Mew's Guardian Guide

Mew's Guardian Guide

Complete Journey to Guardian Mastery

WIKI UNDER CONSTRUCTION

65+

Required Level

5

Guardian Types

3

Main Questlines

16

Secret Cards

OverviewOverview FAQFAQ Card IDCard ID Soul SeedSoul Seed Guardian QuestG.Quest EmpathyEmpathy Guardian TypesG.Types BuildsBuilds Harkon DefenseHarkon ExamplesExamples

Quick Overview

Everything you need to know about guardians in one place

What is a Guardian?

A guardian is a permanent familiar that follows you around and assists in PvE combat using skills. They're your ultimate companion in Trickster Online!

Time Investment

First guardian (legendary): ~10 days with minimal prep. With good preparation: 3-5 days. You can start at level 65!

Main Process

1. Card Identification (CID) → 2. Soul Seed Quest → 3. Guardian Creation → 4. Empathy Building

Pro Tips

Always CID BEFORE planting your seed! Collect items beforehand. Research your build. Ask the community for help!

Looking for a quick start? Jump to the FAQ section for immediate answers, or check out the Guardian Types section to plan your build!

This guide is regularly updated with the latest information. If you're looking for a simplified version, check out the Basic Guardian Builds guide for quick reference.

About the Author

Who is Mewsie?

My IGN is Mewsie and I am a collector of fashion-related items. I have 9 guardians at the time of this guide on rTO alone (3 legendaries including one spinel, 3 superior, 1 normal, and 3 mighty), all of them I like to use to fit my itch for fashion. I also was able to make a legendary in a day (CID+build) on CoraTO. If you see me running around, feel free to say "Hello"! I will not hesitate to help if I possibly can. I've lead more Tricksters on this topic than I'd like to admit, so I figured "Why not make an all-encompassing guide?".

Guide History

This guide has been a work in progress since around 2017-2018, and I never intend to call it finished—there is always more information to learn. I originally held this on the rTO forums, and then on a stand-alone document after.

My Goal

My goal is to be the most descriptive guide out there so it's a one-stop-shop for your guardian needs! From a decade old player and the proud owner of currently 9 guardians on rTO and 2 legendaries and 1 mighty on CoraTO, here is my in-depth and fantastic guide into the wonderful world of guardians.

Feel free to reach out to me in-game if you have questions or suggestions for improving this guide. I'm always happy to help fellow players on their guardian journey!

About This Guide

Are you stuck on your guardian? Do you not know where to start? Do you want insider tips and tricks to speeding up the process? Do you like pictures and a comprehensible layout for your guides? Look no further! Mew's got you covered.

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Frequently Asked Questions

All your guardian questions answered

General Guardian FAQ

Question	Answer
What is a guardian?	A guardian is a familiar that permanently follows you around and assists in PvE (NOTE: NOT PvP) using skills.
How do I know what skills my guardian can use?	The skills are marked by a green flag at the top-left hand corner. It looks like (if available). You can also right-click the skill at NPCs to see if it's guardian-compatible.
How long will it take?	Short answer: My first legendary took 10 days with minimal prep. My second took less than 3 days. Long answer: Depends on prep, type, and method. The more you research and collect items beforehand, the quicker the process goes. You can technically start this whole thing at level 65.
What is empathy?	Empathy is a "secret" point system that builds your guardian's stats. You can't see empathy directly, but you can see the results in a build graph similar to your MyView. The system tracks your actions to determine your guardian's final stats.
What is secret empathy?	Secret Empathy is a complex system that gives your guardian seed +1 for each type except one, which will be +2. This is pure RNG. You won't be able to see the empathy until after it hatches, which is where the "Secret" comes from. You gain secret empathy through CID and fortune telling.
What's the best guardian for me?	Depends on your playstyle! For bossing and endgame content, check the cookie-cutter build. Otherwise, pick what speaks to your soul - you'll be stuck with it! Do more research to find your best fit.
Should I go for legendary first?	On CoraTO, it's worth a slight DPS boost. You can get full SCs within 800-1k cards. Make sure you CID first! However, the DPS increase is relatively small compared to the effort required.
I DON'T want legendary first!	CID BEFORE PLANTING YOUR SEED! Get the SCs first, card farm first, then worry about building later. Don't soft-lock your character while trying to get all the SCs!

Advanced FAQ

Question	Answer
What is the red Empathy Aura Combo meter on my Build screen?	IGNORE IT. IT'S JUST A COMBO METER. It's information overload. It's not an EXP bar!
Do the number of actions have to be exact?	Yes, more or less. You want to be as accurate as possible to reduce your margin of error. Empathy (EM) is exact, SEM is unknown (thought to be exactly 2k but estimated at 1.6k with regular actions).
Do I need CID/Secret Empathy?	For Regular/Mighty/Superior: You'll need about 800 cards to get a complete set. After that it depends on how you do CID/if you do anything fortune-related/anything else SEM-related. For Spinel: You need about double of everything. Tip: If you're only going for regular/mighty/superior, then you'll need about 800 to get a complete set of SCs.
Why Cookie-Cutter Build?	Lucky Fist is based on enemy HP rather than internal stats, making it ideal for something that can't buff itself. This is meta for CoraTO because much of the endgame, including custom content bosses, are based around incredibly high HP bosses (over 300 million HP). You tell me you wouldn't want something that does basically 1/6 of that every 30 seconds for just a slight grind investment, versus hammering away with your Paula doing 3.5k damage if you're lucky with PvP equipment + compositions + tempers after waiting 3.5 minutes for CH5 to appear...
What is squiggle? What is 90 DA?	Squiggle refers to the picture emote of a jumbled squiggle made when your character exclaims "Nothing is here!" and makes an angry motion. 90 DA refers to the DA stat, and how much you need in total. This allows you to always have a concrete result from drilling, which is either "Item is found!" with the lightbulb, or the Squiggle.
Additional Important Information	Second Guardian: You must purchase a Soul Ticket for another guardian slot (MyShop > Pet&Drill > Guardian) Runes: You can't replace the top-left rune or add one to the green slot (original development never got that far) Spinels: Are naturally the hardest to obtain Spinel Package: Sold in MyShop > Pet&Drill > Guardian, comes with seed AND map (don't need to buy another!)

Common Mistakes & Solutions

Mistake #1: Planting Seed Before CID

Problem: Can't get Secret Cards after planting

Solution: Always complete CID questline first, get all Secret Cards before touching your seed

Mistake #2: Incorrect Empathy Counting

Problem: Guardian stats don't match expectations

Solution: Use external counters, double-check action counts, be precise with numbers

Mistake #3: Wrong Guardian Type Choice

Problem: Regret after seeing other guardian types

Solution: Research thoroughly, ask community, consider your playstyle and time investment

Success Tips

• Plan Ahead: Collect all materials before starting
• Ask Questions: Community is helpful and experienced
• Take Breaks: Guardian creation is a marathon, not a sprint
• Document Progress: Keep notes on what you've done
• Have Fun: Enjoy the journey, not just the destination

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Card Identification Questline

Your gateway to Secret Cards and guardian creation

Prerequisites

• Level 65+, 2nd job+
• One of each Arcana Card (4 total)
• 5 Harkon Shards

Play normally from Blooming Cora to Azteca - you'll be level 66+ and have 2 Arcana cards from Card Girl's riddles in Southwest Forest and Gate of Azteca!

Ask around for the other Arcana cards - they're basically worthless to other players, so they'll likely give them away!

Harkon Shards are found in Harkon Heirlooms. Drill in Path to Mermaid 1&2 or kill Cone Stones. Drilling is easier!

Find Poppouri
Go to Poppouri Cave - Rainbow Cave. Anyone can teleport to the crawlspace.

Talk to Fairy Nono
She'll ask for each Arcana Card individually. After each card, fight the corresponding monster.

Visit Artisan Poppuri
Go to Moss Cave with your 5 Harkon Shards after the last test.

Return to Fairy Nono
Get your Card Identification Skill!

CID Game Mechanics

About CID:

Card Identification is the natural method to getting Secret Cards and secret empathy points for your soul seed. You must CID if it is your first guardian to gain Secret Cards, unless you buy them from other players. You can also get other goodies such as compound stones, potions, and chaos feathers, all scaled based on the level you get to.

Diagram of the CID interface

Example of a card with life information when right-clicked

Game Elements:

• Stage: How many cards this playthrough you've used without losing all your lives
• Life: How many times you can fail before it boots you from this minigame
• Life bar: Diagram of the lives you have comparatively
• Playing Cards: As all boardgames, this is where you play
• Card in use: This is the card you used this round
• Combo: How many pairs in a row you've discovered. You can get extra lives with better combos
• Symbol: (see: Top-right of revealed cards) - These are based on suites you'd find in a normal card-game along with 4 colours each. These are how you know what to pair with if you don't want to hover over the board all the time
• Pair: Same-symboled, same-imaged cards. Your goal.

THERE WILL BE ONE OUTLIER CARD!! THIS ONE CANNOT BE MATCHED. Match the other ones in order to reveal this one!

Use higher-life cards for the first stage only! Check card info by right-clicking to see life values. From the second stage-on, you should use +3 Life cards.

CID - Q&A:

Q. How many cards will I need?

The answer is simple: No one knows. You will need an upwards of 1,000, guaranteed, if you're going for a legendary. If you're going for just regular/mighty/superior, then you will need about 800 to get a full set. After that is up to how you CID/if you do anything fortune-related/anything else SEM-related. The only difference is Spinel where you need about double anything.

Q. Do I need to CID/get secret empathy?

The only ones that need SEM are Legendary and Accomplished, however, all of the guardians need Secret Cards, which can only be obtained mainly by CID. Neither of these mentioned guardians do anything but change appearance, have a different title, and can hold a certain amount of skills more/less than others.

Q. Should I do CID first or after setting up my EM?

You should CID first. This will affect how you set up your EM completely, and if you're going for an Accomplished guardian, make-or-break your guardian plans in general since that relies on that +2 as the final.

Detailed CID Guide

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Soul Seed Questline

Growing your guardian's foundation

Prerequisites

• Level 135+, 3rd job
• Questionable Letter in Inventory
• CID questline finished (you DON'T need all SCs!)
• Access to Mirage Island Field 6
• 10x each: Iron Knight's, Brass Knight's, Bone Fighter's, Bone Warrior's, and Bone Magician's Souls
• 15x each: Cobra Flower, Tooth Flower, Mud Bigfoot, and Lotus Wormhole Seeds

You don't have to give up your Dimensional Key! Keep it to visit Eclipse's dimension anytime. However, it can't be banked, and you won't get the free Secret Card from the Dimensional Card Pack.

Collect all items beforehand! Souls are in Vamp Castle, Seeds are in Swamp. Check your System Mail for the Questionable Letter!

If you haven't done Mirage when you were in Oops Warf your first time, it'll definitely be easier to do so now. You only need to complete the sandmen's quests to get through.

Soul Locations

All required souls can be found in various Vamp Castle locations. If you got 3rd job naturally, you probably have some already!

Seed Locations

All required seeds are obtained in Swamp areas. Plan a farming session to collect all 60 seeds efficiently!

Detailed Soul Seed Guide Mirage Questline Guide

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Soul Guardian Questline

Bringing your guardian to life

First Guardian

Prerequisites

• Level 180+, Third Job
• Matured Poseidon Seed
• Harkon
• Honey Tea
• All 16 SC cards for the Secret Space Map

Collect Secret Cards
Get all 16 Secret Cards and check the "Secret" tab in MyView to access Janus's Secret Hideaway - Memory of Flames.

Visit Janus
Go to Memory of Flames with Honey Tea and Harkon. Kill the Red Flame Monster for Janus.

Eclipse's Request
Janus will send you to Eclipse, who will ask for an "Unknown item" which is your Honey Tea.

Doppelganger Fight
Eclipse sends you to Don Danihen, who requires you to kill your Doppleganger which mirrors your level after talking to the Abraxas Mirror.

Complete the Quest
Finishing that, talk to Little Rosaline until she sends you back to Janus, who will give you your completed guardian!

You can check out meta builds here for this server's endgame content.

If you plan on making any guardian requiring SEM, I *highly suggest* you CID for them instead of buying them, as you'll eventually get each of them.

Harkon can be received by doing Blacksmith Marx's questlines at Snow Hill, Techichi, and Tapasco Mines. You can also drill it up (rarely) in Techichi Fields, Tapasco Fields, Gate of Abyss, and Spicy Dragon's boss room.

Additional Guardians (2nd+)

Prerequisites

• One or more existing guardians
• Harkon (NOT needed in CoraTO!)
• Soul Ticket (if beyond your 2nd guardian)
• Space Map
• Poseidon OR Spinel Seed (maturity doesn't matter)

In CoraTO, you get a free Spinel seed at the end of Episode 6! You get 2 free guardian slots from Janus, then need Soul Tickets.

It's incredibly simple: Use the Space Map with your new guardian seed, talk to Janus, give him the Harkon (if required), and you're done!

You can check out meta builds here for this server's endgame content.

Harkon can be obtained from Blacksmith Marx's questlines at Snow Hill, Techichi, and Tapasco Mines, or rarely drilled in various fields.

Meta Builds Spreadsheet

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Card Identification & Empathy System

Building your guardian's personality and stats

Prerequisites

• CID skill
• Monster and Character Cards
• Patience and strategy

Getting Cards: General questing gives character cards. If you start a character from scratch and get it through all the way to Azteca (totally doable in a day), you will have ample cards to get started, character and monster alike.

Card Pricing: People will generally sell cards for 15,000-40,000 galder. 15k-40k is the universal price. Up to 300k means they're usually for a skill mastery. Do not let people rip you off.

If you're doing a legendary guardian, do NOT start this process before you get your soul seed. Trust me, you're better off!

About CID Minigame

Card Identification is a memory matching game where you pair identical cards. Success gives you Secret Cards, empathy points, compound stones, potions, and chaos feathers!

Card Pricing

General cards: 15k-40k galder. Up to 300k usually means skill mastery cards. Don't let people overcharge you!

Card Sources

Character cards come from general questing. A fresh character through Azteca gives ample cards to start with!

Empathy Explained

Empathy is a hidden point system that builds your guardian's stats. You can't see it directly, but results appear in a build graph similar to MyView.

Regular Empathy System

There's 4 types of regular empathy: Power, Charm, Magic, and Sense. Each of these correlate with the 4 different types of characters in the game.

Your new best friend: The Guardian WIP Build screen

Regular Empathy Chart - Shows how to gain different types of empathy

The Empathy Aura Info combo bar is just a combo bar, nothing more! It is NOT an EXP bar! Ignore it!

You gain empathy by doing several things like viewing character profiles, consuming potions, drilling, and more. Each action contributes to different empathy types.

All builds start out at 0,0,0,0. Any builds that end up at 0 at the end will be turned into 1 automatically after hatching. All stats cause the seed to mature at 6 points of regular empathy, so plan accordingly.

Secret Empathy System

You gain secret empathy by using a card for CID, getting past stage 3 in CID, matching 2 SC tiles to gain a SC in CID, and any fortune read from Stella.

What SEM is going to do to your seed is give it +1 for each type except one, which will be +2. This, to the extent of my knowledge, is pure RNG. You won't be able to see the empathy until after it hatches, which is where the "Secret" comes from. It's up to you to mark that last 3 flashes caused by CID/fortune-telling. But, you must, must, must finish with CID and not Fortune-Telling. If it no longer glows at Fortune-telling, CID until it stops flashing from doing so.

Guardian SEM guide. Note that you need to level SEM twice (~2000 points). Big THANK YOU to KusangiKyo for the text in Red!

Hate matching games? Mill it. This is where you start CID, select a card, right click, exit, and repeat. I like to do this near the end because I have grown to hate CID. I actually add that I click on four cards, just to check to see if there's any SCs there (you would be surprised what I've gotten on stage 1).

REMINDERS:
- THE SEM IS RANDOM. YOU CANNOT PREDICT THIS. PAY ATTENTION TO THE FLASHES!
- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE LIFE OF YOUR CARDS! YOU COULD BE WASTING YOUR HARD-EARNED/SPENT CARDS!
- YOU CANNOT SEE SEM POINTS UNTIL AFTER YOU HATCH SO PAY ATTENTION TO THE FLASHES!

Secret Empathy (SEM) - Critical Information

What is SEM: Secret system that gives +1 to each type except one, which receives +2. It's completely RNG!

WARNING: You CANNOT see SEM points until after hatching! Pay attention to flashes!

How to gain SEM:

• Use a card in CID
• Pass stage 3 in CID
• Combine 2 SC tiles to gain an SC in CID
• Any fortune reading from Stella

Required points: ~2000 SEM points (estimated 1.6k with regular actions)

Tip: 20 flashes = 1 level. You should finish with CID, not Fortune-telling!

Complete Empathy Table

Exact values for precise empathy building:

Action	Power	Magic	Sense	Charm	Notes
View character profile	0	0	0	+1	Private profile via spam-click
Consume 2500 HP in potions	+1	0	0	+1	HP potions give 1 Charm for every 2 Power
Consume 2500 MP in potions	0	+1	+1	0	Only at level 3+
Drill - "Nothing is here!"	+1	+1	0	0	Squiggle tile with 90 DA
Drill - Find item	0	0	+1	0	Drill with items
Earn galder	0	0	0	+1	GALDER affects the seed!
Use attack skills	+1	0	0	0	Combat skills
Use magic skills	0	+1	0	0	Magic skills
Use sense skills	0	0	+1	0	Sense skills
Use charm skills	0	0	0	+1	Charm skills

IMPORTANT: Almost everything you do in the game affects the seed, except: 1:1 trades, picking up items (NOT GALDER!), friend/party/guild requests, and storing items in the bank. Everything else affects it!

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Guardian Types & Looks

Choose your guardian's type based on difficulty of accomplishment and appearance

Compare Guardian Types

Use the slider below to compare guardian types by difficulty level

Easiest Moderate Challenging Very Hard Extreme

Different guardian types and appearances

Remember: You'll be stuck with your choice! Research well and choose what fits your playstyle and commitment level. You can check meta builds here for this server's endgame content.

Guardian Types at a Glance

Type	Points Required	Difficulty	Best For	Special Notes
Regular	4~12 points	Easiest	First-time guardian makers, casual players	Cannot be 3,3,3,3 (creates superior)
Mighty	13~15 points	Moderate	Players wanting more power without legendary commitment	Best starting build for bossing
Legendary	18~19 points	Challenging	Dedicated players, endgame content	Requires CID completion
Superior	8, 12, or 16 points (2,2,2,2), (3,3,3,3), or (4,4,4,4)	Very Hard	Experienced players seeking optimization	Requires precise stat management
Accomplished	16 points (4,4,4,4)	Extreme	Guardian masters, min-maxers	Requires both CID and precise hatching

Detailed Information by Type

Click on each guardian type to see detailed information

Regular Guardian Easiest

Regular Guardian

Requirements: 4~12 points

Difficulty: Easiest to accomplish

Best For: First-time guardian makers, casual players

Cannot be 3,3,3,3 (this creates a superior build). If you're just doing your first guardian to get to Spinel, you can just hatch it immediately with a 0,0,0,0 build. It will end up a 1,1,1,1 after hatching!

Mighty Guardian Moderate

Mighty Guardian

Requirements: 13~15 points (easiest is 14 points)

Difficulty: Moderate to accomplish

Best For: Players wanting more power without legendary commitment

This is the best starting build for a bossing guardian. If you decide to max one of your guardians' stats, do this last. Otherwise you'll end up with less than desirable.

Legendary Guardian Challenging

Legendary Guardian

Requirements: 18~19 points, requires CID

Difficulty: Challenging to accomplish

Best For: Dedicated players, endgame content

Most people feel it's hard because it's tedious, but it is definitely middle-of-the-road. CID until it stops flashing when you use cards. Throw in some Fortune-telling to speed up the process.

Tip for Legendary: You can get a complete set of SCs with 800-1k cards, which means you'll basically already be at legendary. Make sure to do CID first!

Fortune Telling Tip: Doing 10 fortunes in one day knocks off about 75~150 cards from CID every time, and even more when you get a cross (3 of a kind). This can significantly speed up your legendary guardian progress!

Superior Guardian Very Hard

Superior Guardian

Requirements: 8 (2,2,2,2), 12 (3,3,3,3) OR 16 (4,4,4,4) AFTER hatch

Difficulty: Very challenging to accomplish

Best For: Experienced players seeking optimization

Unlike Legendary and regular, you can't be reckless. Your desired stat must be the one with the most "extra" put into it without exceeding 3 or 4 points (depending on your build).

Accomplished Guardian Extreme

Accomplished Guardian

Requirements: 16 point builds (4,4,4,4) AFTER hatching AND CID

Difficulty: Extremely challenging to accomplish

Best For: Guardian masters, min-maxers

Literally the hardest to do. The love child of Legendary and Superior Guardians. Do your SEM process first. When you're finished SEM, start with EM. You need to make it 3 across the board except for the SEM's +2.

NOTE: IF YOUR SEM'S +2 LANDS ON YOUR DESIRED TYPE, YOU CAN NOT, I REPEAT, CANNOT GET THAT GUARDIAN.

Process for Accomplished:
1. Do the SEM process first
2. PAY ATTENTION to the flashes (you CANNOT do this build without this knowledge)
3. When you finish SEM, start with EM
4. Need to make it 3 across all stats except for the SEM's +2

Guardian Type Decision Helper

Not sure which guardian type is right for you? Answer these questions:

How much time can you invest?

A few days About a week 1-2 weeks 2+ weeks

What's your experience level?

Beginner Intermediate Advanced Expert

What's your goal?

Just want a companion Decent combat support Endgame bossing Min-max perfection

Based on your selections, we recommend: Select options above

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Guardian Builds & Strategies

Optimize your guardian for different content

Cookie Cutter Build (Meta)

Why Cookie-Cutter Build?

Lucky Fist is based on enemy HP rather than internal stats, making it ideal for something that can't buff itself. This is meta for CoraTO because much of the endgame, including custom content bosses, are based around incredibly high HP bosses (over 300 million HP).

You tell me you wouldn't want something that does basically 1/6 of that every 30 seconds for just a slight grind investment, versus hammering away with your Paula doing 3.5k damage if you're lucky with PvP equipment + compositions + tempers after waiting 3.5 minutes for CH5 to appear...

Purpose

THE meta build for CoraTO endgame content, events, KOI/KRO, and all boss hunting. Optimized for maximum effectiveness.

Stats Focus

The best build for this is 3263, or 3 power, 2 magic, 6 sense, 3 charm. This works for most characters, but you may want to adjust one or two stats, depending on your character type.

Important Building Strategy: Your desired stat must, must, must be the one with the most "extra" put into it without exceeding 3 or 4 points (depending on your build). A lot of guides get this wrong and tell you to do your desired stat last, but that makes it much, much harder to remotely get the one you want.

+2 Sense Legendary with Cookie-Cutter Build

Squiggle Tile (Spam click with 90 DA in "Nothing is Here!" spot)

Build Process (Standard Method):

1. View character profiles (preferably private, via spam-click): 2 Charm
2. Consume 7.5k HP potions: 3 Power, 3 Charm
3. Consume 5k MP potions: 3 Power, 2 Magic, 1 Sense, 3 Charm
4. Drill with items (spam-click squiggle tile until level 3, then drill WITH items until 6): 3 Power, 2 Magic, 6 Sense, 3 Charm

Condensed Build Version:

Not Recommended: Can't learn Mana Arrow + Arrow Rush for penguins or Cure, and Skunk Pouch has higher failure rate. DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE MAGIC TYPE!

• 7.5k HP Potions: 3 Power, 1 Charm
• 5k MP Potions: 3 Power, 2 Magic, 1 Charm
• AFK Drill: 3 Power, 2 Magic, 6 Sense, 1 Charm

Essential Skills:

Power Skills

• Shockvibe and Luck Breaker (1st power npc; magic/sense chars with input)
• Faint (Buff 2nd npc) OR
• Shockwave (power/charm chars, can also be used for magic/sense for additional boss damage without player input - preferred for CoraTO End Game Events)

Magic Skills

• Mana Arrow (lv 10) - 1st Mage NPC
• Arrow Rush (lv 10) - 1st Mage NPC

Sense Skills

• Stone Strike (lv 10) - First Sense Job NPC
• Armor Destroyer (1) - First Sense Job NPC
• Lucky Seven (10) - First Sense Job NPC
• Shield Breaker (10) - Lion 2nd job NPC
• Lucky Fist (10) - Lion 2nd job NPC

Charm Skills

• Skunk Pouch - 1st charm NPC

For Sense types using long-range (throwing, guns): Use Skunk Pouch / Lucky Fist / Luck Break / Shield Break on repeatable slots and Sticky Foot on singular slots.

Skill Order Guide (Magic/Sense with input on left; Regular on right)

Important Bug: If you use Louis's rune to equip Faint+Guardbreak, it will still apply to Shockwave after you equip Cochma to get Shieldbreaker+Lucky Fist (this bug only applies to passive skills)!

Mage Disclaimer: If you are a mage, do NOT use Louis's rune and instead opt for Luck Breaker (Power) and Magic Defense Break (Charm). Use this variant only if you want to attack alongside the guardian.

Guardian Runes - Used to enhance your guardian's abilities

Cochma and Louis Runes - Buy Louis first!

Detailed Meta Builds

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HD Gameplay Mechanics

Understanding the Shadow World mechanics and gameplay

CID Examples & Strategies

Example: First-Time CID Session

Scenario: Level 80 Sheep going for their first legendary guardian

Preparation:

• Collected 1,200 cards (mix of +1, +2, +3 life cards)
• Checked Poseidon's Blessing locations for SC bonus
• Brought plenty of potions and food

Strategy:

• Stage 1: Use high-life cards (+5, +4) to learn the patterns
• Stage 2+: Switch to +3 life cards for consistency
• Memory technique: Focus on card positions, not images
• Result: Got 14/16 Secret Cards in 800 cards, completed set with trading

Example: Efficient Card Farming

Best Locations by Level:

• Level 65-80: Azteca Field 1 (Tomahawk Cactus) - Easy, good drop rate
• Level 80-100: Vamp Castle Gate (Vamp Bat) - Higher level cards
• Level 100+: Megalopolis (Harpy) - Best card variety

Pro Tips:

• Farm during 2x drop events for maximum efficiency
• Use Detect to find card-dropping monsters faster
• Check card life values before CID sessions

Soul Seed Quest Examples

Example: Efficient Soul Farming Route

Vamp Castle Soul Collection (30 minutes):

• Iron Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B1 → Kill Iron Knights near entrance
• Brass Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B2 → Center area has highest spawn
• Bone Fighter/Warrior/Magician: Vamp Castle B3 → Clear systematically

Optimization: Use AoE skills, bring plenty of potions, party with friends for faster clearing

Example: Swamp Seed Collection

Efficient Seed Route (45 minutes):

• Cobra Flower: Swamp 1 → North-east corner has best spawn rate
• Tooth Flower: Swamp 2 → Center area, respawns quickly
• Mud Bigfoot: Swamp 3 → Western side, use Detect skill
• Lotus Wormhole: Swamp 4 → Scattered throughout, be patient

Pro Tip: Collect all 60 seeds in one session to avoid multiple trips

Guardian Quest Examples

Example: First Guardian Timeline

Day 1-3: Preparation Phase

• Complete CID questline and collect Secret Cards
• Farm souls and seeds for Soul Seed quest
• Obtain Harkon from Blacksmith Marx questlines

Day 4: Soul Seed Quest

• Complete Mirage Island access if needed
• Turn in all materials to get mature Poseidon seed

Day 5: Guardian Creation

• Use Secret Space Map to access Memory of Flames
• Complete Doppelganger fight (scales to your level)
• Receive your first guardian!

Example: Doppelganger Fight Strategy

Level 180 Sheep vs Doppelganger:

• Preparation: Full buffs, best equipment, plenty of potions
• Strategy: Doppelganger mirrors your stats exactly
• Key Points: Use terrain, kite if ranged, burst damage if melee
• Difficulty: Scales with your level - higher level = harder fight

Pro Tip: Consider doing this quest at a lower level if you're struggling

Empathy Building Examples

Example: Cookie-Cutter Build Empathy

Target Stats for Sense Guardian:

• Sense: 6 (2,000 Sense actions)
• Charm: 5 (1,600 Charm actions)
• Others: 4 each (1,200 actions each)

Action Examples:

• Sense: Use Detect, Lucky Fist, Shield Break repeatedly
• Charm: Dance, use charm-based skills
• Power: Physical attacks, power skills
• Magic: Cast spells, use magic skills

Example: Empathy Session Planning

2-Hour Empathy Session:

• Location: Megalopolis (safe, no monsters)
• Setup: Macro or manual clicking, comfortable position
• Actions per hour: ~600-800 (depending on method)
• Breaks: Every 30 minutes to avoid fatigue
• Tracking: Keep count or use external counter

Pro Tip: Do empathy building while watching movies or listening to music

Guardian Type Selection Examples

Example: Choosing Your Guardian Type

Scenario 1: Casual Player

• Recommendation: Regular or Mighty Guardian
• Reasoning: Less time investment, still effective
• Skills: 8-10 skill slots, good for basic builds

Scenario 2: Hardcore Player

• Recommendation: Legendary Guardian
• Reasoning: Maximum skill slots, best stats
• Investment: 800-1000 cards, 2000+ empathy actions

Scenario 3: Collector/Fashion Player

• Recommendation: Spinel Guardian
• Reasoning: Unique appearance, prestige
• Warning: Double the requirements of regular guardians

Build Strategy Examples

Example: Cookie-Cutter Meta Build

Core Skills:

• Lucky Fist: Main damage skill (% HP based)
• Shield Break: Reduces enemy defense
• Detect: Utility for finding items/monsters
• Heal: Sustainability

Why This Works:

• Lucky Fist scales with enemy HP, not guardian stats
• Perfect for high-HP bosses (300M+ HP)
• Consistent damage regardless of equipment
• Works well in both solo and party content

Example: Specialized Builds

Support Guardian Build:

• Focus: Charm-based skills
• Skills: Heal, Mental Up, Blessing, Dance
• Role: Party support and healing

DPS Guardian Build:

• Focus: Power/Magic skills
• Skills: High-damage attacks, buffs
• Role: Maximum damage output

Harkon Defense Examples

Example: HD Preparation Checklist

Before HD Starts:

• ✓ Popeye Anenome Card in inventory
• ✓ Mind's Eye skill learned
• ✓ Full potions and food
• ✓ Best equipment equipped
• ✓ Party members coordinated

During Preparation Phase (2 minutes):

• Apply all buffs (Mental Up, Blessing, etc.)
• Position near your assigned statue
• Coordinate with team on voice chat
• Check guardian skills are ready

Example: HD Battle Strategy

Defense Phase Strategy:

• Priority 1: Keep statues alive at all costs
• Priority 2: Clear shadow monsters efficiently
• Priority 3: Prepare for Chronos boss phase

Team Roles:

• Tanks: Draw monster aggro away from statues
• DPS: Focus fire on high-threat monsters
• Support: Heal statues and party members
• Guardians: Use Lucky Fist on bosses, support skills on team

Example: HD Rewards Planning

Gloom Mode Farming (Beginner):

• Goal: Shadow equipment for alts
• Time: 15-20 minutes per run
• Difficulty: Low, good for learning

Boss Mode Farming (Advanced):

• Goal: Maximum Chronos shards
• Time: 30-45 minutes per run
• Requirement: Coordinated team, good equipment

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Harkon Defense

Learn about Harkon Defense and Poseidon's Blessing

About Harkon Defense (HD)

Harkon Defense is a mini-game mode centered around tower defense and guardian combat. You can use this game mode to get decent/BIS equips (depending on your class), exclusive fuses, pets, and access to custom exchanges including MS Stone exchange and Token of True Trickster exchange during events.

Important: HD requires teamwork and coordination. Your primary objective is to defeat shadow monsters and keep the Harkon statues alive. The health display is bugged to show more than actually there - be careful!

Prerequisites & Setup:

Required Items:

• Popeye Anenome Card - From Ghost Blue Field 1
• Mind's Eye Skill - From Eclipse in Event Garden

Pro Tip: You do NOT have to give up your Eclipse Key if you want a free teleport to Mega--just talk to Eclipse only once!

How to Access HD:

1. Get Popeye Anenome Card: Farm Ghost Blue Field 1, drops from Light Pink Coral (NOT cash boxes)
2. Obtain Mind's Eye: Speak to Eclipse in Event Garden
3. Wait for Alerts: Watch for messages 10 minutes, 2 minutes, and at start time
4. Go to Specified Town: Use Mind's Eye in the announced location
5. Find Stella: Check minimap for 2-3 new red dots, hover to find Stella
6. Enter Sanctuary: Talk to Eclipse when she appears

HD Alert - 2 Minutes Warning

Shadow World Open - Entry Available

Sanctuary Lost - Entry Closed

HD Gameplay Mechanics:

HD Interface - General Diagram

Battle Flow:

• Preparation Phase: ~2 minutes to buff after entering
• Defense Phase: Protect Harkon statues from shadow monsters
• Boss Phase: Chronos appears near the end (only source of Chronos shards)
• Completion: Successfully defend all statues for Poseidon's Blessing

HD Difficulty Modes:

Gloom Mode

Difficulty: Lowest

Best For: Shadow Equipment farming

Rewards: Shadow Equips, basic shards

Normal Mode

Difficulty: Medium

Best For: Balanced farming

Rewards: Moderate shards, mixed equipment

Boss Mode

Difficulty: Highest

Best For: Maximum shard farming

Rewards: Best shard rates, rare equipment

Rewards & Exchange:

Where to Exchange:

Go to Mega Shop and use Mind's Eye. Next to Rosemary, you'll find Stella ready to exchange shards and equipment.

Available Exchanges:

• Regular Exchange: Shards for equipment and items
• Custom MS Stone Exchange: Special CoraTO exchange system
• Token of True Trickster: Event-based exchange (limited time)

Poseidon's Blessing (Clover+Bonus)

Blessing Effects

When you successfully defend a Harkon Sanctuary in its entirety, you get a Poseidon's Blessing. This nerfs the monsters in a given area as well as increases SC chances with CID! Yes, it's true! Check your map before you CID!

"Rose Garden" only counts Vamp Castle Gate, not Event Garden!!! EVENT GARDEN IS CONSIDERED MEGALOPOLIS!!!

General Map of the Towns and where their Clover would be if they had Poseidon's Blessing

Clover Map showing Tapasco

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Practical Examples & Scenarios

Real-world examples of guardian mechanics in action

CID Examples & Strategies

Example: First-Time CID Session

Scenario: Level 80 Sheep going for their first legendary guardian

Preparation:

• Collected 1,200 cards (mix of +1, +2, +3 life cards)
• Checked Poseidon's Blessing locations for SC bonus
• Brought plenty of potions and food

Strategy:

• Stage 1: Use high-life cards (+5, +4) to learn the patterns
• Stage 2+: Switch to +3 life cards for consistency
• Memory technique: Focus on card positions, not images
• Result: Got 14/16 Secret Cards in 800 cards, completed set with trading

Example: Efficient Card Farming

Best Locations by Level:

• Level 65-80: Azteca Field 1 (Tomahawk Cactus) - Easy, good drop rate
• Level 80-100: Vamp Castle Gate (Vamp Bat) - Higher level cards
• Level 100+: Megalopolis (Harpy) - Best card variety

Pro Tips:

• Farm during 2x drop events for maximum efficiency
• Use Detect to find card-dropping monsters faster
• Check card life values before CID sessions

Soul Seed Quest Examples

Example: Efficient Soul Farming Route

Vamp Castle Soul Collection (30 minutes):

• Iron Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B1 → Kill Iron Knights near entrance
• Brass Knight Soul: Vamp Castle B2 → Center area has highest spawn
• Bone Fighter/Warrior/Magician: Vamp Castle B3 → Clear systematically

Optimization: Use AoE skills, bring plenty of potions, party with friends for faster clearing

Example: Swamp Seed Collection

Efficient Seed Route (45 minutes):

• Cobra Flower: Swamp 1 → North-east corner has best spawn rate
• Tooth Flower: Swamp 2 → Center area, respawns quickly
• Mud Bigfoot: Swamp 3 → Western side, use Detect skill
• Lotus Wormhole: Swamp 4 → Scattered throughout, be patient

Pro Tip: Collect all 60 seeds in one session to avoid multiple trips

Guardian Quest Examples

Example: First Guardian Timeline

Day 1-3: Preparation Phase

• Complete CID questline and collect Secret Cards
• Farm souls and seeds for Soul Seed quest
• Obtain Harkon from Blacksmith Marx questlines

Day 4: Soul Seed Quest

• Complete Mirage Island access if needed
• Turn in all materials to get mature Poseidon seed

Day 5: Guardian Creation

• Use Secret Space Map to access Memory of Flames
• Complete Doppelganger fight (scales to your level)
• Receive your first guardian!

Example: Doppelganger Fight Strategy

Level 180 Sheep vs Doppelganger:

• Preparation: Full buffs, best equipment, plenty of potions
• Strategy: Doppelganger mirrors your stats exactly
• Key Points: Use terrain, kite if ranged, burst damage if melee
• Difficulty: Scales with your level - higher level = harder fight

Pro Tip: Consider doing this quest at a lower level if you're struggling

Empathy Building Examples

Example: Cookie-Cutter Build Empathy

Target Stats for Sense Guardian:

• Sense: 6 (2,000 Sense actions)
• Charm: 5 (1,600 Charm actions)
• Others: 4 each (1,200 actions each)

Action Examples:

• Sense: Use Detect, Lucky Fist, Shield Break repeatedly
• Charm: Dance, use charm-based skills
• Power: Physical attacks, power skills
• Magic: Cast spells, use magic skills

Example: Empathy Session Planning

2-Hour Empathy Session:

• Location: Megalopolis (safe, no monsters)
• Setup: Macro or manual clicking, comfortable position
• Actions per hour: ~600-800 (depending on method)
• Breaks: Every 30 minutes to avoid fatigue
• Tracking: Keep count or use external counter

Pro Tip: Do empathy building while watching movies or listening to music

Guardian Type Selection Examples

Example: Choosing Your Guardian Type

Scenario 1: Casual Player

• Recommendation: Regular or Mighty Guardian
• Reasoning: Less time investment, still effective
• Skills: 8-10 skill slots, good for basic builds

Scenario 2: Hardcore Player

• Recommendation: Legendary Guardian
• Reasoning: Maximum skill slots, best stats
• Investment: 800-1000 cards, 2000+ empathy actions

Scenario 3: Collector/Fashion Player

• Recommendation: Mix of guardian types
• Reasoning: Different appearances, variety
• Investment: Multiple guardian slots, varied builds

Build Strategy Examples

Example: Cookie-Cutter Meta Build

Core Skills:

• Lucky Fist: Main damage skill (% HP based)
• Shield Break: Reduces enemy defense
• Detect: Utility for finding items/monsters
• Heal: Sustainability

Why This Works:

• Lucky Fist scales with enemy HP, not guardian stats
• Perfect for high-HP bosses (300M+ HP)
• Consistent damage regardless of equipment
• Works well in both solo and party content

Example: Specialized Builds

Support Guardian Build:

• Focus: Charm-based skills
• Skills: Heal, Mental Up, Blessing, Dance
• Role: Party support and healing

DPS Guardian Build:

• Focus: Power/Magic skills
• Skills: High-damage attacks, buffs
• Role: Maximum damage output

Harkon Defense Examples

Example: HD Preparation Checklist

Before HD Starts:

• ✓ Popeye Anenome Card in inventory
• ✓ Mind's Eye skill learned
• ✓ Full potions and food
• ✓ Best equipment equipped
• ✓ Party members coordinated

During Preparation Phase (2 minutes):

• Apply all buffs (Mental Up, Blessing, etc.)
• Position near your assigned statue
• Coordinate with team on voice chat
• Check guardian skills are ready

Example: HD Battle Strategy

Defense Phase Strategy:

• Priority 1: Keep statues alive at all costs
• Priority 2: Clear shadow monsters efficiently
• Priority 3: Prepare for Chronos boss phase

Team Roles:

• Tanks: Draw monster aggro away from statues
• DPS: Focus fire on high-threat monsters
• Support: Heal statues and party members
• Guardians: Use Lucky Fist on bosses, support skills on team

Example: HD Rewards Planning

Gloom Mode Farming (Beginner):

• Goal: Shadow equipment for alts
• Time: 15-20 minutes per run
• Difficulty: Low, good for learning

Boss Mode Farming (Advanced):

• Goal: Maximum Chronos shards
• Time: 30-45 minutes per run
• Requirement: Coordinated team, good equipment

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Resources & Acknowledgements

Community knowledge and contributions

Sources & Contributors:

• Almora's guide - Comprehensive information and detailed explanations
• Geepie's guide - Additional guardian insights
• Infinity Guild - Guardian creation expertise and support
• BeProud and JjaeQT - Build optimization advice
• Bunny - Helpful tips and suggestions
• CoraTO Community - Feedback and testing
• CoraTO Admin and Mods - Server support and game improvements
• SeirosNoori - Guide beautification

If you prefer another approach to this same guide, access [[Mew's_Guardian_Guide_Origin|Mew's_Guardian_Guide_Origin]]

This guide has been compiled from various community sources and personal experience. All content is provided for educational purposes only. Images are used with permission or are from public resources.