Any Sword BMs here . . .

Herqq - Raging Tide
Herqq - Raging Tide Posts: 8 Arc User
edited August 2012 in Blademaster
I've seen couple of sowrd BMs they seem to be doing a lot better than axe/fist BMs (at my level). I went axe for stuns and fists help too. But what is using swords like, pros/cons, advantages/disadvantages. The skills seem very useful, and at the moment sword BMs seem to have a lot better survivability than axe/fist BMs.

At max:

Mage Bane:
A ray of brilliance wounds the enemy inflicting base physical
damage with plus 3120.4. Also for the next 8.0 seconds
slows the enemy's channeling time by 50%. One hundred percent accuracy.

Spirit Chaser:
Summon shadow blades to rapidly strike the enemy.
Inflicts base physical damage plus 2473.4.

Atmos Strike: (really useful)
A strike of incredible force, dealing base physical damage plus 100% of weapon damage plus 3416.9 and knocking the
target back 18.0 meters.

Myriad Sword Stance:
Turn one's vigor into an immense sword to strike down the enemy.
Within 12.0 meters of the target adds 200% weapon physical
damage your base physical damage plus an additional 6096.8 damaging all
enemies and reducing their physical and magical attack 50% for 15 seconds.


As you can see from above skills they seem quite useful and valueble. But why don't many BMs chose swords then? I can understand axe for stuns, and many chosing fists for aps later. But would swords not be helpful too?

Any BMs who do use swords, how would you compare swords to axes and fists in particular, as those are what I use at the moment. Don't seem to be fan of poles at the moment not that thay are any less useful. Please give me your insights. Thank you.
Post edited by Herqq - Raging Tide on

Comments

  • Maelael - Heavens Tear
    Maelael - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,497 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    Herqq - Raging Tide wrote: »
    I've seen couple of sowrd BMs they seem to be doing a lot better than axe/fist BMs (at my level). I went axe for stuns and fists help too. But what is using swords like, pros/cons, advantages/disadvantages. The skills seem very useful, and at the moment sword BMs seem to have a lot better survivability than axe/fist BMs.

    Any BMs who do use swords, how would you compare swords to axes and fists in particular, as those are what I use at the moment. Don't seem to be fan of poles at the moment not that thay are any less useful. Please give me your insights. Thank you.

    Small Rant: I still have my sword skills I haven't used since level 60 in 2009. I maxed MSS thinking Id use it somewhere and I was wrong. I have the demon version of the skill in a bank sitting there saying "use me!" and I cant bring myself to do it, because the coin it costs to learn would be better spent giving away to someone who would use the coin, well, on their main.

    Efficiency wise, you want to kill them before they kill you. Single target, even without aps gear fists do it faster with autoattack. Skill wise, axes do it faster (higher dph), and all of your "All Weapon" skills do a better job of skill spamming, as they are all really fast and hit hard enough for cast time invested.

    Now, if you wanna play around and are just interested in that, sure swords are fine. I knew many (they all quit) sword BMs that did that in the early levels, and I even tried it for a while (I like aoe too much).

    What is nice about swords is hitting runners and casters/archers.

    But, you'll find out later on fists and axes really are the way to go. They're just way more efficient for busting down mobs. You'll also get ridiculed and intentionally avoided for groups if you are one of the "Sword BMs" or "Pole BMs". Servers are catty, especially in 80+ days in FF. I know of four non Fist/Axe BMs that did switch to Fist/Axe at 100 that are still avoided because they got a reputation for being...well, silly. If you're gonna switch, do it in your 80s as youre building a Friend List to work with in later levels.
    pwcalc.com/bb6fc16982637a5c / pwcalc.com/28948ee5778526f5
  • Nigoshi - Raging Tide
    Nigoshi - Raging Tide Posts: 218 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    ^ Maelael said it all, i used to keep a sword handy when pking because MSS looked quite cool as a finisher against a kiting arcane class, but since it dropped i've never replaced it as it's usefulness is quite low on the scale.
    Wait...Wait...There will be large posterior wenches?! -Impatiens

    youtube.com/NigoshiPwiRT - Blademaster PvP videos and TW
  • Sakubatou - Sanctuary
    Sakubatou - Sanctuary Posts: 4,001 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    There really isn't much a survivability benefit since axe, sword, or fist you'll be reserving 3.5 stat point for the weapon and 2.5 str/.5 dex for the armor. The difference at level 100 assuming you added all extra points to vit would be 150 vit for axe, 100 vit for sword, 50 for fist, but most people will still add their extra points to strength no matter what weapon they're using, or may not have extra points for vitality if they chose multiple weapon paths.

    Of the skills you listed:
    ~Mage Bane is useless as it both costs a spark and canceling an opponents channeling or stunning an opponent will always be preferable to just slowing their channeling.
    ~Spirit Chaser is just for the damage but is slower than Tiger Maw, which can also be used with axes which have a higher base damage. And demon Tiger Maw is even faster.
    ~Atmos Strike has it's specialized uses but always loses out to pole's Meteor Rush which is an aoe and will knockback multiple mobs and has almost half the channel+cast time.
    ~MSS is the only actually useful skill in the class. I used it multiple times today during 9 Trials runs when the bosses (240m hp bosses that can aoe harder than many WBs) were about to aoe I debuffed so they didn't kill the squishies in the squad. It's also a great o-sht skill in places like BH Metal when the bb gets knocked down or you have a cleric with tt90/tt99 +3 weapon and feather light heals.

    One mediocrely useful skill. In the pole path I have 3, the axe path I have 4, and the fist path I have 3.

    Also, axes I'm more likely to find a zerk axe for better dd. Fist path I'm more likely to find -int combined with a faster base attack rate for better dd. Pole path I'm likely to find a purge pole for necessary situations. Swords, I'm unlikely to find a very useful add.

    I carry two swords right now. Before paint was around I got a TT90 sword with Chi Shield for when I needed to hold bosses and tank while a cleric rezzed or something. Nowadays with paint it's better to just to dd and get more paint heals than the 20% shield so I use a +4 G12 Morai (the free one) and its all I need since I never use the sword for damage. Axes have higher dph, fists have better dps.
    Seven 100+ characters leveled the hard way. Free to play. Mystic, Psychic, and Wizard left to level. b:victory
  • shotwhointhewhat
    shotwhointhewhat Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    The only way you would see BMs using sword skills is if they removed or drastically reduced the chi cost. People simply rather use chi on more useful axe skills.

    Or, if they made BMs knockback work in pvp.
  • witniss
    witniss Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    shotwhointhewhat wrote: »
    The only way you would see BMs using sword skills is if they removed or drastically reduced the chi cost. People simply rather use chi on more useful axe skills.

    Or, if they made BMs knockback work in pvp.

    Why would you use knockbck on a class with close ranged skills?
    My 2 cents
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • shotwhointhewhat
    shotwhointhewhat Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    witniss wrote: »
    Why would you use knockbck on a class with close ranged skills?
    My 2 cents

    Why would a leap back skill be useful to a BM?

    There are times when creating distance can be worked in to your strategy. It can interrupt skills for one. I am not sure if it would get an opponent stuck in skill animations or not though. Like if a BM tries to Roar and I knock them back. I could leap forward and stun while they get stuck in the Roar animation (if knocking them back doesn't also knock them out of the animation).

    It would also be useful in TW when trying to slow down barbs trying to rush their cata down the lane.
  • Maelael - Heavens Tear
    Maelael - Heavens Tear Posts: 1,497 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    shotwhointhewhat wrote: »
    Why would a leap back skill be useful to a BM?

    There are times when creating distance can be worked in to your strategy. It can interrupt skills for one. I am not sure if it would get an opponent stuck in skill animations or not though. Like if a BM tries to Roar and I knock them back. I could leap forward and stun while they get stuck in the Roar animation (if knocking them back doesn't also knock them out of the animation).

    It would also be useful in TW when trying to slow down barbs trying to rush their cata down the lane.

    You pretty much covered the billions of reasons I would have had to list in a few short sentences. Thank you. Knockback would be amazing.
    pwcalc.com/bb6fc16982637a5c / pwcalc.com/28948ee5778526f5
  • shotwhointhewhat
    shotwhointhewhat Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    Lol, np. Although the pole knockback would most likely generate massive QQ over BMs having a faction pushback war at the middle towers. That would be funny to see.
  • Sjuggs - Lost City
    Sjuggs - Lost City Posts: 617 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    shotwhointhewhat wrote: »
    Lol, np. Although the pole knockback would most likely generate massive QQ over BMs having a faction pushback war at the middle towers. That would be funny to see.


    I would love that b:laugh
  • Nigoshi - Raging Tide
    Nigoshi - Raging Tide Posts: 218 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    shotwhointhewhat wrote: »
    Lol, np. Although the pole knockback would most likely generate massive QQ over BMs having a faction pushback war at the middle towers. That would be funny to see.
    rofl

    or two BM's playing 'pong' with a cata barb b:laugh
    Wait...Wait...There will be large posterior wenches?! -Impatiens

    youtube.com/NigoshiPwiRT - Blademaster PvP videos and TW
  • Julian - Dreamweaver
    Julian - Dreamweaver Posts: 216 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    shotwhointhewhat wrote: »
    Why would a leap back skill be useful to a BM?
    I have little to no knowledge of PvP strategy since I'm mainly a PvM player, but a Leap Back skill personally provided my squishy butt with a way to escape damage from sploder monsters in 39/59. b:surrender
    Nigoshi - Raging Tide wrote: »
    rofl

    or two BM's playing 'pong' with a cata barb b:laugh
    b:chuckle I would TW just to do that.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Morridune - Raging Tide
    Morridune - Raging Tide Posts: 239 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    Nigoshi - Raging Tide wrote: »
    rofl

    or two BM's playing 'pong' with a cata barb b:laugh

    omg some1 hax pwi now and make it so, in fact while ur at it shorten CD on reel in : knckback reel in, knock back reel in etc etc it be like a whole new game to see how long u could bounce a player about untill they RQ and logged off

    edit* oh and i was a sword BM for most of my lvl'n up to 100 (it is cheaper) but the gear there is now a days all been either -int ( making fists highest single target dps) or -channel (making swords spark debuff pointless) or +deff lvls and high hp bonuses ( making bleed skills a joke )and addition of classes beyond the original 3 races have made swords, poleblades and pretty much fist skills beyond heel out of date and pretty much fluff skills for pve fun or extremely situational or for completion purpose its annoying as basically were losing the use or 15 or so of our skills (essentially making BM have 1 of if not the smallest skill pool) and the description on the main website of BM's been a multi 4 weapon class a bit of a misrepresentation especially considering they only made 1 r9 weapon and we're only allowed 1 r8 out of the 4
  • shotwhointhewhat
    shotwhointhewhat Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    Julian - Dreamweaver wrote: »
    I have little to no knowledge of PvP strategy since I'm mainly a PvM player, but a Leap Back skill personally provided my squishy butt with a way to escape damage from sploder monsters in 39/59. b:surrender

    The question was more of a introduction to my reply, but yeah. That is a good example of a way to use it in the lower levels. In the higher levels you will encounter sploder monsters called barbs that you can leap away from when you see them start crouching down and fire around them.
  • Eraldus - Sanctuary
    Eraldus - Sanctuary Posts: 140 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    Maelael - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Small Rant: I still have my sword skills I haven't used since level 60 in 2009. I maxed MSS thinking Id use it somewhere and I was wrong. I have the demon version of the skill in a bank sitting there saying "use me!" and I cant bring myself to do it, because the coin it costs to learn would be better spent giving away to someone who would use the coin, well, on their main.

    Efficiency wise, you want to kill them before they kill you. Single target, even without aps gear fists do it faster with autoattack. Skill wise, axes do it faster (higher dph), and all of your "All Weapon" skills do a better job of skill spamming, as they are all really fast and hit hard enough for cast time invested.

    Now, if you wanna play around and are just interested in that, sure swords are fine. I knew many (they all quit) sword BMs that did that in the early levels, and I even tried it for a while (I like aoe too much).

    What is nice about swords is hitting runners and casters/archers.

    But, you'll find out later on fists and axes really are the way to go. They're just way more efficient for busting down mobs. You'll also get ridiculed and intentionally avoided for groups if you are one of the "Sword BMs" or "Pole BMs". Servers are catty, especially in 80+ days in FF. I know of four non Fist/Axe BMs that did switch to Fist/Axe at 100 that are still avoided because they got a reputation for being...well, silly. If you're gonna switch, do it in your 80s as youre building a Friend List to work with in later levels.


    I had a lvl 100 all path bm, and I never got ridiculed or avoided in squads for using a sword or pole...

    Unless the people from HT are that childish...
    Retired...

    Reasons? Packs, rank gear, picky greedy players, the list goes on b:bye
  • shotwhointhewhat
    shotwhointhewhat Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    Eraldus - Sanctuary wrote: »
    I had a lvl 100 all path bm, and I never got ridiculed or avoided in squads for using a sword or pole...

    Unless the people from HT are that childish...

    Nobody would ridicule an all path BM unless they refused to use axes/fists or just was a bad player. Statting for fist/axe = all path BM. A fist/axe BM just doesn't use sword and pole much if at all.

    I think Maelael was referring to sword BMs who just stat for that path only. And I would agree that they would likely get ridiculed and have a harder time finding high level squads.

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