Looking For Advice On My 1st Swordsman

[Timeshadow]

Hey, Swordies

I’m looking to build a Swordsman for the first time and I’d like to get some advice from the community. There are a few things I want out of the build but I’m not sure if I can have them all and still be viable. Feel free to tell me if I’m reaching for too much.

1. “Tanking” - Personally, I don’t like focusing solely on DPS (Although it is my primary role). I know tanks aren’t really necessary for the current content but I’d like to be able to at least hold aggro and take some hits for my team in group content. To that end, I’m thinking of including at least Pelt1.

2. Riding - The riding classes in this game have always intrigued me but I’ve never tried them out. I don’t know what the best companion is or how to make my mount as beneficial as it can be. I understand Lancer is great for single-target damage but I’ve heard mixed things about Cata. Are they worth investing time in?

3. Crowd Control - This is the least important element for me but I’d like to have some CC working as active mitigation. Corsair immediately springs to mind for Hook but I’m not really sure it’s even necessary. Do other class’ skills have enough CC baked in for me not to have to worry about trying to incorporate any more?

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can give me

[pedrinsotero]

You want something like that http://www.tosbase.com/tools/skill-simulator/build/sakvip5kw2/

[c2gaming.seetoo]

“Tanking” - Personally, I don’t like focusing solely on DPS (Although it is my primary role). I know tanks aren’t really necessary for the current content but I’d like to be able to at least hold aggro and take some hits for my team in group content. To that end, I’m thinking of including at least Pelt1.

You can hold aggro by dealing damage. The attribute provoke let’s you do it.

There also making use of the AoE Atk Ratio (AAR) AoE Defense Ratio (ADR) system in place. AAR atks prioritize targets with the highest ADR then go on to the next. So let’s say something is gonna use a 10 AAR skill to hit your party. If you have 3 ADR and the rest of your party has 2 ADR each, you get hit 1st, reducing the skills AAR to 7. The rest of the party gets hit because 7 AAR still hits 4 targets with 2 ADR each. Now if you had 5 ADR and the rest have 2 ADR. 10 - 5 means only 3 party members get hit and 1 is spared (2 x 4 = 8 AAR required for all 4 of them to get hit).

Not all AoE uses the AAR ADR system though. Some are true aoe (hits everything in the area) and some are target capped (hits 10, 5, etc). There is no “protecting” from that other than “don’t be in the area”.

In short there is no “taking hits for the team” in the swordsman line. There is in the cleric line. You literally take hits for your party members there.

Riding - The riding classes in this game have always intrigued me but I’ve never tried them out. I don’t know what the best companion is or how to make my mount as beneficial as it can be. I understand Lancer is great for single-target damage but I’ve heard mixed things about Cata. Are they worth investing time in?

Just take note of the following

• riding takes a pet and therefore a character slot
• some skills require riding, some skills can’t be used while riding

Crowd Control - This is the least important element for me but I’d like to have some CC working as active mitigation. Corsair immediately springs to mind for Hook but I’m not really sure it’s even necessary. Do other class’ skills have enough CC baked in for me not to have to worry about trying to incorporate any more?

CC doesn’t really matter pvm because of frost pillar. On the other hand froster lord cards are coming and they apply a 3sec freeze at 10% chance per card equied. This is IMHO better because this applies to any hit. It is not cc tied to a skill.

Working with all your requirements I’ld go with @pedrinsotero with a minor tweak (here). You can stand to put 1 pt (or more if you wish) in [steed charge]. It has 2 interactions with [dethrone]: additional damage and auto crit.

[shenhuehue]

Lets put it simple.
If you dont want to go for lancer just DONT take Cata.

It has horrible bad dmg skills.
The skills need a 2h spear!

Seriously its the worst cls now.
If we get the patch for cata its getting a bit better but still if you not lancer take another cls!

[mrshadowccg]

I would suggest Pelta 2 Cata 3 Dragoon 3 or Pelta 1 Hop 1 Cata 3 Dragoon 3 as @pedrinsotero suggested.

Cata 3 does have very terrible dps skills but Dragoon 3 can hold out for itself. Cata 3 is there mostly for Trot’s mobility, which makes it really helpful for farming items quicker.

Pelta 1/2 helps a little with “Tanking” as you can pull mob’s aggro to you. It also helps a lot with your dps since it groups up mobs close together so your skills can hit as many mobs as they can.

Crowd Control isn’t really necessary in PvE. Swordmen classes are also very bad at crowd control in general. Corsair’s hook is a great CC skill but it’s almost exclusively for PvP only (very little use in PvE).

Catas can still use all their skills with 1h spear + shield so you shouldn’t worry about that.