2,3 or 4 AP weapons

[sennett]

I know i saw a thread about this on here somewhere but an updated one cant hurt. IMHO i like 2ap weapons because i go for crits. I figure the more attacks i get the more crits i get. Cant say i have ever used 4ap weapons,dont see the advantage to that. I will be starting a new boosted team soon so any info will be helpful.

[En1gma]

Here's an interesting thread. I did a bit of math that weighs the pros/cons of each weapon when used with Juggernaut. Some of it is worthless considering other attacks, but I still go back to it even though I'm the one who wrote it.

startradersrpg.proboards.com/thread/8153/crushing-blow-ferocity-jugger

Each weapon type will have its benefits and issues with different talents. Certain weapons have a certain synergy with different talents.
- Spears work well with FEROCITY, Crushing Blow, and particularly well in conjunction with Berserk Rage
- Swords work well with really any setup- middle of the road kinda thing.
- Maces do well with Savage Sweep, though if you back them up with accuracy gear or talents like Ash and Pinning Shot, they can be killer.

AP selection is highly dependent on group tactics. Using Phalanx Shield will limit you to 2-3 AP for Swords and Maces, and since there are no 3AP Spears, you will be stick with 2AP.

If you're going for a Stone Skin/Natural Mastery build, then 2H weapons should be your go-to. Again, the AP will be decided by group tactics. High armor enemies warrant the highest minimum damage you can muster. A single swing with a 4 AP weapon may result in a kill-shot where a 3AP or two might not. Lower armor enemies don't require the high minimum damage, so a 3AP will suffice.

Also consider (when running a SSk build) that you keep a Shield and the strongest version of whatever 1H weapon class, just in case of emergencies where you absolutely MUST have added protection.

Hope any of this helps

[Cory Trese]

Nov 17, 2015 8:46:00 GMT -5 En1gma said:

If you're going for a Stone Skin/Natural Mastery build, then 2H weapons should be your go-to. Again, the AP will be decided by group tactics. High armor enemies warrant the highest minimum damage you can muster. A single swing with a 4 AP weapon may result in a kill-shot where a 3AP or two might not. Lower armor enemies don't require the high minimum damage, so a 3AP will suffice.

Also consider (when running a SSk build) that you keep a Shield and the strongest version of whatever 1H weapon class, just in case of emergencies where you absolutely MUST have added protection.

Hope any of this helps

I definitely agree that the Stone/Mastery build favors 2H weapons.

Keeping a shield around is really important on higher levels.

Some of my primarily 2H Nightmare builds even have levels in Phalanx Shield.

With Mastery + debuffs you can quickly overcome the weak accuracy on Hammers.

[wascalwywabbit]

Well it depends on difficulty some, but I had fun killing things with 1 ap blades almost exclusively the other night in the store rooms...

FU, TB, strickening and PB.

First stricken, then DS, then punishing and then storm strike. Get attacked, heal and repeat.

[wascalwywabbit]

Don't forget you can still get 2 attacks with a 4 ap and 3 ap weapon combo as long as you have 2mp to switch.

[Cory Trese]

On Selen I love 1AP weapons.

[xdesperado]

Choking Ash, Punishing Blades and watch Selen and Kincaid go Ginsu with 1AP blades.
Add Ethereal Anguish and a Pinning Shot and they become immobile targets ready to be sliced and diced

[jeffe]

My paladin has 2-3 extra MP on her at all times, so frequently if she doesn't have to move, I will switch out a 3AP Hammer for a 4AP Hammer to use up all 7 AP and deal MAXIMUM DAMAGE. Although, this does glitch, and sometimes she loses both her move points and AP. I haven't reported it yet because I want to get a good screenshot or something.

For the record, switching equip uses MP first by design, right?

Edit: In Ep3 onwards, I also switched out weapons shamelessly mid-battle depending on the creatures armor. Higher armor = higher AP weapons. But some creatures in Ep3 have very low armor, so they don't need high AP weapons and thier massive damage.

Edit Edit: Side note, my team also has no -armor. Other teams might not have to be as picky as me about which weapons deal the most damage if they reduce the creatures armor with debuffs. But its fun to switch weapons in battle. It makes MP more valuable.

[Cory Trese]

Switching equipment during combat isn't a good strategy.

Have you spent your Skill points yet?

[jeffe]

My team was doing okay, but now it's hit a brick wall in act 4 and isn't doing so well.

Switching gear helped me adapt to different situations that would have been challenging otherwise. I had no -armor, and very little -dodge/-parry (flash freeze for -dodge, and reckoning for -parry). Fortunately I didn't mind putting a ton of points into selen, fyona, or vincints attack skills because they all have side benefits (crit%, def buff, and elemental damage). I used an all melee team of Vreas, Vincent, Fyona, and Selen. My team was not super flexible skill-wise and very poor AoE, but very hard to kill.

Selen: change from 1AP blade and bow for low def skeles + emergency long distance ect., to 1AP and 2AP blade  for high def monsters, and when she was tanking I would give her a 2AP blade with high parry.

Fyona: with low armor monsters or when tanking, she used a 2AP hammer and shield, or a 3AP hammer and shield. When she needed to lay down the damage she would get a 2H hammer.



I kind of thought that selen had great MP boosting skills so that she would have time to change her equip mid-battle. She is good with both bow and melee. I also see this being a benefit with kincaid once he has a ton of MP from his skills- so he can switch to 2 blades or 1 blade and throwing knives. I guess not?

[fallen]

jeffe - if it is a viable strategy for you, we're always interested in hearing about new emergent strategies. I think cost of AP/MP from a game designer's standpoint intended to make it a non-viable strategy. I can see changing EQ once or something to load up for the big damage end monster or something, a healing troll or whatever. Doing it a lot must real sap AP needed for other important tasks.

[jeffe]

Thanks! Btw, there is a definite glitch with Fyona and Vreas switching weapons that removes both AP and MP.

Its weird because it doesn't happen all the time. I just respeced my Vreas into a juggernaught and the coolest thing just happened!

He has burst of speed up so he has +4MP. He attacks an infernal spider with his super killer 4AP spear that does up to 200 Damage! Needless to say, the spider dies. Vreas moves one step forward, and he has a staggering 8MP total including from gear and Juggernaught. He switches out- now he has a 3AP spear. He lunges at another spider! It leaves a splattered mess on the floor. Vreas moves forward. He swaps out his spear for a 1-handed 2 AP spear. Another spider bites the dust. Vreas moves forward. He still has 1AP left (and 5MP)!!! HOWEVER! He wants to switch out for a 1AP blade and be Mr. Cool Guy and landing the HoS record for swinging every AP-level weapon in the game, but the game (wrongly!) says that I don't have the MP to switch out! I have 5 MP left! But apparently it only checks on the AP and not MP, so Vreas is left standing there awkwardly with 1AP and nothing to do with it.

He looks at the spiders longingly...

Lo, and behold. On his next turn, starting with 6MP, he switches out for his 4AP spear....

Which for some reason used up 4MP? What the heck? Now I suspect that maybe the MP from gear is wrongly being taken away whenever switching out weapons? And then swtiching out for my 3AP spear again took away 2AP and 2MP but left me with 1MP still? All this glitching is cramping my groove, man

Also, Juggernaught is giving me wierd bonuses. At level 10, sometimes it gives me 2AP, sometimes 1, sometimes 0. I'm playing with steam on windows 10. My location is the Ironwood Range. Do you think you could help me out?

[fallen]

jeffe - Juggernaut rolls a special dice, plus a bonus based on the Talent's level to determine what result you get, anything including +SP, +MP, +AP.

[Cory Trese]

Switching weapons in combat isn't something we suggest, and it has hard limits related to MP.

You're better off building to use a single weapon.

[richard]

Because of the Vreas Sweep thread,
I am wondering which AP weapon is the most usefull for both a strength Vreas and Dex Vreas?