Harder arenas in Sword Masters require disciplined combat rather than aggressive rushing. Here is how to survive when the enemy count and variety increase.
Attack only during safe windows. Every enemy in Sword Masters has a recovery animation after their attack. That recovery is your opening. Wait for the enemy to commit, dodge their swing, then counter during their vulnerable moment. This reactive style is slower but far more reliable than initiating attacks.
Prioritize ranged enemies first. Melee enemies in Sword Masters are dangerous up close but predictable. Ranged enemies harass you from across the arena and disrupt your timing against melee threats. Eliminating ranged attackers early simplifies the remaining fight significantly.
Save your dodge for heavy attacks. Light enemy swings deal minor damage and can be tanked if necessary. Heavy attacks in Sword Masters deal massive damage and often have area effects. Reserve your dodge cooldown for these dangerous moves rather than wasting it on avoidable chip damage.
Use the environment to your advantage. Funneling enemies through narrow passages in Sword Masters prevents them from surrounding you. Spike traps can damage enemies as well as you, so positioning fights near hazards turns the environment into an ally.
Health management extends your runs. If the game offers healing between arenas, always take it. If healing comes from combat performance in Sword Masters, focus on clean kills without taking damage rather than rushing through encounters. A full health bar entering a difficult arena is worth more than a fast clear time on an easy one.