training revolve
around killing mobs as quickly as possible?
A: This build allows you to hunt tougher monsters and reap the greater
experience point rewards that come with them. Not dying as often (or at all)
as well as a reduced need to restock your health potions further increases
your training efficiency. This guide is not about convincing anyone that
this build is better than any other. Rather, it is to offer a fun,
effective, distinctive alternative to what is currently out there. I've
done it, made FRAPS movies about it, performed demonstrations of it, and it
works. Period. Any gaps in my knowledge were filled in by high-level White
Knights. This guide will explain in detail every reason behind the
strategies involved, but I refuse to lace every part of it with
defensiveness. The bottom line is, if your mantra is that the best defense
is a good offense, look elsewhere.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/924697/48436