In Aion 2, Gladiator is classified as a tank, but with the right setup, it can deal extremely high damage. Because of its versatility, Gladiator is also a very popular choice among players.
However, Gladiator will automatically take on the tank role in all PvE content rather than DPS. You need to balance your choices between damage output and tanking, which is especially important in raids.

Should You Choose Gladiator?
In PvE, it is not recommended to run Gladiator together with Templar because some of their buffs cannot stack. In most cases, this means you will be the tank for your party.
However, Gladiator can deal very high damage and can even outperform some DPS classes in certain situations. But when everyone has similar skill levels and comparable gear, pure DPS classes will generally still deal more damage than Gladiator.
Therefore, if you only want to play a 100% pure DPS class, Gladiator is probably not for you. Its PvE role is closer to an off-tank that can both take hits and deal damage. If you like melee classes that wield a greatsword while offering both durability and strong damage, Gladiator can be a great fit.
Active Skills
Gladiator does not have Taunt, so the only way to hold enemy aggro/enmity is through damage. Fortunately, Gladiator has three skills with built-in increased threat effects, and they are also among your main damage skills:
- Keen Strike
- Rending Blow
- Overhead Slam
As long as you maintain normal damage output, the threat generated by these three skills is usually enough to tank all dungeons. No additional actions are required. Just focus on dealing consistent damage.
Keen Strike and Rending Blow
Keen Strike is assigned to LMB by default, while Rending Blow is assigned to RMB. Neither skill has a cooldown, so they can be used continuously. The difference is that Keen Strike restores MP, while Rending Blow consumes MP.
Since your other skills have relatively long cooldowns during the early levels, you will use these two skills frequently. For Keen Strike, prioritize the following Specialties:
- +20% MP Recovery
- +50% Multi-Hit
MP Recovery is extremely important because Rending Blow has a high MP cost. Otherwise, you will frequently run out of MP.
At Level 8, prioritize the mobile skill specialty for Rending Blow. This Specialty removes its animation lock, allowing you to move while using the skill. Without it, the skill can feel very sluggish. After that, you can choose the effect that increases damage when fewer targets are hit, which is extremely strong in Boss fights.
Overhead Slam

Overhead Slam cannot be used at any time. It can be triggered when an enemy is knocked down or through Rage Burst.
When fighting a Boss that cannot be affected by crowd control, each attack also has a 7% chance to trigger it.
The most important Specialty for Overhead Slam is Upward Strike Chain. After using Overhead Slam, you can follow it with Upward Strike, and Upward Strike can deal even more damage than the initial hit. During the early levels, you should try to follow up with Upward Strike every time. After the skill reaches Level 12, unlock critical hit specialty.
Rending Blow
Rending Blow is a high-damage skill that also grants a buff called Prepare for Battle, increasing your PvE damage by 20%. During the early levels, this is almost equivalent to gaining 20% additional damage directly.
For Specialties, prioritize:
- +20% Skill Speed
- Additional Hit Damage
Sword Aura Rampage
Sword Aura Rampage can only be used when a Boss is staggered. As long as the boss remains staggered, you can use the skill repeatedly instead of only using it once. This skill can be extremely powerful during the early levels.
For its Specialty, you can choose +5% Additional HP Absorption. This Specialty is not mandatory, but it is generally more practical than the other options.
Movement and Crowd Control Removal Skills
Gladiator has two movement skills:
- Leaping Slam
- Rush Strike
Both skills allow you to leap toward enemies. The difference is that Rush Strike requires you to press Shift to dodge first before it can be used.
It is recommended to level Rush Strike to Level 8 to unlock +10 meters of range, increasing its range to 20 meters, which matches the default range of Leaping Slam and provides a smoother experience.
Leaping Slam is also recommended to reach Level 8, unlocking a cooldown reset after killing an enemy. You do not need to kill an enemy with the skill itself. As long as you kill any enemy by any means, you can leap again.
Defiance removes crowd control effects from your character. After being controlled, a prompt will appear, and you can press Space to break free. It is recommended to level it to Level 8 to unlock a Specialty that additionally restores 20% HP.
Stigma Skills
Lunge Stance
At Level 1, Lunge Stance increases Combat Speed by 20% for 10 seconds. Combat Speed reduces the animation time of all skills, allowing you to use more skills in a shorter period. With only a 1-minute cooldown, it is extremely useful while leveling and is usually the first Stigma you should obtain.
Zikel's Blessing
Zikel's Blessing increases Attack and Accuracy for 10 seconds. Its 20% Attack increase is particularly strong and can significantly improve your damage. It has a 2-minute cooldown, and you can unlock this skill at Level 22.
Rage Burst
Rage Burst increases your Physical Damage by 10% and triggers Overhead Slam when it hits, lasting for 10 seconds.
However, Overhead Slam still has a 5-second cooldown during the early levels, so you cannot actually perform continuous slams yet. During the leveling process, simply use Rage Burst mainly as a PvE damage-boosting skill.
Focused Block
Focused Block is an active block skill. After activation, it gives you a 100% chance to block all attacks coming from the front for a short period, even when you do not have a shield equipped.
Passive Skills
There are two particularly important passive skills during the leveling process:
Experienced Counterstrike
Experienced Counterstrike first increases Front Attack Damage by 4%. This is why Gladiator should try to stay in front of the boss rather than behind it.
In addition, when you block an attack, it provides a damage increase to yourself and your teammates for 20 seconds. This effect can trigger passively or be activated manually through Focused Block.
Attack Preparation
Attack Preparation increases PvE Damage, Defense, and Accuracy, making it a straightforward and practical passive. During the leveling process, you mainly need to focus on these two passive skills.
That covers the key points of Gladiator's early PvE setup. You mainly rely on Keen Strike and Rending Blow to maintain both damage output and aggro while gradually unlocking your Stigmas and key passive skills. Once these fundamentals are mastered, Gladiator can provide consistent performance throughout the leveling process.







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