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Looking for a SM build.

Swordmaster, Shadow Warrior, White Lion, Archmage
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JadsiaDax
Posts: 2

Looking for a SM build.

Post#1 » Sun May 24, 2020 5:27 pm

Hi there,

Making a SM build (i'd like to go 2H) but sadly shield is a must so I'm going for that.

I understand that its mostly a hoeth/vaul type build with some bubbles and some AOE attacks but what I don't know is progression.

I'm only rank 15 atm, but I'm not sure if I start in Hoeth or vaul first? What to prioritize etc...

I'm looking on the forums and haven't been able to find a comprehensive SM GUIDE. I've used the search function but can't find anything.

Thanks again!

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xcact
Posts: 6

Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#2 » Sun May 24, 2020 9:16 pm

You don't need to be extremely concerned with your build until you hit 40. For leveling purposes, as an SnB SM, putting points into the Hoeth tree will help you kill mobs faster should you go the PvE route. If you plan to level in SCs and oRvR, it's worth picking up Perfect Defenses and Vaul's Buffer from the Vaul tree.

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Telen
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Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#3 » Sun May 24, 2020 9:37 pm

If youre doing scs theres no reason you cant go 2h

Its a long time to be using a shield when you could be playing the class how its meant to be
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detrap
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Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#4 » Sun May 24, 2020 10:36 pm

If you enjoy playing 2h stick with it. By the time you hit 40 you will really see how unique the class is compared to any other tank in the game. SnB builds are easy to master, so experimenting with a 2h now will help you understand the class mechanic a lot more as well as be more focused on things like knowing when to engage, pick targets, peel and kite. Not to bash SnB SM, at 40 its amazing as you get more powerful cc using a shield.
Knight 8x - IB 8x - SM 8x / Chosen 3x - BO 4x - BG 5x

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Rathael87
Posts: 66

Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#5 » Mon May 25, 2020 11:01 pm

JadsiaDax wrote: Sun May 24, 2020 5:27 pm Hi there,

Making a SM build (i'd like to go 2H) but sadly shield is a must so I'm going for that.

I understand that its mostly a hoeth/vaul type build with some bubbles and some AOE attacks but what I don't know is progression.

I'm only rank 15 atm, but I'm not sure if I start in Hoeth or vaul first? What to prioritize etc...

I'm looking on the forums and haven't been able to find a comprehensive SM GUIDE. I've used the search function but can't find anything.

Thanks again!
Heya. Apologies in advance if most of this is stuff you already know, but since you asked for something more comprehensive, I will try to offer up what I can.

Currently RR70 SNB SM using https://builder.returnofreckoning.com/c ... ,2874,2897

First and foremost, Sword and Board is only really a must for large-scale oRVR, especially if you are planning to participate in organized warbands. The primary reason for this is because AoE damage is king in large-scale combat. 2H sword master does barely any AoE, so your single-target damage means next to nothing in large scale combat. Yes, you can use wall of darting steel to be tanky, but Hold the Line is much more beneficial to your allies. In addition, SNB SM's will pack typically more than 40 block in perfect balance. You can think of this as almost 40% damage reduction from the front that 2H SM's do not have. Having said that, in small-scale RVR such as scenarios or 6-man roaming, single-target burst pressure is actually quite important for bursting healers down before they can react. SM shines in these situations when (and only when) supporting a strong single-target mobile damage dealer like a white-lion. SM cannot deal significant-enough damage alone, but when our damage is added to that of a powerful DPS, it is often enough to overpower a healer. Having a 2-man team that can put enormous pressure on healers is very powerful in small-scale.

The primary skill for rank-40 oRVR that you should bring to your party as SNB SM is Whispering Winds. It's primary application is to counter and nullify the effects of squig herder's ability to increase cooldowns by the same amount, as well as providing 0s cooldown rez for your healers where needed. Having said that, whispering winds is not extremely powerful. It is critical for organized warbands, but not terribly important while you are levelling up.

While levelling up, I would strongly recommend focusing on Vaul to start with. Pick up the perfect defenses tactic ASAP. You will meet a lot of destro MDPS in scenarios while levelling and the increased parry helps a lot. Grab redirected force as soon as you can. It is vastly superior to the AoE punt strategically, as you can be selective with it and it has a much longer travel time and distance than the AoE punt. You can use this to punt key targets (tanks using guard, healers etc) and really screw up destro's day. Vaul's buffer is also very nice in small-scale where there is less random damage ripping the shield off.

Crushing advance is very nice when levelling as it allows you to be very tanky before you pick up any armor potions. However, keep in mind that at rank40, you will be using armor potions in oRvR. The armor from Crushing advance does not stack with the armor from potions, so this ability is mostly taken for the 5% block it provides.

Crashing wave is extremely powerful when used for single-target pressure so pick it up at later levels if you are playing scenarios a lot. This is when you have a powerful white-lion or slayer ally. Your job is to snare their target and knock them down, basically to hand them an easy kill while protecting them with guard. MDPS do not have as much access to slows as we do. As tanks, we can pretty much slow targets on demand, which is something MDPS need help with. Obviously it is a bit medicore in oRvR since knocking down a single target has very minimal impact.

In general, as a tank, your objective is to be the best guard you can be. If you are running SNB, you ignore any thoughts of increasing your damage (or healing). The SM heals are frankly not that great. Proper healers will make your healing look next to useless, especially if you are properly guarding your DPS. Run full defensive tactics and mitigate as much damage as you possibly can for your party. All guard damage that you take can be mitigated by normal means (absorbs, blocks, parries etc), so the tougher you are, the less guard damage you will take. Since you are already taking 50% damage for your DPS, you are massively reducing the amount of total damage on your party. Throw in challenges and use body blocks and snares to be a complete pain in the ass for your enemy. Removing pressure from your healers by mitigation is your primary function.

Guard is the single most important thing in a tank's arsenal. By guarding and following your guarded target closely, you are infinitely more useful than any tank attempting to do any sort of DPS... because you are keeping DPS alive that can do far more damage than any tank could dream of. In that respect, tank classes are beautiful in their simplicity. We are already making ourselves insanely useful just by being tough and following our guard target. Anything else you do on top of that to protect your team is a bonus.

Blade Enchantment choice is a bit situational but in general we use nature's blade in oRvR. Most of the beneficial buffs provided by nature's blade will be outclassed by buffs given by other classes, but the debuffs are decent in many cases. Proper oRvR knights generally do not run the strength aura, so our strength debuff can be useful there. The AoE initiative debuff I think is not bad either. Generally anything Heaven's Blade provides is outclassed by knights and armor potions (since none of these defensive bonuses stack). In addition, Heaven's Blade requires that you hit your target, whereas knight auras don't. For this reason, Heaven's Blade is pretty inferior despite us having most points in Hoeth. Again, I do not think Phantom Blade stacks with other wounds buffs such as the WP one afaik, but in any case the healing it provides is quite medicore. It is generally just better to use Nature's Blade most of the time.

Isha's protection stacks with the various other healing multipliers that Order has, so it is quite a powerful defensive tactic. The extra healing and very high avoidances we can achieve make us excellent guard tanks for the classes taking the most damage such as BW's and slayers. In my warband, well-geared SM's are typically assigned to guard Bright Wizards most of the time.

skyfallen1986
Posts: 12

Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#6 » Tue May 26, 2020 1:19 am

Hey buddy.

First off you want to go into Hoeth tree and pick up protection of hoeth. The reason for this is simple. The bubble is not only great for you and your team but it's also an absolute requirement to learn the rotations as you need it so you can KD almost on demand and access other perfect balance abilities right off the bat. Using bubble + sudden shift is a core rotation that you need but also synergizes with abilities in vaul like perfect defenses ect. if you are looking for warband play so you can HTL in perfect balance majority of the time without needing to be in melee range attacking someone.

Continue up Hoeth to get crashing wave then you can begin to spend points into vaul (if SnB is what you desire). SM absolutely must have these 2 abilities in any spec.

Alternatively you can continue in Hoeth to get whispering winds which is a great ability also.

I play only 2H as I only participate in small scale however SnB is viable for larger warband play due to whispering winds, raking talons and aoe interupt.

Heres a couple specs for you dude seeing as you are still low level I will link a 40/40 spec and also a 40/50 spec.

This is a build for aoe debuffing dps with dragons talon spam that you can run at 40/40.
RoR.builders - Sword Master

Whispering winds for 40/50.
RoR.builders - Sword Master

SM 2h build for 40/50
RoR.builders - Sword Master


SM has a few gimmicky tactics that aren't really useful. Truth is that there is a cookie cutter spec for 2h and not a lot of variety in tactics for SnB.

Spend your renown points in futile strikes 3 at least. Then start looking into block and parry for SnB or just parry for 2h. Talismans look to slot armor and wounds for SnB (toughness again does not help you mitigate guard damage so wounds provides a larger HP pool to deal with and also helps to survive morale bombs).

Look to run heavens blade majority of the time as stealing armor and resists constantly is far better than a crappy wounds buff that does not stack with liniments or WP wounds buff. Don't bother with natures blade as you will not have points in that mastery and also its a random stat steal anyways.

Lastly SM is absolutely viable 2h also (not so much in large scale) but its super dependent on higher level gear and rr (as everything in this game is).

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detrap
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Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#7 » Tue May 26, 2020 2:15 am

skyfallen1986 wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 1:19 am
Spend your renown points in futile strikes 3 at least. Then start looking into block and parry for SnB or just parry for 2h. Talismans look to slot armor and wounds for SnB (toughness again does not help you mitigate guard damage so wounds provides a larger HP pool to deal with and also helps to survive morale bombs).
I think this is incorrect, toughness does mitigate guard damage and is vital to stack as a guard bot, I run 950+ toughness and can guard any class without dying first.

With guard damage split in half, that half you take is then applied through mitigation.

If you are not sure try running 900 toughness with guard then running 600 toughness with guard and notice a significant difference.

The only time I wouldn't stack toughness is for pve dungeons when boss damage is usually a fixed number and wounds are more important.
Knight 8x - IB 8x - SM 8x / Chosen 3x - BO 4x - BG 5x

skyfallen1986
Posts: 12

Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#8 » Tue May 26, 2020 2:54 am

detrap wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 2:15 am
skyfallen1986 wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 1:19 am
Spend your renown points in futile strikes 3 at least. Then start looking into block and parry for SnB or just parry for 2h. Talismans look to slot armor and wounds for SnB (toughness again does not help you mitigate guard damage so wounds provides a larger HP pool to deal with and also helps to survive morale bombs).
I think this is incorrect, toughness does mitigate guard damage and is vital to stack as a guard bot, I run 950+ toughness and can guard any class without dying first.

With guard damage split in half, that half you take is then applied through mitigation.

If you are not sure try running 900 toughness with guard then running 600 toughness with guard and notice a significant difference.

The only time I wouldn't stack toughness is for pve dungeons when boss damage is usually a fixed number and wounds are more important.
Guard you are taking half of the damage your guarded target takes. Meaning mitigation can't happen twice if I'm not mistaken?

Doesnt make sense that you would mitigate damage that you never took in the first place.

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detrap
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Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#9 » Wed May 27, 2020 12:31 pm

skyfallen1986 wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 2:54 am
detrap wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 2:15 am
skyfallen1986 wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 1:19 am
Spend your renown points in futile strikes 3 at least. Then start looking into block and parry for SnB or just parry for 2h. Talismans look to slot armor and wounds for SnB (toughness again does not help you mitigate guard damage so wounds provides a larger HP pool to deal with and also helps to survive morale bombs).
I think this is incorrect, toughness does mitigate guard damage and is vital to stack as a guard bot, I run 950+ toughness and can guard any class without dying first.

With guard damage split in half, that half you take is then applied through mitigation.

If you are not sure try running 900 toughness with guard then running 600 toughness with guard and notice a significant difference.

The only time I wouldn't stack toughness is for pve dungeons when boss damage is usually a fixed number and wounds are more important.
Guard you are taking half of the damage your guarded target takes. Meaning mitigation can't happen twice if I'm not mistaken?

Doesnt make sense that you would mitigate damage that you never took in the first place.
You are right. What having higher toughness does is able to keep you up longer from your own damage you are taking. I was told otherwise but after my own testing it is incorrect.
Knight 8x - IB 8x - SM 8x / Chosen 3x - BO 4x - BG 5x

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Kadabras
Posts: 4

Re: Looking for a SM build.

Post#10 » Sat May 30, 2020 12:20 pm

skyfallen1986 wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 1:19 am Hey buddy.


Spend your renown points in futile strikes 3 at least. Then start looking into block and parry for SnB or just parry for 2h. Talismans look to slot armor and wounds for SnB (toughness again does not help you mitigate guard damage so wounds provides a larger HP pool to deal with and also helps to survive morale bombs).


Lastly SM is absolutely viable 2h also (not so much in large scale) but its super dependent on higher level gear and rr (as everything in this game is).

Hey guys I was looking at this debate ,and since I'm a newbie SM I wanna ask you something. I'm leveling a SM for some small scale roaming and an occasional oRvR. What talis do you recommend for a 2h small scale?

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