Hourglass Master
What it is
The Hourglass Master fights with a long thrust that happens twice. Its strikes are slow and deliberate. Each one winds up for about 0.6 to 0.7 seconds, and it stays open for 0.7 to 0.8 seconds after a chain. It has 26 named techniques and raises its guard after every third attack.
At the start of the trial it tells you its lesson: its long thrust replays down the gold lane, so sidestep it and do not step back in.
How to get it
Sneak and use a wandering duelist who breathes Hourglass, or type /master challenge hourglass. An Hourglass duelist always calls the Hourglass Master. You need Aura Form or Heart Circle VIII. See Sword Masters for the full trial rules.
To train for it, look for a Sundial Court in the desert. Its Hourglass shrine is sealed with time: hit every seal block with a time spell within 10 seconds. See Masters’ sites.
Rewind
The banner reads “Sidestep, then stay off the gold lane!”
- The thrust. The Master aims a straight lane at you, 6 blocks long and 1.8 blocks wide. The aim follows you until 0.3 seconds before the cut, then locks. The cut lands at 0.65 seconds for 27 damage.
- The replay. The used lane stays gold. At 1.35 seconds the same lane is cut again for another 27 damage. Don’t step back into it.
Solid cover between you and the Master blocks it. Any challenger standing in the lane can be hit. After the replay the Master is open for about 0.8 seconds.
The Master uses Rewind when you are 1.5 to 5.5 blocks away and roughly level with it. It comes as the third move of a four-move phrase, at most once every 7.5 seconds.
Other moves
- Techniques: chains of two to four strikes. Read each strike’s shape. See Reading a Master.
- Pursuit dash: if you hold a spell too long, it may dash up to 4.8 blocks at you, at most once every 7 seconds.
- Crescent volley: flying blades if you stay far away or high up.
Rewards for a clear
- Your first Hourglass clear teaches the Bind technique part.
- The win goes into your lore journal. Type
/master victoriesto see which Masters you have beaten.
The Hourglass breathing method
Hourglass is the Time method. Its passive gives you a little more attack speed. Its arts unlock as your aura grows:
| Art | Opens at | Input |
|---|---|---|
| Echo Cut | Glow | swing, swing, low swing |
| Rewind Leap | Flow | leaping swing, then low swing |
| Stopped Moment | Edge | first swing after a perfect Aura Guard |
| Blur | Form | first swing after an Aura Step |
| Thousand Moments | Sovereign | three full swings, then low swing |
See Breathing Methods for the full numbers. A Sundial Court’s Hourglass chest can hold Haste, Stasis and Rewind runes.
Tips and counterplay
- Sidestep late, just before the aim locks, so the lane misses you cleanly.
- Once the first cut lands, treat the gold lane as a wall. Go around it, not through it.
- When the replay passes, step in and use the opening.
- The Hourglass Master guards after every third attack. Flank it or use an axe.