I see a lot of people complaining about the sword being OP, of which I can kinda get behind. The sword vortex that stuns players on the first hit can get quickly get annoying. The sword is meant for short range attacks (with the addition of sword dashing which is 100% a good feature) but it forces nearby players into a pool of death. To make the combat fairer to both players, I propose that the stun is only activated on the 2nd sweep of the sword. This would allow players to prepare themselves for incoming attacks with the cutlass and strategize their actions to avoid getting stun-locked. Having the initial swing being a free slash of damage could allow for better team play as a single properly registered sword swipe could lead a fleeing enemy prime prey for a keen eye of reach user. This is just my thoughts on an adjustment to swordplay and how it could be slightly improved.
P.S.
I don't think damage should be dealt if someone is blocking, that's the purpose of blocking (preventing stun-locking and gang sword attacks)