Way of the Sword
Basic Information
When playing Elsword, there will be an additional bar below the mana gauge called Way of the Sword. This bar has 10 segments that, by default, contain 5 red Destruction slots and 5 blue Vitality slots, and depending on your actions, the bar will lean towards one color or 'aura' (from right to left for Destruction, from left to right for Vitality), replacing the other aura's slots. As long as an aura has at least one slot in the bar filled, you will receive special benefits depending on which aura you currently have active. The "Aura of Destruction" is selected by default, and you can switch between it and the "Aura of Vitality" by using the special action key ([V] by default).
Depending on the type of skill you use, the bar will fill towards the right with blue Vitality slots or towards the left with red Destruction slots:
- Flexibility/Tenacity skill: 1 slot
- Strength skill: 2 slots
- Bravery skill: 3 slots
Note that skills fill the slots contrary to their mode: Vitality-based skills fill the bars with Destruction slots; Destruction-based skills fill the bar with vitality slots.
If the bar is filled completely by either aura's slots, the aura for the other mode will deactivate and you will enter a neutral stance with no benefits when it is toggled on, until at least 1 slot is re-gained for that mode. As such, the bar acts as a balancing mechanic so over-using one mode's skills can prevent that mode's aura from being active.
Aura of Vitality
When Self BuffAura of Vitality is toggled on, you will be surrounded by a blue aura and gain the following effects:
- Action, Movement Speed increase: 20%
- Vitality-based skills MP Cost decrease: 30% (PvP: 5%)
- MP Gain when Attacked increase: 100% (PvP: 20%)
- Vitality-based Command/Skill MP recovery per hit increase: 100% (PvP: 20%)
Aura of Destruction
When Self BuffAura of Destruction is toggled on, you will be surrounded by a crimson aura and gain the following effects:
- Damage increase when using Destruction-based Skill: 50% (PvP: 25%)
- Damage increase when using Destruction-based Command: 100% (PvP: 20%)
Aura Chart
- Elsword
- Knight Emperor
- Rune Master
- Immortal
- Genesis
| Idle/Walking |  Vitality
|
Vitality
|
Vitality
|
Vitality
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitality
|
Vitality
|
Vitality
|
 Vitality
| |
 Destruction
|
Destruction
|
Destruction
|
||
| Destruction
|
Destruction
|
Vitality
|
||
Running
|
Vitality
|
Vitality
|
 Destruction
|
|
| Destruction
|
||||
Jump
|
Vitality
|
|||
| Destruction
|
||||
Air Dash
|
Vitality
|
Vitality
|
Vitality
|
|
| Destruction
|
Destruction
|
|||
| Knocked Down | Destruction
|
|||
| Vitality
|
Skill Auras
Specialization (Not Available Anymore)
| Character |  Specialization A
|
 Specialization B
|
|---|---|---|
 |
Destruction and Vitality gain amount +x% (Except when either Destruction and Vitality is activated) (Max: 40%) | Destruction and Vitality consume amount -x% (Max: 50%) |
Tips and Details
- Commands do not affect the bar's slots in any way. As long as 1 slot of the respective aura is left, they will benefit from the aura they align to.
- Destruction-based skills benefit from the 50% damage bonus in their entirety, as long as you consume a Destruction slot by using them, even if this makes your whole aura become Vitality.
- Vitality's MP gain increase is very potent, allowing you to throw out many costly skills with little issues. Keeping at least 1 bar of Vitality left at all times to be able to gain the effect for your commands is exceptionally helpful.
- Although Way of the Sword Mode Switching is a Special Move, it is still counted as a skill that cannot be used during some disabling debuffs like Silence.
- Due to Way of the Sword effects being active as long as you have at least one bar of the respective type, there is no benefit from consuming more bars in the case of Strength and Bravery skills.
Trivia
- The sword icons that appear at the ends of the gauge are Lord Knight's and Rune Slayer's swords for "Aura of Destruction" and "Aura of Vitality", respectively.
Old Version
- In the past, the Way of the Sword system featured a non-segmented resource meter which could fill or deplete based on the amount of damage and number of hits dealt from skills and combos as opposed to purely skill category.
- The ability to switch between "Aura of Destruction" and "Aura of Vitality" was not present. To enter a particular mode, Elsword must fill the meter with the using the opposing aura's attacks. When it was filled, Elsword would be in that mode until the meter was depleted via the respective aura's attacks. Once the meter was depleted, Elsword would be in a neutral state until he fills the meter back up with one of the auras.
Gallery
-
Unused Aura of Vitality buff icon.
-
Unused Aura of Destruction buff icon.
Updates
| Date | Changes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| KR | NA | PvE | PvP |
| 10/20/2011 | 11/21/2012 |
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| 04/21/2016 | 05/18/2016 |
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| 06/15/2017 | 06/28/2017 |
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| 11/02/2017 | 11/15/2017 |
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| 06/20/2019 | 07/17/2019 |
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| 08/14/2019 | 08/28/2019 |
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| 09/11/2019 | 09/25/2019 |
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| 07/08/2021 | 08/04/2021 |
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| 02/03/2022 | 03/02/2022 |
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| 07/04/2024 | 07/31/2024 |
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