Post:Combat 3.0 Update - 02/06/2012 - 07:06

Re: Combat 3.0 Update · on 02/06/2012 07:06 AM CST	1264
> My question is will their be a benifit to using a two-handed weapon? Let me begin with the disclaimer that in the end, weapon stats reign supreme, so in the following discussion it is always possible that certain weapons have stats that make them exceptions to the concepts being discussed where general weapon classes (small, large, two-handed, etc) are concerned. With that said... The biggest benefit is the same benefit they already enjoy -- the highest base damage as a general rule. Not just in terms of individual output, but also in the damage-over-time sense, since the ability to reduce the roundtime of weapons just increases the damage-dealing edge of the hardest-hitting weapons, despite the fact the smallest can be (but not necessarily always are) slightly faster in the end. Two-handers are all about going on the offensive, not being defensive. Kill it and it won't hurt you. Best defense ever. But that's not the only advantage to two-handers. Two-handers tend to be more strength friendly, which in turn is more damage friendly. Again, these things hurt more. On top of that, two-handers tend to have higher Force, which will be the primary determining factor (again, along with strength) in determining stuns and other secondary factors. Last but not least, while small weapons will have a higher chance to get a crit on to-hit rolls (they are intended to be the most accurate weapons), the two-handers will have a higher chance to crit on the damage rolls. Again, it's all about the damage. If you want to hit more consistently and maximize your defense, go with small weapons; they are all about precise control. If you want to maximize your damage and chance to stun, go with the two-handers; they are all about going on the offensive. If you want the middle ground, the large one-handed weapons are the place to go; they are more defensible than two-handers, but better damage dealers than the small weapons. Again, this is just a general overarching statement -- the individual weapon stats may create exceptions.
This message was originally posted in Combat - Weapons and Armor \ Responses to GM and Official Announcements, by DR-DARTENIAN on the play.net forums.