I'm personally a bit fastidious about trading since so much of the high end stuff is either botted or duped
If you don't share that view then your best option would be to trade your Bonehew for a high physical damage one hander
If you decide to use Bonehew you might want to consider either using Hel runes or dual mod -% requirements jewels
I'd advise not pumping Strength if possible - you will get battered in Hell so firstly you need life and secondly you won't often have the safe opportunity to go two-handed. Even if it's softcore dying every time a boss gets Might, Amp or Extra Strong is really tedious
Your Bonehew would also make a great merc weapon, amn or shael it if you give it to the merc
Regarding the off weapon stuff I think that's right to some extent. Let's take some very rough figures
If you do 100 damage +100% for Strength +600% for Vengeance with elemental damages doubled due to Conviction you'll do 200 physical and 1200 elemental. Adding more off weapon enhanced damage say 200% for a Might merc would give 200 more physical.
Well 1400 beats 1200 but the off weapon enhanced damage does not boost the added elemental damage whereas weapon enhanced damage and + max/min damage does
Your leech is based on your physical damage. In the first example your 3% mana leech would give you 6 mana (a bit less than the cost of maxxed vengeance) but with the merc you'd get 12 mana, coming out ahead
Some monsters in Hell have resistances which reduce damage of that type and many have a reduced leech property, seperate to and stacking with the resistance
Big weapon, lots of leech is the answer. If you do trade try to get them to give you Tal's Mask with the one-handed weapon since Bonehew is actually pretty good. Can't hurt to at least ask ;)
If you don't share that view then your best option would be to trade your Bonehew for a high physical damage one hander
If you decide to use Bonehew you might want to consider either using Hel runes or dual mod -% requirements jewels
I'd advise not pumping Strength if possible - you will get battered in Hell so firstly you need life and secondly you won't often have the safe opportunity to go two-handed. Even if it's softcore dying every time a boss gets Might, Amp or Extra Strong is really tedious
Your Bonehew would also make a great merc weapon, amn or shael it if you give it to the merc
Regarding the off weapon stuff I think that's right to some extent. Let's take some very rough figures
If you do 100 damage +100% for Strength +600% for Vengeance with elemental damages doubled due to Conviction you'll do 200 physical and 1200 elemental. Adding more off weapon enhanced damage say 200% for a Might merc would give 200 more physical.
Well 1400 beats 1200 but the off weapon enhanced damage does not boost the added elemental damage whereas weapon enhanced damage and + max/min damage does
Your leech is based on your physical damage. In the first example your 3% mana leech would give you 6 mana (a bit less than the cost of maxxed vengeance) but with the merc you'd get 12 mana, coming out ahead
Some monsters in Hell have resistances which reduce damage of that type and many have a reduced leech property, seperate to and stacking with the resistance
Big weapon, lots of leech is the answer. If you do trade try to get them to give you Tal's Mask with the one-handed weapon since Bonehew is actually pretty good. Can't hurt to at least ask ;)