Overview
Black Swordsman is a Celestial or Ultimate-tier ground unit that becomes a high-damage bruiser after evolution. It focuses on strong physical hits with bleed damage that helps against bosses and high-HP targets. The unit scales well with evolutions that increase damage, range, and special attack power. Evolving requires specific items and spirit shards, so plan farming and crafting before committing. Use Black Swordsman when you need focused DPS and bleed pressure in boss phases or heavy waves.
Deployment & Upgrade Costs
You can get Benomaru by summoning in Banner 3. He is an Ultimate rarity unit, so players need luck and gems to obtain him. Once summoned, Benomaru can be upgraded and later evolved into his stronger form. He cannot be crafted or traded, making his appearance in the banner the main way to get him.
Deployment and Upgrade Costs
- Deployment cost (base): $800
- Total progression cost (approximate aggregate): ≈ $115,500
Evolution and Upgrade Material Costs
Evolving Black Swordsman requires a named evolution item and many spirit shards. Keep these exact counts in mind when planning:
- Black Swordsman → Berserk (first evolution) requires Dark Greatsword ×1 and spirit shards: Common ×250, Rare ×100, Epic ×75, Legendary ×25, Mythic ×10.
- Berserk → Berserker (final evolution) typically requires larger shard totals plus special currency such as Sacrifice Essence, Dark Essence, and a Sacrifice Mark. Exact end-stage numbers vary by update, but expect high counts of essences and shards.
Passives and Abilities
Black Swordsman specializes in heavy single-target strikes and bleed damage over time. Abilities and passives are written in simple terms below so you can quickly understand how the unit behaves in battle.
Playstyle
- Heavy melee bruiser that focuses on strong single hits and cleave-style attacks when needed.
- Inflicts Bleed or Hemorrhage that deals damage over time to high-HP enemies and bosses.
- Scales strongly with evolution, gaining range, damage multipliers, and special attack improvements.
Typical Passives
- Damage or attack speed boosts when certain conditions are met, such as reaching a threshold or after a kill.
- Stat boosts on evolution that raise critical chance and physical offense.
Typical Active Abilities
- Heavy slash or cleave that hits single targets for very high damage.
- Bleed application that stacks or lasts for a duration, turning big hits into sustained damage.
- Evolved forms gain enhanced animations and modified ability effects for more damage and reach.
How to Obtain the Unit
There are a few reliable ways to get Black Swordsman or the items needed to evolve it:
- Base unit: Obtainable from portals, banners, or limited event summons when the unit is featured.
- Dark Greatsword: Crafted from spirit shards or gained through event shops and special rewards in certain updates. The crafting path often uses multiple shard conversions.
- Spirit Shards and Essences: Farm from raids, higher-difficulty story nodes, event rewards, and special bounties. Save shards by priority: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, then Mythic.
Release Date and Patch Context
The Black Swordsman rose to prominence alongside Berserk-themed updates and community showcases through mid-2024 into 2025. Patch timing and exact release may vary by server or update. Check the in-game update log when Berserk-themed content appears. The unit has been featured widely in community guides and videos during that timeframe.
Step-by-Step Evolution Guide
- Obtain the base Black Swordsman from a portal, banner, or event.
- Farm spirit shards aggressively, focusing on Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic tiers in order.
- Craft or obtain the Dark Greatsword using shard conversion or event currency when available.
- Evolve to Berserk first to unlock major damage and range improvements.
- Save Sacrifice Essence, Dark Essence, and Sacrifice Mark for the final Berserker evolution.
- After evolving, reassess your team deployment since evolved forms increase cost and change combat role.
Why Choose Black Swordsman
Pick Black Swordsman when you need focused high damage and bleed effects against bosses or high-HP enemies. The unit becomes a top-tier damage dealer after evolution, making it useful for late-game content and boss phases. It pairs well with support units that provide crowd control, slows, or attack buffs to keep the swordsman alive and let it deliver big hits. The unit does require material investment, so choose it when you can commit to farming and crafting.
Weaknesses and Counters
- Higher deployment cost after evolution can limit early-game lineups.
- Can struggle without crowd control or support against mobile, high-control enemy waves.
- Final evolution requires significant rare materials and essences.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the Dark Greatsword?
The Dark Greatsword can be crafted from spirit shards through conversion recipes or obtained through special event rewards and shops when the item is available.
Is Black Swordsman worth evolving?
Yes. The evolved Berserk and Berserker forms are strong damage carries and are worth the investment if you can afford the shards and essences required.
Where should I farm spirit shards fast?
Best sources are raids, higher-difficulty story nodes, event rewards, and time-limited bounties. Use event multipliers and repeatable raid runs for faster farming.
What are the exact shard counts for evolution?
For the first evolution, the required counts are Common ×250, Rare ×100, Epic ×75, Legendary ×25, Mythic ×10 plus Dark Greatsword ×1. The final evolution needs larger shard totals and special essences and marks.
What is the deployment cost after evolution?
The base deployment cost is $800. Evolved forms cost more to deploy, and the total progression cost is approximately $115,500 in aggregate.
What units pair well with Black Swordsman?
Support units that provide crowd control, slows, stuns, or attack buffs pair well. These supports let Black Swordsman land its heavy hits and bleed stacks more reliably.
Black Swordsman is a high-damage melee unit that needs specific items and many spirit shards to evolve. Plan your shard farming and crafting to maximize its late-game potential.
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