Pugilist (Stranger of Paradise)

Master prowess to deliver flurries of powerful close-combat strikes!

Tutorial Description

The Pugilist is a Basic Job in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, and is available in the earliest stages in the game as well as the first job available to Ash at the start of the game. Leveling this job is required to unlock the Monk and Thief jobs.

Pugilist serves as an introduction to the Knuckles, close-quarters striking weapons used fit for dealing break damage and landing critical hits. They will increase what is called a Boost Level upon delivering hits, which increases the general damage dealt and break damage dealt the higher the level, along with providing different combo enders at the end of a normal attack combo. To keep up with its speedy playstyle, the job grants passives such as increased MP recovery via normal attacks, greater ability damage, and faster break gauge recovery speed.

Abilities[]

Job Action[]

Ability	MP Cost	Description	Movie
Explosive Fist	100~	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Agility] Deliver a weighty striking blow. Hold to continue the assault, slowly increasing the number of attacks made. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.

The Pugilist's Job Action is Explosive Fist, a heavy hit that advances toward the opponent and continues with a speedy barrage of blows as long as you hold that lasts until the player runs out of MP. This ability is good for increasing the player's Boost Level and in certain cases it can aid in enemy status accumulation.

Command Ability[]

Ability	Job Points	MP Cost	Required Ability to Unlock	Description	Movie
Counter	7	100	Way of the Warrior	Temporarily reduces the break cost of a successful soul shield and increases MP restored.

The Pugilist obtains the Counter support ability which improves your soul shielding by spending less Break upon a successful soul shield and improving the MP recovered thereof. This ability is great for defending yourself and retaliating in quick succession without using as many resources. It becomes very beneficial at later levels when break recovery becomes a greater issue and soul shielding much more costly.

Combo Abilities[]

Ability	Type	Job Points	MP Cost	Required Ability to Unlock	Description	Movie
Aerial Hook	Knuckles Combo	5	100	Normal Attack MP Recovery +3.5%	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Agility] Leap into the air to unleash two consecutive kicks that deal striking damage and knock enemies back. [Link 2 Ability] Can be set to > > .
Takedown	Knuckles Combo	9	100	Fists of Steel	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Stamina] Charge forward and slam an enemy to the ground, dealing striking damage and knocking enemies back. [Link 3 Ability] Can be set to >>>.
Double Uppercut	Knuckles Combo	3	100	Pugilist Affinity +10%	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Agility] A series of uppercuts that deal striking damage and knock enemies into the air. [Link 1 Ability] Can be set to >

Combo Effects[]

Ability	Job Points	Required Ability to Unlock	Description
Fists of Steel	6	Explosive Fist Mastery	[Weapon Type: Knuckles] [Charged Attack Link] Enhances abilities set to Hold > Increases break damage dealt.
Way of the Warrior	5	Double Uppercut	[Weapon Type: Knuckles] [Parry Link] Enhances abilities set to After Parry: Guarantees a critical hit.

Job Passives[]

Ability	Job Points	Required Ability to Unlock	Description
Pugilist Affinity +10%	1	Explosive Fist	Increases pugilist job affinity.
Break Gauge Recovery Speed +3.5%	2	Pugilist Affinity +10%	Increases break gauge recovery speed.
Normal Attack MP Recovery +3.5%	3	Break Gauge Recovery Speed +3.5%	Increases MP recovery from normal attacks.
Normal Attack MP Recovery +7.3%	7	Aerial Hook	Increases MP recovery from normal attacks.
Explosive Fist Mastery	4	Break Gauge Recovery Speed +3.5%	Increases the attack speed of explosive fist.
Ability Damage +3.0%	8	Fists of Steel	Increases ability damage dealt.
Pugilist Affinity +15%	4	Double Uppercut	Increases pugilist job affinity.
Break Gauge Recovery Speed +8.5%	7	Way of the Warrior	Increases break gauge recovery speed.
Ability Damage +3.2%	9	Counter	Increases ability damage dealt.
Pugilist Affinity +25%	9	Counter	Increases pugilist job affinity.

Job/Class Unlocks[]

These nodes lead to the following Advanced Jobs/Job Classes:

Job	Type	Required Ability to Unlock	Description
New Job: Monk	Job Unlock	Takedown	Partial unlock for the Monk Job. Also requires a similar ability in the Lancer Job Tree.
New Job: Thief	Job Unlock	Pugilist Affinity +25%	Partial unlock for the Thief Job. Also requires a similar ability in the pugilist Job Tree.
New Class: Martial Master	Class Unlock	All Pugilist tree abilities	Unlocks the Evocation Class for Pugilist, Martial Master. Only available in the Trials of the Dragon King DLC.
New Class: Iron Fist Champion	Class Unlock	All Pugilist tree abilities	Unlocks the Ultima Class for Pugilist, Iron Fist 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:

Martial Master[]

Ability	Type	Required Ability to Unlock	Description	Movie
Phasing Palm	Job Action	All Pugilist tree abilities	Explosive Fist + [Class Change Effect: Evocation] Increases duration of buffs on self every time an attack hits. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.

Ability	Type	Rat Tails	Required Ability to Unlock	Description
Luck +6	Passive	2	Phasing Palm	Increases luck.
Strength +5	Passive	4	Luck +6	Increases strength.
Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0%	Passive	6	Strength +5	Increases magic vulnerability resistances.
Pugilist Master Points +3	Passive	11	Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0%	Increases pugilist master points acquired.
Intellect +5	Passive	6	Strength +5	Increases intellect.
Stamina +6	Passive	8	Intellect +6	Increases stamina.
Agility +7	Passive	2	Phasing Palm	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.
Defensive Pugilism	Combo Ability Effects	16	Spirit +6	[Weapon Type: Knuckles] [Forward Attack Link] Enhances abilities set to + (Weapon Skill)>. Decreases damage taken while the ability is active.
HP +200	Passive	12	Status Ailment Resistance +18.0%	Increases HP by 200.
Pugilist Master Points +3	Passive	17	HP +200	Increases pugilist master points acquired.

Iron Fist Champion[]

Ability	Type	Required Ability to Unlock	Description	Movie
Bloodpunch	Job Action	All Pugilist tree abilities	Explosive Fist + [Class Change Effect: Ultima] Enemies broken or brought to 0 HP by this attack will be finished with a soul burst. Releasing will increase its damage based on your prowess. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.

Ability	Type	Rat Tails	Required Ability to Unlock	Description
Luck +6	Passive	2	Bloodpunch	Increases luck.
Strength +5	Passive	4	Luck +6	Increases strength.
Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0%	Passive	6	Strength +5	Increases magic vulnerability resistances.
Pugilist Master Points +3	Passive	11	Elemental Vulnerability Resistance +40.0%	Increases pugilist master points acquired.
Intellect +5	Passive	6	Strength +5	Increases intellect.
Stamina +6	Passive	8	Intellect +6	Increases stamina.
Agility +7	Passive	2	Bloodpunch	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.
Magic from Might	Combo Ability Effects	16	Spirit +6	[Weapon Type: Knuckles] [Forward Attack Link] Enhances abilities set to + (Weapon Skill)>. Restores MP based on physical damage dealt.
HP +200	Passive	12	Status Ailment Resistance +18.0%	Increases HP by 200.
Pugilist Master Points +3	Passive	17	HP +200	Increases pugilist 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 Pugilist Job Affinity are:

Name	Job Ability Percentages	Description
Pugilist's Wisdom I	20%	Increases the corresponding stat(s). Agility+1
Pugilist's Wisdom II	30%	Increases the corresponding stat(s). Strength+1 Agility+1
Strike Attack Bonus I	50%	Increases strike break damage dealt by 5.9%
Pugilist's Wisdom III	80%	Increases the corresponding stat(s). HP+25 Stamina+2 Agility+2
Strike Attack Bonus II	120%	Increases strike break damage dealt by 9.8%
Pugilist's Wisdom IV	160%	Increases the corresponding stat(s). HP+50 Strength+1 Stamina+2 Agility+3
Brawler's Soul	250%	Knuckles: Reduces the enemy's max break gauge when hitting with a strong attack (Hold ).
Grappling Master	400%	Knuckles: Enables the use of all weapon abilities for the knuckles and increases damage dealt with knuckles combo abilities.Including Explosive Fist
Memories of a Brash Martial Artist	600%	Reduces the MP cost of knuckles combo abilities while knuckles are equipped. Also enhances the effects of Pugilist's Wisdom.
Pugilist's Essence	800%	Enhances the effects of Pugilist's Wisdom, and also boosts stats based on your affinity.

Gameplay[]

Pugilist is a close-quarters Speed-type job centered around the use of knuckles for hand-to-hand combat with great speed to quickly stagger and break enemies. While it has a good balance of offensive and defensive play, its main selling point is the barrage of blows it lands with high agility and MP Recovery. This jobs is a good choice for those who enjoy dodging attacks and going in for the kill at the right time and can be a great DPS job for parties within the earlier levels of the game.

Strengths[]

• Good overall balance between offense and defense, possessing abilities scaling from Agility and Stamina.
• One of the best basic jobs for breaking enemies and clearing break gauges.
• Easy to build around, whether it be for extending buffs with the Martial Master or landing easier kills with the Iron Fist Champion

Weaknesses[]

• Very vulnerable to enemy attacks with Explosive Fist, as it cause the character to enter a stationary stance.
• Rather unspecialized. Can be replaced with the Thief, Monk, or Assassin.

Stats[]

This job gives a stat bonus to Agility, giving the character more break damage upon landing a critical hit.

Recommended Subjobs[]

Hunter[]

Hunter is an excellent support job for any physical job, especially those that deal in Agility. Analyze is helpful to bolster your attacks with the Pugilist's excellent damage speed with the addition of bypassing resistances. This can also aid in MP management should the Pugilist have the Lancet support ability at the ready.

Tyrant[]

Similar to Hunter, Tyrant is a good support job for any physical job, especially those that deal in Intellect. The Tyrant's Enchantments help to add elemental attributes to your attacks for the Pugilist's less than stellar damage output by easily taking advantage of elemental weaknesses and gain MP.

Monk[]

Monk probably remains the most popular support job for Pugilists at any level. The Monk's stats compliment Pugilists well and provide a moderate boost in total HP and means of quick attacks. Also, the Monk's Focus ability is useful for total damage output and damage mitigation.

Recommended Weapon Abilities[]

Knuckles[]

Ability	MP Cost	Description	Required Weapon/Affinity
One-Inch Punch	100	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Stamina] Unleash an explosive burst of energy, striking any nearby enemies and knocking them back. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.	Sonic Knuckles Killer Knuckles Phantom Baghnakhs Grappling Master Affinity
Spiraling Claw	100	[Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Stamina] Launch forward into your enemies with a spinning slash. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.	Dueling Claws Inferno Claws Raptor Claws Grappling Master Affinity
Death Claw	100~	Attack Type: Slash] [Stat Bonus: Agility] Perform a quick slash. Hold for successive attacks. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.	Dueling Claws Inferno Claws Raptor Claws Grappling Master Affinity
Meteor Strike	200	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Stamina] Slam the ground, sending forth shock waves that deal heavy break damage and knock enemies back. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.	Tigerfangs Maverick Knuckles Grappling Master Affinity
Brutal Bash	100	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Stamina] Counter any incoming attacks on activation, kicking the attacker into the air and then throwing them toward the ground. *(Does not throw larger enemies and bosses.) [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.	Tigerfangs Maverick Knuckles Grappling Master Affinity
Iron Palm	200	[Attack Type: Strike] [Stat Bonus: Agility] Dash towards the enemy and unleash a powerful reverse punch that deals strike damage. [Any Link] Can be set to any link ability slot.	Godhands Soul of Earth Any Artifact or Relic Knuckles after clearing Floor 12 Grappling Master Affinity