lunacrescent's Comprehensive Fencer Guide

Classic guides relating to Jobs, many of these are from the TWDomo forums. Please note that these guides are extremely old, and may not be relevant to the current game. They are preserved here for archival purposes.
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Leirosa
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lunacrescent's Comprehensive Fencer Guide

Post by Leirosa »

Original Author: lunacrescent
Retrieved from Aeria by Angitia.

September 2017: Images Rehosted.
lunacrescent wrote:Hey everyone! I've been working hard on this and I hope it helps you all with any questions you may have about Fencers. Please read everything here before asking questions!

1. What are Fencers?
Fencers are fighters with both physical and magical attack powers. They are adept at imbuing attacks with different elemental powers and incapacitating enemies. They are a lot like a melee Shaman, and work in much the same way.

They can do close range, elemental-attributed offensive attacks using a Sabers*. For a short period of time, the weapon used will be imbued with an elemental power. The power of these skills (Elemental Attacks) is strengthened mostly by Magic attack power, but physical attack attribute also has an effect on the final damage inflicted. Aside from being able to do solo skills, they also have advanced level AOE skills that imbue you and your party members with elemental attributes, whilst doing the enemies surrounding you damage.

Fencers can also use skills that incapacitate enemies for a long period of time. Effects include preventing enemies from moving, using magic, or attacking. As these effects have a long duration, they are useful against bosses and other players. Improving magical accuracy (dex) increases the chance of success when using these skills. These skills are great in PvP, but they have a reduced chance of working or decreased endurance time on players.

Fencers also have the skills that allow you to equip a Saber whilst on other job classes.

Fencers use Sabers and wear Light Armor. Sabers are single handed weapons with good magical and physical attack power. Light armor has good physical defense, but lacks other attributes. They make half decent pullers in parties because their Light Armor protects them from the damage inflicted upon them by monsters.

2. How do I become a Fencer?
Once you're level 10 or higher in any class, you can talk to the NPC Fencer Careers Advisor in the Dojo (155, 178).
The NPC requires that you defeat him in battle. Don't worry; it's relatively easy, even on a level 10 job.

3. Advantages of being a Fencer
Great in PvP - their debuff skills partnered with the solo Elemental Attack skills work great against other players. You can disable someones attacks and then wipe them out with a few well placed solo skills.

Low mp costs and low cool downs - Fencers skills (Elemental attacks) use a small amount of MP and the cool down on them is relatively short.

AOEs - Fencers also have Aoe skills that do fairly decent amounts of damage once they're leveled a few times - and you get them starting at a fairly low level.

Work well with other magic class - Because they use Wisdom and Magical attack to do most of their skill-based damage, they work well with other magic-based classes such as Wizard and Shaman.

Work well with other physical classes - Fencer also uses physical attack to do damage, and therefore also works with other classes such as Blademaster.

4. Disadvantages of being a Fencer
Fencer spam - this is rather annoying and it's something that will hopefully be fixed soon. Since the elemental attacks don't overlap, if there is more than one fencer in a party, you get a bunch of spam telling you that your skills won't overlap each other. This also occurs if you use a skill that is higher level than the other. For example, if Howling Wind is level 4 and you cast it first, then use a level 2 Roaring Inferno, you get the spam because the level 2 skill can't cover the level 4. Fortunately, your teammates don't see this spam, only you do.

Soloing - Unfortunately, like Shaman, you don't get to Aoe until a higher level, although you do get your Aoes earlier than a Shaman does. But until then you're stuck soloing unless you have a sub equipped that uses Aoes.

Skill Points - Unfortunately, because there's so many good skills that Fencers have, they tend to be really short on SP, especially if you want to be both AOE and PvP, or have Equip Sword. I suggest leaning towards either one or the other.

Skills wear off when you unequip weapon - If you unequip your weapon, any buffs you may have cast on yourself automatically turn off.

5. Good builds for Fencer
The three most important stats for Fencers are Wisdom, Power, and Dexterity. I've experimented with a couple of different builds and the two that worked the best were:

2 Wis: 1 Dex - You get your physical power here from both wisdom and dex (you get phys attack power+ with every stat except dura) The dex helps with the PvP skills and Aoes, and the Wisdom help with both MP problems and boosts Aoe skills. It also works nicely if you have a class such as Wizard or Shaman subbed.

2 Power : 1 Wis - This build isn't quite as good, especially if you like to PvP because of the lack of dex. This is a better build for those who like to use subs such as Blademaster.

3 Wis (pure) - Wis also adds attack, so you don't need to worry about having a lack of physical attack. Bonuses to this, is that you have a much higher MP and it regens way way faster. Downside to this, is that you miss more often and don't hit as hard as with a POW build.

Ultimately, it's up to you what build you want to use. These are the two that worked the best for me.

6. Skills of Fencers
Image Elemental Attacks (require Sabers to use)

ImageBoundless Falling Leaves - Attacks with a wood enchanted saber. Prevents movement and attack for a short period of time, adds wood attribute to your weapon, and boosts attack speed - Single target
ImageRaging Torrent - Attacks with a water enchanted saber disabling abilities for a short period of time, adds water attribute to your weapon, and boosts attack speed - Single target
ImageRolling Thunder - Attacks with a metal enchanted saber preventing attack for a short period of time, adds metal attribute to your weapon, and boosts attack speed - Single target
ImageBurning Backdraft - Attacks with a fire enchanted saber stopping movement and magic for a short period of time, adds fire attribute to your weapon, and boosts attack speed - Single target
ImageLooming Mountain - Attacks with an earth enchanted saber lowering movement and accuracy for a short period of time, adds earth attribute to your weapon, and boosts attack speed - Single target
ImageHowling Wind - Area attack with a wood enchanted saber. Stops enemies and adds wood attribute to you and your party members' attacks for a short period of time - Multiple target
ImageCrashing Waves - Area attack with a water enchanted saber. Adds water attribute to you and your party members' attacks for a short period of time - Multiple target
ImageCracking Thunder - Area attack with a metal enchanted saber. Adds metal attribute to you and your party members' attacks for a short period of time - Multiple target
ImageRoaring Inferno - Area attack with a fire enchanted saber. Adds fire attribute to you and your party members' attacks for a short period of time - Multiple target
ImageCrushing Landslide - Area attack with an earth enchanted saber. Adds earth attribute to you and your party members' attacks for a short period of time - Multiple target.

Image Targeted Attacks (requires either a weapon or a Saber to be equipped, all single target)

ImageStunning Strike - Disables the enemy's abilities for a short amount of time (1/2 against other players)
ImageRazzle Dazzle - Reflects light into the enemy's eyes, lowering accuracy for a short period of time (1/2 against other players)
ImageSlap on the Wrist - Targets an enemy's arm, disabling their attacks for a short period of time. Reduced chance of success against other players.
ImageToughen Magic - Improves the casters magical attack for a short period of time
ImageMagic Barrier - Improves the casters magical defense for a short period of time
ImageCrippling Clout - Targets an enemy's legs, immobilizing them for a short period of time. (1/3 against other players)
ImageSinister Saber - Focuses power of the saber causing physical damage, affecting the targets eyesight reducing accuracy for a decent period of time
ImagePressure Point Strike - Strikes a targets pressure points, causing damage and disabling attacks for a short period of time.
ImageOffensive Aura - Uses the forces of nature to increase the casters magical and physical attack
ImageDefensive Aura - Uses the forces of nature to increase the casters magical and physical attack.

Image Fencing Skills

ImageEquip Saber - allows you to equip sabers on any job without any penalties
ImageSaber Mastery - Allows Sabers to be equipped on any job at x% of original strength (does not allow you to use skills)

7. AOE build - What do I need?.
For an AOE type build, it's essential to have all of the Elemental Attacks. The first page are all solo skills, but evolve into advanced AOE skills in the mid-20s. It's also useful to have some sort of AOE sub equipped, such as Thief, Shaman, Blademaster, Wizard, etc.

8. PvP Build - What do I need?.
Stun Strike, Offensive and Defensive Auras, and the solo Elemental Attacks are the best skills for PvP. Buff yourself with the Auras to boost your attack and def, then spam the target with Stun and the solo elemental attacks. If you're quick, you'll have stunned the enemy and they won't be able to attack you or use abilities. They'll only be able to stand there pathetically whimpering because they can't do anything >:3

9. Life quests.
For information on the life quests you can check my Fencer Quest Guide.

*There is a slight translation error with the names of Swords and Sabers. Sabers should be properly labeled Swords, and vice versa. Meaning, a Sword is really a Saber and a Saber is really a sword. Confusing, I know. With this in mind, it means that the weapons that Fencers use should actually be called Swords.

If there is anything you would like to add to this guide, be more than welcome to post it here and I'll add it in ^_^
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