Crusader - Sword + Greatsword PvE Build
- High Defense
- Low Damage
Overview
This Greatsword and Sword PvE build is specifically designed for tanking in PVE group dungeons. It excels at staying alive while effectively holding the aggro of both mobs and bosses.
Attributes
Your priority with this build should be strength as it grants you high max HP and it also improves your defensive stats, granting you ranged, magic and melee defense but also granting you health regen. Your secondary stat is dexterity because of it granting you ranged, magic and melee evasion, further boosting your defensive capabilities. The rest of the points can go into wisdom for some extra maximum mana and mana regen.
Skills
Skill Priority
Since we utilize numerous high-level abilities, there aren't many active abilities you need to prioritize for upgrading. However, 
Counter Barrier and 
Shield Strike are the most important ones. Counter Barrier greatly improves your Shield Block Chance, while Shield Strike serves as your primary single-target aggro-holding ability. It ensures that mobs stay focused on attacking you rather than targeting the rest of your party.
Passives Priority
Similar to the active skills, we rely on many high-level passives which keeps the cost for the build quite low. You should prioritize 
Skillful Evasion as it decreases the damage you take from targets you provoke and because of your use of Shield Strike and 
Provoking Roar, most enemies you fight will be provoked. These skills offer excellent sustain by providing mana and health regeneration when dealing damage with your skills or when you are evading attacks.
Weapon Masteries
| Charge | Ranged Defense |
 |
Melee Evasion |
|
Firm Will |
|
Max Health |
|
Cooldown Speed |
|
Overcome Snare |
|
Buff Duration |
|
Skill Damage Resistance |
|
Bold Steps |
| Incapacitate | Mana Regen |
|
Melee Hit Chance |
|
Ultimate Impact |
|
Damage |
|
Mana Regen |
|
Complete Stun |
|
Melee Hit Chance |
|
Stun Chance |
|
Firm Resolution |
| Face Off | Melee Hit Chance |
|
Damage |
|
Rough and Wild |
|
Melee Critical Hit Chance |
|
Mana Cost Efficiency |
|
Fierce Attack |
|
Skill Damage Boost |
|
Melee Hit Chance |
|
Fierce Glare |
| Provoke & Counter | Melee Defense |
|
Health Regen |
|
Decayed Sword God |
|
Max Health |
|
All Evasion |
|
Impregnable Stance |
|
Buff Duration |
|
Damage Reduction |
|
Indomitable Spirit |
| Boss | Melee Hit Chance |
|
Damage |
|
Undefeated Perseverance |
|
Max Health |
|
Stun Resistance |
|
Desperate Evasion |
|
Mana Cost Efficiency |
|
Melee Hit Chance |
|
Subjugator's Punishment |
| Collision | Max Health |
|
Melee Hit Chance |
|
Calculated Rush |
|
Damage Reduction |
|
Weaken Chance |
|
Steely Physique |
|
Damage |
|
Melee Defense |
|
Blade of Rage |
Greatsword:
Investing 9 points in Charge offers you the most defensive bonuses you could get from the Greatsword lines while the last 3 points can be spent on Face Off in order to gain a bit of extra damage.
Sword: Investing 9 points in the Boss row is a straightforward decision as it provides you with extra PVE defenses tailored for fighting bosses, along with some additional health. The remaining 3 points will be allocated to Provoke & Counter for further defense.
Rotations
- Before starting your rotation, begin by pulling mobs near you using basic attacks, as stacking the mobs on top of each other is crucial. Once the mobs are stacked, activate your pre-buffs,
DaVinci's Courage and Counter Barrier. DaVinci's Courage grants you HP, while Counter Barrier improves your Shield Block Chance, which synergizes perfectly with 
Resilient Mind. Always initiate your damage rotation with 
Precision Dash, as it provides an extra damage buff and heavy attack chance. Then, debuff the mobs using Provoking Roar. 
Annihilating Slash will make use of 
Spectrum of Agony for additional damage, and 
Devastating Tornado will finish off any remaining health on the mob. Use 
A Shot at Victory to clean up if any mobs remain alive.
- An alternative rotation for dealing with lower HP mobs involves pulling the mobs together near a wall or structure, aligning them between you and the terrain. Use
Strategic Rush to push the mobs into the wall and stun them, then apply a defense debuff and some damage with 
Willbreaker. Continue the rotation with Devastating Tornado and 
Valiant Brawl to finish off any remaining mobs.
Stalwart Bastion:
This ability serves as your panic button when you're taking too much damage and your passives aren't sufficient to keep you alive. It's also useful as a panic button if you've inadvertently pulled too many mobs.
Gear
- Weapons:
Tevent's Despair Blade + 
Purgatory's Lethal Claw - Helmet:
Reaper's Black Mask - Cloak:
Spectral Shadow - Chest:
Abyss Slayer's Insanity Armor - Gloves:
Reaper's Hand of Death - Pants:
Abyss Slayer's Selflessness Pants - Boots:
Reaper's Footsteps or 
Abyss Slayer's Berserk Boots - Necklace:
Thunder Cleaver Necklace - Rings:
Lethal Frost Ring + 
Lethal Fortune Ring - Belt:
Skulls Spectral Belt - Bracelet:
Beast King's Gilded Bracers
Useful Information
- Choose Lady Knight Kamarshea as your guardian; it offers vital protection with its shield, capable of absorbing damage equal to 50% of your mana. This can be invaluable in situations where you've accidentally pulled too many mobs and your Stalwart Bastion is on cooldown. Additionally, while the shield is active, you gain a 40% Cooldown Speed boost.
Comments
We are seeking an experienced Build Admin for Throne and Liberty with a deep understanding of the meta across most weapons and game modes. Get in touch with Galaxian on Discord if you're a good fit for the role or know someone else who is. This is a paid position.
