TacoRobot wrote:
Swash is fun to play
...
...
it just....would be so much better to have a merc or barb instead in basically every scenario.
Yup.
Light armor, No shield block, no second-row options, and rescue <<< taunt (Except in PvP, and even then is very costly to use and not guaranteed) means that being or having a swashbuckler means you are less useful in almost every measurable category.
Mind you, there have been improvements. Heckle is nice. Hedgehog/Wolverine stances are great. They're still not 'enough' to put swashbucklers legitimately desirable for PvE though.
I do agree with the OP that kip up should have a stance option. That would be a really good quality of life change.