Time to put those two handed weapons in the bank.

[malvarironhide]

I always wondered why I seemed to be better at killing wiht a 1 handed weapon thatn with my two handed weapon. On the DDo boards someone stated that one handed weapons actually got a bettter a better attack progression than two handed weapons did. I did not believe them until a Dev responsded in the thread:

Quote:
The combo bonuses for all weapons primary attacks should be +0/+0/+5/+10 (and another at +15 when level cap goes high enough to have attack #5).

The combo bonuses on glancing blow attacks should be always +0.

2 Handers are currently working at +0/+0/+0/+5 for the primary attack and +0/+0/+5/+10 for the glancing blows; this will be fixed in module 2.

end Quote

So currently using a one hand weapon does get you a better attack progression and better AC. At elast they will apparently fix this for Module 2. But I will believe it when I see it.

Futher more, there is a post in the DDo forums, unconfirmed by any DEv, on testing data regarding the attack animation speed of the various attack stayle, one-handed weapon, two-handed weapon and two weapon Fighting. Turns out that at 5th level to complete all three attacks for a fighter class with a on-handed melee weapon takes around 9 seconds. However using either a two handed weapon or two weapon fighter took slightly over 12 seconds, a 2-3 second difference. While this may not sound like much, over a period of 3o seconds of combat, a fighter weilding a handed weapon will get an entire exra set of attacks over the two-handed weapon user and the two wepaon fighter, And this is in addition to the one handed fighter already having the better attack progression

[smokyjoe]

The thing about 2 handed weapons is that the str bonus to damage and to-hit is 150%. For 1 handed weapons it's only 75%. soo if you're high in str and aren't afraid to lose hp then go for the 2 handed weapons. I hit more times with a greataxe then with a longsword and my crits goes up to 90 damage. once rage is activated woah... i''m getting up to +30 on a hit. I know that most barbs still use 2 handed weapons and they're crazy when the action boost is activated. their crits goes up to over a 100+!

[malvarironhide]

Yes I rage and use 2 handed as well and can get over 100 damage too. But 1 hand weapons get full - 100% str bonus to hit, as do 2 handed weapons. 1 handed weapons get 100% str to damage, 2 handed gets 150% of str bonus to damage.

The pooint being made was that there is currently a bug in 2handed fighting, as admitted by the Devs, in that peopel using a 2 handed weapon are not getting the full attack bonus that they are supposed to get. For any Fighter class, at 10th level the attqack progression for your for 4 attacks is: +0 xtra to hit for your first attack, +0 xtra to hit for your second attack, +5 xtra to hit for your third attack, and +10 xtra to hit for your fourth attack.

However, currently, if you use a 2handed a weapon you are currently getting an attack progression of +0 xtra to hit for your first attack, +0 xtra to hit for your second attack, +0 xtra to hit for your third attack, and +5 xtra to hit for your fourth attack.

Meaning that you will hit less often and confirm criticals less often as compared to a 1 hand fighter even if everything else is exactly equal about the two characters. Furthermore, if true, the disparity in attack speed due to animation diff means that the 1 hand fighter is also getting in more attacks than the two handed figther, all of which have a better chance of hitting and critting. while the crits maybe be samller, if a 1 hander fighter lands 6 smaller crits to every one of our big ones, he still wins in over all damage.

The Dev said they HOPE to fix it by Module 2, which doesn't come out until July. So until then, IMO you are better off using a one hand weapon than a two handed weapon, if the wepaons are of comparable bonuses and you have feats that apply equally to the weapons.

[Jupiterfist]

HOLY COW Batman! That is interesting!

Jupiterfist uses two-handed weapons all the time... and I seem to be getting very good dmg... and kills... but then again... maybe I am just sooo use to it that I don't realize I should be getting more.

hmmm I may have to rethink what I am using.

[duagrim]

This is an interesting problem. I tend to go 1h against most targets due to AC issues, but with large numbers of mobs (esp flying, twitchy stuff like mephs) I switch to 2h. This is mostly because I have Great Cleave, and I basically get attacks agains anything in reach. With a longer reach in a crowd-control situation I can get damage (and thus hold aggro) against a LOT of mobs at once, even though my twitch skills and aim are not exactly the best. Against single targets I ALWAYS go 1H because I don't get the bonus for Great Cleave.

[sabatuer]

This is a good topic.

I do more damage with a two handed weapon most of the time but my attacks are slower than a one handed weapon attack. Not only that but my AC drops. It all depends on what I'm fighting against.

I get more attacks in with my one handed weapon and do slightly less damage than my two handed weapon so it balances out most of the time.

This is what I did last time I ran SC on HARD. I went with my +5 two handed greatsword and asked the cleric in the group to monitor my heals. I then switched to my one handed weapon and monitored my heals. I was doing slightly less dam with the one handed weapon and far less healing was needed.

I came to this conclusion on determining one or two handed weapons:

1. one really good healing cleric or two clerics it is possible to melee with the two hander

2. The quest itself, normal hard elite and what your fighting

3 Are you the main tank or are there others

Sabatuer / Greaseum

[Kwerlin]

Great info as I have started a Fighter now as well.

Kwarlin