Tier 1
Hard Blow
No need to max beyond 3 unless you are a idiot.
Finesse
This skill is great. Not only will it increase your max hp, it will also speed up the regeneration process. I usually max this in any of my builds as well, you want to have high HP period!
Muscle Repulse
Raises your attack power. Needs to be maxed. Otherwise, you gimp yourself.
Ordeal
This skill is ok, though I never use it in PvP. Its useful though. Only max it if you are planning to go the Powerful Aid route.
Tiger Maw
Waste of skill points. The level 95 one is better and you will end up hitting yourself in the head if you max this.
Scoff
Only good if you are planning on tanking a lot aka a tanking build. If you're just going for potent, just max it at 3.
Potent
Our movement speed buff. I suggest if you are going to be PvPing or just running around in general to max it and get the tome to reduce the cooldown. You move at 3.4 yards and you have a 80% chance to remove weaken so its not bad at all. With warsong buff, you can move as fast as a Lupin.
Furious Roar
(Think its called something else since something else is called FR also)
Useless skill if you ask me. You frighten a monster which would probably not work on a boss and on a player, you weaken then. Not very useful, especially if we're talking ascended here.
Vigor
Just like Finesse, this one deals with your Spirit. I suggest you max this, but if you like having low SP, go ahead and just do the minimal to get to the other skills.
Flanker
A must have to max. You're going to need all the defense you can get, especially after you ascend.
Tailslip
Not a bad skill as it interupts their skills and they can't use them. If you are going the durable fighter route (or both), I suggest you max it.
Calm Wind
Same thing as Tiger Maw. Waste of points.
Tier 2
Fiery Flame
Leave this skill at either 1 or 3. This skill is actually really good in PvE due to the low spirit cost. I suggest you put it in your esper when you grind or afk grind. If you are really that broke with SP pots (Which I doubt since treasure chest will give you some), then don't put it in your esper slot.
In PvP, its useless and if you max this skill, you will be hitting yourself in the head.
Dragon Speed
This skill will further enhance your attack power while losing defense. If you are planning to be a offensive Balo to max this. I suggest you don't use this skill while PvE grinding as unless you have your gear refined to a high +, even with the tome reducing the amount of defense lost, you will still be taking some good hits.
Dark Injury
Once again, only max this if you are going the powerful aid route (or both). Too bad it only weaken's the target by 20%.
Blood Drip
I know what you are thinking. When this skill is maxed, it should be awesome. I decided not to max this skill so I wouldn't know, but I suppose it is somewhat useful in early PvP and in PvE. If we're talking ascension here, they have more than enough HP that they won't even notice. If this every second for 6 seconds, then I would say different. With the tome and the increased duration, this can be useful in PvE if you prefer a DPS build. Unfortunately, I cannot add any points to this skill until 140+ so the analysis of this skill will not be updated until then.
Nothingness Walk
Only useful if you plan to PvP a lot. Make sure you get the tome to reduce the cooldown. If the cooldown was like 20 seconds or 15 seconds, then I would say its good in PvE. You will need the skill regardless if you plan on not buying a Skyblade or to complete some quests that you don't have a skyblade for.
Thunderbolt
If you're wanting a good AoE as far as damaging monsters, this is not the one. This skill is kinda useless in non ascension, but ascended, it may be required to max if you went Dagos and you want the Faction Dagos skill that relates to this.
Tiger Defense
This needs to be maxed regardless. If you want to -1 damage (non ascension), you need to be using this. If the loss of attack power bothers you, just get the tome to reduce the attack penalty. You will have to anyways. This will save you a lot of pots when you are ascended too and only idiots would use Dragon Speed when they are ascended grinding on their exp monsters.
Penetrator
This skill is pretty good in PvE and early PvP. You will do more damage with your skills. Late PvP and esepcially after ascension, it loses its flavor if you ask me. If its a DPS race, I suggest you just spam Powerful Aid and Durable FIghter though instead of this skill.
Blood Bathed
This skill needs to be maxed if you plan on PvPing. No ifs ands or buts.
Tier 3
Mountain Wind
Leave it at 1 or 3. Its actually good when grinding or afk grinding, but some people may not like the SP usage on this one to use for afk grinding. You can hit up to 2 targets so you can kill a bit faster in general.
Oubliette Break
Unless you want to be a weak Balo, this needs to be maxed.
Twisting Dragon
Once again, this skill needs to be maxed if you are going the powerful aid route (Or both). If you are going the felkin route for ascension, it needs to be maxed regardless. Like all the other skills, it is a useful skill. What can I say?
Dragon's Light
Our real attack buff. Max this regardless unless for some reason, you don't care about the additional attack power. With the tomes, it is further increased by 50% and if you get the charm, it is 75%.
Tiger Smash
Useful skill I suppose if you have someone running around a lot in PvP. I think of this skill as useless in non ascension, but ascended, you may have to max this skill if you want the dagos skill. Besides, its only 3 ranks.
Furious Roar
This is your Taunt AoE. If you are planning to go a tank build, you will want this maxed.
Vilen
Another must have skill that needs to be maxed.
Shatter
Lowers the target's resistances. Really useful in non ascension though ascended it may differ. If you are going the Durable fighter route, you obviously need this maxed.
Ambition
Your real Health buff. Max this along with the tome if you want more HP, but if you don't PvP much at all, you don't even need this skill.
Tier 4
Reinforce
Leave at 1 or 3. Its actually a pretty good skill, but if you plan on using it in afk grinding, you will need to have a good amount of SP pots. This skill and mountain wind work well together in that case. I wouldn't max it if I were you, but you can.
Combat Spirit
This is for offensive Balos. You will lose health by using this posture. As far as I know, it only happens when you use skills. I suggest you get this on your esper if you plan on being offensive.
Sky Rift
If you are going the powerful aid route, you need this maxed. Its our stun skill and its damn good.
Slaughter
I choose not to ever get this skill, but I suppose it would be useful against snowman or corrupted if they don't have any immunity when they are back in the game. This would fail on bosses as they would be immune to it and in PvP, it could have a use, especially if you get the tome for it.
War Song
This skill when maxed will give you a 0.8 movement speed increase. Its up to you if you want to max it, but if you are ascended and dagos and want the War Song 2 skill, this needs to be maxed. Ardens would love to have this skill as it further increases their movement and with the Potent skill, you would move as fast as a Lupin.
Song of Antipathy
Another AoE skill. Once again, if you are planning to be a Aoe build Balo, this skill is pretty useful. The problem with Balo AoEs in general are their cooldowns and this one has a long one of 30 seconds. I am assuming it doesn't have a huge range and it just involves targets close to you.
Iron Guts
This skill is what makes us tanks. You will want this skill maxed along with the tome no matter who you are. This will also further reduce the damage in PvE thus making you a happier person. This will also make non ascended factions such as Lupins cry because it also reduces critstrike rate and damage. You'd have to have a very good reason to not max this skill. Make sure you get the tome that goes along with it or else you won't unlock its true potential. Get the charm too.
Blade Breaker
If you are going the Durable Fighter route, get this maxed.
Spirited
A must have if you plan on PvPing.
Tier 5
Blade Swinger
Another AoE. This time around, it hits the targets two times and has the lowest cooldown of all our AoE skills which is 10 seconds. The only downfall is that it hits only 4 targets and has no range whatsoever. I suggest you not to max this skill, but you can if you have no other things to waste your skill points on.
Powerful Aid
The so called "Crybaby" skill. It combines all the effects and power of Twisting Dragon, Sky rift, Dark Injury, and Ordeal. It also hits 4 times. If you get the tome, have the old skills maxed, and have the charm, you can reduce the cooldown to 3 seconds (it may be two, I forget) making this a spammable skill. Its the crybaby skill because you can land those 4 effects all at once on a player making them your playtoy. I suggest you max this by any means necessary if you went the powerful aid route.
Ancient Soul
This further enhances our HP, attack, and gives us immunity for a little while. Its not a particulary bad skill and I suggest you max it. If you hate the cooldown time, I suggest you get the tome and the charm. You can further enhance the skill by putting the skill on your esper.
Durable fighter
This skill has the power and effects of tailslip, Penetrator, Shatter, and Blade Breaker. The only difference is that this skill will hit 2 times vs powerful aid's 4 times and the first attack and effect is determined at random (tailslip or penetrator) and the second attack the other two skills. This is also a "Cry-more" skill since you can spam this and Powerful aid. With all the reductions, the tome skill, and the charm, you can get it down to a cooldown time of 3 seconds. Personally from a DPS standpoint, Powerful Aid is better than Durable Fighter since it hits 4 times and its cooldown is less.
