A Guide on All Skills to get for Bladers with Recommended Skill Levels

[cadacus_ater]

Updated 8/30/2012 with new combo examples. First post has links to and descriptions of the most helpful posts in this thread, for easy searching.

I personally chose to avoid the party buffs, since they seem a bit useless to me. When not with your party members, Curse Dodge can be negated by a smart Force Blader. It might be useful when your party members are with you against a single Force Blader. Fatality Increase gives a small amount of extra crit damage, but it seems rather limited in actual usefulness. It is up to you whether or not you want the party buffs. When you get the skill book for it, Death Tempest can prove to be a usefull skill, and it really shines in PvP and War.
I will highlight skills you could consider deleting for the new transcender skills in itallics. Skills obtained in Porta Inferno will be underlined. Skills I consider optional will be in bold text. Abreviations for the skill names will be listed in parentheses next to the skill name when available. My recommended skill level is the number after the skill name. If you just want my recommended final skill build see the post after this.

EDIT: Here are some links to other posts in this thread you may find helpful....

Notes on Modified Combos, Combos and Skill Builds before Death Tempest, and General Skill Leveling Tips:
http://forum.cabal.com/showthread.ph...l=1#post350280

Stunlock and Stun + Down Combo Builds and General PVE Combo Tips:
http://forum.cabal.com/showthread.ph...l=1#post121445

Combos with VI 20 and DT 20 with Notes on Fillers for Modified Combos:
http://forum.cabal.com/showthread.ph...l=1#post133857
Updated 8/30/2012

Cast Time and Cool Time Chart with Notes on Combo Building:
http://forum.cabal.com/showthread.ph...l=1#post135882

---Sword Skills: Attacks--------------------------------
*Impact Stab (IS)-------20-----Novice
*Double Slash (DS)-------20-----Apprentice
(Keep this instead of DR when you get DT if good at comboing past 11.)
*Double Rising (DR)------20------Regular
(Keep this instead of DS when you get DT if bad at comboing past 11. I got rid of it.)
*Storm Grind (SG)--------20------Expert
*Assault-----------------20------Expert
*Force Kick--------------20------Expert
(9 if you want to use it a bit more often)
*Vital Intefere (VI)-------20-----Master
(That's what I use, but some put at 18)
*Twin-moon Slash (TMS)--20----Master
(Might want to keep this, it's our main ranged skill)
*Blade Scud (BS)---------09----Grand Master
(You could put this at 20 if you keep DT 9)
*Lightning Slash (LS)------09----Completer
(Some put this at 12)
*Death Tempest (DT)-----20----Transcender
(That's what I use, but some put at 9, 12, 15)

---Buff Skills-----------------------------------------
*Iron Skin------------20--------Expert
*Mirage Step---------20--------A. Expert (Helpful in PvE, I kept but you could lose it)
*Aura Barrier---------20--------Master
*Soul Blade----------20--------Grand Master
*Instant Immunity----20--------Grand Master
*Art of Fierceness----20---------Completer
*Intuition------------20---------Completer
*Intense Blade-------20---------Transcender
*Curse Dodge-------20---------Transcender
*Fatality Increase--20---------Transcender

---Other Skills------------------------------
*Fade Step-----------09--------Novice (I keep this to help evade people in war)
*Dash----------------09--------Apprentice
*Field of Fear---------20--------Transcender

---Upgrade Skills----------------------------
*Vitality Mastery---------------Novice
*Offensive Sense--------------Regular
*Defensive Sense -------------Regular
*Impact Control---------------G. Master
*Damage Absorb--------------G. Master
*Sixth Sense------------------G. Master