[Guide] Swordsman's Battle Manual (All classes) - By Cathexis

Cathexis · March 25, 2016, 2:28am

Disclaimer:

The contents of this guide serve as a reference for players looking to build a Swordsman character.

These are also my personal opinions and experiences on the game, they are NOT facts and they are not intended to offend anyone.

The information is subject to change as new patches and balance changes are implemented. Any and every significant modification will be documented on a post in this same thread.

Sections

Introduction
Who is Cathexis?
What is a Swordsman?
Getting some things out of the way
4.1 Tree of Savior as an evolving game
4.2 Some classes are lackluster
4.3 Don’t restrict yourself to a linear build
4.4 The “tank” dilemma
4.5 Undeveloped PvP
4.6 Demystifying kTOS

4.6.1 “Content at early levels is much harder and requires people to get more CON into their builds.”
4.6.2 “I heard DEX and evasion fall off at late game”
4.6.3 Earth Tower
4.6.4 “I heard this is THE BEST build on kTOS right now”

What classes should I pick for my build?
Classes
6.1 Swordsman
6.2 Highlander
6.3 Peltasta
6.4 Barbarian
6.5 Hoplite
6.6 Cataphract
6.6 Rodelero
6.7 Squire
6.8 Corsair
6.9 Doppelsoeldner
6.10 Fencer
6.11 Dragoon
6.12 Templar
6.13 Shinobi
What armor should I use?
Stat allocation
8.1 Full STR
8.2 High STR
8.3 All-around
8.4 High DEX
8.5 DEX/CON
Recommended builds (Coming soon / Under construction)

Introduction

So here we are once again, just a few days away from starting the international release of Tree of Savior.

If you are a new player, trying to build a character in this game may seem daunting with all the possible class choices that are available. It is easy to feel lost as to where to start.

It is just as difficult to attempt to make a good guide, considering the amount of information that covering every class requires. I was unsure whether I should make multiple guides, or just a huge one which is what I ended up choosing, so hopefully it will turn alright.

With this guide, I will attempt to cover everything related to the Swordsman tree including classes, skills, stats, general tips, etc.

However, I am not going to cover every single aspect of the game, as more general information is already covered on other media such as guides, websites, wikis, etc. This guide will only include information that comes directly from the Swordsman tree.

Because of this reason, I will assume that when reading this you have at least some basic knowledge on how some things on the game work as well as term used in Tree of Savior.

For example, even though I could list the effect and description of every skill, that is information that is easily found on several websites/skill builders, so I won’t cover it. I will rather use the space to elaborate more on the benefits of taking that skill, tips or anything I can think of that is not being covered on the skill description.

I always say that I will try to “keep it short”, which is never true, so expect a huge wall of text. Which is why this time I decided to include the “Sections” part, so you can know the contents of this guide and move to the ones that you are most interested in.

Also, while I don’t think that I will be able to cover every single build, if you have a question that I didn’t cover or would like to explore together a build that you might find interesting, just leave a comment bellow and I will do my best to help.

This is also why I encourage everyone to post in this thread instead of sending me a private message, as other people might have that same question or other members from the community can provide their knowledge and experiences on the matter.

Just keep conversation in this thread as polite as possible. I will ignore every post that I consider harmful to healthy conversation as well as those who choose to create conflict with other posters. We are all here to have a good time.

#Who is Cathexis?

A swordsman player who has played a bunch of different builds.

(iCBT2)[Level 200]: Swordsman->Peltasta->Hoplite C3->Doppelsoeldner
(iCBT2)[Level 200]: Swordsman->Peltasta->Barbarian C3->Fencer
(iCBT2)[Level 195]: Swordsman->Peltasta->Hoplite->Rodelero C3
(iCBT2)[Level 81]: Swordsman->Highlander C3
(iCBT2)[Level 65]: Swordsman C3

(kTOS)[Level 280]: Swordsman->Peltasta->Hoplite C3->Doppelsoeldner->Dragoon
(kTOS)[Level 1xx]: Swordsman->Highlander C3

(iCBT2)[Level 200]: Due to a popular exploit, a character that had all the Swordsman classes including Fencer C2, Centurion, Corsair C2, Cataphract C3, Squire C3, etc.

I also made a few guides during iCBT2, you can check them here if you are interested:

1.- Swordsman: All classes and best builds
2.- Hoplite guide
3.- Barbarian guide

What is a Swordsman?

To put it simply: the front-line in this game.

Playing a Swordsman involves melee combat as well as naturally being the “tank” for your comrades.

However, while every Swordsman will have a similar playing style, the Swordsman tree contains different classes that will allow you to shape your character to fit the playing style you want to have.

#Getting some things out of the way

In this section I will mainly cover my views on the current state of the game, as well as things that you might want to consider before deciding on a build for your character.

Tree of Savior as an evolving game

The first thing that we all have to take into consideration is that Tree of Savior is a fairly new game.

There are still many things that require tuning, balance changes to be made, as well as the introduction of new content and classes to the game.

While some things might seem frustrating at the moment, we should expect (eventually) changes that will make things better.

The most important thing is to let our opinions be voiced through constructive feedback that the developers can take to improve the game for us.

This however means that things will change, more ranks, classes and content will be added in the future and they could do or break builds. So expect some builds to fall off, some to rise up and new ones to emerge as the game keeps on evolving.

Every build is viable

The game doesn’t enforce specific builds to clear content.

And in my opinion, this is to be expected. With the high amount of different classes that the game offers, everyone should be able to play every aspect of the game regardless of what classes they choose to build their character with.

If they made it so that one specific build is required to clear a dungeon, then every person that doesn’t have that build will feel frustrated with their character as they wouldn’t be able to progress without that build. It just wouldn’t make sense to do this.

While there are some builds that make more sense than others and thus might be stronger, it doesn’t mean that a different build won’t be able to get to max level.

So don’t worry too much and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Some classes are lackluster

While every build is viable, we have to remember that this is still an evolving game.

I will advise against picking some classes or circles simply because they are not good right now. But they are most likely going to be improved sometime on the future with either a balance change or a rework of said class.

While you could pick those options for your character and still be able to complete the game, I will advise against them simply to make your experience playing this game smoother and to not have to deal with frustrating moments while leveling up.

We can expect several and constant changes to the classes in the Swordsman tree as the game keeps on being improved once it launches.

###Don’t restrict yourself to a linear build

The game has a weapon-swap option, as well as a mechanism that helps you to automatically switch to the weapon set required to use the skill you activated, as long as you have said set equipped.

Making use of this weapon-swap system highly raises the usefulness of your build, as you are able to bring out different playing styles for different situations.

Even if you mainly want to play a 2H weapon build, don’t be afraid to switch to a 1H weapon+Shield when the situation requires it.

###The “tank” dilemma

Every Swordsman is a tank. It doesn’t matter what class you choose, by simply being a Swordsman you are naturally a tank.

You don’t need to be a Peltasta C3 or a Rodelero C3 to be a tank.

This is mostly because Swordsman gets as much as up to 3 times the amount of HP other classes get.

However, this game is unlike others where the role of a “tank” is heavily enforced and it is a requirement for clearing content.

There is no real “tank” role in this game. The only responsibility of a “tank” in Tree of Savior is to get and keep aggro on mobs, as well as deal as much damage as possible.

Some party compositions are even able to get by without using a “tank” for their dungeon runs.

Tree of Savior is a game where dealing the most damage as possible is the most efficient way to get through content. Because of this, every person in a party is responsible for bringing some sort of damage to help clear mobs and bosses faster.

Also, the protection for a “tank” doesn’t come from the Swordsman tree, it comes from other classes on the Cleric tree.

The Swordsman’s job is only to get aggro, and the Cleric will provide all the protection for the party.

As a final, personal, note: You might see videos of people using Swash Buckling to aggro mobs, then just stand there pressing C (Blocking) all the time to “tank” the damage.

This is highly unnecessary and in my opinion you are just wasting your party’s time. Just taunt and help clear the mobs faster. There is no need to do this at all.

Of course, I am not saying that you should blindly charge into the mobs every time, just be smart about it and when the situation is under control just deal damage instead.

Undeveloped PvP

Right now PvP is extremely undeveloped.

What does this mean? Well, it means that classes have not been balanced around PvP and there are still many things that need to be adjusted/implemented before PvP becomes something “real”.

I wouldn’t take PvP seriously for now.

Expect many things to change in the close future, mainly around class balance changes and gimmicky builds.

There is also no game mode for structured PvP, and even though guilds can fight one another, there is no structured Guild vs Guild system with rewards or anything alike.

PvP still has a long way to go in this game.

###Demystifying kTOS

Tree of Savior has been open on Korea for quite a while now. And many of us have been playing on that server, exploring the new content.

Unfortunately, many people who don’t play kTOS take early information released from players on kTOS and start spreading it as if it was something final. This often leads to inaccuracy of information which just confuses new players and others who are not playing kTOS.

I will try to cover the most frequent questions that players have regarding information that comes from kTOS.

1.- "Content at early levels is much harder and requires people to get more CON into their builds."

Absolutely not true.

This mostly got spread around because inexperienced players were having a difficult time on some content of the new area (Orsha), which has been toned down through patches anyways.

Early game is as easy as it has always been, and there is no need to modify your build expecting some nonexistent difficulty.

2.- "I heard DEX and evasion fall off at late game"

Not…entirely…true.

While there are more magical mobs later on in the game (magic cannot be evaded), the remaining physical mobs can still be dodged quite frequently and DEX is still a viable choice for builds.

This doesn’t mean that DEX builds will fall off later on, as they are trading some potential damage for a reliable evasion level.

Don’t expect it to work with a half-assed evasion build though. Either you go with a good evasion build, or you don’t go for it at all.

3.- Earth Tower

You might have heard about Earth Tower and it’s difficulty. And before you ask, yes, people have completed levels of Earth Tower (the Tower is divided in 20 different levels, but as of March 24, 2016 not all the levels have been completed.)

While some builds are being preferred over others right now, it doesn’t mean that you need an specialized build to complete Earth Tower (like full CON, Peltasta C3, etc).

In my opinion Earth Tower is just being used as a temporary solution to the game, as it has no real end-content for now. Once they add more content, then Earth Tower will stop being as troublesome without a good party.

For now, it is possible to complete Earth Tower by just having Peltasta C1 on your build.

4.- "I heard this is THE BEST build on kTOS right now"

People love to just blindly follow these kinds of trends.

Players on the Korean server are experimenting and working around their builds just as much as many people will on our international server.

Many kTOS players still are using inefficient builds because they are trying stuff out. Just like them, don’t be afraid to experiment with your build. And a lot of them are using what I consider terrible Swordsman builds, but they are still learning, just like everyone else is or had to at one point.

While they have their own regional meta as for popular builds, I highly expect this to change in our version as better and more refined builds are crafted by our community.

My advice is to not just blindly follow a “this is THE BEST build” advice. There are many ways to play this game and it comes down to the skill and creativity of players to figure out the best build for themselves.

A build that might be bad on the hands of one player, might shine on the ones of another.

Choose what YOU want to play.

[As a note, it is true that the Swordsman tree is perhaps the weakest when it comes to PvP, but hopefully it will get balanced in a soon future.]

#What classes should I pick for my build?

I like to think that building a character in this game is like going to Subway and getting a sandwich.

There are some ingredients that you might like, and others that you might not. The idea is picking the ones you like the most, and while there might be some “recommended builds”, there is always room to customize them by adding or removing components of it.

In the end, no matter what ingredients you pick, you will always end up with a sandwich, there is no way to go wrong and you will get to eat.

So don’t be afraid to pick classes that are interesting to you, just because they are not to other people.

My only advice is to aim to move always forward, either going deeper into a class or choosing a higher rank class. Try to not mix multiple low rank classes because overall higher ranked classes will result in a better build.

Classes

In this section I will provide a general description of each class, as well as reasons for which you might or might not pick them for your build and the general playing style you can expect with them. Advice for what skills to level up will also be detailed where necessary.

Now, I have to say that I am going to be mean to some of these classes, not because I hate them or anything, but because the game is still in development and it is the sad true that some classes are extremely underwhelming or lack an identity to make them a good choice.

Don’t let my words discourage you from playing one class, IF that is what you want to do with your build. Only you know what will be the most fun build for yourself. Don’t let your memes be dreams, or your dreams be memes, or whatever it is.

Also, I am not going to cover the description of every skill, it is highly advised to consult this guide while having the skill information at hand. You can find that from several sources, here is one of them: TOSBase Skill Simulator

http://s.nx.com/s2/game/tos/obt/common/1001.png
#Swordsman

The base class of our tree. The first circle is mandatory and luckily it is a good one. It provides good skills and attributes that will complement the classes you pick later on.

Overall it is advised to not get more than C1 of this class, unless you want to go for a very gimmicky Shinobi build (more explained on that class’ section).

You will also hear that C2/C3 are for PvP builds, due to Restrain. And while that is true, it is also exaggerated.

Choosing C2/C3 is NOT the best way to build for PvP. It has it’s pros and cons, just like everything else.

Restrain allows you to have another form of CC on your kit, but your build turns into an “all-in” one trick pony. It is very lineal and leaves no room for additional playing styles that you could use by choosing other classes. For example, manually blocking with Peltasta or Highlander allows you to deal easier with opponents who deal physical damage.

Not to even mention that your build suffers even more as it loses better tools to help on PvE, not only for leveling but for group content such as dungeons as well.

###Circle 1

Skills

Gung Ho (Level 5): This buff increases your physical attack while lowering your defense. Don’t worry too much about the defense reduction as it is barely significant. I recommend leveling this skill up first as it provides the best damage for SP at early levels.
Bash (Level 3): Getting level 3 of this skill allows you to acquire the Knockdown attribute, which makes this a realiable CC skill with 3 Overheat.
Thrust (Level 0~1): This is skill only useful at level 1 as a reliable source of Pierce damage, but not a good one. If you are a Hoplite or a Fencer, you can skip this skill.
Concentrate (Level 5): While Gung Ho remains as a better buff later on, during early levels I recommend leveling the attribute for Concentrate first, as it provides the best damage at the beginning.
Pain Barrier (Level 1~?): The main use of this skill is to deal with staggering. Level 1 should be enough on most builds; however, if you want to specialize in PvP then you can take points off from Concentrate and put them into this skill. Your early game PvE will suffer, but you will have a better buff for PvP at higher levels.

Bash and Thrust are not damage skills, so I don’t recommend you to level up their attributes to increase their damage as you will soon replace them with better skills from other classes.

###Circle 2

Skills

Restrain (Level 5): The only reason why you are going into this circle. Get it as high as possible as you need the highest possible chance of it’s effect activating.
Pain Barrier (Level 10): If you decided to take on this circle for PvP, then you will also want to max this skill for a longer duration.
Pommel Beat (Level 0~1): It provides you with a Strike skill, so level 1 should be enough.
Gung Ho (Level 9~10)

Get the attributes to add more effects to your skills.

###Circle 3

Skills

Restrain (Level 10)
Pain Barrier (Level 15)
Double Slash (Level 0~5): A decent damage skill that deals more damage to Bleeding targets (from Thrust), which also has a higher chance of landing a critical hit thanks to it’s attribute. I recommend getting level 5 of this skill and level up it’s damage attribute if it is a source of damage in your build. However, if your build has better damage sources from other classes then I would spend these points into other skills like Gung Ho or Concentrate.

#Highlander

For now we are still waiting on confirmation on whether or not we will get the changes to Sky Liner. As soon as this is confirmed I will add the necessary changes to this section, as well as the possible builds emanating from it.

Regardless of whether the changes to Sky Liner actually go through or not, there are a few aspect that make this class interesting for a build.

A Highlander prides itself on the ability to apply negative status to enemies, including Shock, Bleeding, Armor Break, Staggered, etc.

While people usually link this class with the word “DPS” for builds, it is not entirely accurate. It does have more damage than it’s counterpart, Peltasta, at Rank 2. However, in the overall picture of a build, Highlander brings more combat-effectiveness rather than straight up damage, which are often more useful as they provide different playing styles to use against different opponents; something valuable in an environment like PvP.

Highlander is a good class to choose for people who like to rush straight into battle for fast-paced combat, staying on top of enemies and not letting them breath.

Keep in mind that choosing Highlander over Peltasta will mean that you won’t have Swash Buckling, the AoE taunt skill of the Swordsman tree, and might have an impact when you do PvE content with other players. While it is more laborious to perform the job as a “tank”, it is not impossible, you just need a comprehensive party.

###Circle 1

The first circle ins’t particularly impressive, as most of the class’ potential comes at later circles. The main benefit it gives is the ability to use Two-Handed Swords and the ability to block incoming attacks with them.

Skills

Wagon Wheel (Level 1): This skill remains as a CC source rather than damage, so level 1 is more than enough to fulfill it’s role.
Cartar Stroke (Level 0~5): This skill isn’t as strong as it was on the past. If you plan on taking a class with reliable Strike damage (like Barbarian, Cataphract, Rodelero, etc), then I would suggest skipping this entirely or getting level 1 for the CC effect, but it is not necessary. For a PvP build, I would also recommend skipping this skill to better spend those points elsewhere.
Cross Guard (Level 1~5): This is a pretty great and sometimes overlooked skill. It has nice scaling and I would recommend getting Level 5 of it regardless of what build you are planning to end up using. However, at least get level 1 if you would rather spend points on the damage skills of the next circles.
While it requires to use a Two-Handed Sword to block, it can still be used with other weapons such as Rapier or Spear by using weapon-swapping. This way you can take advantage of the Staggering effect, which makes opponents vulnerable to Pierce-type attacks (Hoplite, Fencer, Dragoon, etc).
Crown (Level 5): This is skill is often overlooked because of the lack of details as to how much INT/SPR the Shock effect reduces. To this day, there is still no clear formula for it, but it can go as far as to potentially reducing the INT/SPR values to 1, extremely weakening any magic user.
While this skill doesn’t scale up that well in terms of damage, adding more skill points to it significantly increases the duration of the Shock effect and with a cool-down of 30 seconds, then the up-time becomes an important aspect of it. Definitely pick this skill if you are planning on using a PvP build, and also if you plan on picking Doppelsoeldner C2 later on your build.

###Circle 2

The skill distribution for Circle 2 and Circle 3 is heavily dependent of the changes to Sky Liner. Once there is a confirmation, this section might change.

Moulinet (Level 0~5): If Sky Liner remains as a 0 CD skill, then I would just skip this skill and spend points elsewhere. Otherwise, I would get level 1 to have an additional damage skill.
This skill doesn’t particularly scale that well into later levels in terms of damage, it is the reason why I prefer to leave it at level 1, sacrificing some damage at early levels to end up with a better skill set at later levels, as Moulinet will get replaced by stronger damage skills, while the points you spend on other utility skills from Highlander will remain as effective.
Sky Liner (Level 5): Regardless of what cool-down this skill ends up with, it still deals some significant damage to Bleeding enemies and the damage can be increased by other modifiers, like the Attribute, even if it doesn’t particularly scale that well by itself.
Cross Cut (Level 1~5): This skill will remain mostly as an enabler for Sky Liner or other skills that rely on the Bleeding effect of it, so level 1 is enough to get the most out of it. You could spend more points on it to increase it’s damage, but same as other skills, it doesn’t particularly scale that well and it will be replaced by other damage skills at later ranks, so while it provides some decent damage at early levels, in my opinion it is not worth to spend more points in this skill to end up with a stronger build at higher levels.
Crown& Cross Guard (Remaining points): All your remaining points should go into these two skills. If you follow my advice for later levels, then it means you will get both to level 10.

###Circle 3

Skull Swing (Level 1~5): This skill applies Armor Break (reduces defense to 0), which makes it a great utility skill. While it’s damage scales off decently, I would simply keep this skill at level 1 as you will soon get more damage skills from other classes.
The Armor Break effect lasts for 10 seconds at level 1, and goes up to 30 seconds at level 5. You might want to consider spending more points on it for the extra duration, useful for longer fights (like bosses) and to keep a higher up-time on it. Each additional level increases the duration by 5 seconds, so you can decide how many points you want to spend on this skill.
Vertical Slash (Level 0~5): Another skill based around dealing damage, and like Sky Liner it also deals extra damage to targets. If Sky Liner remains at 0 cool-down, I would simply skip this skill. Otherwise I would get at least level 1 of it, and consider spending more points depending on how valuable this skill is as a damage source in the overall build (whether or not it gets replaced by other skills from other classes on the build).
Crown, Cross Guard, Moulinet, Sky Liner, Cross Cut (Remaining points): The rest of your points will go into any of these skills, depending on how valuable they are to your overall build and playing style.

As a last note on Highlander. If you are planning on using a pure PvE build, then I would recommend for you to focus on the damage skills rather than the utility ones, following the advice I put on each one of them. As the utility skills are not as impactful on PvE as they are for PvP.

Cathexis · April 2, 2016, 5:32pm

#Peltasta

Swash Buckling.

You might have heard of that skill, and how it is the only active taunt we have in our entire Swordsman tree, not only that but it is also AoE. This makes Peltasta the best class to take for those looking to cover without any problems the role of a “tank” in PvE (as per defined on a previous section), making you a nice addition to any party to clear dungeons or other group content. While it is possible to “tank” without Peltasta, picking it certainly makes things easier.

Now, even though Swash Buckling is the most shiny tool of this class, it is not the only benefit you will acquire.

The ability to manually block physical attacks with a shield (as well as passively) become invaluable as it is able to block most attacks from bosses and it is extremely useful to negate the attacks of other classes in PvP.

Peltasta also has the benefit of receiving extra defense and block when using a shield, as well as increasing evasion and health through buffs. Additionally, it also some has a couple decent CC skills.

Unfortunately, all of these benefits are acquired at Circle 1, which leaves almost nothing left for Circle 2 and Circle 3, as they offer very lackluster skills in comparison.

The only reason to pick anything more than Circle 1 of Peltasta is to get a higher level of Swash Buckling that, while helpful, isn’t necessary at all.

Previously I covered a section with Earth Tower, and how some builds might provide additional tools to help clear it. One of them is Level 10~15 Swash Buckling, but it is possible to clear this content with level 5.

In my opinion it makes no sense to weaken your build to every other aspect of the game just to be slightly more useful at one particular instance at high level, which will eventually be tuned down or become less of a challenge as more content and levels are added to the game.

My advice: Do not take anything more than Peltasta C1 unless you know what you are doing.

Also, many people think that Peltasta is only for people who are planning on using a shield. This is WRONG.

This mentality towards playing the game is wrong. By picking Peltasta, you enable yourself to be able to switch between two possible playing styles that suit different situations. If you limit yourself to a linear playing style then you reduce your options to succeed at different challenges.

The game has a weapon-swap mechanism that allows you to easily switch between one weapon set and another. You can take out your big damage weapon set to fight, but keep a shield with you when you need to face tougher challenges.

Peltasta is a class that fits into any build, so don’t be discouraged just because their skills require a shield to be used. The benefits are more than worth it.

###Circle 1

Skills

Swash Buckling (Level 5): Your AoE taunt. Make sure to pick up the attribute that gives +25% HP when using this skill.
Guardian (Level 1~5): All you need is level 1 to be able to benefit from the attribute this skill gets, which adds +18% Evasion to your character while using this skill. It is a great buff, specially for DEX builds and classes like Fencer.
Guardian has an increase to defense and a decrease to physical damage, but these numbers are negligible as they make no difference at all at higher levels. So you can opt into spending more points on this skill to get it to level 5 and get a longer duration of the buff (I personally do this because of comfort).
Umbo Blow (Level 4~5): The damage from this skill isn’t particularly impressive, but there is nothing left to spend points on. The main use of this skill is for the CC that, with the attribute, has a 25% chance to stun the target.
Rim Blow (Level 1~?): This skill is only useful for it’s CC. The damage is low, so it is not worth spending more than 1 point into it. If you prefer to stay with Level 1 Guardian, then use the rest of your points into this skill.

###Circle 2

Skills

Swash Buckling (Level 10): The only reason for advancing to Circle 2.
Shield Lob (Level 0~1): Pretty useless skill with mediocre damage. You can take level 1 if you want to have an extra skill on your bar.
High Guard (Level 5): This skill is often misleading for new players. While it increases block, it is not a significant amount and it won’t make any difference in the overall picture of a build at later levels. However, the negative effects do impact highly your character, so this skill is not worth using at all.
But if you are already at this Circle, then you have to get the most out of it, so level 5 just because there is nothing much else to get and while under the effect of this skill the damage of Umbo Blow and Rim Blow will increase by a percentage. Do not be fooled, these percentages may seem big but in reality they end up being mediocre damage and you still won’t have anything else to deal damage with once you have used them.
Umbo Blow, Rim Blow, Guardian (Remaining points): The rest of your points go to these skills, depending on your preference. Make sure to get Level 6 of both Blows to get the benefits of extra damage while under the effect of High Guard.

###Circle 3

Skills

Umbo Thrust (Level 1): This skill has a chance to apply Armor Break (reduce defense to 0) to the target. Level 1 is more than enough to keep it’s utility through the rest of your build.
Langort (Level 1): A damage skill that has a chance to block attacks while using it. The scaling is terrible, so level 1 is more than enough.
Swash Buckling (Level 15): Being at this stage, might as well take it. Just be aware of when you use it, because you might bite more than you can chew with it.
Buttlerfly (Level 1~5): Another damage skill which isn’t impressive either. Level 1 is enough to have another skill on your rotation. You can level it up as it has decent scaling and cool-down, but you can also opt to use the points elsewhere.
High Guard (Level 10): If you decided to take this skill, then make sure to max it to get the most out of it.

The rest of your points go into the skills you consider best for your overall build (mostly depending on what Type of damage other classes in your build will provide).

#Barbarian

Once the most popular class choice for Swordsman builds.

You might be relieved to know that they haven’t gone through any significant change, so they are still a perfectly good option for any build.

Barbarian is a little bit similar to Highlander in the notion that this is oriented towards builds that are looking to rush into battle and stay on top of their enemies with fast paced attacks.

However, it differs in the sense that Barbarian focuses more on “hit fast and hit hard”, rather than wear down it’s enemies through negative effects. They hit so hard, that they also can stun enemies, so it is a great choice for PvE and PvP builds alike.

They also have the advantage of having universal skills. This means that the skills of this class can be used with any weapon, which allows great customization for builds.

Some people like to say that Barbarian skills fall off late game and thus are not a good choice for high level content. This is not true, while the skills of Barbarian are not as powerful as they are early levels, they still provide a big amount of damage with utility, and the additional damage comes from classes added to the build at later ranks. Don’t be afraid to pick Barbarian because of this rumor.

###Circle 1

Helm Chopper (Level 1~5): It hits hard, it hits fast, it hits twice. Oh, and it has a chance to stun plus Overheat. One of the best Strike sources of damage in the Swordsman tree.
Cleave (Level 5): This skill doesn’t hit twice, but it still deals a good amount of damage and it has Overheat. The main appeal of this skill is the bonus effect that adds to your character, increasing your Critical Rate by 50 for 5 seconds after using it. It is great to use before using a big skill, as it will increase it’s chance to land a critical hit.
Another important effect of this skill is that it will deal 150% additional damage to stunned enemies (250% total damage), so while it remains as a single hit, it is still able to remain relevant through the game because of this effect. Stun can be done through Seism or Helm Chopper.
Embowel (Level 0): This skill deals mediocre damage and has a slow animation, plus the effect it adds is not good. Not worth to spend any points into this skill.
Stomping Kick (Level 0): Same as Embowel, just that it is conditional (you have to jump to use it) and it still deals mediocre damage.

###Circle 2

Seism (Level 5): The pride of the Barbarian class. It hits hard, it hits fast and it stuns for 2 seconds plus Overheat. No reason to not max this skill.
Cleave (Level 10)
Frenzy (Level 0~5): This skill increases your Physical Attack each time you hit an opponent with your normal attacks, stacking in the process up to a maximum amount of stacks depending on the skill level. The drawback is that you will lose all of your stacks if you switch targets.
However, it has an attribute where you will be able to maintain your stacks even if you hit different targets, but the maximum amount of stacks you can gain will be reduced by half.
It is a situational skill that works best when dealing with 1 opponent alone (bosses or solo leveling for example).
War Cry (Level 0~5): It is an AoE that will lower the defense of opponents around you, while increasing your Physical Attack proportionally. It works best for situations where you face a large amount of opponents (dungeons for example).
Helm Chopper (remaining points): The rest of your points will go into this skill.

Usually it is a choice between Frenzy or War Cry, but you can choose to level both up if you are willing to sacrifice damage from Helm Chopper.

###Circle 3

Seism (Level 10)
Cleave (Level 15)
Giant Swing (Level 1): This is a pretty fun CC skill. If you land it on your target, you will swing it around 9 times before launching it far away. Mostly a PvP skill to disable someone for a few seconds or zoning them out. The damage scaling isn’t that good, so level 1 is more than enough.
Pouncing (Level 0~5): While using this skill you will swing your weapon forward while moving (it is a channeling skill), and you will deal damage to anyone it hits. Unfortunately, the animation isn’t that fast so it is slightly award to use. I think it has some potential for PvP, but it is unproven for now. Take this at your own risk.

The rest of your points will go into War Cry, Frenzy or Helm Chopper, depending on which ones you decided to prioritize for your build.

#Hoplite

The first class for Spear users.

While Hoplite has had a few changes in recent months, the core of the class hasn’t change much and it is still mainly an auto-attacking build (at least until it reaches Rank 7~8), with some high burst skills.

While they are not as dominant when killing bosses when compared to other classes from other trees, they are still in my opinion the best class in the Swordsman tree to bring them down.

It is also the introductory class for most Spear builds, including Cataphract, Corsair and Dragoon.

One of the most appealing factors of choosing Hoplite, is the skill Finestra, which increases Critical Rate and Block by a significant amount (while reducing Evasion). This provides a significant boost as they are able to use this to their advantage and instead get more damage as they have a reliable source of Critical Rate to land critical hits without requiring to get that stat from other sources such as DEX or equipment.

This makes Hoplite one of the most flexible classes in the entire Swordsman tree when it comes to stat allocation. Finestra also has an attribute to increase AoE Ratio (number of mobs you can hit with your attacks) by 3, which is a desired stat that any Swordsman loves to have.

Some of you might remember that some people, including myself, used a full STR build thanks to Finestra. And you might be happy to hear that it is still viable all the way up to level 280, if that is a build you are interested in.

Among other changes, the skills have a slightly faster animation so both Pierce and Stabbing feel smoother compared to their previous versions.

Finally, spears are a weapon that deal Pierce-type of damage and also have bonus damage against Medium and Large type opponents. Making them one of the best weapons for DPS builds.

###Circle 1

Skills

Finestra (Level 5): The pride of the Hoplite class.
Stabbing (Level 1~5): This is a channeling skill, which deals a huge amount of damage. It fixes you into place, so make sure you use it at an appropriate time when you can’t get interrupted or your opponent can’t move out of the range of the skill. It now has a 25 second cool-down, which makes it great for any situation. Make sure to get level 1 as soon as you advance to Hoplite, as this is the skill that will have the most impact right away.
The scaling isn’t that amazing, but it is still a good amount of damage added considering that it deals multiple hits through it’s duration.
You can choose to spend points from this skill elsewhere if you feel the need to, as level 1 is still more than enough to make an impact on your build.
Pierce (Level 5): It deals a quick burst damage in the form of multiple hits, depending on how large the opponent is (3 hits on large enemies, 4 with an attribute acquired at Circle 2). The damage is good, even though it has no Overheat and a 30 seconds cool-down, so it is still worth it to spend points into this skill.
Synchro Thrusting (Level 0~1~5): This skill got a recent change, and it now has Overheat and a 15 seconds cool-down. Unfortunately, it is still as underwhelming as ever because of it’s awkward hit-box and slow animation. In my opinion it isn’t worth it to level it up, but getting level 1 provides a decent source of Strike damage that Hoplite could use. You can also choose to skip it entirely, as it’s impact is still pretty small in the overall build.

###Circle 2

Finestra (Level 10): Now you will get to have it with a 100% up-time.
Long Stride (Level 1): It is utility skill which serves as a gap closer (with an unfortunate very long cool-down), so anything more than 1 point is a waste of points.
Spear Lunge (Level 1): It makes targets vulnerable to Pierce-type attacks, which is most of the damage a Hoplite deals. The debuff doesn’t scale with skill level, so level 1 is more than enough for every build.
Pierce and Stabbing (Remaining points): The rest of your points will go into these skills. Usually it is better to max out Pierce and put the rest into Stabbing, but if you feel that it should be the other way around then that works too, especially if you are going into Circle 3, as it is better to max Stabbing at that point.

###Circle 3

Finestra (Level 15)
Throwing Spear (Level 1~5): It now has 0 cool-down, which means that you can spam it as long as you pick up your spear after launching it, which is a pretty nice filler for your damage rotation as long as you use it at melee range. It also has an attribute that can bind the target for 7 seconds with a 60% chance, which certainly makes it more appealing for PvP than it’s previous version.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use Geras Spear until level 170, it will still deal some nice damage at earlier levels.
It is also an option to leave it at level 1 just for the utility, but in my opinion it is better to have this damage option available in your kit.
Finally, there is a lot of confuson around the “throwing” part of this skill. You don’t actually throw your weapon, it is just an animation, but you will get a decrease on your Physical Attack based on your weapon, at least until you pick it up. However, you can still use other skills and attacks.
Pierce & Stabbing (Remaining points): Overall I think it is better to max Stabbing due to it’s shorter cool-down, but a case can be built for maxing Pierce instead, since it is a good amount of burst damage that could be better in other scenarios (PvP for example). I think it is personal preference which skill to give more points to, either way both of them will get a good amount of points into them.

#Cataphract

Long gone are the days where Cataphract was the joke of the Swordsman tree. They have received a considerable amount of buffs in recent months which has made them into a good option for any build looking for mobility/mounting.

The main concept of Cataphract lies around mobility, as they are able to mount on their companions to increase their movement speed, as well as receive minor stat bonus depending on the companion’s strength (+25% of it’s HP, +10% of it’s defense and +8% of it’s evasion).

Another characteristic of this class is the use of 2-Handed Spears as early as Rank 4 (the other option is Dragoon at Rank 7), which provide a higher attack compared to it’s 1H counterparts.

It is important to take into consideration, that even though they can use 2H Spears and their skills have gotten several buffs to improve them, this class is still trading damage for mobility. This means that Cataphract will move the fastest out of any Swordsman, but it won’t hit the hardest (to keep it fair, of course).

Sometimes people choose Cataphract and feel that they are not dealing as much damage as they would like to, and this expected. Because of this, it is not recommended to build them for DPS, but rather for a tanky-AoE damage hybrid, which can work well by itself as well with a group. At Rank 7 Dragoon can provide more damage if that is what you are looking for, but it is also a great class to go into Templar.

Thanks to the mobility this class has, it is also one of the most efficient ways to combat against other classes in PvP, as moving quickly allows it to have an easier time closing the gap to ranged classes, as well as evading and moving quickly away from other threats.

There is also the problem that not every skill is able to be used while mounted. Luckily, a mechanism has been implemented where your character will either unmount or stand up on your mount and perform the skill, rather than being totally locked out of using it. Unmounting could be frustrating because of the AI of the companion (which could stop you from quickly riding it again), so it is something you will have to deal with until they improve it’s AI.

While it is possible to mix this class with others at later ranks, I highly recommend that builds take Cataphract to Circle 3, as it is when the real potential of this class is unlocked and anything less than that, while it works, feels underwhelming.

Finally, while it is not necessary, I also recommend taking Peltasta and Hoplite previous to Cataphract, as it allows the use of 1H Spear+Shield that could provide useful during many situations where raw power alone cannot win.

This is a list of skills that cannot be used while mounted and will automatically unmount you on use:

Peltasta: Shield Lob, Butterfly
Highlander: Cartar Stroke, Cross Cut, Vertical Slash
Hoplite: Long Stride
Barbarian: Embowel, Stomping Kick, Giant Swing, Seism, Cleave
Rodelero: Targe Smash, High Kick
Squire: Weapon Maintenance, Armor Maintenance, Repair, Arrest, Base Camp, Refreshment Table
Coirsair: Jolly Roger, Dust Devil, Pistol Shot
Doppelsoeldner: Punish, Cyclone, Zornhau, Rodel, Zucken
Fencer: ALL SKILLS
Shinobi: ALL SKILLS

Any other skill not mentioned on this list can be used while mounted.

###Circle 1

Skills

Trot (Level 5): This skill temporarily increases your movement speed while mounting. It won’t reach a 100% up-time until Level 15, but it is one of the most important skills to keep maxed out.
Impaler (Level 1): Impaler is mostly used for it’s CC component, which will allow you to disable someone for 9 seconds and move around with them (you cannot use any other skill but Impale to damage them).
Earth Wave (Level 5): This is your main AoE damaging skill, so make sure to keep it always maxed.
Steed Charge (Level 0~1): This skill isn’t recommended due to it’s low AoE Ratio, which makes it better to spend points elsewhere. You can get level 1 of this skill if you want an additional skill on your rotation (for the knock down), perhaps even level it up if you like it. But for now it is better to level up the rest of the Cataphract skills, as there are barely enough points to level most of them up.

###Circle 2

Trot (Level 10)
Earth Wave (Level 10)
Doom Spike (Level 5): Your second AoE skill, there is not much to say besides that it deals damage and knocks down enemies.

###Circle 3

Trot (Level 15)
Earth Wave (Level 15)
Rush (Level 5): Rush is another signature skill of Cataphract, while it is AoE it is not as big as the others, it is also a channeling skill, so it is mostly used to stay on top of your opponent while using it. It deals good damage and has a 5% chance to stun for 2 seconds (with the attribute).
Doom Spike (Remaining points)

#Rodelero

Remember when I said that some classes still need to be updated? Well, Rodelero is one of them.

The theme this class follows is the use of a shield to deal damage and apply constant CC to opponents through it’s skills.

Unfortunately, most of the CC this skills are underwhelming and there simply is no damage when choosing this class, which makes it a pain to level it up at higher levels, as well as deal any significant damage on PvP.

This class is also known for the Slithering skill, which can block magical attacks while it is used. However, it is important to note that you can still get CC’ed through Slithering, it only block damage but not any negative effects that could have an effect on you.

While being able to block magic is something appealing, there is barely any use for it in PvE, as every other Swordsman build can get away without it. And for PvP it will block damage, but it is still inconvenient since it won’t stop CC.

There is also the misconception that this is a “tank” class.

It is not.

Besides Slithering, there is nothing in the kit of this class that makes it a “tank”. So be aware of these negative aspects to the class before choosing it.

If there would be any reason to pick Rodelero it is for Slithering and to work on an structured PvP environment. Unfortunately, there is no such PvP mode at the moment, which puts this class on an even more awkward place.

The advice would be to stay away from this class until it gets some buffs or it is reworked. But if you still insist on picking this class then just go for Circle 2 to get Slithering.

Circle 3 adds nothing but bad damage to the build, and there are better options to take (like Fencer) at Rank 6 instead of another circle of Rodelero. This damage was previously “decent” with a level 200 cap, but now that there are more levels and tougher mobs to deal with, Rodelero falls short when it comes to dealing with them.

Rodelero skills are mostly focused around single target or very low AoE Ratio, so they have a difficult time dealing with medium~big groups of enemies in PvE.

What about that popular kTOS Swordsman->Peltasta C2->Rodelero C2->Fencer build?

Sure, it exists. And it also existed during the time when Rodelero skills were bugged and could be exploited in a way to have 0 cool-down.

That has been fixed now, and this build doesn’t particularly do anything that other Swordsman builds cannot do.

###Circle 1

Skills

Targe Smash (Level 5): This will be your main source of damage as a Rodelero, since it has some decent damage scaling and Overheat. It also has a chance to cause Blind, which makes targets unable to attack for 3 seconds.
Duration is lower on bosses.
Montano (Level 5): Your second damage skill. It applies a 1 second stun and a slow after using it.
It doesn’t work on bosses.
Shield Charge (Level 1): You move with your shield in front and knock back anyone you touch with it. For PvE it is a pretty useless skill, but it has some decent uses for disrupting in PvP. It doesn’t deal any good damage, so all you need is level 1 for the utility.
It doesn’t work on bosses.
Shield Push (Level 0~?): Applies the Unbalanced status on the target for 5 seconds, which is a small interrupt and decreases defense (not by a significant amount). The problem is that, to make this skill effect, it requires A LOT of skill points, which simply there isn’t enough considering the other skills that must be leveled up. I could see a build that focuses instead on pure debuffs and forsakes the damage, but that would be slow and painful to level up.
It doesn’t work on bosses.
Shield Shoving (Level 1): Same as previous skills, only level 1 for the utility, which is a small interrupt and inability to use attacks for 1.5 seconds.
It doesn’t work on bosses.

###Circle 2

Targe Smash (Level 10)
Slithering (Level 1): The main reason for taking Rodelero. Level 1 is more than enough, as adding more skill levels does nothing for it’s effect or duration, all it does is increase damage, which has poor scaling.
Remember that it blocks magic but it doesn’t block CC effects.
This is a channeling skill, and you can move while using it, albeit slower than you normally could without using it.
It now also has an attribute that will make targets more vulnerable to Strike damage, so while it still doesn’t change the nature of the class, it helps a little more with damage using it with Targe Smash.
Shield Bash (Level 1~5): There is still an unsure formula as to how this skill works. But basically, it will mix the amount of stats a character has around (switch the numbers around). On builds that focus on a particular stat and have a very high number of it, it will move the numbers one place to the right (ignoring CON).
Take level 1 for the utility, and add more levels if you are aiming for a PvP build.
It is unpredictable how this skill will work without knowing the stat allocation of your target, so on PvE it could even make the mob you are facing stronger.
As far as I know, it doesn’t work on bosses either.
Montano (Remaining points)

###Circle 3

Shooting Star (Level 5): This is just a damage skill, and a bad one. But at this point anything you can get will help, so max this one.
High Kick (Level 1): It only hits once, but the main use of it is the debuff it will apply, which will make the target more vulnerable to Strike damage (Targe Smash). It is possible to add more levels to it, but I don’t recommend it, as those points are better spent on other skills.
Montano, Targe Smash, Shield Bash (Remaining points): Depending on which skills you are giving priority to.

#Squire

We continue with the list of classes that need to be reworked.

The idea behind Squire is a nice one, but it failed on execution. They have taxes applied to their shops, so they are not able to make much money from it anymore.

Base Camp and Refreshment table cannot be used inside cities or dungeons, and even on some open fields. There is also the fact that Party Finder is now a thing (which gives extra experience for using it), so there is less need to pre-make parties for dungeons now. It is not like the buffs from the Squire’s Refreshment Table are required either, or even make any significant difference.

Armor Maintenance still doesn’t do anything useful.

And while Weapon Maintenance still provides a nice bonus to damage at lower levels, it doesn’t have any meaningful impact at higher levels.

Repair is still useful though, but on very rare and limited occasions and it is mostly good for your AFK shop.

Circle 3 is a joke and Penalty Reduction isn’t anything necessary and I could even say it is not useful at higher levels.

The last skill is Arrest, which is simply overshadowed by Corsair’s Iron Hook on PvP, a class which is also able to potentially make more money than Squire, albeit by being active since Squire can do it while being AFK.

I wouldn’t recommend this class for any “main” character. It is mostly for an alt character to leave AFK at town making money from Repair or Weapon Maintenance. Or for role-playing purposes, I guess.

###Circle 1

Skills

Weapon Maintenance (Level 5)
Repair (Level 5)
Arrest (Level 4)

###Circle 2

Weapon Maintenance (Level 10)
Repair (Level 10)
Base Camp (Level 1~5): You can increase it’s duration by paying Silver, so level 1 would be the better option to go for, but if you want to same some Silver then get it to level 5.
Each additional level increases the duration of the buffs provided from Refreshment table by 20% (for up to 100% at level 5).
Refreshment Table (Level 5)

The available food that you can offer to your party members through Refreshment Table is the next:

Salad: +10% max HP (+2.5% for each additional level)
Sandwich: +10% max SP (+2.5% for each additional level)
Yogurt: HP recovery time decreased by 1 second (-1 second for each additional level)
Soup: SP recovery time decreased by 1 second (-1 second for each additional level)

###Circle 3

Refreshment Table (Level 10)
Weapon Maintenance (Level 10)
Repair (Level 10)

Cathexis · May 21, 2016, 5:26pm

http://s.nx.com/s2/game/tos/obt/common/1008.png

#Corsair

It was a very popular class, and it still is a very popular class. And for good reasons!

Corsair is a class that offers a variety of tools to help at different situations. From making money through Jolly Roger, to enabling PvP builds with Iron Hook, and offering some of the highest DPS in the Swordsman tree with Hexen Dropper.

While many skills of this class can be used with any type of weapon, a few of the primary skills (specially on Circle 2), require the use of a 1H weapon and a dagger off-hand. Fortunately, you can use different types of main weapons, including swords, spears and rapiers. So be aware that you will have to use a dagger on your off-hand most of the time, but you can always use weapon-swap to use other weapon sets. Don’t let this stop you from being creative with your build.

With the addition of Rank 7 also came the Circle 3 of this class. Which allows the Corsair to use a Pistol on the off-hand and use a new skill: Pistol Shot. Unfortunately, Pistol and the skill are both extremely weak and don’t add anything to the build.

The only reason to go into Circle 3 is to add more damage to Hexen Dropper or to get a 100% up-time on Double Weapon Assault, or even a higher duration on Iron Hook / higher damage on Keel Hauling. Which, in my opinion, are good NOT enough reasons.

You get more utility, damage and tools by choosing other classes to complement your build, such as Dragoon, Doppelsoeldner, Fencer, etc.

While Circle 1 and Circle 2 of Corsair are good, Circle 3 needs to be reworked and I advice staying far away from it until it gets improved.

###Circle 1

Skills

The allocation of skill points depend on whether or not you are aiming to go into Corsair C2, and if it is a PvE or PvP build.

Dust Devil (Level 1~5): This skill works at level 1 as a CC source, as it immobilizes enemies around you for 1.5 seconds making them spin. The damage scaling isn’t particularly high on this skill, but it if you have remaining skill points you can place them in here.
Iron Hook (Level 1~5): This skill is mainly for PvP, since it has limited use in PvE. Adding skill levels to it increases the duration, and you can capture up to 3 targets with it’s attribute. I would recommend spending a good amount of points into this skill, as the duration could make a big difference in the outcome of the battle.
If you are aiming for a PvE build, you can skil this skill or leave it at level 1, as it has little to no impact on PvE.
Keel Hauling (Level 0~5): Keel Hauling deals damage and causes Bleeding to the target hit by Iron Hook. The draw-back is that it only works for 1 target, and if you intend to use Iron Hook to capture 3 then this skill is not necessary. You can choose whether or not to level it up and have more tools available for PvP scenarios (this would suit a 1vs1 scenario more), and it can and it will deal some good damage if you manage to land Iron Hook on your target.
Unlock Chest (Level 0): This skill is useless, as there are very few chests in the game and they all can be opened with a key.
Jolly Roger (Level 1~?): I decided to leave this skill at the end, as it is one of the most interesting ones.
When you use it, you will place a flag on the floor which has aggro of it’s own and can attract nearby enemies to it. However, it is not a substitute for a real taunt and certainly not as effective. It can still be useful during some situations though.
The second effect it has, is that it will make mobs that die nearby to have a chance of dropping additional Silver. It is not a 100% guaranteed chance, but it will add some significant amount of Silver to your pockets over time, specially when using it during dungeons or other content with a high amount of mobs. People will love to have in your their party for this.
Using more points into this skill will increase the duration for which the flag is active. At level 1 it lasts for 30 seconds with a 16 seconds cool-down, which is more than enough in my opinion, but you can add more levels if you feel that it could be somehow be useful to your build, or if you don’t have anywhere else to place points into.

###Circle 2

Skills

Hexen Dropper (Level 5): In my opinion, this is THE reason for going into Corsair C2. This skill is the best burst damage skill in the entire Swordsman tree, considering how fast it deals it’s full damage, plus it has Overheat and a 28 seconds cool-down, making it a great skill for DPS PvE builds and PvP in general.
It is also Pierce-type, which has great synergy with classes like Hoplite, Fencer and even Highlander.
Double Weapon Assault (Level 0~5): It allows you to improve auto-attacks by using your off-hand to deal damage too. While it isn’t that game changing on it’s own, and it requires you to be locked into place to use it, it is still a nice filler in your rotation for when you need to wait for other skills’ cool-down.
If you have no interest in using this skill, you can always leave it at 0 and spend the points elsewhere.
Jolly Roger, Iron Hook, Keel Hauling, Dust Devil (Remaining points): Depending on what focus your build has and which skills you prioritize.

###Circle 3

Skills

Hexen Dropper (Level 10)
Double Weapon Assault (Level 0~10)
Pistol Shot (Level 1~?): It makes no sense for this skill to have such a low damage, such a high cool-down and no additional effects. It is simply terrible. But you can get level 1 or up to whatever you want to get it, since you are already at this circle anyways and on your last rank for the current content.
Jolly Roger, Iron Hook, Keel Hauling, Dust Devil (Remaining points): Depending on what focus your build has and which skills you prioritize.

#Doppelsoeldner

This class is pretty straight forward: DAMAGE.

The first circle of this class is one of the best in the Swordsman tree when it comes to provide damage, and it can fit into any build. There are two main aspects that make this class one of the best when it comes to dealing damage.

First, it has Cyclone, which is the highest AoE damage dealing skill in the entire Swordsman tree. You spin around, hitting 3 times per second to anything around you and you get to move while using it (with an attribute), but slightly slower than walking. This skill will destroy anything that stays in it.

Second, there is Deeds of Valor. The concept of this skill is that you give up a % of your defense to gain that same % of Physical Attack. As dealing damage in this game is one of the most important aspects when it comes to efficiently dealing damage, then this is a great trade to get, especially for those aiming towards dealing even more DPS.

Now, don’t let the reduction of defense discourage you. Losing 50% of your defense does not mean that you will receive 50% extra damage. Because of how defense works in this game, if something hits you 1,500 damage normally, but Deeds of Valor lowers your defense by 150, then that hit will deal 1,650 damage instead. That is only a 10% increased value over the original number, but you get to deal A LOT more damage now and will kill that enemy faster.

Circle 2 of Doppelsoeldner takes a different path though, in the sense that it specializes in Two-Handed Swords as all the new skills available through this circle are locked to that weapon only. Making it a great choice for those who wish to advance further into a damage build, but are not interested in Dragoon or where always interested in using Two-Handed Swords.

###Circle 1

Skills

Cyclone (Level 5): Nothing much to say, just max this skill. For PvP, make sure to use it when your opponent is slowed, under CC, or around terrain where it cannot move freely, otherwise they will be able to outrun you. But if you manage to land this skill on someone, that person is going to die.
Deeds of Valor (Level 5): Just a small note on this skill, it will not activate stacks if the hits are either dodged or blocked. You must be hit for it’s effect to activate and to gain a stack.
Finally, by simply activating this skill you will get 1 stack.
Mordschlag (Level 1): This skill is used only for the utility of it’s CC. It has a casting animation but if you hit your target it will be sent flying through the air.
Punish (Level 0~?): It is not very useful, as it has the requirement that the target must be knocked down for you to be able to use this skill. It does have some nice damage, but in my opinion there are better ways to spend these skill points and better options to use when someone is knocked down. I leave the “?” because I think this skill could be unproven, and maybe someone finds it useful in a PvP setting. We will see.
Double Pay Earn (Level 1~4): The rest of your points will go into this skill. Basically, while active you will get a number of stacks depending on the skill level. If you kill an enemy while still having at least one stack, you will gain double exp and double rewards from it.
It is important that only the killing blow counts, so any hit that doesn’t kill the enemy will lower your stack count by 1.
Pretty useful to last hit enemies like bosses, so make sure to time it right.
You will take double damage while this skill is active, and while it is not something too concerning, do take precaution when using it.

###Circle 2

There are two possible ways to build for this circle: Either you want to use a Two-Handed Sword or you don’t. If you don’t, then you will keep on leveling the Circle 1 skills.

Skills

Cyclone (Level 10)
Zornhau (Level 1): This skill only hits once, and while it hits hard, there are better ways to spend points if you want damage. The main use of this skill is it’s utility, which applies Shock effect to the target (reduces SPR/INT).
Zucken (Level 5): This skill deals multiple hits to targets in front of you, and it also deals extra damage to enemies under Shock.
Redel (Level 1~4): Straight up multi-hit damage, not much to say.
Deeds of Valor (Level 5~8~10): Now, Deeds of Valor is an interesting skill to level up at this Circle. It is still as good as ever, and spending more points into it will allow you to increase it’s effect and duration.
At level 8 you have a 100% up-time, which is the recommended level I suggest to get IF you want to keep on leveling this skill.
You can take points from Redel to level this instead.
If you are really interested in getting level 10 of this, then you can take points from Zucken as well.

#Fencer

Another great class of the Swordsman tree, and you get to use Rapiers.

Now, while I previously stated that “tanks” don’t really exist in the way we know them from other games, there is still a degree to which one has to “tank”, and in doing so, Fencer is the best class in the Swordsman tree to do so, in my opinion.

The idea behind Fencer is a swift combat style that focuses around good timing to evade or block the attacks of the opponent. So, while this class is fairly easy and straight forward to use, it also has the potential to become even better on the hands of skilled players.

The first circle is one of the best ones to take if you are looking to add more damage sources to your build. And while it won’t deal as much damage as a Doppelsoeldner, it still holds it’s ground pretty well.

Fencer also has the benefit of acquiring at least 1 and up to 2 skills with no cool-down, which make it great for builds that have trouble trying to find fillers for their skill rotations and even in general it is a great option to have, as you can use those instead and save your big skills for when it really matters.

Because of their nature, they are better built with an evasion focused build, but they don’t have to only be built that way. It is possible to instead build a more DPS or more “tank” (as in HP and block) oriented too.

The only drawback for Fencer is that Rapiers are more fragile than other weapons, so you will have to make sure keep it repaired or carry an extra one for prolonged sessions of combat.

Because of the amount of skills the first Circle provides, it is a great enabling class to cover the weaknesses that other classes might cause in a build, like Templar or Rodelero, for example.

###Circle 1

Flanconnade (Level 1~5): This is your first 0 cool-down skill, an it is Slash type and it hits twice. It does use quite a bit of SP so you can’t spam it all day long, but with moderate use you won’t have problems using this most of the time. I personally prefer to have it at level 5, because of how frequently it is used, but level 1 could also work if you would rather spend those points elsewhere.
It is also important to know that you can block an incoming attack if you use this skill at the same time as that attack is used. This skill shines on the hands of a good player.
Esquive Toucher (Level 0~1~?): The animation of this skill is very slow, which makes it not so great to deal damage. It does increase your evasion for 0.5 when you cast it, so it could potentially be good to counter incoming attacks, but in my opinion Flanconnade does it better. You can take level if you want an extra skill on your kit, but it is not necessary.
Lunge (Level 5): This skill is amazing, it will hit the target 4 times making it vulnerable to Slash damage and also increasing your evasion for 4 seconds. It is a good skill to combo not only with Fencer skills, but from other classes as well.
Sept Etoiles (Level 1~5): This skill quickly deals 7 hits of Pierce-type damage, it is one of the fastest burst skills in the entire Swordsman tree, second to only Hexen Dropper. Great for PvP as it deals a big amount of hits without requiring much time to do so.
Attaque Coquille (Level 1~?): This skill is mainly used for it’s utility, which makes the target’s defense be ignored when using Pierce-type attacks.
Level 1 is usually enough because the duration is 5 seconds and it has a 8 seconds cool-down, which is low enough to keep it up constantly.
Each skill point increases the duration of the debuff by 1 second, so you might prefer to have increased duration of this skill instead of more damage from Sept Etoiles, so you can take points from there to place them here.

###Circle 2

Attaque Composee (Level 1~5): This is the same as Flanconnade, but it deals Pierce damage instead of Slash. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the same blocking effect, so it is pure damage. Level 1 is mandatory, and you can add as many points as you feel comfortable with, since it is a 0 cool-down skill.
Preparation (Level 1~?): This is a channeling stance in which you will block incoming attacks, and if you successfully block an attack you will deal twice damage on your next Pierce damage attack.
In my opinion level 1 is more than enough, since the increase of block % is not that good, considering the amount of skill points that need to be invested into it.
However, it is a great 1 point skill as you will receive the buff just by using the skill (it doesn’t require you to block), so you can use it as a quick way to increase the damage Sept Etoiles.
Lunge (Level 10): I prefer to max this skill because it still keeps on adding a percentage to evasion, so at level 10 it is +100% evasion after using it. And it scales decently on damage, plus it is multi-hit.
Flanconnade or Sept Etoiles (Remaining points): Depending on which one you feel is more useful to you.

#Dragoon

“The spear in itself is a weapon of pure destruction”, or at least that is what the Hoplite master says. Now, this is not Hoplite, but it is a spear class which is focused around dealing damage: The Dragoon.

While the Dragoon doesn’t have any particular “OP” skills, the kit is composed of 4 skills which are all about damage, with little utility. This makes the Dragoon a great class for those builds that which to add more damage skills to their rotation, and are interested in using spears as their weapon.

Luckily, Dragoon has both attributes to use 1H and 2H spears, which makes it not necessary to pick Hoplite or Cataphract previous to this class and gives some flexibility on being creative with one’s build. Although it is still the preferred Rank 7 class for those two classes.

Other than that, there is not much else to say, since this is a pure damage circle at the moment.

###Circle 1

Skills

Dragontooth (Level 5): This is a charging skill, but thanks to recent buffs it is pretty fast to charge up. It will attack everything in front of you with a significant range. I recommend getting level 5 of this skill as it is the one you will be using the most along side Serpentine.
Serpentine (Level 4): Another multi-hit skill which has a 10% chance of causing Bleeding on the targets it hits.
Gae Bulg (Level 5): It works similar to Throwing Spear from Hoplite, where you throw your spear to deal damage. It does deal a significant amount of damage as an initial hit, and I think it is good to finish off people running away from you on PvP.
It has 2 additional effects from attributes, where it will increase the Defense, Magic Defense, Physical Attack and Magical Attack of party members in a zone around where you threw your spear at. While it isn’t something game changing, it is still a little nice bonus to have. You need Gae Bulg level 5 to get these attributes, but if you are not interested, you can keep it at a lower level.
Dragon Soar (Level 1~?): Right now it is not working as intended, since it doesn’t launch enemies into the air. Still, I would only take this skill for utility and keeping it at level 1 is enough to have it for when it gets fixed.

#Templar

The guild leader class. This class is required if you intend to create a guild. Although, it is not necessary to play the original character, as every other character in your account will receive the “Guild Leader” status, but the Templar skills will remain usable only by a Templar.

Many people consider this a “waste” of a Rank, since they would like to get more damage but are forced into taking this to create a guild.

Because of this, there are many approaches as to how to build a Templar. Some people simply decided to make a an “AFK” character with Peltasta and Squire, nothing more. While I think it is a valid option to follow, I also believe it is a mistake.

In my opinion it is possible to build a real combat character with Templar, particularly using the Fencer or Cataphract classes, but there are other combinations that can work as well.

Right now Guild content isn’t as developed, and the Templar class isn’t either. We don’t know if Templar will be a requirement for future content, as well as to how impactful the use of this class will be on active events (a Guild vs Guild structure war, for example).

Because of this, there is a lot of room for speculation and theory-crafting, but simply put, there is no way of knowing until we get more information about future Guild content.

###Circle 1

Skills

Build Guild Tower (Level 5): This is the most important skill, as it allows you to build a Guild Tower that will serve as the hideout for your guild. Adding more levels allows you to access the guild warehouse, grow plants (for alchemists) and start guild events.
Warp to Guild Member (Level 1): Max level is 1.
Battle Orders (0~5): This skill isn’t really useful right now, one could say that it would improve the combat effectiveness of the Templar and those around him, but 25 STR isn’t really much, considering that you need 5 points into it to get that amount. Overall not worth it.
Reduce Craft Time (Level 5): Out of combat utility, while not significantly useful, it is still nice to have and a better choice to spend points into, considering there are not many options left.
Summon Guild Member (Level 1~4): You can spend the rest of your points on this skill. Just keep into consideration that you can’t summon guild members to dungeons or other instances.

#Shinobi

Ah, the ninja class.

Before you get too excited. Keep in mind that this is still a fairly untested class, that will most likely go through some balance changes in the future.

We also don’t know if it will remain as a 1 Circle class, or how it will shape when more content, rank and classes are introduced to the game.

Because of this, there are some things that currently work with the Shinobi class but we are unsure as if it is a bug, intended and whether or not it will be fixed in the future. This particularly includes being able to use Swordsman skills with the Shinobi clones, which shouldn’t be possible according to the skill description, but it is.

You might also have seen some videos of some Shinobi dealing a big burst damage to some bosses (after making them vulnerable to attacks). Don’t be fooled by this. While Shinobi is a one trick pony and can shine under certain, very specific scenarios, they are still lacking on most other aspects of the game.

In my opinion, there are much stronger classes builds to get at the moment for both, PvE and PvP. But I do believe that there is room for creativity in build creation for PvP, as Shinobi has some interesting mechanics on it’s skill set.

I think that the idea for Shinobi is solid, but it is still fairly undeveloped and needs to be adjusted, improved or reworked in the future, as currently it lacks identity as a class.

If you choose to pursue this path, be aware that Shinobi is a hidden Rank 7 class and it requires to have a quest completed before advancing to it. This quest involves acquiring some items, which can have up to 4 hours of re-spawn time, and if you are competing against other people trying to complete the quest too, then it could be a frustrating experience.

As a final note, all the Shinobi skills are Pierce-type damage, so they have good synergy with other classes that increase that type of damage, such as Hoplite, Fencer and even Highlander.

###Circle 1

Skills

Bushin no Jutsu (Level 5): You will summon clones of yourself to help you in battle. They are not able to use any skill but Kunai and Swordsman-class skills (which could be a bug and could be fixed on the future, be warned). You will also take additional damage for each clone you have active, so at 5 clones you will receive 5x the damage you normally would. Your evasion is also slit/reduced by the number of clones.
The main use of this skill is as a burst combo with Kunai, primarily, which is the main asset of this class.
Kunai (Level 1~5): You launch kunais in front of you and deal Pierce damage to enemies. If you have clones with you, they will also use them, which makes it a good burst damage combo. The scaling of the skill isn’t that good, so level 1 is a good option if you want to spend points on other skills. Otherwise, you can always max this for that one trick with the clones.
Mokun no Jutsu (Level 1~5): When you use it, it will place a buff on you and the next time you are hit, you will transform into a log of wood avoiding all damage for the duration of the skill (the first hit you receive to activate the skill will also go through, so you will receive that damage), after a couple seconds you will fall on top or near the opponent who hit you, causing some damage.
The damage starts at 981 at level 1, and increases by 232 every level.
Level 1 is more than enough for the utility, but you can add more points to it if you want more damage out of it. I think it has some decent use in PvP against certain classes.
It also doesn’t block any CC, so if you are hit by any CC during the duration, once you fall down you will be CC’ed.
Katon no Jutsu (Level 1~5): This skill deals some decent damage in a line in front of you, but the main appeal of it is it’s attribute, which will hide your character for up to 8 seconds after using it.
If you need more damage skills on your rotation, it is good to level it up. Otherwise, if you would rather use the points on other skills, then Level 1 is enough for utility (as far as I can tell, Level 1 is enough to get the attribute, but I could be mistaken, would need someone to clarify for me).
It also uses 2 Ninjutsu Bombs when activated, so that might be another thing to consider.
Mijin no Jutsu (Level 0~5): This is kind of a nuke skill, which will deal damage to yourself and others around you. The damage you receive is decreased with each skill level and you can kill yourself by using it, so be careful.
On the good side, your character will hide for up to 9 seconds after using this skill, so that could be something useful if someone gets creative with it.
It consumes 5 Ninjutsu Bombs when activated.

What armor should I use?

Plate.

Bottom line is that Plate gives more benefits than other armor types for Swordsman, including but not limited to: More stamina, higher HP and physical damage reduction.

While the difference on stats like accuracy between Plate and Leather is negligible and the loss on those other benefits has a much higher impact.

There are situations where you can carry around an extra set of armor to deal with one specific type of opponent, but overall it is simply better to use Plate.

I have gone through extensive and lengthy posts in the past to explain why Plate is just better overall. You can find many on my post history, but here is an example of it.

#Stat allocation

Figuring out how to stat your character isn’t an easy task, but not impossible.

After you have chosen the classes that will compose your build, you will know what types of weapon and general playing style you are aiming for.

For example, a Hoplite C3 build is able to get a “full STR” build, while a Fencer build will want to follow a “high DEX” build. Here I will list a few stat distributions that I think will fit for different builds and provide a little insight info as to when to follow them.

Try to keep in mind that there is no “best” build or “absolute stat distribution” as many things in the game are still unknown and trying to find the most optimal build is not possible at the moment, and the game is still changing anyways. None of my recommendations or the recommendations of other people are final when it comes to stats, it is always about personal preference.

So just take every stat build you see as a guideline rather than something set in stone. Customize your character with whatever stats you feel more comfortable with. For example, if you have not so good of a ping, you might consider to add more CON, etc.

###Full STR

This build works the best with a build that has Hoplite C3 in it, as it is able to have enough Critical Rate through Finestra and equipment to not have problems landing critical hits.

For PvP, this build will have problems against DEX builds, but it will be able to hit without problems builds that don’t rely on evasion. However, it will be necessary to add CON to the build if PvP is in mind.

While I call this build “full”, it isn’t necessarily the best way to do it, and I recommend the next distribution:

(PvE)
STR 9 : 1 DEX
CON: All the points acquired from statues, quests, etc.

or

(PvP)
STR 9: 1 CON + extra points acquired from statues, quests, etc.

###High STR

This build is similar to the full STR one, but it instead gives a bigger share of it’s points to another stat, such as DEX or CON.

It won’t critical hit as often as other builds, but it will still be able to land critical hits through gems, equipment and skills (Barbarian’s Cleave or Hoplite’s Finestra, for example). While maintaining a high base damage from the STR.

This builds work great for multi-hit classes, so it is good for DPS builds like Corsair.

In PvP, it won’t have as many problems dealing with most opponents, but it might have difficulties and opponents who raised their evasion very high. Fortunately, there is enough flexibility to adjust this build to the owner’s content.

(PvE)
STR 3 : 1 DEX
CON: All the points acquired from statues, quests, etc.

or
(PvP)
STR 3: 1 DEX : 1 CON + all the points acquired from statues, quests, etc.

###All-around

This build is mostly focused about covering all aspects of the game, even if it means giving up some potential damage from doing so.

It is also mostly for classes that are very versatile with their skills, and even though they might have multi-hits, they don’t have the necessary tools to increase their Critical Rate enough to deal a good amount of damage. This includes Highlanders and Cataphracts, for example.

I recommend the next stat distributions:

(PvE)
3 STR : 2 DEX : 1 CON

or

(PvP)

2 STR : 2 DEX : 2 CON

On either cae, CON should be leveled up until you feel comfortable with your HP, then you can switch those points to either STR or DEX, depending on your preference.

There is always room for customization as it is a very flexible build.

At early levels it is better to spend points into STR first, then make up the missing points on the other stats once you have acquired more ranks to deal damage with (usually around level 50).

###High DEX

This build is mostly for those looking to have a build based around evasion. While it can work with any type of build, it works best with a class like Fencer on it.

Same as other builds, CON isn’t as necessary for PvE, but it is for PvP, so I recommend a stat distribution like this:

(PvE)
1 STR : 2 DEX
CON: All the points acquired from statues, quests, etc.

(PvP)
1 STR : 2 DEX : 1 CON + All the points acquired from statues, quests, etc.

You can stop adding CON when you feel comfortable with your HP, and switch those points to STR or DEX instead.

###DEX/CON

This build is reserved only for characters that cannot be damage threats, even if they wanted to. This includes Squires, Rodeleros, etc.

These classes don’t have many if any multi-hit skills and they don’t particularly have any ways to considerably increase their damage, so spending STR points on them is often pointless and a worse result than going with this approach.

I recommend the following stat distribution:

(PvE & PvP)
2 DEX : 2 CON
STR: All the points acquired from statues, quests, etc.

Once you feel comfortable with your HP, you can switch points from CON to STR or even DEX if you feel like it.

At early levels, it is better to invest into DEX first and then start placing points into CON after a few ranks have been acquired.

Cathexis · March 31, 2016, 1:21am

#Recommended builds (under construction)

I am still unsure as to what structure to order the builds with, so I will just start listing them and worry later about it.

Remember that these are just guidelines. You can customize your build to fit your playing style as much as you want.

Use these builds to get an idea of what classes have good synergy with each other, then customize your build by adding points to the skills that are more appealing to you, based on the information that was detailed on previous sections.

Once you have made your build if you have any questions or if you would like to have a review on it, just make a post on this thread and I or other members of the community can give you feedback on it.

Try to give as much information as possible, maybe follow a similar template to:

Goal: PvE? PvP? 50/50? 60/40? 70/30?
Link to your build: Use the Skill Simulator

Comments and questions: This can include but not limited to:

Why did you pick those classes?
What are you looking for in your character? (What is your playing style)
What are your doubts about it, etc.

###Templar Builds

Swordsman > Peltasta > Hoplite > Cataphract C3 > Templar

Stat distribution: All-around, High DEX or DEX/CON

Swordsman > Peltasta > Barbarian C3 or Highlander C3 > Fencer > Templar

Stat distribution: High DEX

###Sword builds

Swordsman > Higlander C3 > Peltasta or Corsair > Doppelsoeldner C2

Stat distribution: High DEX, All-Around or High STR.

Swordsman > Peltasta > Barbarian C3 > Doppelsoeldner C2

Stat distribution: High DEX, All-Around or High STR.

Swordsman > Peltasta > Barbarian C2 > Corsair C2 > Doppelsoeldner

Stat distribution: High DEX, All-Around or High STR.

###Spear Builds

Swordsman > Peltasta > Hoplite > Cataphract C3 > Dragoon

Stat distribution: All-Around

Swordsman > Peltasta > Hoplite C3 > Doppelsoeldner > Dragoon

Stat distribution: Full STR or High STR.

Swordsman > Peltasta > Hoplite C2 > Corsair C2 > Dragoon

Stat distribution: High STR or All-Around

###Rapier Builds

Swordsman > Peltasta > Barbarian C3 > Fencer C2

Stat distribution: High DEX

Swordsman > Highlander C3 > Peltasta or Corsair > Fencer C2

Stat distribution: High DEX

Swordsman > Peltasta > Highlander C2 or Barbarian C2 > Corsair C2 > Fencer

Stat distribution: High DEX

Swordsman > Peltasta > Barbarian C3 or Highlander C3 > Fencer > Doppelsoeldner

Stat distribution: High DEX

###Squire Builds

Swordsman > Peltasta > Hoplite > Cataphract > Squire C3

Stat distribution: High DEX or DEX/CON

Swordsman > Peltasta > Hoplite C2 > Squire C3

Stat distribution: All-around

###Rodelero Builds

Swordsman > Peltasta > Hoplite > Rodelero C2 > Fencer > Fencer C2 or Dragoon

Stat distributioin: High DEX or DEX/CON

Cathexis · March 23, 2016, 2:59am

So I just finished this 15k+ words guide on Swordsman, I still have one more section to cover which I will be doing very shortly.

If anyone would like me to add another section or to expand on some topic, just ask and I will do my best to cover it too.

Autentist · March 23, 2016, 3:16am

Skull Swing’s duration increases with level. So, it’s actually worth maxing for this.

While Deeds are indeed extremely good, you trade your Defence in a really bad way. Mobs still need to hit you 10 times for it to be fully stacked, and they hit like a truck. I would only max this either on Circle 3 or for very hard party hitters.

While Evasions is viable, mobs still have pretty high crit resistance on later content, so you should be careful with your stats.

While Barbs indeed deal a very significant amount of damage, it’s still flat numbers. So in this case you should back up it with some CC and debuffs. Unfortunately, current Circle number prevents pure 2H Sword users from doing this, so you are basically stuck with choosing between High or Barb.

That’s all from me, great post there.

Bathory · March 23, 2016, 3:16am

Just, congrtz and thank you for your time and effort to do something like this and help the community

Bluesnow · March 23, 2016, 3:27am

Congratulations on the guide!!
Really amazing to have this for the new players coming up on OBT.
This should clear some doubts about what’s good/bad in the current meta.
Keep up the amazing work!

Arroganz · March 23, 2016, 3:45am

Thanks for the guide! As a new player this answered a lot of my questions. Thank you.

Spear · March 23, 2016, 3:55am

Thank you for this beautiful guide Cathexis! In my opinion is amazing and will help so many people who have doubts about the swordsman classes.

Just loved it the ‘‘Subway’’ idea. hahaha…amazing! congratulations!

Autentist · March 23, 2016, 3:56am

This actually inspires me… maybe I will do in-depth guide of all viable Swordsman builds in different combinations.

jinfin · March 23, 2016, 4:04am

well, i will say [ build combination ] is the topic we are mostly aiming at its good to have high level explanation for new saviors around. but i believe most of the existing players are already know what do these class actually do

Autentist · March 23, 2016, 4:08am

Yeah, but with the constant influx of new players such guide would be still useful, actually. I still get a lot of messages asking me about this or that build.

It’s decided then, I’ll do it.

Lenny · March 23, 2016, 4:10am

Awesome man it is going to help a lot of new players! thank you for doing this!
i consider myself someone that knows stuff about swordsman but ill read all your guide =)

Lenny · March 23, 2016, 4:37am

just one thing, skull swing increases up time on bosses up to 30 secs on lvl 5 (10secs on lvl 1, so id say that we need it lvl 5, probably the best skil in highlander kit)

and DPE from doppel can be turned on (10 secs) and ur party kill the stuff in this time and get double stuff, u dont need to atack

dwang777 · March 23, 2016, 4:25am

please do so! i have a lot of questions, maybe a Q/A would be great because you are answering so many questions in multiple threads

thailehuy · March 23, 2016, 4:32am

Double pay earn works on bosses now? I am sure that wasn’t the case in iCBT2

Cathexis · March 23, 2016, 6:33am

Thanks for this. I will update it in a bit, to include the information about the scaling of the debuff.

It does. We don’t know if it a bug or intentional, but gotta take advantage of it while it works.

I have added the first build to the “Recommended builds” section, just to give an early look on what to expect.

I am going to cover as many builds as I consider necessary, but I am looking for feedback on what information you guys would like to see on that section regarding each build.

EDIT:

I am going to use the next structure. I will update the post tomorrow with all the builds.

Swordsman->Peltasta->Hoplite C3->Doppelsoeldner->Dragoon

Types of damage:

Slash (High): Weak until Doppelsoeldner
Pierce (High): Very high from Hoplite C1 onwards.
Strike (Low): Almost no Strike damage on this build.

Recommended stat allocation:

Full STR or High STR

Pros:

It has the strongest auto-attacks of the entire Swordsman tree, which makes it a good and reliable source of damage that requires no SP.
It is able to go near or full STR, thanks to Finestra Level 15, making it the build with the highest Physical Attack of all.
It is the fastest boss-killing build in the Swordsman tree.
Can potentially go for a block type of build, as Finestra gives +30% Block.
Can switch between 1H Spear+Shield and 2H Spear when it reaches Dragoon.
Has a great synergy with Deeds of Valor, as high STR means a higher return of Physical Attack when using that skill.

Cons:

It has almost no reliable sources of CC.
Won’t be able to hit characters with high evasion.
It has no reliable source of Strike-type damage.
Stuck with 1H spear as a main weapon until it reaches Dragoon.
Relies mostly on auto-attacks to deal damage until it reaches Dragoon.

ikkimimimomomo · March 23, 2016, 4:41am

Good guide = Good people

NasiBubur · March 23, 2016, 4:52am

Nice, how about AOE ratio each shinobi’s skills ?
How much Ninjutsu bombs price ? is that as cheap as priest item ?

Also last question…
While i’m under Mokuton buff and use long cast skill i.e Mijin no Jutsu or Cyclone, what will happend if i get hit ? the mokuton Counter will cancel my mijin / cyclone or the mokuton effect will not activated ?