Armybreaker

A broad-bladed polearm, long, heavy and thick in the body, built for no other purpose than breaking a formation.

It was once wielded by Cavalrybane, an Elite Shadow Warden. The spine runs dead straight, the balance sits forward, and every swing relies on the whole arm pressing down through it.

This blade does not do clever. It advances. Its shield-breaking power is high, and driven head-on into a formation it often tears the gap open in a single blow.

Thrust is what carries the wielder in: switching to this weapon, or landing a perfect parry on a Blue-flash Attack, sends Soul rushing forward a short distance.

The strike that follows while the rush is still carrying him is the hardest to stop — the blade is still moving forward, and he is already ahead of it. Once the whole blade comes down, whoever is holding the line gives ground first, and the formation goes with it.

Active | Formation Breaking Art: consumes 1 point of Sha-Chi for a disciplined series of slashes that greatly depletes the enemy's Sha-Chi. Unblockable.

Special | Thrust: switching to this weapon, or parrying an enemy's Blue-flash Attack, causes Soul to rush forward a short distance.

Soul Tempering | Relentless Rush: rush attacks become more powerful and cannot be interrupted, and the next attack after a rush is stronger too.

Later | Mighty Rush, Unstoppable Advance, Irresistible Force, Conquering Slash: four forms, each pressing further forward than the last.

Cavalrybane stood among the three great Shadow Wardens, and this blade went through formation after formation at his side, carrying the nicks of every hard collision on its body.

The achievement "Three Wardens Fall" marks the battle in which Cavalrybane, Soulclaimer and Heartpiercer were each brought down in turn.