How much PvP data exists
Gladiator kit numbers for PvP
Thirteen Gladiator skills need you within 5 m and only 3 reach 20 m, so this is the class that has to close distance. Blood Absorption heals on hit and restores 26% Max HP below half health, which suits a fighter who stays in contact. Ruinous Blow hits up to 4 enemies for 20 seconds, but the client reading lists its bonus as PvE Damage Boost, and no source says whether it counts against players. Client-data Source
Aion 2 Gladiator PvP stigma swaps
No source we trust names a PvP stigma swap for this class, so the table is replaced by the open slot below.
Three stigma slots look settled and the fourth is the open one. MetaBot's 3 Oct table puts Lifestealing Blade in the four at 42%, while in our sample Focused Block is ahead of it. Two samples weeks apart disagree about the same slot, which says it is unsettled in PvE too, so the armory shows no PvP signal in it. Editorial
What top players run
Stigma rates for top Gladiators, who play both PvE and PvP, so this is a starting point and not a PvP set. Source: official AION 2 character pages, sampled 2026-10-26, n=200.
| Stigma | Equipped | Avg level | In top 3 sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zikel's Blessing | 85.5% | 8.5 | 3 |
| Rage Burst | 82.5% | 7.0 | 3 |
| Lunge Stance | 79% | 10.5 | 3 |
| Focused Block | 45% | 4.8 | 1 |
| Lifestealing Blade | 30% | 6.9 | 1 |
| Wrath Wave | 13% | 6.2 | 0 |
| Set | Players | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Focused Block, Zikel's Blessing, Rage Burst, Lunge Stance | 72 | 36% |
| Zikel's Blessing, Lifestealing Blade, Rage Burst, Lunge Stance | 32 | 16% |
| Blade Toss, Zikel's Blessing, Rage Burst, Lunge Stance | 10 | 5% |
All three sets contain Zikel's Blessing, Rage Burst and Lunge Stance. The sets differ on Focused Block, Lifestealing Blade and Blade Toss.
Most worn weapon: Spiritforged Greatsword, 31.5% of the sample, median enchant +10.
Where top players put skill levels
The actives top Gladiators level highest, among skills at least 90% of them equip. The armory has no rotation order, so this shows investment and not a chain. Source: official AION 2 character pages, sampled 2026-10-26, n=200.
| Skill | Unlocks | Avg level | Level 14+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead Slam | Lv 4 | 14.2 | 81.9% |
| Rending Blow | Lv 1 | 13.8 | 69% |
| Ruinous Blow | Lv 14 | 13.6 | 67.5% |
| Keen Strike | Lv 1 | 13.3 | 52.5% |
| Leaping Slam | Lv 1 | 12.1 | 31% |
| Rush Strike | Lv 10 | 11.7 | 31.1% |
Gladiator matchups from the kit counts
Editorial reading. Each row rests on the kit counts named in it and on MetaBot's opinion tiers. No source publishes class versus class results. Editorial
| Against | Reading | Counts behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Sorcerer | Gladiator must close the gap | 13 skills at 5 m or less meet 19 skills that reach 20 m. Sorcerer has no Max HP passive, so if Gladiator reaches it, contact-range damage and the heal on hit are aimed at the thinner target. No source tests this. |
| Ranger | Widest reach gap | Ranger has 16 skills at 20 m and only Ambush Kick at 5 m or less. Gladiator has 3 skills at 20 m, so distance control looks like the deciding factor, and it favours the Ranger side on the counts alone. |
| Templar | Same lane | Both are front line and both list 10 multi-target attacks. The sourced difference is the role: Templar is the only pure tank, Gladiator heals on hit. No source ranks one over the other, so we do not. |
What changes for PvP
- Level 16 Defiance and Abyss rank. Defiance removes Stun, Knockdown, Airborne, Grab, Frost and Fear and gives 5 seconds of immunity on a 60 second cooldown. Abyss rank buffs run from 1.2% to 5.0% PvP Damage Boost and Tolerance. Both are in the PvP guide. Client-data Source
- Daevanion skill nodes. The four earlier boards add +1 level to 12 named skills (Legend nodes) and to Protection Armor, Blood Absorption, Survival Stance, Identify Weakness, Attack Preparation, Impact Hit, Murderous Burst, Survival Willpower, Experienced Counterstrike and Destructive Impulse (Rare nodes). See the Gladiator Daevanion route. Official Source
- Azphel. The level 45 board holds PvP Damage Boost and PvP Damage Tolerance corner stats and no skill nodes. Client-data Source
- Gear. We have no sourced PvP stat order or PvP-only gear list for Gladiator.
Gladiator PvP mistakes
- Planning around Ruinous Blow in PvP. Its 20 second window is a +20% PvE Damage Boost in the client reading, and no source gives a PvP value.
- Staying at range. 13 skills need 5 m or less, so a Gladiator that backs away leaves most of the bar unused.
Patch impact log
Not confirmed yet
- Whether the 20% Ruinous Blow bonus applies to players.
- Whether the 26% Max HP restore of Blood Absorption matters in a PvP fight. No source tests it.
- Win rates or measured PvP results for Gladiator. None are published.
Aion 2 Gladiator PvP build FAQ
Does Ruinous Blow help in Gladiator PvP?
The client reading lists +20% PvE Damage Boost for 20 seconds on up to 4 enemies. No source says it applies to players, so we do not count on it.
Is Gladiator a duel class?
No source we trust ranks Gladiator for duels, sieges or open sky. The kit counts say it is short ranged: 13 skills need 5 m or less.
Sources
- AION 2 official About page (Classes)
Classes section lists exactly eight classes in this order: Gladiator, Templar, Assassin, Ranger, Chanter, Cleric, Sorcerer, Spiritmaster. Brawler is absent. Source of every official class tagline on this site. Also the source for the combat, flight, dungeon, customization, pet, faction, and lore lines on the Systems page.
- MetaBot AION 2 Stigma Guide: Slots, Shards and Best Stigmas
Published 1 October 2026, updated 10 October. Says it reads the global client files (2.0.3.0): 13 Stigmas per class, 4 Stigma slots at levels 22, 27, 32 and 37, and a per-class table of the Stigmas it would run plus how many of about 150 tracked level 45 characters per class run each (3 October sample). Weapon labels per class come from its site menu. Community database, not NC.
- KeenGamer: best PvE builds for every class
Published 6 October 2026. Lists a role, three core skills and four Stigmas per class. Names no weapons. Editorial guide.
- Official AION 2 character pages (armory)
Public, no login. We sample top level 45 characters per class and publish only aggregates: no player names or IDs. Method and sample size are on the Stats page.
- MetaBot Abyss PvP guide
Kit analysis for Abyss PvP by class and the level 16 Defiance effect. It is not a win-rate table.
- MetaBot Daevanion guide
Board unlock levels, point totals and node types, read from the Global client. NC has published no board table.
- MetaBot: best class tier list and kit analysis
Reads the Global client. Source of the kit counts (range, multi-target skills), the weapon labels and the group PvE and solo opinions used on this page. Opinion tiers are not measured clear times.