Swordmaster

The White Tower of Hoeth, the greatest seat of learning in the world is home to a cadre of warrior-scholars, known as the Swordmasters of Hoeth. These warriors train arduously, honing their exceptional agility, and mastering every nuance and facet of sword fighting. 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.

Swordmaster Specialty

The warrior scholars of Hoeth are first and foremost masters of the blade, and are capable of weaving a wall of impenetrable steel with either a greatsword or longsword. This is achieved through rigorous training to master both body and mind. Each flowing form requires agility and balance. As the Swordmaster moves through forms, balancing each maneuver with the next, he creates a graceful yet deadly dance. However, the blade is not the only tool at the Swordmasters disposal. Trained by the loremasters of Hoeth, the Swordmaster is also capable of calling upon the winds of magic to enhance his blade, bringing powerful magics to bear where simple steel will not suffice.

Playing as a Swordmaster

A single Swordmaster can hold the line against numerous lesser foes. Graceful and agile, the Swordmaster is capable of responding to a variety of threats quickly and efficiency. The key is to maintain a balanced approach to combat. Every movement a Swordmaster makes is designed to balance the body in preparation for the next. It is through this preparation that the Swordmaster is capable of chaining numerous attacks into powerful offensive or defensive combinations.

Fighting against a Swordmaster

At first glance a Swordmaster is a daunting opponent, and many foes quickly fall to their shining blade if they do not approach the fight with caution. The key to defeating these master swordsmen is to interrupt their dance. A Swordmaster relies on footwork and balance to launch his attacks, and while the reach of his Greatsword is long it cannot reach a well hidden marksman. As with all melee opponents, the best approach is to keep a Swordmaster at range, blasting through his powerful defenses with well timed missile and magic attacks. If you find yourself in close combat with these masters of the blade, interrupt their graceful dance with a powerful blow that will take them off their feet.

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.

Class Changes

• Sapping Strike requires Improved Balance and cooldown lowered to 5s

• Blade Enchantments share a cooldown 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. (link)

• 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 (link)

• Calming Winds is 3pt Path of Hoeth (link)

• 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 (link)

• Dampening Talon is now Blinding Strike, which reduces the target's chance to block/parry by 10%. Moved to 7pt Path of Hoeth (link), (link)

• Bolstering Enchantments is now core (link)

• Vaul's Buffer is now 7point Path of Vaul (link)

• Lingering Intimidation is now core (link)

• Protection of Hoeth now places the absorb on groupmates within 50ft (link) and is the 5pt ability in Path of Hoeth (link)

• Phoenix's Wing no longer requires a target and now inflicts Spirit damage. Now the 9pt Path of Hoeth ability (link)

• Redirected Force is now a medium knockback which requires Block to activate. (link)

• Crushing Advance is the 9pt ability in Path of Vaul. (link). Now interrupts all targets 15ft in front of you (link)

• Crashing Wave is the 9pt ability in Path of Khaine. Secondary effect removed (only a knockdown now). (link)