Black Desert Online KR underwent a big update last week. A lot of changes took place, and the most significant ones are the class balance patch and Rabam’s Enlightenment aka Skill Enhancement. Each class got 2 Enhanced skills with Rabam’s Enlightenment, but not all Enhanced skills are as efficient as anticipated. Some characters became a lot stronger with Rabam’s Enlightenment, while other characters are better without the Enhanced skills. The balance patch is also a hot topic in the Korean BDO community.

Below are KR players’ comments regarding the recent balance update and Skill Enhancement. Some of the skills underwent another balance patch the day after (can be found at the bottom of this post), so the comments are divided into two sections: before the additional balance patch and after the additional balance patch.

The entire patch notes for last week's update can be found here.

◆ Warrior

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Roaring Smash (Ground Smash + Ground Roar) and Frenzied Spear (Ground Smash + Piercing Spear)

[Rabam’s Enlightenment before additional balance patch]

 - Frenzied Spear is the most OP skill ever.
 - The Warrior can attack from a distance, and fly towards the target to attack again; all this with super armor.
 - Frenzied Spear will be nerfed for sure.
 - No one talks about the other skill (Roaring Smash) because Frenzied Spear is too good.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment after additional balance patch]
(PvP damage and “dash” distance for Frenzied Spear decreased)

 - The nerf on Frenzied Spear was necessary.
 - With that massive damage and super armor, Frenzied Spear had to be nerfed.
 - You will agree with the PvP damage decrease if you have gotten hit by Frenzied Spear.
 - The skill was OP before it got nerfed. It’s not a burst damage skill anymore but will still work as a combo skill.
 - PvP damage was too high. The skill had to be nerfed.
 - I agree with the damage being high but the nerf was too much. The skill being OP was based on the top 1% of players.
 - They made this skill only to nerf it the day after. The decrease in “dash” distance and PvP damage might be too much.
 - Do not get Roaring Smash.
 - Roaring Smash should have been buffed when Frenzied Spear got nerfed. Roaring Smash is a trash skill.
 - I got Roaring Smash by accident and had to reroll to another Warrior.

▲ Roaring Smash 

▲Frenzied Spear

 
◆ Ranger

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Wind Path (Charging Wind + Penetrating Wind) and Breathtaking Gust (Charging Wind + Blasting Gust)

[Balance update]
(Breezy Blade, Elven Rage, Flow: Disillusion, Wailing Wind will recover MP)

 - That MP recovery is huge.
 - I’ve been waiting for this update so long. Now I feel alive.
 - MP recovery rate after the update equals the MP recovery rate with 2 MP recovery crystals before the update.
 - If you have 2 MP recovery crystals, your MP will never go away.
 - However, Wind Step still consumes a lot of MP. The buffed skills recover MP only with successful hits.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment before additional balance patch]

 - The skill doesn’t seem to be working properly. The damage is too low even though all 14 hits land on the target.
 - Only 1 or 2 hits can actually deal damage. This must be a bug.
 - SP: Charging Wind doesn’t work when you get Rabam’s Enlightenment.
 - Rabam’s Enlightenment for Ranger can’t deal much damage because the damage is divided among multiple hits.
 - Keeping SP: Charging Wind might be better.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment after additional balance patch]
(The bug where the damage for SP: Charging Wind and Ultimate: Charging Wind dropped after getting Rabam’s Enlightenment was fixed.)

 - The bug has been fixed and SP: Charging Wind is working as well as it used to.
 - Rabam’s Enlightenment skills still need to be reworked. If the damage is split among multiple hits, it will never be as powerful as SP: Charging Wind.
 - Rabam’s Enightenment skills are neither powerful nor useful.
 - You can’t cancel Blasting Gust and connect to SP: Charging Wind if you have Rabam. This is critical.

▲ There was a bug where the damage for SP: Charging Wind and Ultimate: Charging Wind dropped after getting Rabam's Enlightenment.

 
◆ Sorceress

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Shadow Flame (Rushing Crow + Shadow Eruption) and Crow Calamity (Rushing Crow + Bloody Calamity)

[Rabam’s Enlightenment before additional balance patch]

 - The cooldown becomes 40 seconds if you enhance Rushing Crow.
 - This is crazy. The 4-second-cooldown mobility skill became a 40-second-cooldown mobility skill.
 - You can’t even connect it to Flow: Rushing Crow.
 - Get Rabam if you want to nerf Sorceress.
 - The delay for Shadow Flame is too long. You can’t even switch to Awakening. They have to give us Armstrong’s Skill Guide.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment after additional balance patch]
(The main skill for Sorceress’ Rabam changed from Rushing Crow to Bloody Calamity)

 - Where did the life steal in Bloody Calamity go?
 - So Crow Calamity is a mobility skill that you can use after Rushing Crow with a 40 second long cooldown, without super armor or forward guard. This is going to make the skill hard to use.
 - It should have been Bloody Calamity + Flow: Rushing Crow.
 - I don’t understand why people are complaining about Crow Calamity. It can deal decent damage and recover HP as well.
 - The skill is actually okay in PvE, but not in PvP. The skill has neither super armor nor forward guard. If you use the skill in PvP, it will be a suicide.
 - The cooldown is 40 seconds so technically it’s not very good for PvE either. Shadow Flare would be a better choice.
 - Shadow Flame would be a better choice here, but the life steal in Bloody Calamity goes away when you choose Shadow Flare. Why can’t it keep the good skill effect?

▲ Sorceress combo with Rabam skills.

 
◆ Berserker

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Thunder of Beast (Raging Thunder + Wrath of Beast) and Tackling Beast (Raging Thunder + Tackling Rock) 

[Balance update]

 - The hype is real. Berserker buffs finally!
 - Most of his skills got more powerful, especially Devastation.
 - The buff on his passive is huge. That critical hit chance and accuracy buff is a game changer

[Rabam’s Enlightenment before additional balance patch]

 - I never expected Thunder of Beast to be this powerful.
 - Thunder of Beast can deal huge damage.
 - I feel like I’m playing a different character.
 - Thunder of Beat is powerful, but you’re not going to use the skill very often since Devastation is more useful.
 - The skill is stronger in 1vs1 situations as it does not have super armor or forward guard. It makes the Berserker vulnerable to CC.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment after additional balance patch]
(The damage for Thunder of Beast has been readjusted)

 - Another skill they created only to nerf the day after.
 - It’s not a game changing nerf since the skill was not used very often anyway, but still, it sucks.
Tackling Beast is also useful.
 - Thunder of Beast is better for those who just awakened their Berserker. Tackling Beast can be used as a replacement for Flow: Slugfest.

▲ Thunder of Beast

 
◆ Tamer

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Surging Fear (Fearful Trembling + Surging Tide) and Trembling Void (Fearful Trembling + Void Lightening)

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - There are two skills, Surging Fear and Trembling Void, and Trembling Void will be a better choice.
 - You can save about 50 skill points if you choose Trembling Void. Also, Trembling Void deals more damage and is more effective in combat.
 - Trembling Void is one of the best Rabam skills among all characters.
 - I feel like a Striker. Trembling Void is another really powerful skill for the Tamer. Her martial arts skills are getting stronger.
 - This skill can make a really powerful PvP combo.

▲ Level 60 Tamer (210 AP, 300 DP) solo Griffon using Rabam skills.

◆ Valkyrie

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Breath of Heaven (Heaven's Echo + Breath of Elion) and Heavenly Spear (Heaven's Echo + Celestial Spear)

[Balance update]

 - Her mobility skills can make her move much faster. I can feel the change.
 - Grinding speed got slightly faster. I get more common loot than before.
 - Promptness consumes less SP and the cooldown for Hastiludium got shorter. This will definitely increase grinding speed and can make a new combo.
 - Sacrum Ferit also became faster and more smooth.
 - The buff on Promptness is huge. It made the Valkyrie a whole new character.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment before additional balance patch]

 - Valkyrie’s Rabam is not that useful since it doesn’t give any accuracy buff.
 - Neither of the two Rabam skills are good.
 - They buffed other skills but made Rabam useless.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment after additional balance patch]
(The cooldown for Breath of Heaven was reduced from 60 seconds to 40 seconds.)

 - The cooldown got reduced but still I’m not getting Breath of Heaven.
 - In PvE it would not matter, but in PvP there’s no benefit coming from using Breath of Heaven. If you use Breath of Heaven at full HP just for the buff, then it’s your loss. You have to choose between a buff with a 25 second cooldown and buff+heal with a 40 second cooldown.
 - Breath of Heaven might be good in PvP. It will give you a buff, and you will have two healing skills.
 - Breath of Heaven is not recommended for PvE. It’s hard to grind without Heaven’s Echo.
 - Healing, accuracy, and magic defense; these buffs are huge. You should have Breath of Heaven.
 - What’s the other skill for?

▲ Level 61 Valkyrie at Hystria after the balance update.

◆ Musa

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Ultimate: Musa Spirit (Blind Thrust + Musa Spirit) and Storm Slash (Musa Spirit + Rising Storm)

[Balance update]

 - The cooldown for Below the Belt got reduced by 2 sec and Fiery Crevice got buffed. Now you can use a new combo: Below the Belt - Crosscut - Projection - Fiery Crevice.
 - The motion delay before Fiery Angel is reduced so it’s easier to connect skills.
 - But the Musa is still vulnerable to CC while using Flow: Backflow because there is a brief moment when super armor disappears right before Flow: Backflow.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - A combo using Storm Slash and Projection is possible, but Storm Slash does not have super armor or forward guard. Using the combo might put you in a dangerous situation.
 - The one who came up with Rabam clearly doesn’t play PvP. None of the Rabam skills have forward guard/super armor. I thought Rabam was going to be a major buff for the Musa, but it was not.
 - They said the Musa has been reworked to have stronger and easier combos. Revamping Below the Belt and Fiery Crevice is not going to help the combo much, and Rabam skills do not have super armor/forward guard.
 - None of them are useful.
 - It may work in a 1vs1 situation, but don’t get Storm Slash if you want to play safe.
 - I don’t even know why Ultimate: Musa Spirit exists.

▲ Fiery Angel

◆ Maehwa

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Ultinate: Maehwa Spirit (Blind Thrust + Maehwa Spirit) and Chaos: Red Wind (Maehwa Spirit + Chaos: Red Moon)

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - Chaos: Red Wind can deal massive damage if you make the targets float before using the skill. But you are not immune to CC and will be switching to non-awakening.
 - Chaos: Red Wind is another skill effective in 1vs1. Use Rising Moon before Red Wind as a combo.
 - The combo with Rising Moon and Red Wind is really strong. It can deal massive damage with all the air attacks. But it doesn’t have super armor/forward guard so don’t use it in mass PvP.
 - Red Wind is good in both PvP and PvE. It can be used with basic attack, Rising Moon, and/or Petal Bloom to make a strong combo. It can also be used in between the Dragon Bite-Dragon Clow-Lunar Slash combo or the Petal Drill-December combo.
 - On the other hand, Ultimate: Maehwa Spirit is trash. The skill makes the Maehwa switch to non-awakening. The critical hit and attack speed buff might be okay, but Chaos: Red Wind is so much better.
 - If you are a PvE-oriented player, don’t get any Rabam skills. If you like PvP, get Chaos: Red Wind.

▲ Maehwa (using Chaos: Red Wind, 251 AP) vs Valkyrie (283 DP)

◆ Witch

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Sage's Lighthouse (Sage's Memory + Healing Lighthouse) and Sage's Lightning (Sage's Memory + Lightning)

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - Sage’s Lightning is no good.
 - Not recommended. It makes the Witch switch to non-awakening and the Rabam skills are no better than awakening skills.
 - You can use Residual Lightning after Sage’s Lightning, but still it won’t do as much damage as her awakening skills.
 - There’s no super armor/forward guard so Sage’s Lightning won’t be used unless you are harassing an enemy from long distance. Also, no accuracy so no damage.
 - The biggest problem with the Witch’s Rabam skills is that they lock Sage’s Memory. If you lose Sage’s Memory, you also lose instant Protected Area and instant Teleport. This means that you lose the burst damage coming from Psyche of Aad Sphera+Protected Area+Teleport.
 - If you have DP gear and want to play as a support character, then Sage’s Lighthouse might be okay.

▲ Sage's Lighthouse

◆ Wizard

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Sage's Lighthouse (Sage's Memory + Healing Lighthouse) and Sage's Heart (Sage's Memory + Fireball)

[Balance update]

 - The bug where Ultimate: Teleport could not be used when you have Rabam skills has been fixed.
 - Lava Field can be used while moving. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - I tried the Rabam skill in the Arena. It’s sad that we can’t use Sage’s Memory when we have Rabam.
 - No Sage’s Memory, no instant Protected Area/Meteor Shower/Blizzard.
 - Sage’s Lighthouse is better than Sage’s Heart in PvP.
 - Freeze enemies with Frigid Fog and heal with Sage’s Lighthouse.
 - Sage’s Lighthouse does not share cooldown with other healing skill so you get an additional healing skill.
 - Sage’s Heart is not very helpful. Use Hellfire and Cataclysm instead and you will be dealing more damage.

▲ Sage's Heart + Fireball Explosion

◆ Kunoichi

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow (Smokescreen + Ninjutsu: Concealment) and Ninjutsu: Tendon Cutter (Smokescreen + Tendon Cutter)

[Balance update]

 - Her overall speed got faster.
 - She can sprint faster, use Wheel of Wrath faster, and her main non-awakening skills are buffed.
 - It doesn’t really matter that the Kunoichi can use Wheel of Wrath faster because the base damage of that skill is still low. Plus, no super armor.
 - Sah Spree of Sonan still has its motion delay even though the skill is activated faster now. Also, still no super armor so it can’t be used in mass PvP.
 - Motion delays before or after some skills are reduced. She’s a real “Kunoichi” now.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - Don’t expect any damage from the Rabam skill.
 - You can use Concealment immediately after the stealth from Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow ends. This is is going to help the Kunoichi a lot.
 - Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow is extremely effective in harassing.

▲ Faster Wheel of Wrath

▲ Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow and Ninjutsu: Tendon Cutter

◆ Ninja

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow (Smokescreen + Ninjutsu: Concealment) and Shuriken: Cloud Moonlight (Smokescreen + Shuriken: Flight)

[Balance update]

 - Every Thursday, I read the patch notes waiting for the reworks for the Ninja. It has been months.
 - To my Ninja players, congratulations on the graphical glitch fix.
 - Even Stoneback Crabs get buffs but Ninjas don’t. Stoneback Crab > Ninja confirmed.
 - Pearl Abyss has officially left the Ninja behind. Clearly the devs don’t play Ninja. There’s no other way to explain this.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - The cooldown for Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow is insanely long.
 - Rabam increases the cooldown for Ghost Step.
 - Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow is a good skill if you are one of the “top tier” players.
 - Cloud Moonlight is okay.
 - Cloud Moonlight can be used in Awakening mode. Try this combo: Murderous Intent - Cloud Moonlight-Ninjutsu: Shadow Stomp (Shuriken) - non awakening grab - Serpent Ascension - awakening grab - Bloodthirst: Katana Shower.
 - I agree that Cloud Moonlight can deal large damage but the skill doesn’t have super armor, and you can’t use Smokescreen. I’d rather have my original Smokescreen every 14 seconds.

◆ Dark Knight

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Lunatic Ash (Lunacy of Vedir + Shadow Bullet) and Vedir's Ground (Lunacy of Vedir + Corrupt Ground)

[Balance update]

 - You are still invincible while using Dusk and Chain: Dusk, but not when you use the skills when they are on cooldown. But the frame in Smoky Haze is gone.
 - If you can manage your mobility skills well, there should not be any problem.
 - In PvE, lock Chain: Dusk and use only Dusk. It will give you more mobility.
 - Always manage your stamina. You don’t have enough stamina.
 - I don’t know about PvP but the DK actually got stronger in PvE, especially when you don’t have to run long distance.
 - Dusk doesn’t consume that much stamina even when it is used on cooldown, but you must know how to manage your stamina. Now the DK consumes more stamina than the Sorceress does

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - Having one more decent ranged skill is good.
 - Vedir’s Ground has a long cooldown (30 sec) and deals less damage than Lunatic Ash.
 - Get Lunatic Ash.
 - Another ranged CC skill for the DK.
 - Lunatic Ash deals about 85 to 90% damage of Spirit Legacy and has high accuracy.
 - Lunatic Ash does not have super armor and Vedir’s Ground has a long cooldown.
 - Lunatic Ash looks like a good skill, but don’t use it in a closed space like Basilisk. A pile of ash drops from above and apparently it will be blocked by the ceiling.
 - ^ I had the same experience. I went to Hystria to test Lunatic Ash but the skill didn’t do anything.
 - Lunatic Ash is better. Shorter cooldown, more damage, and less skill points.

▲ Tips on stamina management

◆ Striker

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Wolf's Ascension (Flow: Mass Descruction + Wolf's Fang) and Flow: Flash of Lightning (Flow: Mass Destruction + Flash Step)

[Balance update]

 - No cooldown and no collision for Flow: Mass Destruction!
 - Flow: Mass Destruction has super armor, and will stun enemies. Use it in between combos to devastate your enemies.
 - It looks like the Striker’s magic defense got secretly nerfed. Before today’s update, a Wizard could not kill me even if he hits me with multiple skills. Now just Hellfire and Cataclysm is enough to kill my Striker.
 - Same with the Sorceress. Dream of Doom + Violation could not kill me but somehow now I die as soon as I get hit by Violation.
 - The Striker used to be able to live through a Dark Knight’s combo but now he can’t.
 - That’s why they added magic defense +15 to the Rabam skill.

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - The main skill is Flow: Mass Destruction, which does not make any sense. Why buff a skill that cannot be used when you get a Rabam skill?
 - I was happy with the buff for Flow: Mass Destruction. I cannot use the skill if I get a Rabam skill.
 - I’d rather keep my Flow: Mass Destruction. This is stupid.
 - Wolf’s Ascension is good. You will lose Mass Destruction but will be able to make enemies go stiff from a distance, if you use the skill after Twisted Collision.
 - Using Wolf’s Ascension after Twisted Collision takes too much time.
 - Don’t get any Rabam skills for the Striker. Keeping Mass Destruction is better. Use Mass Destruction after Ultimate Crush-Rampaging Predator-Ferocious Assault-Double Flash and you will be dealing more damage.

▲ Wolf's Ascension

◆ Mystic

Rabam's Enlightenment Skills: Rage of Nature (Rage Hammer + Triple Flying Kick) and Vast Rage (Rage Hammer + Roaring Tiger)

[Rabam’s Enlightenment]

 - Rage of Nature is a great buff skill with a short cooldown period. But Vast Rage is also not bad because it can deal massive damage.
 - Get the buff skill.
 - The Mystic’s Rabam skills are actually good. The main skill is Rage Hammer so you don’t have to worry about losing the original skill.
 - It’s a good skill to use before her Awakening.
 - When is Mystic Awakening? This feels like a temporary replacement before her Awakening.
 - The burst damage from Vast Rage is amazing.
 - I’m going to grind with Vast Rage until her Awakening comes out. Knock down + Critical damage.
 - You can reset your skill build after Awakening. When the Mystic’s Awakening comes out, I’m going to switch to Rage of Nature so I have the good buff.

Additional Patch Notes updated on Aug 18th

[Warrior]

The damage that Frenzied Spear deals has decreased. (PvP)

The distance that the Warrior can travel with Frenzied Spear has decreased.

[Ranger]

Fixed an issue where the damage for SP: Charging Wind and Ultimate: Charging Wind dropped after getting an enhanced skill.

[Sorceress]

The main skill for Rabam’s Enlightenment changed from Rushing Crow to Bloody Calamity

[Berserker]

The damage that Thunder of Beat deals has been readjusted. (PvP)

[Valkyrie]

The cooldown for Breath of Heaven has been reduced from 60 seconds to 40 seconds.

[Witch and Wizard]

Fixed an issue where Ultimate: Teleport did not work properly after getting an enhanced skill

[Kunoichi and Ninja]

The cooldown for Ninjutsu: Ghost Shadow has been reduced from 50 seconds to 30 seconds.

Crescent Slash I will consume 10 WP.

Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone I will consume 20 WP.

Fatal Blow will consume less WP.

Fox Claw will consume less WP.

Ninjutsu: Shadow Stomp will consume less WP.

Ankle Cutter will consume less WP.

Ninjutsu: Black Moonlight will consume less WP.

[Kunoichi]

Ninjutsu: Shadow Explosion will consume less WP.

Flash Slash will consume less WP.

Tendon Cutter will consume 50 WP instead of 70 WP.

[Ninja]

Boss Slaughter will consume less WP.

Beheading the Dead will consume less WP.