The Swordmaster and group utility part 2

To continue the discussion, once you've decided whether or not you should take Whispering Winds, you fill out the rest of your build according to the strategy you intend to employ and what holes there are in the group.

Let's say the group is IB, SM, SL, WH, RP, AM. Clearly you would not take WW in this group because it doesn't really help everyone else out much. Also, you don't need to take Lingering Intimidation because the IB and SL have crit debuffs core. You also don't need Sapping Strike because the AM and WH have better AP drains than you do. The IB likely has a 4s knockdown and the WH has a 3s silence, so you don't need Crashing Wave either. In this group, you likely going to guard the WH and ride the assist train. You'd likely be rocking the DPS. Get Ether Dance, Great Weapon Mastery, and Balanced Accuracy and go to town.

If the group is SM, WL, BW, SW, WP, RP, you play a very different role. You would definitely take WW here. There is no crit debuff in the group, so you probably want Lingering Intimidation. There's no AP drain, so you probably want Sapping Strike. (Note you can't get WW, LI and SS until RR 60.) You have 5 silences in the group and a heal debuff, so you are good on CC, CW is likely a waste. (I've NEVER seen a SW without Shadow Sting.) You will not have time to DPS because you'll have to focus on rotating guards, timing challenge and WW.

You never want to be comfortable in just one build as a SM. I used to play FFXI, so I'm going use to the famous answer to every single question about gear and tactics in that game. Waffle is situational.

You always want to be thinking about what other classes have core that you'd need to spec into. If another class in your group can cover something core, it's better for you to spend the mastery points elsewhere.