new 4th ed character builder questions

[incubus5075]

So im making up a level 11 Hexblade, the essentials build. It's a drow fey hexblade if that matters. Anyway i had a few complaints. Apparently the sword that the hexblade comes with by default does not count as an implement, at least the builder does not view it as such. So i put a rod as an offhand and it counted the rod for all the implement attacks. yet when i take the feat dual implement spellcaster it again does not count the sword as an implement.....wierd or am i missing something? also how do i get the builder to register a shard of the mage for the implement attacks?

[Kurald Galain]

I think this is correct.

The sword you conjure is not an implement, and therefore neither counts for implement attacks, nor for Dual Implement Spellcaster.

The Shard of the Mage goes on a weapon, generally a staff; it doesn't work on a rod.

[Hidden Sanity]

One thing to note though, is that you can use Arcane Implement Proficiency(Or Swordmage multi-class) to make your blade an implement.