Class record
Earthcleaving Style
Striker
- Tier
- 2
- Difficulty
- 2 / 5
- Main role
- Striker
- Secondary role
- —
Rules reference
Class mechanics
Entry requirements and the complete level-by-level advancement path.
Entry
Requirements
Any class mastered. Proficiency in any two-handed melee weapon.
Advancement
Progression
- UnlockKey ability
- Level 2Ability 1
- Level 3SkillsYou gain +5 skill points to spend in Athletics, Magic, Survival, Intimidation or Common Knowledge. You can exchange any skill point for 2 expertise points, but must spend them in these skills.
- Level 4Ability 2
- Level 5HeartYou gain +1 to Fitness.
- Level 6Ability 3
- Level 7SoulYou gain +1 to Focus.
- Level 8Ultimate ability
Identity & lore
Class overview
A crowd of warriors was a uniquely noisy experience. Armor clanking and rattling, leather creaking, weapons ringing. There were all types of Youkai at the festival from hulking Oni men with bulging muscles to elegant Kitsune with armor that looked like they cost multiple seasons worth of work to afford. A serene faced Ryujin was just stepping up to the head of the crowd, his horns gleaming in the sun and his scaled armor a masterwork.
“The Stone Splitting Festival shall now begin. There are boulders from all corners of the world and the prize for splitting each will go to the one who makes the final, splitting stroke. Rewards are, obviously, determined by the quality of the stone.” He gestured toward the field behind him at the decorated areas containing various sized boulders of different materials. “Our centerpiece is a Shōki infused basalt from beyond Ezochi, sourced from the depths of the Kita no Shōheki.”
Left unsaid was that something like that would be nearly impossible to crack, let alone split. Even still, a significant chunk of the largest and most confident of the crowd immediately went toward the basalt boulder to prove their worth. Yuzu followed behind that group, the wooden carapace covering the mysterious metals of her limbs was hand carved by her grandmother, replacing the cracked, porcelain-like covering she used to have. Her fingers clacked against the handle of her greatsword, tilting it slightly to prevent the tip from dragging on the ground. A Raijin scoffed next to her as he adjusted the katana at his waist.
“This isn’t a game for a doll,” he sneered. “You need real muscle for this.”
Yuzu was tempted to flip her hair and walk by him but she didn’t want to antagonize people if she didn’t have to. They’d be upset enough as it was when she split that boulder. His sentiment was common, especially among warriors, when it came to Marionettes like her or even Jiangshi in small bodies. Her form was static, she couldn’t build muscle like an Oni or Kitsune or Raijin. But she could focus more mana into her metal limbs, her wooden skin, and her joints to increase her strength and durability. In fact, she could feel she was only tapping the barest potential of what her body was capable of even now.
By the time she reached the end of the line, there was already a cacophony of shouts and weapon impacts against stones intermingled with distant cheers as weaker stones were split. But at the basalt boulder, the only sounds were roars of effort and the ring of ineffectual impacts. A cheer went up when she was just about to get her turn when the Raijin that had mocked her used his lightning infused katana to break a finger sized chip off the boulder, marking the most significant damage so far.
Finally it was Yuzu’s turn and laughter followed her as she swung her sword off her shoulder to land heavily point down in the ground, balanced by her grip on the crossguard that was just about at eye level with her. Calls to “get the doll out of here” rang out but she ignored them. With a shout that drowned them out, she slammed her sword straight down into the earth until it stopped with a tremor at the guard, making those around her wobble. She pulled it out with a slight hop, her sword now coated in jagged stone. She stepped up to the basalt boulder, the shōki of it a palpable aura. She lifted her sword easily above her head.
“Keisoku Hōkai!”
Her sword came down with a resonating crack, the earth and air vibrating with the force of it. With a groan of protest, the basalt boulder slowly split apart to the stunned silence of the crowd.
--
Translator’s Note:
Shōki - Miasma
Kita no Shōheki - Northern Barrier
Keisoku Hōkai - Measured Collapse
Ezochi - The center northern island of Kirara
Tactical guidance
Playing Earthcleaving Style
The Earthcleaving style is a class that's focused on busting through heavily armored and low evasion targets. It lets you use your potentially high focus and transfer that into hitting enemies against which you'd normally struggle.
Your basic combo starts with Tectonic Overhead, which is a heavy attack that has a high chance to miss against enemies without low evasion. Only use it against enemies with heavy armor or similar lowered evasion. This combo's into Strata Cut, which is effectively guaranteed half pierce damage. Finally, measured collapse is a full pierce heavy of which you can know in advance whether it will hit or not. If it does, it is one of the best abilities you can use.
Weight of the Mountain is a simple ability that lets you convert focus into damage when you're hitting something that has low enough evasion that you don't need your focus to hit it.
