Twohanded Edged skill

General Information

Historically, two-handed swords and axes are an unusual varient of the more popular, smaller edged weapons. Requiring great strength and stamina, two-handed edged weapons were the preferred weapons of many Germanic and Indo-European groups such as the Celts. Within Dragonrealms, two-handed edged weapons (also known a 2HE) represent weapons like bastard swords, greatswords, and boarding axes.

Two-handed edge is a fantastic melee weapon category and currently the most popular melee skill, offering immense attack power with few penalties given the right weapon. Before the release of arm-worn shields, two-handed edge had the additional penalty of incompatibility with shield skill, making heavy edge the melee class of choice. Since the release of arm-worn shields, however, the largest detriment to 2HE (by far) has disappeared completely, making it the skill of choice for most melee fighters.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Incredible attack power
• Lightest of all the heavy weapon classes (2HE, 2HB, Halberd, Pike).
• Does slice damage. Powerful slice maneuvers like SLICE and CHOP lack the defensive penalties of piercing maneuvers like LUNGE.

Disadvantages

• More roundime on some maneuvers than lighter edged weapons
• Difficult for new players (who cannot afford expensive forged weapons) to learn.

Guild-Specific Abilities

• Barbarians can WHIRLWIND with any pole or melee weapon. This will attack all targets within range of their chosen weapon (melee or pole), including hidden targets. Hidden targets will be pulled from hiding if hit by whirlwind. WHIRL can also be used on one's self or another to free the target from webbing. Requirements: 350 in the weapon skill and 32 agility.
• Barbarians and Paladins can parry ranged weapons inside the range of the weapon they are holding.

Recommended Weapons

• a scorched greatsword (for new players, dropped by fire sprites)
• a 28-stone forged bastard sword
• a 36-stone forged bastard sword
• a 52-stone forged greatsword
• a needle-tipped claymore (from Over the Edge)