Twin Sword Lann Guide

Foreword: This guide was made to help players who want to not only be Sword Lanns, but be effective ones that are productive soloers and party members. I wrote this guide based on my own views and ideas. Any similarities to other guides on here or another site in terms of layout styles or wording, is purely coincidental. If anyone has questions or concerns about content in this guide, please feel free to contact me in Talk. If you would like to edit this guide or copy/borrow content from it, please be kind enough to ask me first, before making any major corrections, removals or copies. Failure to contact and ask for permission from me before editing/copying this guide, will result in the guides re-upload, replacement and renewal to its former state and/or removal from any outside source. Thank you for your understanding and enjoy =D



Introduction to Dual Swords
Playing as a Lann can be an extremely rewarding experience indeed. If used correctly, Sword lanns can deal just as much damage as a Spear Lann. Sword lanns are all about having good versatility in any situation they are presented with. If you like to stay close to your foes and deal consistent damage while being able to avoid taking damage yourself, then swords are the way to go. No other character or weapon user has the ability to use/create so many openings for an attack/counter attack, than a sword Lann.

Twin Spears VS Twin Swords
So what's the difference? Which one should I choose? Which one of them is the best? Are you my mommy? Okay seriously, people commonly want to know what the difference between these two weapons and their play style is. Hopefully, this nice pro and con list will answer some of those never ending questions and dilemmas many of you players have.

Sword Pros:
 * Better survivability than spears.
 * Slip Dash is one of the most overpowered dodge skills late game. Only swords can use it.
 * Double Crescent has an excellent knockdown rate and can break bosses armor pieces off.
 * Fanning Slash, Sword Lann's signature smash attack, can be used in multiple ways depending on your situation and is one of the biggest utility moves a Lann has, next to Slip Dash.
 * As you reach higher levels, your options and power only grow stronger, instead of diminishing.
 * Gliding Fury after Windmill.

Sword Cons:
 * Less DPS than spear lanns in certain situations.
 * Swords have a shorter attack range than spears.
 * Sword users have a lower chance for getting critical hits than spear lanns do, due to lack of Fury Infusion.
 * Sword lanns must be more efficient in their stamina usage because they lack Fury Infusion
 * Less versatility than spears.

'''In the end, both weapons have their strengths and weaknesses. Each one shines in certain scenarios. There really is no "best choice" amongst the two. If you're still conflicted about which to choose, then there's always the option of going hybrid. Keep in mind, hybrid characters will always be slightly less effective than players who specialize in one weapon type due to AP budgeting. '''

= Skilling your Sword Lann = In the following sections, I will be going over how to make your Sword Lann as optimal as possible. Please feel free to deviate from this skill build as you wish. this is simply meant to help players be as effective as they possibly can, when playing their Sword Lanns. We will start with the most important skills that any Sword Lann needs and work our way down to the SP skills that require players to be level 36.

Main Skills
These will be the skills that you rank first. No Sword Lann should be without these skills.


 * Slip Dash Proficiency

AP cost to max: 2190

When to rank: ASAP

This is a Sword Lann's bread and butter move. It's one of THE MOST IMPORTANT skills to have. Keep this ranked as high as you can get it. No brainer here.


 * Battle Respiration

AP cost to max: 5130

When to rank: ASAP

Stamina is a precious commodity to a Sword Lann. We go through it faster than even Spear Lanns, sometimes. This skill is a godsend for us. Rank A will allow you to regen stamina almost as fast as you do out of combat. Dump every single point of AP into this skill the second you acquire it. This skill provides a larger boost to your overall DPS, then any other skill out there.


 * Fanning Slash

AP cost to max: 1590

When to rank: After Slip Dash

At first, Thousand Needles will seem like a waste of time and AP. However, rewards come to those that are patient. At rank 9, this move transforms into a smexy smash attack for Lann. You'll acquire a new AOE shockwave attack that has ridiculous range and does good damage. A staple in Lann's arsenal of attacks. Also, note that the smash attack will only do a maximum of 5 extra attacks (or 50 stamina consupmtion) as bonus damage. Thus, anything after that is essentially wasted stamina.


 * Critical Hit

AP cost to max: 2590

When to rank: After Thousand Needles

Sword Lanns have a harder time criting on mobs without the extra crit chance % that Fury Infusion gives. Since Gliding Fury can only be activated on a critical hit, ranking this up ASAP is imperative to a Sword Lann's DPS.

AP cost to max: 5350
 * Willpower Mastery

When to rank: After Critical Hit

I cannot stress how important it is to have a high crit rate as a Sword Lann. Crit Rate = Gliding Fury. A critical Gilding Fury = Lighting Fury, so you can see how important it is to crit for Lanns. According to http://www.Vindictushq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=997 Which posts the Mabinogi Heroes research laboratory's findings, Willpower adds 1.6% critical hit rate per 100 Wil, making this skill A MUST for Sword Lanns. It will cost you 790 AP to rank A and will give you a 2.45% crit rate boost in total. That's nothing to sneeze at.

Necessity Skills
These are skills that take a lower priority in ranking than your main skills, but are just as important to Sword Lanns nonetheless.


 * Gliding Fury

AP cost to max: 2670

When to rank: After maxing your main skills

The most important Necessity skill. This skill is a MAJOR part of Lanns DPS. It is placed under Secondary mostly because it requires Critical Hits to perform. It would be a Main skill, but Critical Hit dependency means that it will be a lower priority in your skill ranking agenda. Still, it is recommended to rank this skill to E as soon as you get it, since it only costs 30 AP and gives a large increase in damage.


 * Lightning Fury

AP cost to max: 1570

When to rank: After all other Necessity Skills

This skill can only be learned after reaching Gliding Fury Rank A (and a quest chain after that). Since it requires your Gliding Fury to critically hit in order to be activated, you should not bother spending AP on this until all of your other important skills have been maxed. Just like Gliding Fury, ranking it to E ASAP is recommended.


 * Double Crescent

AP cost to max: 2190

When to rank: After all other Necessity Skills

Double crescent is an excellent attack for what it does, and what it does cannot be improved with ranking it. DC IS NOT a main source of damage for sword lanns, but rather a nice opener for a true source of damage. Since DC's damage is pretty small as it is, ranking this skill will mainly benefit DC's ability to knock down a Boss. Rank it up if you have no other priority skills left to dump AP into. Although please note that you can only use double crescent on the first dash. You can use it after the second dash when this is over rank 9.


 * Smash Mastery

AP cost to max: 2190

When to rank: After Gliding Fury

While we don't rely on smash damage as much as spear Lanns do, we still need to make sure were dealing our best damage we possibly can when we DO smash. Being so, you'll want to AT LEAST rank this up to E right away, and then rank it after your Main skills are taken care of.


 * Weight Endurance

AP cost to max: 790

When to rank: When you need it

Lanns don't have a lot of weight capacity from the start. As we level up, there is a natural armor progression path that flows from Light armor, to Heavy Armor and eventually to plate Armor. In order to wear some of the optimal sets of gear for Sword Lanns, you will need to rank this skill up as needed. There's no need to rank it higher than your gear requires.


 * Light Armor Proficiency

AP cost to max: 3090

When to rank: When you need it

As a lann, you will wear light armor for a good portion of time. Ranking this to E will be sufficient until level 40, when you'll want to start ranking it to B in order to wear the Nightmare Set.


 * Heavy Armor Proficiency

AP cost to max: 3090

When to rank: When you need it

There are a good handful of armor sets in the game that are under the "Heavy" category. you'll end up ranking this up at level 40, in order to wear Spider Lord armor. until then, Keeping it at F allows you to wear Elite Commander gear.


 * Plate Armor Proficiency

AP cost to max: 4290

When to rank: When you need it

You will need to rank this for the Spider Lord Helm. You can also choose to skip ranking it, for now, and wear another helm of your choosing. You will eventually be ranking this to B+ at higher levels, so the choice is yours.


 * Twin Sword Mastery

AP cost to max: 3090

When to rank: When you need it

Rank this up only as needed to equip higher level swords.


 * Standing Endurance

AP cost to max: 990

When to rank: After Double Crescent

Lanns aren't supposed to be getting hit in battles. But, there will come a time when a player is either too careless, distracted or unlucky and will end up getting whacked by a bosses smash attack. When this happens your character will fall to the ground and remain inanimate and unmovable for a brief moment. During this time, a player runs the risk of being hit again from another attack. Ranking this skill past 9 not only allows you to resist being knocked down from a smash attack by a certain %, but also allows you to roll up off the ground instantly, without having to wait. At higher levels this skill becomes NECESSARY. It's also recommended if you plan to solo a lot.

Complementary Skills
As the name suggests, these skills are more of a compliment to Sword lanns, than a main or necessity skill. They simply aid a Lann in his role.

This skill works in a very unique way for sword lanns. Because of our ability to use Slip Dash, we have a opportunity to use Gliding Fury after coming out of a windmill kick. For a more detailed description, please watch the video on this maneuver. It will come in handy at certain times. Ranking this skill is not necessary, since it serves no other purpose, other than being able to get up instantly after being knocked down, and to perform a Gliding Fury off of.
 * Windmill

Most of the damage we do is smash damage. Since we don't rely on normal damage as much, this skill isn't all too important. You will still end up ranking this skill up as you progress in the game simply because it's required to attain other skills, you want to be able to clear trash mobs faster, or just because you have nothing else to spend AP on. ;P
 * Combat Mastery

Since Sword Lanns focus primarily on raising their crit rates with Will, Strength will suffer slightly. to remedy this, ranking this will help fill any strength deficiencies that your gear may have. It's best to rank this skill the VERY LAST
 * Strength Mastery

''Note: This skill suffers from a diminishing returns effect. What this means, is simply that the higher you level, the less beneficial this skill becomes, almost to the point of being negligible.''

Agility is a decent stat to have as a lann. While it doesn't benefit a sword lann as much as it does a spear user, we still gain some increase in DPS from it. Every 47 AGI increases Gliding Fury damage by 1%. At rank A it will basically add just over 3% damage to your Glides. Make this one of your later skills to rank when your other complementary skills are maxed out.
 * Agility Mastery

This skill is really a nice little gem to pick up. It can save you a ton of money on potions in the long run, and allow you to heal more efficiently in battle. You'll want to max it eventually, but there's no need to rush ranking it, unless you have nothing more important to spend AP on.
 * HP Potion Proficiency

Standing Endurance is a far cheaper and more effective version of this skill. Still, if you're getting knocked down a lot, and you already have Standing Endurance maxed, then go ahead and spend some AP on this. Of course, if you're getting knocked down a lot, then you're probably doing something wrong in the first place XD. Go ahead and rank it to E when you get it. Evies and Lanns don't really rely on Fires like Fionas do, but having their buffs is still good all the same. This is a nice skill to dump AP into after all others are maxed. Besides, you're going to need campfires for some of the tougher raids later in the game.
 * Life Flare
 * Campfire

SP Skills
SP skills can help Lanns do more damage to their enemies. Depending on the skill, it will cost between 1-4 sp bars to use, and either be an instant effect or last for a certain duration. Let's dive in.

Most people say this is useless, but in reality, NO! This skill is REALLY useful for both spear and sword Lanns, especially when its on its trans. You can do tons of Double Crescent, and with the help of Fatigue (1st trans) and Vigor (2nd trans) you can fill up SP bars real quickly without knocking down and use of stamina, so you can continuously use Double Crescent to damage the boss. But if you have poor defense and/or you can't dodge well, it's not likewise to use this skill.
 * Active: Slashing High

This is quite a nice lil buff skill for Lanns. It only cost 1 SP bar, and at Rank A it can provide almost half the Attk power that Fury Infusion does, without costing you your life. Very spamable, very good to have. There's no reason not to get this to rank A at some point.
 * Active: Berserker Spirit

Finally! A SP skill that actually does damage! Furious seven is an attack that lets you perform seven, that's right count em, 7 gliding furys. You can control the direction of each Gliding Fury and you will become invincible for the duration of the attack. Now hows that for some awesome sauce!?
 * Active: Fury No.7

Skills to AVOID
These would be skills that have little to no benefit for Sword Lanns, and should be avoided like a dirty pair of underwear.


 * Fury Infusion - Unless you plan on going hybrid, don't bother with this skill.


 * Twin Spear Mastery - Has nothing for sword users.


 * Cloth Armor Proficiency - Lann is made to wear at least light armor.


 * Intelligence Mastery - Serves absolutely no purpose for Lann, except to speed up meditation (see below).


 * Meditation - For players who log in on a regular basis, this will not prove very useful, as you'll get enough AP as it is and this skill costs significant AP, requiring a long time for it to actually pay off, or break even.

= Gearing your Lann = Gear not only looks cool, but keeps you pumping out damage. Hey, what a concept! In this section i'll be going over how to optimally equip your Sword Lann. Again, feel free to deviate from this guide as you wish. This gear list is simply the best of the best for Sword Lanns.

Stat Priority
To keep it simple, Strength > Willpower >> Agility. Essentially 100 Str = 270 Attack which is straight up damage. 100 Wil = 1.6% Crit hit AND 1.5% Crit damage. Note that 1.6% increased critical chance is NOT exactly a 1.6% increase in damage since when you crit, you do NOT do 2x damage. 100 Agi = 2.13% Gliding Strike damage increase. Thus, APPROXIMATELY 1 Str = 1.4 Will = 9 Agi. This is including your Gliding Strike damage with your crit as well. Also, this ratio will vary depending on your base stats. This will be the basis for the armor choices further.

Armor
From a furry chest piece to a spiked suit, all the best armor for Sword Lanns is listed here with pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Exquisite Crimson Rage Set
Your first set of REAL armor. Although it doesn't look nearly as cool as the other sets you'll be wearing, it offers a notable upgrade in your stats, so who cares if you look like you skinned chewbacca and wrapped yourself in his body parts after dumping melted crayola crayon colors on it? This set will take care of you for quite some time, so get used to it.

Exquisite Savage Leather Armor Set
Well this set is definitely a vanity improvement from your last set. The stat increase is also nice. You can start wearing the set as early as level 20, and it requires rank E in Light Armor Proficiency to wear. As a sword Lann, this set will more than likely last you all the way to level 32.


 * Note: You should replace the Savage Leather Gloves with the Sweetie Bear Gloves since you'll need the Sweetie Bear Gloves for a side quest and it has overall better stats (+13 Willpower). You lose quite a bit in defense, but by now you should have a decent level in Slip Dash Proficiency and shouldn't get hit very often. Also, the Reinforced Set has some interesting choices to get some really unique armor combinations up until 32.  Mix and match as you see fit.

Elite Commander Set
Can you say FREE ARMOR!!? That's right, this armor is free to acquire for Lanns and gives a VERY good boost to our primary stats. While Spear lanns focus on pumping agility to maximize their Hurricane damage, Sword Lanns like to focus on raising their crit rate as high as they can. This set is a bit heavy and you may need to rank weight endurance up to wear the full set. You must be level 32 to wear every piece of armor. What this set lacks in strength, it more than makes up for in Will.

Heavier Red Tyrant Set
This set would be considered a slight upgrade from elite commander gear. How much of an upgrade? Well, not much. The set only offers a minuscule 30 extra strength and a negligible 1 willpower increase. Because of the time and cost required to produce this set, I would say that you're better off saving your money and sticking with Elite Commander.

Exquisite Spider Lord Set
The Spider Lord Set isn't as useful to a sword Lann, as it is to a Spear user. The armor is void of any Will whatsoever and is rather time consuming and expensive to craft. Still, if you feel that you want to try things from a diff. perspective as a sword Lann, then feel free to craft this armor. It has a nice Str boost from Elite Commander and a good agility hike.

Keep in mind that the whole set requires Heavy Armor Proficiency rank C while the helmet requires Plate Armor Proficiency rank C.


 * Note: The only reason I have listed this set of armor, was simply to offer a secondary choice for Sword Lanns who want to deviate from focusing on willpower and instead focus on raising their raw average damage with STR. I personally don't recommend using this set as a sword Lann, since I don't feel that the average raw damage increase from the STR boost makes up for 2.48% crit chance loss from Elite Commander. Still, it's there for open ended purposes. You make the call.

Exquisite Nightmare Set
OMG. This armor is a match made in Heaven for sword lanns. It offers a decent amount of strength and agility as well as a PLETHORA of Will. Even though you will be losing strength from the spider lord set, you won't mind one bit at all when you see how much Will you're getting. It's recommended to start ranking Light Armor Proficiency up to B at level 40, so that you'll be ready to wear this epic set at level 44.

Exquisite Fine Steel Plate Set
This is another alternative to the Nightmare Set. Forsakes strength for a massive amount of willpower. This is a good set if you got your Gliding Fury to rank 9 and have Lightning Fury.

Exquisite Laghodessa Slayer Set
Yet another alternative to the Exquisite Nightmare Set. It doesn't give you willpower, but if you haven't ranked up your Gliding Fury and want to save on some gold or just get the title, it's a decent set to use. The amount of strength that this gives you offsets its lack of willpower.

Royal Cadet Heavy Armor Set
This is straight upgrade from your 44 set of choice. Decent stat increase and the materials are very easy to get if you do your quests in hoarfrost hollows.

Exquisite Sinister Half Plate Set
This is currently the second best set for Lann's at the moment. Don't be fooled into thinking that the Swift Set is better or the Exquisite Black Hammer Set because of the higher level requirements.

Dark Crest Set
This is the best set for level 60-70 at the moment. You get the chest, greaves, and helmet (with helmet being the rarest) as drop-offs of Titan while you will have to make the gauntlets and boots yourself. A nice and better alternative would be a mixture of swift and bh but most people would get Dark Crest because it is easier to make, besides the helm, and, for many people, is the epitome of looks.

Nighthawk Heavy Armor Set
Recommended to get this armor when you first hit level 70 because its easier to acquire and its pretty good armor to wear while you are working on getting Apocryphal Set or Everlasting Dragon Set. To acquire this armor is that you have to keep running Twilight desert over and over again for the mats. To wear this armor you must have level 6 in both heavy and plate armor Proficiency.


 * Note: To make the most of both sets, you can substitute the boots and gloves of this set for those of the Apocryphal Set, avoiding the expense and spamming for the three Elchulus's Teardrops. The set bonuses for each are stronger than the single set bonus for the full Nighthawk armor set.

Apocryphal Set
The best piece of gear for level 70s. It provides a great bonus to offensive stats and is a good alternative to Everlasting. It is still quite a pain-in-the-ass to acquire, since you'll need to spam The God of Fomors for Ancient Elchulus pieces or hope he drops them, though all you need are three Elchulus's Teardrops. The entire set requires Plate Armor Proficiency Rank 6 except for the pants which requires Light Armor Proficiency Rank 6.

Weapons
Because in Vindictus, life ain't like a box of chocolates, you're gonna need to pack some steel to protect yourself. So what better weapons to grab, then the best ones possible, right?

Important Note about Range
It should also be noted that each and every sword has its own unique range of attack (range being reach). If you do choose to stray from the guide and pick a sword not listed here, it's good to be aware of that. Especially for those of you that thought it was a good idea to get the Ewynsoch Twin Sword based on stats alone. That particular sword has the 2nd shortest reach of all swords currently in game.

Skyfrost Twin Swords
These swords have no level or mastery requirement to equip and should be puchased and worn as soon as you can afford them. Since they are so cheap, there really is no reason not to wear these swords. They will last you all the way until level 12.

Twin Red Metal Longswords
These swords have the best stats for your level and an amazing fashion to boot! They blend right in with your crimson rage set as well. Now you can completely look like a box of crayola crayons barfed all over you. Better get used to them, they're going to last you all the way up to level 26 or 28.

Twin Swords of Life
These puppies look like the swiss army knife you had in boy scouts when you were young. They don't? Oh well, must be thinking of someone else. ;P These swords are an excellent choice to have. They offer good attk and give a unique 100 hp boost. It is recommended not to enhance these, unless you plan on using them until level 32, or because you need to reduce their weight to equip them.

Twin Bone Spiked Longswords
Hey! Finally a decent looking pair of weapons to swing around! These spiked suckers are a good bang for your money. You'll be able to craft them for cheap and they'l easily last you until 32. If you chose to hang onto your red metal swords up until you could wear these, then you'll notice a large damage increase. Feel free to enhance them as you wish, they're worth it.

Blade of Ykesha
Now these are some seriously badass looking and performing swords. Cheap to craft and they do their job quite well. Regardless of whether you decide to use Soul Slashers in the next few levels or keep these equipped, you'll want to hang onto them, since they serve a much better purpose later on.

Soul Slasher
Six levels is a while to go without an upgrade. For those of you that must have the best performing gear available, then upgrading to these is a must.

Blade of Ykesha: The Nihility
Who would have thought those Ykesha blades you've been using, had a hidden purpose and story behind them? After completing the Battle Where the legend sleeps you'll be able transform your inferior ykesha blades into their true and ultimate form with the help of Brynn and his crafting abilities. These monsters will last you for quite a long time once you acquire them.

Twin Nightmare
These swords are the better solution to the Blade of Ykesha in terms of stats (noticeably willpower) and attack. They can also allow you to skip the Serenity.

Serenity
From 42 to 54 is a long way to go without a weapon upgrade, especially since the battles get alot harder to get ivory swords. These swords have quite a bit of a damage increase but are somewhat lacking on other stats. They are cheap though so this might not be a bad investment.

Ivory Twin Swords
Not much to say here. best swords until 60. Purely AWESOME stats. Grinding irukul is quite fun and challenging as well. Get these as soon as possible if you skipped serenity swords.

Recklus's Luminaries
Decent upgrade, from Ivory Swords, but if you can hold off for 1 more level, you can get the faster and higher att swords known as Vanquishers.

When comparing these to vanquishers they might have less att but they have more crit. So in going from ivory to these you dont feel like your giving up as much crit as going from ivory to vanquishers. More crit means more gliding fury so these might be the better option. Vanquishers do have a slight speed advantage but much less crit.

Vanquishers
The highst att twin swords for story 6. You can skip these and stick with Ivory or Luminaries untill you reach story 7. These things also have +3 attack speed on them before even enhancing at all. The down side to these is they have much less crit than ivory so you are giving up quite a bit of crits for higher att and increased speed. Keep in mind lann is already the fastest attacking character in the game.

Dreamwalker Twin Swords
The best twin swords for level 60-70 in the game. While the crits are lower than Ivory Twin Swords, they make up the difference with a starting +9 in attack speed and higher attack. Higher attack speed means more chance for crits. An alternative to dreamwalkers would be a pair of nicely enhanced Recklus's Luminaries since they retain some of the crits from Twin Ivories and have longer range. Remember, attack speed, unlike crits, can easily be augmented through enhancements. Increasing crits on a weapon is only possible through rare enchants. Even doing so is especially difficult since there are more crit enhancing enchants for twin spears than twin swords and these enchants only add a few percentages of crit.

= Playing Tips and Strategies = In this section, I'll cover anything that I may have left out in the previous sections, in regards to important things that every sword Lann should know. From strategies to tidbits, it will be in this section.

Attacks and Combos
Here I will break down the smash moves that a Sword Lann has and how they can be used in typical situations you'll be facing. Feel free to chime in with any combos that I may have missed, or clever creations you've discovered yourself.

Key:

L = left mouse click R = Right mouse click S = Sprint D = Dodge

'''Recovery Time = the amount of time it takes you to recover from an attack animation. During this time no other moves, even Slip Dash, can be used. '''

Crit Potential = the frequency and amount of opportunities at which an attack tends to critically hit a mob.

# of hits - 1   Recovery Time - fast    Crit Potential - Low
 * Gust Sting

This move is performed by hitting R once. It performs an upward slash, hitting everything in front and behind you. Charge it up to 3 times by holding R.

Usage - This move can be great for getting a quick critical in to do Gliding Fury however, I wouldn't depend on it for that. using SR is a much better way to get a quick crit. It can also be used as a defensive attack interruption for a trash mob that's about to attack you.

# of hits - 2    Recovery Time - medium   Crit Potential - medium
 * Rising Crescent

Your 1 hit smash attack performed by hitting LR. It hits twice and looks like a mini version of Double Crescent, without the knockdown % or break off ability.

Usage - Since this move doesn't cover a very wide attack area, it's best use is fighting one-on-one with an enemy. It can be a nice opener for a gliding fury, since it hits twice, thus having two chances for a crit. Outside of that, I wouldn't recommend using this skill, since other attacks make better choices.

# of hits - 2    Recovery Time - fast   Crit Potential - high
 * Pummel Storm

Performed with LLR(L), this move may seem weak at first. Its attack radius and range are fairly small compared to other attacks. This move also has a fast recovery time, allowing you to get a quick slip dash in. After Rank 9, this skill gains an extra attack.

Usage - What this move lacks in range and radius, it more than makes up for in knockdown % and damage. It is very good at keeping an enemy on the ground, while keeping you moving. With 2 chances for a critical hit, and up to +50% damage for both hits, Pummel Storm is highly effective against boss mobs.

# of hits - 3    Recovery Time - slow   Crit Potential - high
 * Twin Edge 450

As the name suggests, you spin 1 1/2 times around during this attack. Performed with LLLR, this is your first true AOE smash move. This move is like a mini Grand Hurricane and has some SERIOUS potential to crit on groups of mobs.

Usage - A superb way to eliminate trash mobs, especially those pesky low sitting spiders that seem to avoid your first two smash attacks. This move has a slower recovery time then your other smashes, so you should time your uses of it carefully. If you don't you'll end up being a sitting duck in the path of a bosses smash attack. Also note that twin edge is  THE ONLY attack that allows you to move while performing it. This can help you hit as many enemies as possible and increase your chance of crit.

# of hits - 1 to 12    Recovery Time - fast   Crit Potential - low to medium
 * Fanning Slash

Your true 4 hit smash attack. performed by hitting LLLLR, this move has some AWESOME trash mob clearing potential. The skills power doesn't truly unlock until Rank 9 and beyond, when you get the use of an epic shockwave attack + the ability to only need one stab to do max damage.

Usage - Due to this move's unique attack radius and versatility, it can be used in a number of ways. The shockwave attack, performed by hitting LLLLR + L, is an excellent attack for clearing groups of trash mobs that surround you. The normal smash attack has a incredibly long sideways reach. This means that you can be nearly one character length to the side of a mob, and still be able to hit them. A great way to attack a boss and stay away from them. Proper positioning can result in an easy crit for using a gliding fury on trash mobs as well. Also great for clearing out destructible objects, when positioned correctly.

# of hits - 2  Recovery Time - fast   Crit Potential - medium
 * Double Crescent

An attack similar to Rising Crescent, it's performed by hitting DR. It hits twice and has the potential to break off a piece of equipment from a boss.

Usage - The first obvious use for DC is to break off equipment pieces from bosses. The second usage, is much like rising crescents. Since this attack hits twice, it gives you double the chance of landing a critical hit for gliding fury. Since this attacks recovery time is rather fast, you'll be able to spam it quite often. A third use would be to act as a dodge maneuver, just like Sprint smash. Either way, there's a lot of utility in DC, so don't neglect to use it.

# of hits - 1   Recovery Time - medium   Crit Potential - high
 * Sprint Smash

Performed by using SR, this move is much better than a traditional R smash. It covers a much better radius and has a far better range, thanks to the distance you slide while performing it.

Usage - I can't stress how awesome this move can be for wiping out groups of trash mobs in a second. Not only does the move have a powerful knockdown rate, it also crits LIKE NUTS on groups of trash mobs. This is your # 1 move for quickly dealing with waves of tightly packed trash mobs. I call it the "slide to glide" combo. While this move is effective for trash, it's lacking heavily in the boss department. Due to its slower recovery time and single hit, it is not recommended to use this maneuver to attack a boss. Instead, this move is better used as a makeshift dodge skill. One of it's more popularly known uses, is to dodge the White Tyrants running belly flop attack.

Combat

 * Slip Dash Proficiency

is our most important skill we have. Learning how to use this skill can mean the difference between life or death and a good Lann or a bad one. Proper timing and use of Slip Dash is imperative to not only your survival, but also your ability to continuously dish out your best DPS. The video to the right shows what can be accomplished when a player masters the slip dash dodge. I suggest you study this video to understand when and how to use Slip Dash in battle.


 * Aiming

Believe it or not, all Lanns need to learn how to aim. Before you say "why secondary weapons?", relax. I'm talking about Gliding Fury. It is VERY crucial to learn how to aim your Gliding Furies. Again, the best way to show you a good example, is for you to watch the video above. The Lann DOES NOT just glide into Black Hammer. He instead, aims carefully and glides along side of him and gets just out of his reach. This move will allow your Gliding Fury to do damage and give you a moment to recover while the boss turns around to face and attack you again. I see FAR TOO MANY people just using GF right into the bosses crotch or legs, and then getting smashed in the face as a consequence. Make sure not to fall into the trap of being a lazy glider. The sooner you practice this, the more prepared you'll be for how hard things get at higher levels.

There is also another move that has an equal importance placed on aiming, and that's Double Crescent. The only time that aiming a DC is important, is when you need to break off a bosses armor piece. Aiming at the exact spot is key. Also note that most of the time, only a critical DC can actually start a break off animation, or actual break off.


 * Thinking like a Lann

To understand how a Lann is supposed to be played, one must put themselves inside the body of a ninja. A ninja NEVER takes his target head on most of the time. instead, he uses quick and powerful attacks to slowly, but surely, take his enemies life away. This is EXACTLY how a Sword Lann operates. He dashes, or slips in this case, in to quickly dish damage out, then retreats to avoid taking damage himself. To sum it up, when in doubt, Think like a ninja.


 * Knowing Thy Enemy

Since we have the ability to go toe-to-toe with an enemy and stay there, we often overlook that sometimes, it may not be the best choice to stay near a boss. So how do we tell when its a good or bad time to keep our proximity from a boss? Easy! The Answer is Speed, range and number of hits. Ok, everyone is sitting here reading going, "what in the hell is this guy jabbering about?" What I meant was, that if a bosses attacks have a fast speed, cover a large area, or have multiple hit chances in a single attack, then it's best to stay further away from them. A good example of this would be fighting Speedy Ekuloch. His attacks have a 180 to 360 degree sweeping area of effect and most of them have multiple chances of hitting a player. Trying to Slip Dash past these attacks is nearly impossible, so it would be best To steer clear and attack during obvious openings. In the end, knowing your enemy is a vital part of Lanns play style.


 * Up front, in the back or on the side?

Before any of you get any dirty thoughts in your head, it means attack position XD. Your positioning determines how often you can attack and what attacks you can use. Sword Lanns have far more chances to retaliate with attacks, then spear users do, so it's important to know how and when to use them. If a boss has a small area of effect frontal attack, then it would be safe to stay at his back side attacking and spamming gliding furies. If the boss covers a large area that covers nearly 360 around him, then chances are you will need to time a slip dash to double crescent. Effectively doing so can result in an opening for a gliding fury and lighting fury. As a Sword Lann, we have the ability to take advantage of extremely small openings in a bosses attack pattern. As a Lann, it's your responsibility to learn these openings and when to take advantage of them. After all, your party is counting on it. :D


 * Hi! I spam LLLLR for you!?

Lann is the fastest attacking character in the game. It's easy to get carried away creating a flurry of sword slices and forget that the Boss you're trying to cut up faster than Bruce Lee chopping broccoli actually has the power to take a really good portion of your life away in one smash. Be professional. Know each one of Sword Lann's smashes, how long they take to execute and what attack range they cover. Sometimes a LR is all you need in order to critical and go into a gliding fury. Learn your attacks and master using them in each situation.

I remember how excited I was when I first acquired gliding fury, and then later, lightning fury. I recall trying to perform them EVERY CHANCE I got. Now that I sit and look back on it, I wasn't being very smart at all. While Furies are awesome to perform and dish out damage, they can run you the risk of taking LARGE AMOUNTS of damage. Since Fury smashes take a few seconds to recover from, practicing discretion of their use is advised. Know when to hold back your furies in favor of dodging, and when to let loose and dry hump the effing shiz outta them, like a dog named "Spam".
 * Ride the Lightning

Relax. As a Sword Lann, you have A LOT of skills that need to be maxed before you can start turning into a true DPS machine. Be patient and level your skills up. If you feel like you're missing out in the early levels, because you saw a spear Lann spinning out a ton of damage in a battle, then chill. You're not missing anything, trust me. Spear users only need to max out Smash Mastery and Fury infusion to do their best DPS, so in early levels they shine. As they level up, their damage and survivability drop by quite a large margin and they begin to balance out with Sword Lanns. This is the classic story of "the tortoise and the hare". If you haven't figured it out already, you're the tortoise. In time, your patience will pay off. :D
 * Ugh! I feel so weak compared to Spear Lanns!

= In The End =

These pointers were simply written to aid you during your journey leveling up and playing as a Lann. Feel free to improvise and build upon what you've read through here. This guide was intended to help someone that's playing like an autistic coke head swinging a couple swords, into a bad ass, quick slashing, fury gliding, damage dealing badass. All of the views in this guide are my own and don't reflect the views of Nexon or any other company or individual. The guide will be updated periodically as new content and strategies are implemented into the game. Thanks for reading and enjoy the game.

Major thanks to all the individuals who provided the multimedia content that was used in the making of this guide. Keep up the great work, and together we'll turn this site into the #1 source for all Vindictus info. = D