Defeating enemies earns Weapon EXP for the active type and unlocks additional Sword Skills. You can equip up to three at once, so the goal is a complete toolkit—not three versions of the same attack.
How to equip and use Sword Skills
- Use the weapon family you want to develop until additional Sword Skills unlock through Weapon EXP.
- Open the equipment or skill setup before a quest and assign up to three unlocked skills.
- Enter the field and use the on-screen button guide for the assigned skill input on your platform.
- Create an opening with movement, defense or partner pressure before spending SP on the skill.
- Let SP recover between bursts instead of emptying the bar on the first target.
If the control is unclear, enable Button Guide Display in Settings. Controller and keyboard bindings can also be changed, so the reliable input is the one shown by your current in-game configuration rather than a fixed button copied from another platform.
Weapon level and Weapon EXP are different
Weapon EXP represents experience with a weapon family and opens its techniques. Smithy enhancement improves an individual weapon's parameters. Replacing a sword does not erase the value of your sword-family proficiency, while upgrading one sword does not develop your dagger skills.
For the full distinction between proficiency, enhancement, character level and Cardinal Rank, use the Weapon Proficiency guide.
All six weapon families
The structured Demo subset contains 64 named Sword Skill records. Use the filtered database to inspect names for one class; these counts describe the extracted build and do not establish a permanent full-game proficiency cap.
| Weapon family | Named skills | Filtered list |
|---|---|---|
| Dagger | 10 | View Dagger skills |
| Mace | 10 | View Mace skills |
| One-Handed Sword | 12 | View One-Handed Sword skills |
| Rapier | 10 | View Rapier skills |
| Two-Handed Axe | 11 | View Two-Handed Axe skills |
| Two-Handed Sword | 11 | View Two-Handed Sword skills |
Build a three-skill loadout
| Slot | Purpose | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Opener | Start pressure or close distance | Fast start-up, reach, manageable SP cost |
| Control | Stagger, knock down, hit a group, or create space | Utility that solves your weapon's weakness |
| Punish | Convert a parry, break, or boss recovery into damage | High output you can finish safely |
If a weapon already closes distance well with normal attacks, it may not need a second gap closer. If it struggles against groups, an area skill can be more valuable than a slightly stronger single-target move.
SP is the limit on your burst
Sword Skills consume SP quickly. Emptying the entire bar on the first enemy leaves no answer for the next threat. Use normal attacks and partner pressure to create a window, spend one appropriate skill, then let SP recover while you reposition.
When to train another weapon
Stay focused until your main weapon has a comfortable three-skill kit. Branch out when a different family solves a recurring problem—such as shield access, crowd coverage, ranged pressure, or stagger—not merely because a new drop has a higher number.
Why a Sword Skill may not work
- The skill is not assigned: unlocking a technique does not automatically place it in one of the three active slots.
- The wrong weapon is equipped: Weapon EXP and Sword Skills belong to a weapon family; changing families changes the available kit.
- SP is too low: wait for recovery and use normal attacks rather than repeatedly pressing the input.
- The input changed: check Button Guide Display and your current controller or keyboard configuration.
- The animation keeps getting interrupted: replace one long punish with a faster opener or use Switch Mode to create space.
A practical skill rotation
Start with the fastest skill that reaches safely, use a control skill only when it creates a real stagger or group advantage, then save the expensive punish for a parry, break or boss recovery. After the burst, stop attacking long enough to rebuild SP and preserve Stamina for defense.
Specific Sword Skill questions
Where is Reversal Slash?
Search the Sword Skill database by exact name. If it appears for another weapon family, the current equipped class cannot use it.
How do I find Rapier skills?
Open the Rapier filter. Weapon EXP and unlocks are tracked by family, so using Sword does not advance Rapier.
Is the last visible skill the proficiency cap?
Not necessarily. The last documented unlock requirement and the largest proficiency value stored by the release build are different questions. This page does not treat a Demo ladder as proof of a permanent cap.