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 itâs always subject to the actual patch implementation):
âBalestra Fenteâ, 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.
âEpee Stanceâ 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 weâd 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 donât 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 wonât 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 doesnât 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 doesnât get canceled, you just do more damage with second part of the combo.
I donât 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 anyoneâs wondering, Iâm using @minjuleexâs 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. theyâre both pierce specialist, i donât see why they shouldnât. 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 wonât get anyway) on your combo, if you can look over that. You donât need to weapon swap at all.
Oh.
OOOOHHHHHH.
I did not realize that stabbing/pierce was not weapon restricted. This changes EVERYTHING.
Looks like Iâll be rolling this build (Single Stance):
If your plan is to go high dex (implied by the skill build name) you will struggle with taking advantage of cross guard by going highlander (which is pretty much all highlander brings to the table for a fencer build) The skyliner+bleed is pretty nice damage but the longer you have to take to set up other skills thatâs more time you could have spent using composee instead
Dodge gets calculated before block. If you plan on reaching the evasion cap (80%) youâll have like a 20% chance to activate cross guard
As far as damage type versatility is concerned, youâre not gaining any strike damage besides cartar stroke and flanconnade covers slash and composee covers pierce
your build would probably work really well for high str low dex though
That one-point in Crossguard was just for fun actually, since the main skills were maxed out already. Iâll just throw that into Wagon Wheel instead I guess (or maybe 4pt Cartar since weâll be getting -50% cast time for it).
I really like HL2âs kit because it gives me higher sustain for slash-weak enemies or just enemies in general who can bleed, since from what I know the Bleed-modifier for Skyliner is T0 (applied before defense) which is really strong when combined with Cleave + Lunge debuff.
Thereâs no higher sustain than a 0 cd skill
Both Cross Cut and Skyliner are 2-hits like Flanco (and skyliner got its animation time reduced), so it should definitely be higher sustain if also combined with Flanco after using it, since Skyliner will be 200% x2 each cast with the bleed debuff, and this modifier is applied before defense which is actually more than doubling the damage dealt if we consider criticals. Throwing in Moulinet for a 5-hit skill helps too. It will be more costly, of course, in terms of attributes.
Both cross cut and skyliner have cooldowns, so cast time becomes irrelevant except moulinet is pretty slow and cross cut isnât that fast either. Potential redundancy becomes the problem excluding bleed ticks. When cross cut/skyliner both go in to cooldown. you can flanconnade 13 times for skyliner and 25 times for cross cut. This definitely exceeds the DPS that can be done with those skills
But Iâm not ignoring Flanco?
I mean weaving in Cross Cut-Skyliner + Flanco Spam > Flanco Spam alone, simply because of Skylinerâs doubled damage vs Bleeding caused by Cross Cut, so how would that result in less DPS?
I guess it would be higher after thinking about it a bit more, moulinet might be the only issue here but I donât have a highlander 2 to be able to see the execution times of these skills to give a definite answer and the slash damage might not be worth sucking up 2 circles but if it works for you it works for you