The War Blade style is another of the well known Black Phoenix sword arts. One reason is because it is another style that was released to the general Jedi public for study during the Great Jedi War. Another reason is becuase, unlike just about all the other Black Phoenix arts, this style utilizes a double handed grip, similar to the common styles used today. However, it still has it's own unique twists on two handed lightsabre work, such as a more malible bottom hand grip. And it still employs a large number of one handed techniques. Still, because it does use the two hand grip, this style has been a somewhat easier style for other Jedi to learn than the other released style, Noble Jedi Sword.

Just like Noble Jedi Sword, War Blade is very dynamic. It was made specifically to be used in battlefeild situations, and has lots of techniques designed for taking on multiple enemies, hence it's name. It also utilizes various circular attacks and movements, moving the blade in a whirlwind of motion. Because of this, some people have likened this to the Lucasian Form IV. However, unlike the Lucasian style, War Blade doesn't rely on gynastics and constant body spin attacks in order to effective. While a War Blade adept may use these types of actions, the style focuses more on pure blade manitpulation to win a fight, just like all the Black Phoenix styles do. In many ways, it seems to be more circular than Form IV is, at least in terms of it's actual blade techniques.

As par the course, the version of this style that was released from the Order is an abridged version of their original. The original version of War Blade had, besides it's basics, three sets. The version known to us known only has one. However, the way this form is taught shows the genious of the order. Bascially, as the student grows in his understanding of the style, new techniques and appilcations are revealed to him. The form is also broken down into various excercies and two person forms in order to further their understanding and mastery. So basically this form has something for the student at every level of his/her development. All Black Phoenix forms do this for those who practice them, but War Blade goes out of it's way to do this, to the point where no specific two person practice forms were originally made for it because they could all be taken from the original form. This style was obviously developed to teach people, as quick as possible, an effective fighting form with their particular flavor, and it does a good job of that for those who can understand their particular way of doing things.

An interstinng point to mention is how a stylist uses his bottom hand when gripping a lightsabre in this style. Unlike many styles which use the bottom gripping hand as leverage and the source of power in a stike, War Blade stylists tend to use it more as a pivot point. They also change the grip constantly, from the usual potiton at the very bottom of the hilt, to holding onto the bottom with just a few fingers. This constantly changing grip enables the user to have a more agile blade than the usual two grip stylists, while still providing the power and stability that such grips provide. Also, there are lots of snapping, whipping stikes with this style, besides the usual cuts and slashes that accompany a style that uses two hands. This provides the pin point aquracy and penetration that is characteristic of the other Black Phoenix one handed styles. As stated before, War Blade as makes much use of one handed techniques as well, using them for many surprizing and long ranged strikes than come from un expected angles. Again this shows the adaptibility of this style.

Just like with Noble Jedi Sword, a War Blade stylist can completely overwhelm an opponent. But War Blade stylists tend to focus on this exclusively, since this is a much more aggressive style. It doesn't rely on power to achive this however; just pure blade manipulation and combat skill. Those few who have been able to achive competence in this style tend to be powerful fighters, using their weapons in a blaze of light. Again, as a Black Phoenix style, learning can be very challenging, and there are few who have achived mastery in it. But for those who can and have learned it, War Blade has proven to be very valuable indeed, and worth the effort it takes to learn it.

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