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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. 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 my user page.

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.

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 here.)

Monster Family	Vulnerable To	Neutral To	Resistant To
Slimes	shadow	elemental, normal	piercing
Gremlins	shadow	piercing, normal	elemental
Beasts	piercing	shadow, normal	elemental
Fiends	piercing	elemental, normal	shadow
Undead	elemental	piercing, normal	shadow
Constructs	elemental	shadow, normal	piercing

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 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.

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.

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.

Damage type, width and length, and speed all contribute to the damage output of the sword in different ways. The guild 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 effects — 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 oilers and shock on quicksilvers.)

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.

Summary of Swords

Here is a summary of all of the 5-star swords, including

• 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.
• Move: Movement speed while charging, based on the Lancer Knightz data: fast (about as fast as normal running), medium (about 10% slower than normal), or slow (about 20% slower than normal).
• Opinion: my view of the primary strength or purpose of the sword, that might lead you to choose it over other swords.

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 data, which reflect ASI+6, CTR+6, and no damage bonus, at depth 28, against vulnerable enemies, ignoring damage from status.)

Piercing Swords

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.

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.

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

Elemental Swords

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.

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.

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).

Shadow Swords

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

Opinion: DVS is better.

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.

Implications: If the Triglav successfully freezes its target, then the freeze prevents the target from being knocked back.

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.

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.

Divine Avenger vs. Gran Faust

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.

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.

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.

Troika vs. Sealed Sword

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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 puppies, howlitzers) or neutral (polyps) to elemental damage.

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.

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.

Armor and Trinkets

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.

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:

• 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.
• 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.)

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/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.

There are trinkets 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.

• Very High speed increase: Vog Cub Cap or Elite Quick Strike trinket, Vog Cub Coat or Elite Quick Strike trinket
• Very High damage bonus: Skolver/Snarbolax Cap or Elite Slash trinket, Skolver/Snarbolax Coat or Elite Slash trinket
• Medium charge time reduction: heat level 10

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.