That sounds about right. I can completely understand "ask a master gunman" or "ask a master bomber," since both bombers and gunmen require, from my experience with both, a fair amount of skill and/or know-how to execute proficiently. Mind you, I'm not entirely convinced that z"master swordsmen" as references for gear setups is really necessary. There are several swords that are just better than others that have the same damage types, or are differentiated by charge attacks, or weapon type. I think that the "best swords" could be taken from a fairly short list. In fact. I'm going to make a guide for players to use when they need to choose a sword. Tell me what you think.

NOTE 1: I have narrowed down the choices to arguably the best swords, so choices should be made based on personal style and preference
NOTE 2: this guide assumes you are at least vaguely familiar with the characteristics of different sword types

- I need a Normal sword- go to (1)
- I need a Shadow sword - go to (2)
- I need an Elemental sword - go to (3)
- I need a Piercing sword - got to (4)
- Should I use a Barbarous Thorn Shield? - go to (5)
- Should I go with Vog, or Skolver? - got to (6)
- In your opinion, what are the best swords of each damage type? - go to (7)
- In your opinion, what is the best gear setup for a swordsman? - go to (8)
- I don't know diddly about swords, so this makes no sense to me - go to (9)
- What about the Fang of Vog - go to (10)
- how do I become a better swordsman? - go to (11)
- What is all of this bollocks? What are these swords? Where's my sword on this list? - go to (12)

(1)
are you strange and want a Fast sword in the Cutter line (1a) I want a Calibur line sword (1b) are you strange and want a Heavy sword in the Troika line (1c)?

(1a) Unless you fight a lot, and I mean A LOT of beasts, Dread Venom Striker, otherwise use a Wild Hunting Blade
(1b) get a Leviathan Blade, unless you think that lower DPS is worth having a "better" looking sword, in which case use a Cold Iron Vanquisher
(1c) would you prefer a sword that Stuns (1c1) or Freezes (1c2)?
- (1c1) get a Sudaruska
- (1c2) get a Triglav

(2)
Do you want a Heavy sword that Curses, and has more range and knockback but lower DPS (2a)? or a 3 Strike sword with low knockback but higher DPS(2b)?

(2a) get a Gran Faust
(2b) get an Acheron

(3)
Do you want a Heavy sword with a great charge attack, wider range, but lower DPS (3a) or a 3 strike sword that inflicts status defects, has higher DPS, but smaller range, lower knockback and a so-so charge attack(3b)

(3a) get a Divine Avenger
(3b) want a sword that Freezes (3a1)? or a sword that Burns (3a2)?
- (3a1) get a Glacius
- (3a2) get a Combuster

(4)
If a random chance of causing a status defect is worth lower DPS, go to (4a) if its isn't, go to (4b)

(4a) prefer a sword that Stuns (4a1)? or one that Burns (4a2)?
- (4a1) get a Fearless Rigadoon
- (4a2) get a Furious Flamberge
(4b) get a Barbarous Thorn Blade, unless you want a sword with a lunging charge attack that has higher single target damage but can get you in trouble (Final Flourish)

(5)
The shield itself is not all that great. If you think that the 17%(I think) damage bonus is word having a weaker shield and can doge well, go to (5a) If not go to (5b)

(5a) go for it, but be careful and slippery
(5b) do not use a BTS; use anything else that floats your boat

(6)
Do you want a set that is generally considered better and more useful (6a)? Are you strange and want a set that is generally considered less useful and inferior (6b)? Do you want to sacrifice the benefits of having few high defense, in favor of lower, but more varied defenses (6c)

(6a) full Vog amor
(6b) full skolver armor (you weirdo)
(6c) one piece of each, it doesn't matter which

(7)
In my opinion, Leviathans are the best Normal swords (good DPS, great charge attack). I prefer an Acheron for my shadow sword (great DPS and very quick), but the Gran Fausts' range and knockback make them equally good, if not arguably better. The Glacius and Combuster are very good, but I love Divine Avengers because I run FSC a lot, and in my pinion they are perfect for killing zombies, and I really like their charge attacks. The Barbarous Thorn Blade is almost certainly better than the Final flourish because while Flourish's charge attack will not help you kite, it only damages one enemy, and while the charge attack's damage is higher, the lunging can easily get you into bad situations.

(8)
The best swordsman setup, in my opinion, is full Vog Cub, a Barbarous Thorn shield, a Divine Avenger, an Acheron, a Barbarous Thorn Blade, your fourth weapon is up to you, and your trinkets should be any combination of Elite sword Modules no two of the same kind, though), a Royal Jelly Band, and/or a Dread Skelly Charm.

(9)
I'll teach you about the different sword types, but will not go into many of the individual swords I mentioned or into damage types; that's what the wiki is for. First learn about the Cutter swords (9a), then Heavy swords (9b), then Three-strike swords (9c), then the Rapiers (9d), and finally the Spur swords(9e).

(9a) Cutters are very fast jagged looking swords with 5 hit combos. They have little to no knockback until the last hit, so you have to plan ahead when you plan to use a combo, as the take a long time to finish and the lack of knockback or interrupting power can get you hurt if you don't finish your combo. Their Charge attacks deal a lot of damage, but the fact that nothing will interrupt them can a be very dangerous to yourself, as well as monsters. Playing defensively with them is very difficult, so do not expect yourslef to last very long if you are low on health and not extremely careful whilst using a Cutter sword. The Cutter swords' combos propel you a fair bit. so you can also land yourself in an unsavory position if you're not careful. Also, since they only deal normal damage,t hey shouldn't be the general go-to weapon for a swordsman. Dread Venom Strikers and Wild Hunting Blades are the fully upgraded versions of the Cutter sword line.

(9b) Heavy Swords are very large, and therefore have great reach and knockback, but are abysmally slow. They have two-hit combos, which combined with their other properties, make them difficult to adjust to for those accustomed to other swords. They have great defensive applications and they are very effective at crowd control. After you finish a combo with a Heavy sword, the period during which you defenseless is longer than other swords, and can get you hurt badly if you use combos indiscriminately, especially if you hit an enemy at the edge of your range with, as the knockback will often take them out of your range, and the follow up attack and post combo lull will serve only to let monsters attack you. The Divine Avenger, an excellent Elemental sword and the Gran Faust, one of only two Shadow swords, come form the Sealed Sword line, and are widely considered some of the best swords in Spiral Knights, so you will probably end up using one or the other at some point. I recommend you use a Troika for a while to get you used to Heavy swords and make things easier on yourself, later on. The Sudaruska and Triglav are the fully upgraded versions of the Troika, and only deal Normal attacks. If you plan on being a swordsman, you should probably use different swords.

(9c) Three-strike swords are the bread and butter for Knights, and rightly so. The Calibur line's, the fully upgraded Leviathan Blade is an outstanding jack of all trades sword that will never feel out of place in any stratum, and the Calibur line's 360° charge attacks is one of the most useful in the game. If a Knight could only get a single sword, the Leviathan Blade should probably be it. The fully upgraded Brandish swords are the specialized answers to the Leviathan, and upgrade into the Acheron (Shadow damage), Combuster and Glacius (Elemental damage) are some of the best swords in the game. While the Brandish swords do not have the same useful charge attack as the Leviathan, if you do not want to mess with heavy swords, they are where you should look for your Elemental and Shadow swords.

(9d) Rapiers which come in two different sword lines, the Flourish and Snarble line, are considered some of the best swords in the game for their highly specialized uses. Rapiers, with their piercing-only damage and high-speed lunging attacks, are made to be used against Fiends and Beasts, which are notorious for being quick, dodge-happy, and weak to piercing damage. Rapiers will chase a Wolver or Devilite around a room, and hit them like a goddamn freight train. Rapiers, however, have some downsides; many players have a difficult time learning how to use them, especially if they have Auto-target turned off, which no swordsman should do, anyway. Also, using a Rapier against anything besides Fiends or Beats will make it appear lackluster at best, and downright terrible, at worst. The Fearless Rigadoon and Furious Flamberge are fully upgraded swords from the Flourish line with lower DPS than their brother the Final Flourish, but in exchange for lower DPS, have a chance to deal status defects. According to the general consensus, the lower DPS of the Rigadoon and Flamberge is not properly compensated by their status defects, making them inferior to the Final Flourish. The final sword form the Snarble line, the Barbarous Thorn Blade, is distinct form the Final Flourish only in appearance and charge attack, but is often considered the better sword, since the Thorn's charge is generally safer and can keep crowds at bay.

(9e) The Spur line is sort if mediocre, if fun to use in the first two Tiers of the Clockworks. The Spur swords have several issues that make them among the worst swords in the game, however, and should be avoided like the plague.Their first problem is that their DPS is lackluster. Their second problem is that their charge attack is bad. Their third problem is that they propel you forward with each attack. Their fourth problem is that that there is no 5 Star Spur. Their fifth, and quite possibly most glaring problem is that the 4 Star Spur, the Winmillion, has all of the aforementioned problems, and on top of those, shoots small projectiles that make some enemies become very dodge-happy and difficult to hit. the sixth problem is that many players know all of this and will hate you for using a Spur line sword, especially if you use a Winmillion. If you like the sound of this sword line, you a deviant and are beyond salvation.

(10)
The Fang of Vog is a Three-strike sword like the Calibur or Brandish swords. It is obtainable only by trading 40(?) Almirian Seals to Brinks in exchange for one. It is noteworthy less for its power and more for being a trophy of sorts for Knights and a mark of considerable status amongst newer players, but of LESS than considerable status amongst veteran players. What sets Fangs of Vog apart from their competition, the Combusters, is that Fangs have a higher probability of causing the Fire status abnormality and for having a very powerful, flaming 360° spinning charge attack, like that of a Firo Knight. The major drawback of the Fang of Vog, is that its charge attack can set everyone on fire, including yourself and your allies. In conclusion, Fangs of Vog are not all that amazing, they are most certainly NOT swords for beginners, and they should be used at your own risk.

(10a) A more in depth analysis of the Fang of Vog, courtesy of my friend Draycos, an experienced Fang user: "In different situations, it's either the worst sword to have or the best. You can only safely use the charge when you have high health and know you'll get more later, or when you have remedies. Despite that, it is by FAR one of the highest-damaging charge attacks in the game. In tier 3, should all three hits connect, it deals upwards of 1600 damage. I use a Fang, and from experience, I know that a single charge can severely damage a Trojan; if the three hits themselves don't outright kill it, it'll die from the fire, most of the time. Coupled with a vortex bomb, two charges can wipe out an entire round 3 arena mob. With at least CTR Med on both the Fang and the vortex bomb, you can use that combination alone. The thing with FoVs is that you have to think things through. Will the charge's damage on the enemies outweigh the health I might lose? Will I get hit by the enemies in the process? How and when can I hit as many enemies as possible? Like I said before, it's either the worst sword or the best... but it's not like it's the only weapon you have to use; if necessary, you can whip out a reliable ranged weapon. As for the burn damage, it's negligible in all tiers but 3 except for the prevention of any charge attacks. In tier 3, with maxed fire resist, it only deals about four bars of damage to you. In most cases, you can just heal the damage it did back with dropped hearts or pads between arena rounds. The ONLY case where the damage is noticeable is in very long fights or in levels where you get few hearts, if any. In the case of FoV vs. Combuster, it's just a preference between defense in the form of pure, overly destructive offense or versatility and control over when you set things on fire and when you don't."

(11)
go look at my first post at the top of the thread. Also, you better have good latency.

(12)
This is an easy to use guide for picking swords. The swords I have mentioned are usually very good swords. If your sword is on this list, it probably sucks a great deal, and by extension so do you, and If you insist on using it, you will have a very difficult time with this game.

If I didn't go into how much more DPS one sword has than its competition, it's because you can figure it out yourself with the wiki, or because I do not remember (feel free to help with data). Also, I never bothered to learn status defect infliction probability, so ask someone else. Alternatively, if you know them, post them here, because I cannot be asked to look for them myself, since I've never cared enough to go look for answers.

The Fang isn't all that great as a weapon, but you're right, it certainly deserves mention.

I am inclined to agree. I think I just can't see a fire sword as being a viable choice for a fire stratum. I'll remove that, altogether; it was a redundant sentence, to begin with.

I sort of want to move away from having to make advice threads and would rather make something that I can upload to the wiki, or make into Sticky, so I'm not sure how much it would help to add my guide. Perhaps you could gather up some of the advise you've given and post it here, or maybe some helpful observations that I haven't touched on, yet. As I said before, the simplicity of being a Swordsman means that the role doesn't demand a discussion, as much it needs a set of established facts that one can look to for guidance.