Hey there! If you are reading this hopefully you are thinking of making (or *gasp* have ALREADY made an Infinity Sword!). Stick around and see if anything I have written makes sense or is useful to you! If I have made a mistake anywhere in the guide please take the time to notify me and I shall try to get it fixed asap.
I tried to be as descriptive as possible with every facet of this guide, and have tried to pour in all the knowledge that I have acquired while playing the Infinity Sword. While this might annoy some readers, I think in the long run, a better description can help new players understand what I am describing better. Please deal with it.
This guide will be updated constantly as I myself grow as a player.
Also, my work here is a bit PvP oriented, as most builds are tailored these days to work on new players entering the Player versus Player scene. I will also try my best to address the perks and info related around PvE as well, though!
Let’s get to it!

MORE SWARDS \(< u >\): Yes, this class isn’t just wielding two but an infinite amount of swords, and it is visually pretty neat, with advantages like getting some of the fastest combos in game without the aid of a skill (VERY useful in dungeons to get high ranks!)
Cruel Slayer: A stackable and at times extremely cruel passive buff, recommended to get ASAP. It eats away at an opponent’s mana while dealing higher rates of damage the more you hit.
Mind of the Fighter: Cruel slayer gets better?! As long as cruel slayer is active, this passive buff grants better critical hit rates, and reduced MP cost, so the more you hit, the more you are rewarded to use a skill!
Way of the Sword : Exclusive to the Elsword character, these auras are absolute lifesavers. It would take a long time to explain, so follow this link to figure out exactly what the auras are:
http://elwiki.net/w/Way_of_the_Sword
Flexibility: The class can fill quite a lot of roles in a PvP and PvE match, from being the damage dealer, to protecting the Aisha while she gathers MP, to stalling and holding the enemy in one spot for the whole team to gang up on. Also, flexibility can be taken literally, as many of the classes most important skills have it dashing back and forth (Kind of… like the Wind Sneaker)

- The Infinity Sword isn’t known for huge splash damage like the Rune Slayer or Lord Knight, but has great containment capabilities. To simplify that, it means that Infinity Swords are EXTREMELY good at pacifying and suppressing the enemy in fast paced matches. They have many skills tailored to catch and hold enemies (yes, even midair), drag them to you if they like running, and two great skills to quickly close the gap between you and your target before they can counter. Let’s not forget the aptly named Cruel Slayer, which actually eats away at your opponent’s mana the more your attacks land, successfully crippling trigger happy Chungs and mana loving Aishas. Skills like these and many others can quickly give your teammates an advantage in a tight spot.

- Of course, if you’d rather just rush in and cause utter mayhem, Infinity Sword caters to that as well, with devastating moves like Sword Fall, Phantom Sword and Rage Cutter, causing some pretty brutal, fast, physical damage.

- Infinity Swords are also notorious for being able to quickly get behind an enemy when being charged head on, the advantages of which are numerous in the battlefield. Skills from the simple Roll to Mirage Sting contribute to this time tested technique.
- A good thing about Infinity Sword is that almost all of the useful skills the class acquires do not require more than 200 mp to use, giving great flexibility with a healthy number of skills always at hand.

- An important point about the class is that it is VERY dependent on a good attack speed (about 18% minimum). At low levels, completely ignore this fact, but once you are about 45 +, it is wise to start investing in some Attack Speed sockets. The classes dependence on aspd is not as clearly noticeable as Sheath Knight (the 2nd job) but at Infinity Sword the new >> X X X (Sword Chase) and >>^ X X X (Rolling Slash) combos crave it. Also, skills like Mirage Sting and Harsh Chaser require fast follow-up attacks right after they are used, or there is a risk the opponent could escape/counter. Overall, it is pretty obvious that a class built around wielding a flurry of swords…. would require some speed.

At level 15: http://brokendisc.web.fc2.com/elsword/skillsimulator/English/shk.html?15.29.5.1.3.5.0.5.5.0.1.0.0.0.1.3

At level 35 (Just before job change): http://brokendisc.web.fc2.com/elsword/skillsimulator/English/shk.html?35.69.5.1.3.5.0.5.5.5.1.0.0.0.3.3.0.0.5.0.5.5.3.5.0.5.0.5

At level 51 (By when all of the skills I must use/need as an Infinity sword are maxed, and after which the skill points I do gain are extra :D):
http://brokendisc.web.fc2.com/elsword/skillsimulator/English/shk.html?51.102.5.1.3.5.0.5.5.5.1.0.0.0.3.3.0.0.5.0.5.5.3.5.0.5.0.5.5.0.5.3.5.5.5.5

Note: This section will be updated more with official skill descriptions, images etc. Bear with me!

Roll : An absolute must in PVP and PVE to get behind an enemy while causing a nice hitstun so they don’t have a chance to react. Combined with a Skill Noted Kick, it can be a great way to initiate a long and devastating combo. Don’t worry about the tiny hp sacrifice, once maxed, the hp loss is minuscule. Max it.
Kick: A simple kick, recommended to get it Skill Noted (the market price for which is pretty cheap) Overall simplistic skill, with good coverage, its strengths lie in quickly closing the gap between you and the enemy, and the very helpful combo extender. Basically if used in the middle of a combo, the Knock Down counter is restarted, meaning your combo will last longer. Note that you do not get a skill stoic when using it, which means you do not go invincible when using this skill, so a player in stoic gets first priority over you if he/she uses, say Rolling Sweep and you use Kick. Very good for PvP, not so much in PvE, max it.

Maelstrom Rage: Ah the infamous Maelstrom. Many players have fallen victim to this extremely efficient catch and hold skill. I personally recommend it only for PvE, as once you reach the higher echelons of PvP, players will just start to mana break out of it, completely destroying the only thing it is good for, keeping the opponent in one spot for you to dish out uncountered damage. Not super important to max for PvP, but this is actually super fun. I’d get it just to use it on someone mid-air and watch them get juggled relentlessly. For PvE though, this is really nice to hold mobs to rack up insane Evil combos and gets even better if you have a good Critical rate. (Try it mid-air on Nasod Foundry when the boss drops down from the right side of the map, after his mini versions are killed; tons of fun)
Phantom Sword: This is actually a decent skill, though its MP cost makes me flinch a bit. Basically it is the Armageddon Blade for Infinity Sword, so triple the swords woop! This deals massive damage with Maelstrom, but on its own it causes quite a lot of mayhem. The larger range means you can catch many enemies at once, and since it stays behind you, when someone tries to flank behind you, they get caught up in the attack as well. Recommended to get. (Note: this skill does the most damage with the Z variety of combos, as the X variety is quite cumbersome and slow; you can’t afford to waste the time it is activated to go X stoic on some random corner while the enemy runs off and waits for Phantom Sword to run out) Absolutely awesome in PvE. Max it.

Sword Fall: A completely crazy physical skill with 922% damage per sword without a skill note (when maxed)! Strongly recommend you don’t bring it into a PvP match though, as it’s uses in PvP can be quiet situational, and it comes with an unattractive knockdown. But in PvE? Different story, go ham with it! Especially on bosses with larger hit boxes, this thing hits like a truck. In fact don’t waste any skill points on Final Strike, this Skill costs less and probably does more damage than FS. Be dependent on it for the rest of your Infinity Sword PvE life, and if you can afford to get some K-Ching, the skill note is amazing and pretty cheap in store. Max it.

Iron Body/ Stoic: A skill that gives you stoic with reduced damage taken? Yes! Please! This skill is also a lifesaver in quiet a huge number of situations in PvP and PvE, and isn’t extremely spamable because of the large cooldown. Especially useful when facing more than one enemy, you can approach them safely with Iron Body on. In PvE it helps when you just don’t have the time to dodge out of an attack and the only option is to just take it to the chin. Do NOT become dependent on this skill, trust me, it is a terrible habit I’ve seen in the PvP scene. If you do, you tend to just forget if it’s even on and run into an attack you could’ve dodged easily anyways. If I didn’t have a B slot, I actually wouldn’t use this skill in PvP, because I’d rather deal damage then take it to retaliate later, but that’s just me, experiment with whatever you like. Max this. Also, the skill note is rather helpful, though super expensive in the market. It isn’t a must to get the skill note, don’t worry.

Sword Blasting: Oh yes! This is probably the most efficient skill to catch someone in this game (and no knockdown!! omgasdfghjkl). Even if you are getting attacked, if you awaken mid combo and use that delay to use Sword Blasting, instantly YOU are the one doing the combo on a completely shocked enemy. The fact that the swords home in on the closest target is a nice touch. So when, say a Rena tries to double jump out of a Sword Blasting and you just charge underneath them, your swords will track and hit the Rena, giving them a nice hit stun for you to turn around and start a combo. This skill actually does crippling damage if all your swords manage to hit. Combine it with Roll, Kick and Mirage Sting for some cruel combo massacre. This has a permanent place in my Skill slot. Hope it does for you as well. Max it.

Mirage Sting: So ninja! This is actually a pretty situational skill as well, and I only recommend it if you are confident in your skill in getting behind an enemy to initiate a combo, because trust me, Mirage Sting will almost always make you rush forward a bit further then intended and go through the enemy, so be prepared for the opponent to escape if you don’t turn around and hit them in the back fast enough. This skill is also a combo extender like kick and roll so if you like to do damage by building a deadly combo, this is a staple. (Important Note: Although visually it looks similar to Sword Blasting, beware, because its effects are quite different. Mirage Sting helps you get BEHIND an enemy, does lower damage than SB, and does NOT make you temporarily invincible while using it, so say if a Chung charged you and used Rolling Sweep the moment you use Mirage Sting, his skill will take priority over yours, as his skill gives him invincibility). Couple it with Sword Blasting, so if you do end up over charging behind the enemy, you can turn around and Sword Blast them from escaping or double jumping out of it. Max it because of the various uses.
Rage Cutter: Rage Cutter is the signature Infinity Sword skill, though disappointingly for me, it doesn’t do as much damage as I had anticipated. The huge range and upwards motion is a good perk for overly jumpy enemies if they try to run, and the Bleed effect is also nice. A rare amount of Infinity Swords also include this in their combos, and my respect goes out to them because it is TOUGH. Basically, you need some very good jump speed. Right after you press the skill button for Rage Cutter, jump up, press z and hope to god that you catch the opponent currently being juggled mid-air by your Rage Cutter swords. If it works, huzzah! More combo! And in PvE, no question this does some cruel damage, and should easily one hit a lot of mobs because of the huge range it provides. Max it.

Final Strike: This skill actually looks pretty attractive with the whole black hole sucking in poor victims for a huge physical burst damage. In retrospect, I kind of regret getting it. In my opinion Sword Fall is much better and doesn’t cost a massive 300 mp and completely cripple you if it misses. (Yes, even with the sucking black hole thing, this skill can miss) I also take issue with the distance it throws the enemy after the skill is done. Like, if I use it on 2 opponents in PvE, it scatters them both in random parts of the map, so I just lost the advantage of gathering them both in one place and holding them there with a combo. If used on someone with at least 1000 reduced damage, it also becomes completely useless, not even causing a dent, while eating 300 mp. It has its uses in PvE, I admit, but there just so many other skills like Rage Cutter and Sword Fall that does its job better, that it’s hardly an argument. Pass on getting this one.

Harsh Chaser : Another Infinity Sword classic, notoriously useful for dragging a Rena back to the clutches of a combo. Beware, because if an opponent is charging directly at you, using this can over shoot them so much that they end up behind you. This is bad, as you get a small animation delay, while now your potential victim is charging at you to dish some pain from the back. This is also good in a combo, but if used near the end of heavy X loops, it has a higher knock down rate, so be ready for that. I recommend coupling this skill with some fast Z loops, using a Roll to get behind the victim, then closing the gap again with Harsh Chaser, and then immediately using Kick to reset the Knock Down counter to do the same thing again! Awesome no? Max this definitely for PvP. The skill note isn’t super necessary but the added chance to do a bleed helps. Get the skill note from the item store if you can afford it.

Flame Geyser: Other than Rune Slayer, Elboys hardly get enough magic damage in. I recommend a skill noted Flame Geyser just for bosses from dungeons like Wally’s Secret Dungeon so you have something to fall back on. Getting magical damaging skills is strictly endgame perks for Infinity Sword, so don’t even think about getting this unless you are about 55 and have enough skill points to spare. Besides, you don’t even get enough magical damage for it to do significant damage. I recommend getting it endgame ONLY if you have enough skill points to spare. It covers all the holes.

Counter: I rarely see ANYONE use counter these days! This is actually such a smart skill! Honestly, those who use it, are god like in PvP. It is actually a very healthy skill to get in the habit of using if you have the patience to master it. There are just SO many ways to make utilize this, from countering a knocked down enemy if they plan to get up from the ground with a hit, and even sometimes countering a skill or two. Oh and arrows, lots of Rena arrows made useless with this one. Max it max it! Trust me, it’s a good investment just so you can brag about it when you do get pro with it. Note: Most Infinity Swords opt out of getting Compact Counter after upgrading counter (as have I) because it’s execution is a bit trickier, lifting the enemies to the air. I recommend not upgrading the Counter tree further than Counter Attack mastery.

Assault Slash : I remember the days when an Elboy spamming this scared everyone in the room. With a good crit rate it can deal mediocre damage, with an unattractive knockdown to deal with. I got it just to spam troll people. Basically when someone is chasing you, turn around, stab them with assault slash and run off again. Very fun and annoying :D! Recommend NOT getting it, unless you are a natural troll like me. In which case, go crazy.

MAX. ALL. THE. PASSIVES. Good god please do it! It makes all the difference! In fact, if you get an option between a passive and an active skill in a particular level, MAX THE PASSIVE FIRST.

One bar of MP. How much do you think it can do? Obvious answer I always get from a lot of new kids is that it should tickle a bit. Ask the same question to an S rank? They all give me a resounding answer: One bar of MP can DESTROY. The reason I am bringing this up is because when a new player discovers mana break, they LOVE holding Z and tapping out of a combo. Yes, once in a while it is necessary to get knocked down when getting ganged up on/ being close to dying just so you can escape. However, many players sadly waste tons of MP being dependent on Knock Down when attacked. Not only is this annoying for the other team, it actually cripples you from using very important skills when a particularly juicy chance to hit the enemy hard comes along. The reason preserving MP is important as an Infinity Sword, is because their mechanics work much like the Wind Sneaker: Being very (if note more) combo dependent. Since Infinity Swords don’t get huge splash damage as I mentioned above, they use combos to keep the damage levels consistent. Also, hopefully, dear reader, you paid attention to the skills I have mentioned to be good for extending combos. These skills, like Kick, Roll, Mirage Sting, and Sword Blasting take up about 150mp if used consecutively. I recommend keeping that 150 mp for hitting the opponent hard and for a long time, instead of mana breaking. Guess what? Without Sword Blasting, that’s about one bar of mp. One bar which has killed many, many players efficiently, without even letting them react.

To prevent you from taking a lot of damage if that becomes a huge issue later on in PvP, I recommend investing in a sparring set and getting dual stones for Added and Reduced Damage, which help a huge amount to decrease damage taken and deal a monstrous amount of added damage per hit. (Per hit guys! That means longer combos work better!) Think about doing this by level 45. If you cannot afford to buy or make dual stones just yet, use normal magic stones with a priority on socketing for reduced damage and attack speed, until you can get the dual stones.

Legend:
[Change direction]
(Use a skill)/ (repeat a loop or combo)
Z weak fast attack
X slow strong attack
> Right arrow key
>> Dash right by pressing right twice quickly
< Left arrow key
<< Dash left by pressing left twice quickly
^ Up arrow key, used to jump

Orientation: For the combos listen below, my character is facing right, so when I >>, that means I dash right and If I [Turn around] I would dash << left. Of course, the positions would be reversed if you would be facing left when starting the combo. I usually learn a combo facing right as I am right handed and it feels a bit more comfortable to me. If you would like to follow along with the loops/combos I listed below, try facing right and starting them like me, lest you get confused.
Generic Z variant:
Z Z Z Z Z
The basic Z combo. Not loopable, knocks the opponent back at the last Z. Only notable use is the ability to knock the opponent back a good distance away, for whatever reason.
Generic X variant:
X X X X X
Now, the X variant combo for Infinity Sword is pretty special. This is the only normal combo giving an unrestricted stoic for a long period of time. This is excellent to use to slash into a large group of players (when it is hard to distinguish between enemy and ally) Since you have stoic, and don’t flinch, you easily get the first priority and give your team the upper hand when rushing in against an attacking side. Also good in PvE if a boss is about to hit you and you’d rather hit back than get knocked down. Beware, this combo is VERY hard to get out of once used, and quiet slow without good attack speed. If someone dodges and gets behind you while you stoic X slash randomly, that’s a serious problem. A good way to get out of this combo in an emergency situation is to use a skill like Roll or Kick or even Harsh Chaser.
Z Catching:
^ Z (repeat)
Yup. Probably not even worth a mention as a combo or a loop, but it is still the single best way to catch an opponent without using a skill. Works better with good jump speed. It is rumoured that some costume swords (Like the Ninja Katana blade) can actually increase the range of your sword’s swing just because they are large, though I still have to try that. And range is pretty important when catching.
Z stab variant:
Z Z Z >> Z Z (repeat)
Stabs the opponent, the last Z in the combo does nice big damage as the sword is pulled out of the opponent. This combo can be repeated twice before the opponent is knocked down. Decent damage and easy to get out of if needed. Try to get used to it as many skills need it.
X lifting variant:
X X X Z ^ Z (repeat)
I recommend not continuing the X stoic slash for more than 3 loops, then pressing Z to launch the enemy to the air, and immediately jumping and pressing Z to catch them mid-air and do it again. Lasts 2 repeats before knocking down. Try to elongate it with Roll, Kick etc as the aerial lifting helps reset the Knock Down counter.
Jumping Z variant:
>> ^ Z Z Z
Mediocre damage aerial combo for Z. Knocks down enemies after 3rd hit. Have its uses. Sometimes used to make a jump longer on tricky maps with pitfalls.
Jumping X variant (Rolling Slash):
>> ^ X X X
Acquired at Infinity Sword, the third hit surprisingly doesn’t knock down, so it is useful to follow that up with a quick Z loop.
Dashing Z variant (Stab):
>> Z Z
A sword is inserted and pulled out. Second hit does a lot of damage. Good to use this mid combo.
Dashing X variant (Sword Chase):
>> X X X
Acquired at Infinity Sword. This requires immense amounts of attack speed to pull off without knocking the enemy down at the second hit. The swords reaching out to the top right/left corners of the screen on the second X have huge range, so that can be utilized nicely. Also, these swords get some nice damage output as well.
Now some trickier ones! :
- I named the ones listed here myself so bear with me \(< u >\)
Aerial Hold:
Z Z Z >> Z Z X X X Z ^ Z (repeat)
So that would look like Z Z Z >> Z Z X X X Z ^ Z Z Z Z >> Z Z X X X Z ^ Z…
This is a neat aerial combo, utilizing a good jump speed and attack speed, which you hopefully think about getting.
Think about adding some skills in the middle of it to keep the loop going like maybe a :
Z Z Z >> Z Z X X X Z ^ Z (Kick) then repeat, and if you are feeling funky and want to to make it super, super long, try this:
Z Z Z >> Z Z X X X ^ Z (Roll) [Turn around] (Kick) Z Z Z < < Z Z X X X ^ Z (Mirage Sting) [Turn around] (Sword Blasting) Z Z Z >> Z Z X X X ^ Z (Roll) [Turn around] (Kick)…and so on and so forth.
This, in some circles, is called an infinite loop. Though I don’t believe in doing a combo infinitely, this comes pretty close to it. The skills I chose to add eat such little MP, that the MP used gets replenished as it is being used, making the combo self-sustainable. Usually looping this twice has killed almost every player I have used this against, guaranteed, unless they mana broke at any part of it.(Surprisingly, people almost never mana break, as they don’t realize just how devastatingly long this combo is, thinking it will be over after the first aerial lift and catch; What an unpleasant surprise huehue)
The trick is to keep turning back and forth, like using Roll to get behind them, then using Mirage Sting again to get in front. This helps confuse the victim, so if they awaken in the middle of the combo at any time, the can’t use the animation delay to counter back, as they don’t know if you are going to be behind or in front of them.

Z Z Z Loop:
The notorious Z loop. For some, this is extremely hard to master, but for others, it comes pretty easy. I recommend reading my description of it carefully if you want to master it, I will try to be as visually descriptive as possible. Beware, you need to have at least 20% aspd for this combo to be of any use.
Step 1: Go against a wall and press Z 3 times. That would simply be pressing Z until the Conwell comes out. I will be showing this as Z Z (Z). The Z in the brackets: (Z) means you press it just long enough to see the Conwell come out.
Step 2: Stop immediately after the Conwell comes out and dash backwards. This is the trickiest step. So if you are facing a wall to your right, do Z Z (on the third Z, when you see the Conwell’s grey shadow come out) <<. So, Z Z (Z) <<
Step 3: Do you have the Z Z (Z)<< down? Good. Now, immediately after dashing back, face right again. So… Z Z (Z) << >
Step 4: Repeat it. This is often where many people get stuck. Don’t worry, go slow, then build speed on it. Z Z (Z) << > Z Z (Z) << >….
And that’s it. Some people can do this so fast, it looks like they aren’t even turning around. Absolutely ninja. NOW, some disappointing news! This skill is just flashy. L0L.
Okay, okay don’t hate me, it actually has its uses. The reason this combo is flashy is because after being used twice, it knocks the opponents down. The only way I know of (after a lot of research and consultation) to get around this, is to use the long forgotten Petrify Locking (Stun Lock) technique. You need a sword with Light III (3) attribute. Now use this ZZZ loop against someone. Prepare for the biggest shock ever. They don’t get knocked down! Basically the Petri Locking got famous because of some smart Eves figuring out that if you hit fast enough while an enemy is Petrified, the Knock Down counter gets resetted, so unlike when an opponent falls down after the petrifying is finished, they stay standing up and get Petrified over and over. Luck is a factor, as I also heard the Petrify Locking being called the Jackpot Combo in some circles, as using this “infinite combo” depends on you repeatedly Petrifying the victim and then hitting so fast that the knock down counter resets, then doing it again. So they never fall. The only way an Elsword can do this is with the Z Z Z loop. This is where the 20% attack speed comes in. You gotta be fast.

Acrobatic Hold:
Oh man, you want flashy, useful and fun? This is a keeper. Seems tricky at first, but pretty simple.
>> ^ X X X Z Z Z (repeat)
So that would look like…
>> ^ X X X Z Z Z >>^ X X X Z Z Z >> ^ X X X Z Z Z ….
Basically you jump and use rolling slash, and then immediately follow that up with a generic Z Z Z combo, then do it again. The trick with this one is to make your jumps tight and close to the ground; try to press X as soon as you jump so that you don’t happen to jump right over the enemy. This also makes the combo hit much faster. I have yet to test if this combo has some sort of knock down or if it is “infinite”. Test it yourself or you can wait for me to update this section with my gathered info.

Juggling:
>>X >>X >>X and so on and so forth.
Absolutely no use in an actual match, but it is pretty fun to keep someone in the air. Kind of like a game of keeping the ball from falling to the ground. I’ve seen a friend juggle a poor player 6 times (the kid was almost crying in frustration). Just fun.

- The first press of X always makes Infinity Sword rush forward a bit before slashing. This is important, as it can be a substitute for skills that are used to reach an enemy at a distance, but only in certain circumstances.
This is particularly useful when you just rolled behind an enemy, but you rolled a bit too far to reach them with a quick Z loop, and your Kick or Sword Blasting or any other reaching/dashing skill is in cooldown. Just use X to reach and do a X X X Z ^ Z and continue!
- You can use skills like Roll and Sword Blasting MID COMBO. Guess what this means? No more getting stuck in a stoic X combo!!
So if you happened to double tap X and ended up slashing blindly at one direction while the opponent gets behind you, immediately use roll to put some safe distance between you and the enemy so you can retreat a bit. Or, you could use Sword Blasting; Since the swords appear behind you and rush forward, they could potentially hit the enemy behind you and even drag them closer to you so you can turn around and hit them while they are hit stunned! Infinity Sword is all about flexibility.
- When being hit by a combo, NEVER LOSE HOPE. If you are unawakened and have a bead, keep pressing Ctrl so if the enemy delays even a tiny bit in their combo, you can use that hole to Awaken and immediately use a skill like Sword Blasting or Iron Body to hit them right back! Always look for delays and vulnerabilities. A slow enemy is the easiest to take advantage of. Instead of awakening, you could also use a Power Accelerator buff, as it also gives everyone else a delay, with a nice Attack boost – basically doing the same thing as awakening with a low mp cost.

Combo – a series of buttons pressed in a certain order that causes different variations of attacks(why did I just explain a combo -_-)
Loop – a repeated combo (why…)
Stoic – When you get a red outline around your character, making you temporarily invincible to flinching from taking damage, but not (usually) reducing damage taken. Sometimes you will be in stoic without a red outline. This happens when using some (not all) skills.
Hit stun – When you flinch and are in a delay from taking damage. When not flinching, you are in a form of stoic. Not all skills cause hit stun (though most do)
Aspd – acronym for Attack speed
MP – acronym for Mana points (the blue bar on the top left) The more mana you have, the more skills you can use. Mana is filled up the more you hit or are hit.
Mana Break - Holding Z while being hit can consumea certain amount of mana to let you drop/ get knocked down.
HP – acronym for health points (the red bar on the top left) only replenishable by consumable items, food from boxes, or the skill Arlienna . When it runs out, you die.
Catch/ Catching – When you hit someone and they flinch, giving you an opportunity to follow up the first hit and initiate a combo.
Awakening – There are usually 3 red beads on the top left corner of your screen under your characters portrait. They fill up the more you hit or are hit. If you press Ctrl, you can be awakened with these beads. The amount of beads increases awakening time, but not awakening strength. Awakening gives you better damage and mana acquisition. Awakening is important to utilize in PvP as it gives a slight delay to all other characters on the other team as your awakening animation is initiated. You can use this chance to hit them while they are delayed. A potentially lifesaving system.
Knock Down Counter – An invisible counter in game that decides after how many hits of different combinations, the person taking the hits should be knocked to the ground. This differs from different classes and jobs and all the different types of combos. People have found ways to “reset” the counter mid combo, this giving rise to the popular term “infinite combo” as these types of combos apparently don’t let the opponent fall to the ground. Yes, many combos come close to being infinite, but the term is a misnomer in my opinion, as infinity is quiet big, and doing a combo for an infinity, has many technical and organic barriers. Anyways, knock down counter, try to remember that it exists and can be worked around!
Buff – A temporary power up of sorts. Usually increases certain stats like Attack power/speed etc
Attribute/ Condition effect – Ever see people’s weapons glow colours like green or red or blue? Each colour gives a hint to different attributes a weapon can have. Different attributes do all sorts of things, like Fire causes added damage over time, Water reduces movement speed, Wind can pierce through all defenses to cause unrestricted damage etc
Socketing – Weapons can be socketed for extra stats. This system is useful in customizing particular weapons and equipment to suit your specific needs. Socketing can get pretty costly in the endgame if you want a perfect set, so start saving up magic stones (which are used to socket) early on. Dual stones (which can insert 2 different sockets in a slot) can also be made later on from materials collected in the secret dungeons in the end game. Dual stones are what you are aiming for basically, as the bonuses really add up.

Thanks for the support and reading this guide! I really hope it helped.
I personally have left Elsword, so I won't be updating this guide anytime soon.
I really hope if you pick IS, you get as much playtime/fun out of it as I have.
Good luck guys! Have a great game!