Dukeplatypus gives good advice (so he doesn't really need to leave the job to us :).

Xxpapaya, you're the target audience for my sword guide. In particular, the section "Armor and Trinkets" compares Skolver to Vog Cub (you probably don't want Snarbolax yet) and gives advice on the order. The section "Mixing weapon types" explains sword+gun loadouts.

The guide has several sections about the swords themselves. Don't switch Combuster for Avenger. Combuster is awesome. DA is also great, but only try it when you have no other pressing upgrades to make. Gran Faust has a super-long charge time (see data here), so you probably won't be charging it much. Strongly consider a piercing sword.

I'd recommend flourish over dark thorn blade. The damage and regular combo is the same, the only difference is the charge attack.
But flourish recipes are easier to come by at Hall of Heores.

Hmmmm, then should I exchange my Wise Owlite Shield for a Dark Thorn Shield? Since it gives a sword damage bonus (and I only use swords)

In my opinion, you should get Vog, Skolver and Snarbolax sets. Then you will have resistance against every single monster family plus a sword bonus. Save Snarbolax for last until you get some other 5* stuff and a good SL party. As for shields, get BTS, Wise Owlite and Crest of Almire so that you have normal, elemental, shadow and piercing. As stated above, the only things different about FF and BTB is charge. But since FF and BTB deal pure piercing damage, you will kill a monster quite fast, especially if you get those armors I stated above, the give sword damage bonus, so that leaves no reason to use the charge really. (vog gives ASI, skolver and snarby give sword damage bonus). Flourish recipes are MUCH easier to obtain than BTS so get Flourish. Don't get the Rigadoon or Flamberge, just the normal Flourish. Flourish does more damage than those two. A status effect won't match up to the damage a Flourish would deal.

Sorry? CoA?

It really depends on what situation you're in DA is useful for crowd control, GF is useful for basically disabling an enemy or just sending them to retreat in LD

I say this as a Rig user. Random stuns going off is not really a good thing at all in PvE.

Flamberge is more practical, but really, more damage is where it's at.

Well, finish off the Wise owlite shield first, then go Vog/Skolver. I picked the skolver cap and vog coat, because vog cap and skolver coat looks weird to me :P. But, eventually I will get full set of both.

Since you use swords alot, i reccomend you get both full sets, and then snarbolax. You will find that is pretty much all the defenses you need, You can just go hybrid with any 2 of them to cover defenses for all areas. The people above have explained for your shields.

The faust in overall is a good sword, Curse being the most powerful status. I dont see why you would probably ever need to use the charge attack, EVER. Combuster is good, get that.

Well, so for Snarblebarb/Flourish line, its your choice, they are EXACTLY the same, the only thing to think of is: Do i want a faster more powerful combo charge OR thorns and thorns and a big fat lump of shadow beast biting out into teh air.

That means you will have weapons of all 3 damage types. Then you could probably work on more swords as a swordmaster like all the 3 other brandishes, suda, leviathan, DA, blah blah blah, But i reccomend you get guns. Yes, Argent Peacemaker is just great at keeping the peace from kats, howlitzars and More or less everything but gremlins and beasts.

That awkward moment when you type this, and when you are about to enter it, you fee like its not worth it. Well, i lost all interest to say more, the rest is with peoples hands.