Difference between revisions of "User:Jdavis/Swords"

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(DPS using new ASI+6 numbers)
(Armor, Shields, Trinkets, Perks: remove redundancies with my armor and shield guides)
 
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{{opinion}}
 
{{opinion}}
  
This page, commonly called '''Bopp's Sword Guide''', tells you just about everything you need to know about playing with swords in the Clockworks. The advice applies to pure sworders and to people who use swords on the side. The advice applies whether you're free-to-play or pay-to-play. For more general equipment advice, or to learn about me and why I write this stuff, read my [[User:Jdavis|my user page]].
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This page, commonly called '''Bopp's Sword Guide''', tells you just about everything you need to know about playing with swords in the [[Clockworks]]. The advice applies to pure sworders and to people who use swords on the side, whether they're free-to-play or pay-to-play. You should also check out the semi-official [[Swordmaster Guide]], although that guide erroneously (in my opinion) focuses on sword feel rather than damage type and size.
 
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You should also check out the semi-official [[Swordmaster Guide]]. In my opinion, that guide erroneously focuses on sword feel rather than damage type and size. Also, because it is written by many people, the writing is not very polished, and on some days some of the details are wrong or misleading. However, that guide is improving overall, and it offers player-vs-player advice and fighting tips, which this guide does not.
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==Basic Concepts==
 
==Basic Concepts==
  
The primary consideration in choosing a sword (or handgun) is its [[damage]] type. There are four damage types: normal, piercing, elemental, and shadow. Each monster family is resistant to one damage type, vulnerable to one damage type, and neutral to the other two. As a rule of thumb, hitting a monster with its vulnerable damage type gives you about 25% extra damage, while hitting a monster with is resistant damage type penalizes you about 75% of your damage. (At depth 28, the vulnerability bonus on 5-star swords is about 75 points of damage, while the resistance penalty is almost 84%. For more detail, see [[User:Exasperation|here]].)
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===Considerations in Choosing a Sword===
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 +
The primary consideration in choosing a sword (or handgun) is its [[damage]] type: normal, piercing, elemental, or shadow. Each monster family is resistant to one damage type, vulnerable to one damage type, and neutral to the other two. Hitting a monster with its vulnerable damage type gives you a small bonus (roughly 20% for end-game swords), while hitting a monster with its resistant damage incurs a large penalty (roughly 80%).
 
{{User:Jdavis/start}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/start}}
  
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{{User:Jdavis/end}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
All monsters are neutral to normal damage. Normal weapons never incur the huge resistance penalty, but they never achieve the vulnerability bonus either. If you intend to use only one sword, then see the [[#Mixing weapon types|Mixing]] section below. If you plan on using two or three swords at once, then '''get one piercing sword, one elemental sword, one shadow sword, and no normal swords'''. By exploiting monsters' vulnerabilities, you can deal huge damage to most (if not all) monsters.
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All monsters are neutral to normal damage. If you intend to use only one sword, then you might want a normal sword; see the [[#Mixing Weapon Types|Mixing Weapon Types]] section below. If you plan on using two or three swords at once, then '''work on one piercing sword, one elemental sword, and/or one shadow sword'''. Even with only two non-normal damage types, you can deliver extra damage to 4/6 of monsters. For example, if you're carrying elemental and piercing, then use elemental on constructs, undead, and slimes, and use piercing on beasts, fiends, and gremlins. You never incur a resistance penalty.
  
After damage type, '''the next most important consideration is probably size'''. Fast, dodging enemies are much easier to hit with wide, long swings than with narrow, short swings. Width and length also improve your chances of hitting multiple enemies at once, which greatly increases your damage output.  In this guide, each sword swing is rated as either short or long, and as either narrow, wide, or 360-degree. The scale is different for regular attacks and charge attacks; a short charge attack may be longer than a long regular attack.
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After damage type, '''the next most important consideration is probably size'''. Wide, long swings help you hit fast, dodging enemies, and may let you hit multiple enemies at once, which greatly increases your damage output.  In this guide, each sword swing is rated as either short or long, and as either narrow, wide, or 360-degree. The scale is different for regular attacks and charge attacks; a short charge attack may be longer than a long regular attack.
  
Another important consideration is sword speed. Like width and length, speed makes fast enemies easier to hit. Speed also lets you shield or dodge soon after attacking. Roughly speaking, the slowest swords are those with two-stroke combos, the medium-speed swords have three-stroke combos, and the fastest swords have five-stroke combos; for more detail, study the strokes per minute (SPM) of the various swords below. Different swords can actually ''feel'' different to the player — a charming feature of ''Spiral Knights''. '''There is no reason to restrict yourself to one feel'''. I have no trouble switching among different sword feels in battle.
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Speed and knockback are also important considerations. Speed makes fast enemies easier to hit, and improves your defense by helping you interrupt monsters, shield, and dodge. Knockback greatly aids defense, especially in crowded rooms. However, you must take care not to knock monsters into your teammates. Due to speed and knockback, different swords can actually ''feel'' different to the player. '''There is no reason to restrict yourself to one feel'''. In battle, I have no problem switching feels every few seconds.
  
Damage type, width and length, and speed all contribute to the damage output of the sword in different ways. The guild [[Lancer Knightz (Guild)/Swords|Lancer Knightz]] has measured the comboing speed of most swords, and thus has rated swords according to their theoretical maximum damage per second (DPS) against a single enemy. However, this is only one measure of damage output, and other measures may be more useful in some situations. Furthermore, these damage numbers ignore [[status effect]]s — fire, freeze, shock, curse, poison, stun, and sleep — which can dramatically enhance one's fighting. (There are a couple of tactical exceptions to watch out for, such as fire on [[oiler]]s and shock on [[quicksilver]]s.)
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Damage type, width, length, and speed all contribute to the monster-killing efficiency of a sword in different ways. For example, the guild [[Lancer Knightz (Guild)/Swords|Lancer Knightz]] has measured the damage per second (DPS) arising from comboing swords. However, other measures of damage output may be more useful in some situations. Furthermore, these damage numbers ignore [[status effect]]s — fire, freeze, shock, curse, poison, and stun — which can dramatically enhance one's fighting (except for fire on [[oiler]]s and shock on [[quicksilver]]s).
  
Knockback is useful for defense, especially in crowded rooms. However, in a party you must take care not to knock monsters into your teammates. This is especially true for [[Leviathan Blade]]'s and [[Divine Avenger]]'s charge attacks, and for [[Warmaster Rocket Hammer]].
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===Mixing Weapon Types===
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 +
As with swords, '''damage type is the primary consideration in choosing a handgun, or a mix of swords and guns'''. You want to carry two or three non-normal damage types and deploy them against the correct monsters to optimize your damage. For example, Combuster and [[Blitz Needle]] are a powerful combination throughout the Clockworks, and especially in [[Firestorm Citadel]].
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 +
A player who uses just one sword and one gun might reasonably choose to make both normal, so that she could use both on all targets. Or she could adopt a balanced approach of [[Iron Slug]] and two or three swords to choose among based on the level.
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Any bomb can complement a set of swords, but crowd-control bombs such as [[Voltaic Tempest]], [[Shivermist Buster]], [[Graviton Vortex]], [[Electron Vortex]], and [[Obsidian Crusher]] are especially popular. Once the monsters are trapped, you can hit them with a sword charge attack. Note well, however, that some swords do not charge fast enough for you to charge into your own vortex.
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===5-Star Items and Heating===
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With the exception of [[Swiftstrike Buckler]] and Black Kat armors, all of the best items in the game are 5-star. And there are some dead-end alchemy paths (e.g., [[Winmillion]]), which don't reach 5 stars. So, even if you're currently at 2 stars, you should always plan your equipment in terms of 5-star items. Once you know which 5-star items you want, look back in their alchemy paths, to figure out how to get them.
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Heat has a big effect on weapons' [[Abilities|CTR]] and damage. (A 4-star weapon at heat level 10 puts out [http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/92085 about as much damage] as a 5-star weapon at heat level 8.) Unfortunately, 5-star items are difficult to heat, due to the scarcity of [[Rarity|radiant fire crystals]]. My advice is not to upgrade a 4-star weapon until you have enough fire crystals to take the 5-star version to at least heat level 5, or maybe even heat level 8. In contrast, armor doesn't benefit much from heating, so upgrade it as soon as you can, and heat it after your weapons.
  
 
==Summary of Swords==
 
==Summary of Swords==
  
Here is a summary of all of the 5-star swords, including
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Here is a summary of all of the 5-star swords, excluding reskins. The fields are
 
* Damage: damage type.
 
* Damage: damage type.
 
* SPC: strokes per combo.
 
* SPC: strokes per combo.
 
* Combo: average width (wide W vs. narrow N vs. 360-degree T), average length (long L vs. short S), and status effect.
 
* Combo: average width (wide W vs. narrow N vs. 360-degree T), average length (long L vs. short S), and status effect.
 
* Charge: width, length, and status.
 
* Charge: width, length, and status.
* Move: Movement speed while charging, based on the [[Lancer Knightz (Guild)/Swords|Lancer Knightz data]]: fast (about as fast as normal running), medium (about 10% slower than normal), or slow (about 20% slower than normal).
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* Style: the play style of the sword (not necessarily its alchemy path).
 +
* Obtain: boss, mission, PvP, etc. required to obtain this weapon or its precursors.
 
* Opinion: my view of the primary strength or purpose of the sword, that might lead you to choose it over other swords.
 
* Opinion: my view of the primary strength or purpose of the sword, that might lead you to choose it over other swords.
  
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Combo}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Combo}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Style}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|Opinion about Strength or Purpose}}
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Obtain}}
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Opinion}}
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Leviathan Blade]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Leviathan Blade]] | normal | 3 | NS | TS | [[Calibur]] |  | all-purpose for hybrid knights}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|normal}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|TS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|great charge attack}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Cold Iron Vanquisher]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Cold Iron Vanquisher|C. I. Vanquisher]] | normal | 3 | NS | TS | [[Calibur]] |  | outclassed by Leviathan Blade}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|normal}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|TS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|great charge attack}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Dread Venom Striker]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Celestial Saber]] | normal | 3 | NS | TS stun | [[Calibur]] | [[Equinox Prize Box|E. P. Box]] | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|normal}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|5}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS poison}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS poison}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Wild Hunting Blade]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Sweet Dreams]] | normal | 3 | NS | TS stun | [[Calibur]] | [[Slumber Prize Box|S. P. Box]] | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|normal}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|5}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Sudaruska]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Amputator]] | normal | 3 | NS | NL | [[Brandish]] |  | outclassed by Acheron?}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|normal}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|2}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL stun}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Triglav]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Dread Venom Striker|D. Venom Striker]] | normal | 5 | NS poison | NS poison | [[Cutter]] | | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|normal}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|2}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL freeze}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL freeze}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Final Flourish]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Wild Hunting Blade|W. Hunting Blade]] | normal | 5 | NS | NS | [[Cutter]] | | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|piercing}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|beasts and fiends}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Fearless Rigadoon]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Sudaruska]] | normal | 2 | WL | WL stun | [[Troika]] |  | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|piercing}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL stun}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL stun}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|beasts and fiends}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Furious Flamberge]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Triglav]] | normal | 2 | WL freeze | WL freeze | [[Troika]] | [[Krogmo Coin|K. Coins]] | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|piercing}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL fire}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|beasts and fiends}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Barbarous Thorn Blade]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Barbarous Thorn Blade|B. Thorn Blade]] | piercing | 3 | WS | WS | [[Flourish]] | [[Frumious Fang|F. Fangs]] | fiends, beasts}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|piercing}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|WS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|beasts and fiends}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Combuster]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Final Flourish]] | piercing | 3 | WS | NL | [[Flourish]] |  | fiends, beasts}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|elem+norm}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL fire}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|undead and constructs (single or charge)}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Glacius]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Fearless Rigadoon|F. Rigadoon]] | piercing | 3 | WS stun | NL stun | [[Flourish]] | | outclassed by Final Flourish}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|elem+norm}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL freeze}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|undead and constructs (single or charge)}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Voltedge]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Furious Flamberge|F. Flamberge]] | piercing | 3 | WS fire | NL fire | [[Flourish]] | | outclassed by Final Flourish}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|elem+norm}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL shock}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|undead and constructs (single or charge)}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Fang of Vog]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Warmaster Rocket Hammer|W. R. Hammer]] | elemental | 3 | WL | WL | [[Troika]]+ | [[Operation Crimson Hammer|OCH]] | knockback-resistant targets}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|elem+norm}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS fire}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|TS fire}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|awesome charge attack}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Divine Avenger]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Divine Avenger]] | elem+norm | 2 | WL | WL | [[Sealed Sword|Sealed]] | [[Jelly Gem|J. Gems]] | undead, constructs (multiple, charge)}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|elem+norm}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|2}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|undead and constructs (multiple or charge)}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Warmaster Rocket Hammer]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Fang of Vog]] | elem+norm | 3 | NS fire | TS fire | [[Calibur]] | [[Almirian Seal|A. Seals]] | charge attack}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|elemental}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|undead and constructs (multiple)}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Acheron]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Combuster]] | elem+norm | 3 | NS | NL fire | [[Brandish]] |  | undead, constructs (single, charge)}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|shad+norm}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|3}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|slimes and gremlins (single or charge)}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Gran Faust]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Glacius]] | elem+norm | 3 | NS | NL freeze | [[Brandish]] |  | undead, constructs (single, charge)}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|shad+norm}}
+
 
{{User:Jdavis/cell|2}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL curse}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL curse}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Voltedge]] | elem+norm | 3 | NS | NL shock | [[Brandish]] | [[Krogmo Coin|K. Coins]] | undead, constructs (single, charge)}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
+
 
{{User:Jdavis/cell|slimes and gremlins (multiple)}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 +
 
 +
{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Obsidian Edge]] | shad+norm | 3 | NS | NL poison | [[Brandish]] | [[Shroud of the Apocrea|A. Sigils]] | slimes, gremlins (single, charge)}}
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 +
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
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 +
{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Acheron]] | shad+norm | 3 | NS | NL | [[Brandish]] |  | slimes, gremlins (single, charge)}}
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 +
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 +
 
 +
{{User:Jdavis/cell8|[[Gran Faust]] | shad+norm | 2 | WL curse | NL curse | [[Sealed Sword|Sealed]] | [[Jelly Gem|J. Gems]] | slimes, gremlins (multiple, defensive)}}
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
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==Piercing, Elemental, Shadow==
 
==Piercing, Elemental, Shadow==
  
Remember that, if you're into swords, then '''you want to own a piercing sword, an elemental sword, and a shadow sword'''. This section offers direct comparisons within each damage type. I try to present the objective facts, followed by semi-objective analysis of their implications, followed by my subjective opinion. The abbreviations are as above, with these additions: SPM for strokes per minute, CPM for charges per minute, and DPS for damage per second. (These are all based on the [[Lancer Knightz (Guild)/Swords|Lancer Knightz data]], which reflect ASI+6, CTR+6, and no damage bonus, at depth 28, against vulnerable enemies, ignoring damage from status.)
+
Remember that, if you're into swords, then '''you want to own a piercing sword, an elemental sword, and a shadow sword'''. The following subsections offers direct comparisons within each damage type. I try to present the objective facts, followed by semi-objective analysis of their implications, followed by my subjective opinion. The columns are:
 +
* First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth: Width, length, damage, and status for each stroke of the combo (damage+0, heat level 10, depth 28, vulnerable enemies).
 +
* SPM: Strokes per minute when comboing as fast as possible ([[ASI]]+6).
 +
* DPS: Damage per second from comboing as fast as possible (ASI+6, damage+0, heat level 10, depth 28, vulnerable enemies).
 +
* Charge: Width, length, and status for the charge attack.
 +
* CPM: Charges per minute ([[CTR]]+6, ASI+6).
 +
* Move: movement speed while charging — fast (normal running speed), medium (about 10% slower), or slow (about 20% slower).
  
 
===Piercing Swords===
 
===Piercing Swords===
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Third}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Third}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
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{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
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{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Obtain}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
 
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Final Flourish]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Barbarous Thorn Blade]] | WS 285 | NS 285 | NL 340 | 120 | 607 | WS | 23 | medium}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 285}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 285}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 340}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|120}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|17.5}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|607}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Fearless Rigadoon]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Final Flourish]] | WS 285 | NS 285 | NL 340 | 120 | 607 | NL | 19 | medium}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 240 stun}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 240 stun}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 289 stun}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|120?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL stun}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|17.5?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|513?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Furious Flamberge]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Fearless Rigadoon]] | WS 240 stun | NS 240 stun | NL 289 stun | 120 | 513 | NL stun | 19 | medium}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 240?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 240?}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 289?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|120?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL fire}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|17.5?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|513?}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Barbarous Thorn Blade]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Furious Flamberge]] | WS 240 fire | NS 240 fire | NL 289 fire | 120 | 513 | NL fire | 19 | medium}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 285}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 285}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL 340}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|120}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WS}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|medium}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|21}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Frumious Fang]]s}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|607}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
  
Facts: Final Flourish and BTB are identical in their regular attacks. BTB's charge attack spews a short, wide shower of thorns; it can disrupt and moderately damage a crowd of monsters. In contrast, Final Flourish's charge attack is essentially a more powerful version of its regular combo; it lunges into one monster (or a tight crowd), damaging it heavily. Fearless Rigadoon and Furious Flamberge are identical to Final Flourish, but sacrifice some damage for the ability to inflict status effects.
+
Facts: Final Flourish and BTB are identical in their regular attacks. BTB's charge attack spews a short, wide shower of thorns; it can disrupt and moderately damage a crowd of monsters. In contrast, Final Flourish's charge attack is essentially a more powerful version of its regular combo; it lunges into one monster (or a tight crowd), damaging it heavily. Fearless Rigadoon and Furious Flamberge are identical to Final Flourish, but sacrifice some damage for the ability to inflict status effects. BTB's charge has a shorter cool-down period than the others do. Because it cannot be mass-crafted at 2 stars, BTB is a bit harder to get unique variants on.
  
Implications: The first stroke, being wide, long, and fast, is extremely useful; against fiends, it is often wise to use just the first stroke. The third stroke benefits greatly from auto-targeting, due to its distinctive lunging motion. These swords kill piercing-vulnerable monsters so quickly that there is usually not much point in also inducing a status; you would rather just have as much damage as possible. The Final Flourish charge does more damage than the BTB charge against a single enemy or a tight crowd. Against a large crowd, the BTB charge is a bit safer, because it disrupts the attacks of several monsters, while the Final Flourish charge can leave the user exposed.
+
Implications: The first stroke, being fast and wide, is extremely useful; against fiends, it is often wise to use just the first stroke. The third stroke benefits greatly from auto-targeting, due to its distinctive lunging motion. These swords kill piercing-vulnerable monsters so quickly that there is usually not much point in also inducing a status; you would rather just have as much damage as possible.
 +
 
 +
The BTB charge is a bit safer, because it disrupts the attacks of several monsters, while the Final Flourish charge can leave the user exposed. Generally, the Final Flourish charge does a lot of damage to one target while the BTB charge does lower damage against multiple targets. However, the BTB charge can do a lot of damage if the target is close, and the Final Flourish charge can hit multiple enemies if they are tightly clustered.
  
 
Opinion: Final Flourish and BTB are equally good. Furious Flamberge and FR seem less good.
 
Opinion: Final Flourish and BTB are equally good. Furious Flamberge and FR seem less good.
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Third}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Third}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
 +
{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
 +
{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Obtain}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
 
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Combuster]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Warmaster Rocket Hammer|W. Rocket Hammer]] | WL 340 | NS 240 | WL 403 | 90 | 492-733 | WL | 13 | slow}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 382}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|117}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL fire}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|21}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|628}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Glacius]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Divine Avenger]] | WL 328 | WL 445 | | 74 | 477 | WL | 20 | slow}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 382}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|117}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL freeze}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|21}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|628}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Voltedge]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Fang of Vog]] | NS 266 fire | NS 266 fire | NS 345 fire | 96 | 468 | TS fire | 18.5 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 382}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|117?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL shock}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|21?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Krogmo Coin]]s}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|628?}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Fang of Vog]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Combuster]] | NS 292 | NS 292 | NS 382 | 117 | 628 | NL fire | 23 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 266 fire}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 266 fire}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 345 fire}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|96}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|TS fire}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|17}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Almirian Seal]]s}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|468}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Divine Avenger]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Glacius]] | NS 292 | NS 292 | NS 382 | 117 | 628 | NL freeze | 23 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 328}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 445}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|74}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|18.5}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Jelly Gem]]s}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|477}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Warmaster Rocket Hammer|W. Rocket Hammer]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Voltedge]] | NS 292 | NS 292 | NS 382 | 117? | 628? | NL shock | 23? | fast?}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 340}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|?L 240}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 403}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|90}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|13}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Operation Crimson Hammer|Op. Crimson Hammer]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|492}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
  
Facts: In regular attacks, Combuster, Glacius, and Voltedge enjoy superior speed and single-target DPS. DA and WRH enjoy superior width, length, and knockback. The second stroke of WRH causes you to lunge forward a great distance. FoV's raw speed, size, and damage are mediocre, but it can inflict fire on every stroke. In charge attacks, Combuster, Glacius and Voltedge emit a line of explosions, that cause fire, freeze, or shock; these swords are identical except in their charge attack statuses. You move at reduced speed while charging DA or WRH. The DA charge is a big swing that spews three projectiles. The WRH charge is two huge downward swings with large area and knockback. Fang of Vog's 360-degree charge attack does huge damage to monsters, sets them on fire, and often sets the user on fire.
+
Facts: In regular attacks, Combuster, Glacius, and Voltedge enjoy high speed and single-target DPS. DA and WRH enjoy superior width, length, and knockback. WRH's second stroke lunges dramatically, hitting knockback-resistant enemies as many as three times. FoV's raw speed, size, and damage are mediocre, but it can inflict fire on every stroke. In charge attacks, Combuster, Glacius and Voltedge emit a line of explosions, that cause fire, freeze, or shock; these swords are identical except in their charge attack statuses. You move at reduced speed while charging DA or WRH. The DA charge is a big swing that spews three projectiles. The WRH charge is two huge downward swings with large area and knockback. Fang of Vog's 360-degree charge attack does huge damage to monsters, sets them on fire, and often sets the user on fire.
  
Implications: Against tightly clustered enemies, DA's and WRH's longer reach and wider swing mean that they can hit multiple enemies at once, potentially doing high total damage. However, completing a combo against multiple enemies without getting hit requires care. DA's and WRH's high knockback aids defense in tight, crowded fights. WRH's lunging combo is dangerous around traps, but could facilitate simultaneous attacking and dodging. The WRH charge leaves you exposed. Among the three Brandishes, Glacius' freeze is useful for crowd control, and it does some damage upon thawing, but it can hinder kiting and knockback. Voltedge's shock disrupts monsters somewhat, and it does some damage, especially since shock does area-damage to close monsters. Combuster's fire is useful for extra damage, but offers no crowd control. Freeze and shock can prevent a monster from riding the entire Brandish charge attack for full damage; fire does not have this defect. Although the monsters in Firestorm Citadel are largely immune to fire, FoV and the Combuster charge still do damage — just not status.
+
Implications: Against tightly clustered enemies, DA's and WRH's longer reach and wider swing mean that they can hit multiple enemies at once, potentially doing high total damage. However, completing a combo against multiple enemies without getting hit requires care. DA's and WRH's high knockback aids defense in tight, crowded fights. WRH's lunging combo is dangerous around traps, but can facilitate simultaneous attacking and dodging. Shield-cancelling WRH after the second stroke results in massive DPS against knockback-resistant enemies. The WRH charge leaves you exposed.
  
Opinion: Against individual monsters, Combuster/Glacius/Voltedge are the best choices. Choosing among those three swords amounts to choosing a status; there is no right answer, but I prefer Combuster. FoV's charge attack is extremely powerful, and hence useful against tough enemies (Royal Jelly, slag guards). Otherwise, FoV is inferior to Combuster/Glacius/Voltedge. Against crowds of monsters, the big swords DA and WRH have an advantage over Combuster/Glacius/Voltedge. DA is safer and easier than WRH, but it is possible that WRH could deliver slightly better offense in the hands of an expert (which I am not, yet).
+
Among the three Brandishes, Glacius' freeze is useful for crowd control, and it does some damage upon thawing, but it hinders kiting, shield-bumping, and knockback. Voltedge's shock disrupts monsters somewhat, and it does some damage, especially since shock does area-damage to close monsters. Combuster's fire is useful for extra damage, but offers no crowd control. Freeze and shock can prevent a monster from riding the entire charge attack for full damage; fire does not have this defect. Although the monsters in Firestorm Citadel are largely immune to fire, FoV and the Combuster charge still do damage — just not status.
 +
 
 +
Opinion: All of these swords are good, but Combuster and WRH are the strongest. Combuster is easy, while WRH has a unique play style that is hard to master and hence more interesting. FoV is a utility weapon, for charging only.
  
 
===Shadow Swords===
 
===Shadow Swords===
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Third}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Third}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
 +
{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
 
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|Obtain}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
+
 
 +
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 +
 
 +
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Obsidian Edge]] | NS 292 | NS 292 | NS 382 | 117 | 628 | NL poison | 23 | fast}}
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Acheron]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Acheron]] | NS 328 | NS 328 | NS 445 | 117 | 716 | NL | 23 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 292}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 382}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|117}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|21}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|628}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Gran Faust]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell9|[[Gran Faust]] | WL 328 | WL 445 curse | | 72 | 464 | NL curse | 15 | slow}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 328}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 445 curse}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|72}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NL curse}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|14}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Jelly Gem]]s}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|464}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
  
Facts: Acheron enjoys superior speed and single-enemy DPS. GF enjoys superior width, length, and knockback, and it can curse monsters. GF takes a conspicuously long time to charge, you move at reduced speed while charging, and the charge attack can curse you.
+
Facts: Acheron and Obsidian Edge enjoy high speed and single-enemy DPS, but Obsidian trades some damage for poison. GF enjoys superior width, length, and knockback, and it can curse monsters. GF takes a conspicuously long time to charge, you move at reduced speed while charging, and the charge attack can curse you.
  
Implications: Against tightly clustered enemies, GF's longer reach and wider swing mean that it can hit multiple enemies at once, potentially doing high total damage. However, completing a combo against multiple enemies without getting hit requires care, so this is not really a route to high DPS. GF's higher knockback aids defense in tight, crowded fights. GF's monster curse is useful against large enemies (Royal Jelly, lichen colonies), but small enemies do not usually live long enough for it to be useful. GF's user curse is somewhere between irritating and dangerous.
+
Implications: Against tightly clustered enemies, GF's longer reach and wider swing mean that it can hit multiple enemies at once, potentially doing high total damage. However, completing a combo against multiple enemies without getting hit requires care, so this is not really a route to high DPS. GF's higher knockback aids defense in tight, crowded fights. GF's monster curse is useful against large enemies (Royal Jelly, lichen colonies), but small enemies do not usually live long enough for it to be useful. GF's user curse is somewhere between irritating and dangerous. When it doesn't kill monsters outright, Obsidian's ability to spread poison is helpful in party play.
  
Opinion: GF is better for a defensive mode — doing single swings to keep a crowd at bay in a tight room, for example. I use it in the [[Unknown Passage]] and sometimes against the [[Royal Jelly]], to avoid his contact damage. In all other situations, Acheron is better.
+
Opinion: Acheron and Obsidian are fairly balanced. Acheron is easier to get, so just get Acheron, unless you already have Obsidian. GF is not as good, but I use it occasionally — for example, to keep crowds at bay in [[List of missions#Danger Mission|Compound 42]].
  
 
==Normal==
 
==Normal==
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{{User:Jdavis/header|Fifth}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Fifth}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|SPM}}
 +
{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Charge}}
 +
{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Move}}
{{User:Jdavis/header|CPM}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|Obtain}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/header|DPS}}
 
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Dread Venom Striker]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Dread Venom Striker|DVS]]}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170 pois}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|NS 175 psn | NS 175 psn | NS 175 psn | NS 175 psn | NS 221 psn}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170 pois}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|145 | 445 | NS psn | 19 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170 pois}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170 pois}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 216 pois}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|145}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS pois}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|18}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|433}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Wild Hunting Blade]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Wild Hunting Blade|WHB]]}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|NS 175 | NS 175 | NS 175 | NS 175 | NS 221}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|135 | 414 | NS | 16.5 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 170}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 216}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|145?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|18?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|433?}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Leviathan Blade]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Leviathan Blade|Leviathan]]}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 203}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|NS 203 | NS 203 | NS 258 | | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 203}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|117 | 432 | TS | 22.5 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 258}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|114}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|TS}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|21}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|420}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Cold Iron Vanquisher]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Cold Iron Vanquisher|CIV]]}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 186}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|NS 186 | NS 186 | NS 238 | | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 186}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|120 | 407 | TS | 22.5 | fast}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|NS 238}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|114?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|TS}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|fast?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|21?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|386?}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Sudaruska]]}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Sudaruska]]}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 258}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|WL 288 | WL 321 | | | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 321}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|64 | 325 | WL stun | 15.5 | slow}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|64}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL stun}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|15}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|309}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/row}}
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Triglav]]}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Triglav]]}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 258?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|WL 288 | WL 321 frz | | | }}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL 321? frz}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell5|64? | 325? | WL frz | 15.5? | slow?}}
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|64?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|WL frz}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|slow?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|15?}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Krogmo Coin|Kr. Coins]]}}
+
{{User:Jdavis/cell|309?}}
+
  
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
 
{{User:Jdavis/end}}
Line 620: Line 390:
 
===Dread Venom Striker vs. Wild Hunting Blade===
 
===Dread Venom Striker vs. Wild Hunting Blade===
  
Facts: [[Dread Venom Striker]] and [[Wild Hunting Blade]] do equal base-line damage. WHB comes with a High damage bonus against beasts, while DVS can poison its targets. Any piercing sword does far more damage against beasts than WHB does, and with wider, longer swings.
+
Facts: [[Dread Venom Striker]] and [[Wild Hunting Blade]] do equal base-line damage. WHB comes with a High damage bonus against beasts, while DVS can poison its targets. DVS is slightly faster than WHB. Both swords have long charge attacks that leave the user exposed, but WHB's charge attack interrupts monsters much more than does DVS'. Any piercing sword does far more damage against beasts than WHB does, and with wider, longer swings.
  
Implications: At None, Low, Medium, and High damage bonus coming from other sources (armor, shield, trinkets, UVs), WHB out-damages DVS against beasts. At greater levels of damage bonus, DVS starts catching up to WHB against beasts, because damage bonus cannot go over Maximum!. At Maximum! damage bonus from other sources, DVS matches WHB against beasts. DVS's poison is useful against most monsters — especially ones that heal, such as the Royal Jelly.
+
Implications: Due to its speed and poison, DVS out-damages WHB against everything but beasts. WHB out-damages DVS against beasts when not much damage bonus is applied. At Maximum! damage bonus, DVS out-damages WHB even against beasts. DVS's poison is useful against most monsters — especially ones that heal, such as the Royal Jelly. WHB's charge attack is somewhat safer than DVS'.
  
Opinion: DVS is better.
+
Opinion: DVS is better. Indeed, WHB has been made largely obsolete by the piercing swords and the weakening of the [[wolver]] AI. WHB deserves some kind of update.
  
 
===Sudaruska vs. Triglav===
 
===Sudaruska vs. Triglav===
  
Facts: [[Sudaruska]] inflicts stun on the charge only, while [[Triglav]] inflicts freeze on the charge and on the second stroke of the combo.
+
Facts: [[Sudaruska]] inflicts stun on the charge only, while [[Triglav]] inflicts freeze on the charge and on the second stroke of the combo. Both swords enjoy great length, width, and knockback in regular attacks (identical to [[Divine Avenger]] and [[Gran Faust]]). Both swords deliver a big charge attack that leaves the user exposed but knocks monsters away.
  
Implications: If the Triglav successfully freezes its target, then the freeze prevents the target from being knocked back.
+
Implications: If Triglav successfully freezes its target, then the freeze prevents the target from being knocked back. Freeze and stun are both powerful statuses with drawbacks in certain situations. Freeze hinders knockback, shield-bumping, kiting, etc. Stun can also hinder kiting.
  
Opinion: I have no personal experience with either of these swords. The prevailing opinion on the forums seems to be that knockback is a main attraction of these swords, so Sudaruska is better.
+
Opinion: I have never used Triglav, but I think that stun is under-rated and freeze is over-rated, so I vote for Sudaruska.
  
 
==Other Comparisons==
 
==Other Comparisons==
  
You should always think in terms of 5-star items, not 2- or 3-star items, because everything ends up at 5-star (unless you're focused on Tier 2 Lockdown). And damage type is the major consideration in choosing a sword. So the comparisons in this section make no sense in my worldview, but so many people ask about them that I have to say something.
+
Remember that you should always plan in terms of 5-star items, not 2- or 3-star items. And damage type is the major consideration in choosing a sword. So the comparisons in this subsection make no sense in my world view. However, so many people ask about them that I have to say something.
  
===Divine Avenger vs. Gran Faust===
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===Troika vs. Sealed Sword===
  
Facts: [[Divine Avenger]] does elemental damage, while [[Gran Faust]] does shadow damage. Therefore DA does more damage against undead and constructs (and fiends), while GF does more damage against slimes and gremlins (and beasts). DA's charge attack does more total damage. GF's charge attack can inflict curse on monsters, but it can also curse the user. Contrary to the statistics bars displayed on these items, GF is not faster than DA.
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Facts: The 5-star versions of [[Troika]] and [[Sealed Sword]] do various kinds of damage and hence are not directly comparable. In regular attacks, they all have the same width, length, and knockback, but [[Divine Avenger]] and [[Gran Faust]] swing faster than [[Sudaruska]] and [[Triglav]]. The Troika-style charge attack slams down on the monsters from above, while the Sealed-style charge attack launches one or three projectiles that plow through the monsters.
  
Implications: People ask about these two swords because they are heavy (wide, long, slow, two-stroke combo, high knockback) and come from Jelly Gems. But, because they inflict different damage types, they are not really comparable.
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Opinion: If you are a gunner or bomber who wants a single sword for all emergencies, then consider Sudaruska, Triglav, and Leviathan Blade. If you are a sworder or a gunner-sworder, then do not get any Troika-line sword, but strongly consider Divine Avenger or Gran Faust, to complement the damage types of your other weapons.
  
Opinion: If you have already decided that you are going to craft either DA or GF, then choose the one that complements your other weapons' damage types. In the case of a tie, choose DA, because DA is about as good as any elemental sword, whereas GF is not quite as good as Acheron.
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===Divine Avenger vs. Gran Faust===
  
===Troika vs. Sealed Sword===
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Facts: [[Divine Avenger]] and [[Gran Faust]] inflict different damage types and hence are not directly comparable. DA's charge attack does more total damage. GF's charge attack can inflict curse on monsters, but it can also curse the user. Contrary to the statistics bars displayed on these items, GF is not faster than DA.
  
Facts: [[Troika]] and [[Sealed Sword]] are 2- and 3-star swords, not 5-star swords. The 5-star versions of these swords do various kinds of damage (normal, elemental, shadow). The Troika-style charge attack slams down on the monsters from above. The Sealed-style charge attack launches one or three projectiles that plow through the monsters.
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Opinion: If you have already decided that you are going to craft either DA or GF, then choose the one that complements your other weapons' damage types. In the case of a tie, choose DA, because DA is about as good as any elemental sword, whereas GF is not quite as good as Acheron.
 
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Implications: People ask about these swords because they are all heavy (wide, long, slow, two-stroke combo, high knockback). But, because they inflict different damage types, they are not really comparable.
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Opinion: If you are primarily a gunner or bomber who wants to own a single sword for all emergencies, then consider Sudaruska/Triglav (and Leviathan Blade). If you are primarily a sworder, then do not get any Troika-line sword, but strongly consider Divine Avenger/Gran Faust (to complement the damage types of your other swords). If you use a mixture of swords and guns, then strongly consider DA/GF (to complement the damage types of your other swords and guns).
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===Calibur vs. Brandish===
 
===Calibur vs. Brandish===
  
Facts: [[Calibur]] and [[Brandish]] are 2-star swords, not 5-star swords. The 5-star versions of these swords do various kinds of damage (normal, elemental, shadow). The Calibur-style charge attack can hit several monsters up to three times, with large knockback. The Brandish-style charge attack hits one monster (or a tight crowd) once, with up to five additional damage bursts, depending on the star-level of the Brandish.
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Facts: The 5-star versions of [[Calibur]] and [[Brandish]] do various kinds of damage and hence are not directly comparable. The Calibur-style charge attack can hit several monsters up to three times, with large knockback. The Brandish-style charge attack hits one monster (or a tight crowd) once, with up to five additional damage bursts, depending on the star-level of the Brandish.
  
Implications: People ask about these swords because they are similar in their 2-star versions (narrow, short, medium-speed, three-stroke combo, small knockback). But, because they inflict different damage types, they are not really comparable.
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Opinion: If you are a gunner or bomber who wants a single sword for all emergencies, then consider Leviathan Blade, Sudaruska, and Triglav. If you are a sworder, then do not get any Calibur-line sword, but strongly consider [[Combuster]]/[[Glacius]]/[[Voltedge]]/[[Acheron]]/[[Obsidian Edge]], to complement the damage types of your other swords. Also strongly consider the Brandishes if you use a mixture of swords and guns.
  
Opinion: If you are primarily a gunner or bomber who wants to own a single sword for all emergencies, then get a Leviathan Blade. If you are primarily a sworder, then do not get any Calibur-line sword, but strongly consider [[Combuster]]/[[Glacius]]/[[Voltedge]]/[[Acheron]] (to complement the damage types of your other swords). If you use a mixture of swords and guns, then strongly consider Brandishes (to complement the damage types of your other swords and guns).
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==Armor, Shields, Trinkets, Perks==
  
==Mixing weapon types==
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In Tier 3, even the strongest armor lets through lots of damage. To stay alive, one must avoid getting hit. Thus, most advanced players favor [[armor]], [[shield]]s, [[trinket]]s, and [[perk]]s that give offensive bonuses, even at the cost of some defense. [[Abilities|Damage bonus]] against all enemies (six monster families, Vanaduke, and PvP) is especially valuable, in that it cannot be replicated by [[Unique Variant|UVs]]. On the other hand, the practical value of damage bonus is sensitive to your tactical situation; it may increase your kills per second dramatically or not at all. In contrast, [[Abilities|ASI]], [[Abilities|CTR]], and [[Abilities|MSI]] are always slightly helpful.
  
As with swords, '''damage type is the primary consideration in choosing a handgun, or a mix of swords and guns'''. You want to carry two or three non-normal damage types and deploy them against the correct monsters to optimize your damage.
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See my [[User:Jdavis/Armor#Swords|armor guide]] for detailed advice on armor. [[Chaos Cowl]]/[[Chaos Cloak|Cloak]] and [[Black Kat Cowl]]/[[Black Kat Raiment|Raiment]] offer outstanding offense at the cost of terrible status penalties. Although 5-star Black Kat armor is hard to obtain, any player can acquire the 3-star helmet during any Kataclysmic Confrontation event. Among the sword-specific armors, I recommend [[Vog Cub Cap]]/[[Vog Cub Coat|Coat]] and [[Skolver Cap]]/[[Skolver Coat|Coat]]. The two are well balanced, with the former slightly more defensive and the latter slightly more offensive.
  
Among players who use one sword and one handgun, there are two schools of thought. A player who prioritizes flexibility might choose a normal gun, so that he can use his gun on all targets. A player who prioritizes damage output might choose an elemental gun. Why? Swords can have difficulty approaching turrets, especially in crowded rooms. So a sidearm gun should be especially good against turrets, and all turrets are either vulnerable ([[Gun Puppy|gun puppies]], [[howlitzer]]s) or neutral ([[polyp]]s) to elemental damage.
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See my [[User:Jdavis/Shields|shield guide]] for detailed advice on shields. The 3-star [[Swiftstrike Buckler]] and the 5-star [[Barbarous Thorn Shield]] offer offensive bonuses. For more defense, consider all of the other shields, including [[Grey Owlite Shield]] and [[Dread Skelly Shield]].
  
If you are playing with one sword and one elemental gun, then your sword should not also be elemental, unless you're sure that you won't encounter many gremlins or beasts (as in Firestorm Citadel). A piercing sword with an elemental gun is an excellent general-purpose combination. The gun works well against constructs and undead, and decently against slimes. Against beasts and fiends the sword works splendidly; against gremlins it's almost as good as a shadow sword; against undead it's decent too. Your sword could also be shadow or normal, but those choices are not quite as strong.
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The trinkets [[Elite Quick Strike Module]], [[Elite Sword Focus Module]], and [[Elite Slash Module]] give ASI+2, CTR+2, and damage+2 to swords, respectively. [[Daybreaker Band]] and [[Somnambulist's Totem]] are also relevant, but they are difficult to obtain. There are also sprite perks for ASI, CTR, damage bonus, and MSI.
 
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Any bomb can complement a set of swords, but crowd-control bombs such as [[Voltaic Tempest]], [[Shivermist Buster]], [[Graviton Vortex]], and [[Electron Vortex]] are especially popular. Once the monsters are trapped, you can hit them with a sword charge attack. Note well, however, that some swords do not charge fast enough for a single person to make a vortex and release a sword charge before the vortex collapses.
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==Armor and Trinkets==
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Here are the helmets, suits, and shields that give offensive bonuses to swords. Note well that the Snarbolax and Heavenly Iron armors can be crafted only in the Shadow Lairs; they are not good choices for your first 5-star armor. Other popular shields for sworders are [[Grey Owlite Shield]], [[Volcanic Plate Shield]], and [[Crest of Almire]].
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Heavenly Iron Armor]]/[[Heavenly Iron Helm|Helm]]}}
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{{User:Jdavis/cell|[[Skolver Coat]]/[[Skolver Cap|Cap]]}}
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Each of the sworder armors excels in certain situations. For the [[Royal Jelly Palace]], where most of the damage is normal and piercing, the best choice is the Skolver armor. In the [[Firestorm Citadel]], you want normal, elemental, shadow, and fire armor. Both Vog Cub armor and Snarbolax armor seem good, but I have had far greater success with Vog Cub armor, because the shadow damage is easier to dodge than the fire. Insofar as there is a general trend, it's this:
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==Final Thoughts==
* Vog Cub offers better defense than Skolver. Elemental and fire are more prevalent than piercing and freeze, especially due to the popularity of Firestorm Citadel. Also, Vog Cub's ASI helps you dodge, shield, and disrupt enemies quickly.
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* Skolver offers better offense than Vog Cub. While Vog Cub's ASI amounts to one unique variant on each of your swords, Skolver's damage bonus amounts to many unique variants: all six monster families, special monsters such as Vanaduke, and players in PvP. Also, the percentage increase in damage bonus is greater than the percentage increase from ASI, so damage bonus improves your DPS more. (On the other hand, it may not increase your kills per second at all, whereas Vog Cub's ASI will.)
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I recommend to any new player that he or she '''build a general-purpose armor set before building more specialized sets'''. Sworders should consider getting [[Ash Tail Coat]]/[[Ash Tail Cap|Cap]], and then upgrading one piece to Vog Cub, and then upgrading the other to Skolver. Frugal sworders should also consider the combination of [[Divine Veil]] with Skolver Coat; this is probably the best general-purpose armor set in the game.
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A knight's goal is to kill monsters, but a player's goal is to have a good time. For example, some players equip crummy armor, because they enjoy the challenge. In my opinion, some of the weaker swords ([[Sudaruska]], [[Dread Venom Striker]]) are really fun. So try a variety of swords and use what you like. This guide exists, just to help you understand the tradeoffs you're making.
  
There are [[trinket]]s to enhance your sword attack speed, damage, and charge time. Coordinate these with the unique variants on your swords, the sword bonuses on your armor, and the Medium charge time reduction that comes automatically at heat level 10. In particular, you can always achieve the following bonuses on all swords.
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Thanks to [[Lancer Knightz (Guild)|Lancer Knightz]] for data, [[User:Trying|Trying]] for vandalism repair, and the rest of the [http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/forum/53 Arsenal Forum] regulars for enlightening discussion. Happy travels.
* Very High speed increase: Vog Cub Cap or Elite Quick Strike trinket, Vog Cub Coat or Elite Quick Strike trinket
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* Very High damage bonus: Skolver/Snarbolax Cap or Elite Slash trinket, Skolver/Snarbolax Coat or Elite Slash trinket
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* Medium charge time reduction: heat level 10
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Remember, these are just baselines. Barbarous Thorn Shield, Swiftstrike Buckler, and any unique variants on your swords let your swords achieve even higher bonuses. My personal strategy is to seek charge time reduction unique variants on my swords, and to let my armor and trinkets handle the speed increase and damage bonus.
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Latest revision as of 15:41, 19 August 2018

Icon-opinion.png The topic of this article or section is subject to personal opinion, and does not represent any one absolute truth.
If you disagree, discuss your concerns on the the talk page before editing.

This page, commonly called Bopp's Sword Guide, tells you just about everything you need to know about playing with swords in the Clockworks. The advice applies to pure sworders and to people who use swords on the side, whether they're free-to-play or pay-to-play. You should also check out the semi-official Swordmaster Guide, although that guide erroneously (in my opinion) focuses on sword feel rather than damage type and size.

Basic Concepts

Considerations in Choosing a Sword

The primary consideration in choosing a sword (or handgun) is its damage type: normal, piercing, elemental, or shadow. Each monster family is resistant to one damage type, vulnerable to one damage type, and neutral to the other two. Hitting a monster with its vulnerable damage type gives you a small bonus (roughly 20% for end-game swords), while hitting a monster with its resistant damage incurs a large penalty (roughly 80%).

Monster Family Vulnerable To Neutral To Resistant To
Gate Icon-Slime.png Slimes shadow elemental, normal piercing
Gate Icon-Gremlin.png Gremlins shadow piercing, normal elemental
Gate Icon-Beast.png Beasts piercing shadow, normal elemental
Gate Icon-Fiend.png Fiends piercing elemental, normal shadow
Gate Icon-Undead.png Undead elemental piercing, normal shadow
Gate Icon-Construct.png Constructs elemental shadow, normal piercing

All monsters are neutral to normal damage. If you intend to use only one sword, then you might want a normal sword; see the Mixing Weapon Types section below. If you plan on using two or three swords at once, then work on one piercing sword, one elemental sword, and/or one shadow sword. Even with only two non-normal damage types, you can deliver extra damage to 4/6 of monsters. For example, if you're carrying elemental and piercing, then use elemental on constructs, undead, and slimes, and use piercing on beasts, fiends, and gremlins. You never incur a resistance penalty.

After damage type, the next most important consideration is probably size. Wide, long swings help you hit fast, dodging enemies, and may let you hit multiple enemies at once, which greatly increases your damage output. In this guide, each sword swing is rated as either short or long, and as either narrow, wide, or 360-degree. The scale is different for regular attacks and charge attacks; a short charge attack may be longer than a long regular attack.

Speed and knockback are also important considerations. Speed makes fast enemies easier to hit, and improves your defense by helping you interrupt monsters, shield, and dodge. Knockback greatly aids defense, especially in crowded rooms. However, you must take care not to knock monsters into your teammates. Due to speed and knockback, different swords can actually feel different to the player. There is no reason to restrict yourself to one feel. In battle, I have no problem switching feels every few seconds.

Damage type, width, length, and speed all contribute to the monster-killing efficiency of a sword in different ways. For example, the guild Lancer Knightz has measured the damage per second (DPS) arising from comboing swords. However, other measures of damage output may be more useful in some situations. Furthermore, these damage numbers ignore status effects — fire, freeze, shock, curse, poison, and stun — which can dramatically enhance one's fighting (except for fire on oilers and shock on quicksilvers).

Mixing Weapon Types

As with swords, damage type is the primary consideration in choosing a handgun, or a mix of swords and guns. You want to carry two or three non-normal damage types and deploy them against the correct monsters to optimize your damage. For example, Combuster and Blitz Needle are a powerful combination throughout the Clockworks, and especially in Firestorm Citadel.

A player who uses just one sword and one gun might reasonably choose to make both normal, so that she could use both on all targets. Or she could adopt a balanced approach of Iron Slug and two or three swords to choose among based on the level.

Any bomb can complement a set of swords, but crowd-control bombs such as Voltaic Tempest, Shivermist Buster, Graviton Vortex, Electron Vortex, and Obsidian Crusher are especially popular. Once the monsters are trapped, you can hit them with a sword charge attack. Note well, however, that some swords do not charge fast enough for you to charge into your own vortex.

5-Star Items and Heating

With the exception of Swiftstrike Buckler and Black Kat armors, all of the best items in the game are 5-star. And there are some dead-end alchemy paths (e.g., Winmillion), which don't reach 5 stars. So, even if you're currently at 2 stars, you should always plan your equipment in terms of 5-star items. Once you know which 5-star items you want, look back in their alchemy paths, to figure out how to get them.

Heat has a big effect on weapons' CTR and damage. (A 4-star weapon at heat level 10 puts out about as much damage as a 5-star weapon at heat level 8.) Unfortunately, 5-star items are difficult to heat, due to the scarcity of radiant fire crystals. My advice is not to upgrade a 4-star weapon until you have enough fire crystals to take the 5-star version to at least heat level 5, or maybe even heat level 8. In contrast, armor doesn't benefit much from heating, so upgrade it as soon as you can, and heat it after your weapons.

Summary of Swords

Here is a summary of all of the 5-star swords, excluding reskins. The fields are

  • Damage: damage type.
  • SPC: strokes per combo.
  • Combo: average width (wide W vs. narrow N vs. 360-degree T), average length (long L vs. short S), and status effect.
  • Charge: width, length, and status.
  • Style: the play style of the sword (not necessarily its alchemy path).
  • Obtain: boss, mission, PvP, etc. required to obtain this weapon or its precursors.
  • Opinion: my view of the primary strength or purpose of the sword, that might lead you to choose it over other swords.
Name Damage SPC Combo Charge Style Obtain Opinion
Leviathan Blade normal 3 NS TS Calibur all-purpose for hybrid knights
C. I. Vanquisher normal 3 NS TS Calibur outclassed by Leviathan Blade
Celestial Saber normal 3 NS TS stun Calibur E. P. Box
Sweet Dreams normal 3 NS TS stun Calibur S. P. Box
Amputator normal 3 NS NL Brandish outclassed by Acheron?
D. Venom Striker normal 5 NS poison NS poison Cutter
W. Hunting Blade normal 5 NS NS Cutter
Sudaruska normal 2 WL WL stun Troika
Triglav normal 2 WL freeze WL freeze Troika K. Coins
B. Thorn Blade piercing 3 WS WS Flourish F. Fangs fiends, beasts
Final Flourish piercing 3 WS NL Flourish fiends, beasts
F. Rigadoon piercing 3 WS stun NL stun Flourish outclassed by Final Flourish
F. Flamberge piercing 3 WS fire NL fire Flourish outclassed by Final Flourish
W. R. Hammer elemental 3 WL WL Troika+ OCH knockback-resistant targets
Divine Avenger elem+norm 2 WL WL Sealed J. Gems undead, constructs (multiple, charge)
Fang of Vog elem+norm 3 NS fire TS fire Calibur A. Seals charge attack
Combuster elem+norm 3 NS NL fire Brandish undead, constructs (single, charge)
Glacius elem+norm 3 NS NL freeze Brandish undead, constructs (single, charge)
Voltedge elem+norm 3 NS NL shock Brandish K. Coins undead, constructs (single, charge)
Obsidian Edge shad+norm 3 NS NL poison Brandish A. Sigils slimes, gremlins (single, charge)
Acheron shad+norm 3 NS NL Brandish slimes, gremlins (single, charge)
Gran Faust shad+norm 2 WL curse NL curse Sealed J. Gems slimes, gremlins (multiple, defensive)

Piercing, Elemental, Shadow

Remember that, if you're into swords, then you want to own a piercing sword, an elemental sword, and a shadow sword. The following subsections offers direct comparisons within each damage type. I try to present the objective facts, followed by semi-objective analysis of their implications, followed by my subjective opinion. The columns are:

  • First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth: Width, length, damage, and status for each stroke of the combo (damage+0, heat level 10, depth 28, vulnerable enemies).
  • SPM: Strokes per minute when comboing as fast as possible (ASI+6).
  • DPS: Damage per second from comboing as fast as possible (ASI+6, damage+0, heat level 10, depth 28, vulnerable enemies).
  • Charge: Width, length, and status for the charge attack.
  • CPM: Charges per minute (CTR+6, ASI+6).
  • Move: movement speed while charging — fast (normal running speed), medium (about 10% slower), or slow (about 20% slower).

Piercing Swords

Name First Second Third SPM DPS Charge CPM Move
Barbarous Thorn Blade WS 285 NS 285 NL 340 120 607 WS 23 medium
Final Flourish WS 285 NS 285 NL 340 120 607 NL 19 medium
Fearless Rigadoon WS 240 stun NS 240 stun NL 289 stun 120 513 NL stun 19 medium
Furious Flamberge WS 240 fire NS 240 fire NL 289 fire 120 513 NL fire 19 medium

Facts: Final Flourish and BTB are identical in their regular attacks. BTB's charge attack spews a short, wide shower of thorns; it can disrupt and moderately damage a crowd of monsters. In contrast, Final Flourish's charge attack is essentially a more powerful version of its regular combo; it lunges into one monster (or a tight crowd), damaging it heavily. Fearless Rigadoon and Furious Flamberge are identical to Final Flourish, but sacrifice some damage for the ability to inflict status effects. BTB's charge has a shorter cool-down period than the others do. Because it cannot be mass-crafted at 2 stars, BTB is a bit harder to get unique variants on.

Implications: The first stroke, being fast and wide, is extremely useful; against fiends, it is often wise to use just the first stroke. The third stroke benefits greatly from auto-targeting, due to its distinctive lunging motion. These swords kill piercing-vulnerable monsters so quickly that there is usually not much point in also inducing a status; you would rather just have as much damage as possible.

The BTB charge is a bit safer, because it disrupts the attacks of several monsters, while the Final Flourish charge can leave the user exposed. Generally, the Final Flourish charge does a lot of damage to one target while the BTB charge does lower damage against multiple targets. However, the BTB charge can do a lot of damage if the target is close, and the Final Flourish charge can hit multiple enemies if they are tightly clustered.

Opinion: Final Flourish and BTB are equally good. Furious Flamberge and FR seem less good.

Elemental Swords

Name First Second Third SPM DPS Charge CPM Move
W. Rocket Hammer WL 340 NS 240 WL 403 90 492-733 WL 13 slow
Divine Avenger WL 328 WL 445 74 477 WL 20 slow
Fang of Vog NS 266 fire NS 266 fire NS 345 fire 96 468 TS fire 18.5 fast
Combuster NS 292 NS 292 NS 382 117 628 NL fire 23 fast
Glacius NS 292 NS 292 NS 382 117 628 NL freeze 23 fast
Voltedge NS 292 NS 292 NS 382 117? 628? NL shock 23? fast?

Facts: In regular attacks, Combuster, Glacius, and Voltedge enjoy high speed and single-target DPS. DA and WRH enjoy superior width, length, and knockback. WRH's second stroke lunges dramatically, hitting knockback-resistant enemies as many as three times. FoV's raw speed, size, and damage are mediocre, but it can inflict fire on every stroke. In charge attacks, Combuster, Glacius and Voltedge emit a line of explosions, that cause fire, freeze, or shock; these swords are identical except in their charge attack statuses. You move at reduced speed while charging DA or WRH. The DA charge is a big swing that spews three projectiles. The WRH charge is two huge downward swings with large area and knockback. Fang of Vog's 360-degree charge attack does huge damage to monsters, sets them on fire, and often sets the user on fire.

Implications: Against tightly clustered enemies, DA's and WRH's longer reach and wider swing mean that they can hit multiple enemies at once, potentially doing high total damage. However, completing a combo against multiple enemies without getting hit requires care. DA's and WRH's high knockback aids defense in tight, crowded fights. WRH's lunging combo is dangerous around traps, but can facilitate simultaneous attacking and dodging. Shield-cancelling WRH after the second stroke results in massive DPS against knockback-resistant enemies. The WRH charge leaves you exposed.

Among the three Brandishes, Glacius' freeze is useful for crowd control, and it does some damage upon thawing, but it hinders kiting, shield-bumping, and knockback. Voltedge's shock disrupts monsters somewhat, and it does some damage, especially since shock does area-damage to close monsters. Combuster's fire is useful for extra damage, but offers no crowd control. Freeze and shock can prevent a monster from riding the entire charge attack for full damage; fire does not have this defect. Although the monsters in Firestorm Citadel are largely immune to fire, FoV and the Combuster charge still do damage — just not status.

Opinion: All of these swords are good, but Combuster and WRH are the strongest. Combuster is easy, while WRH has a unique play style that is hard to master and hence more interesting. FoV is a utility weapon, for charging only.

Shadow Swords

Name First Second Third SPM DPS Charge CPM Move
Obsidian Edge NS 292 NS 292 NS 382 117 628 NL poison 23 fast
Acheron NS 328 NS 328 NS 445 117 716 NL 23 fast
Gran Faust WL 328 WL 445 curse 72 464 NL curse 15 slow

Facts: Acheron and Obsidian Edge enjoy high speed and single-enemy DPS, but Obsidian trades some damage for poison. GF enjoys superior width, length, and knockback, and it can curse monsters. GF takes a conspicuously long time to charge, you move at reduced speed while charging, and the charge attack can curse you.

Implications: Against tightly clustered enemies, GF's longer reach and wider swing mean that it can hit multiple enemies at once, potentially doing high total damage. However, completing a combo against multiple enemies without getting hit requires care, so this is not really a route to high DPS. GF's higher knockback aids defense in tight, crowded fights. GF's monster curse is useful against large enemies (Royal Jelly, lichen colonies), but small enemies do not usually live long enough for it to be useful. GF's user curse is somewhere between irritating and dangerous. When it doesn't kill monsters outright, Obsidian's ability to spread poison is helpful in party play.

Opinion: Acheron and Obsidian are fairly balanced. Acheron is easier to get, so just get Acheron, unless you already have Obsidian. GF is not as good, but I use it occasionally — for example, to keep crowds at bay in Compound 42.

Normal

Are you sure that you want a normal sword? Maybe you'd be happier with two non-normal swords, or with a piercing sword and an elemental gun? No? Okay, here are some comparisons among normal swords.

Name First Second Third Fourth Fifth SPM DPS Charge CPM Move
DVS NS 175 psn NS 175 psn NS 175 psn NS 175 psn NS 221 psn 145 445 NS psn 19 fast
WHB NS 175 NS 175 NS 175 NS 175 NS 221 135 414 NS 16.5 fast
Leviathan NS 203 NS 203 NS 258 117 432 TS 22.5 fast
CIV NS 186 NS 186 NS 238 120 407 TS 22.5 fast
Sudaruska WL 288 WL 321 64 325 WL stun 15.5 slow
Triglav WL 288 WL 321 frz 64? 325? WL frz 15.5? slow?

Leviathan Blade vs. Cold Iron Vanquisher

Facts: Cold Iron Vanquisher does less base-line damage than Leviathan Blade, but comes with a High damage bonus against undead. Levi's charge attack knocks back more than CIV's does.

Implications: Against non-undead targets, Levi simply does more damage per hit. Against undead targets, which sword does more damage depends on the amount of damage bonus being applied from other sources (armor, shield, trinkets, UVs). At None, Low, Medium, and High damage bonus, CIV out-damages Levi against undead. At greater levels of damage bonus, Levi starts catching up to CIV against undead, because damage bonus cannot go over Maximum!. At Ultra or Maximum! damage bonus from other sources, Levi out-damages CIV even against undead. The high knockback of Levi's charge attack is good for defense, but it can disrupt teammates when used badly. Against light enemies, CIV's charge is more likely to hit three times, and therefore may do more total damage.

Opinion: Levi is better in most situations.

Dread Venom Striker vs. Wild Hunting Blade

Facts: Dread Venom Striker and Wild Hunting Blade do equal base-line damage. WHB comes with a High damage bonus against beasts, while DVS can poison its targets. DVS is slightly faster than WHB. Both swords have long charge attacks that leave the user exposed, but WHB's charge attack interrupts monsters much more than does DVS'. Any piercing sword does far more damage against beasts than WHB does, and with wider, longer swings.

Implications: Due to its speed and poison, DVS out-damages WHB against everything but beasts. WHB out-damages DVS against beasts when not much damage bonus is applied. At Maximum! damage bonus, DVS out-damages WHB even against beasts. DVS's poison is useful against most monsters — especially ones that heal, such as the Royal Jelly. WHB's charge attack is somewhat safer than DVS'.

Opinion: DVS is better. Indeed, WHB has been made largely obsolete by the piercing swords and the weakening of the wolver AI. WHB deserves some kind of update.

Sudaruska vs. Triglav

Facts: Sudaruska inflicts stun on the charge only, while Triglav inflicts freeze on the charge and on the second stroke of the combo. Both swords enjoy great length, width, and knockback in regular attacks (identical to Divine Avenger and Gran Faust). Both swords deliver a big charge attack that leaves the user exposed but knocks monsters away.

Implications: If Triglav successfully freezes its target, then the freeze prevents the target from being knocked back. Freeze and stun are both powerful statuses with drawbacks in certain situations. Freeze hinders knockback, shield-bumping, kiting, etc. Stun can also hinder kiting.

Opinion: I have never used Triglav, but I think that stun is under-rated and freeze is over-rated, so I vote for Sudaruska.

Other Comparisons

Remember that you should always plan in terms of 5-star items, not 2- or 3-star items. And damage type is the major consideration in choosing a sword. So the comparisons in this subsection make no sense in my world view. However, so many people ask about them that I have to say something.

Troika vs. Sealed Sword

Facts: The 5-star versions of Troika and Sealed Sword do various kinds of damage and hence are not directly comparable. In regular attacks, they all have the same width, length, and knockback, but Divine Avenger and Gran Faust swing faster than Sudaruska and Triglav. The Troika-style charge attack slams down on the monsters from above, while the Sealed-style charge attack launches one or three projectiles that plow through the monsters.

Opinion: If you are a gunner or bomber who wants a single sword for all emergencies, then consider Sudaruska, Triglav, and Leviathan Blade. If you are a sworder or a gunner-sworder, then do not get any Troika-line sword, but strongly consider Divine Avenger or Gran Faust, to complement the damage types of your other weapons.

Divine Avenger vs. Gran Faust

Facts: Divine Avenger and Gran Faust inflict different damage types and hence are not directly comparable. DA's charge attack does more total damage. GF's charge attack can inflict curse on monsters, but it can also curse the user. Contrary to the statistics bars displayed on these items, GF is not faster than DA.

Opinion: If you have already decided that you are going to craft either DA or GF, then choose the one that complements your other weapons' damage types. In the case of a tie, choose DA, because DA is about as good as any elemental sword, whereas GF is not quite as good as Acheron.

Calibur vs. Brandish

Facts: The 5-star versions of Calibur and Brandish do various kinds of damage and hence are not directly comparable. The Calibur-style charge attack can hit several monsters up to three times, with large knockback. The Brandish-style charge attack hits one monster (or a tight crowd) once, with up to five additional damage bursts, depending on the star-level of the Brandish.

Opinion: If you are a gunner or bomber who wants a single sword for all emergencies, then consider Leviathan Blade, Sudaruska, and Triglav. If you are a sworder, then do not get any Calibur-line sword, but strongly consider Combuster/Glacius/Voltedge/Acheron/Obsidian Edge, to complement the damage types of your other swords. Also strongly consider the Brandishes if you use a mixture of swords and guns.

Armor, Shields, Trinkets, Perks

In Tier 3, even the strongest armor lets through lots of damage. To stay alive, one must avoid getting hit. Thus, most advanced players favor armor, shields, trinkets, and perks that give offensive bonuses, even at the cost of some defense. Damage bonus against all enemies (six monster families, Vanaduke, and PvP) is especially valuable, in that it cannot be replicated by UVs. On the other hand, the practical value of damage bonus is sensitive to your tactical situation; it may increase your kills per second dramatically or not at all. In contrast, ASI, CTR, and MSI are always slightly helpful.

See my armor guide for detailed advice on armor. Chaos Cowl/Cloak and Black Kat Cowl/Raiment offer outstanding offense at the cost of terrible status penalties. Although 5-star Black Kat armor is hard to obtain, any player can acquire the 3-star helmet during any Kataclysmic Confrontation event. Among the sword-specific armors, I recommend Vog Cub Cap/Coat and Skolver Cap/Coat. The two are well balanced, with the former slightly more defensive and the latter slightly more offensive.

See my shield guide for detailed advice on shields. The 3-star Swiftstrike Buckler and the 5-star Barbarous Thorn Shield offer offensive bonuses. For more defense, consider all of the other shields, including Grey Owlite Shield and Dread Skelly Shield.

The trinkets Elite Quick Strike Module, Elite Sword Focus Module, and Elite Slash Module give ASI+2, CTR+2, and damage+2 to swords, respectively. Daybreaker Band and Somnambulist's Totem are also relevant, but they are difficult to obtain. There are also sprite perks for ASI, CTR, damage bonus, and MSI.

Final Thoughts

A knight's goal is to kill monsters, but a player's goal is to have a good time. For example, some players equip crummy armor, because they enjoy the challenge. In my opinion, some of the weaker swords (Sudaruska, Dread Venom Striker) are really fun. So try a variety of swords and use what you like. This guide exists, just to help you understand the tradeoffs you're making.

Thanks to Lancer Knightz for data, Trying for vandalism repair, and the rest of the Arsenal Forum regulars for enlightening discussion. Happy travels.

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