05-18-2005, 09:47 PM
I've always enjoyed variant characters, or at the very least something outside the run-of-the-mill cookie cutters out there. In the D2X beta I loved my elemental Druid. Later I had a ton of fun with my Inferno-only Sorc. My first (and favorite) WoW character is a 40/11 Balance/Restoration Druid, and lately I've been messing around with a Warrior.
Now, one huge thing I've noticed about warriors is the bias towards heavy-hitting 2H weapons. The slower the weapon speed, the better, since it means you're hitting harder per swing and increasing the damage of instant-hit skills. So I came up with the idea of dual-wielding either swords or maces and working up the Arms tree to their respective specializations.
I created a Human warrior in order to cash in on the weapon skill bonuses they receive. Originally I was thinking Sword, for the extra attacks as I go. But the more I looked at the stats on Mace Specialization, the more it got me to thinking.
5/5 Mace Specialization: Hits have a 6% chance to stun the enemy for 3 seconds.
Wait... that doesn't say "have a chance to stun," but rather gives a hard number! Can it be? It this a "proc"-type effect that isn't modified by weapon speed?
Through testing, it seems that is truly the case. Tannen is currently dual-wielding Mugs O' Hurt for their 1.7 (1.8?) swing-speed, and there is rarely an enemy that ISN'T stunned a few times over the course of a fight (3 seconds completely out of combat, interrupting spells). I've equipped slower 2-handed maces, kept my weapon skill at the same level, and seen a far lesser number of stuns over a given period of time.
Additionally, Tannen is a Blacksmith and making his own weightstones. Between those and some Impact enchantments, he's benefitting more dual-wielding maces than if they had been applied to a single 2h mace.
My question is twofold. First, has anyone else had similar experiences that would indicate Mace Specialization's stun is not influenced by weapon speed? And second, does this apply to Sword Specialization as well?
Now, one huge thing I've noticed about warriors is the bias towards heavy-hitting 2H weapons. The slower the weapon speed, the better, since it means you're hitting harder per swing and increasing the damage of instant-hit skills. So I came up with the idea of dual-wielding either swords or maces and working up the Arms tree to their respective specializations.
I created a Human warrior in order to cash in on the weapon skill bonuses they receive. Originally I was thinking Sword, for the extra attacks as I go. But the more I looked at the stats on Mace Specialization, the more it got me to thinking.
5/5 Mace Specialization: Hits have a 6% chance to stun the enemy for 3 seconds.
Wait... that doesn't say "have a chance to stun," but rather gives a hard number! Can it be? It this a "proc"-type effect that isn't modified by weapon speed?
Through testing, it seems that is truly the case. Tannen is currently dual-wielding Mugs O' Hurt for their 1.7 (1.8?) swing-speed, and there is rarely an enemy that ISN'T stunned a few times over the course of a fight (3 seconds completely out of combat, interrupting spells). I've equipped slower 2-handed maces, kept my weapon skill at the same level, and seen a far lesser number of stuns over a given period of time.
Additionally, Tannen is a Blacksmith and making his own weightstones. Between those and some Impact enchantments, he's benefitting more dual-wielding maces than if they had been applied to a single 2h mace.
My question is twofold. First, has anyone else had similar experiences that would indicate Mace Specialization's stun is not influenced by weapon speed? And second, does this apply to Sword Specialization as well?
See you in Town,
-Z
-Z