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The Spiritmaster

The Spiritmaster class is not the most natural path of progression from the Mage archetype. Unlike the Sorcerer class, the Spiritmasters of Aion no longer feel the need to continue on the path of pure spell slinging, since they've unlocked the secrets to forcing the very spirits of the land to serve their needs. Just because they may not have the full magical range of their Sorcerer brethren, only a fool would believe they can't deal as much (if not more) damage.  

Strengths
High sustainable DPS
Multiple pet types for different situations
Less gear dependent than other archetypes

Weaknesses
Very pet dependent
Hobos have better armor
Slow mana regeneration

Words to live by
"Possessing a pet means never having to ask for volunteers."

Yay! I’m a Spiritmaster… now gimmee.

The first thing you’ll receive is your choice of a new weapon. Up until now, you’ve been forced to flip open a spellbook, waggle your fingers, and zap some enemies. Now you can choose between another spellbook and a new weapon type: an orb. There's no reason why you can't choose the Spellbook of Karma if you're so inclined, but the Orb is a far superior choice for the Spiritmaster.

A Different Breed of Spellcaster

If there were only one piece of advice I could give players before they choose the path of the Spiritmaster, it would be this; you are no longer a Mage. As simple as it sounds, there are still a number of players out there that treat their Spiritmaster as a Mage with a new toy. During your first few levels as a Spiritmaster, it's very easy to fall into this mindset, but if you do, it's only going to make things rougher as you go along. Your pet is more than just an added boost of DPS for you and the sooner you get that through your skull, the easier your life is going to become. For some players, this will require a leap of faith, especially since it's very easy to still act like a Mage in the beginning. Trust me when I say this is a mistake. Your pet is not just added damage. They will become both your close companion and your savior.

Whenever you receive a new spell that can be used by your pets, you'll notice that some of them have a list of the different spirit types and what the spell does for them. For example, when you first become a Spiritmaster, one of the spells you'll be able to buy from the trainer is Command: Thunderbolt Claw I. The Fire and Water pets use this as a magical elemental strike, while the Earth and Wind pets use this as a sustainable attack (it ends when they get hit). Another example is Command: Threatening Stance I which you can use at level 13. The spell has different levels of effectiveness depending on which pet it's used in conjunction with. It’s virtually useless when used by the Water Spirit, but extremely effective when used with the Fire Spirit.

The key to staying alive with the Spiritmaster is learning to use the right pet for the right job and being ready to swap on the fly.

Unleash the Beast

New Spiritmasters (and all pet classes from any game) have a distinct tendency to play in one of two ways. They either treat their pet as nothing but added DPS, or they take on the role of pet cleric. Because of the order that spells come to you in Aion, becoming a pet cleric isn't really a viable option in the beginning. By the time you do get the ability to heal your pet at level 16, hopefully you'll already have your own play style and won't fall into that trap. Avoiding the first is going to require some effort for some.

The first pet you'll receive is the Fire Spirit. This floating mass of cracked lava may not be quite at the top of the food chain in terms of hit points (though he is close), but if you're looking for a pet that's able to keep mobs off of you with its taunting abilities, there's no better choice than this guy. It's for this reason that the Fire Spirit makes a good first pet.