“Swordmasters wield the greatswords of Hoeth, elegant blades often six to seven feet long from pommel to tip. Such is a Swordmaster’s skill with the blade that he can raise his sword, sever an enemy’s neck and return his sword to rest before a lesser warrior can even raise a shield to block him.”
Class Information
Archetype: Tank
Special Mechanic: Blade Dance
Class Details: Fighters specializing in magical attacks, Sword Masters string together short chains of attacks in a graceful Blade Dance. With each swing of their weapons they step into a more balance fighting position allowing them to use more powerful attacks and increase their balance even further. With magical enchantments to bolster the strength of their attacks, Sword Masters are deadly front-line warriors.
The Swordmaster is a juggernaut of skill and prowess. From birth, swordmasters are trained to be one with their swords. They use sword and shield styles of fighting to overcome their enemies with sheer skill. Swordmasters are the absolute best swordsmen in the world, as they train for centuries to become one with the blade. They combine dance with martial arts to make a deadly marriage of art and death.
Career Masteries
The Swordmaster fights with magical enchantments to bolster the strength of his attacks and is a deadly front-line warrior. Surprisingly agile with his finely-crafted Elven Greatsword, the Swordmaster is the vanguard of any Elf army. The Swordmaster strings together short chains of attacks in a graceful Blade Dance. With each swing of his weapon he steps into a more balanced fighting position, which allows him to use more powerful attacks, which then increase his balance even further.
Path of Khaine
The Path of Khaine focuses on the Swordmaster’s signature Elf Greatsword, a massive but exquisite weapon which he can swing with deceptive speed. While no High Elf would ever worship the God of Warfare, a Master of this path acknowledges Khaine as a potent and necessary figure, and the Swordmaster brings swift death to any who stand in his way.
Path of Vaul
The Path of Vaul is primarily focused on defense, and a Master of this path may very well be temped to lay aside his Greatsword in favor of an elegant Elf-crafted shield instead. The Swordmaster who specializes in this path will be the core that the lines of battle form around.
Path of Hoeth
The Path of Hoeth is for Swordmasters who have spent much longer amounts of time in the White Tower, honing their innate magical skills and learning how to smoothly work magical power into their attacks. A Master of this path will learn subtle ways to both expose weaknesses in their foes, and to shield themselves in battle.
Important Stats
As a Swordmaster you will need the following statistics which you can improve using armor sets, weapons, rings, talismans and renown points.
Block: Increases your chance to defend against all attacks with a shield.
Wounds: Increases your overall HP. You can never have enough HP.
Toughness: Reduces damage dealt to you by opponents.
Parry: Increases your chance to defend against melee attacks.
Acquiring Gear
There are many ways to get gear:
- Open RvR: The gear and weapons you get here are for your main spec.
- During RvR: when you kill or lock a zone you will be given medallions according to your level which you can trade for armor and weapons. At the end of a zone if you roll high enough you will be give a color bag with may contain certain tokens that you can trade and get a jewel set. Engineers don’t have defensive jewels set like other classes.
- Scenarios: The gear and weapons you get here are some of the best weapons in game. You gain emblems at the end of every scenario and then you trade the emblems in the vendors in altdorf or inevitable city for your gear and weapons.
- Tome Unlocks: The tome is the book on your menu bar. In there you can do some like achievements i.e kill 100 orcs and get an unlock or get 3 items from a creature and then you trade that for a token in the library in altdorf or inevitable city and then that token in a jewel. There are some nice sets to see. Have a look in the useful links section.
- Tier 4 epic quests: There is one epic quest story line in every area, and once you complete them you are given a choice of 1 item.
- Dungeons & Lairs: Some Dungeons and Lairs can provide some good gear, weapons and jewels as you level up and or for end game. Changes in locations and ways to get end tier gear are happening constantly. Try and keep and eye on game forums.
Changes in ROR
- Sapping Strike requires Improved Balance and cool down lowered to 5s
- Blade Enchantments share a cool down of 10s
- Phantom’s Blade now instead has a 25% chance to improve Wounds on hit for your entire group
- Heaven’s Blade now instead has a 25% chance on striking an opponent to buff your group with resistance against one of the damage types that foe would attack with. If this is an armor type, your group gains a maximum of 990 armor; if it is a resistance type, your group gains a maximum of 378 resistance against that type. Enchantment cannot trigger multiple times on the same attack.
- Intimidating Blow reduces the target’s morale by 200 points
- Aethyric Armor reworked into Vaul’s Tempering and is the 13pt Path of Vaul ability. Ability is now an instant cast, 20s cooldown Perfect Stance buff which provides Unstoppable and Immovable immunity to your group, while increasing your armor, for 7s.
- Blessing of Heaven reworked into Aethyric Dissipation, 11pt Path of Hoeth, which causes your Path of Hoeth abilities to have a 25% chance to remove 225 Morale from your target.
- Calming Winds is 3pt Path of Hoeth.
- Forceful Shock is now Raking Talons, which applies the effect of Dragon’s Talon to all targets 20ft around your target. Moved to 11point Path of Vaul and replaces Vaul’s Buffer.
- Dampening Talon is now Blinding Strike, which reduces the target’s chance to block/parry by 10%. Moved to 7pt Path of Hoeth.
- Bolstering Enchantments is now core.
- Vaul’s Buffer is now 7point Path of Vaul.
- Lingering Intimidation is now core.
- Protection of Hoeth now places the absorb on groupmates within 50ft (link) and is the 5pt ability in Path of Hoeth.
- Phoenix’s Wing no longer requires a target and now inflicts Spirit damage. Now the 9pt Path of Hoeth ability.
- Redirected Force is now a medium knockback which requires Block to activate. (link)
- Crushing Advance is the 9pt ability in Path of Vaul. Now interrupts all targets 15ft in front of you.
- Crashing Wave is the 9pt ability in Path of Khaine. Secondary effect removed (only a knockdown now).
Changes in ROR are happening constantly and its hard to keep up with them all. Stay updated by following the news and patch notes: