I feel like it could be either; it makes sense if its a single weapon, after all a master swordsman is still that if he can only wield the longsword. A master of all weapons can still be beat by a master of one as well. I feel like if you want to reach legendary tier, focusing on one is probably best, but if you want to BECOME a legend learning them all in and out is better.

As it would be with Survival skills, the way to reach that status (Legendary) in "Combat" in general would be to gain majority of multiple weapon skills. If you were trying to reach Legendary in "Ranged Combat" you'd need a majority of mastery in that category, and so on.

It's something you have to build up, starting with mastery of a single weapon, and basically going down the line. The more you master, the higher your mastery will extend up the branches of the skill tree.

I'll post a source as soon as I reach the point in the video where it's stated. I can immediately say that it's a source from Mar 29, 2017. They may well have changed it by now.

edit: https://youtu.be/kGusADlP0Ns?t=1478

Here's a Caspi quote

As far as I've heard/read, is more about becoming a master in a specific area than it is a master of a whole area. So... Crossbow Mastery (not "Ranged Mastery"). Although I wouldn't assume being a master of a whole skill tree is off the table.

I'd say the basics to reaching mastery is about exposure (using and being used on), how many techniques in the skill you know and how the engine has been tracking your activity.

The more contextual and complicated layers would be destinies (birth date, etc), story triggers (daemon encounter for example), event participation (joining and winning events like the Janoa tournaments) and a whole bunch of passive factors like diet, tribe and culture (religion and area) choices. Hell, even your pet selection could help you crawl closer and closer to mastery.

According to one of the earlier links that pertains to crafting, you can become master in one particular specialization. You can be both a master blacksmith just off of sword smithing, but it would take much longer. I'm sure the same is for combat

This reminds me of Dungeon Siege where it gave you the ability ro multi class but by doing so the minimum of skill goes up and by not using a pure discipline to sorcery, bows, combat, etc would eventually force you to choose or you became increasingly weak. This is similar.

In CoE its all about skill management and not getting sucked into going into multiple professions or weapons as much as it is about trying to maximize your skills in focused areas to be stronger then other people and keep up with old souls that have skill ramps on their side. You could be a farming, blacksmith, and a swordsman but you would suffer from it at some point and it would take longer in all three to get good at each if you spread yourself too thin.

I think it should be more possible to just master a single weapon and all associated moves for it and be legendary in a specific weapon like longsword for instance.

You could also branch out and be legendary in all 1h swords and be legendary in them all at some point.

I dont think you will see many multi or all weapons lengendary combat people unless you are an old max soul, ward/family memer, neran, soulmate, talent, and luckily born in a combat academy that has masters from all tribes teaching everything in one location. Maybe then you could master it all in one lifetime if you skill ramp to the max the life after you have mastered each individual weapon in previous lifetimes.

The most likely thing would be that one specific weaponry type you trained will be your "tip" while other weaponry are at the "peak" of skills. Any related skills to that, for example crafting your tip of the peak type weapon, i.e. blacksmithing would also be elevated

So hypothetically speaking if you only trained one specific weapon, you would still be training a little in the others.

1. Specific main skill
2. Surrounding main skill
3. Related to main skill

Easier to imagine with the inner, middle and outer circle of familiarity.

It looks like this thread has its answers, but I've a similar question on the topic of high-tier combat for discussion: How likely do we think it'll be that a master or grandmaster-tier fighter will be able to beat a legendary fighter? And what would it mean for that person's position and reputation if that were to happen?

It's going to happen, at various points throughout the story. No doubt at all about that, if only because people age. But I'm curious as to how it would affect their standing, and what it might mean for each party if they both live through the encounter.

Well if on paper they are exactly the same in their respective skill build but legendary with either the same weapon, different weapon, or 1-2 legendary levels.

I think in the scerior with 2 legendary swordsmen it would come down to your approach to offense and defense schemes if you can mix and match abilities. If it were the same two legendary swordsmen used the exact same styles its then down to how can block or take advantage of their mistakes.

But in the event its two different weapons it probably will come down to how well you know your weapon and skills and how practiced you are against both a weapon but also any other sytles that might exploit your build and the strengths and weakness of your combat style.

@Wolfguarde aside from the answer of Warlanderlichbane, which is more about a fair 1 vs 1 duel, there are many ways to win against far superior and experienced players.

From traps, to hidden gimicks in your equipment, to ambushing and sabotaging, the possibilities are numerous.

What is far more interesting is what would happen afterwards, not just experience and spirit/life lost or gained, but would encountering skills and techniques you never seen before add a bonus or insight to that if anything?

All good points. I'd like to zero in specifically on fights in which both combatants are effectively the same in all ways except for their skill proficiency - basically, two players of identical skill with identical kits and age, using identical weapons, of differing combat tiers (master versus grandmaster, or grandmaster versus legendary). Would the gap created by that tier assignation be significant enough to provide an insurmountable advantage in and of itself? Or would legendary be a status rank, with no attached perks or benefits outside of being the best person at that particular skill on a server? If legendary status is based purely off skill - and not off how often one wins or loses in combat - what happens if a legendary combatant consistently loses to a combatant of lower rank, but equal or better skill?

I know we don't have the info at the moment to definitively answer this one, but I think it's interesting food for thought.

If I had a legendary swordsman I would expect that to be legendary you would have more attack speed, power, perhaps armor damage. more efficient peak stamina useage, Along with the ability to defend yourself against multiple opponents. And being able to transition between attack and defense quicker to create more opportunities to strike.

If I were a grand master swordsman I would expect to reliably block a single strike. And with each addtional strike in their combo throwing your speed off time and eventually if they keep a barrage going they will likely hit me.

If I were a master swordsman facing a master swordsman I would expect to be block a number of blows in a row before they throw my ability to keep defending before a hit connects and connect in like 4-5 strikes. If grandmaster I would expect the timing and speed of blocking to perhaps be able to block perhaps 2 strikes before they likely connect.

Considering the amount of (life)time it would need to reach those, even with the skillramp, you'd be already getting into your retirement years.

In that way I can often imagine the slightly younger master defeating the older more fragile grandmaster, maybe out of sheer luck because his hip pains started acting up again.

Altho in CoE it would likely balance itself out, the grandmaster having less max stamina but also consuming lower amounts for his skills because of higher proficiency.

Yeah I agree with that SARESERAS.

Its likely hitting grandmaster will be an achievement as you come into your prime before your stats and ability fade. Where unless you didnt die a whole lot in your lifetime yourself you might be able to teach another person how to be grandmaster with what you learn from seeing, reading, practicing, and doing with each tribes styles you can learn.

It should balance itself out quite nicely. If you live fast and die young youll prolly never hit lengendary or if you do you wont be able to experience it for long. Where skill and surviving but constantly fighting along with learning all the styles of a weapon will hit you grandmaster quick.

And especially with the convention items/gears allowing you to talk in different languages, one of those people will have a lot faster time to talk to other tribes and learn more disciplines.

Edit:

The other factor to consider is 9 out 10 ten fights will likely have more than one assailant in an ever escalating number potentially in the thousands. So if you can beat the opposing forces legendary swordsman you will still need to fight the rest of their army now focused on you for kiilling their main dude. The more you kiil the larger of a target you become. A well known legendary person will have plenty of that to deal with already.

Take Bruce Lee for instance. Back in china people would challenge him to a fight to the death on a semi regular basis to test their skills. It can be fun to be legendary but it also has plenty of downsides.

Posted By Wolfguarde at 06:21 AM - Fri Jan 25 2019

All good points. I'd like to zero in specifically on fights in which both combatants are effectively the same in all ways except for their skill proficiency - basically, two players of identical skill with identical kits and age, using identical weapons, of differing combat tiers (master versus grandmaster, or grandmaster versus legendary). Would the gap created by that tier assignation be significant enough to provide an insurmountable advantage in and of itself? Or would legendary be a status rank, with no attached perks or benefits outside of being the best person at that particular skill on a server? If legendary status is based purely off skill - and not off how often one wins or loses in combat - what happens if a legendary combatant consistently loses to a combatant of lower rank, but equal or better skill?

I know we don't have the info at the moment to definitively answer this one, but I think it's interesting food for thought.

I think this poses an interesting question in that we don't know to what degree player skill trumps character skill. Assuming they were identical in every way except character skill would the lower skilled character still stand a chance or would it be hopeless?

I wonder if we, as the players, would rather have it be more balanced in favor of player skill or character skill. I'm not really sure. What do you all think?

Combat should be both character skill and player skill. Honing your skills only benefeits the one who has greater player skill to avoid attacks and to beat opponents. They could be exactly the same on paper but there would always be a winner. It just matters who screws up first or turning the tables back into your favor while being wounded.