Swordmaster

Archetype: Tank

Special Mechanic: Blade Dance

Sword Masters are the High Elf Tank. They are fighters specializing in magical attacks, Sword Masters string togeather short chains of attacks in a graceful Blade Dance. With each swing of their weapons they step into a more balanced fighting position, allowing them to use more powerful attacks, and increas their balance even further. With magical enchantements to bolster the strenght of their attacks, Sword Masters are deadl front-line warriors.

Specialty
The most important mechanic of the Swordmaster is his Blade Dancing - a combo system in which the Swordmaster strings together different attacks and abilities that slowly build to powerful finishing moves. These different Blade Dances have very different functions; some are designed to help ward off damage, some are designed for dealing damage, and others presumably for taunting targets off of the Swordmaster's allies.

As he uses different Blade Dances, the Swordmaster builds up Balance - a mechanic that represents the Swordmaster's disciplined practice of drawing their opponent off-guard, while placing themselves in the perfect position to strike. Balance is built and maintained in three distinct stages, Normal Balance, Improved Balance, andPerfect Balance. At each stage, the advanced Swordmaster has a number of options available to him: attacks and stances that increase, decrease or maintain his Balance level. Just as you would expect, the most powerful abilities are the ones that simultaneously reduce the Balance level, thus making each action in combat a trade-off between immediate gain or improved overall effectiveness.

Path of Vaul
The Path of Vaul provides protection-based masteries, specializing in group defenses and shields, and the mitigation of enemy damage.

Path of Khaine
The Path of Khaine allows the Swordmaster to learn offensive masteries that improve his ability with a greatsword. A master of the Path of Khaine can deal greater damage using a greatsword and can also use it to lower his opponent's defenses.

Path of Hoeth
A specialist in the Path of Hoeth has a much greater control of the winds of magic, giving them a range of magical abilities useful in both attack and defense.

Changes:

 * Crashing Wave is available at 9pts in Vaul