Phantom Class Guide & Build

Phantom is one of the Heroes-era classes released alongside the Black Mage storyline, and he plays like a flashy, high-mobility thief. Instead of claws or daggers, Phantom throws Cards (Carte) as his primary weapon and wields a Cane, mixing ranged card barrages with sweeping melee strikes. His signature trick is Steal: at each job advancement he permanently copies one skill from another Explorer class, so part of the fun is deciding which utility to borrow.

On Zipangu specifically, Phantom shines because our rates are low and fair — 2x EXP, 1x meso, 1x drop — so leveling actually feels earned, and Phantom's strong mobbing and self-sustain keep grinds smooth. There is strictly no pay-to-win here, so your Phantom's power comes from your build, your gear, and the player-driven meso economy, not a cash shop shortcut.

Phantom scales primarily off LUK with DEX as a secondary requirement, identical to the Thief stat model. Pump LUK as your main stat and only meet the DEX requirements your weapon and gear demand. His weapon is the Cane, and his thrown projectiles are Cards — keep both in good shape as you level.

The defining Phantom feature is Steal. At 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th job you can choose one skill to permanently take from an Explorer class. Good early picks are utility and survivability skills (a heal, a buff, or a movement/recovery tool), saving raw-damage steals for when your own kit is already strong. Plan your steals around what your build is missing rather than grabbing whatever looks shiny.

• ▸Main stat: LUK (add every AP point here in most builds)
• ▸Secondary: DEX only up to gear/weapon requirements
• ▸Weapon: Cane (melee) + Cards/Carte (ranged projectiles)
• ▸Steal: one borrowed skill per job advancement — pick to cover gaps

Here is a sensible skill-point priority for a v117 Phantom. Exact point counts vary as you level, so this is a focus order, not a per-point table — max your core mobbing and single-target lines first, then survivability, then the situational extras.

Phantom rewards smart Steal choices as much as raw skill points, so treat each job advancement as two decisions: what to max, and what to borrow.

• ▸1st job: Prioritize your basic attack/mobbing skill and your movement skill (Phantom's dashes and jumps are a core part of his identity). Take a defensive or recovery Steal here.
• ▸2nd job: Max your primary mobbing card skill and your single-target line. Fill in passive masteries and accuracy next. Steal a buff or utility skill that smooths training.
• ▸3rd job: Push your strongest AoE and single-target attacks to max first, then your buffs/passives. By now you'll know which Steal best covers your weak spot (mobility, healing, or party utility).
• ▸4th job: Max your ultimate/hyper-tier attacks and key passives that boost damage and survivability. Your final Steal should round out the kit — often a strong damage or utility skill you've been missing.

Phantom gear priority is straightforward: LUK first, then attack, then survivability. Early on, hit Zipangu's PQs for clean, level-appropriate equips and use scrolls to push LUK and attack on your Cane and armor. As you climb, transition into stronger weapons and accessories and start chasing potential lines.

Because Zipangu runs a 1x drop, player-driven economy, your fastest route to gear upgrades is a mix of self-farming and trading with other players in the market and on Discord. Don't sleep on the meso grind — a well-funded Phantom can buy scrolls and upgrades that pure drop-hunting would take far longer to find.

• ▸Weapon: Cane with LUK / total attack scrolls; upgrade tier as your level allows
• ▸Armor: stack LUK, then defense; clean slots for scrolling
• ▸Accessories & emblem: LUK-focused, fill every slot you can
• ▸Potential: aim for LUK% and attack% lines as you mature
• ▸Damage source: blend self-farming with market trades for scrolls/upgrades

Phantom levels comfortably thanks to strong mobility and card-based AoE. Follow the standard Big-Bang Explorer leveling flow and lean on Party Quests for steady, social EXP between grind maps.

Early levels: clear starter maps and run Kerning PQ as soon as you qualify. Mid levels: Ludibrium PQ (LPQ) and Orbis PQ (OPQ) are excellent for EXP and gear, and Monster Carnival (CPQ) is great for fast, competitive EXP. Later: graduate to mid-to-high-level grind maps and start prepping for boss runs. Zipangu's 2x EXP keeps the curve fair without making the journey trivial.

PQs are some of the best EXP and gear on Zipangu, and Phantom's mobility makes him a welcome party member. Each PQ has a level range, a start NPC, staged objectives, and rewards — here are the staples you'll run as you level.

Bring a Phantom's strengths: fast movement for jump-quest stages and solid AoE for clear stages. Always check the level range before queuing so you don't out-level the good ones.

• ▸Kerning PQ: low-level entry PQ, started in Kerning City; stage-based puzzle/combat clears with EXP and early equips as rewards.
• ▸Ludibrium PQ (LPQ): a beloved mid-level PQ in Ludibrium featuring jump-quest and stage clears, rewarding EXP plus the classic ladder of accessory upgrades.
• ▸Orbis PQ (OPQ): mid-level PQ launched from Orbis with multi-stage objectives, good EXP and gear.
• ▸Monster Carnival (CPQ): competitive team-vs-team EXP arena — fast, repeatable EXP that suits Phantom's mobbing.
• ▸Plus more: Pirate PQ and Romeo & Juliet PQ round out the rotation — check each one's level range before joining.

Once your Phantom is geared and 4th job, bosses are where the real progression (and bragging rights) live. Zipangu features the classic Big-Bang lineup: Zakum, Horntail, Pink Bean, and the broader Black Mage storyline.

General prep applies to every boss: bring potions and status cures, know the mechanics before you walk in, and party up unless you're confident you can solo. Phantom's mobility helps a lot with dodging telegraphed attacks and repositioning during mechanic phases.

• ▸Zakum: entered via the Zakum altar after the prerequisite quest line; watch the arm phases and the body's seal/debuff attacks. Rewards include strong early end-game accessories.
• ▸Horntail: a multi-head dragon in the Leafre cave; requires party coordination and status-cure items for its seduce/curse mechanics. Drops sought-after equips.
• ▸Pink Bean: a late-game encounter in the Temple of Time reached through its quest chain; a long, mechanic-heavy fight best done with a prepared party.
• ▸Black Mage storyline: the overarching endgame narrative content — work through the questline as your gear and level allow.

New to Phantom on Zipangu? Here's the short version to get rolling fast, then download and jump in.

• ▸Create a Phantom and put AP into LUK; keep DEX only at gear requirements.
• ▸Max mobbing skills first each job; max single-target second.
• ▸Pick each Steal to cover a gap — survivability early, damage later.
• ▸Run Kerning PQ early, then LPQ / OPQ / CPQ through the mid game.
• ▸Scroll LUK and attack onto your Cane and armor; chase LUK% potential later.
• ▸Hit Zakum first among bosses, then Horntail and Pink Bean as you gear up.
• ▸Join the Zipangu Discord (https://discord.com/invite/M4Up4kM) to party up and trade.