Bladesworn - Power Bladesworn

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Strike damage

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on July 29, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

Bladesworn is a very bursty melee warrior build. Bladesworns have very little build customisation, they can only play power builds, they have almost no ranged damage options, and they almost can't choose their utility skills because of how important some of them are. Moreover, bladesworn requires signifcant game knowledge to play optimally as they must self-root to charge their attacks. They must also manage their unique resource: Flow, which is quite different from core warrior adrenaline. Most of their damage comes from one superpowered skill making it extremly important to ensure this skill is a critical strike, so achieving 100% critical chance is mandatory.

In exchange for these drawbacks, bladesworn offers very high burst damage with Dragon Trigger, capable of oneshotting many generic enemies. They can also sacrifice some damage for great sustain.

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Skill Bar

Axe/Pistol

Utility

Weapon Variants

The choice of mainhand weapon is flexible, as most of your damage comes from the Gunsaber anyway. Axe is a great option as it provides a mix of good damage and access to much-needed Fury. The offhand pistol is almost mandatory because it synergyses with two bladesworn traits Fierce as Fire and Guns and Glory.

• Mainhand Sword - can replace mainhand axe for mobility but you lose fury and vulnerability.
• Offhand Mace - sacrifices damage in exchange for a lot of cc and vulnerability.

Skill variants

We don't recommed you make any changes to the suggested skills.
Mending will be your only source of condition cleanse (besides the less reliable Martial Cadence), and is a great heal.
Flow Stabilizer is absolutely mandatory as your main source of flow. Works better if you already have Fury before using it.
Dragonspike Mine is your only stun break and it resets your burst skill, which is the main point of this build.
Overcharged Cartridges greatly increases the damage of your burst skill, which is the main point of this build.
Tactical Reload replenishes a charge for Flow Stabilizer and Overcharged Cartridges, and makes the next burst skill charge much faster.

Specializations

Variants

• Might Makes Right - sacrifices a large amount of damage for some sustain. Can combine with River's Flow.
• Immortal Dragon - trades might and stun for significant healing.
• Daring Dragon - taking this trait allows you to supply permanent Alacrity to nearby allies. Never ever take this trait when playing solo.

Equipment

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Assassin

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Axe
Berserker

Pistol
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

• For those without Secrets of the Obscure, use Relic of the Thief. Alternatively, use Relic of Zakiros to trade a minor amount of damage for sustain, Relic of the Cavalier to start combat with boons, or Relic of Durability for a little extra defense.
• For defense, equip the highest tier Jade Core you can afford. Use defensive food, traits, or skills if required. If necessary, use Knight trinkets.

Alternative set

This gear set uses the same armour as Build:Berserker_-_Power_Berserker. It is a minor dps loss, but much cheaper as you can share most of the gear amongst all power warrior builds.

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Axe
Assassin

Pistol
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

• This set requires replacing Overcharged Cartridges for Signet of Fury.
• This set lets you reuse the armour and runes of berserker and spellbreaker, sacrificing minor damage for a much cheaper and simpler gearing process.

Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

DPS

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• /

Farming

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• (and variants)

Usage

Flow and Gunsaber

Flow and Gonsaber are the profession mechanic of the bladesworn.

Flow replaces adrenaline. Unlike adrenaline, attacking does not generate flow. Instead, it slowly generates while in combat, and you need traits and skills that increase its generation rate. The main source of this is Flow Stabilizer. Having Fury before using Flow Stabilizer will increase flow gain even more. Your only source of fury is Cyclone Axe.

Gunsaber replaces your weapon swap. It has access to powerful skills but its auto attack sucks, so sheathe the Gunsaber if its skills are on cooldown and use your normal weapon instead.

Dragon Trigger is the key to bladesworn. It equips your Gunsaber and starts draining flow to charge Dragon Slash. You cannot move while charging. There are three Dragon Slashes: Force deals the highest damage, this is the one you want to use. Boost is a dash, but has lower damage. Reach is ranged but deals weak damage. Ensure good positioning before you start charging Dragon Slash. If needed, use Triggerguard to facetank one attack, or Flicker Step for a very short range teleport to reposition, then anhialate your enemy with Dragon Slash - Force.

Damage

Since most of your damage comes from Dragon Slash. The following buffs are requires to maximise its damage: Fury, Overcharged Cartridges, stacks of Fierce as Fire, stacks of Guns and Glory. Sometimes you will also get the following modifiers: Leg Specialist, Empowered, Warrior's Cunning, Berserker's Power, Peak Performance, Relic of Peitha.

Once you get flow generation going, you activate as many of the aforementioned buffs as possible, then Dragon Slash. To that end, follow this opening:

1. Flow Stabilizer
2. Flow Stabilizer
3. Tactical Reload
4. Flow Stabilizer
5. Overcharged Cartridges
6. Dragon's Roar
7. Dragon Trigger and immediatly Flicker Step
8. Dragon Slash - Force
9. Dragonspike Mine
10. Dragon Trigger and delay Flicker Step right before the slash.
11. Dragon Slash - Force

Flicker Step is used to activate Relic of Peitha. This relic has a 4 second cooldown, which is why the first Flicker Step is used immediatly upon starting to charge Dragon Slash, but the second is used right before firing Dragon Slash.

Flow Stabilizer and Tactical Reload should be spammed off cooldown. Try to use Flow Stabilizer while you already have Fury to improve flow gain. Never use Overcharged Cartridges while you are already under its effect or you will lose it to cast Detonate Cartridges which is a massive waste of damage.

Defense

• Mending cleanses conditions.
• Stability from Dragonscale Defense and Martial Cadence.
• Triggerguard and Cyclone Trigger grant Aegis.
• Cyclone Trigger briefly reflects projectiles
• Mending Might provides a small amount of sustain. You can use Might Makes Right for more healing, and it works great together with s.

CC

• Artillery Slash
• With Unyielding Dragon, Dragon Slash is a significant source of CC.
• In emergencies only, cast Overcharged Cartridges twice to launch nearby foes.