Swordsman Archive

Don't bet on it...

The justification follows for those who are really interested, but the studies I've done show with some certainty that even the "perfect" sword (i.e., built from 1000-rated materials and achieving perfect experimentation) will only yield, at best, a 12 point increase on max damage, and a8 or 9point increase on average damage. Speed will likely only drop by 0.1 (possibly 0.2, but doubtful), and wound chance will likely only increase by around 2-3%. Even with a 35% slice (either speed or damage), the increase in stats will be minor at best. Note that HAM costs will likely only go down by a2-4 points, max.

I'm a master weaponsmith (though I only build swords- 99% of which are two-handed swords) with my alt (starting to get burnt out with my swordsman/primary), and in the quest to get better weapons, I've done a short study on what results one gets using various materials, and the damage, attack speed, HAM costs (well, mostly damage and attack speed), etc., from certain levels of experimentation.

For the most part, better materials only have the effect of starting the crafting process at a higher level (percentage-wise), while also increasing the maximum percentage an item can be experimented to. The percentage that an item has been experimented to appears to be the central factor as to its stats; i.e., an advanced sword core with a 62% damage rating should have these stats (approximately):

Damage bonus (min/max): 31/31
Attack speed: -0.43
Wound: 9

Note also that anything less than a "great" success introduces a random element into everything, such that if I'd arrived at that 62% damage rating with any "good" or "moderate" results (for example), I might easily have a 35/28 damage bonus (for example). Likewise, a failure can easily wipe out a lot more progress than the simple percentage rating would seem to indicate.

With an amount of Dolovite Iron with a unit toughness of 870 (the best I've seen on Corbantis so far), a non-stop succession of "great" results has given me an ASC (advanced sword core) with stats as follows:

Damage bonus: 43/43
Attack speed: -0.609
Wound: 13

Note that this is from an 86% final result on damage, though an 84% results show identical stats. Also, the progression from 24% through 86% is relatively linear, with the result that one can project that a 100% advanced sword core should produce results as follow:

Damage bonus: 50/50
Attack speed: -0.63
Wound: 15

Note that the AS is purely guesstimate, but in line with the drastic decrease in the AS change as one reaches higher levels.

Also, using the 86% ASC with 924 SR Steel and 967 SR Polymer, I can build a two-handed curved sword with a 93% rating. Base stats on that (unsliced, of course) are as follows:

Damage: 63-245
Attack speed: 2.6
Wound: 39.3%

Based on the progression I saw (and charted) from 27% (starting) to 93%, I would estimate a two-handed sword using the 86% ASC listed above(but reaching 100%)to have the following stats, or thereabouts:

Damage: 63-252
Attack speed: 2.5
Wound: 40.0%

If one were to further extrapolate and then assume an ASC at 100% with a sword at 100% (i.e., the "perfect" two-handed curved sword), I would estimate the stats as follows:

Damage: 70-259
Attack speed: 2.5 (maybe 2.4, but doubtful)
Wound: 42.0%

Add a 35% speed slice, and that AS goes down to 1.6 (quite likely regardless of whether it's at 2.4 or 2.5), only 0.1 points lower than the 2.6 can be sliced to, and faster than a master swordsman can make full use of anyway, as I'm told.

Add a 35% damage slice, and the damage goes to 95-350, 19 points higher (on the top end) than the 63-245 sword I currently make. Incidentally, average damage goes from 154 to 165 (unsliced) or from 208 to 222, or a mere 11-14 points difference.

Finally, as a caveat, I should mention that all of this could be wrong. While I haven't worked with any materials in the 990+ range, the progression from 27% to 93% is fairly linear and leads me to believe that prediction of 100% results is doable and valid. It is entirely possible, however, that the progression after 93% might take a huge turn upwards and create a monster sword of epic proportions.

...but I doubt it.

Karballo - Struggling Swordsman/Rifleman/
Yukimitsu Masamune - Master Weaponsmith/Artisan/Architect
Both on Corbantis, based out of Talus - SW of Dearic - SlicedSwords
(-88, -3863)

My hammer is -

5.4 speed
166-533

My 2 handed cleaver is -

2.6 speed
98-219

My 2 handed curved sword is -

2.2 speed
58-244

BUDDHABUDDHABUD
DHABUDDHABUDDHA
BUDDHABUDDHABUD
DHABUDDHABUDDHA
BUDDHABUDDHABUD
DHABUDDHABUDDHA
BUDDHABUDDHABUD
DHABUDDHABUDDHA

Ah... my most heartfelt apologies for that. It wasn't my intent to make anyone feel dumb. Just keep in mind, though, that making two-handed curved swords is about the only thing I really know all that well about the weaponsmith profession. That's the only reason I made the character in the first place, and I'm only now starting to branch out and try other things.

As for the krayt pearl or rancor tooth, I wouldn't have the first clue. Other folks have posted on the forums here about rancor teeth allowing for higher damage but slower swords, but as for krayt pearls, I've never heard about them.

2.2 speed
58-244

I'm guessing this is sliced... I think the whole point of the thread was how good a weapon YOU could make, not you and a smuggler...

one thing you all forget is range modifier

damages are one thing, but if you don't hit it's useless

i do power hammer 5.5 128-460 with -20 range modifier only, another is 5.6 120-452 with -15 range modifier

for the 2 handed curved sword i do 2.6 58-244 with +7 range modifier

no cleaver because ofbad results

on Kauri

---

Buddhist wrote:

My hammer is -

5.4 speed
166-533

My 2 handed cleaver is -

2.6 speed
98-219

My 2 handed curved sword is -

2.2 speed
58-244

---

Karballo is right, these weapons posted by Buddhist look sliced. On corbantis, I make these 2 handed weapons -

Hammer : ?-469dmg 5.3spd

Cleaver 2h: 103-221dmg 3.4spd

Curved 2h: ?-246dmg 2.6spd

Oh and I have an extra experimentation point which i spent on HAM n stuffs

Well... technically, no, I didn't forget.

There's a difference between "forgot" and "didn't bother to include."

Given that I make swords for myself and only sell the "leftovers" to anyone who wants one (and who can actually find my shop), I always focus my experimentation points in one category ("Damage") because it controls damage, wound cost, and attack speed. With the swords I actually keep (for later slicing), I always have one experimentation point left over in both the adv. sword core and the sword itself. In the past, I've used this point in the Efficiency category, so as to drop the HAM costs by 1-2 points, but lately I've started spending it on durability.

As I rarely miss, the one point left over that doesn't go into Damage is pretty much useless, but of the three remaining categories (Durability, Range, and Efficiency), I would say that Range is actually the least important. For the record, at 27% on the final build (93% to Damage, 27% to Range and Efficiency, 34% to Durability), range modifiers are at +8 across the board.

Oh, and... now that I think about, I did experiment on Range as well. While I'm at work now and can't consult my notes at home, I seem to recall that even a 77% Range result only gave something like a +15 across the board, while the Damage at 27% left the sword at a truly pathetic level- again, this data is straight out of my ear, but I believe it was something like 156 points of max damage. I'll certainly have to check when I get home, though.

What's funny is I didn't think there would be anywhere near as much interest in this... I'll go ahead and post the entire list of results tonight, I think, if you guys are interested.

Ah, and... for the record, I do believe this all started with a question on best weapon made? (Can't tell, since I'm in response mode right now and everything's blocked off).

My best swords are as follows:

Unsliced:

Damage: 63-245
Attack Speed: 2.6
Wound: 39.3%

Range: +8/+8/+8 (in deference to sworddanser, who evidently cares)

HAM: 29/63/28 (I think - this part is uncertain)

Sliced for Speed:

Damage: 63-245
Attack Speed: 1.7
Wound: 39.3%

Sliced for Damage:

Damage: 79-321
Attack Speed: 2.6
Wound: 39.3%

Note that both sliced weapons were from an older factory run which used a lower quality Dolovite Iron (773 Unit Toughness, instead of the 870 I currently have). I would anticipate getting at least a few swords with damage ratings of 85-331, IF I do a factory run (probably won't, though). Also, I don't anticipate the attack speed going down, regardless of the higher UT dolovite iron.

Finally, for the record... if any ofyou happen to be on the Corbantis server and are at all interested in swords, I have somewhere near 100 of them for sale, and will possibly have anywhere from a few hundred to a couple thousand more, later (depending on whether I do a factory run or build everything by hand), when I finally get to using the rest of the Dolovite iron I've got. Each sword is currently priced at something like 12,000 credits, modified byits DOT rating. So... anywhere between 12,000 and 14,000 credits - not much, just enough to recoup my losses in spending huge chunks of cash gathering materials to build my own sword. Which reminds me... I mentioned in another post that a guy would be "insane" to purchase a two-handed weapon for 400k, but given the amount of time and effort I've put into this and the money I've spent buying materials, I've probably spent about that much for each of mine.

Two answers:

Unless I'm mistaken or they've just changed things, scythes are not yet implemented in the game.

As for slicing, a smuggler would be able to give you a much more in-depth and detailed answer, but the simple version is that it's a process wherein a smuggler can modify your weapon or armor to a higher effectiveness in some random area. There are other applications for slicing, but this is the only one I know of that's pertinent to this discussion.

Insofar as armor's concerned, you'll have to ask someone else, as I have nothing to do with armor of any sort - my swordsman's a wookie who doesn't wear any, and my WS doesn't build any.

From a weapon perspective, smugglers can increase your damage or speed by up to 35%, and while the process seems to be completely random, higher level smugglers have a higher range than lower level smugglers.