BLADE & SOUL l Soul Fighter Guide

Soul Fighters are powerful with very little effort, and even more powerful with a lot of effort. The class is already getting viewed as “broken” or “easy” by people who are not even a quarter of the way to maximizing their potential. There are two big factors that make or break a good Soul Fighter: Skill in resource management (as Soul Fighters generate plenty of points when used properly) and their ability to execute a combo during a fight. NCSOFT stated it is a mix of Force Master and Kung Fu master and they did not disappoint in the slightest. With this guide I hope I can help people get over a few slumps I hit in the road and get them enjoying this great class with less troubles.

Keybinds

I use a Razer Naga (a twelve-buttoned mouse) for my games, so my keybinds will be oriented as such. I also move with ESDF instead of WASD for personal reasons. I find having A Q W be available vital for every game I touch, and CTRL and ALT is bound to my mouse (again, all preference). Here’s how I bind my mouse.

ABILITY: Stance Shift (NAGA 11)

Default might work for you, but you should stance switch to a more accessible button. Tab just doesn’t make the cut for how fast this class can get.

ABILITY: Elbow Smash (NAGA 2)

This makes a very quick and comfortable bind. I would highly suggest putting on the mouse. You won’t always know to hit it, but you really need to hit it in the right direction.

ABILITY: Lightning Fist/Displace (NAGA 4)

This will be hit very frequently during tense situations. Be sure to have it on the mouse if possible for comfort and responsiveness.

ABILITY: Leg Sweep/Glacial Beam (NAGA 5)

This ability plays a big role in your attack combos, as well as one of your defensive skills against crowd control. It must be at a quick-to-press key, and deserves a spot on your mouse if you can fit it. You never want to miss a stun at the right time, and this button happens to be a crowd control in both stances.

Tips and Notes

Managing your focus intake and output is a heavy part of this class. You must know how to gather power, and then vent it out at rates faster than other classes. It is very important to note which abilities use and which abilities recover, and how to alternate between them effectively. By far, the biggest problem I see with current Soul Fighters is them not understanding two factors.

#1: You don’t just pick a stance you like and stay in it. You fulfill a rotation, then swap to the next stance. Fulfill THAT rotation and repeat.

#2: They are not effectively setting up or preparing for their stance switch with their Focus. In this guide, I will explain how to watch out for this problem, and to make sure you don’t ever lose Focus. Losing Focus loses overall damage and survivability.

Holding down the LMB does a 3 attack combo. The Focus gained goes 1 punch=1 point and 2 punches with a kick giving 3 points. This totals 4 points per three attack combo.

Elemental Stance is best for burst, and mandatory for handling AOE. Kung Fu Stance is best for sustained single target DPS. You will need to effectively switch between both to maximize DPS.

Cooldowns in Kung Fu stance do not affect abilities in Elemental Stance, and vice versa. You will often either use all spells then switch stance, or switch spells and stances one at a time. You can even mix up between the stances. This class was designed for versatility.

Proper RMB/LMB Alternating

This is one of the biggest metas to understand if you wish to play this class. Rotate RMB into LMB repeating. Spend 3 focus to gain 1 focus. Instead of dumping 9 focus into only 3 “snowballs”, you can stretch 3-5 out of a rotation by adding +1 and using -3.

RMB(-3) → LMB(+1) → REPEAT

Be sure to use Leg Sweep and Lightning Fist always before leaving the Kung Fu Stance. When a fight is ending and combat is about to drop, be sure to shift stances before it’s done automatically. When you trigger the ability, you gain the 6 focus. If it auto switches, you gain nothing. In Kung Fu Stance, have 4 focus ready BEFORE switching into Elemental Stance to land at 10 Focus. While in Elemental Stance, have 2 Focus ready BEFORE switching into the Kung Fu Stance.

Clearing Entire Rooms and Areas

Here’s how to do big pulls for quick questing and grinding step-by-step.
#1: Scout out the areas and think out your pull. Then, pick a center point and make that where you will pull the mobs to. Consider the range in which they will de-aggro when making this choice.

#2: Do some”body pulling” for the first half of your circle (getting the attention of creeps by walking near them) while sprinting. Don’t get hit, or your sprint will end. After you have completed a half circle with body pulling, move towards your designated center point and a little bit past it. Now that you are a tiny bit past the center point of your circle and opposite the side you body pulled on, switch to “Elemental Stance” and begin range-pulling NPCs toward the center point.

#3: When done correctly, you run the path of a question mark: Starting wide, then tightening the circle until you are running little circles around a giant cluster of enemies. Once everything has bunched up to your liking, simply use “Blazing Tundra” ability with 3 RMB attacks afterwards. If anything managed to survive, hit them with a “Displace” to finish them off. As you get better and you make bigger pulls, keep your eye open for a delicate moment. While you are running in a circle tightening up the NPCs, you will need to counter certain attacks while you wait for the last mob you tagged to come to you.

One By One Momentum

Most areas will not allow you to pull the whole room and just clear everything. When you get hit with this, its important to have a good rotation. Go through adapting to the HP of the NPCs around you. Get used to counting out how many hits with what abilities on which NPC’s minimum to kill a target. For instance, an average kill will use Lightning Fist with three RMB clicks. Try to use one ability per NPC. For your first NPC, use Lighting Fist to put it on cooldown. On your second, use Leg Sweep. Your 3rd, shift Stances and alternate RMB + LMB until down to 2-4 Focus points. This kills for sure one (and sometimes two) NPCs. Your forth will use the same idea as the alternating RMB + LMB meta. You will use two of your abilities instead of LMB to recover your focus. Alternate between RMB and Glacial Beam, then RMB followed by Displace, then return to RMB + LMB alternations until down to 2 focus. Just rinse and repeat this technique, and you’ll be set.

Try to save your counter as a “Please Don’t Hit Me” button. The 9 second cooldown forces you to not use it as offensively as other classes. Instead, use Blazing Tundra if you pull more NPCs than intended. If you have full focus and know your next fight is going to last a little while, don’t Lightning Fist in. Use it for focus recovery. If you are going to kill the target before it even hits you, just use Lightning Fist to save time.

Maximizing DPS

Start of a Fight

Alternate RMB + LMB until you have done 4-5 RMB (Whether four or five times depends on using your Lightning Fist to reach a target, or walked up to it and saved it for 2 focus recovery).

Then, LMB twice for 2 focus, Lightning Fist for 2 more focus, and then Stance Shift. This gives 6 focus, equaling full 10 focus orbs. If you had to use Leg Sweep, just LMB twice to regain the lost 2 orbs. Before proceeding to the next phase, make sure you have 4 Focus orbs. A good way to quickly take a look is to use this trick. Without UI modification, the 5th focus orb is directly above the 12,000 on your stamina bar. Once your eye knows how to catch that, you’re golden.

2nd Phase/Caster Mode

Use your Burning Tundra ability, then immediately right click to use some focus. If the enemy is running toward you are about to leave the field, push them back in with Displace. If the enemy is standing in the circle and hurting you, use your stun. After Burning Tundra and RMB, use Glacial Beam to stun the target in the AOE. RMB to get them in range for Displace, then push them back into the “Burning Tundra” AOE if needed with RMB. Repeat RMB + LMB alternations until you go down to 2 focus orbs. Then, use Stance Shift to get + 6 focus followed by Lighting Fist, giving +2 Focus. Then, repeat it all again.

(Start rotation)  → Lightning Fist → RMB → LMB → RMB → LMB → Leg Sweep → LMB → RMB → LMB → RMB. Do a full 3 hit combo with your LMB to generate 4 combo points or 2, then wait for Lightning Fist.

How to Counter Certain NPCs

Here are how many hits you can fit into an enemy before they swing at you for the first time.

Blade Master: 2-3 RMB if they start right away with their charge attack. If not, they will do a lunge you can counter or a quick slice when they walk up to you for the first time.

Destroyers: Dodge the obvious overhead axe swing. Their next attack will be a session of 3 attacks with about one second between each. They will alternate by left swing, right swing, then an overhead chop. They will raise the axe slowly then swing it quickly, so counter at the top of them raising their weapon. Just walk away from their charged attacks.

Kung Fu Master: If you aggro them from a range, counter them on their leap. If you aggro from melee range, they will cock back for a punch then release. This has a charge time of around a half second to a full second.

Casters: Casters are both easy and difficult. You will want to first maintain spacing so you can easily see the cast animation resolve, and take advantage of the travel time of the spell before it hits you. Deal damage to them before they’re cast, reflect it, then finish them off before they can cast again.

Wildlife/Undead: Normally, they wind up a attack very slowly then strike. They take about 1-2 punches before their attack begins. Take note if the NPCs in the area you’re in have a personality which attacks with a quick but weak swing at the beginning of an engagement.

Martial Tomes to Use

Heres a list of the choices I made in my martial tome while leveling. I found these choices the best for surviving, since the class does enough damage without putting points into it. The following list will be sorted by level of importance.

Ability #1: Blazing Tundra 

Points Needed: 2

You want Tier 2, Stage 1 (The far left option). This makes your Burning Tundra heal you for 50% of the damage dealt. When used properly, it should be a full heal when enough enemies are present. Additional healing is possible with a RMB “Snowball” combo. I find this mandatory for leveling.

Ability #2: Lightning Fist

Points Needed: 2

Grab the option on the right. This makes your Lighting Fist stun on impact. This makes it very easy to go between mobs, and able to level without taking damage.

Ability #3: Iron Shoulder

Points Needed: 2

Again, the option on the right. This makes it so the ability can now be activated upon use of Backstep. Instead of waiting for a critical strike on your RMB attack, you can now add it to part of your damage rotation.

Ability #4: Right Punch

Points Needed: 3

Take the side to the right down to Breeze Kick. This is a choice I made and I really enjoy it, but it’s not mandatory at all. I like it because my Kung Fu Stance was needing some love.

These were all the of problems I could see people having while I’m played. I hope you all have a great time enjoying this new class (I know I am). Curiosity also strikes me, as I’m wondering how fun the next class that comes out will be. See you ingame!