Love this blade for dueling, and it comes with both lengths so you can pick the one you like. It feels great and it has the perfect weight. Even kids can use it. If you buy two, you can connect them by unscrewing one of the bottom caps. You do not need a separate accessory to connect two of these.
Out of all the starter blades, I think this one looks the best. The six little cutouts look awesome when the blade is on. I also think this is a great starter blade because you can actually see the button blink, which you can't on many of the expensive blades. Helps you figure out the timing on changing options. It's also nice that the USB-C is on the outside. You have to take out the core on the expensive blades.
The Baselit Core is perfect for this and has plenty of fonts, blade options, and infinite color. I would pick Baselit and save the Xenopixel for a master blade so you don't worry about whacking an expensive blade.
I put bicycle grip tape on the bottom part of the handle and also the bit between the button and the six cutouts. That gives you non-slip with some flexibility. You can hold it low for more reach or you can choke up on the hilt to get closer to the center of gravity for twirls. I tried the SaberPro grip tape but didn't like it.
Also FYI if you want to turn it completely off, hold down the button for 10 seconds WHILE THE BLADE IS LIT. If you hold the button while the blade is off, it will change the font before it turns off.