The All Path Blademaster

Pure Blademaster
The Blademaster is one of the most versatile characters played in the game. Armed with the
most skills of any character, 42 plus 3 sparks, and decent stat growth per level you are able to survive
and damage deal at the top of any class. You have a self heal, a group physical buff, temporary physical
and magic buffs, aggroing skill, and a wealth of damage dealing abilities that increase attack speed,
debuff enemies, add fire damage to your attack, and stun and seal mobs like crazy.
But, currently many BMs are not taking advantage of this. Phrases like “what weapon path are
you?” are slung about as if BMs are only meant to carry one type of weapon. You are not a true
Blademaster unless you can take advantage of multiple paths! (fail barb comes to mind…)
This guide is for the all path Blademaster, also known as Axe/Fist Blademaster because axe
requires the most strength of any weapon, and fist the most dexterity. If you can wield these you can
wield any weapon.

This is a meta-guide. A bit wordy (very) but hopefully covers almost everything you could ever
want to know about BMs but is then divided into more specific aspects of the class for people looking
for specific information. Also, this is my first guide. Suggestions and feedback are welcome and
contributors will be listed in my thanks section. And of course, it’s a perpetual work in progress. :P

Table of Contents
Abreviations 2
Stats Placement 2
Why All Path 3
Armor analysis 3-4
Weapons
Requirements chart 5
Discussion on the different weapons 5-6
How to PvE
Squad 7
Solo 7
Skills
Non-weapon path specific skills 8-10
Axe 11
Pole 11-12
Sword 12
Fists 13
Order of leveling skills 14-15
Skill Combos 16
Interval gear
How to calculate 17
Increase attack speed by xx% 17
Interval chart 18
An incomplete list of interval gear 18-19
BM Rank Gear html 19
Thanks 20
Abbreviations
DoT – Damage over time
Aoe – Area of effect
Lvl –Level
Dmg- Damage
HA, LA, AA – Heavy Armor, Light armor, Arcane Armor
Ias – Increased attack speed, increased attack rate, - interval, - int…
dd – damage dealer.
Aggro=aggression=hate=revenge. All terms used for the focus of a mob.
HT – Old Heaven’s Tear
FCC – Frost Covered City

Stat Placement
I’ll put this as very first since a lot of the build hinges on this. You are required to have 3
strength and 2 dex per level. No Exceptions! However, this doesn’t mean you need to add that much
per level since you can gain stats from equipment. It is, however, recommended as it simplifies having
to watch your gear to make sure you have enough strength and dexterity. Another option is adding a
little vitality during the first 60, or even 90 levels and favoring axe use, with a fist a few levels under you,
and restating end game. If you do this I suggest you add vitality in increments you can easily restat later
(basic reset notes removes 10 points,…).
I consider this a pure build. We are damage dealers. Any vitality or magic points added will
subtract from this. In addition, the 3:2 ratio gives a great ratio for maxed dph (strength) with very
consistent accuracy and a high amount of critical hits. If you add vitality you will gain hp, but do you
really gain survivability? You increase your physical defense by adding to strength, and you increase
your evasion by adding to dexterity. In addition, the increased damage you deal may kill the mob
several hits faster, thus reducing the amount of damage you take.
And why would you even think of adding magic?

Figuring out requirements for your level: Since you start with 5 stats each and you start adding at level 2
this means

[(your level minus 1) x 3 strength] + 5 = your strength required for that level.
[(your level minus 1) x 2 dexterity] + 5 = your dexterity required for that level.
Ie. You are level 35. So, your level minus 1 = 34. Times it by 3 str = 102 str. Add your 5 original stat
points and you get 107 str. This is how much strength you should have at level 35.

One further suggestion is to stat dexterity to your next critical hit, which are in increments of 20.
So, if you are placing your stats and your dexterity is near a multiple of 20, and you don’t need the
strength for your weapon, add it to dexterity to hit your critical hit mark, and catch up on strength
during the next level.
Why All Path?

Armor
HA is what we’re meant for, but as you develop you may find awesome LA that kicks the crap
out of your HA. Go for it. Go ahead and replace out one piece, only one though. The reason I say this is
no attack deals a part physical damage and part magic damage. Damage is dealt all physical or all magic,
and since we are a melee class mobs will usually use magic from a distance and physical once we are up
close, then toss in the occasional magic attack. The majority of attacks we’ll receive are going to be
physical and so physical defense is our priority over magic, but damage dealing is priority over defense
usually.
You also receive less benefit per defensive point the higher you go. For instance, past 10k
defense it may take hundred more points to reduce damage by 1% more, whereas it only takes a few
addition points to reduce damage each percent for the first couple percent. This may explain PWI’s
choice to not have the LA as efficiently stated with pdef and mdef.
End game you’ll want to use HA as you will receive more hp per refine.

Here are the reasons for each:

Heavy Armor – The most popular option, and for good reason. As a high damage dealer, you have the
ability to take aggro from every class. You may end up tanking instead of the barb if he cannot
hold aggro. That’s fine, you’re built for it. You have defense buffs giving you more defense than
a barb, as well as a self heal if the cleric can’t keep up. Also, when aoeing you will stand in the
middle of a group of mobs and tank while they die.

Light Armor – Not a bad option, and many blademasters will switch out armor plates temporarily if they
are questing magic mobs or pvping a caster. It will give you some much needed magic defense.
More importantly, late game, you may more readily find minus interval gear on LA. It is true
that it has the least efficiency (see chart) and a worse refining bonus, but this averages out as
you get less benefits for each added defense points anyways. I recommend only using one or
two pieces of LA only if they have ias and the rest HA.

Arcane Armor – You will not have the available stats for arcane armor, nor would you want to stat for it
as it sacrifices damage and accuracy as well as using weapons your left.. If you need magic
defense use magic marrow or let a caster class tank.

Armor Strength req Dexterity Magic/Level Effectiveness on lvl HP bonus on lvl

req 90 armor +3 refined. 90 armor +3
refined.
HA +2.5 str / lvl +.5 dex / lvl 0 Pdef – 100% +122 hp
Mdef -42.6%
Overall – 142.6%
LA +1 str / lvl +1 dex / lvl 0 Pdef – 42.9% +91 hp
Mdef - 66.5%
Overall - 109.4
AA Don’t… just 0 + 1.5 mag / lvl Pdef – 11.2% +76 hp
don’t. Mdef – 100%
.5 str /lvl Overall – 111.2%
Also, each armor piece is received 10 levels apart starting after level 20. Here are those levels.
Chest piece – x0
Helmet – x1
Leggings – x3
Wrist guards – x4
Footwear – x6
Robes – x7
Weapons
Forever solving the unsolvable question “what weapon path is best.” The answer really is use
what is best for you. There is no best, each path has its benefits. Here is a table showing you the
requirements and speed, followed by a brief breakdown of each path and its benefits, but remember,
the goal is all paths. As you achieve different skills and master different weapon changes, you should
add your equipment to your skill bars by drag and dropping them into slots from your inventory, as a
simple F1 can change between sword and polearm.

Weapon Strength/Level Dexterity/Level Available Speed

Req req. points (attacks per second)
Dual Axes 3 .5 1.5 .83
Dual Hammers 3 .5 1.5 .83
Poleaxe 2.5 1 1.5 .91
Sledgehammer 2.5 1 1.5 .91
Poleblade 2.5 1 1.5 1.00
Pike 2.5 1 1.5 1.00
Shaft 2.5 1 1.5 1.00
Dual Blades 2 1.5 1.5 .91
Dual Swords 2 1.5 1.5 .91
Blade 2 1.5 1.5 1.11
Sword 2 1.5 1.5 1.11
Fists 1.5 2 1.5 1.43

Axes
The slowest of the weapons and the hardest hitting. Best damage per hit, worst damage per
second prior to skill use. People choose this path for the aoes and availability of axes. Since barbs also
use axes, they are created in abundance.
The abilities include a stun at level 29 called Drake Bashfor one spark. At level 39 you get your
first axe aoe, Highland Cleave, with a 10 meter range. Level 49 gives you Fissure, another aoe with a
slowing debuff, also of 10 meters. For the cost of two sparks you get Heaven’s Flame at level 59. This is
a 12 meter aoe with a 6 second curse that double damage received.
Overall impression: A little too slow for building chi, but for crowd control its great. If you have
a barb that grabs aggro and collects the mobs, or if you feel like you can grab them and tank them
yourself, then you can use aoes to your heart’s content and damage deal like crazy. With the all-path
blademaster, damage output is very important because you can no longer rely on vitality and tanking a
few more hits, but will focus on killing things faster and receiving less damage.
Axes and hammers are the same thing, just with a more varied damage range on hammers and
the same average.

PoleArm
Similar to an axe. You gain a little speed, a little chi build up, and lose a tiny bit of dph. Damage
per hit loss is not really noticed except in overall output of group mobs. Polearms use a variation of
aoes by having “damage in a straight line.” It takes a little practice learning to aoe grind with poles but
the basic idea is run past your mobs, let them follow you, then turn, face them, and attack them as they
follow you in a line.
Sword
Sword users swear by their swords, nonsword users usually hate them. I will say, the skill
myriad sword stance is awesome. You receive a Mage Bane, a stupefy skill that is 100% accurate. Next,
a distance skill much like Drake Ray called Spirit Chaser, a knockback skill called Atmos Strike, and finally
Myriad Sword Stance. Myriad Sword Stance is the strongest hitting bm skill until level 79 but is used for
its debuffing properties as it reduces the opponents magical and physical dmg dealt.
Swords are a good middle path: Good speed (not the best), Good damage (not the best), Good
leveling ability for low level and high, even aoeing (but not the best for any one area), and useful chi gain
(guess what, not the best). The one thing I’ve noticed is sword users tend to require a lot of mana to be
as effective, so bring pots.
Swords also have two magic damage reducing attacks, one that slows magic channeling, and
another that reduces magic dmg. This gives them a slight edge when battling casters as a defensive
weapon.

Fist
The fastest weapon choice. Damage per hit is low, but hits per second is high giving it the
highest damage output of any weapon. Channeling time absorbs time we could be attacking so skills
really don’t increase damage output, they are just used for effects like stun or to increase attack speed.
This means fist aren’t skill dependent to produce damage, which is great for conserving mana or if you
want to stat spirit points somewhere else.
Fist are an excellent 1v1 weapon, whether you are fighting one mob, one boss, or pvp. Fist only
have one aoe (cyclone heel) and its damage is mediocre since it’s more used to increase attack speed.
Claws are the same as fists, same requirements with the same average attack and the same
speed, but the damage range is more varied with a lower minimum dmg and higher max.
It’s What We Do!
Squaded runs
In a squad, we are either the dd or the tank, and sometimes both. We have the physical buff
golden bell to provide. Start the run repeatedly spamming physical marrow and magical marrow to gain
chi.

Fist users are the only type of blademaster that can truly tank, as we have extremely high
(properly equipped, the highest) damage output, so even without using aggro skills we can keep a
bosses attention. If we lose aggro the best we can do is stream strike and try to get aggro back. If the
mob is stunable (non boss types) we can try stun locking them for someone else if we can’t keep aggro
by rotating aeolian blade, roar of pride, and seal abilities like smack. This way the cleric can keep up
with heals on a weaker class while damage is dealt.
A good combo I enjoy when squaded is cloud sprinting and gathering my mobs, aoe twice and
then roar of pride as others catch up and start attacking. This way you have two hits in, aggro of mobs,
and you have them stunned long enough that usually they will be dead by the time they reach weaker
ranged squad members.

Soloing
Just like most classes, our damage starts small and grows towards the end game. Dual
Axe/hammers are the most readily available weapon for the first 60 levels, although going out your way
to obtain a nice sword or polearm, even fists, is easy enough. Dual axe/hammers are available at levels
x3 and x8. If you feel you need a step in between you can alternate, especially prior to level 29 before
you start specializing.
Levels 1-39 will lend themselves to their own techniques, with single mob attacks being the
smartest. An effective combo will be Drake’s Ray from a distance, Aeolian Blade as they run up and
hope to stun, attack, attack, Oceans Edge to slow, attack till they are dead. Roar of Pride for crowd
control. Use quests for this length of time.
Levels 40-55 you have an abundance of dailies. BM’s can find squads easy enough because they
have a group defense buff and are excellent DDs. They also don’t have the liability of dying like a
squishy caster. Starting around mid 50s you can even replace barbs as the tank. Beyond quests for
leveling you can level at
Level 56-70 grinding is excellent south of Dreaming Cloud because you will find a lot of mobs
that do physical damage. Since you are excellent at physical damage and have pmarrow, and since you
should have most of your axe aoe high leveled enough to kill like crazy.
Level 71-84 OHT has physical mobs too, knock yourself out.
Level 85+ FCC has great experience for all.
All Paths

Tiger Maw - 1,5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45

A starting skill that adds a small amount of physical damage and is only useful for about the first
15 levels. Invest up to level 4 then move on as even maxed out the skill adds less than 900 dpa
and would not be efficient as a second attack would be better than its channeling time.

Draw Blood – 3,8,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48

Attack plus a bleed effect over 15 seconds. Again useful when first starting and up and until you
get path specific skills at level 29. I would get it till level 5. The bleed amount is considerable
over time, and as many mobs will take close to 15 seconds to kill when first starting its effects are
efficient. It does stack with itself once, having a cool down of 8 seconds. It also stacks with piercing
winds, a heavier hitting similar skill.

Drake’s Ray – 6,11,16,21,26,31,36,41,46,51

This is a ranged attack where you fire a bolt of physical energy to hit a single mob from a
distance Useful for grabbing mobs or as a pull technique but will aggro other mobs in the area. This is
your only ranged attack (short of equipping a bow) until level 39. Adding to skill level adds damage and
range, lvl 1 dmg=base+ 74.5 range 7.2m and continues to lvl 10 dmg=base + 973 range 10m. It can be
used as a first attack technique to get an extra hit in, but later mobs will be happy to stand at a distance
and use ranged magic attacks which isn’t good. Recommended to level to 5 or 6.

Stream Strike – 9,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49,54

For 30 chi you can deal a small amount of extra physical damage and increase your threat level.
Higher levels do not increase threat level. What this means is if a psychic is out dding you and the mob
goes for him you can stream strike to regain aggro. This is a good tanking option to try, although I really
haven’t noticed it be more effective than just DDing. The skill becomes obsolete after level 59 when you
get your double spark and the 30 chi is better used towards that for gaining aggro. Get it to level 1, after
that its damage increase does not justify its mana and spirit point use.

Cloud Sprint – 9,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49,54

Gain a % increase burst of speed for 15 seconds, starting at 45% and ending at 90%. Although
this is a convenient skill it’s not required except to get Will of Bodhisatva (WoB). Use this to get into
physical range of magic mobs quickly or alternate it with WoB to have a sprint 50% of the time. Beware,
it will eat your mana up quickly.

Aura of the Golden Bell - 13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,53,58

Be a good teammate and buff your squad. This is an aoe physical buff that increases squad
members defense 15%+5% per additional level and lasts for 30 minutes.

Alter Marrow Magical – 16,21,26,31,36,41,46,51,56,61

A 30 second self buff that gives you a 30%+10% each additional magic defense and lowers the
same percent of physical defense. Mostly this is a pvp skill but has its pve uses too. It has an instant
cast, a 10 second cooldown, and low mana cost and can be alternated with alter marrow physical to
build 10 chi each cast. Also, you can cast it prior to running at a magic mob since the first attack is
usually a ranged magic type, then switch to alter marrow physical once in close physical range. Marrow
magical and marrow physical do not stack and will only have the effect of the most recently cast skill.
Also, it stops auto attack and so you’ll need to click to continue.

Aeolian Blade – 19,24,29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64

One of your stun abilities and important for stun locking because it has a cooldown of only 6
seconds. Deals damage with a chance to stun. I recommend maxing this as soon as possible because
you gain 4% chance to stun per skill level starting at 24% and ending at 50%. It’s worth it at 50% when
you save your cleric with it.

Roar of the Pride - 23,28,33,38,43,48,53,58,63,68

Another stunning ability, but this one is an aoe with a 5 meter radius that has almost a 100%
chance to stun (increases with levels). Great for grinding, great for dueling, great for setting up other
skills, and great for saving your butt when outnumbered. Stun length increases to 6 seconds at level 10,
important for the 15 second stun lock. Requires 35 chi, a decent amount of mana, and has a 15 second
cool down.

Alter Marrow Physical – 23,28,33,38,43,48,53,58,63,68

A 30 second self buff that gives you a 30%+10% each additional physical defense and lowers the
same percent of magical defense. Again, a pvp skill but physical marrow is useful in pve play. It has an
instant cast, a 10 second cooldown, and low mana cost and can be alternated with alter marrow magical
to build 10 chi each cast. Marrow magical and marrow physical do not stack and will only have the
effect of the most recently cast skill. Also, it stops auto attack and so you’ll need to click to continue.

Ocean’s Edge – 26,31,36,41,46,51,56,61,66,71

Has a chance to slow mobs for 10 seconds. Think of this skill as training for stunning. It does
damage, it slows mobs down, it keeps you from taking damage. It’s very useful early on until your
damage develops and you get your stunning abilities, but once you can stun you stop bothering to just
slow mobs and this skill loses its usefulness. See notes on Vacuous Palm

Tiger Leap – 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74

This will get you close to a mob or other player quicker by catapulting you forward 11-16 meters
at 10m/s for the cost of 25 chi. This is useful for jumping next to casters (mobs or pvp) or jumping past
an angry veno’s pet. Great for catching ranged mobs who freeze you then stack poisons.

Leap Back- 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74

I am inexperienced with this skill also, because I don’t see it as having many uses. One is for
leaping back right before a boss aoe (especially inFCC). The theory is you avoid an attack by leaping back
out of the way, you then can leap right back at the target using tiger leap and attack again gaining
fractions of a second as the need to rechannel. Personally, I always get hit as I jump away and mobs will
then use magic attacks which hurt more.

Diamond Sutra - 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74

Your self heal ability. This skill cost 1 spark and gives you 20% + some hp per level (250hp-1600
hp). This’ll save you as it has an instant cast, you just need to finish your attack first. The more hp you
have the more health you recover. It does consume a lot of mana, but it also almost replaces the need
for health pots (almost), and increases the need for extra mana pots. Don’t level this too fast because
the mana cost becomes too great too quickly and it loses its usefulness and what you really are after is
the 20% hp which doesn’t change.

Fan of Flames - 34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74,79

A frontal assault aoe that has semi week damage and is best used for grinding. It is not as useful,
say, when running with a squad and needing to deal aoe dmg, but becomes useful when you have
corralled mobs behind you during grinding and can turn around, and they are all now in front of you.

Drake Sweep – 44,48,52,56,60,64,68,72,76,80

Your other all path aoe. It has a 8 meter range, smaller than axes, and will typically not hit caster
mobs as they’ll stand beyond this, but its dmg is good and it can be used in conjunction with axe specific
aoes to keep a constant aoe spam going.

Will of Bodhisatva - 59
Basically the level 11 of Cloud Sprint, but it cost one spark. 100% increased running speed for 15
seconds, doubles your evasion, and best of all, cannot be stunned or froze. Although it’s useful in pve, it
is amazing in pvp when a frustrated assassin or fellow BM cannot land a hit, and cannot stunlock you
while you set your stun lock in motion.

Smack – 79
Smack seals an opponent for 2-3 seconds from a distance of up to 18 meters, as well as deals
100% weapon dmg plus 1000. Not to flashy but kind of fun to “bonk” a wizard before they can nuke you
and get into stun lock range. Also, useful when a mob is attacking a squishy and you can’t reach them in
time to save them, you can seal the mob till you get there.

Bolt of Tyreseus – 79
Fist/Claw only skill. Technically a second aoe for fists. This has a range of 12 meters and causes
multiple effects. First, it deals 260% of base physical dmg, it also freezes targets and caster for 5
seconds, slows enemy movements by 30%, slows enemy attack speeds by 30%, and increases enemy
channeling by 50%. This is a good “sometime” skill for starting an aoe series with. Also, in TWs, it’s
good for cluster-f—k situations where you are pinning people down with Roar of the Pride and need a
few extra seconds to handicap your opponents.

Dragon Bane - 79
Costs 1 spark. This trades 50% of your attack power for an increase of 25% critical hit rate. Not a
great deal but you can make it work for you. Use this right before a demon spark so that you purify
yourself against the damage reduction but gain the critical hit increase. Other options are to warn your
cleric and request a purify once you cast, or use a level 4 apothecary good called “Soulcleanse Orb” that
removes all debuffs.

Buddha’s Guard - 100

I don’t have this skill yet so I won’t pretend to know its effectiveness. Skill description says that
it grants the entire squad within range a physical defense bonus of 1000% as well as recovers 20% of the
caster’s hp.

Flash – 100
Sword or Blade skill only. Another skill I don’t have yet, but description is that for two sparks it deals
150% base damage plus 150% of casters current hp subtracted from their max hp. One-hundred
percent accurate.

Axe
Axe Mastery – 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74
You gain 6% axe damage per level, up to 60%.

Drake Bash - 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74

Important for your stun lock. Cost one spark but causes stun almost every time, also has dmg
based on your weapon. Level 1 gives you 3.3 stuns seconds and 906 dmg + 55% weapons damage and
goes up to a 6 second stun with 3296 dmg + 100% weapons damage. Definitely worth it.

Highland Cleave – 39,43,47,51,55,59,63,67,71,75

An aoe with good range and decent damage based of weapon damage. Get it for level 1 then
level it up as you have spare spirit because you’ll want to use it while other aoes cool down to keep
constant aoes going when grinding.

Fissure – 49,53,57,61,65,69,73,77,81,85
Weaker damage than highland cleave (maxes at 2443 dmg), but has a slow effect of 50% for 8
seconds when maxed. This is great for right before your Roar of Pride wears off when you are aoe
grinding and will stop a lot of dmg from getting to you.

Heaven’s Flame – 59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86

Squads love this skill. When fighting 2 or less mobs I’d recommend sparking instead, but it’s
great for aoe soloing also. With a range of 12 meters, good dmg + % weapon dmg, and a 6 second curse
effect it’s a signature skill of BMs. Curse the enemy so they receive double damage for 6 seconds. So if
you are in a group with a couple damage dealers the curse effect can really increase damage. Also, a
great first attack in aoes because it will double your next two attacks.

Polearm
Polearm Mastery – 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74
You gain 6% polearm damage per level, up to 60%.

Piercing Winds - 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74

An attack that does base damage + bonus dmg in a straight line for 8-12 meters increasing as you
level the skill, plus adds a bleed attack. Also causes a bleed effect over 15 seconds that maxes at 3120
damage at lvl 10. This does not become stacked, as cooldown is 15 seconds, but will stack with Draw
Blood. I’ve heard the bleed effect is useful in duels, but have not benefited from it myself.

Farstrike - 39,43,47,51,55,59,63,67,71,75
A ranged attack that’s damage and range grows as it is leveled. Starting at 10.5 meters and base
dmg + 55% weapon dmg + 1051 dmg and growing to 15 meters with and attack of base + 100% + 2647
dmg. Useful for helping with harpies in FCC as well as grabbing bosses that try to run by you after being
lured.

Meteor Rush – 49,53,57,61,65,69,73,77,81,85

This is another “aoe in a straight line” that poleblades have. It has a range of 12 meters and causes
knockback, buying you time for its 6 second cooldown, or pairing it with piercing winds 15 second
cooldown. At level 10 it deals 3093 damage and knocks back 18 meters.

Glacial Spike– 59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86

A very useful squad skill for two sparks. This is an aoe with a range of 12 meters causing 50%
magical and physical defense reduction of opponents for 10 seconds, as well as causing a large amount
of damage. Damage is maxed at level 10 with base + 100% + 5882 dmg. If there are other decent
damage dealers in your squad and you are gaining chi quickly enough, rotate this out with Heaven’s
Flame while HF is in cool down. The effect of GS lasts longer, but the benefits are not as high as HF due
to diminishing returns of defense (less benefit for each additional defensive point). For instance, if you
reduce an opponent’s defense from 10k to 5k they will not take twice the amount of damage because
the first 5k of their defense gives them the most benefit. It’s more approximately another 40-50%
damage increase.

Sword
Sword Mastery – 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74
You gain 6% sword damage per level, up to 60%.

Mage Bane - 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74

The same dmg boost as other paths lvl 29 skill, Mage Bane gives you increased bonus dmg for
each level up to 3120 at level 10. In addition it will slow the opponents channeling speed by 50% for
3.5-8 seconds as the level increases. This makes it a relatively useless pve skill but an exceptional pvp
skill for BMs to have against casters.

Spirit Chaser – 39,43,47,51,55,59,63,67,71,75

A ranged attack. That’s about it. Spirit chaser grows its range and bonus damage per skill level
but its bonus dmg, maxing at 2473, is never worth the mana or channeling time it takes to cast this skill.
Used as a ranged attack when there aren’t other options.

Atmos Strike – 49,53,57,61,65,69,73,77,81,85

With a cast time of 1.7 second, I haven’t found a use for this skill. It deals base dmg + % weapon
dmg + bonus dmg and causes a knock back of 12.6-18 meters. Meteor Rush is much quicker to cast and
deals linear aoe dm for the same knockback effect, but Atmos Strike deals greater damage per hit. At
level 10 dmg is base + 100% + 3417

Myriad Sword Stance – 59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86

The hardest hitting skill in the BM inventory and an aoe at that. For two sparks, enemies within
range have base dmg + % weapon dmg+ bonus dmg dealt to them, plus have their physical and magical
attacks reduced by 32-50% for 15 seconds. At level 10, this means mobs in a 12 meter radius of target
receive base + 200% + 6096.8 dmg, and an attack reduction of 50%. As beautiful as this skill is, I rarely
use it offensively. The benefits of using two sparks for HF or GS, or even a double spark would give me
better damage in the long run, especially in a squad as two of those skills would amplify my squads
damage. The real use for this is to save a tank who is not being healed fast enough and you need to
slow down the boss so the cleric can stack His.
Fist
Fist Mastery – 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74
You gain 6% fist damage per level, up to 60%.

Vacuous Palm - 29,34,39,44,49,54,59,64,69,74

Essentially the same skill as Ocean’s Edge. You deal more dmg and it is a quicker attack. It is
more reliable than Ocean’s Edge, which has a percent attack, and per level it slows the enemy more, but
it also only slows for 8 seconds where OE slows for 10 seconds. I would level it only once to get further
skills as OE is an all path skill and you get it 3 levels sooner, then save your spirit for other skills. Also,
slow skills become less useful as you get stuns.

Shadowless Kick – 39,43,47,51,55,59,63,67,71,75

Deal damage plus stop channeling. Outside sword skills you are relatively ineffective against
casters. Also, all path BMs have low hp and so it is recommended you try to avoid taking damage. This
skill has two invaluable bonuses. One, its faster than swords and can deliver a “stop target channeling”
sooner. Two, if your replace a barb as a tank you should also replace the barbs ability to stop boss aoes.
This is it. Only get the first level until you have extra spirit.

Cyclone Heel – 49,53,57,61,65,69,73,77,81,85

Massively important. It takes a small amount of time to channel and attack with, but it deals
extra damage then increases your attack speed so you can dish out damage even faster. The damage
increases each level, as well as +xx% weapon damage, and the increase to attack speed gets 1% per level
from 3-12%. Can be channeling canceled by switching weapons.

Drake’s Breath Bash – 59,62,65,68,71,74,77,80,83,86

For two sparks you fire a linear attack ranging from 8.4-12 meters dealing % weapons damage
plus bonus physical damage, then receive 15 seconds of added fire damage to your weapon. At level
one, you’ll deal 55% of your weapons damage + 3365.3 damage + receive 15 seconds of 35% of your
weapon in fire damage. At level 10 this becomes 100% weapon dmg + 5882 + 80% bonus fire dmg for 15
seconds. Can be channeling canceled for some major dd ability.
What should I level first?
With so many skills some will have to take priority, others will have to take a backseat, and some
can get ignored to the very end. Most BMs worry about not having enough spirit for all their skills, but
in the 80’s you receive a ton of spirit and no new skills. Unless you’ve hypered most your exp then spirit
for every skill shouldn’t be a problem. You just won’t have millions saved up for demon skills when you
hit lvl 89. Below is what I recommend leveling up to level 58.

Recommended, A must:
Tiger Maw (to level 5, then stop)
Drakes Ray (to level 5, then stop)
Draw Blood (to level 5, then stop)
Golden Bell
Alter Marrow Physical (get to level 5, then level as you can)
Alter Marrow Physical (get to level 5, then level as you can)
Roar of the Pride (Must Must Must)
Ocean’s Edge (to level 5, then stop)
Aeolian Blade (to level 5, then stop)
Drake’s Bash
Cyclone Heel (Must Must Must)

Level as you can:

Cloud Sprint (Max by 59 for Will of Bodhisatva)
Spirit Chaser
Farstrike
Highland Cleave
Drake Sweep
Meteor Rush
Fissure

Get only Level 1:

Stream Strike (important, but only need first level)
Diamond Sutra (important, but only need first level since most healing is from the 20% hp. The mana
cost becomes too expensive as you level and it becomes less worth it.)
Vacuous Palm
Shadowless kick (important, but only need first level)
Fan of Flames
Mage Bane
Piercing Winds
Atmos Strike

Level 59 and 79 skills:

My opinion of importance of lvl 59 skills is to get level 1 of all of them first. Then level Drakes
Breath Bash to use for channel canceling. Next level HF and MSS. What makes HF important is its 6
second curse that doubles dmg taken, which you get at level 1. Leveling after that adds dmg + fire dmg
over time which is great for dueling heavy army players, and makes aoe grinding easier when your have
2 sparks. MSS is a great “save your butt” skill in approaching squad wipes to reduce a bosses attack
damage. GS can be leveled last to alternate debuffs on a mob while your HF is in cooldown, or to stack
with HF when there are two BMs in a squad.
For level 79 skills I recommend Dragon Bane first, then Smack, then Bolt of Tyreseus. Dragon
Bane I find easier to use in more situations than the other two skills, and more useful in increasing
overall damage. Smack and BoT are both great skills. Smack isn’t used often but is actually helpful in
pulling mobs off squishies, so I’d level that second. Even though I use fist most the time I hardly ever use
a single spark skill and tend to just save up for the 2 or 3 spark skills and end up passing on BoT most the
time.

One last note on skills

Many give you a set amount of dmg, while others give you base damage plus x% of your
weapons dmg. Of course, the stronger your weapon is the more the x% skills value grows. These skills
are Aeolian Blade, Drake Bash, Far Strike, Highland Cleave, Atmos Strike, Cyclone Heal, Myriad Sword
Stance, Heavens Flame, and Drake’s Breath Bash.

Here is a link to ecatomb’s pwi blademaster Sage/Demon comparison site. I won’t talk about it
as the website covers it as well as I could. In general, Sage is more defensive for survivability and Demon
is more offensive for damage output. Most blademasters go Demon path as the community census is
that this is better but compare it yourself and choose what you’d prefer.
http://www.ecatomb.net/pwi/skillwr.php
Useful Attack Combos
Roar of the Pride +Heaven’s Flame + Drake Sweep + Highland Cleave + Fissure + Fist (equip)+ Cyclone
heel.
The idea here is to gather them all up then knock them down before they can really damage
you. Use Cloud Sprint for the gathering, aoe stun the mobs, Heaven’s Flame to amplify dmg ,
Highland Cleave, Drake Sweep, and Fissure (try to get all 3 within the 6 seconds curse) and
ending with Fissure slows them down. Cyclone heel last for increased attack speed and to fill
time through your cooldown. Either repeat this sequence by switching back to axe and redoing,
or pick off the last few alive singly with fists.

Drake’s Breathe Bash + axe/polearm/sword(equip)

DBB provides excellent damage and a 15 second fire damage buff for the cost of two sparks,
however if you cancel the channeling you don’t use the sparks, don’t deal the dmg, but still get
the bonus. DBB, then quickly weapon change before it casts. Process takes about .5 and will
give you a couple hundred extra dmg per attack. Great for dueling others with high pdef,
especially if they physical marrow also.

Fist(equip) + Alter Marrow Physical + Spark++, Spark+, Spark + cyclone heel

Used for attacking bosses. Only mana cost is cyclone heel every 15 seconds and dmg output is
usually higher than any skill combo because it is attack speed based. Plus spark use will heal
you. Use cyclone heel to regain sparks quicker or genie skills. You can also add the
DBB+weapon change skill for extra dmg. This should allow you to keep aggro from anyone.

Roar of the Pride + Fist (equip) + Aeolian Blade + Axe(equip) + Drakes Bash
The stun lock. 6+3+6 gives the 15 seconds needed as a cooldown for Roar of Pride. Aeolian
Blade only causes stun effect 50% of the time, but also only has a cooldown of 6 seconds.
Cancel/slow channeling skills as well as slow attack skills can add to the defenseless of your
opponent.

Alter marrow magical + Alter marrow physical + alter marrow magical + alter marrow physical + ….
Build up chi this way in between mobs. Careful, last cast will stick around for 30 seconds.
Interval Gear
If you’re a bm you’re going to want to learn all about interval gear. Beautiful beautiful
equipment as it increases your attack speed and hits per second, therefore increasing your damage
ouput. The theoretical goal is 5 attacks every second, but for many of us the cost and gear requirements
will be beyond our reach. However, any increase in attack speed is a bonus and will increase the our
damage output.

Most of the information in this section was compiled by Elenacostel, an archer, and can be found here.

http://pwi-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=279561

This is page is archer focused and talks more about bow, crossbow, and slingshot use. You
probably aren’t using these weapons but the rules don’t change. In addition, I’ve added some of my
own data and views.

A weapon will display its attack speed in the form of “number of attacks per second.” We then
convert this to the length of time one attack takes by taking the inverse (1/x) known as attack duration,
or how long an attack takes in seconds per attack. Interval gear subtracts from the length of time one
attack takes. We then use this to find the attacks per second by inversing the number again. Example:

Fist attack speed is 1.43 attacks per second

Inverse this for the seconds per attack = 1/1.43 . This is our inverse ratio 1/x.
Answer is = .6993 One attack takes .6993 seconds, rounded to .7 seconds per attack.

Now, lets say we have -.05 interval gear and -.1 interval gear for a total of - .15. Subtract this number
from the seconds per attack. Example:

We’ve shown 1.43 aps fists have a base attack speed of .7 sec/attack. Subtract the -.15 from our interval
gear and calculate our new aps.

.7 sec/attack - .15 sec/attack = .55 sec/attack

Inverse (1/x) of .55 = 1/.55 = 1.8181 aps rounded to 1.82.

Increase attack speed by xx%

Another possible mod is “increase attack speed by xx%”. This is pretty straightforward for BMs.
Apparently the archer ias is glitched and less straightforward but ours is basic math. First convert your
attack speed to seconds per attack (ie 1.43 = .7) then times that number by 1 - xx%.
If the number is exactly between two breakpoint, like .575 seconds per attack is between .55
and .6 you will be bumped to the faster breakpoint. Most increased attack speed skills don’t stack, like
Demon sparks + Cyclone Heel or genie skill.

You can use the chart below to find the nearest seconds/attack benchmark.

Example:
You currently have 1.82 attacks per second and level 10 Cyclone Heel increases your attack speed by
12%. So,
1.82 aps = .55 sec/atk x (1-.12) = .55 x .88 = .484 which is closest to .5 which on the chart equals
2.00 aps.

1.82 aps = .55 sec/atk x (1-.12) = .55 x .88 = .484 which is closest to .5 whic on the chart equals 2.00 aps.
0.83 attacks / sec (1.20 secs / attack) Dual Hammers, Dual Axes
0.87 attacks / sec (1.15 secs / attack)
0.91 attacks / sec (1.10 secs / attack) Dual Swords, Dual Blades, Polehammer, Poleaxe
0.95 attacks / sec (1.05 secs / attack)
1.00 attacks / sec (1.00 secs / attack) Poleblade, Club, Pike
1.05 attacks / sec (0.95 secs / attack)
1.11 attacks / sec (0.90 secs / attack) Sword, Blade
1.18 attacks / sec (0.85 secs / attack)
1.25 attacks / sec (0.80 secs / attack)
1.33 attacks / sec (0.75 secs / attack)
1.43 attacks / sec (0.70 secs / attack) Fist (weapon), Claw
1.54 attacks / sec (0.65 secs / attack)
1.67 attacks / sec (0.60 secs / attack)
1.82 attacks / sec (0.55 secs / attack)
2.00 attacks / sec (0.50 secs / attack)
2.22 attacks / sec (0.45 secs / attack)
2.50 attacks / sec (0.40 secs / attack)
2.86 attacks / sec (0.35 secs / attack)
3.33 attacks / sec (0.30 secs / attack)
4.00 attacks / sec (0.25 secs / attack)
5.00 attacks / sec (0.20 secs / attack) Maximum Attack Speed / Minimum Attack Interval

An incomplete list of some interval gear

Crafting any wrist guards or weapons lvl 60 or above will have a small chance to have –interval as a mod,
odds are about 2-3% of this happening.

Helms

Chests

Wrist guards
Level 60 Vambraces of Blood Moon: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 60(LA) Bracers of Blood Moon: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 80 Legion Vambraces: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.
Level 80 Elfcrafted Heavy Bracers: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 80(LA) Spirit Eater’s Bracers: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 90 Vambraces of the Brute: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.
Level 99(LA) General’s Bracers: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.
Level 95 Solar Flash Sleevelets: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 95 Ghostseeker Bracers: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.
Level 99 Lionheart Vambraces: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.
Level 99(LA) Ashuras Bracers: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.

Thighs
Level 100 Nirvana Cascade Glow Greaves: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.

Boots

Weapons
As same as the wristguards, all the crafted meele weapons have a chance to give -0.05 Interval between
hits, so once more, in theory it is possible to get a weapon with -0.15.

Level 30 Dual Axes Handaxes of Demonic Roar: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 52 Dual Hammers Gale Dual Hammers: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.
Level 95 Fist Gorenox Vanity: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 95 Claw Deicide: Interval Between Hits -0.1 seconds
Level 97 Dual Hammers Dragon's Vibrancy: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.
Level 98 Dual Blades Demonic Rebuttal: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 99 Pike Dragon's Bite: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.
Level 100 Fist Striking Dragon: Interval Between Hits -0.10 seconds.

Cape/Robe
Level 90 Energetic Robe: Lunar Glade Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.

Necklace

Belt

Rings

Tome
Level 0 Love: Up and Down: Interval Between Hits -0.05 seconds.

Other
Using two items of the Lionheart's Power set (HH99 Heavy Armor Gold set) you get: Interval Between
Hits -0.05 seconds.
Using two items of the Ashura's Power set (HH99 Light Armor Gold set) you get: Interval Between Hits
-0.05 seconds.

Rank Gear
I compiled all the blademaster rank gear and linked it here.
http://www.pdfonline.com/convert-pdf-to-html/success.aspx?
zip=DocStorage/c37a0b2108ce41ba9f43d6690b323e94/BM Rank Gear.zip

Thanks
 Special thanks and considerations go out to the BMs of Destiny and S.B.K who helped with both
advice and help leveling my BM and teaching me the in-and-outs of the character. Nothing drives you as
much as seeing a smexy high level annihilate things.

Lindura, her guide is still an excellent resource as well as contributing to the forums with some interval
gear advice.
http://pwi-wiki.perfectworld.com/index.php/Lyndura%27s_Blademaster_Class_Guide.
PWpedia for help with rank gear
http://pwi-wiki.perfectworld.com/index.php/Rank
Ecatomb.net, an obvious wealth of information on skills and other pwi related subjects
http://www.ecatomb.net/pwi/skillpwi.php
Elenacostel for her excellent guide on archer interval and attack speed. Answered a lot of my questions.
http://pwi-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=279561&highlight=Archer+attack+speed+basics
Thanks to Okeano for reviewing my work and helping me correct a few things I'd missed ;)

Also thanks to the BM forum community for answering a lot of my questions and providing a good laugh
every now and then.

http://www.scribd.com/full/35415820?access_key=key-as4csyy9iv61mppvqx4