Sword Swap Human Brawler

Open this build in the planner

The planner opens Wildstrider with the tree and the attributes of this guide. Its Damage tab gives a damage per second estimate for your own gear and target.

Level 25 gives 48 points; the last 12 come from first boss kills.

A player's build tier list in the balance channel puts the Human Brawler sword swap and Furious Strike build in tier A. Human Brawler also shares the top spot with Minotaur Brawler for the most video guides among brawlers. Players in the build channel say sword only Weapon Swap is the strongest sword skill, and they call the bleed consuming Furious Strike strong. The newest patch took away the Health cost of Furious Strike, and players say the spell feels much better since then.

• Build and balance messages that name Weapon Swap or sword swap: 47
• Build and balance messages that name Furious Strike: 74
• Build and balance messages that name the Human Brawler: 54

Counted on our copy of the official Dimraeth Discord, bot messages left out. A count shows how much players talk about a build, not how strong it is.

• Everything feeds one hit. Weapon Swap applies Bleeding and raises your damage, and Furious Strike consumes the Bleeding with Harvesting Strike.
• The newest patch removed the Health cost of Furious Strike. Its old cost was 15 percent of max Health per cast, according to the patch notes. The three nodes that lowered that cost now add dash range.
• The build needs no keystone, so the points go into crit and Bleeding. The auto cast keystone Pulverizing Frenzy now has an internal cooldown of 10 seconds, up from 2, per the official patch notes. Players in the build channel counted that it costs about 7 points for one free Pulverize every few seconds and judged it not worth it, so this guide leaves it out.
• Crits matter because the damage comes in few large hits. The tree takes both crit branches that sit next to the swap and strike paths.

The nodes that make it work

The first line under each node is the game text.

• Blade DisciplineWeapon Swap only performs sword swap. You cannot use your crossbow.Locks Weapon Swap to the sword, so every cast is a dash into the fight. The crossbow jump back is gone.
• Versatile WarriorWeapon Swap increases all damage by 15% for 8 seconds.Every swap raises all your damage for a few seconds. Cast Furious Strike inside that window.
• Rending SwapSword swap applies 2 Bleeding to enemies hit. Crossbow swap shots apply 2 Bleeding.The Bleeding source of the build. Each sword dash puts Bleeding on every enemy it passes.
• Harvesting StrikeFurious Strike consumes Bleeding on its target to deal 6% more damage per Bleeding consumed, up to 60%.Furious Strike eats the Bleeding on its target for extra damage.
• Repeating StrikeFurious Strike's cooldown resets on kill.A kill resets Furious Strike, so in a pack of weak monsters you can dash from one to the next.
• Hero's TurnYour sword swap unleashes a spinning slash upon reaching the dash's end, dealing Strike Damage to all enemies around you.Adds a spinning slash at the end of the sword dash, so the swap also hits the enemies around your target.
• Blood FuryIncrease your Critical Damage by 12% Increase your Spell Haste by 4.The largest Critical Damage node near the path, with Spell Haste on top.

• Furious StrikeFrom the skill tree · cooldown 12 sYour main damage. It dashes to the target and hits once. Its cooldown in the game files is 12 seconds before haste, and since the newest patch it costs no Health.
• Weapon SwapFrom the skill tree · cooldown 8 sThe opener and the setup. It dashes in, applies Bleeding and starts the Versatile Warrior buff. Its base cooldown is 8 seconds.
• Tendon SliceFrom Spellbook Tendon Slice · cooldown 4 sA cheap extra Bleeding source from a spellbook. It needs only a little Agility, which this plan buys. Use it on a boss when Weapon Swap is on cooldown.
• Quick JabFrom the skill tree · cooldown 4 sA start spell with two charges. It hits for Blunt Damage and raises your Physical Damage for a moment, so jab right before Furious Strike lands.
• DevourFrom Spellbook Devour · cooldown 8 sA spellbook that needs only Strength. It hits harder the lower the enemy's Health, and a kill with it gives you a shield. Use it to finish a monster when Furious Strike is on cooldown.
• ParryFrom the skill tree · cooldown 0.25 sA start spell. Keep it on the bar for the big boss attacks.
• DashFrom the skill tree · cooldown 0.35 sA start spell and your escape. It also triggers the Rumbler bonus, so use it to open a burst.

Slot 1Weapon Swap

Slot 2Furious Strike

Slot 3Tendon Slice

Slot 4Quick Jab

Slot 5Devour

Dash keyDash

Defensive keyParry

The spell bar has five slots, then the dash and the defensive spell of your race on their own keys (the game HUD: Spell1 to Spell5, DashSpell, DefensiveSpell).

Pet

Carrion Parrot · casts Carrion Sweep every 8 seconds

It swoops on Bleeding enemies and adds Bleeding to the target and one more enemy. That is more stacks for Harvesting Strike to consume, for no action on your part.

A pet can reach level 8 while you are level 25: one pet level per 3 of yours, and never above 20.

Item bar

The item bar has 4 slots.

• Lesser Health PotionA healing draft brewed with enchanted water and herbs.Your main heal. Melee builds take hits, and there is no healing in the tree.
• Lesser Stamina PotionA revitalizing tonic scented with mint and wild herbs.Both dashes, Tendon Slice and your guard cost Stamina. Drink this when a long boss fight drains it.
• Copper Throwing KnifeA finely balanced copper throwing knife that passes through enemies. Favored for its precision and weight in combat.Applies Bleeding from range to every enemy it passes. Throw it before Furious Strike when you cannot get close yet.
• Hunter's StewA warm, nourishing stew slow-cooked with care. Often shared at village hearths after long days of labor.Food that raises max Health and Stamina for a long time. Eat it before a boss.

Each level gives 2 skill points, and the first kill of some bosses gives one more. The level shown is the first level with enough points for the step, before any boss point.

1. Level 6 10 points

   Go straight for Furious Strike, your main hit. The Strike Damage nodes on the way already help it. Add its three damage nodes and Repeating Strike, so a kill resets the cooldown and you can chain it through weak packs.

   The nodes of this step

   Health Boost, Strike Damage Increase, Strike Damage Increase, Strike Damage Increase, Berserker Blood, Furious Strike, Furious Strike Damage Increase I, Furious Strike Damage Increase II, Furious Strike Damage Increase III, Repeating Strike

2. Level 13 13 points

   Now build Weapon Swap. Take Versatile Warrior for the damage buff, the cooldown nodes, Hero's Turn and the Sword Swap damage nodes, then Blade Discipline so every swap is a sword dash.

   The nodes of this step

   Stamina Boost, Stamina Boost, Stamina Boost, Human Endurance, Versatile Warrior, Weapon Swap Cooldown Reduction I, Weapon Swap Cooldown Reduction II, Weapon Swap Cooldown Reduction III, Hero's Turn, Weapon Swap Strike Damage Increase I, Weapon Swap Strike Damage Increase II, Weapon Swap Strike Damage Increase III, Blade Discipline

3. Level 18 10 points

   Close the loop. Rending Swap makes the sword dash apply Bleeding, and Harvesting Strike makes Furious Strike consume it for more damage. The nodes on the way lengthen Versatile Warrior and shorten the Furious Strike cooldown.

   The nodes of this step

   Versatile Warrior Duration Increase I, Versatile Warrior Duration Increase II, Versatile Warrior Duration Increase III, Weapon Swap Cost Reduction III, Rending Swap, Furious Strike Cooldown Decrease I, Furious Strike Cooldown Decrease II, Furious Strike Cooldown Decrease III, Furious Strike Range Increase III, Harvesting Strike

4. Level 21 6 points

   Take the three Harvesting Strike Increase I nodes and the three Rending Swap Increase I nodes. One swap now puts more Bleeding down, and each stack is worth more to Furious Strike.

   The nodes of this step

   Harvesting Strike Increase I, Harvesting Strike Increase II, Harvesting Strike Increase III, Rending Swap Increase I, Rending Swap Increase II, Rending Swap Increase III

5. Level 25 and 4 boss points 13 points

   Spend the next points on the Brawler crit branch: Critical Damage, Blood Fury, damage against Bleeding enemies and Critical Chance. A big single hit gains the most from crits.

   The nodes of this step

   Critical Damage Increase, Critical Damage Increase, Critical Damage Increase, Critical Damage Increase, Critical Damage Increase, Blood Fury, Increased Damage vs. Bleeding, Increased Damage vs. Bleeding, Increased Damage vs. Bleeding, Critical Strike Chance Increase, Critical Strike Chance Increase, Critical Strike Chance Increase, Critical Strike Chance Increase

6. Level 25 and 12 boss points 8 points

   Finish on the Human side with Critical Chance, Spell Haste for shorter cooldowns and Surge of Mastery, which gives attack speed after a crit.

   The nodes of this step

   Spell Haste, Spell Haste, Critical Strike Chance Increase, Critical Strike Chance Increase, Critical Strike Chance Increase, Critical Strike Chance Increase, Spell Haste, Surge of Mastery

Strength gives the most Physical Power per point and is the cheapest attribute for a Human Brawler. Two points of Agility unlock the Tendon Slice spellbook. Physique adds Health, which a melee build that dashes into packs needs. The rest goes back into Strength.

Points are trained cheapest first: each one goes to the attribute whose next point costs the least XP at that moment. The whole plan costs 122490 XP. The same points in the order the guide started from cost 126090 XP.

Stat priorities

• Strength first. It gives 1 Physical Power per point, against 0.5 from Agility or Adventure, and it is the cheapest attribute for this pair.
• Physique second. Each point adds 10 Health. Aim for the plan's total before you raise Strength further.
• On gear, Critical Damage before Critical Chance. The tree already gives crit chance from Critical Strike Chance Increase, while the largest crit damage steps are on the Amulet and Badges.
• Strike Damage before Physical Damage on the Rune and Rings. Its base roll is 6 against 4 for Physical Damage.
• Then Spell Haste and Attack Speed. Haste shortens Furious Strike and Weapon Swap, and Attack Speed fills the gaps with basic attacks.

The planner link trains them in this order up to level 25. A point costs base x (1 + (points above your start - 1) / 3) ^ 1.1 + 100 x your level in XP, so the order changes the total.

Every slot, as a target: Mythical, 3 stars, forge level 12. That is the best piece a player can own in this version of the game. The planner link carries this gear, so the planner shows its totals and damage.

Damage slots take Strike Damage as the main stat, because Weapon Swap and Furious Strike both deal Strike Damage. Critical Damage leads on the Amulet and Badges: its base roll is 8 against 3 for Critical Chance, and one big hit gains the most from it. Spell Haste on the Bracers shortens both dashes. The defence slots stack Health and Armor, since the build lives in melee range. Extras favour Physical Damage, Strike Piercing and Attack Speed on damage pieces and Health and Armor everywhere else.

The stat values follow the game's forge rule for each piece's stars and forge level. The planner uses the same rule.

• Rune · Gorehorn · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 16.5 Strike Damage
  Extra stats: 8.2% Physical Damage, 10.3 Strike Piercing, 6.2 Physical Piercing, 5.9 Attack Speed, 14.9 HP, 10.6 Armor
• Under-coat · Gorehorn · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 22 HP
  Extra stats: 12.4 Armor, 12.4 Strike Armor, 12.4 Blunt Armor, 11.8 Resistance, 14.9 Stamina, 14.1 Stamina Regen
• Belt · Pitfighter · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 22 HP
  Extra stats: 12.4 Armor, 12.4 Resistance, 12.4 Strike Armor, 11.8 Blunt Armor, 14.9 Stamina, 14.1 Stamina Regen
• Charm · Gorehorn · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 22 Stamina Regen
  Extra stats: 16.5 Stamina, 16.5 HP, 12.4 Armor, 11.8 Resistance, 5.6 Spell Haste, 10.6 Blunt Armor
• Ring 1 · Gorehorn · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 16.5 Strike Damage
  Extra stats: 8.2% Physical Damage, 10.3 Strike Piercing, 6.2 Physical Piercing, 5.9 Attack Speed, 14.9 HP, 10.6 Armor
• Ring 2 · Gorehorn · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 16.5 Strike Damage
  Extra stats: 8.2% Physical Damage, 10.3 Strike Piercing, 6.2 Physical Piercing, 5.9 Attack Speed, 14.9 HP, 10.6 Armor
• Amulet 1 · Rumbler · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 22% Critical Multiplier
  Extra stats: 6.2% Critical Rate, 8.2% Physical Damage, 12.4 Strike Damage, 5.9 Attack Speed, 5.6 Spell Haste, 14.1 HP
• Amulet 2 · Rumbler · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 8.3% Critical Rate
  Extra stats: 16.5% Critical Multiplier, 8.2% Physical Damage, 12.4 Strike Damage, 5.9 Attack Speed, 5.6 Spell Haste, 14.1 HP
• Badge 1 · Rumbler · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 22% Critical Multiplier
  Extra stats: 6.2% Critical Rate, 8.2% Physical Damage, 12.4 Strike Damage, 5.9 Attack Speed, 14.9 HP, 10.6 Armor
• Badge 2 · Rumbler · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 22% Critical Multiplier
  Extra stats: 6.2% Critical Rate, 8.2% Physical Damage, 12.4 Strike Damage, 5.9 Attack Speed, 14.9 HP, 10.6 Armor
• Bracer 1 · Pitfighter · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 8.3 Spell Haste
  Extra stats: 8.2% Physical Damage, 6.2 Attack Speed, 16.5 HP, 11.8 Armor, 11.2 Resistance, 14.1 Stamina Regen
• Bracer 2 · Pitfighter · Mythical · 3 stars · +11 (forge level 12)
  Main stat: 8.3 Spell Haste
  Extra stats: 8.2% Physical Damage, 6.2 Attack Speed, 16.5 HP, 11.8 Armor, 11.2 Resistance, 14.1 Stamina Regen

While levelling

• While levelling, wear whatever raises Strike or Physical Damage. Goblin Basher drop Rumbler Rune, Undercoat and Belt pieces at one star, so early pieces come easily.
• In the Wildwood, start collecting Gorehorn from Wildwood Wolf and Wildwood Aetherfang Wolf. Five pieces turn on the Bleeding bonus, which is the single biggest gear step for this build.
• Pitfighter pieces drop from many early chests at one star. Wear two for Health and Physical Damage until better pieces arrive.
• After the story, replace the pieces with three star ones: Gorehorn from wolf bounties, Rumbler Amulets from Rotting Treant, and the Badges and Bracers from the chests in the Goblin Caves. That is the target split of five, four and three.

A character wears 12 runes. The bonuses listed are the ones these piece counts switch on.

• Gorehorn 5 pieces

  The core set. Its five piece bonus makes Bleeding enemies take more Physical Damage from you, and your targets are almost always Bleeding. It also adds Physical Damage, Attack Speed and Critical Chance.

  • 3 pieces: +6% Physical Damage, +4 Attack Speed
  • 5 pieces: +6% Critical Rate, Bloodfrenzy: Bleeding enemies take +12% increased Physical Damage from you

  Where it drops: Wildwood Wolf: 5% per kill; Wildwood Aetherfang Wolf: 3% per kill.

  Where to farm it · Every source in the drop finder

• Rumbler 4 pieces

  Four pieces give Movement Speed and Physical Damage. The set can fill the Amulet and Badge slots, which no Gorehorn source drops. The six piece bonus only triggers on Dash in the game code, not on the dashes of Weapon Swap or Furious Strike, so this guide stops at four.

  • 3 pieces: +5% Movement Speed
  • 4 pieces: +8% Physical Damage

  Where it drops: Goblin Basher: 33.33% per kill; Rotting Treant: 25% per kill.

  Where to farm it · Every source in the drop finder

• Pitfighter 3 pieces

  Fills the Belt and the two Bracers. Two pieces add max Health and Physical Damage, and three add Armor, which a melee build needs.

  • 2 pieces: +3% HP, +5% Physical Damage
  • 3 pieces: +10 Armor

  Where it drops: Dryad Beastwarden: 33.33% per kill; Dryad Beastwarden Corrupted Beast Key: 33.33% per kill.

  Where to farm it · Every source in the drop finder

Everything the tree and the target gear add, stat by stat. Tree nodes give a flat amount or a percent; gear counts each piece at its target stars and forge level, plus the set bonuses the piece counts switch on.

Conditional stats (against Bleeding, Burning or Stunned targets) only count against those targets. Spell upgrades and keystones are not stats and are listed under the key nodes.