Hi everyone, Calculator from Tempest Reach here! I’ve been playing Tera for quite a while now, and have seen many repetitive questions being asked in the Forums, as well as in the Tera Subreddit. I’ve decided to compile a list of resources along with answers to some common questions and I hope that this will help both new and old players alike!
Control + F is your best friend here!
Common Questions
Is Tera the game for me?
Different people have different preferences, and different games have different appeals. There are many MMOs out there but one thing which differentiates Tera from the rest is the unique combat system. I would encourage you to give the game a try before passing judgement!
What is endgame like?
Every patch brings about a new dungeons, new gear and new accessories. You will have to run these dungeons in order to get your gear, or materials to craft your Best-in-Slot (BiS). Endgame is a gear grind where you run a select few dungeons many many times in order to get what you need.
Is Tera P2W?
No. The Tera Store mainly consists of cosmetics and a few consumables which you can easily get in game, as well as account services which provide you with convenience. There is nothing in the store which can grant you an edge against other players.
However, you can trade your EMP (Tera’s premium currency) for in game gold and items, and this can help you along with your progress. It is P2SpeedUp in essence. Sure, you can buy gear with EMP but if you’re bad at the game, you’ll still be bad even if you manage to buy BiS.
There is nothing P2W about Tera. Skill is the only thing that gives you an edge over the other players, and you only pay for convenience.
Why are people so mean?
Every game has its fair share of jerks and Tera is no different. Don’t worry though because the vast majority of the people in game are actually nice!
Can I solo the game?
You could solo your way through the leveling process, but once you reach the endgame, it would be best to find a few friends to run dungeons with. It would be impossible to solo the hard mode dungeons given the mechanics so if you want to progress in game, make some friends!
What is trading in Tera like?
We have a Trade Broker (TB) in Tera where you can list your items up for sale. TBs are not game-wide and they only show items from the server you are in. If you want a TB with a plethora of items, I would recommend starting out on one of the larger servers. More players will usually mean more listings on the TB!
What roles are there in the game?
We have the standard trinity of MMOs: DPS, Tanks and Healers.
What class should I play?
I don’t know. This is a matter of trial and error and you have to experiment with the different classes in order to find the one which fits you. Play around with each class for a while before deciding if it’s the one for you. If you don’t like the class, you can always delete it and make a different one!
How many character slots do I get?
You start off with 2 character slots on each server. That means that you will have two slots in Tempest Reach, two slots in Mount Tyrannas, two slots in Highwatch etc. If you want to get more slots, you can always buy them from the Tera Store, or get them in game from other players.
Why are the Elin presets so ugly?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Why can’t I make a Reaper?
You need to have another character which is level 40 in order to make a Reaper. Go level a class to level 40, then go back to the character selection screen! You should be able to make a Reaper now.
Which server do I choose?
If you have friends, then choose the server where your friends are playing. If not, then I would really recommend starting out on one of the more populated servers.
PvP/PvE: Mount Tyrannas
In a PvP server, open world combat is enabled. This means that anyone in the open world can just walk up to you and hit you. This can be circumvented by switching channels in game. However if you don’t like the hassle, then don’t start out on a PvP server. MT also has an active PvE scene too.
PvE: Tempest Reach/Celestial Hills
In a PvE server, there is no open world combat. If you want to hit anyone, you would need to invite that person to a duel! The only time you would need to switch channels would be to get to a less populated map where you can do your dailies.
RP: Celestial Hills
For all your roleplaying needs! If you like to immerse yourself in the lore and gameworld and progress at your own pace, consider trying Celestial Hills.
Mystics or Priests?
Mystics offer better offensive debuffs and buffs for your party with Contagion, Volley of Curses (glyphed), Thrall of Protection (glyphed) and Aura of the Merciless. They recently got a buff and their lock on heal is no longer a heal over time; instead it heals for the full amount. They have AoE heals like Boomerang Pulse and a Healing Totem.
Priests offer better defensive capabilities with well rounded buffs. Kaia’s Shield grants a massive shield which can help in sticky situations, Triple Nemesis debuffs the boss, and you also get power, endurance, health regen and move speed buffs. Priests also have a larger library of healing skills to choose from, allowing them to “carry” parties who constantly take damage.
As mentioned earlier, not every class suits everyone. Why not play both Mystics and Priests and find the better fit for yourself? Healers will always be in demand and no matter which route you choose, the primary role will still be the same.
How much gold do I need?
There is no such thing as too much gold. The more you have the better!
How do you make gold?
Gold in Tera comes from many different sources. You get gold as drops from dungeons, quest rewards, Vanguard Dailies but the most comes from selling items on the Trade Broker.
If you are just starting out, don’t expect to make lots of gold as you will have to spend resources enchanting your Level 65 gear. Once you have your equipment sorted out, you can start selling Feedstock or Masterwork Alkahest if you do not need them
What is the best class?
The best class is the class which you can play to the best of your ability. However, there exist some classes which can dish out a lot of damage and you just have to be decent – not great – to do so. Play any of the new classes and you’ll see what I mean. This does not mean that the new classes are easy to play though; they still require a good player for them to really shine.
How do I join a guild?
You can join a guild by looking up its name with the guild finder. Click on “Apply” and wait!
Leveling from 1-65
There are a total of 65 levels in Tera. If you like the lore, you can level via quests. If you just want to power your way through, then you can always grind Big Ass Monsters (BAMs) while queuing for dungeons. This guide on Teratoday is a great levelling guide which will help see you through!
Gear while leveling
Do not worry about your gear from levels 1-64. Use the gear you pick up from monsters and dungeons, they are more than enough to help you through. Tera also has Avatar Weapons which gives you a nice damage boost and speeds up your levelling process. This guide on Teratoday has all you need to know about Avatar Weapons.
Always use your Avatar Weapons, they are stronger than the weapon drops you obtain from monsters and dungeons. You will get a new Avatar Weapon every few levels.
Feedstock
You can obtain Feedstock while you are leveling from dungeons and monster drops.
Alkahests
You can obtain alkahests from dungeon and monster drops. You can also obtain Alkahests by purchasing them from in game merchants.
Enchanting
To enchant your gear, you will need Alkahest and Feedstock. Here is a short clip on how to enchant your gear. Do note that you will need to have Alkahest and Feedstock!
Queueing for Dungeons
You will need to click on the “House Icon” on your main menu. Clicking on it will bring up the interface which shows you the dungeons you can queue for. Here is a short clip on how to queue for dungeons.
Getting Around
If you have Elite, then all you need to do is right click your Village Atlas and choose a point on the map where you want to go. However if you have just started out, chances are you do not have Elite, so the next best method of getting around would be through Teleportals and Flight Managers. Here is a short clip on getting around via Teleportals and here is one on getting around via Flight Managers. These can be found in towns all around Tera.
Expanding Inventory Space
You can expand your inventory space by talking to any Bank NPCs in game. Each expansion will cost you some gold. Here is a short clip on how to expand your inventory space. Note the “Expand Inventory” button which pops out on the dialogue when I interact with the NPC. I can’t expand my inventory anymore so that’s why an error message pops up!
You can also expand your inventory space by one row by completing the quest “Inventory Trick”. The quest is obtained earlier on in the chain of story quests.
You can also expand your inventory space by one row just by levelling to 50.
You can also expand your inventory space by one row by reaching 300 skill in ALL GATHERING SKILLS.
You can also expand your inventory space by completing the level 55 quest “Bolstering the Homefront”. It requires you to gather materials from various resource nodes. If you don’t like gathering, you can purchase the materials off the TB.
Thanks to Enlightenedbri and Texendis for pointing out the quest “Bolstering the Homefront”!
Expanding Bank Slots
You start off with one tab of bank space. This can be expanded to up to 4 tabs. Bank expansions can be bought from the Tera Store or from other players in game.
Learning Skills & Glyphs
You learn skills from the skill menu and each upgrade requires some amount of gold. You can access the skill menu by pressing the default “K” key. In Tera, we have Glyphs which can help improve an effect of your skills. Clicking on the Glyph you want will enable it, and clicking on it once again will disable it. Each Glyph will cost a different amount of Glyph Points, and you can’t use anymore Glyphs until you get more Glyph Points. Glyph Points are obtained simply from leveling up! Here is a short clip on upgrading your skills, as well as enabling/disabling Glyphs.
Crafting and Gathering
We have a total of four professions in Tera, namely Alchemy, Armor Crafting, Weapon Crafting and Etching.
Alchemy lets you craft useful consumables like potions and scrolls. Armor Crafting enables you to craft armor pieces for all classes. Weapon Crafting enables you to craft weapons for all classes. Etching enables you to craft either temporary or permanent etches which can be applied to your equipment to give you a stat boost.
This guide from Enmasse gives you the very basics and this guide from Gameforge gives a better overview of the system.
Choosing a Profession
I think that Alchemy and Etching are the only professions currently worth investing in.
With Alchemy, you can craft useful items like mana potions and TB the excess you don’t need.
With Etching, you can craft useful scrolls which can be used on your equipment to give you a stat boost. Etching is a lot like playing the lottery because every time you craft an Etch, you could either get a temporary or permanent one. It is heavily reliant on RNG and if you fail too many times, you can always cry on my shoulder.
Artisan Additives
Artisan Additives are consumables which you use while crafting to increase your chances of critting by 15%. These can be bought on the Tera Store or from other players in game.
Gathering
Littered throughout the world of Tera are resource nodes. There are three main types, namely ores, essences and plants. These resources provide you with materials for crafting. Gathering also grants you special buffs (see Gameforge guide above). This guide here on the Tera Wiki is useful for players wanting to increase their gathering skill.
Production Points (PP)
You have 4000 PP, and these points regenerate over time. Crafting and gathering will use up points. If you run out of PP, you can either wait for them to regenerate or use Crafter’s Cures which can be bought from an NPC in Velika.
If you are an Elite, you can also use the Elite Crafter’s Cure obtained from your Elite Consumable Box.
Resetting Your Profession
If you would like to change your profession after you completed your artisan test, you can always buy Revival Fruits. These can be bought from NPCs, such as from this guy in Lumbertown.
Gearing at Level 65
Congratulations! You’ve reached 65, time to experience the endgame! You would have obtained an Idoneal set by completing the questline from this NPC in Highwatch (correct me if I’m wrong, I haven’t leveled any characters recently and can’t remember).
Your gear progression in this patch would look something like Dreadnaught > Slaughter > Starfall /Imperator.
This gear progression guide here on Essentialmana is up to date for this patch.
Low Tier Gear
Dreadnaught is the low tier gear for the current patch. Dreadnaught can be obtained by doing the dungeons Channelworks (CW) and Kalivan’s Challenge (KC).
Dreadnaught can also be obtained by COMPLETING THE ISLAND OF DAWN QUEST LINE which starts from Seir in Highwatch. The quest line will grant you a Dreadnaught set, and I recommend enchanting the set to +12 before progressing onwards.
Mid Tier Gear
The mid tier gear for the current patch is Slaughter. Slaughter can be obtained by doing the dungeon Demokron Factory Normal Mode (DF/DFNM).
Conflate
There is set called Conflate which is a little better than Slaughter. It is used for PVP but can be rerolled for PVE purposes if you so wish. The materials can be obtained from the PVP shops.
Imperator /Best-in-slot (BiS) /Visionmaker 7 (VM7)
The BiS in this patch is Imperator. This set DOES NOT DROP from any dungeons; it has to be CRAFTED. You obtain the necessary materials from dungeons. This guide from Essentialmana gives a detailed overview on the materials needed and how to go about obtaining them.
Starfall (VM6), an Alternative to VM7
If you do not wish to get VM7 but still want equipment which is better than Slaughter /can be awakened for wings, then Starfall (VM6) is your best bet. It recently received a buff and it is still viable. Plus, the materials are a lot easier to get! This guide on Essentialmana has all the details you need to know about Starfall.
Master Glyphs
Upon reaching Level 65, you might have noticed that some of your glyphs are locked. These are Master Glyphs, and can only be obtained from dungeons like Sabex Armory (SA) and Macellarius Catacombs (MC). Completing these dungeons will drop glyph boxes for your class. These glyph boxes drop random glyphs, so it is all RNG whether you get the glyph you want.
However if you can’t seem to get lucky, you can always exchange your Vanguard (VG) Points for glyph tokens, which can be used to obtain the specific glyph you want.
Rare Master Glyphs
In addition to Master Glyphs, you also have Rare Master Glyphs. These can be obtained from RNG boxes which are exchanged from Tyrantsblood Tokens (obtained from dungeons).
If you are never lucky, you can always get the specific glyph you want by turning in your Shadetop Tokens (obtained from completing Island of Dawn dailies)!
DPS, Tank and Crit Healing Accessories
This Patch only brought a Crit Factor and a Power set. These sets can be separated into two tiers, tier one and tier two, with tier two being the better one.
Tier two jewellery can be obtained by completing the dungeons Shadow Sanguinary Hard (SSHM), Shadow Sanguinary Normal Mode (SSNM), Demokron Factory Hard (DFHM), Wonderholme (WH), The Abcess Hard (ABHM) and the necklace from Forsaken Island (FI).
Tier one jewellery can be obtained by completing Timescape (TS/TSNM) and Kalivan’s Dreadnaught Hard (KDHM).
The new accessories can also be obtained by turning in 300 Shadetop Tokens or 40 Tyrantsblood Tokens.
PVP Accessory Set
This patch also brought along a new set of PVP jewellery. These are not unique, so you can equip them with the current BiS PVE jewellery to obtain the maximum effect. This set is crafted and the materials can be bought from the PVP shops. If you do not wish to PVP, you can buy the materials from the TB. This document here has all the information about the new jewellery sets.
Healing Accessories
Healers do not have any healing jewellery this patch, so we will have to rely on the healing set from the previous patch (Pinnace and Argosy), as well as Hyderad Settings which are the BiS rings for healers.
You can obtain last patch’s jewellery by completing The Abcess Normal Mode (ABNM), or by turning in your Desolarus Tokens (obtained from the previous patch).
Hyderad Settings are obtained from the Reputation Merchant in Bastion. You will need to be Revered in order to purchase them. You will need to do all the yellow quests in Bastion in order for the dailies (green quests) to show up. One way to make this easier is to turn on quest markers on your minimap in “Options”.
Here is a guide on Essentialmana on how to obtain your Hyderad Settings.
The ideal setup for a healer to increase your healing would include a Pinnace Earring, Argosy Earring, Pinnace Necklace and Hyderad Settings x2.
Rerolling Your Jewelry
You can reroll your jewelry with Semi-Enigmatic Scrolls (SES). SES can be obtained from BAMs, Enchanting Bonanza Boxes (PVP Shop), or bought from other players in game. Be prepared to use a lot of SES to obtain the rolls you want!
Innerwear
Innerwear is obtained from loot boxes which you can purchase from the Tera Store. If you don’t feel lucky, you can always purchase the innerwear directly from other players in game.
You get a free green innerwear by completing the questline in Highwatch (see above).
You can also obtain innerwear by turning in Goldfinger Tokens (obtained from Ghillieglade) and I highly recommend getting at least a blue innerwear if you are unable to afford a gold one.
Masterworking Your Gear
After obtaining your gear, it is essential that you masterwork and enchant them to +12. You will need to continuously use Enigmatic Scrolls and Identification Scrolls on your equipment until it Masterworks. I would recommend Master Enigmatic /Blessed Enigmatic Scrolls and Intricate Identification Scrolls as they have a higher chance of Masterworking your item. This guide on Teratoday gives a detailed explanation on the process.
Rerolling Your Gear Lines with Spellbinds
You usually reroll your lines after you have masterworked your item. The type of gear line you want will depend on the class you play. It is close to impossible to obtain perfect rolls, so I would recommend using Spellbinds to lock the line you want before rerolling. Here is a short clip on how to do so. For equipment like your gloves and boots, it is possible to keep rerolling without spellbinds until you get the rolls you want. However if you are unlucky, you can always opt to use Spellbinds.
Awakening
Congratulations on obtaining your BiS! After you have rerolled and +12’ed your equipment, it is time to Awaken it! This site tells you the amount of materials you need, and as you can see, it isn’t cheap at all. Awakened Enchanting is RNG reliant and you could spend all you have and not have anything to show for it. If you failed multiple times in a row, maybe it is time to take a short break before trying again!
Useful Resource on Awakening, Enchanting, Masterworking and Rerolling
This guide here on Essentialmana has most of what you need to know about the process. It has pictures to guide you through if it is your first time.
Crystals
Crystals are useful tools which boost your damage and provides you with a plethora of useful effects depending on the one you use. There are many Crystals in Tera, but the ones listed below are the ones most commonly used for PvE.
It is vital to use the correct Crystals which are suitable for your class and level. When you reach Level 65, you are expected to have the proper crystals if you want to be accepted into LFG runs. If you cannot afford Fine Niveots, then you are advised to use Fine Cruxes until you have enough resources to obtain your Niveots.
Fine Niveots can be obtained in game from fusing, VG Merchants, crystal boxes and bought from other players.
DO NOT USE THE NIVEOTS YOU CAN PURCHASE FROM CRYSTAL MERCHANTS IN GAME. FINE CRUXES HAVE BETTER EFFECTS. Compare the effects between a Fine Crux and a Normal Niveot below.
Complete Crystalbind (CCB)
When you die, there is a chance that one of your Crystals will break. To circumvent this, you can use Crystalbinds which help to protect you Crystals when you die. I strongly recommend using Complete Crystalbinds (CCBs) as they provide you with 12 hours of protection. The time on CCBs DO NOT DECAY when you are OFFLINE.
Fusing
If you have a few unwanted Crystals, you can TB /NPC them for some gold, or you could fuse them together to obtain a Crystal with a new effect. You can fuse 3 random /similar Crystals of similar colour to obtain a new Crystal. This is GUARANTEED to give you a Crystal of a random effect in return as shown here.
If you have Niveot Structures (obtained from Crystal Boxes and can be bought from players), you could fuse 3 random /similar Cruxes of similar colour for a CHANCE of obtaining a random Niveot Crystal. This is RNG dependent and you could fail multiple times in a row as shown here.
Dyad Crystals
Dyad Crystals are improved versions of your Fine Niveots. They come with an improved effect, as well as a random secondary effect. Dyad Crystals are special as they BIND TO THE EQUIPMENT IT IS USED ON, and they DO NOT BREAK upon death.
If you have Dyad Niveot Structures (obtained from Crystal Boxes, Killing Spree shop and dungeon drops), then you can fuse 3 random /similar Fine Niveots along with the Dyad Niveot Structure to obtain a Dyad Crystal of random effect. This process GUARANTEES you a random Dyad Crystal, but the effect you get is RNG dependent. You might not get the Dyad you want on your first try. You can see the process here.
If you have Dyads which you do not want, you can fuse 3 Dyads of similar colour to obtain a random Dyad Crystal. This process is shown here
Smart Dyad Structures
| Smart Dyad Structures guarantees you a Dyad of an effect you want, although the secondary effect is still random. You need to fuse 3 identical Fine Niveots along with the Smart Dyad Structure. So if I want a Hardy Dyad, I would need to fuse 3x Fine Hardy Niveots along with the Smart Dyad Structure. Smart Dyad Structures can be obtained in game from the Killing Spree shop at the cost of 100 000 Killing Spree Credits. They can also be obtained from Strongbox Events by opening Strongboxes (please read the event notes to check the contents of the event, some strongbox events do not include Smart Dyad Structures in the drop tables). |
DPS Weapon Crystals
You are your party’s main damage source, and your crystals play a very big role in how much damage you do.
DPS classes in Tera hit the bosses from the back /side, and the amount of time you get to do so is called backtime. You want to hit the bosses from the back because that is where you are safest, and also where your weapon rolls (do x% more damage when you attack from behind) and crystal effects come in to give you a damage boost.
The important and commonly used crystals are Bitter /Spiteful, Savage, Pounding, Forceful, Focused and Carving. You can only use 4 crystals on your weapon at any one time, and what you use depends on your party setup and your needs.
| Crystal | Effect |
| Bitter [Melee DPS including Reapers] | Increases Crit Power against monsters when attacking from behind |
| Spiteful [Ranged DPS] | Increases Crit Power against monsters when making ranged attacks from the side /back |
| Savage | Increases Crit Power when attacking from behind |
| Pounding | Increases damage to monsters by x% |
| Forceful | Crits increase power when attacking from behind |
| Focused | Increases crit power against enraged monsters by x |
| Carving | Increases the chance to crit by x% |
| Slaying [Score runs] | Increases crit power by x when you are under 50% HP |
The standard Crystals you want are Bitter /Spiteful (depends on whether you are ranged or melee), Savage, Focused and a choice of either Forceful /Pounding /Carving.
Use Carving only when you feel that you need that extra Crit Chance. Could also be used on Classes with low Crit Factors.
There is ongoing debate about Pounding vs Forceful. If you want to min-max your damage, then I’ll point you to Bernkastel’s min-max guide (scroll down to the “Crystal” section) where he does some Math to justify when one is better than the other. You can also use the search function in the subreddit to look for similar discussions.
DPS Accessory Crystals
| Crystal | Effect |
| Keen | Increases Crit Factor by x |
| Powerful | Increases Power by x |
Equip these crystals according to your needs. I usually use Keen Crystals x4 when I am with a Priest and Powerful Crystals x4 when I am with a Mystic.
Tank Weapon Crystals
Tanks are the shields of your party and your job is to draw the attention of the boss (aggro) to provide your DPS with ample backtime, as well as providing useful buffs and debuffs.
| Crystal | Effect |
| Wrathful | Increases Crit Power by x when attacking from the front |
| Pounding | Increases damage to monsters by x% |
| Focused | Increases crit power against enraged monsters by x |
| Carving | Increases the chance to crit by x% |
| Threatening | Increases aggro by x% |
With the rework of the aggro system and introduction of the Wrathful Crystal, tanks can now dish out some mean DPS! Brawlers, and even Lancers can hit up to /over 1m/s.
Ideal tanking Crystals can either be Wrathful, Focused, Carving, Pounding or Wrathful, Focused, Pounding x2.
You will rarely lose aggro if you have proper rolls on your equipment and can play your class reasonably well. However if you find yourself having trouble holding aggro, then you should swap out a Carving /Pounding for a Threatening. Sure, you might lose out on some DPS but remember, your main role is supposed to be holding the boss’s attention so that the rest of your party can clear the dungeon safely and smoothly.
Tank Accessory Crystals
| Crystal | Effect |
| Keen | Increases Crit Factor by x |
| Powerful | Increases Power by x |
Equip these crystals according to your needs. I usually use Keen Crystals x4 when I am with a Priest and Powerful Crystals x4 when I am with a Mystic.
Healer Weapon Crystals
Healers focus on staying alive while keeping their party topped up with mana and health. They also provide a range of useful buffs and debuffs.
| Crystal | Function |
| Swift | Increases movespeed by x when in combat |
| Brilliant | Replenishes x mp per 5 seconds |
| Carving | Increases the chance to crit by x% |
You can opt for either Swift, Brilliant x3 or Swift, Carving, Brilliant x2. I personally go for the second option as I rarely run out of mana with Infused Charms, along with my skills like Corruption Ring /Mana Charge.
Healer Accessory Crystals
| Crystal | Effect |
| Keen | Increases Crit Factor by x |
| Grounding | Increases Endurance by x |
| Succoring | Increases Healing by x% |
I’ve always used Succoring as it provides me with the best boost in my heals.
Grounding will provide you with a neat endurance increase, but as a healer you would want to avoid getting hit as much as possible.
I am not sure about Keen as I have never used them on my healer, but if you are going for a Crit Heal build, these might be worth considering.
Armor Crystals
All classes equip the standard Hardy 4x. The damage reduction it gives you far surpasses the HP increase you get from Relentless Crystals.
Useful Resource on Dyads
This guide found on Essentialmana has more details and includes all the secondary effects which can be obtained on Dyad Crystals.
Elite
A standard player in Tera will only have access to 1 dungeon entry per day, and if they want to do more than one, they will need to use instance reset scrolls (can be purchased from other players). Listing and removing items on the TB will also require them to use some gold, and they are limited to listing on 1 page (correct me if I’m wrong).
A player with Elite will have access to 2 dungeon entries per day, and they DO NOT REQUIRE GOLD TO LIST OR REMOVE ITEMS on the TB. Elite also comes with an Elite bar which includes a free mount (for the duration of your Elite Status), a Travel Journal, a Village Atlas, Elite Gift and Consumable boxes, Velik’s scroll, Gold Boost and free consumables which have unlimited use. There are plenty of other perks so I’ll refer you to Enmasse’s page for the details.
So, is Elite worth it? You bet it is! The Village Atlas and Travel Journal, 5 pages of TB listings, double entries and daily gift boxes, and unlimited consumables make it a worthwhile investment. You can either purchase Elite from the Tera Store with EMP, subscribe for a monthly fee, or purchase it from other players in game.
But is Elite mandatory to play the game? Nope. Elite offers you convenience and perks and you can play the game fine without it. I have a friend who plays Tera without Elite just fine!
Basic Consumables
When you run the endgame dungeons, you are expected to use Charms, Crit /Attack Speed Scrolls and Nostrums. These consumables boost your DPS and helps make the fight go a lot smoother.
Charms
These are your very basic consumables. For DPS and Tank classes, you will benefit the most from Power, Infusing and Enduring Charms. Burn these in a campfire and they will activate once you enter combat. For healers, you will benefit from a Keen Charm instead. The effect ends when you die /the timer runs out so you will need to reuse them. Charms can be bought from the Specialty Store in game or from the TB (check the TB first because the prices on the TB are often cheaper than the ones offered by the NPC).
Crit Power /Attack Speed Scrolls & Nostrums
Crit Power Scrolls will increase your Crit Power and offers a significant boost in your DPS. It is essential for the DPS and Tanks to use them whenever you run a dungeon. Crit Power Scrolls can be crafted or purchased from NPCs /players.
Attack Speed Scrolls benefit healers more and every healer should use them as they increase the animation speed of your skills. These should be used whenever you run a dungeon. Attack Speed Scrolls can be crafted or purchased from NPCs /players.
Nostrums reduces the cooldown of your offensive skills and you should use them as the cooldown can help you pump out more skills. This should be used by ALL CLASSES. Nostrums can be crafted or purchased from NPCs /players.
Noctenium Infusion
Noctenium improves the effects of your skills. This can range from increasing a skill damage, to increasing your healing output. Each skill cast will use up 1 noctenium. These are not mandatory and should be used when you want to see big, green /yellow numbers and increase your damage. Noctenium can be obtained in game from Alliance, Noctenium Infusion Boxes or purchased from other players.
Bravery /Canephora Potions
These potions help increase your damage. Use them when you want to maximise your damage, or just when you feel like it. Do note that the effects DO NOT STACK.
Credits: http://teradatabase.net/us/item/167001/ & http://teradatabase.net/us/item/150542/
Vanguard Dailies
Vanguard Dailies are tasks which grant you points. Tasks include clearing dungeons, gathering, or killing BAMs on the Island of Dawn (IoD). Completing IoD BAM Dailies also reward you with tokens which can be turned in for materials, glyphs and the new accessories.
Bringing Up the Interface
When you press the “H” (default) key, you will bring up your Vanguard (VG) interface. This interface shows you a list of things you can do and completing each of these will award you a set amount of points.
Points
These points can be turned in for various goodies, like Crystals and Masterwork Alkahest (MWA) boxes. There are a set number of badges you can do each day, and I encourage you to complete all of them as the VG points are really useful. Vanguard Points are also one of your main sources of MWA.
Optimization /Improving Frame Rate
Tera isn’t optimized at all. I often get FPS in the low 30s, and it is not unheard of to have high end gaming machines having trouble with frame rates too. We can only pray and hope that BHS will optimise the game for us, but until then, you will have to tweak some game files in order to improve your frame rate.
Bernkastel’s Tera Optimisation Guide is my go to and I always refer friends and guild members who have FPS issues to it. Give it a try and your game might just improve!
Achievements
You want that fancy laurel? Well time to work for it! Achievement grades are determined by how many achievements you complete, with Bronze being the lowest laurel and Champion being the highest laurel.
You earn achievement points by completing various tasks and you can view the tasks and your grade by pressing the “V” key (default). Note that achievements under “SPECIAL” DO NOT COUNT towards your grade.
I recommend clearing the achievements in Progression, Tours of Duty, Dungeons (some), Extracurricular Activities and Encounters and Exploration (rare mobs and some World Bosses). In the current patch, it is possible to obtain a Champion laurel WITHOUT camping for World Bosses.
This guide by Warmi shows you all of the locations for the rare mobs and this video guide gives you all the locations of all world bosses. These monsters have very long spawn times, so the best times to get them are after server resets. Or you could join a World Bam group in your server, more people means more opportunities!
Along the way, you might find yourself missing an item for a quest (Tours of Duty). If you do not have an item needed to complete a quest, you can always write to Support nicely and the staff will assist you.
There is also a quest called “Oshar’s Biggest Secret”, and you will need to reach a certain reputation in Bastion in order to unlock it. Just do all the yellow quests in Bastion and you’ll eventually complete it!
You might also come across annoying achievements which require you to hit a boss x times, or knockdown a boss in a dungeon.
Make sure to equip a low level weapon, and unequipping all your gear which might give you a DPS boost before attempting to hit a boss x times /knockdown. For Reapers, you can use bombs and throw them from the back of the monster (30s cooldown) if you do not wish to 1 HKO and reset the dungeon. Oh, Strength Charms and Impact Crystals will also help you with knockdowns!
Dungeon Guides & Useful Sites
Here are some dungeon guides for the current patch. Yosha’s Shadow Sanguinary Guide, Demokron’s Factory Guide on Essentialmana, Wonderholme Guides Part I and Part II.
Essentialmana has a treasure trove of information and their guides are written by knowledgeable players. Class guides, dungeons guides, achievement guides, you name it!
Yosha’s Site has all the information about upcoming class changes and includes a detailed Sorcerer Class Guide, along with other useful information.
The Tera Subreddit has plenty of discussions, if you do not find your question here, head over to the site and use the search function. Chances are a question which is similar to yours has already been answered!
Closing Note
I hope that this document will help answer some common questions, as well as help both new and old players in the community. If I have missed out any information /useful site or resource, please let me know and I’ll rectify it! Have fun and enjoy the game!
