The best Swordmaster build in Dune: Awakening focuses on high single-target melee damage, elite stamina control, and precise counterplay. This guide covers the top Swordmaster skills, optimal gear, and how to master parry-based combat for PvP and PvE.
1. How The Swordmaster Class Works in Dune: Awakening
The Swordmaster is one of the highest skill-ceiling melee classes in Dune: Awakening. Built around fast-paced close-quarters combat, it rewards sharp timing, precise parries, and aggressive engagements.
With three unique skill trees—The Blade, The Will, and The Way—Swordmasters can adapt to both PvP duels and PvE clears, making them one of the most lethal archetypes for players who can master movement and resource management.
2. Should You Start as Swordmaster in Dune: Awakening?
Choosing your starting class in Dune: Awakening shapes your early gameplay experience, and the Swordmaster is one of the most high-skill options available. While it offers powerful melee tools and parry-based combat, it may not be the ideal choice for complete beginners. Here’s what you should consider before starting as a Swordmaster.
If you wish to unlock all the Swordmaster skills, be sure to check out How To Unlock The Swordmaster Class.
Swordmaster – Dune: Awakening.
2.1 Pros of Starting as a Swordmaster
- High melee burst damage: Skills like Dance of Blades and Eye of the Storm let you dominate early PvP fights.
- Parry-based counters: Abilities like Retaliate and Foil reward skilled timing with devastating counterattacks.
- Stamina-efficient tree options: The Way skill tree boosts hydration and stamina regen, giving you strong sustain in hot zones.
2.2 Cons of Starting as a Swordmaster
- Weak at range: You have no early tools to counter ranged enemies without a secondary class.
- High skill floor: Parrying and timing require fast reflexes and familiarity with enemy patterns.
- Early unlock limitations: You must travel to Pinnacle Station to access the full Swordmaster skill tree, which can take several hours.
2.3 Recommended For:
- Players with PvP experience in games like Conan Exiles, Mordhau, or Dark Souls.
- Solo players who want to dominate in melee duels.
- Anyone confident with parry-timing and stamina management mechanics.
2.4 Not Recommended For:
- Complete beginners to survival sandbox or Soulslike combat systems.
- Players who prefer ranged, stealth, or magic-based gameplay.
- Anyone looking for an easy early-game PvE experience.
3. List of All Swordmaster Skills in Dune: Awakening
Swordmaster Skill Tree
| Skill | Skill Tree | Type | School (Class) | Skill Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blade Damage | The Blade | Passive | Swordmaster | You've learned the difference between a cut and a slice, a point and an edge. You do more damage with bladed weapons. |
| Dance of Blades | The Blade | Technique | Swordmaster | Defeating an enemy with a blade empowers your next attack with the blade for a brief period. The skilled swordmaster dances between opponents, keeping their damage high.Techniques only take effect when equipped. |
| Eye of the Storm | The Blade | Ability | Swordmaster | You pirouette with your blade, becoming a whirlwind of piercing damage that cuts everything around you. While seemingly chaotic, the swordmaster maintains calm - the eye at the heart of the storm.Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar. |
| Foil | The Blade | Ability | Swordmaster | You enter a heightened state of awareness and when next attacked in melee, you parry and counterattack with a precise strike that damages their arm and numbs them. For a short period of time, their damage output is reduced.Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar. |
| Long Blade Damage | The Blade | Passive | Swordmaster | Your training with long blades such as swords and rapiers gives you increased damage with those weapons. |
| Precise Parry | The Blade | Passive | Swordmaster | When your blood is infused with melange, your parries expose additional weaknesses in the defense of your enemies. Their ability to mitigate damage is decreased. |
| Retaliate | The Blade | Ability | Swordmaster | You enter a heightened state of awareness and when next attacked in melee, you parry and counterattack with a savage riposte that bleeds and damages your enemy.Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar. |
| Skill | Skill Tree | Type | School (Class) | Skill Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleed Tolerance | The Will | Passive | Swordmaster | You have become harder to bleed due to a combination of training and resistance. Bleeding status takes a longer time to build on you. |
| Confidence | The Will | Passive | Swordmaster | Every time you attempt a difficult attack like a sprint attack or a slow blade, you gain increased confidence, which reflects as damage mitigation. |
| Deflection | The Will | Ability | Swordmaster | You enter a defensive stance, deflecting darts that are fired at you. This ability lasts as long as your stamina holds out.Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar. |
| Reckless Lunge | The Will | Technique | Swordmaster | Lunging at an enemy will often provide them with an easy opening to attack, but you have learned to turn a lunge into an advantage. Sprint attacks provide bonus damage mitigation for a short while after a lunge.Techniques only take effect when equipped. |
| Solid Stance | The Will | Passive | Swordmaster | As your training increases, you have learned to avoid being knocked around by enemy attacks. You can take more poise damage before being staggered. |
| Thrive on Danger | The Will | Technique | Swordmaster | When you are low on health, you regenerate health faster, receive less poise damage, and reduce all stamina costs for actions.Techniques only take effect when equipped. |
| Skill | Skill Tree | Type | School (Class) | Skill Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crippling Strike | The Way | Ability | Swordmaster | You move in, striking at a low angle to cut your enemies below the knees. For a while after being hit, your enemies are slowed and their dashes require more stamina. While not the most honorable of attacks, the swordmaster understands that there is a difference between a duel and a war.Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar. |
| Desert Conditioning | The Way | Passive | Swordmaster | You have trained yourself to deal with the rigors of the deserts, decreasing your max stamina loss while dehydrated. |
| Disciplined Breathing | The Way | Technique | Swordmaster | When you focus on your technique and breathing, you can recuperate your stamina reserves more quickly.Techniques only take effect when equipped. |
| Field Medicine | The Way | Passive | Swordmaster | You recover more health immediately when using healkits due to your excellent conditioning. |
| General Conditioning | The Way | Passive | Swordmaster | Your extensive physical training has increased your maximum stamina. |
| Inspiration | The Way | Ability | Swordmaster | You inspire yourself and your companions to greater heights, increasing the damage of your melee attacks.Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar. |
| Knee Charge | The Way | Ability | Swordmaster | You propel yourself forward into battle with a terrific knee charge into the enemy. Deals damage and severely staggers your opponent, but costs stamina.Abilities must be equipped and activated from the ability bar. |
| Optimized Hydration | The Way | Passive | Swordmaster | Your body knows how to make optimal use of water, so you have additional stamina reserves when well-hydrated. |
| Prescient Strike | The Way | Passive | Swordmaster | When your blood is saturated with melange, you see multiple ways in which to damage your enemies. After using any swordmaster ability, your next strike will strike twice, reflecting two possible versions of the future converging in a single spacetime. |
4. Best Early Weapon for Swordmaster Class
Kaleff’s Drinker Weapon
The Swordmaster class in Dune: Awakening thrives on high-precision melee combat, meaning weapon selection is crucial. The best weapons maximize damage output, apply bleed effects, and allow gap-closing while managing stamina efficiently.
4.1 Kaleff’s Drinker – Best Early-Game Melee Weapon
Kaleff’s Drinker is the primary melee weapon of choice for Swordmasters. To be able to craft it, you need to get the schematic from the Alcyon Shipwreck location, which is east of Griffin’s Reach Trading Post, and you cannot miss it.
The blade benefits from passives like Blade Damage and Long Blade Damage. It features high melee DPS and works perfectly with core skills like Dance of Blades and Retaliate, enabling kill-chaining and effective parry counters.
- Type: Long Blade
- Benefits: Scales with all Swordmaster damage passives
This blade is a must-craft for any Swordmaster early game, offering an excellent power spike with low stamina cost.
4.2 Karpov 38 – Reliable Sidearm for PvP
While Swordmasters focus heavily on melee, a good sidearm is essential for ranged flexibility. The Karpov 38 is a basic but effective pistol ideal for softening targets or finishing off enemies at a distance. It allows you to maintain pressure even when foes attempt to escape or fly using Suspensors.
- Type: Pistol
- Best Use: Target finishers and opening ranged pokes
Use the Karpov 38 sparingly—your stamina and gear are designed for blade combat, but this pistol can save fights when opponents create distance.
4.3 Standard GRDA 44 – Stagger and Engage Tool
Though not part of the core Swordmaster kit, the Standard GRDA 44 is a strong alternative when pairing with subclasses like Trooper or Mentat. It applies stagger, breaking poise and creating entry points for your melee strikes.
- Function: Breaks enemy stance or shields
- Best Combo: Use after Knee Charge or during Precise Parry recovery
Equip this only when focusing on hybrid playstyles or in PvE encounters where poise-breaking is necessary.
4.4 Jolt-sword – Mid to Late Game Weapon
The Jolt-sword is unlocked during the final stage of the Forged in Dishonor Swordmaster questline. This high-tier melee weapon channels energy pulses on parry and provides a small stamina boost, making it ideal for stamina-heavy duel builds. To obtain it, complete Seron Varlin’s quest arc and reach the final Swordmaster trial at Helias Gate.
Quest Source: Swordmaster Capstone (Forged in Dishonor)
Required NPCs: Seron Varlin
Ideal Use: Parry-based PvP and late-game duels
This blade unlocks your full potential, especially when paired with skills like Prescient Strike and Precise Parry.
5. Best Early Armor and Equipment for Swordmaster Class
Scavenger Pants
Craft the full Scavenger Set early on, which is easy to craft and provides lower stamina costs for dash. It includes:
- Scavenger Hood
- Scavenger Chestpiece
- Scavenger Gloves
- Scavenger Pants
- Scavenger Boots
Equip the Emperor’s Wings Mk1 belt from Imperial Testing Station No. 2. It enhances mobility and allows for vertical traversal when paired with a Suspenser.
6. How to Unlock the Swordmaster Class
To unlock the Swordmaster class in Dune: Awakening, you must either complete a two-stage questline tied to specific trainers or choose it right at the start of the character creation.
6.1 Arno – Pinnacle Station (Basic Swordmaster Trainer)
Location: Pinnacle Station, found northeast of the Broken Stone Station hub.
Quest: Complete a story-linked contract involving combat trials and item collection. This quest unlocks the Swordmaster skill trees, including early abilities from The Blade, The Will and the Way.
-
- Swordmaster Basic Trainer (Arno) Location
-
- Arno
6.2 Seron Varlin – Harko Village (Advanced Swordmaster Trainer)
Location: Harko Village, located deep in the northwestern sector of the Vermilious Gap.
Requirement: Must complete Arno’s full contract chain before Seron becomes available. This quest grants access to advanced Swordmaster contracts and higher-tier techniques from all three skill trees.
Note: You can get there for 2500 Solari using the Ornithopter Pilot’s service located in all the trading posts.
-
- Swordmaster Advanced Trainer (Seron Valin) Location
-
- Seron Valin
7. How to Play the Swordmaster: Tips and Tactics
7.1 Master Parrying
Parries are critical to maximizing your output. Use Retaliate and Foil actively to punish attacks and weaken enemies. With Precise Parry, you’ll also expose their defenses for follow-ups.
7.2 Chain Skills for Burst Damage
Combine Dance of Blades and Eye of the Storm for deadly AoE after securing a kill. This is especially strong in PvP skirmishes.
7.3 Use Knee Charge to Start Fights
Engage fights with Knee Charge to stagger enemies and follow up with high-damage combos. It’s perfect for taking out snipers or isolated enemies.
7.4 Always Craft Healkits
The Swordmaster plays aggressively and takes damage. Keep a large stock of healing items and use Field Medicine to boost their effect.
7.5 Control the Fight
With high stamina regen and mobility passives, you can dance around heavier classes. Maintain pressure, keep your distance after parries, and re-engage when cooldowns align.
8. Best Subclass Pairings for Swordmaster in Dune: Awakening
Bene Gesserit Skill Tree
The Swordmaster in Dune: Awakening thrives in melee range with high-risk, high-reward parry-based combat. To round out its stamina-heavy, close-quarters focus, pairing it with the right secondary class can unlock new movement tools, crowd control, and resource sustain for both PvP and PvE dominance. Here are the best subclass combinations to complement a Swordmaster build:
8.1 Swordmaster + Bene Gesserit
This combo maximizes control and disruption in duels and PvP engagements. The Bene Gesserit skill tree offers strong crowd control and mobility tools that balance out the Swordmaster’s raw damage and parry mechanics:
- Compel: Forces enemies to walk toward you, setting them up for parries or ambushes.
- Bindu Dash: A fast directional dash that helps reposition or escape after a kill.
- Weirding Way: Passive that boosts movement speed and agility, great for kiting between attacks.
8.2 Swordmaster + Planetologist
For solo players or long expedition runs, Planetologist offers essential tools for mobility, resource sustain, and environmental traversal. This is one of the best exploration pairings with Swordmaster:
- Suspensor Pad: Grants vertical traversal for getting the jump on ranged targets or escaping worms.
- Water Efficiency: Increases hydration retention—perfect for stamina-based melee play.
- Resource Extraction: Allows passive harvesting, reducing downtime between fights and camps.
8.3 Swordmaster + Mentat
For tactical builds, pairing with the Mentat class enhances your cooldown management, damage tracking, and information warfare. This combo shines in team PvP or 1v1 duels that rely on outplaying:
- Predictive Insight: Reduces cooldowns after successful hits or parries.
- Augmented Awareness: Reveals hidden threats and enemy buffs, helping you target squishier or exposed foes.
All Classes – Dune: Awakening.
8.4 Why These Pairings Work
While the Swordmaster excels in direct confrontations, each of these secondary trees addresses one of its core limitations:
- Mobility and repositioning: Bene Gesserit and Planetologist give tools to start or escape fights.
- Sustain and survivability: Planetologist improves water and stamina control.
- Combat intelligence: Mentat increases cooldown efficiency and tactical flexibility.
This flexibility is crucial in Dune: Awakening’s open-world sandbox, where loadouts must adapt to PvE clearing, ambush PvP, and survival over long distances.
9. Common Mistakes New Swordmasters Should Avoid
- Over-parrying: Spamming block ruins stamina and wastes openings.
- Neglecting hydration: Always keep water on hand to enable stamina passives.
- Skipping ranged backup: You still need a pistol or scattergun to deal with shieldless ranged enemies.
Toddp
Doesnt tell us what we should unlock in combination or how many points into each. Nice article otherwise.
Karel Vik
It’s hard to say because you mix all the skills from all the classes :-). Check out our new guide where you can find everything https://www.keengamer.com/articles/guides/dune-awakening-best-late-game-builds/