This Champion(20)/Bladedancer(44)/Riftblade(2) hybrid works very well for flexible play in Rift. I’ve played this combination for years and, honestly, it covers sustained damage, mobility and survivability in a way that fits both solo and group content. You’ll get clear instructions here—what to aim for, why it matters, and when to change things (depends on your niche; there are exceptions).
Key stats and why they matter
Short version: hit to cap, then stack Strength and Critical. Why? Hit stops misses so your rotations land. Strength scales raw damage. Critical scales your burst windows. I’ve noticed players forget that dexterity helps dodge and thus extends survival in long fights.
| Stat | Target | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Hit Rating | 320 (aim for cap) | Prevents misses; keeps your combo uptime |
| Strength | 1000+ | Main damage source |
| Critical Hit | 600+ | Increases burst and crit-dependent procs |
| Dexterity | 400+ | Improves dodge and contributes to crit |
Note: these targets are practical goals as of November 26, 2025. They’ll vary by itemization on your server and the content you play. This doesn’t always work—sometimes you’ll trade a little Hit for a trinket proc that outperforms the math (there are exceptions!).
Skill spread — how I put points
In my experience, taking Bladedancer as the primary soul (44) gives the mobility and steady damage. Champion at 20 gives the burst and some defensive weight. Riftblade at 2 is small but adds elemental flavor. To be blunt: Riftblade is mostly a tweak; some folks argue it’s unnecessary in ranked PvP (controversial, yes).
- Bladedancer (44): core combos, tempo, quick strike windows
- Champion (20): burst, defensive posture, power strikes
- Riftblade (2): elemental touch for extra damage layering
Why this split? Because Bladedancer supplies the consistent damage engine; Champion supplies the spike when you need to finish a target fast. If you ask, “Should I swap points for more Champion?”—the answer: only if your group lacks consistent single-target pressure or you’re in short-burst fights.
Rotation and macros — practical steps
Start fights with your buffs and opener, keep combo points high, and weave Champion abilities into burst windows. Sounds obvious, but watch this: missing a single combo finisher loses more DPS than skipping a weave once. Practice until the rotation is muscle memory.
Single-target pattern (simple):
- Open with Deadly Dance
- Build combos with Quick Strike
- Finish at 5 combo points with Compound Attack
- Weave Champion skills during downtime
“If your rotations feel tight, slow down and clean the execution. Speed without precision won’t work the way you expect.” — practical advice
# Macros (example)
show Quick Strike
cast @mouseover Quick Strike
cast Quick Strike
cast Keen Strike
show Compound Attack
cast Compound Attack
cast Deadly Strike
cast Final Blow
These macros are basic and friendly for most add-ons. By the way, tweak the mouseover lines to your own targeting setup.
Gear and enhancements
Raid gear with Strength and Crit is ideal. Aim for two-handed weapons with high base DPS. Trinkets that proc on hits beat static bonuses in many encounters (surprisingly often!).
- Weapon: two-handed sword, high DPS
- Chest/Legs: Strength + Hit where possible
- Trinkets: DPS procs over flat stats (usually)
Enhancement priority: weapon enchant, strength armor runes, consumables. Why? Because weapon numbers directly multiply your main damage output; armor tweaks are incremental. To be fair, consumables are cheap DPS gains for hard fights.
PvE and PvP notes
In PvE, this setup handles single-target and cleave well. Positioning is everything—stay on the flank so you don’t lose uptime. In PvP, the build sticks to targets and applies steady pressure, but here’s the contentious bit: some high-tier PvP players prefer a full Champion or a different hybrid because the Bladedancer utility can be seen as “fluff” against skilled teams. I don’t fully agree, but it’s a debate.
For groups: save defensive cooldowns for big hits and communicate. For dungeons: dump cleave into trash and hold cooldowns for bosses. Simple, right?
Advanced tips
Animation-canceling will raise your DPS if you practice it. Practice on a training dummy (until it’s smooth), then test in real fights. Resource management matters: when energy drops, maintain buffs and position rather than panic-spam.
Unexpected insight: sometimes lowering Dexterity by 50 points and using slightly heavier armor increases your sustained DPS in 20-minute fights because you spend less time repositioning and more time hitting. Sounds odd, but I’ve tested it (we found this in long raid nights).
Pro tips:
- Record a raid pull and watch one minute of your play—then fix one thing.
- Practice rotation daily until it’s reflexive.
- Join a warrior group to share practical, up-to-date tactics.
Here’s a quick checklist you can copy into chat before a raid:
| Pre-raid | Do |
|---|---|
| Check Hit | 320 cap (or server equivalent) |
| Weapon | Highest DPS two-hander |
| Consumables | Attack potions + food buff |
Watch this: you’ll keep improving if you focus on one weak link each week. Don’t try to fix everything at once — it’s a slow climb. And, between us, a little repetition is fine. Practice, practice. Practice? Yes.
Now go test the build. You’ll find fights where it shines and fights where it falls flat (that’s life). If you want tweaks for a specific raid or PvP bracket, tell me which one and I’ll give more targeted advice.
—Marina, warrior main and theorycrafter (I’ve been playing since 2012). ⚔️
