Which weapon would you use ?

[Estie]

It is a common occurence: one weapon with damage against everything, another one with lower damage but higher branded damage.

What are you doing in such a situation, and why ?


In this particulat case, its a hobbit rogue with these alternatives (http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=24781):

a Blade of Chaos of Extra Attacks (6d5) (+11,+8) <+2>
     Found lying on the floor in a vault at 2150 feet (level 43)
     
     +2 extra blows.
     Provides resistance to Chaos.
     
     Combat info:
     7.0 blows/round.
     Average damage/round: 336.

the Katana 'Ezelen' (8d5) (+5,+10) <+2>
     Found lying on the floor in a vault at 2150 feet (level 43)
     
     +2 wisdom.
     Branded with weak cold.
     Provides resistance to Dark, Nexus.
     Cannot be harmed by Acid.
     Sustains strength.
     Blessed by the gods (combat bonuses for holy casters).  
     
     When activated, it polymorphs a monster into another kind of
     creature.
     Takes 85 to 94 turns to recharge at your current speed.
     Your chance of success is 96.8%
     
     Combat info:
     5.0 blows/round.
     Average damage/round: 417 vs creatures not resistant to cold and
     280 vs. others.

[fph]

Difficult choice, but probably at low/mid depths I'd go for the highest branded damage. I can pick my fights and farm experience on non-cold-resistant monsters.
In this case anyway the difference isn't that large; just 15% less damage against non-cold-resistant mobs for the second one.

I also note that the second one activates for polymorph -- I don't normally use polymorph, but I would be tempted to try and polymorph cold-resistant mobs when I stumble onto them...

[Thraalbee]

First I'd look at min and max damage, branded and unbranded. Sort of a tie in your example.

Then I'd look at weight and #of attacks, if early in the game a weap with same damage but less blows will grow on me so would be preferred. On the other hand, that weap would probably be heavier which is often a problem since I mostly play ironman. You seem to get max blows with both weaps so in this case I'd go for the +2 attacks weap since there is less chance of a terrible round of attacks.

On to buffs and defbuffs. If one weap plugs an important hole it is a keeper, at least as a swap. One of yours has rChaos which is quite useful in the middle of an ironman game since by then you will have mushrooms of emergency but be hesitant to use without rChaos du to the halluciation effect. And I really like to save the real potions for later.

Finally the activation which rarely is important but sometimes will make a big impact on the decision.

[Nick]

My first thought is that the main class of monsters which resist cold is the undead. On the one hand, I'd rather not melee them; on the other hand, if I was meleeing them, I'd want it to take less time.

Result: inconclusive.

[Sphara]

Damage comparison is close to a tie, but I'd go for the katana.
You already have rChaos in two of your best amulets and won't be worrying about that. The katana plugs two important holes at the moment: rNexus and sustain STR. Plus it's lighter. I'd probably go as far as dropping the BoC.

[Estie]

Interesting.

I went with the katana - peak damage is more valuable when another form of damage - launcher + ammo - is available.

Thankfully though, I kept the BoC; some time later I found a ring with acid branding property. I then dropped the katana.

[Sphara]

Originally Posted by Estie

Thankfully though, I kept the BoC; some time later I found a ring with acid branding property. I then dropped the katana.

Heh, I forgot randarts can have branding ego. That's some nice blade now.
For a character lurking around at dlvl 43, your guy was exceptionally well geared. Just low on HP.