07-29-2006, 03:44 PM
And lest we forget, Hasted (or Swifted) swords are actually necessary to stunlock certain enemies (assuming you can do enough damage). That sword is a pretty nice find for a level seven, but it doesn't offer you a heck of a lot. Typically, the only spell you really use (non-variant, non goofing around) before you get some better equipment and tactics is Healing. So any Magic bonus you have is basically irrelevant unless if ramps up your mana ball enough to cast that an extra time.
Dexterity is extremely important. Not only does it factor in your to-hit, it also allows you to block. Higher dexterity (up to a point) will give you a better and better chance to block. This is amazing for a warrior, as he blocks, I believe, three times as fast as his normal hit-recovery sequence. What this means in plain English is you get to go back to swinging faster AND you didn't take damage.
Another thing to consider here is most people talk about the end-game when they discuss non-variant Diablo, because the first few levels pass quite rapidly. Higher level Warriors actually have the majority of their damage from an off-weapon source (some combination of level and strength--I don't know the formula offhand. Don't take this as "pump strength", because the bonus doesn't come into play until you hit the higher levels anyway.), so a one-hander with a shield is generally considered much better. By the same token, haste is much better than damage at higher levels.
At lower levels, you've got a bit of a quandary. That axe will do quite a bit more damage percentagewise, so that's really a judgment call. The other thing you may want to do is keep both and switch them out as required. When I play Ironman with a Warrior, I frequently keep both a mace-class weapon and a sword-class weapon until the caves, because maces are MUCH more efficient against undead, and swords are MUCH more efficient against animals.
Assuming your playtime is not a factor, here's what I believe it boils down to: Does the axe kill enemies at an increased rate as compared to the sword? (Even if it does more damage, you may still be killing faster with the sword because A. the sword swings slightly faster and B. Perhaps you kill in the same number of hits even though the axe has higher damage.) If so, does it kill them fast enough that you take less damage when wearing the axe than when wearing a shield? (because of either armor class, shield bonuses, or blocking)
But for all that, I'm no Warrior expert. Perhaps when you start up some mages (clothed or not) I'll be a bit more help.
--me
Dexterity is extremely important. Not only does it factor in your to-hit, it also allows you to block. Higher dexterity (up to a point) will give you a better and better chance to block. This is amazing for a warrior, as he blocks, I believe, three times as fast as his normal hit-recovery sequence. What this means in plain English is you get to go back to swinging faster AND you didn't take damage.
Another thing to consider here is most people talk about the end-game when they discuss non-variant Diablo, because the first few levels pass quite rapidly. Higher level Warriors actually have the majority of their damage from an off-weapon source (some combination of level and strength--I don't know the formula offhand. Don't take this as "pump strength", because the bonus doesn't come into play until you hit the higher levels anyway.), so a one-hander with a shield is generally considered much better. By the same token, haste is much better than damage at higher levels.
At lower levels, you've got a bit of a quandary. That axe will do quite a bit more damage percentagewise, so that's really a judgment call. The other thing you may want to do is keep both and switch them out as required. When I play Ironman with a Warrior, I frequently keep both a mace-class weapon and a sword-class weapon until the caves, because maces are MUCH more efficient against undead, and swords are MUCH more efficient against animals.
Assuming your playtime is not a factor, here's what I believe it boils down to: Does the axe kill enemies at an increased rate as compared to the sword? (Even if it does more damage, you may still be killing faster with the sword because A. the sword swings slightly faster and B. Perhaps you kill in the same number of hits even though the axe has higher damage.) If so, does it kill them fast enough that you take less damage when wearing the axe than when wearing a shield? (because of either armor class, shield bonuses, or blocking)
But for all that, I'm no Warrior expert. Perhaps when you start up some mages (clothed or not) I'll be a bit more help.
--me