Two-weapon fighting

[wobbly]

So been trying unsuccessfully to get a 2 weapon fighter through & am a little curious how people build them str-wise. High str (4) for a +1 on a 1 lb off-hander? Low str & just cop the -1 on the off-hand? Charge?

I assume a 1 lb defender sword & parry is the way to go on the off-hand (or Gladriel's blade of course). I had long sword & sharpness dagger going for a while & while it worked, I was unsure I wasn't better off with just a big 2-hander.

Edit: Does charge even work with 2 weapons? or will it just strike with the 1?

[taptap]

Originally Posted by wobbly

So been trying unsuccessfully to get a 2 weapon fighter through & am a little curious how people build them str-wise. High str (4) for a +1 on a 1 lb off-hander? Low str & just cop the -1 on the off-hand? Charge?

I assume a 1 lb defender sword & parry is the way to go on the off-hand (or Gladriel's blade of course). I had long sword & sharpness dagger going for a while & while it worked, I was unsure I wasn't better off with just a big 2-hander.

Edit: Does charge even work with 2 weapons? or will it just strike with the 1?

Afaik parry does not apply to the second hand weapon. Low strength and dagger / shortsword for 0 or -1 penalty would be my best guess for a two weapon build.

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by taptap

Afaik parry does not apply to the second hand weapon.

Yep. Just confirmed in debug mode, only works for the main-hand. So perhaps I'm better off with a special in the off-hand. Light, a slay, shadow-blades etc.

Edit: Charge also only seems to work for the main-hand. The 2nd weapon strikes but without the bonuses. Momentum works but you need 5 str before it's even helping a 2nd weapon.

[bagori nd]

Originally Posted by wobbly

Yep. Just confirmed in debug mode, only works for the main-hand. So perhaps I'm better off with a special in the off-hand. Light, a slay, shadow-blades etc.

That's about the size of it. Playing around with a spreadsheet suggests that without slaying, using two weapons usually offers at best a very small amount of extra damage over a big two-hander or a good light weapon with Subtlety and/or Rapid Attack, and sometimes not even that--especially when you take Riposte into account, which virtually always makes a bigger difference.

On the other hand, if your second weapon is something like Narsil or Dagmor, its other advantages may more than make up for it.

[half]

Originally Posted by bagori nd

That's about the size of it. Playing around with a spreadsheet suggests that without slaying, using two weapons usually offers at best a very small amount of extra damage over a big two-hander or a good light weapon with Subtlety and/or Rapid Attack, and sometimes not even that--especially when you take Riposte into account, which virtually always makes a bigger difference.

On the other hand, if your second weapon is something like Narsil or Dagmor, its other advantages may more than make up for it.

This is good to hear -- that's how we wanted to balance it. Since fighting with two weapons is pretty rare historically and typically more focused around defence with the second one rather than attack, we didn't want it to be a dominant strategy.

[bagori nd]

Originally Posted by half

This is good to hear -- that's how we wanted to balance it. Since fighting with two weapons is pretty rare historically and typically more focused around defence with the second one rather than attack, we didn't want it to be a dominant strategy.

So I gathered! I was pretty impressed that that's how it worked out. (I also found it kind of interesting that the biggest exception seems to be the Dagger of Nargril--rather than Angrist, which I'd initially expected--which makes sense, since Nargril is so likely to get extra dice.)

[Patashu]

Originally Posted by half

This is good to hear -- that's how we wanted to balance it. Since fighting with two weapons is pretty rare historically and typically more focused around defence with the second one rather than attack, we didn't want it to be a dominant strategy.

So why doesn't Parry work with the offhand again?

[taptap]

Originally Posted by Patashu

So why doesn't Parry work with the offhand again?

Shortsword of Galadriel + another +2 evasion weapon?

[BlueFish]

Originally Posted by taptap

Shortsword of Galadriel + another +2 evasion weapon?

I'm pretty sure parry worked with both weapons in 1.1? Or am I imagining things?

[debo]

Originally Posted by BlueFish

I'm pretty sure parry worked with both weapons in 1.1? Or am I imagining things?

It only ever worked on your main weapon.