Classes
Blade & Soul contain a total of 14 playable classes, up from 7 that were present in the game at its launch, each with their own unique race(s) and playstyles. Each class presents its own abilities, fighting style, and role in a combat scenario.
Class Selection
Your picked class will only be playable with its own respective class equipment. That means it can prove difficult to switch from your picked class, so pick carefully! The following classes are currently playable within the game:
Assassin
Astromancer
Blade Dancer
Blade Master
Destroyer
Dual Blade
Force Master
Gunslinger
Kung Fu Master
Soul Fighter
Summoner
Warden
Warlock
Zen Archer
Class Specializations
In the table, you'll find information for what specializations each class can select. The specialization will change the playstyle in its entirety and can be customized further by unique talents.
Combat
The Basics
Blade & Soul utilizes an action combat system, allowing you to truly feel like a martial artist. Being aware of your surroundings, correctly positioning yourself, knowing when to defend, when to attack, and choosing the best response to your opponent are all key to being able to truly master your martial prowess.
In order for your attacks to have their intended impact, you generally need to be facing your opponent. Some skills have a ranged impact, where everyone who’s standing in front of you will be damaged as long as they’re within range. These can generally be used at any time, and anyone who gets in your way will be hit. Some abilities require a target to use, and usually, the opponent that’s directly in front of you and within range of your abilities will be targeted. You’ll know when you’re targeting someone when the cross-hair cursor snaps to them, and their information appears on the top of the screen.
The combat in Blade & Soul is dependent on your actions and reaction, and many of your martial abilities are triggered upon certain events. Your action bar at the bottom of the screen shows the skills you have available in general situations; however, these skill bars will shift to display abilities that are available to take advantage of a given situation.
For example, if you’re knocked down, your skill options will change to a give you a number of different abilities that allow you to jump back up into the battle. But be quick, or you could lose your chance to respond.
Through training, effort, and perseverance, a martial artist hones the skills of their style—their class. These skills vary greatly from class to class, and through the wielder’s wisdom and preparation, their individual style is defined. The skills a martial artist applies themselves to can be focused upon, improved, and increased in power and impact. And by specializing one’s focus, even those of the same class can call upon vastly different abilities.
History of the Martial Tome
Skill Trees
Although it was the first skill system in the game, it was also the most customizable. As you progressed and learned more, you unlocked the ability to customize your skills; and with each character level gained you also gained a skill point to spend. Most skills could be enhanced and customized through a skill tree defined in your Martial Tome—a series of options that allowed a skill to be increased in strength, or specialized in a number of ways. When opening the skill window, one could see all of the skills they had access to, how to activate them, as well as a description of the skill’s abilities—including any prerequisites or conditions that had to be met, and the type of damage that a skill may use.
This system was introduced when the game launched and was replaced in April of 2017 alongside the Secrets of the Stratus update.
Skill Overhaul
Alongside the April 2017 update, the skill system received an overhaul. Instead of the old skill tree, the skills were unlocked at specific levels, and you chose between different Moves for each skill to specialize them. Skills were further specialized per class by the class’ Elements. For example, as a Blade Master you could choose between creating a Flame or Lightning build, selecting your unlocked skills, and specializing those skills by choosing their Move. The names for the class' Elements carried over to the newest skill system.
This system was introduced when Secrets of the Stratus launched and was replaced in March of 2019 alongside the Legacy of the Hongmoon Clan update.
Class Specialization
Going from six different Elements, with each class having two Elements each, a new Talent system was implemented in its place. Each class now has two or three specializations. The new specializations are sometimes reminiscent of the old class' elements, like how the new Scourge Warlock is similar to its Shadow Warlock predecessor.
To be able to access the talent system, you have to both reach level 55 - HM7 and complete the Awakening quest Legacy of the Hongmoon Clan. Once finished, each class can select between either two or three Specializations and five different Talents within that Specialization. Each Specialization has 15 talents available that change the function of certain abilities.
The third specialization for each class is added gradually. At this point in time, the Blade Master, the Kung Fu Master, the Destroyer, the Assassin, the Force Master, the Blade Dancer, and the Summoner have received their third class specialization.
The new skill system also brought along Skill Enhancement Points, unlockable from the Achievements menu. A maximum of five skill points can be assigned to one skill. These only add to the base damage of the skill. Additional Skill Enhancement Points can be made available by equipping an Amulet.
