Swordmastery guide

Dawnwalker Swordmastery Manual Locations

All seven Dawnwalker Swordmastery abilities, their first fixed manual or quest locations, early priorities, trainers, upgrades, and build recommendations.

Updated September 4, 20262 sources checked

On this page 6 sections

Coen raising a sword against armed figures in a red-lit forest

Official sword-combat screenshot from Community Bulletin Board #10. © Rebel Wolves / Bandai Namco Entertainment. View media credits

Swordmastery unlocksSeven abilities; six need a quest reward or fixed manual

Coen begins with Dirty Trick. The other Swordmastery skills come from named prologue rewards, camp chests, character quests, or trainers, so you can target the ability your build needs.

All Swordmastery abilities

Ability	First reliable unlock	Main effect
Dirty Trick	Starting ability	Damages, stuns, and exposes a target to active abilities
Charge	Complete Like Father, Like Son	Rushes through and stuns targets
Broad Swing	Bandit Camp east of Laslea	Two wide arcs for groups
Swiftness	Bandit Camp northwest of Stoneward Post	Attack-speed boost after Perfect Block
Adrenaline Rush	South Maragir Wealds Bandit Camp	Damage boost after active abilities
Artery Strike	North St. Tyna's Grove Soldier Camp	Critical strike with a decapitation chance
Walking Fortress	Soldier Camp north of the St. Tyna's Grove inn	Perfect Block restores Activation Charge

Ability manuals use fixed locations even though ordinary upgrade manuals can vary. This makes the first unlocks safe targets for a planned route.

Best early manuals

Charge is the easiest guaranteed unlock. Finish Withering Away, then complete Like Father, Like Son at the end of the prologue. Coen receives the skill even if he loses the sparring fight with Pieter.

Broad Swing is in the chest at the bandit camp east of Laslea near the Outlaw's Gorge Shrine. The camp remains available after the prologue, so avoid squeezing it into an already crowded first day.

Swiftness is in the bandit camp northwest of Stoneward Post in Briar Sloughs. It pairs naturally with the Perfect Block and Perfect Riposte playstyle recommended for early survival.

Midgame camp locations

Adrenaline Rush: loot the bandit-camp chest in the far south of Maragir Wealds, south of Maragir and southeast of Eerie Knoll Shrine.

Artery Strike: follow the road south through northern St. Tyna's Grove toward the convent. The manual is in the chest at the soldier camp north of Ambrus's large fort.

Walking Fortress: continue southeast through St. Tyna's Grove to the soldier camp south of Stuga Marshes Shrine and north of the convent and inn.

Dirty Trick upgrade: the first extra manual is in a bandit camp across the river in northeast St. Tyna's Grove. Coen already has the ability, so treat this as an upgrade rather than an urgent unlock.

Swordmastery trainers

Ursul: free him during Ambrus Prisoners: Lucky Crossing north of Svartrau, then visit his camp.
Ocha: unlock her through a compatible outcome in The Heart Wants What It Wants at the Altenmarkt tavern.
Drogos: join the Manumits through Where Loyalty Lies and advance their route through What Moves the Dead.

Trainers sell additional manuals for leveling abilities after the first unlock. Their inventories overlap, so you do not need every faction route simply to make one sword build functional.

Which manuals should you prioritize?

Crowd control: Broad Swing, then Charge
Perfect Block build: Swiftness and Walking Fortress
Active-ability burst: Adrenaline Rush and Dirty Trick upgrades
Critical finishers: Artery Strike with Perfect Riposte

Fight camps while freely exploring to gain XP and equipment without running a real-time timer. Only the marked activity resolution or associated quest choice can spend narrative time; read the hourglass before committing.

Swordmastery FAQ

Are manual locations random?

The ability-unlock manuals listed here have fixed sources. Generic manuals used for further levels can also appear through merchants and other rewards.

Can you get every ability near the start?

The first regions contain the key unlocks, with several clustered around Laslea, Briar Sloughs, Maragir Wealds, and St. Tyna's Grove.

Do weapon arts require manuals?

No. Higher-rarity weapons include their own weapon art on cooldown.

Which ability is best for beginners?

Swiftness is strong if you already use Perfect Block; Broad Swing is the simpler answer for groups.

Manual locations were checked on September 4, 2026 against a launch-build location guide. Directions are summarized around named regions, Shrines, and camps so they remain usable without reproducing another outlet's route text.