What's the word on axe vs swords?

wahoyaho

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2006

On guildwiki it says swords have a better average damage output, but in PvP observers say axes do @@

Savio

Savio

Teenager with attitude

Join Date: Jul 2005

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]

Since axes have a higher max damage, they get higher critical hits than axes do. That puts axes at a slightly higher DPS. Guildwiki probably means average damage without including criticals.

Eldin

Eldin

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

America. How about you, commie?

Fellows of Mythgar [FOM]

R/Mo

IMO, axes are the mighty weapons, but with unstable damage structure (one moment you hit a 6, the next you hit a 20, and this is not taking criticals into account). Swords have a slight cutback in damage range, but are a bit more stable.

If it's for PvE, it's mainly a matter of personal choice. I stuck with an axe for some time, but to my dismay, griffon farming was nerfed a day before my warrior reached the desert!! Also, other griffon locations have terrible drops. I later crossed over to swords for the wide variety of [frequently riposte-related] farming builds.

Definitely choose whichever you want. If you want to try your luck at something fairly unpopular (at least from what I've seen), go hammer. If you want to be a drunken lumberjack and just whack away at everything like a berseker, go axe. If you want to be kind of a well-rounded warrior, go sword.

JR

JR

Re:tired

Join Date: Nov 2005

W/

Axes have a slightly better damage average (inc. crits), Swords free up your elite slot for a utility skill like "Charge!" or Bull's Charge... etc.

It really comes down to the build.

XBC

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

Indiana

[ROME]

W/Mo

I think that swords have better average DPS. However, axes have higher straight damage skills, and a higher maximum damage.

Yukito Kunisaki

Yukito Kunisaki

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2005

Chicago, IL

W/N

If you want to kill via dps, then a sword is your weapon.
If you want to kill via shutdown *knockdown*, then go hammer. Monks hate hammers.
If you want to do more damage than anyone else in 3 swings, go axe. Chopping off 70% hp or more with 3 crits [hey, it happens more often than not], I love my axe...

Also, for pvp, hammer and swords are usually as good as an axe, but in pve, where I enjoy playing just as much as pvp, axe has no protection. Nobody is safe from a deepwound... don't know why you can deepwound an undead when you can't make them bleed...

Sk23Von

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jul 2005

Michigan

W/E

all choices are good. Hammer is less common because it doesnt have a sheild to go with it, but it can be very scary in the right hands. Sword has all kinds of utility and Damage over Time, as well as the single most powerful spike skill (In terms of the number that pops up) in Final Thrust. Axe has a strong array of spike skills, as well as Cyclone Axe which really should be elite. It also has the most spammable spike skill in Cleave.

"don't know why you can deepwound an undead when you can't make them bleed"

Because even undead take notice when a chunk of them goes missing.

Yukito Kunisaki

Yukito Kunisaki

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2005

Chicago, IL

W/N

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sk23Von
all choices are good. Hammer is less common because it doesnt have a sheild to go with it, but it can be very scary in the right hands. Sword has all kinds of utility and Damage over Time, as well as the single most powerful spike skill (In terms of the number that pops up) in Final Thrust. Axe has a strong array of spike skills, as well as Cyclone Axe which really should be elite. It also has the most spammable spike skill in Cleave.

"don't know why you can deepwound an undead when you can't make them bleed"

Because even undead take notice when a chunk of them goes missing. And yet ghosts can be deepwounded too!

Don Zardeone

Don Zardeone

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

Ghosts seem to be made up out of plasma. You can probably separate a chucnk of plasma from a bigger chunk of plasma. So in a way, you can deepwound any ghost!

Swords have the stable damage but axes seem to have the better damageskills. This stuff can be argued over for ages though.

Cecil The Magician

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jan 2006

E/N

It depends on what you want to accomplish and personal preference.

Axe skills are used mostly as high damage skills.
Swords have many condition causing skills.
Hammers have alot of knock-down and interuption skills.

As for DPS Guru has a guide on this Right Here

I prefer hammers as although they may be slower they have an very high damage range.

Son of Urza

Son of Urza

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2005

I'm the guy right behind you staring through your head . . . .

W/

If the axe user has an elite (Eviscerate), he can have a HUGE dmg spike. Evis+Exe Strike is the hardest-hitting 1-2 punch warriors have. However, without an elite, a sword user can do more damage with Galrath Slash and Final Thrust. However, if you can get permanent IAS through Tiger's Fury, and one of the knockdown elites, hammers will win hands down. With 35 maximum damage, they can get even better crits than axes, and since they are slower they gain more from IAS then axes do. Plus, knockdown is simply sweet.

lzlz

lzlz

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

LA, CA

R/W

keep the knowledge for myself

Effigy

Effigy

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Aug 2005

Illinois, US

Heroes of Talia [HoT]

Mo/

It really depends which is better, as others have said. On average, the damage over time between sword and axe is pretty even. However, in PvP axe will generally do more damage, even without taking skills into account. Axe has higher max damage, and you automatically do critical hits on running targets. Since your targets will be running away a lot of the time in PvP, you will be hitting 28 (max dmg) more often than 6 (min damage), hence you will have more DPS than with sword. However, when you're targets aren't running away (PvE), they are pretty much even.

As someone else stated, sword is a better choice if you aren't using an elite attack, since you can use Final Thrust to spike. However, axe has more spike attack skills, like Eviscerate and Executioner's Strike.

In PvE, sword has the benefit of Riposte and Deadly Riposte, but axe has a non-elite AoE attack (Cyclone Axe) while sword does not. So it really depends on your build which one is a better choice.

Lando Griffen

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2006

I'm assuming the a/w will make a good axe warrior with the addition of increased criticals and energy instead of strength

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2006

Toronto

Hopping

Mo/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by wahoyaho
On guildwiki it says swords have a better average damage output, but in PvP observers say axes do @@ Would you trust people who look at the DMG of weapons, or the people who are slashing and hacking people with them ^.^.

Siliconwafer

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Oct 2005

Australia

Shameful Spirits

Quote:
Originally Posted by Effigy
Axe has higher max damage, and you automatically do critical hits on running targets. Since your targets will be running away a lot of the time in PvP, you will be hitting 28 (max dmg) more often than 6 (min damage), hence you will have more DPS than with sword. Just a minor clarification, crits hit max damage at 4 attribute levels above what you have, or something. An axe crit is ~53 if you have a perfect axe.

If you want to see numbers, check out Ensign's calculators on Guru.

It comes down to the build, and what skills you need to accomplish what you're trying to do. The Axe vs. Sword debate in terms of raw DPS is pretty insignificant now because the only appreciable difference comes down to criticals.

Savio

Savio

Teenager with attitude

Join Date: Jul 2005

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Son of Urza
However, without an elite, a sword user can do more damage with Galrath Slash and Final Thrust.
Severy Artery, Gash, Final Thrust. Deep Wound is so sexy.

Quote: Originally Posted by lzlz Hints: Try testing a pvp char with the best mod sword/axe in Isle of the Nameless. You will see Axe wins.

Quote: Originally Posted by Lando Griffen
I'm assuming the a/w will make a good axe warrior with the addition of increased criticals and energy instead of strength No, not really, because they're missing out on having 16 Axe Mastery instead of 12, and axe warriors mainly use Adrenaline.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Siliconwafer
Just a minor clarification, crits hit max damage at 4 attribute levels above what you have, or something. An axe crit is ~53 if you have a perfect axe. It's 63 with a Damage +15% axe, customized, 16 AM, vs 60 AL.

The main thing about axes is that they have the Eviscerate-Executioner's Strike, the best 1-2 punch you can have on a Warrior. Without that combo they don't do better than Sever-Gash-Final. Hammers are slower than the others but get to knocklock.

Lando Griffen

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2006

/doh I don't know what I was thinking :P

thowix2

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jan 2006

i dunno i like axe better with my war... Evi+Axe Rake+Executioners is my Combo.. to prevent kiting... since im a shock war ^^

conches

conches

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2006

FARM

W/Mo

1. swords better dmg range axe better critial max=balanced
2.swords attack faster (stfu i tested it ) axes more dmg (not taking minimals and criticals into consideration)= balanced
3.swords can bleed axes cannot=swords win
4. swords have the ripostes axes do not= swords win
5. for axe to be good u need exe-evic combo which takes ur elite away swords dont need an elite unlees u like HB= swords win
6. in PvP a sword warrior sometimes get kicked >_< axe warriors are kept for thier dmg superiority= axes win

CONCLUSION- Swords-3 Axes-1
Winner?- Niether because its jsut prefrence if ur lucky with criticals axxes will own if u like to block and have balance swords win
i use a sword..

Savio

Savio

Teenager with attitude

Join Date: Jul 2005

Fifteen Over Fifty [Rare]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lando Griffen
/doh I don't know what I was thinking :P
Maybe there's some function in a A/W Hammer warrior. Axes wouldn't get much out of A/W unless there's a radical change in axe skills in Factions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by conches
2.swords attack faster (stfu i tested it ) No, they don't. Either go fraps it and come back with proof, or stop posting that.
Quote: axes more dmg (not taking minimals and criticals into consideration)= balanced You have to take criticals into consideration for dps. Your argument is absolutely pointless without the numbers to back it up. Therefore axes win, but not by much.
Quote:
3.swords can bleed axes cannot=swords win Bleeding is a minor condition, it's Deep Wound that kills. Axes have an easier Deep Wound so axe wins.
Quote:
4. swords have the ripostes axes do not= swords win And you can't use Shield Bash with hammers, so obviously hammers are inferior.
Quote:
5. for axe to be good u need exe-evic combo which takes ur elite away swords dont need an elite unlees u like HB= swords win The only decent argument here, although there aren't that many other good elites for Warriors to bring. If you're going to have a damage-dealing Warrior you might as well bring an Elite for it.
Quote:
6. in PvP a sword warrior sometimes get kicked >_< axe warriors are kept for thier dmg superiority= axes win Getting kicked out of a team has nothing to do with actual weapon function.

The Real Roy Keane

The Real Roy Keane

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2006

Dublin, Ireland

Quote:
Originally Posted by lzlz
P.S. in my opinion:
Axe warrior - usually dumb and ignorant Bersekers swinging axes fiercely without knowing what they are hitting
Sword warrior - usually elegant Knights swinging beautiful swords with stable damage
Hammer warrior - usually tough Fighters swinging massive hammers to knock everyone down Wtf..?

lord_shar

lord_shar

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jul 2005

near SF, CA

From a PvE prespective, sword seems to be much better than axe when dealing with melee mobs. Riposte and Deadly Riposte were really beefed up in the last patch, blocking attacks and dealing 70+ damage to the attacker per blocked attack. At only 4 adrenelin, Riposte cycles very fast. This is how sword tanks solo sand wurms in under 30 seconds.

Axe is better for directed spike damage due to Evicerate. Cleave adds more raw dps without depending on deep wounds.

Effigy

Effigy

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Aug 2005

Illinois, US

Heroes of Talia [HoT]

Mo/

The Ripostes are a nice asset for sword users in PvE, but the same argument can be made for Cyclone Axe for axe users, since it frees up your elite slot to take Gladiator's Defense instead of of Hundred Blades. Again, there is no clear winner here.

Ninjutsu Honor Code

Ninjutsu Honor Code

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jan 2006

Holland

Sidon, Order of Assasins

R/W

Everyone knows axes are better.... I dont care I love swords.


I'm wielding a Poisenous Longsword of Defense!

BakedMonkey

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2005

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by lzlz
P.S. in my opinion:
Axe warrior - usually dumb and ignorant Bersekers swinging axes fiercely without knowing what they are hitting
Sword warrior - usually elegant Knights swinging beautiful swords with stable damage
Hammer warrior - usually tough Fighters swinging massive hammers to knock everyone down rofl

i started out as a swordie, then changed to axe, changed back to sword, saw that im not dealing as much daamage as before, switched back to axes and loved it.

IMO. Swords are for people who like to play with conditions(bleeding, cripple etc.) and more for PvE (Riposte and Deadly Riposte)

Axes are for those who love to hack away their enemies hp at a fast rate. Deepwound!

For those who say swords can cause deepwound too!

Swords: Sever + Gash = Deepwound (11 Adrenaline Total)
Axes: Eviscerate/Dismember = Deepwound (8 or 7 Adrenline Total)

basically, try both, and see which you prefer.

lzlz

lzlz

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

LA, CA

R/W

keep the knowledge for myself

lzlz

lzlz

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: May 2005

LA, CA

R/W

keep the knowledge for myself