Unleash critical hits to break an enemy!
Tutorial Description
The Duelist is a Basic Job in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, and is the second job available to Jack at the start of the game, as well as the first job available to Jed at the start of the game. Leveling the Duelist is required to unlock the Thief job.
Duelist is the first critical-oriented job in the game centered around the use of the Daggers and is capable of dealing close-range damage at fast speeds and high evasion, making it easier to land critical hits and deplete the enemy's break gauge. The Duelist encourages an evasive yet destructive playstyle by increasing the duration of Lightbringer, extending the i-frames of evasions, and boosting critical damage dealt.
Abilities[]
Job Action[]
| Ability | MP Cost | Description | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|
 Weak Spot |
100 | [Attack Type:  Slash][Stat Bonus:  Agility]Quickly dash forward and deliver a slashing attack. Always critically hits, regardless of the enemy's position relative to you. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
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The Duelist's Job Action is Weak Spot, a quick attack that grants the player a guaranteed critical hit, regardless of the enemy's position relative to the player character.
During this action, the player will also be invincible until the action has finished, provided that the player unlocks the mastery ability within the job tree. This ability is reliable for staggering enemies and opening them up for more critical hits and go in for a soul burst finish.
Command Ability[]
| Ability | Job Points | MP Cost | Required Ability to Unlock | Description | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Venom |
3 | 100 | Duelist Affinity+10% | Temporarily causes hits landed to accumulate poison on the enemy. *The enemy will become poisoned after enough poison accumulates. |
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The Duelist obtains the Venom support ability, imbuing the character's current weapon with the Poison status, which inflicts the Poison status ailment with enough damage dealt to the enemy. It acts similar the later Tyrant job's Enchantments in that the support ability cannot be stacked with other elements. This ability is beneficial to jobs that specialize in inflicting status ailments such as Red Mage or Ninja for extra MP and damage dealt over time.
Combo Abilities[]
| Ability | Type | Job Points | MP Cost | Required Ability to Unlock | Description | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Whirlwind |
Dagger Combo | 3 | 100 | Lightbringer Duration+4.4% | [Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Agility]Leap into the air to unleash a series of slashing attacks across a wide area. [Link 1 Ability] Can be set to  > .
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 Vortex |
Dagger Combo | 3 | 100 | Duelist Affinity+10% | [Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Agility]Leap at an enemy while spinning to unleash a series of slashing attacks. Critical hits will deal more damage more than usual. [Link 2 Ability] Can be set to > > .
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 Cloudburst |
Dagger Combo | 10 | 200 | Swift Swipes | [Attack Type:  Pierce/Slash][Stat Bonus:  Strength]Impale an enemy, then unleash a quick slash that deals pierce damage and knocks enemies back. Critical hits will deal more damage than usual. [Link 3 Ability] Can be set to >>>.
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Combo Effects[]
| Ability | Job Points | Required Ability to Unlock | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 Swift Swipes |
7 | Weak Spot Mastery | [Weapon Type: Daggers] [Rear Attack Link] Enhances abilities set to  + (Weapon Skill) > Increases attack speed. |
Deadly Daggers |
7 | Weak Spot Mastery | [Weapon Type: Daggers] [Side Attack Link] Enhances abilities set to   + (Weapon Skill) > Enhances the critical bonus. |
Duelist makes use of the daggers as its default weapon and serves as an introduction to this weapon type. These weapons are lightweight slashing weapons ideal for slipping behind foes and landing critical hits to clear break gauges. The combo effects thereof focus on increasing ability speed and dealing even greater critical damage.
Job Passives[]
| Ability | Job Points | Required Ability to Unlock | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lightbringer Duration +4.4% |
1 | Weak Spot | Increases duration of lightbringer. |
Extend Evade Invulnerability +16.7% |
5 | Whirlwind | Increases duration of invincibility when evading. |
 Duelist Affinity +10% |
1 | Extend Evade Invulnerability +16.7% | Increases duelist job affinity. |
Duelist Affinity +15% |
4 | Venom | Increases duelist job affinity. |
Extend Evade Invincibility +16.7% |
5 | Duelist Affinity +15% | Increases duration of invincibility when evading. |
 Weak Spot Mastery |
5 | Venom | Become invincible when attacking with weak spot |
Critical Damage +5.1% |
7 | Weak Spot Mastery | Increases critical damage.. |
Duelist Affinity +15% |
9 | Critical Damage +5.1% | Increases duelist job affinity. |
Lightbringer Duration +14.8% |
12 | Cloudburst | Increases duration of lightbringer. |
Critical Damage +3.6% |
8 | Deadly Daggers | Increases critical damage. |
Job/Class Unlocks[]
These nodes lead to the following Advanced Jobs/Job Classes
| Ability | Type | Required Ability to Unlock | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 New Job: Thief |
Job Unlock | Critical Damage +3.6% | Partial unlock for the Thief Job. Also requires a similar ability in the Pugilist Job Tree. |
 New Class: Cutthroat |
Class Unlock | All Duelist tree abilities | Unlocks the Evocation Class for Duelist, Cutthroat. Only available in the Trials of the Dragon King DLC. |
 New Class: Merciless Champion |
Class Unlock | All Duelist tree abilities | Unlocks the Ultima Class for Duelist, Merciless Champion. Only available in the Trials of the Dragon King DLC. |
Class Trees[]
Introduced in the Trials of the Dragon King DLC, These classes are unlocked after visiting Bahamut's Cave and completing the "A Token of Courage and Strength" conversation with Bahamut and the abilities thereof can be bought by using Rat Tails which are accumulated by completing missions on the Bahamut difficulty onward and purchasing them from the Bahamut Exchange Shop via Dragon Treasures:
Cutthroat[]
| Ability | Type | Rat Tails | Required Ability to Unlock | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
After Image |
Job Action | — | All Duelist tree abilities | Weak Spot + [Class Change Effect: Evocation] Temporarily increases break damage after chain cancelling this attack. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
 Luck +6 |
Passive | 2 | After Image | Increases luck. |
 Strength +5 |
Passive | 4 | Luck +6 | Increases strength. |
Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0% |
Passive | 6 | Strength +5 | Increases magic vulnerability resistances. |
 Duelist Master Points +3 |
Passive | 11 | Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0% | Increases duelist master points acquired. |
 Intellect +6 |
Passive | 6 | Strength +5 | Increases intellect. |
 Stamina +5 |
Passive | 8 | Intellect +6 | Increases stamina. |
 Agility +8 |
Passive | 2 | After Image | Increases agility. |
Break +160 |
Passive | 6 | Agility +8 | Increases break by 160. |
Status Ailment Resistance +18.0% |
Passive | 8 | Break +160 | Increases resistance to status ailments. |
 Spirit +6 |
Passive | 10 | Status Ailment Resistance +18.0% | Increases spirit. |
Dagger Artistry |
Combo Ability Effects | 16 | Spirit +6 | [Weapon Type: Daggers] [Forward Attack Link] Enhances abilities set to  + (Weapon Skill)>.Restores HP based on physical damage dealt. |
HP +200 |
Passive | 12 | Status Ailment Resistance +18.0% | Increases HP by 200. |
Duelist Master Points +3 |
Passive | 17 | HP +200 | Increases duelist master points acquired. |
Merciless Champion[]
| Ability | Type | Rat Tails | Required Ability to Unlock | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Icy Mangling |
Job Action | — | All Duelist tree abilities | Weak Spot + [Class Change Effect: Ultima] Trigger the combo ability set to the After Parry slot when pressing after attacking.[Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
Luck +6 |
Passive | 2 | Increases luck. | |
Strength +5 |
Passive | 4 | Luck +6 | Increases strength. |
Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0% |
Passive | 6 | Strength +5 | Increases magic vulnerability resistances. |
Duelist Master Points +3 |
Passive | 11 | Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0% | Increases duelist master points acquired. |
Intellect +6 |
Passive | 6 | Strength +5 | Increases intellect. |
Stamina +5 |
Passive | 8 | Intellect +6 | Increases stamina. |
Agility +8 |
Passive | 2 | Icy Mangling | Increases agility. |
Break +160 |
Passive | 6 | Agility +8 | Increases break by 160. |
Status Ailment Resistance +18.0% |
Passive | 8 | Break +160 | Increases resistance to status ailments. |
Spirit +6 |
Passive | 10 | Status Ailment Resistance +18.0% | Increases spirit. |
Fiendish Blades |
Combo Ability Effects | 16 | Spirit +6 | [Weapon Type: Daggers] [Parry Link] Enhances abilities set to After Parry: .Greatly reduces the enemy's max break gauge on impact. |
HP +200 |
Passive | 12 | Status Ailment Resistance +18.0% | Increases HP by 200. |
Swordsman Master Points +3 |
Passive | 17 | HP +200 | Increases duelist master points acquired. |
Job Affinity bonuses[]
Most weapons and items of clothing have a certain percentage of Job Affinity for a certain job. By combining them together and raising this percentage, the character may not only gain extra EXP to that Job, but also unlock abilities and bonuses to their stats. The bonuses for the Duelist Job Affinity are:
| Name | Job Ability Percentages | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Duelist's Wisdom I | 20% | Increases the corresponding stat(s). Agility+1 |
| Duelist's Wisdom II | 30% | Increases the corresponding stat(s). Spirit+1 Agility+1 |
| Critical Bonus I | 50% | Increases critical break damage by 8.1%. |
| Duelist's Wisdom III | 80% | Increases the corresponding stat(s). HP+25 Strength+1 Spirit+1 Agility+2 |
| Critical Bonus II | 120% | Increases critical break damage by 13.5%. |
| Duelist's Wisdom IV | 160% | Increases the corresponding stat(s). HP+25 Strength+2 Spirit+2 Agility+3 |
| Outlaw's Soul | 250% | Daggers: Forward/Rear/Side attack links can now be chained up to two times in a row. |
| Dagger Master | 400% | Daggers: Enables the use of all weapon abilities for the daggers and increases damage dealt with dagger combo abilities. Including Weak Spot. |
| Memories of a Hate-Filled Avenger | 600% | Reduces the MP cost of dagger combo abilities while daggers are equipped. Also enhances the effects of Duelist's Wisdom. |
| Duelist's Essence | 800% | Enhances the effects of Duelist's Wisdom, and also boosts stats based on your affinity. |
Gameplay[]
The Duelist job enables players to perform fast hitting attacks against enemies, but at the trade off of having weaker damage per hit. It is a powerful Job for most players looking for a more agile fighter class that can more than reliably contend against enemies with large damaging attacks with slow startups. With its Weak Spot ability, the Duelist excels at breaking enemies easier than the other basic jobs at earlier levels.
Strengths[]
- Excellent Break Damage. As a Speed-type job, the Duelist possesses high Agility leading to clearing enemy break gauges much easier.
- Attack Speed. The Duelist is an agile job capable evading attacks while still poking at the enemy with fast combos to whittle their health down. This is made even more apparent with the Outlaw's Soul affinity bonus
- Icy Mangling. With the Ultima Class Action's After Parry trait, this can lead to devastating combos with near invincible invulnerability.
Weaknesses[]
- Poor defenses. The Duelist does not have the best stats for defenses as a Speed-type job, leaving it in a bad state when overwhelmed by constant enemy attacks.
- Low HP Damage. When paired up against bosses possessing high Agility, the Duelist may struggle to break those enemies as the Agility stat contends with the character's break damage.
- Unspecialized. The Duelist's stats and role as a critical damage dealer can all be fulfilled by later jobs such as the Assassin, Thief, and Ninja.
Stats[]
The Duelist receives the largest stat bonus in its Agility, providing even higher break damage upon a critical hit.
| Stat | Rating | Lvl 1 | Lvl 30 | Lvl 55 | Lvl 80 | Lvl 99 | Lvl 120 | Lvl 135 | Lvl 150+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | C | 900 | 1489 | 1937 | 2050 | 2143 | 2269 | 2359 | 2449 |
| Strength | B | 15 | 18 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Agility | A | 17 | 20 | 24 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Stamina | D | 14 | 17 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Intellect | D | 14 | 16 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Spirit | C | 15 | 18 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Luck | C | 15 | 18 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Recommended Subjobs[]
Ronin[]
Ronin is a particularly good pairing with the Duelist due to its powerful strikes that are comparable to the kind of moveset and speed available to Swordsman. It can be used to break apart enemy groups that try to gang up on you, allowing players to circumvent any potential enemy rushes.
Hunter[]
Hunter is an excellent support job for the Duelist, fitting for the Duelist's Pugilist's Heart combo effects. Analyze is helpful to bolster your attacks for the Duelist's barrage of physical damage output by bypassing resistances. This can also aid in MP management should the Duelist have the Lancet support ability at the ready.
Ninja[]
Ninja is the most common support job for any job. Utsusemi is helpful to avoid any attack when the Duelist gains the greatest enmity or in case they need to Provoke enemies to save other party members, making it very useful when tackling higher level enemies who can kill with one attack.
Recommended Weapon Abilities[]
Daggers[]
| Ability | MP Cost | Description | Required Weapon/Affinity |
|---|---|---|---|
Twin-Thrust
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100~ | [Attack Type: Pierce] [Stat Bonus: Agility]Perform a series of quick thrusts. Hold for successive attacks.[Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
Any Daggers |
Throw
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100 | [Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Agility]Throw your daggers to attack an enemy at mid-range, dealing slash damage. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
Mage Mashers Ripper Knives Orichalcum Dirks Dagger Master Affinity |
Blade Turbine
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100 | [Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Agility]Perform a slash that covers a wide area. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
Mage Mashers Ripper Knives Orichalcum Dirks Dagger Master Affinity |
Sawblade Storm
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100~ | [Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Strength]Perform a series of quick slashes. Hold for successive attacks.[Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
Swordbreakers Twin Gladii Dagger Master Affinity |
Nightjar
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100 | [Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Agility]Vanish from enemy sight, then reappear to deliver a sudden slashing attack. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
Gekkō & Nikkō Kōryū & Fukuko Sasuke & Saizō Dagger Master Affinity |
Chronostasis
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300 | [Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Agility]Deliver a series of blindingly fast slashes that leave afterimages in their wake. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot. |
Spinning Saws Soul of Water Any Artifact or Relic Daggers after clearing Floor 12 Dagger Master Affinity |