This build may be more viable with Ktos patch with more attack with strenght ( 1.3 per point ), and lunge will give you evasion.
On the other hand, with a dex build, lunge won’t give you evasion because you will be already capped. ( but still get the hot crit rate from dex )
Dex is slightly better when you have really late game stuff ( just therory btw )
Reaching cap evasion for end game monsters is pretty difficult even with high dex. Maybe if you had full dex and use full leather but I’ve found that to be not very optimal. So lunge will still help in a lot of cases.
However, lunge uptime is really bad. With latency and execution time and such it essentially only lasts 3 seconds. Having to rely on lunge for evasion helps but it’s not very good if your aim is to be consistently evasive.
The 1.3 per point really doesn’t add much overall damage. Maybe if it also gave the critical attack that normally comes with strength it would be worth a lot more, but it unfortunately doesn’t. We’re talking a 3.5% or 7% increase in damage depending on what it actually counts as and those %s are if you are completely full strength with no points in con or dex. It’s less of a difference the less strength you have invested of course.
For another comparison, It’s about equivalent to either gaining 5 or 10 attribute levels. Not going to help all that much in the grand scheme things.
I am really hoping that swordies get auto weapon swap like archers. it will really bring out a bunch of varieties for the swordsman class.
i am also trying out this build atm. but with the current mechanics of the game this will seem troublesome.
Also it would really be nice if someone can teach me how to change my hotkeys to help with the swapping. ive searched for tutorials online but i cant find any. tyia!
Im more interested in the gear that guy has in your video
That guy has around the same gear I have (based on the physical attack shown) and presumably level 50+ pouncing attribute
Maybe a bit more. Probably a slightly higher +d weapon - Mine is only +8 but the rest of it should just be current standard end game gear
Tanking lv280 world boss Rexipher:
Tanking lv280 world boss Marnox:
Tanking lv280 world boss Helgasercle:
due to the recent rank 8 swordsman class i think this build will not benefit that much. Plus the points wasted on finestra could be a lot more useful for dragoon c2.
what do you guys think?
The only game changer that will bring this build to life will be adding auto swap like archers to swordsman class too
EDIT: game changing fixes that could bring this build to life will either be auto weapon swap or remove rapier restrictions for fencer (which is likely not gonna happen. because the name of the class is fencer lol)
I think the exact opposite, here is why (but it’s always subject to the actual patch implementation):
“Balestra Fente”, which temporarily reduces the critical resistance of enemies, is going to be useful for Fencers who invested their points in stats other than DEX.
This means you can focus on a str heavy build.
“Epee Stance” dramatically increases the critical damage of pierce attacks in proportion to the skill level.
This means stabbing and pierce will do even more damage maybe x4-x7 multiplier based on screenshot we saw if not more.
Barbarians on the other hand, will not benefit fully from the fencer c3 as they lack pierce type attack and focus on dex build. If fencer c3 would provide buff / debuff for slash type damage beside lunge then we’d agree with your statement but so far for fencer c3 we saw in the preview, that is not the case.
Comparatively, dragoon would be in very good state as they gets their own version of preparation (and better version) which fencer c2 already provides.
hop2-cosair2-dragoon2 might be THE dps build
i can imagine that DWA would benefit MASSIVELY from the new serpetine attribute at dragoon c2. but it is still tiring to weapon switch XD
I have decided. I will go through with this build. simply because of fencer c3 that enhances pierce attacks. i figured barb skills wont benefit at all from fencer c3.
so maybe fencers are really made for hoplite. but im still quite hoping that finestra be made available for rapiers too… such a waste 
Well don’t lose hope, maybe they will give us something amazing when they release matador.
Finestra cancels if you switch to Rapiers right? Then Epee Stance should cancel when you switch to Spears too. In that case you won’t get to use its effect to buff your spear skills.
figured out as much too. thats why i went dopel > dragoon instead of fencer 2
Which is pretty much only spear throw so doesn’t really matter
If your combo is correct, it wont cancel at all.
The combo order would be in two parts:
1.Spear Lunge-Preparation-Attaque Coquile-Balestra Fente-Epee Stance-Stabbing-
2.Lunge-Spear Lunge-Pierce-Attaque Coquile-Attaque Composee x until cool down.
If it does get canceled, your main combo is already unleashed after stabbing. If it doesn’t get canceled, you just do more damage with second part of the combo.
I don’t see why Epee Stance will be a problem in anyway.
And we do not have enough information to deduce that Epee Stand will cancel after weapon swap and vice versa, as preparation and lunge will remain with you even when you swap weapon.
If anyone’s wondering, I’m using @minjuleex’s build as well but I went highlander 1 for the cross guard.
This is usually the combos if you minus my cross guard.
Edit excuse the music
i wish more hop skills worked with rapier. they’re both pierce specialist, i don’t see why they shouldn’t. do you think hop 3>fencer is a good combo without much weapon swapping? pierce 15 is like 1k damage, and stabbing 15, without defence against pierce. you can even spear throw without having to be disarmed.
With out weapon swap you only lose about 50% damage per spear lunge (which other route won’t get anyway) on your combo, if you can look over that. You don’t need to weapon swap at all.