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Sephius Offline OP
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By preference I would like to use a Two-handed Sword, but from what I can see, the axe functions the exact same way as the sword-- except with more damage.

There's no trade-off for using axe. There's no extra AP required to hit or anything like that. The two weapons are exactly the same except Axe always offers more damage.

Is there any benefit to using a sword over an axe? Am I missing something? Because right now it seems swords are pointless by comparison.

P.S - Loving the game. Haven't had this much fun with an RPG since BG2.

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If there is no other technical reason, there is still one (and most important):

If you like two-handed swords, why not use them? This is an RPG after all, stats are only 2nd. You can still find methods to boost the weapons or the characters to compensate less damage.


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Yes I understand that. And so far I've been doing that. I do appreciate that RPGs are not only what you see on screen, but also what goes on in your head. But it's hard to ignore an axe with 300 top end damage against the unique sword I grabbed in Hiberheim with 158 top end :P

I might just pass it over to Madora and let her have her way with it.

Despite being completely enamored by this game, I wouldn't say no to a little more diversity between weapons. Even if it means 1 less AP to use a 2handed sword over a 2handed axe. Just to spice it up, you know?

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Yes, I can understand this. smile
It would be better for axes to require +1 AP, or have less durability as a similar sword.


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I haven't seen many weapons yet in my game, but from what i have seen, swords have more consistent damage - closer ranges, axes have higher upper damage, but lower low damage - less consistent.
Haven't made calculations if average damage is the same, will make on the weapons i have at hand, but i think they are similar.

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Oh that's interesting. I've been focusing too much on top-end damage, that's a good point actually. Thanks.

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YW smile

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Originally Posted by Sephius
By preference I would like to use a Two-handed Sword, but from what I can see, the axe functions the exact same way as the sword-- except with more damage.

Substantial differences between 2H axes and swords:

  • 2H axes have 10 more durability than equivalent level 2H swords, which admittedly is pretty much irrelevant.
  • 2H axes have higher max and lower min damage than an equivalent level 2H sword, but they have roughly the same average damage.
  • 2H axes have a 1.5 crit multiplier, while equivalent 2H swords have a 2.0 crit multiplier. The 2H swords also have +2% more crit than the equivalent 2H axes.


In other words... If your character is crit heavy, 2H swords will be best for you, everything else being equal. If your character is not, i.e. it is the base damage range that dominates, then 2H axes and 2H swords will be roughly equal against low-armoured targets, while 2H axes will have an edge against high-armoured targets.

NOW, in practice, unless you are crafting your weapons yourself, these differences in the base stats are pretty irrelevant compared to which random damage modifiers the weapons have been granted (bonuses to base damage, elemental damage, increased crit, increased crit multiplier) as well as skill bonuses etc, but I hope this answers your question. smile


EDIT: This seems to be wrong (see later in thread). Further tests with crafting shows results that disagree with my conclusions here.

Last edited by Peter Ebbesen; 09/07/14 08:21 PM. Reason: explained that I was wrong

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(Crafted) Two-handed Axes seem to be better, than (crafted) Two-handed Swords. Here for example the stats of a self crafted Two-handed Axe and Two-handed Sword (Level 7, Blacksmithing 5):

Two-handed Sword (Lvl 7)
86-139
7% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability

Two-handed Axe (Lvl 7)
86-172
5% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability

Minimum damage, crit multiplier and durability are the same ... so you can only compare 2% more crit chance (sword) vs. higher maximum damage (axe). For me the axe is the clear winner.

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Interesting, Tommy123. My crafting tests above were done at crafting level 3, where I consistently got a 1.5 multiplier for 2H axes and 2.0 for 2H swords.

Also, the minimum range was consistently lower on the 2H axe.

Assuming that you used the same material for both sword and axe as I've done in my comparisons, which seems a safe assumption, there is something tricky going on with the stats when we get so very different results with respects to the basic characteristics of 2H swords and axes at different crafting and skill levels.


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Different weapons have also benefits to such things as types of enemy like crushing or slashing etc so stats alone aren't the only deciding factor. I just choose the one I like look of most since I currently do not struggle that much in fights so as long has reasonable stats it does not have to be super duper amazing stats.

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It seems my assumption is only true for top tier crafting ... here my results for Level 7, Blacksmithing 3:

Two-handed Sword (Lvl 7)
78-113
7% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
70 durability

Two-handed Axe (Lvl 7)
48-162
5% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
80 durability

In this case the minimum damage of the axe seems significantly lower. But i can not reproduce your crit multiplier ... if you got 1.5 for two-handed axes, then this must be item level based and not dependend on the blacksmithing skill level.

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Two-handed axes are generally better. Even with 5 blacksmithing their minimum damage should always be lower (It's been consistent all the way up to level 15 like that for me). Now given the lower min damage and higher max damage their average damage is often the same until you take into account criticals.

A crafted two-handed axe can get +crit chance which is far better than anything a two-handed sword could get. I believe twohanded axes in the world are likely to have the same thing.

Onehanded swords and axes are much more imbalanced though. Onehanded axes always have the same minimum damage as one handed swords. Onehanded axes always have higher maximum damage than onehanded swords. Onehanded axes have 2x crit multiplier versus sword's 1.5x. Onehanded axes have superior bonus at blacksmithing 5 versus onehanded swords.

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For my results i used the "damage" blacksmithing mastery bonus, because both two-handed sword and two-handed axe get this. Swords can instead get a strength attribute bonus and axes a crit chance bonus. To complete this, here my stats for both versions of the two-handed axe (Level 7, Blacksmithing 5):

Two-handed Axe (Lvl 7, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Damage)
86-172 (not upgradeable with whetstone)
5% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability

Two-handed Axe (Lvl 7, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Crit)
78-156 (upgraded with whetstone, base was 63-125)
12% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability

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Originally Posted by Tommy123

In this case the minimum damage of the axe seems significantly lower. But i can not reproduce your crit multiplier ... if you got 1.5 for two-handed axes, then this must be item level based and not dependend on the blacksmithing skill level.

Right, now you are making me question my observations -- which is a good thing.

First person to have spare time and interest in this should make a thread for structured testing of weapon crafting in the help/tips/strategies subforum. I am way too lazy to do that (at least at the moment). hahaha


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My crafting crew reached Level 10 ... here the results for daggers, swords and axes (both one- and two-handed) including every possible blacksmithing mastery bonus.

(Two-handed Sword)
Two-handed Sword (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Damage)
118-191 (not upgradeable with whetstone)
average: 154,5
8% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability
12 str req

Two-handed Sword (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Strength)
107-173 (upgraded with whetstone)
average: 140
8% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability
12 str req
+1 strength attribute

(Two-handed Axe)
Two-handed Axe (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Damage)
118-236 (not upgradeable with whetstone)
average: 177
6% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability
13 str req

Two-handed Axe (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Crit)
107-214 (upgraded with whetstone)
average: 160,5
14% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability
13 str req

(One-handed Sword )
One-handed Sword (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Damage)
73-126 (not upgradeable with whetstone)
average: 99,5
0% crit chance
1.5x crit multiplier
80 durability
10 str req

One-handed Sword (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Max AP)
66-114 (upgraded with whetstone)
average: 90
0% crit chance
1.5x crit multiplier
80 durability
10 str req
+1 max AP

(One-handed Axe)
One-handed Axe (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Damage)
73-146 (not upgradeable with whetstone)
average: 109,5
0% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability
10 str req

One-handed Axe (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Crit)
66-132 (upgraded with whetstone)
average: 99
8% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability
10 str req

One-handed Axe (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Max AP)
66-132 (upgraded with whetstone)
average: 99
0% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
100 durability
10 str req
+1 max AP

(Dagger)
Dagger (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Dexterity)
46-76 (upgraded with whetstone)
average: 61
6% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
80 durability
9 dex req
+0.5 Movement
+1 Dexterity

Dagger (Lvl 10, Blacksmithing Mastery Bonus: Lucky Charm)
46-76 (upgraded with whetstone)
average: 61
6% crit chance
2x crit multiplier
80 durability
9 dex req
+0.5 Movement
+1 Lucky Charm


It seems that minimum damage is always the same for axes and swords. If you want pure damage go for axes with damage mastery bonus. If you want crits go for axes with crit mastery bonus - because damage, crit chance (and crit multiplier) is higher than on swords.

The damage gap increases if you apply poison or elemental essences to your weapon, because these seem to add 15% of the weapons base damage. So with higher base damage you can also achieve higher enchantment damage. But you can only apply one elemental enchantment on a craffted weapon. If you apply more, then the previous elemental enchantment gets replaced. This seems also be true for non-crafted weapons, but if a magic non-crafted weapon already has an damage enchantment, you can add a second one yourself.

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sometimes I consider RP reasons rather then pure stats for example I like swords better than axes so I'd use a sword on my main char even if some axe is slightly better


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