Finally hit another multiple of 4 and I have a skill point to spend. Was reading the description of the "Fighting Style: Dual Wield" skill again and suddenly I wasn't so sure that I understood it correctly. I'll post a few examples and if someone could tell me which one is correct I would greatly appreciate it.Aereas wrote:#1 is correct. Your assumption that dual-wielding QSDs isn't very awesome is pretty much on point, unless you wanted 30% AC over whatever a shield can offer you. The skill is much better when you're using weapons that have a variety of different statistical effects. There are certainly enough weapons in the game with interesting stats that it's worth considering gaining an additional % of boost over them. Sword & shield on the other hand... just isn't very good. It's not a product of the skill, rather the lackluster overall selection of current shields available. 25% extra BC is laughable when it's 25% of 14 (the highest current BC on any shield?), considering the benefits of one point in dodge. I'm not sure there's an easy way to adjust the numbers to be more attractive, since adding higher BC shields might be unbalancing to the game...although shouldn't there be a legendary shield since there are legendary 1h and 2h weapons?
Example 1 (what I now think is correct):
2 points in Fighting Style: Dual Wield, 2 points in Combat Speed, Jewel of Fallhaven equipped, 2 Quick Strike Daggers equipped, 10 AD, 100% Base AC, 40% Base BC. (Stats of JoF = -1 AP attack cost) (Stats of QSD = 3 AP attack cost, +20% AC, -20% BC)
With 12AP and a 2AP attack cost, you get 6 attacks with 10 AD, 140% AC, 0% BC. Max dmg (assuming you hit every time and no DR on enemy) would be 60. Net gain of 40% AC and -40% BC for 2 skill points spent.
Example 2 (the way I initially read the description for FS: DW):
2 points in Fighting Style: Dual Wield, 2 points in Combat Speed, Jewel of Fallhaven equipped, 2 Quick Strike Daggers equipped, 10 AD, 100% Base AC, 40% Base BC. (Stats of JoF = -1 AP attack cost) (Stats of QSD = 3 AP attack cost, +20% AC, -20% BC)
Your stats are still 10 AD, 140% AC, 0% BC but for each attack you swing both weapons meaning that with 12AP and a 2AP attack cost you attack 12 times per round (2AP netting you 2 attacks, one from each weapon). Max dmg (assuming you hit every time and no DR on enemy) would be 120. Net gain of 2x attacks, 40% AC, and -40% BC for 2 skill points spent.
Example 3 (if negative numbers were nullified - something several people have mentioned):
2 points in Fighting Style: Dual Wield, 2 points in Combat Speed, Jewel of Fallhaven equipped, 2 Quick Strike Daggers equipped, 10 AD, 100% Base AC, 40% Base BC. (Stats of JoF = -1 AP attack cost) (Stats of QSD = 3 AP attack cost, +20% AC, -20% BC)
With 12AP and a 2AP attack cost, you get 6 attacks with 10 AD, 140% AC, 40% BC. Max dmg (assuming you hit every time and no DR on enemy) would be 60. Net gain of 40% AC.
Example 4 (Something else entirely. Could I be that wrong about this?)
Describe it please.
When equipping a second weapon, a person will either use both weapons to attack OR they'll use one weapon for offense and one for defense. That's the whole point of equipping a second weapon. With that in mind, equipping 2 QSDs does not seem like such a good idea. The only reason I'm using even one is to get the attack cost down to 2AP. I'd rather not spend 2 skill points for a net gain of 0 total stats (not counting the additional loss of stats from replacing a shield with a second weapon). I was hoping that Example 2 was correct because that seems realistically accurate - you equip a second small dagger so that you can attack twice as much within the same amount of time. As an alternative, I could understand if Example 3 was correct because it is possible to use a second weapon defensively and I could see this nullifying the negative BC that the QSD has.
As a side note, 2 points in Fighting Style: Weapon and Shield doesn't seem to do very much right now either... with a 20% AC on the QSD originally you only gain 5% AC per point spent along with a similar amount of BC (I have the Remgard shield equipped right now for example with 9% BC so I'm guessing that would be a 2% BC increase per point?). You get 12% AC with a single point in Weapon Accuracy and 9% BC with a single point in Dodge. Compared to 2 points in FS: W&S that's 2% AC and 5% BC more. Is there a better weapon & shield combo that works makes FS: W&S more worthwhile or is it just bad atm?