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There’s a class and a subclass for just about any playstyle inCrystal of Atlan, ranging from Magicians to Bounty Hunters to plenty more. Subclasses split off from theirrespective classesand add more mechanics, and you’re going to need to choose a subclass fairly early on, though for a while you can switch without penalty.
The Swordsman class has two subclasses to choose between, Magiblade and Berserker. While both of these subclasses do function very differently, they are both closer-range subclasses, and anyone picking Swordsman is going to have to be comfortable playing up close with large groups of enemies.
Swordsman Class Basics
Your time spent with the default Swordsman class is mostly going to be there toteach you how to manage close-range engagements. The Swordsman doesn’t have an incredible amount of crowd-control (CC) effects right off the bat compared to a classlike the Magister, and soa Swordsman is going to need to be more efficient at dealing damage.
The good news is that Swordsmen canput out a lot of damage in both group and single-target scenarios. They’ll need to be smart with their movement and dodging to avoid taking unnecessary damage, but an agile Swordsman is going to be capable of quite a bit.
How To Play A Magiblade
Magiblades have a little bitmore range than it might seem like at first, with many of their attacks either extending a bit outside their sword’s range, or else dashing them toward an enemy. The latter is not quite a ranged attack, but it does mean you can begin certain attacks from a bit further away.
Magiblades deal primarily Magic Damage, making Intelligence and Spirit important stat priorities for them. Grab any gear that upgrades these; it’s going to make a difference.
Best Early Magiblade Skills
Leaning into that adaptabilityis going to help you in the early going with a Magiblade, and also enable you to figure out what kind of playstyle you’d like to work towards as you level up.
Description
Blade Anchor
This is aranged area-of-effect (AoE) attack, and that range can be extended with an upgrade. This is going to be one of your first options for a ranged hit, and is a good addition to most early builds.
Sword Tornado
This isanother ranged attack, but with a different purpose. This attack is going todamage and CC a group of enemies, and creates a good opening for you to move in for some melee attacks while they’re occupied.
Channeled - Aero Blade
This is acharged attack which will create a damaging area directly in front of you. It’s a great way to get heavy damage on a group of enemies at close-range.
Crackling Strike
This is anAoE attack that is going to send you into the sky, and then at the ground. It’s a good way to close a gap quickly, and to get some good opening AoE damage.
Pros And Cons Of Playing A Magiblade
Magibladeshave a high ceiling, even if that ceiling can be a bit difficult to reach. At their best,every ability in their repertoire has a specific purpose. At their worst, they’re still dealing some solid damage, but they’re putting themselves into situations that do not suit them well, and put them in danger.
Playing a Magiblade at a high level is going to require quite a bit of knowledge about your skills individually, and how they can all fit together. It’s not a class that can be put together piecemeal; instead the abilities work as part of a whole.
How To Play A Berserker
Berserkers areclose-range monsters, with high damage capabilities and a focus on relentless attacks. Because of this, they can be a bit riskier to use than a Magiblade. But for someone with a singular focus, Berserkers can suit them very well.
Berserkers deal primarily Physical Damage, making Strength and Agility high priorities for them. It might also be prudent to gain some extra survivability with them, since they’re going to be so up-close and damage-focused.
Best Early Berserker Skills
The Berserker’s skills are generallyvery high-powered, but can get them into trouble if ill-timed. As always, some of these might be replaced by other skills later on, but they provide a good springboard for understanding the Berserker.
Channeled - Berserk Blade
This is acharged attack with a pretty wide AoE cone, but the biggest strength is in the upgrade, which turns this into a Finisher.
Frenzy
This is apassive skill that increases your damage by a percentage based on your health lost. This is a really risky thing to make heavy use of, but in the hands of a skilled player, this can be a consistent damage increase.
Annihilation
This is achain attack that can put you at risk. But, if you time it well, it’s avery heavy-damage attackthat can make short work of a cluster of enemies directly in front of you.
Earthquake
Thisleaps you a short distance towards enemies, and then erupts the ground in front of you, creating a ranged AoE. This is a great way to spread damage across a large group of enemies.
Pros And Cons Of Playing A Berserker
Berserkers havean easy time dealing extremely high damage; they don’t need to worry about very specific combos, or complicated interactions.For someone who doesn’t want to deal with too much mechanically, they can be a great fit.
The drawback is that you’re probably going tofind yourself in a surprising bit of trouble more often as a Berserkerthan you would with most other classes. They’re rewarded for playing it risky with their health, and if you aren’t familiar with the enemy/enemies that you’re fighting, that can end in disaster.
