Aether Strikers

The Aether Strikers are a blunt weapon type in Dauntless.

Summary

Slayers will get access to the aether strikers fairly early in progression – right around the same time you get your first pair of repeaters. Once you’ve grabbed the Scarred Master’s quest, you’ll be able to talk to her for all of your striker crafting needs. And there will be quite a few! Just like with the sword and war pike, you’ll be able to craft a unique set of strikers for each Behemoth you slay.

Lore

Aether Strikers was a weapon originally only used by the Adamant Fists, which was a group that lived in the Adamant Temple. The weapons were originally not used to kill behemoths but to defeat human foes that wanted to do harm to the Adamant Temple. It was not until Kat returned from the Temple to Ramsgate that she gave the Aethersmith the Gauntlets she was allowed to take with her, that the Aether Strikers became a weapon to hunt Behemoths.^[1]

Instead of acting as an extension of self, the strikers function as a catalyst, transforming the very Slayer who wields them into a weapon of flesh and deadly focus. But the aether strikers can only enhance what is already there. If you truly want to master the Way of the Fist – and prove your worth to the Scarred Master – you’ll need to do more than throw a quick punch. Combos. Chains. Mantras. Techniques. Each aspect of the aether strikers must be understood, practiced, and honed to perfection.

The strikers are pugilist’s weapons, but they also have a spiritual component. To truly master them, you’ll need to learn to charge up special energies called Mantras, and understand when to unleash their powers.^[2]

Gear

Weapons

Name	Power		Elemental Power	Perks	Cell Slots	Unique Effects
Recruit's Strikers	80	80	None	None	None	None
Raging Fists	100	550	None	+1~3 Ragehunter	Technique Cell Utility Cell	None
Fists of the Shrike	100	550	None	+1~3 Conditioning	Technique Cell Mobility Cell	After dodging, your next attack deals +50~100 part damage.
Quillshot's Shredders	100	550	None	+1~3 Acidic	Technique Cell Defense Cell	None
Skarn's Smashers	100	550	+80 Terra	+1~3 Knockout King	Technique Cell Defense Cell	Dealing damage has a chance (based on damage dealt) to grant a stacking, refreshing 20~40 health shield that lasts for 12s.
Charred Hands	100	550	+80 Blaze	+1~3 Aetherhunter	Technique Cell Defense Cell	None
Winter Wolves	100	550	+80 Frost	+1~3 Nimble	Technique Cell Mobility Cell	Evading drops 1~3 Ice Mine on a 30 second cooldown that deals 300 damage.
Ember Fists	100	550	+80 Blaze	+1~3 Evasive Fury	Technique Cell Mobility Cell	The fifth hit in a row deals +50~150% stagger damage.
Thundering Bolts	100	550	+80 Shock	+1~3 Aetheric Attunement	Technique Cell Power Cell	+20~30% damage vs Behemoth heads
Nayzaga's Shockers	100	550	+80 Shock	+1~3 Savagery	Technique Cell Utility Cell	After a Behemoth is staggered, heal for 100~300
Pangar's Punishers	100	550	+80 Frost	+1~3 Knockout King	Technique Cell Defense Cell	None.
Inferno's Flames	100	550	+80 Blaze	+1~3 Overpower	Power Cell Power Cell	The eighth hit in a row deals +100~250 damage and major blaze damage.
Storm Breakers	100	550	+80 Shock	+1~3 Aetheric Attunement	Technique Cell Mobility Cell	After dodging through an attack, extend Mantra timeout by 1~3 seconds.
Kharabak's Pincers	100	550	+80 Terra	+1~3 Bladestorm	Technique Cell Mobility Cell	None.
Hands of Dawn	100	550	+80 Radiant	+1~3 Cunning	Technique Cell Power Cell	10% chance for attacks to hit twice
Hands of Night	100	550	+80 Umbral	+1~3 Cunning	Technique Cell Utility Cell	When under 20% health, deal +50% damage.
Sovereign's Sceptres	100	550	+80 Terra	+1~3 Sharpened	Power Cell Utility Cell	After not dealing damage for 6 seconds, the next 3~5 attacks deal 25% increased damage.
Stalker's Scorn	100	550	+80 Umbral	+1~3 Wild Frenzy	Technique Cell Utility Cell	Dealing damage has a chance (based on damage dealt) to generate a Shadow Orb that increases damage dealt by 1.5~2.5% for 5 seconds. If 5 or more Orbs are present, the bonus doubles.
Valomyr's Visions	100	550	+80 Radiant	+1~3 Aetherhunter	Power Cell Utility Cell	Once charged, your next attack will deal 300~550 bonus radiant damage. Charge rate increases with current health.
Brawlers of Boreus	100	550	+80 Frost	+1~3 Conditioning	Power Cell Defence Cell	After Surging, generate 2 Frost Sprites that grant your next attack +30~50 damage and minor frost damage (Max 4 Sprites)
Mistral Currents	500	550	+80 Shock	Bond	Prismatic Cell Prismatic Cell	Legendary Ability: [G] to teleport to a Behemoth, dealing Shock damage. Usable once, but resets on Behemoth kill.
Tectonic Faults	500	550	+80 Blaze	Bond	Prismatic Cell Prismatic Cell	Legendary Ability: [G] to enter a rage, gaining new attacks for 15 seconds. Deals +25% damage when the target is below 50% health. Usable once, but resets on Behemoth kill.

Aether Strikers Specials

	Adamant Bolt	Unleash energy in a focused blast, dealing 900 damage to the first enemy hit. Deals up to +100% damage when Tempest Form and Karma Breaker's effects are active.	Available from the quest Meet the Master (Quest).
	Titan's Crash	Unleash energy forward in a pressure wave, dealing 600 damage to the closest target and 200 damage to nearby target. Deals up to +100% damage when Tempest Form and Karma Breaker's effects are active.	Strikers Mastery level 8

Aether Strikers Mods

Cyclonic Strikeplate	Tempest Form duration increased by 10 seconds. When Tempest Form has less than 10 seconds remaining, deal +15% damage.	Strikers Mastery level 6
Echo Bracedriver	Critical strikes increase the damage dealt by Karma Breaker's damage over time by 5% until the debuff ends or is refreshed.	Strikers Mastery level 10
Inertial Fistguard	Surge deals +25% damage. After surging, gain +5% movespeed for 8 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.	Strikers Mastery level 16

Techniques

Perhaps the most important component of the Aether strikers system are techniques.

These are special moves that vary depending on how many Mantras you have charged up.

Tempest Form

The Tempest Form is the simplest technique, requiring only one Mantra to use.

Activate it to focus your energy and increase your attack speed. This is a relatively long boost.

Karma Breaker

The Karma Breaker requires two Mantras and unleashes a forward strike.

This strike damages the first target it hits and deals damage over time for an extended period.

Adamant Bolt

The Adamant Bolt releases a focused, cannon-like blast of energy, dealing damage to the first enemy it hits.

It also deals bonus damage if either Tempest Form or Karma Breaker is active, and even more damage if they’re both active.

You’ll need to light up all three Mantras in order to use this one.

Adamant Bolt can be swapped for Titan’s Crash, a devastating close-range Attack that does more damage when both Tempest Form and Karma Breaker are active.

Mantra

Once you’ve charged up a Mantra, you’ll see a timer and two special skills light up on your UI.

The first one is Surge: a skill you can use after gaining any Mantra or using any technique. Tap your special button to execute a dash attack that punches through enemies and – this part is important – refreshes your timer.

Timing is Everything

Before we go further into techniques and combo chains, let’s explain the Mantra timer. This glowing meter lets you see how much time you have left before your current Mantra(s) expire. You can refresh it by either (a) activating Surge or (b) landing another successful combo before it times out. If it expires, you’ll lose all of your current Mantra charges and have to start over with another combo.