: Most competitive builds prioritize reaching 40% slash and blunt resistance using the Profit’s Cloak , which remains the best armor for stacking free damage bonuses.

Playtest Checklist (what to measure while refining)

Post-patch adjustments altered the swing speed caps and recovery frames for several light weapons. The top three options currently dominating the PvP meta include: 1. The Sacred Hammer (Fist / Light Hybrid)

Pre-patch, Light Weapons—specifically the Dagger (Stygian) and Fists (Ceremonial)—benefited from an interaction between talents like Speed Demon , Cheap Shot , and Ghost . The goal was not to land the heaviest hit, but to never let the opponent play. A single M1 (light attack) from a dagger confirmed into Jus Karita (a parry-reset mantra), which confirmed into a backstab, which refilled your stamina via Exhaustion and drained the opponent’s via Reinforced Armor ’s old counterplay.

Essential for maintaining damage during long fights.

To succeed with a Light Weapon build post-patch, you can no longer rely purely on raw speed. The meta has shifted toward —combining high physical posture damage with status effects to force parry mistakes.

Slows down enemy movement and reaction speeds, making it nearly impossible for them to escape your light weapon pressure.