Summary
The First Berserker: Khazanhas only just released, but it’s already gaining a reputation as a Soulslike with its own style and some deep, challenging combat encounters. The anime art style and random loot system puts the game in a bracket of its own, with elements of other action RPGs, like theSoulsgames andNioh, blending together to give the gamea unique identity.
There is a lot of random loot, but only three overall weapon categories: Dual Wield, Greatswords, and Spears. Each type of weapon has its own moveset and some pretty in-depth skill trees, so players aren’t too limited in their choice of playstyle. Yet, with five skill trees foreach weapon type, players will need to make some tough choices about how they want to invest their skill points.
Players can respec inThe First Berserker: Khazan, but it’s quite limited until the end of the game and the New Game Plus. That means it can be useful to know what skills are going to help with getting through the campaign. With that in mind, these are some of the best skills to invest in for Dual Blades.
9Blazing Assault
Longer combos
Blazing Assault is the most basic skill in the Swift Attack tree, so any player that wants to get either Whirlwind or Howling Blade will have to invest in this first. This enables longer combos for the players' swift attacks, so it’s a useful skill, given the Dual Wield blades' relatively fast attack speed.
8Whirlwind
Spinning Slash
Whirlwind is one of the early skills that Dual Wield players should prioritize purchasing. This move lets players use a potent blow after a swift attack or dodge attack to perform a leaping, spinning strike. This can be chained into a downward slash with another press of the potent blow (heavy attack) button.
This move deals decent damage, but it can be further augmented with an additional follow-up, faster attack speed, and additional effects against large enemies, with the linked skills in the Swift Attackskill tree.
7Blowback
Brink Guard Damage
The Dual Wield weapons inThe First Berserker: Khazanhave synergies both forswift dodgingand for perfect guarding, or brink guarding as it’s called in the game. Blowback is a basic but powerful skill in the Dual Wield Guard skill tree that deals damage to enemies when players successfully brink guard.
This gets even more powerful with the linked skill Blowback: Vengeance, which lets players swiftly counterattack and can be used to execute Whirlwind or Howling Blade quickly.
6Gale
Stacking Damage
Gale is an important move for Dual Wield weapons that can deal incredible damage when used effectively. Gale causes charged potent blows to inflict a status effect called “Injured” on enemies. When players hit an injured enemy, they gain a stack of vigor, which buffs the player’s damage. Vigor can stack up to ten times, which makes the damage buff quite significant.
The linked skills Gale: Scar and Gale: Smash can make this even more effective by allowing the player to detonate accumulated stacks of vigor on enemies for massive damage. This can be particularly useful against larger enemies and in longerboss fights.
5Ruthless
Escalating Attacks
Ruthless is an extended flurry of blows that can quickly decimate enemy health bars. The move costs one spirit to initiate, but it can be continued until the player runs out of stamina or stops attacking.
Either way, stopping the flurry executes a final attack; if the move has reached maximum attack speed, this final attack deals increased damage. This move can output a lot of damage quickly, and the linked skill Ruthless: Strength means players can’t be interrupted during the flurry, making it even more effective.
4Deftness
Gap-Closing Dodge
Deftness is a skill that greatly increases mobility in combat. With this skill, players can dodge forward while in the middle of an attack to chain into a dodge attack, which dodges forward while attacking.
The dodge has normal dodge invincibility frames, so it can be veryuseful for avoiding damagewhile committing to light attack combos. The linked skill, Deftness: Lighfoot, increases the dodge range, and the skill also works with the additional invincibility frames from the Disciplined Action skills in the same tree.
3Wind Piercer
Axe Throw
Wind Piercer is anactive skillfrom the Frenzy tree that costs two spirit to activate. The skill lets players throw an axe at an enemy, which spins and deals continuous damage, then the player rushes to the axe’s location to deliver a follow-up attack if the first attack hits.
Despite the relatively high spirit cost, Wind Piercer can deal significant damage, especially when upgraded with the linked skill Wind Piercer: Persistence, which makes the axe spin for longer and deal more damage. The continuous damage from the axe spin is great for building up elemental status effects.
2Flash Cutter
Dashing Counter Attack
Flash Cutter is an essential active skill forDual Wield weapons, found in the Guard skill tree. Players hold down the assigned button to charge the skill. The skill is executed when the button is released. When the skill activates, it nullifies incoming damage while rushing toward an enemy to attack.
That means the skill can be held and used as an on-demand counterattack that avoids damage as long as the player has a spirit point. This is powerful on its own, but the linked skills can also help break enemy stances and deliver a stronger counterattack, as well as restore spirit when defeating an enemy.
1Phantom: Sword Dance
Phantom Attacks
Phantom: Sword Dance is a latter skill in the Swift Attack tree that every Dual Wield player should invest in. Activating this skill buffs the player for 40 seconds. While active, a phantom will attack enemies whenever the player performs a Whirlwind or Howling Blade attack, adding extra damage.
Since players will always be using one of either Whirlwind or Howling Blade as part of their attack chains, this is a very useful DPS buff. The move can be augmented further with linked skills that allow phantoms to assist with other moves too, like when brink guarding or performing a brutal attack.
