What is the best Spellblade build in Example Game?

Core stats

Put points in Arcana and Agility at roughly a 3 to 2 ratio until both reach their soft caps, then move the rest into Vigor.

Gear

• Weapon: Runed Saber. Sold by the smith in Millbrook for 1,200 gold after The Old Mill. It’s the only early sword with Arcana scaling. Alternative: the Tidecaller bow from the Sunken Vault works for ranged openers, but you lose Arc Edge’s melee bonus.
• Focus: Stormglass Focus. Drops from the Glass Garden quest. It cuts Overcharge’s cost by 20%. Alternative: any Focus with “+ Arcana” until you have it.
• Armor: light armor only. Mirror Step’s cooldown doubles in medium armor. The Weaver’s set from the Millbrook tailor is the cheapest full set.
• Rings: Miller’s Ring and any Arcana ring. The Miller’s Ring comes from saving Bob in The Old Mill and restores stamina on dodge.

Skills and perks

1. Arc Edge (level 1): your opener and main damage.
2. Mirror Step (level 3): a dodge that leaves a decoy. Take it early; it carries the build.
3. Kindle (level 6): sets enemies alight and breaks cracked walls.
4. Overcharge (level 12): a finisher that spends all your mana for a burst.
5. Perk: Quick Hands (level 15): Arc Edge refunds mana on a critical hit.
6. Perk: Afterimage (level 20): Mirror Step’s decoy explodes for Arcana damage.

How to play it

Open every fight with Arc Edge on the strongest enemy, then stay mobile. When an enemy winds up a heavy attack, use Mirror Step through it rather than away from it, so the decoy takes the hit and you end up behind the target. Keep Kindle on groups and save Overcharge for enemies below about a third of their health, because it spends your whole mana bar.

On Nightmare difficulty, slow down. Use Arc Edge, dodge, then reposition before casting again, and keep at least one Mirror Step charge ready at all times.

Early, mid and late game

• Levels 1 to 10: Arc Edge and Mirror Step only. Raise Arcana to 20 and Agility to 14. Use any sword until you can afford the Runed Saber.
• Levels 11 to 25: buy the Runed Saber, add Kindle and Overcharge, and finish the Glass Garden quest for the Stormglass Focus before Act 2 locks it.
• Levels 26 and up: hit the Arcana and Agility soft caps, take Afterimage, then put every remaining point into Vigor.

Weaknesses

• Low health. One combo from a Nightmare boss can take most of your bar if you mistime Mirror Step.
• Mana hungry. Without Quick Hands, long fights drain you before Overcharge is ready.
• Weak against fire-resistant enemies, such as the Ember Hounds in Act 3. Carry a frost oil for those.

What changed in the latest patch

Patch 1.4.2 moved Arc Edge’s damage scaling from Strength to Arcana and cut Mirror Step’s base cooldown from 6 seconds to 5. Both changes favour this build. Builds from before the patch that leaned on Strength now deal noticeably less damage, according to the patch notes.