AION 2 Gladiator Build: PvE and PvP

The Gladiator build at a glance

Both builds spend exactly the 203 Skill Points and 29 Stigma Shard points a character earns by level 45. Skills not listed stay at level 1. Each button opens the build in our skill builder, where you can change any level.

Why some skills stop at 7: levels 2 to 4 cost 1 Skill Point each, 5 to 7 cost 2 and 8 to 10 cost 4, so a skill at 7 costs 9 points and the last three levels cost 12 more. Wisdom Stones add points on top of the 203; spend them on the next skill in the list below. Daevanion nodes and gear add levels beyond the 10 that Skill Points buy.

Gladiator skill priority

In the order to raise them. Next to each skill: how many of 60 level-45 Gladiators in NC's own character data have it on their skill bar.

1. Overhead Slam to 10 (on the bar: 59 of 60). Your main damage. It only lands on a knocked-down target unless Rage Burst is up, and skill level 16, reached with Daevanion nodes and gear on top of your points, removes its cooldown.
2. Rending Blow to 10 (on the bar: 59 of 60). The hit you use between Overhead Slams, and your main attack until Overhead Slam takes over.
3. Ruinous Blow to 10 (on the bar: 60 of 60). Use it every time it is ready, and to open a fight: it also gives you a short buff to PvE damage and critical hits.
4. Keen Strike to 10 (on the bar: 60 of 60). The basic attack you hold between skills. Max it; some builds drop it from the macro once Rending Blow reaches skill level 16.
5. Leaping Slam to 10 and Rush Strike to 10 (on the bar: 60 of 60, 60 of 60). Your ways in. Rush Strike used after a dodge always knocks monsters down, which sets up the next Overhead Slam.
6. Mocking Blade to 7 (on the bar: 57 of 60). Knocks the target down to open tough monsters. Level 7 is the last cheap level: 8 to 10 cost 4 points each.

Passives. Experienced Counterstrike first, then Attack Preparation, both to 10, then Identify Weakness to 10. The last 5 points go into Murderous Burst.

Gladiator Stigmas

Stigma slots open at levels 22, 27, 32 and 37. Learning a Stigma costs 1 shard point; the 29 points you have at 45 cover four Stigmas at these levels:

• Lunge Stance gets the most shards. Plan to take it all the way to 20, where every hit has a 50% chance to cut a second off your other cooldowns.
• Rage Burst lets Overhead Slam land for a few seconds without a knockdown. Level 5 is its first target.
• Focused Block gets a second charge at level 5. Fire it yourself just before a boss's big hit.
• Zikel's Blessing has the longest cooldown of the four. Save it for elites and bosses.

Lifestealing Blade is the common pick in place of Focused Block while you level.

Daevanion boards

The boards add stats, and some of their nodes add a level to a skill. Take the +1 nodes for Overhead Slam, Rending Blow and Ruinous Blow first: nearly every top Gladiator does. Overhead Slam is worth a node on every board that has one: skill level 16 removes its cooldown, the biggest step for this class.

• Nezekan, level 12: Combat Speed and Cooldown Reduction.
• Zikel, level 20: Damage Boost and Damage Tolerance.
• Vaizel, level 30: Critical Damage Boost and Critical Damage Tolerance.
• Triniel, level 40: Multi-Hit Chance and Multi-Hit Resist.
• Azphel, level 45: PvP stats only.
• Ariel, added in NC's October 20 patch, fills from Ariel Fragments earned in the Hard mode of Krao Cave and Draupnir (item level 2600).

Gladiator rotation

1. Before the pull: Lunge Stance, and Zikel's Blessing if it is a boss.
2. Open with Ruinous Blow, or Leaping Slam onto a pack.
3. Knock the target down with Mocking Blade, or dodge and Rush Strike.
4. Rage Burst, then Overhead Slam every time it comes back.
5. Rending Blow between Overhead Slams, Keen Strike in every gap.
6. Focused Block by hand when the boss winds up a big attack.

Macro. Put Rage Burst first, then Overhead Slam and Rending Blow, with a 10 ms delay between skills, and hold Keen Strike on the left mouse button together with the macro key. Keep Leaping Slam, Rush Strike and Focused Block on their own keys.

Skills land better when Tab picks the enemy in front of you; see how to set up tab target in AION 2.

Gladiator PvP build

The PvP build keeps the same core and changes the rest: Mocking Blade goes to 10, and Tenaciousness and Wrath Wave take over Stigma slots. The full list is in the table at the top.

• Mocking Blade goes to 10 and Aerial Snare joins the bar, to keep players on the ground.
• Survival Stance and Survival Willpower take over from the damage passives.
• Tenaciousness and Wrath Wave replace Rage Burst and Focused Block. Open with Rush Strike, then Mocking Blade and Aerial Snare, before Overhead Slam.

Open the PvP build in the skill builder

Other ways to build it

Ruinous Blow can be maxed, or left at 5 and used only to open. The third passive can be Identify Weakness or Impact Hit.

How we put this build together

We do not play-test builds ourselves. Every pick is checked against NC's own Character Info: 60 level-45 Gladiators across NA West, NA East and Europe, and what each one has on the skill bar. Where builds split, we followed the side NC's data backs and wrote the other side above. Skill and Stigma names are NC's global names. Checked on October 23, 2026.

Every Gladiator skill and its unlock level is on the AION 2 Gladiator skills page, and the way to 45 is in the AION 2 Gladiator leveling guide. Builds for the other classes: Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Chanter, Cleric, Sorcerer and Spiritmaster, or all eight side by side on AION 2 builds for every class.

AION 2 Gladiator build FAQ

What is the best Gladiator build in AION 2?

The standard AION 2 Gladiator build maxes Overhead Slam, Rending Blow and Ruinous Blow, runs Lunge Stance, Rage Burst, Zikel's Blessing and Focused Block, and loops Rage Burst into Overhead Slam. It spends all 203 Skill Points and 29 Stigma Shard points a character has at level 45.

What should a Gladiator max first?

Start with Overhead Slam, Rending Blow and Ruinous Blow. Overhead Slam: your main damage. It only lands on a knocked-down target unless Rage Burst is up, and skill level 16, reached with Daevanion nodes and gear on top of your points, removes its cooldown.

What Stigmas should a Gladiator use?

For PvE: Lunge Stance (level 10), Rage Burst (level 5), Zikel's Blessing (level 4) and Focused Block (level 5). Lunge Stance gets the most shards. Plan to take it all the way to 20, where every hit has a 50% chance to cut a second off your other cooldowns. Lifestealing Blade is the common pick in place of Focused Block while you level.

What is the best Gladiator PvP build?

Max Mocking Blade as well, and swap Tenaciousness and Wrath Wave into the Stigma slots. Mocking Blade goes to 10 and Aerial Snare joins the bar, to keep players on the ground.