---

Introduction

Hi! I’m RianJan, though you’ll probably know me by my first name, Rian.

I usually play Machina classes since they are very close to my heart. I play them often, and now I’m writing guides for each one to help you explore the class.

I’ve been playing DN since level cap 40, and I can truly say this game is timeless. I hope this guide gives you an idea of how worthwhile playing Machina can be.

---

Ruina Overview

Ruina is a Machina advancement class from Patrona. It’s a close-range physical DPS class that specializes in high-speed combos, mobility, and fluid chaining of skills.

Unlike her sister, Defensio (which focuses more on defense and counter mechanics), Ruina emphasizes aggressive play. Dealing continuous damage with powerful fist-based attacks, air juggles, and skill cancels.

---

Key Traits

• Fast-paced Combat

  • relies on chaining skills smoothly for maximum damage.

• Combo Oriented

  • excels in stringing together long combos and locking enemies down.

• Burst DPS

  • has skills that can unleash explosive damage when executed properly.

• High Mobility

  • can weave in and out of enemy attacks while maintaining pressure.

What to Look Forward

Ruina has one of the most broken damage outputs, especially after her boost. The catch is that you need to keep moving if you want to stay at the top of the DPS charts.

If you’re a player who enjoys high-APM classes and likes to deal damage up close, then this boxing queen is for you. I’d like to emphasize that this class requires good reaction time.

Unlike other classes that simply cast skills and burst enemies, Ruina is all about freestyle.

---

Class Pros and Cons

Pros

• Short skill cooldown
• Not strict with rotation
• freestyle gameplay
• Fast gameplay
• High mobility and evasiveness
• Strong sustained DPS when played well
• Excellent combo potential and skill chaining
• Can stick to bosses easily due to constant movement

Pros

• Very high APM
• Very limited iframe requiring user to be reactive on boss mechanics
• Some core skills have short range, requiring precise positioning
• Squishy — mistakes are heavily punished
• Damage drops if combos are interrupted or if you miss timing
• Can be exhausting to play for long sessions due to fast pace
• Bubble management

---

Ruina Skills

Skill Tree

You can basically max all skills if you want since skill points are more than enough.

Key Pillars

• Steam Bubble (Will explain why this is important on the later part)
• Gear boost
• Steam skills
• Ducking
• Buff management (There are two buffs that I will explain on the next parts)

---

Skill Explanation

Machina Tree

I will explain the significant skills.

• Boost

  • This is your class buff. Cooldown (CD) is reduced by 8% and Final damage (FD) is increased by 8%.

• Fly By

  • This skill is mainly for mobility and comes in handy when moving quickly from one place to another.
  • After using Fly By, you can press LMB (Left Mouse Button) to reset the skill. Holding LMB will let you Nitro Charge and fly again (though I rarely use this).
  • Alternatively, after pressing LMB, you can simply Ducking to continue your movement flow.

Patrona Tree

Purple Skill name colors are the highly significant ones. While the Orange Skills are the skills I rarely use or not use at all.

• Flow up (Main Skill)

  • This has a very short cd. If possible, always maximize the skill by doing LMB (you can hold LMB).

• Flow through (Main Skill)

  • This has a very short end lag but you can always utilize your ducking to move or chain another attack.

• Flying Knee Kick (Main Skill)

  • The steam skill version of this is your core skill.

• Kidney Blow (Main Skill)

  • Kidney Blow has good damage.

• Wild Rush (Main Skill)

  • The steam skill version of this is also a good filler skill while waiting for steam flying knee kick to be off cd.

• Body Blow

  • This is your only debuff (Physical and Magic defense decreased by 10%). Be careful because this is a very short distance skill.

• Overclock

  • A Patrona buff that grants 5% Physical Attk.

• Beatdown (Main Skill)

  • Alongside with Kidney Blow, Beatdown’s damage is enhanced because of the buff in the awakened tree.

• Deus Ex Machina

  • A very good filler skill. This is still of high significance because of reasons I will explain later. This is also an iframe skill.

• Wallop

  • If you get flinched you can do LMB to get back on track.

• Demolish Punch

  • This has nothing to do with any of ruina’s gameplay.

• Foot Stomp

  • This one can be a mobility skill but I rarely use this.

Ruina Tree

• Gear boost

  • Atk increased by 20%.

• Duck

  • This is the skill used to cancel a skill and this also activates steam flying knee kick and steam wild rush.

• Palm Strike (Main Skill)

  • This skill is an iframe skill but only the initial casting. This also has good AOE.

• Class Mastery

  • Action speed increased by 10%, Agi increased by 50%, Phys Attk increased by 15%.

• Awakened Passive Steam

  • This is your bubble. I will explain it thoroughly in the next parts. Your main skills (Flow up, Flow through, Flying Knee Kick, Kidney Blow, Beat Down, Wild Rush, Hook Grip) can generate 6 steams when hit successfully.

• Awakened Passive Burning hit

  • Palm strike when hit successfully will generate 15 steam and Gear boost when up will generate 5 steam every 2 seconds.

Awakened Ruina Tree

• Hook Grip

  • you can use this by clicking LMB after dash. I rarely use this skill.

• Awakened Passive Gear Drive

  • Increases the attk power of steam flying knee kick and wild rush by 100%.
  • When steam skills are used the same attk bonus will apply to Palm Strike, Beat Down, and Kidney Blow.

• Flicker

  • I consider this as a filler skill. This will generate steam if hit successfully.

• One-inch punch

  • There will be an initial charge so make sure to calculate the distance in advance. When the skill is used there is a buff that will increase impact blow’s damage by 50%.

• Impact blow

  • I suggest using this after every one-inch punch since both of its cd is less than 30s. This will help you attain the best damage for Impact Blow.

• Boost

  • Your harmony skill. This will decrease skill cd by 10% when used. Just be careful because this is a shared skill (same harmony with sorceress).
  • This is good for some mechanics in raids and STG especially when burst dmg is needed. This is an iframe skill as well.

---

Skill Plates

Honestly, there are plenty of options to choose from, and it really depends on the kind of gameplay you prefer.

You can experiment with any of the setups I’ll suggest.

This is a sample setup where I used Deus Ex Machina, Kidney Blow, Flying Knee Kick, and Palm Strike as my plates.

Notice how close their damage intervals are.

What I normally use in contents such as nests and raids:

• Flying Knee Kick

  • Attk Skill Plate is highly recommended for good burst especially on the steam version.

• Flow up

  • Attk Skill Plate is also recommended on this one. I use this because of its short cooldown but you can interchange it with Flow Through/Palm Strike.

• Beatdown

  • Attk Skill Plate is also recommended. One of your highest damage outputs. This is also interchangeable with Palm Strike/ Deus Ex Machina/Flow Through.

• Kidney Blow

  • Attk Skill Plate is also recommended.

Burst-Type Ruina

Although Ruina isn’t naturally a burst-type class, this skill plate setup is what I use in contents like STG, where having a strong start is crucial — especially when you’re competing (and I admit, I’m really competitive).

The most current setup I used on my STG is :

• Flying Knee Kick

  • Same exact reason as before; it remains the strongest core skill.

• Kidney Blow

  • I keep this one because of its fast animation and solid damage output.

• Deus Ex Machina

  • A very strong burst skill, and when paired with an attack skill plate, it makes your intro even more broken.

• Palm Strike

  • I use an attack skill plate on this since it has both fast animation and good damage output.

You can also buy Barnac Skill Crest using Irene points via Irene NPC. This will increase your overall damage output.

Skill Up Plates

The current version of machina Flying Knee Kick and its Steam Skill (Knuckle Blast) is your core skill. So this is the recommended +1.

---

Skill Rotation

Now we move to the most exciting part, skill rotation. I know you guys are excited to try this but here’s a thing before we proceed. Let's learn buff management and steam mechanics.

Buff Boost and Overclock before battle.

Gear Boost should be cast every time it's up, especially at the start or in the middle of the battle.

Steam and Duck Buff Mechanics

Your first buff will activate every time you use Ducking

Your second buff will activate after you use Steam Skills.

Now to start things easier. I’ll teach you the basic opener

Boost (Buff 1) -> Overclock (Buff 2) -> Duck -> (if you have Barnac you can also use) -> Gear Boost -> Duck -> Body Blow -> Duck -> Flow Through-> Wild Rush -> Duck -> Steam Wild Rush (buff 2 activated) -> One Inch Punch -> Impact Blow -> Duck -> Deus Ex Machina -> Duck -> Palm Strike -> Duck -> Steam Flying Knee Kick …

Advance Tips

Now that you know the fundamentals of the class, let’s tackle Ruina in practical content like raids.

Playing Ruina in these scenarios can be very draining. As someone who plays her a lot, I can say it’s truly exhausting — one wrong move and you’re dead.

This is what makes the class so challenging.

Since Ruina doesn’t have many i-frames, you need to be highly reactive to mechanics and cancel skills using Ducking.

Another thing to note is that her core skill, Steam Knuckle Blast, has a short range. Be sure to position yourself properly before using it, or else you’ll lose a significant amount of DPS.

So instead of giving you strict rotations (which this class doesn’t have), I’m going to provide tips.

1. Before using Ruina in content, make sure you know the boss mechanics. This will help you survive raids and react effectively.

2. Be mindful of your Steam Bubbles.

3. Although her skills have short cooldowns, make sure to hit them as precisely as possible, or else you’ll lose a significant amount of DPS.

4. Always chain Impact Blow with One-Inch Punch.

5. Don’t hesitate to reposition yourself, especially against mobile bosses. You can break your combo chain by using Dodge.

6. Some of her skills, like Flying Knee Kick and Beat Down, can be used in the air. There are times when you’ll need to jump to avoid boss mechanics, but with Ruina, you can still continue your combo by using aerial skills and then following up with Ducking.

7. Feel free to cancel skills with Ducking — trust your reflexes. If you need to dodge, it’s always better to stay alive than to die and leave your teammates to carry you.

Steam Skills

This is her core gameplay. As I discussed earlier, Ducking helps you activate your Steam skills, while your Steam Bubbles are consumed to use them.

Steam Flying Knee Kick will always be your number one damage-dealing skill, but it goes on a 15-second cooldown after use.

Steam Wild Rush, on the other hand, is a good filler skill that also deals decent damage.

Gear Boost

This is a must-have buff when entering the battlefield. While in Gear Boost state, your attack is increased by 20%, and you generate 5 Steam Bubbles every 2 seconds for 30 seconds.

During this state, you need to keep moving as much as possible, chaining from your main skills down to your Steam skills.

Keep in mind that your Steam Bubbles cap at 50 stacks, so always make sure to use them efficiently during Gear Boost.

Bubble Management

Steam Flying Knee Kick will always be your highest-damage skill. However, it goes on a 15-second cooldown after use.

To maximize your Steam Bubbles during this downtime, you should use Steam Wild Rush, which has no cooldown.

When Steam Flying Knee Kick is on cooldown, you can consume your remaining bubbles with Steam Wild Rush, then return to generating bubbles by using your main skills.

Bubble Management tips :

• After using Steam Flying Knee Kick you can use Duck and follow up with Steam Wild Rush.

• While waiting for Steam Flying Knee Kick to come off cooldown, you can follow this skill chain.

I’ll use Main Skill as an abbreviation. (And if you don’t know what your main skills are, kindly stop skipping the guide and go back to Skill Explanation!).

Main skill -> main skill -> duck -> steam wild rush -> main skill -> main skill -> duck -> wild rush -> main skill -> main skill -> duck -> steam flying knee kick (More or less flying knee kick is already up).

• When you’re in Gear Boost state (If your Gear Boost buff is Active). More or less you have to do a steam skill after every main skill.

What To Prioritize Mastering

I know after all this reading, you might be wondering where to start. Becoming good at Ruina takes days of practice, so don’t beat yourself up during your first weeks. Start slow and master the fundamentals.

Here’s a skill map to guide you:

• Understand her skills completely.

  • You need to fully know how each of her skills works and when to use them.

• Master Bubble Management.

  • This is the core of Ruina’s gameplay, and it’s the most important thing to get right.

• Master Chain Gameplay.

  • Once you have bubble management down, the next step is learning how to chain skills effectively.
  • For example, Kidney Blow is best used after Gear Drive is up.

• Take Risks.

  • Ruina rewards bold gameplay. Trust your reflexes, cancel skills with Duck when needed, and don’t be afraid to push her limits.

Taking calculated risks will separate an average Ruina from a great one.

Here’s a sample grouping of skills to start practicing with (since this is a freestyle class, I’ll group them first before showing a chain):

Group A: Flow Up, Flow Through, Wild Rush, Flying Knee Kick

Group B: Palm Strike, Kidney Blow, Beat Down

Group C: Deus Ex Machina, Flicker

Chain A

Body blow -> A -> A -> Ducking -> steam Wild Rush -> One Inch Punch -> Impact blow -> B -> B -> A -> ducking -> Steam Flying Knee Kick -> and back to A.

This is an example when you don’t use your Ultimate as a filler skill. It’s still a solid chain.

However, in practical situations, your Ulti often serves as a filler — so even if you choose not to include it in your main chain, I still highly recommend using it whenever it’s off cooldown.

Every bit of extra damage counts. This is a beginner friendly chain so I suggest using this to get a hold of the class.

Chain B

Body blow -> A -> A -> Ducking -> steam wild rush -> C -> C -> One Inch Punch -> Impact Blow -> Steam Flying Knee Kick -> B -> B -> B -> ducking -> steam wild rush (3x) -> then Back to A.

This chain reflects what my gameplay usually looks like in most cases. If you manage to pull it off smoothly, you’ll likely end up at the top of the DPS charts.

But remember, this is just a sample chain. Once you’ve mastered either Chain A or Chain B, you’ll naturally find yourself adjusting, mixing, or even creating your own variations depending on the situation.

That’s the beauty of Ruina — her gameplay is freestyle and highly adaptable.

Video Example

Rune Dragon Nest

In this video you will have a clear understanding on why playing Ruina needs a lot of reactiveness.

Your attacks can be easily canceled, but, if you ever already have a clear picture on how to play Ruina, you will be rewarded with good DPS output.

Sunset Training Ground

In this STG video, I use a different intro — this is what I mean when I say Ruina is a freestyle class.

As someone who has played her for quite some time, my opening changes depending on the situation and the content.

If you’re curious why, the answer is simple :

I want every second in the run to matter. That’s why I start moving immediately from the moment the timer begins.

Treasure Nest

In this gameplay, you’ll see clearly why this class requires good reflexes and reaction time.

Pay attention to how I adjust my actions, cancel skills to chain into another, and make full use of all my Steam Bubbles.

---

Conclusion

Ruina is not a class for the faint of heart. She demands constant movement, quick reflexes, and precise execution. But in return, she rewards players with one of the most satisfying and dynamic playstyles in Dragon Nest.

With her freestyle nature, every second counts — from chaining combos to managing Steam Bubbles and reacting to boss mechanics.

If you’re looking for a high-APM, fast-paced, and combo-heavy class that keeps you on your toes, Ruina is the perfect fit. She may be challenging and even exhausting at times, but with practice and persistence, you’ll discover just how powerful — and fun — this boxing queen can be.

---

Credit

I would like to thank Teddy for proof reading my guide and for continuously pushing me to write this, finally I did. I would also like to thank everyone in the game, especially my friends for the support.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly on discord : @janjan4779

Or if you see me in game, feel free to send a private message. Those in-game names starting with Rian are me. However, you should always double check to avoid poser accounts.

See you in the game ! ^^