Bladesworn - Power DPS

Part of the current metagame

Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Direct damage

Designed for: Raids and Fractals

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on March 14, 2023 and is up to date for the March 19, 2024 patch.

Overview

Bladesworn trades its second weapon set for a Gunsaber that combines ranged explosions with melee slashes. Most importantly, it gains access to the unique Dragon Slash burst skills - incredibly powerful single strikes that take a long time to prepare. As the Bladesworn is immobile this preparation, it can be challenging to manage against targets that move a lot, or can disrupt you. With so much of its damage loaded into the Dragon Slash, Bladesworn is incredibly strong if the player can perform them off cooldown, but even one missed Slash is a significant damage loss.

With Tactics, the Bladesworn can also provide some passive Quickness or Might generation for their subgroup, making them an excellent choice for filling in gaps in your boon uptime while still being top DPS.

Skill Bar

Axe/Pistol

Utility

Skill Variants

Healing

• Depending on the encounter, you may find "To the Limit!" makes the opener more consistent, as it provides a bonus to flow generation for 15 seconds upon use. It is used in the same way as Mending.
  • In fractals, you can precast "To the Limit!" at a Mistlock then switch to Mending to gain the benefits of both.

Template Code

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Specializations

Trait Variants

• The grandmaster trait in Tactics can be used to fill in gaps in Quickness via Martial Cadence, or Might via Phalanx Strength.
• Lush Forest offers a different rotation that trades burst for better long-term damage.

Equipment

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
Berserker

Pistol
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

• In strikes where the boss gets Exposed, or at Keep Construct, it would be more beneficial to swap the Sigil of Superior Sigil of Accuracy for a Sigil of Superior Sigil of Impact.
  • In this case, you should swap your food to (or ascended versions)

Consumables

Food

• or ascended versions

Utility

• • for a cheaper alternative

Usage

Fierce as Fire Rotation

There are two openers you can use for Bladesworn. The higher damage opener immediately starts with Dragon Slash - Force, but requires getting into combat at just the right time to avoid having to delay later parts of the rotation. The other opener has a slightly delayed Dragon Slash - Force which allows a bit more time for flow to build up and makes it easier to line up cooldowns.

If possible, you can pre-cast Blooming Fire, Artillery Slash and Break Step to build up stacks of Fierce as Fire. Pre-cast both charges of Flow Stabilizer, Tactical Reload, an additional charge of Flow Stabilizer, and your healing skill.

Burst Opener

1. Overcharged Cartridges
2. Dragon Trigger
3. Dragon Slash - Force
4. Dragonspike Mine
5. Dragon Trigger
6. Flicker Step back into melee range
7. Dragon Slash - Force
8. Sheathe Gunsaber

Axe/Pistol 1

1. Dragon's Roar
2. Cyclone Axe
3. Gunstinger
4. Chop ⇒ Double Chop ⇒ Triple Chop
5. Overcharged Cartridges
6. Dragon's Roar
7. Throw Axe
8. Dragon Trigger

Gunsaber 1

1. Dragon Slash - Force
2. Artillery Slash
3. Cyclone Trigger
4. Swift Cut ⇒ Steel Divide ⇒ Explosive Thrust x2
5. Cyclone Trigger
6. Overcharged Cartridges
7. Tactical Reload
8. Sheathe Gunsaber

Axe/Pistol 2

1. Dragon's Roar
2. Gunstinger
3. Dragon Trigger

Gunsaber 2

1. Dragon Slash - Force
2. Dragonspike Mine
3. Dragon Trigger
4. Flicker Step back into melee range
5. Dragon Slash - Force
6. Artillery Slash
7. Overcharged Cartridges
8. Sheathe Gunsaber
9. Proceed to Loop

Regular Opener

Start on Axe/Pistol.

1. Overcharged Cartridges
2. Dragon's Roar
3. Gunstinger
4. Cyclone Axe

Gunsaber 1

1. Dragon Trigger
2. Dragon Slash - Force
3. Dragonspike Mine
4. Dragon Trigger
5. Flicker Step back into melee range
6. Dragon Slash - Force
7. Artillery Slash
8. Overcharged Cartridges
9. Sheathe Gunsaber

Axe/Pistol 1

1. Dragon's Roar
2. Cyclone Axe
3. Throw Axe
4. Chop ⇒ Double Chop ⇒ Triple Chop
5. Throw Axe
6. Dragon Trigger

Gunsaber 2

1. Dragon Slash - Force
2. Blooming Fire
3. Cyclone Trigger
4. Swift Cut ⇒ Steel Divide ⇒ Explosive Thrust
5. Overcharged Cartridges
6. Tactical Reload
7. Sheathe Gunsaber

Axe/Pistol 2

1. Dragon's Roar
2. Gunstinger
3. Dragon Trigger
4. Proceed to Loop

Loop

Use Flow Stabilizer and Tactical Reload off cooldown.

Gunsaber 1

1. Dragon Slash - Force
2. Dragonspike Mine
3. Dragon Trigger
4. Flicker Step back into melee range
5. Dragon Slash - Force
6. Artillery Slash OR Blooming Fire - Use Artillery Slash if it is at three charges, otherwise use Blooming Fire
7. Overcharged Cartridges
8. Sheathe Gunsaber

Axe/Pistol 1

1. Dragon's Roar
2. Cyclone Axe
3. Throw Axe
4. Chop ⇒ Double Chop ⇒ Triple Chop
5. Throw Axe
6. Dragon Trigger

Gunsaber 2

1. Dragon Slash - Force
2. Blooming Fire
3. Cyclone Trigger
4. Swift Cut ⇒ Steel Divide ⇒ Explosive Thrust
5. Cyclone Trigger
6. Overcharged Cartridges
7. Sheathe Gunsaber

Axe/Pistol 2

1. Gunstinger
2. Dragon's Roar
3. Cyclone Axe
4. Throw Axe - only if you're fast enough that you have time
5. Dragon Trigger
6. Return to start of Axe/Pistol 1

Video example

General Tips

• Both openers follow the same broad structure as the loop, so learning the loop first might be helpful.
• Outside of the opener, you always use Overcharged Cartridges as your last skill before exiting your Gunsaber.
• While charging Dragon Trigger, you can use Triggerguard to generate extra charges of Fierce as Fire, to ensure you are at 10 stacks for Dragon Slash - Force.
  • If there is any danger of you getting interrupted while in Dragon Trigger, you can forgo this step so they are available for defence.
• Dragon Slash - Force alone is over half your total damage, so it is essential not to delay Dragon Trigger. If necessary, you can skip some of the Axe skills in your rotation if it is already available.
• If you find yourself getting lost in the rotation, glance at the cooldowns on your F1 and F2 skills. This will tell you how long your next section will be - e.g. If you are charging Dragon Trigger and Gunsaber is still on a long cooldown, you know you need to do the long Gunsaber section next (Gunsaber 2').

Lush Forest Rotation

An alternate rotation uses Lush Forest to trigger frequent cooldown reductions and get in more Dragon Slashes. By trading in Fierce as Fire, your Dragon Slashes won't hit as hard and thus it is less bursty, but higher long-term damage. Due to the nature of Bladesworn, the better rotation will depend on which most reliably lets you finish a phase with a Dragon Slash. Very fast players will also need to ensure they are getting every trigger of Lush Forest they can so that skills will be off cooldown in time, but slower players may actually find it more forgiving. Finally, this rotation has no need to precast ammo skills which might be appealing.

Opener

Pre-cast both charges of Flow Stabilizer, Tactical Reload, Overcharged Cartridges and "To the Limit!".

Start on your Gunsaber

1. Blooming Fire or Break Step to get an initial cooldown reduction
2. Dragon Trigger
3. Dragon Slash - Force
4. Dragonspike Mine
5. Dragon Trigger
6. Flicker Step back into melee range
7. Triggerguard after one second - casting earlier will not trigger Lush Forest due to the ICD
8. Dragon Slash - Force
9. Cyclone Trigger
10. Sheathe Gunsaber
11. Cyclone Axe
12. Dragon's Roar - don't cast too quickly as it can cancel Cyclone Axe
13. Gunstinger
14. Chop ⇒ Double Chop
15. Throw Axe
16. Overcharged Cartridges
17. Dragon's Roar
18. Cyclone Axe
19. Dragon Trigger

Gunsaber Loop

1. Triggerguard - skip if using Tactical Reload in Gunsaber
2. Dragon Slash - Force
3. Cyclone Trigger - only if Tactical Reload was used while on Axe
4. Dragonspike Mine
5. Dragon Trigger
6. Flicker Step - skip if using Tactical Reload in Gunsaber
7. Dragon Slash - Force
8. Filler 2 - If fast enough, you will have a short amount of time before you can Sheathe your Gunsaber, so we fill it with DPS skills while also triggering Lush Forest once (by using whichever skill is at max charges). The number of skills used depends on whether Tactical Reload was used that loop. Performed correctly, you should loop between the following three fillers:
   1. Cyclone Trigger ⇒ Artillery Slash ⇒ Cyclone Trigger
   2. Artillery Slash - on loops where no Tactical Reload occurs
   3. Artillery Slash ⇒ Cyclone Trigger
9. Sheathe Gunsaber

Axe/Pistol Loop

1. Cyclone Axe
2. Gunstinger
3. Throw Axe
4. Chop ⇒ Double Chop
5. Overcharged Cartridges
6. Dragon's Roar
7. Cyclone Axe
8. Dragon Trigger
9. Return to start of Gunsaber Loop

General Tips

• Throughout the loop, you want to use Tactical Reload off cooldown. Performed correctly, it should occur at the following times (corresponding to the fillers in the Gunsaber loop):
  1. Immediately after Dragonspike Mine
  2. Just before Overcharged Cartridges
  3. Skip a loop
• Unlike the Fierce as Fire rotation, let Flow Stabilizer reach maximum charges, then use both to trigger Lush Forest. You should always be able to do this just after using Tactical Reload.
• You want to let Triggerguard and Flicker Step reach maximum charges as well. This limits your ability to use them reactively, but you should still do so if it prevents missing a Dragon Slash.
  • To help, you can use the cast time of Tactical Reload to run back into position rather than relying on Flicker Step when it is used after Dragonspike Mine

Rotation example