Swordsmanship
From the duelling katana to the woodsman’s double axe, Swordsmanship covers every edged weapon in Britannia — the most popular weapon skill for good reason.
Stats: Strength (primary), Dexterity (secondary) · Title: Swordsman
What it does
Section titled “What it does”Swordsmanship is your to-hit skill when wielding swords and axes. This shard uses the AOS
hit formula (BaseWeapon.cs, CheckHit):
attacker = (attackSkill + 20) × (100 + HitChanceIncrease) // HCI capped at 45defender = (defendSkill + 20) × (100 + DefenseChanceIncrease) // DCI capped at 45hit chance = attacker / (defender × 2), minimum 2%Against an equal-skill opponent with no item bonuses, that is a 50% hit rate; skill gaps and HCI/DCI gear move it from there. The damage you do on a hit is scaled by Tactics, Anatomy, Strength — and, for axes, Lumberjacking.
Swordsmanship weapons also carry special moves (AOS weapon abilities) that unlock with skill; per-weapon move lists are out of scope here (see the weapons reference when available).
Training
Section titled “Training”The skill gains when you swing at something your level — the standard gain rules apply to combat checks:
- 0–30: buy from an NPC weaponsmith/warrior trainer; then bash training dummies (low cap) and harmless wildlife.
- 30–70: escalate through the bestiary — the Britain graveyard, Orc Cave, and Despise are the classic ladder.
- 70–100+: tougher dungeon spawn keeps checks challenging; GGS covers the dry spells. Fighting alongside Healing and bandages keeps sessions long.
A practical note: the gain comes from the swing’s difficulty check, not from killing — durable, low-damage opponents are training partners, not loot.
Equipment
Section titled “Equipment”Iron is fine to start; colored-metal and crafted exceptional weapons (see Blacksmithy) add damage and durability. Axe users: Lumberjacking’s damage bonus makes the axe line the hardest-hitting choice at GM.