Donn1e's Buccaneer Guide - Updated for 2024

osheredri · Dec 25, 2023

Donn1e said: ↑

Welcome to my Buccaneer guide!
Recently, I have been getting lots of questions about this job from both beginners as well as veteran players. As there is a lack of dedicated Buccaneer players, I believe an updated guide is necessary.
With the previous guide being very outdated and its writer unable to update it much, I decided to simply make a new one.
My guide will focus mainly on bossing and actual gameplay with videos and screenshots to explain how to optimally use your Buccaneer.

Buccaneer is a very versatile job; it is described by many as a better warrior, or "warrior on steroids".
The Buccaneer class has many unique qualities and is a crucial (sometimes even essential!) part of several boss runs.
To give you a better idea of what a Buccaneer can do and where it shines, I will list its main qualities:

Strong single target job bested only by Night Lords and efficient Corsair players (DPS Test)

Provides crucial buffs and party skills such as Speed Infusion (SI) and Time Leap (TL), both of which I will explain later on

Decent multi target skills for bossing (best DPS job for hitting 6+ targets!)

Good mobbing ability with your own version of Rush (both forward and backwards!) and with stuns

Has Stance and Power Guard most of the time, both of which will be explained later

Has invincible frames (AKA iFrames) while using the 2 main attacking skills, meaning you get hit less (making your Stance better than a Warrior's)

Can act as both a melee and ranged class

One of the best classes for mobile bosses such as Auf Haven, Royal Guard, Dunas V1/V2, Nameless Monster, Bigfoot, etc. due to the ability to knock them back with ease

Arguably the best job for Von Leon

Efficient HP gain, leading to very cheap washing

Great damage with minimal gear; beginner friendly

Mule friendly job: long attack animation gives you time to manage your mules while attacking

Mobile class when it has units to attack. Will demonstrate in the Bossing section

Infinite Echo of Hero at level 200 with Time Leap

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Skills and Skillbuilds

Macros

AP build

Leveling

Gear

HP washing

Bossing

Von Leon

Credits

1st job - Pirate:
There is not much to say about this job.
Sommersault Kick is your main attacking skill until 3rd job, Flash Fist is important for 2nd job advancement, and Bullet Time will be important later on in the game when you need more accuracy and avoid.
Dash and Double Shot are absolutely useless for you.
Max them in this order:
Level 10: +1 Sommersault Kick
Level 11-17: +19 Sommersault Kick, +2 Bullet Time
Level 18-23: +18 Bullet Time
Level 24-30: +20 Flash Fist, +1 Double Shot

2nd job - Brawler:
For the first few levels, you don't actually get new skills because you have to max Improve MaxHP first to get as much HP as you can.
Your other skills in this job are:
Corkscrew Blow - Basically like Rush, but you can use it to go up platforms. Also has an iFrame when casted.
Backspin Blow - Backwards Rush; also stuns.
Knuckle Mastery - Passive skill that adds mastery % (stabilizes your damage range) and accuracy.
Knuckle Booster - Active skill that gives +2 attack speed.
Double Uppercut - Absolutely useless skill that attacks twice and stuns.
Oak Barrel - Scuffed Dark Sight.
MP Recovery - Turns HP into MP; useful in dojo.

Max these skills in the following order:
Level 30-33: +10 Improve MaxHP (10)
Level 34: +1 Corkscrew Blow (1), +2 Knuckle Mastery (2)
Level 35: +3 Knuckle Mastery (5)
Level 36-37: +5 Knuckle Booster (5), +1 Knuckle Mastery (6)
Level 38-42: +14 Knuckle Mastery (20) , +1 Corkscrew Blow (2)
Level 43-48: +18 Corkscrew Blow (20)
Level 49-53: +15 Knuckle Booster (20)
Level 54-60: +20 Backspin Blow (20) , +1 Oak Barrel (1)
Level 61-64: +9 Oak Barrel (10), +3 Mp Recovery (3)
Level 65-67: +7 MP Recovery (10), +2 Double Uppercut (2)
Level 68-70: +8 Double Uppercut (10), +1 Double Shot (2)

By level 70, you should have everything maxed except Double Uppercut.
It is important to put the last point into Double Shot (1st job skill), will be explained in the HP washing section.
- Thanks @Baconfry

3rd job - Marauder:
Before diving into the different options, it is imperative I explain each skill:
Stun mastery - Passive skill that lets you do additional damage to stunned targets.
Energy Charge - Passive skill that charges the more you attack . When the bar fills up you get Stance, Power guard, +20 accuracy, Weapon Attack, and Avoidability for 50 secs.
Energy Blast - A strong multi-target attack that can be used only when your bubble (Energy Charge) is active.
Transformation - The Super Saiyan looking skill; lets you move faster and use Shockwave at the cost of 1 magic rock per Transformation.
Shockwave - Multi-target attack you can use in Transformation; attacks slow but hits harder while damaging more mobs than Energy Blast.
Energy Drain - Drains hp from a mob; good to heal in dojo. Requires energy to be fully charged.

This is where you can choose one of two paths (relevant only for those planning to grind throughout this job):
1) Max Shockwave first with 1 point in Transform - this is the best option if you want to unlock a new strong skill as soon as possible and grind right away
2) Max Energy Charge and then Energy Blast - Energy Blast is the strongest 3rd job skill but, when your Charge is down, you will be forced to use Sommersault Kick to charge it.
It's also worth mentioning that Energy Blast is useless before you max Energy Charge since bubble will charge way too slow.

Personally, I prefer the first option since I didn't like using my Sommersault to charge. I also preferred being able to do good damage constantly instead of in bursts.

1st build (Max Shockwave first):
Level 70: +1 Transformation (1)
Level 71-80: +30 Shockwave (30)
Level 81-94: +40 Energy Charge (40), +2 Energy Blast (2)
Level 95-104: + 28 Energy Blast (30), +2 Transformation (3)
Level 105-110: +17 Transformation (20), +1 Stun Mastery (1)
Level 111-117: +19 Stun Mastery (20), +2 Energy Drain (2)
Level 118-120: +9 Energy Drain (11)

2nd build (Max Energy Charge and Energy Blast first):
Level 70: +1 Energy Charge (1)
Level 71-83: +39 Energy Charge (40)
Level 84-93: +30 Energy Blast (30)
Level 93: +1 Transformation (1), +2 Shockwave (2)
Level 94-103: +28 Shockwave (30), +2 Transformation (3)
Level 104-109: +17 Transformation (20), +1 Stun Mastery (1)
Level 110-116: +19 Stun Mastery (20), +2 Energy Drain (2)
Level 117-120: +9 Energy Drain (11)

4th job - Buccaneer:
For how to unlock specific 4th job skills, there is an awesome guide here.

Things get interesting at 4th job, as there are so many different skill builds depending on your game style and the content you like.
To give you a better idea of what path you should choose, I will first go through the skills you acquire:

Super Transformation: An upgraded version of Transformation used to cast 4th job skills.

You can use Transformation to cancel skill animations as demonstrated here:

Note that you can do the same thing when Transformation expires.
Thank you @onetwotree for sharing this!

Demolition: A ranged single target attack that hits 8 times; requires you to be in Super Transformation. Your stronger single target skill (has iFrames).
Barrage: A melee single target attack that hits 6 times and knocks back (KB), weaker than Demolition on its own (has iFrames).
Dragon Strike (DS): Strong multi-target attack, hitting up to 6 units when maxed.
Snatch: Another multi-target attack, hitting up to 6 units. Requires you to be in Super Transformation.
NOTE: Snatch is weaker than Dragon Strike but also drags mobs and non-stationary bosses to you.
Speed Infusion (SI): Party buff that boosts attack speed; +2 speed from level 11. This skill greatly benefits Warriors, Corsairs, and Marksmen.
Time Leap (TL): Resets the cooldowns of everyone's abilities in the party. Does not work on Time Leap itself, but does work on Echo of Hero (hence the "Infinite Echo").
Maple Warrior (MW): Basic 4th job skill that all jobs get; increases your (base) stats by 10% when maxed.
Pirate's Rage: The pirate version of Hero's Will; used to get out of seduce.
Energy Orb: Multi-target skill that hits up to 6 mobs, but requires your Energy Charge to be full.
NOTE: This skill is considered by many to be absolutely useless, but it is the only 4th job skill you can use in the air. This niche is great for attacking while jumping.
It also bounces between targets, meaning you can bounce it from Horntail preheads down to the wyverns they summon.

Before choosing your path, I suggest that you give the whole thread a read and figure out what kind of a Buccaneer player you are.
If you:

Level by hunting area bosses such as Bigfoot, you will want to max Demolition and Maple Warrior.

Are more into Krexel and Shaolin, you will want your Barrage+Demolition combo to be maxed as soon as possible, together with level 11 SI for max attack speed.

Are more into utility and want to be some sort of a mule in the early levels, you might consider an early point in Time Leap.

Those are just a few examples to show you how versatile you can be with your skill build, since ALL your 4th job skills are important.
I will now give you a balanced build that served me well personally, since it is impossible to list all the possible skill builds for this job.
Feel free to tweak it or talk to me in private for advice!

Level 120: +1 Super Transformation (1), +1 Demolition (1), +1 Speed Infusion (1)
Level 121-124: +10 Speed Infusion (11) +2 Demolition (3)
Level 125-133: +27 Demolition (30)
Level 134-143: +30 Barrage (30)
Level 144: +1 Time Leap (1), +2 Dragon Strike (2)
Level 145-154: +28 Dragon Strike (30), +2 Maple Warrior (2)
Level 155-157: +8 Maple Warrior (10), +1 Time Leap (2) (can go higher on MW at this stage if you can afford MW20)
Level 158-167: +28 Time Leap (30), +2 Speed Infusion (13)
Level 168-170 : +7 Speed Infusion (20), +2 Snatch (2)
Level 171-180: +28 Snatch (30), +2 Pirate's Rage (2)
Level 181: +3 Pirate's Rage (5)
Level 181-184: +10 Super Transformation (11), +2 to either Maple Warrior or Energy Orb,
From this point, just max your Maple Warrior if you can afford it; if not, assign SP into Energy orb/Transformation and make sure you save 10 extra points for Maple Warrior.

LHC specific SP build:
Level 120: +1 Super Transformation (1), +1 Demolition (1), +1 Speed Infusion (1)
Level 121-124: +10 Speed Infusion (11) +2 Demolition (3)
Level 125-133: +27 Demolition (30)
Level 134-143: +30 Dragon Strike (30)
Level 144: +1 Time Leap (1), +2 Snatch (2)
Level 145-154: +28 Snatch (30), +2 Barrage (2)

Beyond this point you should continue maxing Barrage and then max the other skills in the same order of the previous SP build.

For LHC you will be using your Dragon Strike + Snatch combo.
Since it's generally accepted that players should start running LHC around level 150, you have enough room to max your Demolition first, which will help you hunt area bosses and do other bosses such as Krexel and Shao.

Buccaneers have 3 main macros used for bossing.
To make things clear, here is a quick comparison before I go into detail:

1) Best combo for 1 target - Barrage + Demolition
2) Best combo for 2 targets - Barrage + Dragon Strike (4% stronger than barrage+demo)
3) Best combo for 3 or more targets - Dragon strike + Snatch (23% stronger on 3 targets, 47% stronger on 4 targets and so on - hits up to 6 targets)

Barrage + Demolition is your regular single target macro and will provide you the highest damage. Both skills have iFrames and can be used to dodge attacks.

Snatch + Dragon Strike is your multi-target macro. This is your best option for mobbing and does decent damage in some bossing situations, as mentioned in the Bossing section.

Barrage + Dragon Strike is the best damaging combo for 2 targets.
However, it's important to note that this combo is only 4% better than Barrage + Demolition.
You should only use this combo for damage when you are attacking 2 targets that are not weapon canceled, and when your bubble is up.

The other use of this combo is for Auf Haven (or for Dunas V2 duo if you push while your buddy does the damage).
The reason for it is that a Buccaneer's job is simply to pin the boss to the corner using Barrage,
but Dragon Strike is "free" because it fills the delay slots between Barrage casts. In other words, you can squeeze in a Dragon Strike and get free damage where you would have been doing nothing otherwise.

Beyond that you wont really need any other macros. 3 x Demolition macro is pretty nice to Bigfoot and Netflix, but I can't really say it's essential.

*It's recommended to have every 4th job skill on an Individual button aswell, this gives you more control over your character in different bossing/mobbing situations.
- Thanks @Al3x

Transformation canceling:
This is a niche method to optimize your DPS, which requires practice and understanding.
Transformation (and Super Transformation) have a cooldown of 1 minute when level 11 or more, but 2 minutes duration, which means you can re-cast them halfway through the duration.
When Transformation is canceled through right clicking the icon on the buff bar, your current attack animation will be canceled, allowing you to attack again and overlap 2 skills at the same time.
Before I explain further, please prepare the following macros to make this method easier to execute:
1) Super Transformation + Demolition macro:
2) Transformation + Barrage macro:

After you set those up, re-allocate your hotkeys to be able to see Transformation CD:

Now for the 2 different methods:
Barrage + Demolition -> Demolition:
This method is the easier one to execute, it doesn't take much effort, but you will still need to pay attention to your Super Transformation CD and time your animations correctly.
Line up your Barrage + Demolition and Super Transformation + Demolition combos on 2 close keys, like this:

X = Barrage + Demolition
C = Super Transformation + Demolition
Now follow these steps:
1. Attack normally until your Super Transformation is off cooldown.
2. Click your Barrage + Demolition macro.
3. When Demolition animation starts, right click the Transformation buff icon on the top right.
4. Quickly click your Super Transformation + Demolition macro.
The whole sequence should look like this: x -> click off Super Transformation -> c.
Demonstration:

Barrage + Demoltion -> Barrage -> Demolition
This method is much harder than the last.
You will be using an additional macro with normal Transformation, and will have to click off the Transformation icon twice.
*Note that once you rebuffed Transformation, the icon will move from the original location to the right, so adjust your cursor position.
Position your macros like so:

X = Barrage + Demolition
C = Transformation + Barrage
V = Super Transformation + Demolition
Wait for your Super Transformation to go off cooldown, and then do the following:
1. Click your Barrage + Demolition macro.
2. Click off Super Transformation when demolition animation starts.
3. Click your Transformation + Barrage macro.
4. Move your cursor to the right quickly, click off Transformation again.
5. Click your Super Transformation + Demolition macro.
The whole sequence should look like this: x -> click off Super Transformation -> c -> click off Transformation -> v
Demonstration:

Thank you @lxlx for inventing the 2nd method!

The AP build is pretty straightforward for Buccaneers: STR is your main stat and DEX is the secondary one used to equip your knuckle. You will need 100 DEX for King Cent and 110 DEX for Dragon Slash Claw, respectively.
Luckily, gaining enough DEX on a Buccaneer is relatively easy and will not trouble you much!
For your Pirate job advancement, you will need a minimum of 20 DEX. Fortunately, since at level 200 you will have 3 extra AP that you will need to assign to DEX anyway,
my advice would be to start with 23 DEX. This will help you a little with accuracy in CPQ as well as equipping your knuckle later on.
The rest of your AP will be put into STR.

Personally, I am not the grinding type; I simply use the Orbis exchange to get my characters to level 30 and self leech from there.
However, this is not everyone's cup of tea, and some people like training the old way (be it for nostalgic reasons or having no means to leech).
If you want to find specific maps to grind by levels, I suggest checking the Guide Directory for a leveling guide, but I will still give some advice for specific levels:

10-20: Bubblings in Kerning subway. Get a high attack weapon like the Valentines event roses - since Sommersault Kick doesn't require a knuckle to use. Kill these until you reach level 20
20-30: Kerning PQ
30-51: Carnival PQ 1
51-70: Carnival PQ 2

NOTE: You should be prepared to struggle finding parties for those PQs. If you have a way to get your hands on some zombie teeth to skip KPQ or leech to skip CPQ2, by all means do that.

110+: I strongly advise you to start Ellin Forest prequests as soon as possible. Once you have access to Ellin PQ ,just run it until you hit 4th job; the exp is great and it is very easy to do!
120+: At this point your goal is to get to level 135 as quick as possible so you can start bossing. You have a few good options:

Keep doing Ellin PQ as much as possible

Temple of Time questline

Kill Papulatus twice a day when you feel strong enough for that

Hunt bigfoots using a method I will show later while using this guide to find them

135+: Bossing. you should run Krexel (prequest link) and Zakum twice a day each. Run Shaolin (prequest link) once you reach level 145 as well.
These are very easy bosses to run and don't require any special guidance; just hold the Barrage+Demolition macro I mentioned earlier.
For higher level bosses please check the Bossing section of this guide.

When it comes to gear, I'm often asked questions like: "what knuckle should I get to start with?", and "what stats should I have on my overall?".
I'd like to answer these first.
DISCLAIMER: These are general directions for newer players and by no means instructions for all Buccaneer players.

The very minimum you should start with is a 98 attack knuckle. It is affordable and I believe that any starting player could get their hands on one.
After you manage to gather some more mesos, you should upgrade your knuckle to 103-106 att (1B-2B price range). That, in my opinion, should be your last upgrade before getting a perfect one eventually.
I also advise you to stick with a King Cent or White Fangz rather than a Dragon Slash Claw , since these have smaller DEX requirement and are more common.

You should get yourself a White Pioneer or White Marquini , since these are the most common ones to find while also requiring only 80 and 90 DEX to wear, respectively. Their low DEX requirements ensure the efficient use of gear DEX to help you equip a King Cent.
As for stats, you should aim for high STR with 6 or more base DEX for a starting overall (i.e. 30+ STR, 6+ DEX), and leave it that way for a long time while you focus on other pieces of gear.

As for untradeables (Helmet, Face Accessory, Rings, Belt), Earrings and Eye Accessory, scroll them all for DEX.
When you feel like you are funded enough and your DEX is high enough, you can start transitioning into multi stat (DEX+STR) equips or even pure STR ones, but that should not be a priority over a Knuckle or Overall and ATT gear (shoes, cape, and glove).

The last thing I want to talk about in this section is Mark of Naricain (MoN) vs Horntail Pendant (HTP) for Buccaneers.

Unlike Night Lords, this is not much of a question for Buccaneers.
A good MoN will benefit you a lot more than a good HTP and I suggest you start running CWKPQ as soon as possible and start looting!
However, it's good to keep an egged HTP in your inventory for specific situations where you need avoid or you need to equip your knuckle without your proper DEX gear.
If you want more specifics on this matter, a quick search on the forum will provide you much more detailed answers.

If you need guidance for lower level gear or more details about the different kinds of gear pieces you can get, the old thread did an excellent job with that. I suggest you give that section a read.

As mentioned before, washing a Buccaneer is very easy, Buccaneers wash at a flat rate of -16mp +40hp per APR.
One of the most frequent questions I get from people is what HP they should aim for on their Buccaneer.
If you intend to do all the content in the game, you will need 19k HP; anything above that is a luxury.
The most touch damage you will take is 18.5k from Royal Guard. (Most magic damage would be 9k+ twice while being seduced by Auf Haven)
The 2 main exceptions are:
1) Head B in Horntail + Core Blaze in Auf expedition - These are stationary and you wont touch them unless you walk/get knocked into them.
2) Bodyguard A - Since there is no level limit on this boss, low level HB mules are very popular and I would not recommend washing to 27k HP just for this one boss.
As a 19.1k HP Buccaneer myself, I can safely say I do all the endgame content comfortably.

If you are a new player and you don't have the funds to wash, I advise you to put some AP into INT early on (50 for example), get your hands on some basic int gear ASAP, and worry about washing out your MP and INT much later on.
Just level with that base INT until 135; it wont affect your damage too much.

For more funded players, I suggest going for either 19k HP or 30k HP potential.
If you want to make any modifications this method at any points, feel free to use Shiyui's HP washing calculator and calculate for yourself.

It's also worth mentioning that if your Buccaneer is already finished and you did not wash enough (I ended up with 17k hp at level 200 for example), not all is lost!
There is an expensive method that will get you more HP even without extra MP, costing 100 APRs per 1000 HP:

1. Use an APR: -STR + HP
2. Repeat stage 1 for the desired amount of times (you will gain 20 HP eventually for each time you repeat that)
3. Use 10 2nd job SP resets to reset improve MaxHP to 0
4. Use an APR: -HP + STR
5. Repeat stage 4 for the same amount of times as you did in stage 1

* Please note that for this method to fully work, you need to have 1 point from the 2nd job sp pool put into a 1st job skill - Double Shot, as explained in the SP builds section.

This section's main goal is to help players understand the different HP thresholds for bosses, and not to calculate your HP washing.
For this reason, I won't be guiding you on how to wash, to do that you will have to refer to other HP washing guides or Shiyui's HP washing calculator.

NOTE: I do not answer HP washing questions in private or on this thread.
I will gladly answer any other questions!

DISCLAIMER: I will only be talking about bosses that require you to do something other than holding your Barrage+Demolition macro.

One important thing to remember when you boss with a Buccaneer in general is that attacks "stick" to the first target you attack. This means you can ignore clones (like those found in Shao) and focus on a specific boss (such as CWK Bottom bosses).

While not being a boss, I feel like this fits in this section.
I will only be talking about Buccaneer's job in LHC, so this won't be a general guide on how to run and set up your party.

Things you should note as a Buccaneer in LHC:
- Your main job is to SI your party, your DPS is inferior to Warriors and Shads.
- Use your combos correctly: Dragon Strike + Snatch when 3+ mobs are alive, Barrage + Dragon Strike when exactly 2 are alive and Barrage + Demolition when only 1 is alive.
- Always use your Dragon Strike + Snatch combo from the right side, because of the knockback direction.
- Warriors are better than you at rushing, so if there are Warriors rushing in your party, you should focus on attacking.
- You have to attack mobs once every 5 seconds at least, because of LHC exp mechanics, otherwise your party loses exp.
This means that if you are climbing from bottom to top, you need to make sure to hit the mobs on the middle platform once.
If you struggle with climbing between platforms and get knocked down, stay on your platform and charge bubble before you climb.

Thanks @midwinter for helping me with this, as I don't run LHC myself.

Just push the boss to the left corner, go to the second platform from the left, and hold Demolition as shown here:

Pin to the corner and hold your Demolition button with only booster active; no SI. If your SI is maxed, use SI instead of booster because it stays longer:

There is not much to show here, but one thing that should be mentioned is that this is where Buccaneer being a melee/ranged hybrid class really shows.
If your party is mostly melee, you should use Demolition on the top arms.
If you have some ranged attackers, just Barrage + Demolition the arms at the bottom, and Dragon Strike + Snatch when bubble is charged.

Check the CWK guides here and here if you are unfamiliar with this PQ.
Again, there is not much to show here, but I want to mention that in CWK boss stage a Buccaneer can fill 2 different roles:
1) Attacking mage boss using your single target macro
2) Attacking the bottom bosses, either by focusing the archer with your single target macro (good for party with stronger ranged attackers)
or with your Snatch + Dragon Strike macro to attack all 3 (Better for parties with weaker ranged attackers).

Let us divide this into stages (the ones that are worth talking about, at least):
- Pre-heads: pretty straight forward; just hold your Barrage + Demolition macro all the way. Keep in mind that your auto-pot will NOT work in Horntail pre-heads, so always be alert and watch your HP!
- Tail: Here you should use Demolition from a distance. Most Buccs I boss with think you need to stand very close, but you can actually attack from back here:

You can also check your charge bar to make sure you are hitting.
- Head A/B: You attack these normally, but this is where Bucc can be very mobile! You can alternate between the heads like this:

and use the wings/mobs to jump up faster when you fall (works for both sides):

- Head C: On this head, it is important to remember that your bubble (Energy Charge) is basically Stance. When it's up you can attack normally; when it's not, I suggest you use Demolition from up here:

The way you attack this head depends on your party composition: if wings are still alive and you have no DRK/Hero/Shadower in the party, you should use your Snatch + Dragon Strike macro when bubble is up to attack 4 targets:

If this is not the case, just use Barrage + Demo:

Just summon the boss and attack from down here:

Keep your HP above 15k to avoid dying to reflect.

Summon the boss, Corkscrew to the left, and hold Demolition from the top platform, as shown here:

Also make sure to always keep your HP above 15k to avoid dying to damage reflect.

Auf expedition consists of 3 bosses. For more information about mechanics and videos you should visit Jooon's Neo Tokyo guide.
I'm only going to be talking about Auf Haven 2nd body, since that is the "real" boss fight:
Your job is to pin Auf to the LEFT,using your Barrage + Dragon Strike combo, since seduce is always to the right. If you do not keep it pinned, your party can easily get seduced into her body and die.
You need to be positioned on the middle left platform while Auf Haven spawns.
- If Auf stays in place or walks to the right side, use Snatch and then pin it to the left with barrage.
- If Auf walks to the left, just wait for it to reach the corner and pin.

You need to position yourself on the edge of the middle right platform when she spawns, push her beyond the middle line, and then switch to the bottom left platform as demonstrated here:

If at any point she escapes your pin, you must go back to the edge of the right platform and repeat.

When you reach the warning, after the 3rd clone, Auf can start seducing to the left, which means it is your job to center it.
Go to the middle right platform, and use a combination of Barrage and Snatch, according to where Auf is standing, as demonstrated:

That's all there is to it, really! Your job is not complicated, but I encourage you to give the Neo Tokyo guide a read and study Auf's mechanics before you choose to run this boss.
I might make a video of the full expedition in the future!

Buccaneers are essential in Von Leon and it's important to master your class before attempting it.
You will need to learn how to both maximize your damage and use your iFrames to stay alive.
I will not be teaching you about Von Leon mechanics in general, but only give you Bucc specific tips.
- Massive thanks to @autismax (tompson) for helping me with this section.

Your job in Von Leon is:
1) Stay alive and use Time Leap when it's your turn, help your squad have enough res to successfully clear.
2) Use the right combos to maximize your damage, Von Leon is a DPS check and you can't afford to slack on damage.
3) SI your melees/MMs/sairs.
4) Help with clearing mobs with Dragon Strike + Snatch.

Bucc is a complicated job to fully master in Von Leon, and it requires a lot of experience and feel for the different timings to fully maximize your DPS.
For that reason, I will describe 2 different methods to attack this boss, each will require a different mindset.

1st method: (better for more inexperienced players)
With this method, you will need to just use a certain combo for each body, while reacting to the different skills after the combo ends.
It is the easier way to attack, but you will risk a few RNG deaths, though I believe you can average 0-2 deaths consistently if you do it well.
Use Barrage+Demolition for 1st and 2nd body, while having them on separate keys for more control.
It is okay and often necessary to slightly delay your skills to match their iframes with Von Leon's attacks.
Let us go through the different scenarios you can face with rocks and how to deal with them:
1) If rocks are dropped before you started your combo, use Barrage iFrame to dodge:

2) If rocks drop while in Barrage, dodge with demolition:

3) If rocks drop while in Demolition, which is bad timing and a dangerous situation, dodge with corkscrew right after Demolition:

For 3rd body, you should switch to Barrage + Dragon Strike.
This combo will give you more room to react to lasers as the animation is shorter, just use barrage iframe to dodge it or use Demolition/Corkscrew Blow as your panic buttons.

2nd method: (maximize DPS while maintaining more control)
This method is more reactive, you will not know what combo to use in advance.
It is the harder method without a doubt and can be overwhelming at the start, but if you feel like you have good control of your character, try it.
To execute this method, you will have to:
1) Have all your skills on separate keys, and be used to clicking them when needed.
2) Watch out for VL hands, and react accordingly to specific skills.

For b1 and b2, start off your combo by using Barrage.
The reason for this is Barrage being a 100% safe skill to use, as chaining it with Demo will guarantee continuous iFrames until the end of the full combo.

After you Barrage goes off, you will need to watch for the next animation.
- If the next attack is bird stun, follow it up with demo to dodge.
- If the next attack is rocks, and barrage ended early on into rocks animation (before they appear on the floor), follow it up with Dragon Strike. You will dodge the rocks with your next Barrage cycle.
- If the next attack is rocks, but it's already late into the animation (rocks already appeared, about to fall), follow it up with Demo.
- If there is no animation just yet when Barrage ends, follow it up with Dragon strike to safely wait for the next animation.
- For any other attack/skill, just use Demo after Barrage is done.

After you are done with the combo, click Barrage again to go into the next combo, and repeat.
For mobs, you will exclusively use your Dragon Strike + Snatch as mentioned before.

For b3, you will still use Barrage as your starter, but will have to react to skills differently, as laser animation is quick and can snipe you after using Demo.

After your Barrage ends:
- If the next attack is laser, and it's early on in the animation (eyes glowing, laser is still not on the ground), use Demo to dodge it, it's perfectly safe.
- If the next attack is laser, but it's already late into the animation (already shooting the laser), use Corkscrew or just jump to dodge it.
- If the next attack is bird stun, but early into the animation (just started to roar), use Demo to dodge it, it's also perfectly safe.
- If the next attack is bird stun, but late into the animation (bird about to go off), use corkscrew or lay down to dodge it.
- If the next attack is rocks, dodge them with Corkscrew, by walking away or by pausing and using another Barrage when it's safe. This will depend on the timing of the rocks and the situation, but avoid using Demo for this at all cost in b3, only as last resort.
- If there is no animation yet when Barrage ends, follow it up with Dragon strike to safely wait for the next animation.
- For any other attack/skill, just use Dragon Strike, as using Demo on those exposes you to being sniped by laser.

Note: as you gain more experience, you will find small optimizations, like using Demo on Golems consumption animation as well as early on into ground slam and claw attack skills.
Those are timings that are hard to describe with words, and you will just have to get a feel for them eventually.
Start off by following the basics listed above, and eventually you will end up finding more ways to be efficient.

Jail:
Use your Corkscrew iFrames for this.
The golems 1 shot you, so you need to push the mobs and jump over them.
Full jail room video:

Dangers:
Other than the dangers described before (rocks, laser, bird stun), there are 2 other things that can kill you.
I will do my best to describe them and to explain how to avoid dying to them.

1) Transformation expiring:
I will start off by saying that having level 11 Transformation (or higher) is very important in VL.
If your Transformation expires in the middle of any skill, it will cancel your current animation and iFrame - which can kill you if rocks/laser hit you as a result.
Avoid it by:
- Remap one of your quickslot buttons to Transformation, so you will be able to see your cooldown. The top buff bar is not reliable for this skill.
- Click Transformation after 1 minute, when cooldown period is over.
This will renew your Transformation safely, as it has 2 mins uptime and only 1 min cooldown.

This is a very simple tip, but it will save your life.

2) Animation cancels:
While playing Bucc, you will notice VL cancels a lot of animations.

If you play correctly, you will have time to react to canceled animations too, but you will have to notice them.
Please note the following:
- If you saw VL making some weird hand gesture/animation and you cant quite tell what it was in b1/b2, just pause for a second to see if it was rocks. DO NOT go into Demo, because you can get sniped by rocks that way.
- If you see the same thing in b3, you need to consider the possibility that the canceled animation was laser.
Laser will not visually appear if canceled, and if you just click Demo you can get sniped by rocks if the canceled animation turns out to be rocks.
For that reason, use Corkscrew to dodge a potential laser/bird while still having time to react to incoming rocks after.

Here is a full recorded run to demonstrate the methods I mentioned (far from a perfect execution, but good enough for learning):

Here is a full run recorded by @autismax to demonstrate how to achieve 0 deaths as a Bucc, using the methods I described:

- @3ggs for correcting my grammar and making this guide pleasant to read, thank you so much!
- @Jooon for creating these banners.
- @boredxz for fact checking me, correcting spelling mistakes and giving me advice on how to improve this guide.
- @Brawlin for convincing me to play a Buccaneer when I didn't know what job to make.

You can expect this guide to keep improving and updating, I hope you find this useful.
Click to expand...

amazing guide ,
I have a question , if the double uppercut skill is useless , i can put this 10 sp in Dash from 1th job?

Donn1e · Dec 25, 2023

osheredri said: ↑

amazing guide ,
I have a question , if the double uppercut skill is useless , i can put this 10 sp in Dash from 1th job?
Click to expand...

yes, if you wish so

Virgo · Dec 26, 2023

hello pro, i wanna ask how do u fight boss with summons and has iframe?
i just died in ephe like a noob, my skills cant target her after she blinks

Donn1e · Dec 26, 2023

Virgo said: ↑

hello pro, i wanna ask how do u fight boss with summons and has iframe?
i just died in ephe like a noob, my skills cant target her after she blinks
Click to expand...

I'm not too sure I understand the question to be fair.
Clear the mobs with DS+Snatch and Ephenia with Barr+Demo.
Teleports are a part of it, you miss a skill sometimes when she does, but you resume attacking.

ImVeryJelly · Dec 26, 2023

Donn1e said: ↑

I'm not too sure I understand the question to be fair.
Clear the mobs with DS+Snatch and Ephenia with Barr+Demo.
Teleports are a part of it, you miss a skill sometimes when she does, but you resume attacking.
Click to expand...

I think they mean if they don't clear the mobs, Ephenia losses her "oldest mob in the map" status after teleporting and the single target attacks no longer only target the boss and ignore the mobs. Quite difficult of a boss at early bucc levels if they maxed single attack first.

Virgo · Dec 27, 2023

thank you jelly for clarifying it for me lol
another noob qn, i tried hit the boss with normal atk but still my demo hits summons again? how

ImVeryJelly · Dec 27, 2023

Virgo said: ↑

thank you jelly for clarifying it for me lol
another noob qn, i tried hit the boss with normal atk but still my demo hits summons again? how
Click to expand...

Single target MELEE attacks will always hit the oldest mob in the map, if multiple mobs are within the attack range. Hitting Ephenia after she teleports won’t make you target her again. Your only choice is to either corkscrew her out of the mobs (jump and corkscrew since ephenia is taller, but the fairy may rise up with one of their attacks) or kill the mobs. Ephenia is designed as one of the more challenging midtier boss, so if you still can’t defeat her, you’ll have to finish levelling both mobbing and single target attacks or do it with a party.

RazumDar · Jan 7, 2024

Question from a noob Bucc,
Am I correct in my understanding that just Demo on it's own is about 95% as much dps as the Barrage+Demo combo, or am I misunderstanding something?
If you only get a 5% improvement in dps for the 30 SP investment of Barrage, I'm much more inclined to leave that until after DS and Snatch

Ayane · Jan 7, 2024

RazumDar said: ↑

Question from a noob Bucc,
Am I correct in my understanding that just Demo on it's own is about 95% as much dps as the Barrage+Demo combo, or am I misunderstanding something?
If you only get a 5% improvement in dps for the 30 SP investment of Barrage, I'm much more inclined to leave that until after DS and Snatch
Click to expand...

Yeah that's true, the DPS gain is around 5-6% though barrage has some other pros like pinning bosses and better iframes. Also that 5% is important in things like shaolin and can save your run.

Overall it depends on if you just do single target bosses like krex/shaolin or like to do stuff that needs mobbing skills like lhc/neo tokyo

Virgo · Jan 9, 2024

well there are 2 things i dont like about bucc. 1. i cant see my nx while in transform 2. when there 2 or more bucc in 1 map idk who is who and wth im doing
great class btw

Vinilos · Jan 9, 2024

Virgo said: ↑

well there are 2 things i dont like about bucc. 1. i cant see my nx while in transform 2. when there 2 or more bucc in 1 map idk who is who and wth im doing
great class btw
Click to expand...

I always try to see my name, the NX ring is useful there

VitaLemonade · Jan 14, 2024

Ugo · Mar 17, 2024

Hello, what an amazing bucc guide this is! It has helped me through almost every step of becoming a Buccanner. Thank you so much for this!

Wanted to add an alternative way to kill bigfoot with both SI + booster on at the same time constantly hitting demolition. You'd need to be a bit washed in the earlier levels to tank touch. This also requires a bit of practice since you have to stand very close to the bigfoot in order to avoid him facing the wall. This also requires focus so you can't really just chill and spam demo.
Here is demonstration and how, if you control it, you'll never lose hit.

etqx · Jun 29, 2024

thanks for the amazing guide!

would like to ask for a base dex 20 bucc without any eq (boss helms, pendants, rings included) scrolled with dex,

possible to reach 110 dex for dragon slash claw?

thanks in advance

TakeItEasy · Jun 30, 2024

etqx said: ↑

thanks for the amazing guide!

would like to ask for a base dex 20 bucc without any eq (boss helms, pendants, rings included) scrolled with dex,

possible to reach 110 dex for dragon slash claw?

thanks in advance
Click to expand...

should be possible to reach 110 with 20 base and good helm, MoN, rings, medal etc, could get to 110 like that without scrolling anything but the helmet (which can't be scrolled str anyway)
but its not too easy. getting to 100 is much easier.

Sylafia · Jun 30, 2024

etqx said: ↑

thanks for the amazing guide!

would like to ask for a base dex 20 bucc without any eq (boss helms, pendants, rings included) scrolled with dex,

possible to reach 110 dex for dragon slash claw?

thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Base: 20
Helm: 42 (62)
Overall: 8 (70)
MoN: 11 (81)
Earring (godly EP): 7 (88)
Vday Ring: 3 (91)
Krex Ring: 8 (99)
Miwok Ring: 8 (107)
Ifia Ring: 7 (114)
Belt: Just extra I guess

Assuming WA from medal

So it's just barely possible but also very hard. Do note that base str caps at 999, meaning you have 23 dex at lv 200.

etqx · Jul 3, 2024

TakeItEasy said: ↑

should be possible to reach 110 with 20 base and good helm, MoN, rings, medal etc, could get to 110 like that without scrolling anything but the helmet (which can't be scrolled str anyway)
but its not too easy. getting to 100 is much easier.
Click to expand...

Sylafia said: ↑

Base: 20
Helm: 42 (62)
Overall: 8 (70)
MoN: 11 (81)
Earring (godly EP): 7 (88)
Vday Ring: 3 (91)
Krex Ring: 8 (99)
Miwok Ring: 8 (107)
Ifia Ring: 7 (114)
Belt: Just extra I guess

Assuming WA from medal

So it's just barely possible but also very hard. Do note that base str caps at 999, meaning you have 23 dex at lv 200.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. Appreciate it!

Meconium · Sep 3, 2024

nice guide

but having trouble figuring out the keyboard setup with so many skills and macros, dont know what non 4th job skills to leave on it too

can someone post their keyboard setup to see how can i do it please

Mooring · Sep 3, 2024

hi @Donn1e
I did some experimenting using bucc and found this animation cancel while playing:

its basically very simple way to overlap barrage+demo when going into transformation. the method is clicking transformation first then using a barrage+demo skill macro instantly, ur barrage starts when ur transformation didnt occur yet and then demo starts after. It can probably be used to triple if you combine it with transformation cancel aswell and its very simple to do.

Donn1e · Sep 3, 2024

Meconium said: ↑

can someone post their keyboard setup to see how can i do it please
Click to expand...

X = barr + demo
F = DS + snatch
J = 3x barrage
L = 3x demo
C = barr + DS

Hopefully that somewhat helps, I don't find myself needing any more macros/individual skills.

Mooring said: ↑

its basically very simple way to overlap barrage+demo when going into transformation. the method is clicking transformation first then using a barrage+demo skill macro instantly...
Click to expand...

Mooring said: ↑

It can probably be used to triple if you combine it with transformation cancel aswell and its very simple to do.
Click to expand...

Hi, I've tested this exact method in length in the past together with @onetwotree, he sent me vids of this and we went to experiment together.
The conclusion was that this can only be done consistently with high ping (I'm guessing you are on Asia ping?).
On anything that is not high ping this requires you to click super fast (similarly to TC), and even then it will maybe work 10% of the time.
For that reason, I decided not to include it because it's only relevant for a specific part of the community.
Thanks for sharing though!

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