Which Sword is Better?

Short Sword
Slashing Dmg: 12-17 (req. 6 Swordsmanship)
Damage +11% (While health is above 50%)
Damage +20%
Customized for Kyrion Skynlorm

Fiery Dragon Sword
Fire Dmg: 13-18 (req. 8 Swordsmanship)
Damage +20%
Customized for Kyrion Skynlorm

The Fiery Dragon Sword but just make sure to put a ruin in it to make it even better.

.. or an axe haft while you're at it.

Where can I get these?

...um... you get runes from salvaging armor and axe hafts from salvaging axes

You really want to put a sword hilt on it though (which you get from salvaging swords.)

fiery dragons can't change the hilts with, but there's a second upgrade called pommels that you can slap on to make ' fiery dragon of swordmanship' for instance

After reading those first few replies I though I was surrounded by idiots...But you came along and actualy said something correct!

But if you want a even better sword, just ask around for the collector long sword, it will cost you under 2k unless the seller is a idiot and wants more.

The sword has:

15-22 slashing damage (req 9 swordsmanship)
damage +15% while enchanted

"put a ruin in it"

That made me laugh .

Of the 2 the short sword owns the fiery dragon.

The 11% while health is above 50 makes up for the 1 damage difference and you can put a useful mod on it.

If you use something that needs a fire type weapon then just go with the fiery.

i personally favor my sundering spatha - purple with 12% dam and UNCONDITIONAL , and 12% armor peneration with a 10% chance. and it's max dam. it's ugly as hell, but it kills very efficently. with 20% dam customized

There is no 'better' of these two swords, I dont know what these people are talking about. The damage is the same, of course the fiery dragon sword does fire damage, but that doesnt make it better. Actually, it kinda makes it worse, since you cant put any upgrade you want on it, its stuck with fire damage forever. If your fretting over which to use, dont, get a max damage sword then worry about the rest.

Actually aaaaaagh the fiery has 1:1 more damage and the short sword has 11% while health is above 50%.

So if you want a fiery mod or your health is under 50% a lot the fiery is better.

If you don't want fiery or your health is always above 50% then the short sword is better.

In reality however, they both suck.

The best swords are (although they are MUCH later on):

Fellblade (Very Rare)
Crystalline Sword (Extremely Rare)

and yes, you can upgrade these fully, unlike the Fiery Dragon Sword (FDS), in which you can only upgrade it's pommelThe problem with that is it only works on ARMOR, so weapons are useless when you try putting one there.

Oh, you see Im rather stupid and I cant read. I have to pay this 3rd grader here to read to me, and the stupid little @!#$# didnt read the 'under 50%' part to me. I need to go now, so I can beat her !#%.

Are you sure it's UNCONDITIONAL? For a weapon with an extra unconditional damage, it ALWAYS comes with something bad, like armor -5 while attacking, or maximun energy - 5, or energy/health degeneration. So the best weapon is still something like: extra 11-15% dmg while health >50% or enchanted.

Against rangers, the first sword is better. Against warriors, the second sword is better. Against elementalists in pyromancer armor or monks in sacred/saintly armor, the first sword is better. Against monks in censor's/judge's armor, the second sword is better. (I could go on like this for a while, but you get the idea. Each sword is better than the other in specific circumstances. "In general" is a fiction -- all fights are specific cicumstances. Carry both, and switch between them as the situation warrants.)

Neither sword is worth it. Both are far below MAX damage. But if I had to shoose one it would be the short sword. The reason for that is the reg 6 swordsmanship. That means you can spred your points around more. Damage is going to be greater as well do to the total of +31% damage.