[Swordmaster] Builds, hints and tips.

[rmpl]

1.4.9 bo and sm changes? care to explain?

[Sigimund]

Patch 1.4.9 was on the test realm just before the live game shut down: http://waaagh.de/forum/allgemeine-disku ... lpha-test/

What is not in those patch notes is that Aethyric Armor was replaced with a friendly pounce where you jumped to an ally and gave them a damage reduction buff.

Group buffs and a unique tactical ability instead of superpunts or stagger.

[Vraal]

I don't want to ruin the 1.4.9 hype but a lot of the stat buffs (Nature/Heaven Enchantment) wouldn't stack with the other popular stat buffs (WP/Knight) leaving Phantom's Blade as the viable enchantment to run. Just my opinion.

[OlasGreyscale]

EDIT: I'm replying to TenTonHammer's comments.

You're right about the stat steal from Nature's blade, especially initiative. That's a respectable part about the SM .I explained more in my longer post which I need to type out again sometime.

Nature's Blade (stat steal, ini steal, and part of the strongest group utility that the SM has.) falls under Path of Khaine, the 2h dps tree. Which in itself is fine, and actually encourages 2h SM and gives 2h SM group utility over the other trees which is awesome.

However, bringing it back to the first problem I stated is that tank SM/Path of Vaul isn't a threat. At all. Nature's Blade without points into Path of Khaine means SM is back to lackluster group buffs/threat to enemies.

Yes, doing spiritual damage is awesome with ether-dance and 2H SM. Doing 1.5k-2k crits, even against tanks and while using toughness talismans and accessories is pretty satisfying. Back to my stated problem though. Path of Vaul gets the shaft. 3 sec KD and Dragon's Talon help, but I cry when I look at Chosen's crippling strikes and BG's CORE 5 sec KD and super punt. Path of Hoeth's Heaven's blade all-resist debuff is nice and helps the group. That's one positive- but is over shadowed by the KotBS resist aura that not only debuffs but also raises resistance of group members and doesn't need to proc. The 1.4.9 changes would help a bit with this though, which is why I would really push for RoR to add the 1.4.9 changes to SM/BO.

[TenTonHammer]

Yeah i get you point but 1 thing about 1.49 wouldnt the defensive leap render WoH pointless?

Now im not an SM player cause quite frankly i find HE armor ugly

but i remeber Az saying that that the problem with SnB SM is that your very survivable but you lack thinks like CC and stuff inorder to be effective with that surviveability

[Sigimund]

It's a fair question but Wings is on M2 so it is available a lot less often, with less control of the timing and stops you using any other tank morales. WoH does still give an AOE morale snare, which is something.

Edit: The amount of times it bugged and drained your morale bar with no leap was also a motivator.

[Scrilian]

So, will ED work with WW in RoR, or I'm wasting my time leveling SM? :C

[Rebuke]

Yeah i get you point but 1 thing about 1.49 wouldnt the defensive leap render WoH pointless?

Now im not an SM player cause quite frankly i find HE armor ugly

but i remeber Az saying that that the problem with SnB SM is that your very survivable but you lack thinks like CC and stuff inorder to be effective with that surviveability

Spammable 10 sec snare, silence, knockdown, AoE knockback, AoE root. More than enough cc when going SnB SM.

Its the utility/support aspect of the SM that is the crux. Being a Whispering Winds bot gets boring after a while.

1.4.9 blade enchantment changes would give some more straight up support capability for the SM, and a defensive pounce gives utility (only tank that can get to backlines quickly or join flanking maneuvres).

Imo if there were to ever be improvements/changes planned for SM, it should be done through the blade enchantments; having to attack to support your party fits the lore and the original intended role of the career.

[Sigimund]

If we're going by lore then you need a tactic that lets you block with a 2H.

[Rebuke]

I've always felt that a Swordmaster who can't keep himself alive is worse for the team than a DPS or a tank. Granted, it's been a while since I got a play a DPS SM in T4. On live, I would have played something like this.

Now that Crashing Wave has been moved though, I might enjoy something like this more.

But for group play, sometimes you have to sacrifice personal fun for group utility. In that case, if I could keep the 2H, I would run this. Impeccable Reactions is very useful as a 2H tank - you lose the ability to block guard damage, but you can still parry it. IR guarantees that your guard damage is directly reduced, and helps make up for the lack of block.

RE: Calming Winds - I really hate Sorcs. Also, Aethyric Armor can be shattered, doesn't stack with armor pots, and the disrupt it grants is barely worth the mastery point.

You would be surprised how rarely Aethric Armor gets shattered. More often than not I can see the buff actually expire

Good point on the disrupt tactic, il try it out when RvR'ing.