Written by  Xenedus

Plasma Sword is one of the most commonly used weapons in S4 and is often used incorrectly which often results in death.

There are some very simple rules which if observed can greatly increase a player's overall effectivness where this sword is concerned

Rule #1

The Plasma Sword is a weapon of Surprise and Counter Attacks

Do not walk directly towards someone with your plasma sword out as this makes your intentions very obvious and given the linear nature of the Plasma Sword's attacks it makes you very easy to dodge. When approaching someone use your guns and try to trick them into thinking that you will try to kill them only using your guns and pull out your plasma sword only when you are within dashing range. When you are within dashing range make sure that your attack will hit as you will not get another chance at this if you miss.

Rule #2

Wait for your opponent to attack first

The plasma sword's dash has a delay that is long enough that you will die if you miss and the enemy player manages to dodge out of your dash and it is much more effective to let the enemy attack first and dodge his attack and then counter attack while he is stuck in the delay after his attack. This way you are certain to hit and you also can aim your attack more carefully.

Rule #3

The stun is your best friend in melee fights

When you are in range of the enemy (which I suggest you practice so you know exactly how far your stun reaches) one of the best moves you can do is the stun. One reason for this is because once you are that close to the enemy they will most likely try to dash you if they have a plasma sword or try to use a jump smash attack on you if they are a counter sword. In both of those events if you time your stun correctly it will either hit first or you will get scratched for minimal damage and your attack will still go through. After you have successfully stuned the enemy you have two things you can do. The first and most simple thing is to dash the enemy while he is stunned but this is risky as he might dodge out of the stun (which will drain ALL of his remaining SP to do) and might counter attack. The other option is to continue to stun him until he dies which takes longer but is much less risky.

Rule #4

Do not get impatient and rush a defensive sword user

This is the rule that most sword users have the most trouble with. When two experienced sword users meet it usually turns into a waiting match to see who will dash first. When this happens there are a few things you can do that will allow you to turn the tables in your favor. One of the most common tactics that is used in these situations is getting close and either attempting to stun (which is risky against an experience melee user) or light attacking (which also presents considerable risk if the enemy player sees what you are attempting to do and dashes you when you get close) A safe tactic to use in these kind of battles is what I will refer to as an air slice. To perform an air slice you run towards an enemy and then jump and turn sideways so that you dodge in the air towards your enemy and right after your dodge you perform either a light or heavy slash (depending on the situation) If you aim correctly you can get a critical with this attack and it also proves hard to block because if your opponent trys to dash you he will either miss you or just barely scrape your feet at which point he is stuck with the delay after dashing and you are free to counter attack.

Rule #5

If you ever get hit by a melee attack keep trying to dodge away

When you get hit by a melee attack if you can time your dodge right you might be able to avoid alot of extra damage that you would otherwise take like when you get launched into a wall. Another example of this would be the Plasma sword's dash attack. If you don't get hit full on by this attack there is a chance that you can dodge away before the enemy hits you with the heavy attack which does much more damage and you are free to counter attack him.

Rule #6

Don't forget that you are fighting other people

When fighting an enemy don't forget that they are a human too and can be manipulated as such. Sometimes you can break up a waiting match by performing a light swing a random light swing because the person at the other computer sees you move and thinks that you are going to attack so he dashes without thinking. This also applys to the chat. Nobody likes an a bragger. No matter how good you are everybody hates somebody who goes around bragging about their awesomeness.

General Tips for using a Plasma Sword

-The dash is useful in TD for making that last charge at the enemies goal post
-A good counter for someone rushing towards your goal is the Stun attack as it stops almost anything and is particularly effective in Station 2
-The time to counter attack a Counter Sword is right after their heavy slash.
-When you knock somebody down after a heavy slash pull out out your guns and shoot them while they are on the ground
-Curve your dash to be less predictable and to improve your aim
-Using wall jumps to be more unpredictable with your stuns
-When trying to stun the enemy click as soon as you jump off the ground to get a faster stun that is harder to dodge