Axelord already works like that. The vibration was about -50% parry. I could often plow into someone's parry and if they aren't at 100% parry I could hit 2-3 times through parry before the vibration wore off.

First of all, if you're going to respond, don't do it inside the bloody quote please. It just makes a mess. Now then.

-Better afflictions
/True, SliceThigh and OpenGut are seriously awesome.
As awesome as armartery, septicbowel, and so on. Then you're completely neglecting things like Execute, amputates... you're pretty intentionally dismissing the afflictions that *are* more devastating in an attempt to play down the fact that the critical affs are, generally, more powerful.

-easier to achieve related afflictions (heavy for tendon versus critical for 1hers)
/Again, true. However, BC/BM are better at low wound levels because their afflictions actually do SOMETHING to screw the other person over. Axelord has Knockdown as a Light wound, true, but Stance Legs (the first skill you ever get in Combat) makes whoring that useless unless you use Sweep, which I do.
Knockdown beats arteries. Tendon... well, tendon doesn't beat pin, but it does stop someone from standing for a bit at the same wound level. Stuns are already useful, but if you're counting Pin at Heavy as being "low wound levels" (most of Blademaster's useful afflictions are heavy+), well... we have a different opinion of low wound levels.

-precision bonus (which gives a better chance to get afflictions as well)
/Don't make me laugh. I get x2.2 per point of prc than you do, yes, but does it really matter when I whiff (and it happens a lot)? Does it really matter when I'm using a greataxe or a speed wounder? The damage scores on those weapons are laughable, so all I see is 'apply health'.
Yes, it sure does. You have one chance to whiff. 1hers have *two* chances to whiff. Overall, it should relatively even out. Then, on top of that, keep in mind that higher wounds == better chance at higher afflictions, as well as increased poison rate. The extra precision is a very nice advantage.

-twice as much damage on each hit
/Um, yeah. Against ONE of your weapons. The only hitch to that is you guys get to COMBO. Your damage = my damage. Additionally, you get (like I keep repeating) double the chance to afflict/poison.
Again, no. I believe that 2hers have a 75% chance of a venom coming off of a weapon base, while 1hers have a 50% chance. Now, this changes with higher wounds (which 2hers have an advantage in giving). There is also a slight advantage to damage all at once versus damage from two different sources at slightly different times.

-a better poison affliction rate per hit
/2 poison chances vs my 1 poison chance. Again, the point is the double chance.
And, again, a higher chance of actually getting that poison on a hit...

-cleave...
/Okay, you've got me there, Cleave is really censor.gif awesome.
Yep.

There are advantages/disadvantages, but they do balance a bit better than you really want to give it credit for.

I took that comment to mean that I actually dealt double your damage, and if that was true... well let's just say I wouldn't be complaining even if I never caused an affliction for the rest of my gaming experience. And again, my argument stands. At Critical wound levels, I'll have a what, 90% or higher poison rate while you'll have a 75% or higher rate? The point is that you ALWAYS have double the opportunity. In almost any situation, the most effective way to achieve results is to increase the number of attacks/dice rolls instead of purely increasing the likelihood of a single attack/dice roll.

Double the opportunity at a lesser rate-per-hit doesn't mean twice the amount of poison hitting. Now, if it was the exact same rate, with two attempts versus one, you'd be right-- but it's not (intended) to be that way (though apparently it does break from time to time).

In case no one's said this, Crow is -horrible- for warriors.

Shadowlord Faeling BC isn't anywhere near as nice as it was before the speed changes - or so I'm led to believe anyway - anyone want to refute that?

Well, given that the main thing was the speed + stun, and it's not only been slowed down but had a stun cap applied... I'm not sure it's possible to seriously refute it.

At demi-god it's still crazy.

What was changed about the stun cap again? Because I'm not actually noticing any difference in stuns. They already had a slight immunity and mine already weren't overlapping.

Demigod anything is still crazy anyway, more or less.

But yeah, BC are still the best even slowed, since everyone else was slowed too.

Much love to BC

Thanks for everything. I still have time to choose my specialization. I am torn between BC and AL actually. I like the idea of AL but it is hard to argue with the "going with what works" with the BC... Hrm.

While 1-handers have advantages over 2-handers, for the most part, you cannot forget that there have been AL's and PB's who win fights, even against one-hander warriors with similar artifact runes. In fact, we all know that these people are among the most devastatingly effective combatants to ever play the game. And it can't be chalked up to artifacts, otherwise these 2-handers would never win against 1-hand warriors with similar artifacts and comparable skill at fighting.

So while the theory is probably correct- it's not the whole story. And doing high amounts of wounding in a given strike matters- it's the difference between scoring early afflictions in the fight, and not doing so. It's the difference between getting your venoms to afflict someone, and not. And even with monster lunges using puissance, a BM can't hope to drop a cloth wearer with a legtendon right at the start of a fight, like I can as a Pureblade. Now, could Pureblades stand to get good arm afflictions, like a variant of CollapsedNerve instead of CrackElbow? Yeah, that'd be nice. But people have won before with these specs, and they can duplicate their wins pretty nicely. As a Pureblade, I know every body part has a very specific reason to be targetted. Axelords have had a harder time of it, but then there have been some very quality Axelords who change battles. So don't give up just because you can point to why the grass in greener on the other side.

I guess that's my problem with being an Axelord. Knockdown, KneeCap, SliceThigh, and AmputateLeg are all leg afflictions and they are AWESOME. RingingEar, ShatterJaw, SlitThroat are all head afflictions and they are AWESOME. OpenGut and SeverSpine are gut afflictions and they are AWESOME. After that, the only affliction I can think of that's actually any good is CrushChest or AmputateArm, and of course Behead. So I don't target much outside of head, gut, or legs.

Additionally, Execute is ridiculous. Scoring Heavy wounds on three limbs, Critical on at least one, and then a 5 power attack that may or may not succeed because your opponent applies health to head/chest/gut at the last second is infuriating.

Then again, maybe I'm not good at combat because I haven't bought zMUD or a system yet. Or maybe I just suck at it.

Damn I am still torn here. I just love the idea of the huge axe being swung around crazily. But it seems the general consensus is that BC is the way to go for pvp and pve.

Assuming I am say, level 80 (hahahaha right), which spec would allow me to participate in pvp earlier or with less skills (IE: raid defence)?
I suppose not being the cookie cutter character would be interesting in its own right. Hrm, why is this so difficult?

If you wanna win without any skill required, BC all the way.


Oh, I'm sorry, you said skills. In that case, it's BC all the way.




Oh wait...




That's what initially attracted me to the spec. When I was first starting out, Ebonguard novices got equipped with battleaxes instead of the now standard issue claymore that all warriors get when they first spawn. Also, every warrior I ever saw walking around was a Blademaster, rarely a Bonecrusher, and Pureblades were like an endangered species, so I felt like it would add something to the guild if I went in a different direction than everyone else. Of course, that kind of backfired when pretty much no one had any advice on how to approach combat as an Axelord. Additionally, I just like the feel of being an Axelord, even if I suck at being one. You can call a Freud on me, but I just like walking around with a big ass axe in my hands. Makes me feel all manly and stuff

The reason it's difficult is probably because you want to be successful and flavorful at the same time. BC is proven to be successful, while Axelords are a rare bunch in the first place, and Desitrus was the only successful Axelord I know of that's still active, at least until he switched. But, it has been done before, so if you want a challenge and not an EZ-button, go for Axer. Plus, I'll you for it.

Well I -would- like to be different, and the love is an added bonus. I am tempted to have an E-Z button since I have never had one before (I never did the ppk head thing as a monk when it was broken... wish I had tried it at least once though). I'll give it some more thought though. How is PVE for leveling as an axelord?

It's pretty decent. Once you get Cleave, it makes fighting shielding mobs easier. Pretty much what happens to me is once a mob is at the point where it needs to shield, unless it gets some freak burst of speed, I can repeatedly cleave while it re-shields. Removes the need to raze-balance-attack with the cleave being all-in-one, and saves some health sips.

Cleave is fun. the mob shields I cleave the mob is dead sometimes.