Weaponsmith Archive
Thread: Building the Best Sword in the Galaxy
Okay... the "quick" version - how do I build the best two-handed curved sword in the galaxy? Given I'm a master weaponsmith, I know about resource quality andhave crafting kits and stations at 97% (though I know they don't matter, I built them anyway - also a 4/4/4/4 archtiect, tho not master), but am wondering how much more room there is for improvement.
Now the "long" version:
Given that I created my MW for the sole purpose of building swords for my primary character (two accounts - the MW/M-Art/M-Arch is the alt), I've been absolutely OBSESSED with making that so-called "perfect" sword, and am wondering how much more improvement I have to look forward to. The Steel I've been using had an SR rating of 958 (I believe), with the second batch at 913, the Polymer was at 967, and the Dolovite Iron for the advanced sword core had a UT of 850. The stats on the swords I made (all "great" results) were as follows:
61-242 (occasionally 246)
2.6
39.2% wound (occasionally 36.4%)
HAM of 23/64/34 (I believe - this part I don't usually pay attention to)
Experimentation-wise, I started off at 26% with my first batch (higher-quality steel), and put all 10 experimentation points into damage. 9 points got me to 85-89%, with the 10th going to 91 or 94% (depending on quality). From what I recall, the only differences between the two groups of swords was 4 points of max damage, and perhaps the wound chance.
My questions are as follows:
1.) I've been reading about skill tapes, and while I found a boatload of these when I first started playing (back on day #3), I tossed them all, not knowing what they were worth. Do these have any impact on a weaponsmith's skill level while he is crafting? That is, if I had a weapon experimentation skill tape equipped while experimenting, might I get another experimentation point or two?
2.) What are the highest stats you've ever seen on a two-handed curved sword, pre-slice? How about after being sliced?
3.) If you're on the Corbantis server, haveyou seen Steel or Polymer with a high SR rating? I have no real desire to run the weaponsmith non-stop, playing miner, and have been scouring the bazaar at times, looking for anything I can get. Ditto with Dolovite Iron?
4.) If anyone is on the Corbantis server, would you be willing to sell high SR Steel or Polymer to me? Likewise, would you sell any high UT Dolovite Iron to me? I'll pay for anything with a rating of 950 or over.
Hi Karballo
I am master weaponsmith and I make melee weapon only, I also obsessed with making the best sword myself 
This is the best 2h curevd sword i can pull off with almost the same stats (maybe a point or 2 difeerent) sp 2.6, dmg 62-246, wound 39.2% HAM 29,62,34 .
There is a master can pull off a litle beter than my
Two-Handed Curved Sword - kinetic, AP2, 62-247 damage, 2.6 delay, 29/62/34 HAM
I have not see any sword get higher damage and speed than this anywhere .
Krondo, Intrapid .
What about after slicing? My best sword (one only out of 56) is now:
61-242
1.7
36.4%
23/64/32 (or something like that - I do know the first two are 23/64, though)
35% speed slice.
As I look at this, the speed slices are the biggies. Slicing for damage doesn't increase damage over time anywhere NEAR as much.
I picked up a two-handed curved on ahazi. Got it sliced to something like 8?-33? 2.6spd. though i cannot remember who made it atm.
Eurien Onsmor
Doc/Swordsman/Carbineer
Ahazi
Yeah, I have one of those as well - stats should be somewhere near to this:
84-332
2.6
That's an "ordinary" 62-246 w/as of 2.6 with a 35% damage slice.
However... do the math and you'll see that the DOT rating for a 35% speed slice is better:
((84+332)/2)/2/6 = 80
or, an average of 80 pts of damage per second
((62+246)/2)/1.7 = 91
I can't think of any situation where you wouldn't want a weapon with a better speed, as opposed to better damage, if all other things are equal.
My 2H Curved Swords on Tarquinas are 63-249 2.5
The formula for a damage slice is truncate(min*(1+slice)), truncate(max*(1+slice))
Truncate means drop the decimals without rounding.
truncate(63*(1+.35))=truncate(85.05)
truncate(249*(1+.35))=truncate(336.15)
In my case a 35% damage slice would be 85-336
The formula for a Speed slice is round(speed*(1-slice),1)
With speed round the result to one decimal, so .05 or better adds .1 speed.
round(2.5*(1-.35),1)=round(1.625,1)
In my case a 35% speed slice would be 1.6
As a master in a combat profession.. you get so many bonuses to the attack speed on a weapon that a damage slice is almost ALWAYS better because you're going to hit your speed cap even without the slice..
I know that the numbers say.. but there is such a thing as TOO fast..
As a master in a combat profession.. you get so many bonuses to the attack speed on a weapon that a damage slice is almost ALWAYS better because you're going to hit your speed cap even without the slice..
Hmm... Makes me wonder...
I'm guessing that I really need to look at how the bonuses all work, then. I've got something like 40 swords sitting in my vendor that I previously didn't intend to use, but what you're saying make a lot of sense. As I'm 3/4/0/3 in swordsman now (with my primary), I'm uncertain what the speed bonuses do - I believe I have a +65 to two-handed melee speed. If I can legitimately use the 35% damage sliced katana and use it just as quickly... wow.
You cannot shoot/swing faster than 1.0 with any weapon, after your skills mods.
As to how skill points affect the actual speed, there are a couple of theories:
A) 1 point of skill = 0.01 less speed.
B) 1 point of skill = 0.1 less speed.
C) 1 point of skill = 1% less speed.
D) Speed = Weapon Speed/2* (2-skill)
A is feasible...I won't discount that one. It could be.
B would result in a Master Swordsman (with 90 Two Handed Melee Speed) swinging a Power Hammer at the speed cap, which doesn't happen.
C would also result ina Master Swordsman (with 90 speed) swinging a PH at 1.0, which doesn't happen.
D, although very convoluted, is probably correct. It's the delay formula that was used in Everquest (however, in EQ, there was Haste %, not skill increases). Basically, the "Max" is 50% speed reduction. Take the weapon speed (example, 2.6), divide by 2 (2.6/2 = 1.3), then multiply by 2-skill (Master Swordsman = 0.90 skill, so it's 1.1) (1.3 * 1.1 = 1.43). So a Master Swordsman with a 2.6 speed sword is hitting at 1.43 speed. The same Master Swordsman would hit the 1.0 speed cap with a1.8 speed weapon.
To figure out what speed weapon you need to hit the speed cap, use the following formula (reverse of the one above): Weapon Speed = 2/(2-skill), so if your skill was 50, it'd be (WSpeed = 2/(2-0.50) = 2/(1.5) = 1.3), and you'd need a 1.3 speed weapon to hit the cap.
The problem I have with D is that it doesn't seem to scale well. Master Riflemen seem to shoot a LOT faster than what this formula would give them.
Anyone else have a theory on speed skill, feel free to share.
Oh, and 62-245, 2.6 seems to be the standard across the servers for uber 2HCSes. Those are the exact stats I get on Naritus. Actually, I lie...I can get 62-246, 2.6, but I still have plenty of my old swords left and the 1 extra damage point isn't worth making a whole new set of swords.
I don't currently do enough hunting to know whether or not they lied.