Why is 4 frame zeal important?

[Sirbub]

I have heard alot of talk about havening a 4 frame zeal but I dont understand why it is important to have. Like why is a Phase blade better that a Mythical Sword with more damage.

Thanks
SIrbub

[Munkay]

I only understand the basics, some one more knowledgeable (like adeyke) could answer further questions. But basically '4 frames' is how many 'animation frames' it takes to attack.

The less frames it takes, the faster you attack. 4 Frames is the fastest Zeal can get. You can find a weapon speed calculator here.

Incidentally, its good to note that sometimes additional IAS can be pointless if it fails to make your total ias go over a breakpoint. Breakpoints are where an attack becomes one less frame.

Also, for reference 4 frames is 6.2 attacks a second, whereas 5 frames is 5 attacks a second.

You see the reason for more IAS, and the importance of finding breakpoints :)

Hope that helps

Cheers,

Munk

[Wyrm]

Really, if you're not a speed freak, it's not that important. Having a faster attack allows you to get in and out of a situation faster. If you've got additive effects like Crushing Blow or spell castings on attack, it'll let you release more of them in a shorter amount of time. For builds that rely on damage coming from sources other than their weapon (say, Holy Shock/Freeze) you'll be able to apply more damage per second than with a slower weapon.

[vor_lord]

Just to add my two cents:

It is most important in the context of an elemental zealot (which btw this should have stayed in that thread), where you get most of your damage from the aura and not from the damage of the weapon. Hence, the main way to increase your damage is to increase the number of attacks.

For a physical damage zealot, you are correct--you may want to consider a higher damage weapon that you can push t o 5 frames rather than going for 4. However, it would behoove you to do the damage calculations over time (using the linked calculators) to ensure you are really helping your damage by making the choice of a higher damage, slower weapon.

There is a very large difference between 5 frames and 4, and if you aren't getting down to at least 5 frames, you should :D

[Guest]

I dont know about the 4 frame zeal part, But the reason people think phase blades are betetr than mythical swords is, mythical swords might do more damage, But phase blades are indestructible to start with, They do not do THAT much less damage than a mythic sword, And are much faster than a mythic sword.

[adeyke]

I dont know about the 4 frame zeal part, But the reason people think phase blades are betetr than mythical swords is, mythical swords might do more damage, But phase blades are indestructible to start with, They do not do THAT much less damage than a mythic sword, And are much faster than a mythic sword.
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Mythical blades do about 36% more damage than phase blades. Now, I'm not saying that this does or does not compensate for the lack of speed, but just sweeping the damage difference aside doesn't do the mythical swords justice.

[Wyrm]

Mythical blades do about 36% more damage than phase blades.  Now, I'm not saying that this does or does not compensate for the lack of speed, but just sweeping the damage difference aside doesn't do the mythical swords justice.
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I think the main reason people look down on Mythical Swords is because they lack the ability to have 6 slots the way Phase Blades do, which severely limits their runeword options (not that you should actually make a BotD Phase Blade anyways, but the option is there, as is Silence and Passion). And it's more likely that both you'll find a Phase Blade with the number of sockets you need and the runes to go in it, than it is for you to find a rare War Sword type sword with over 400% ed. Cruel Myth's can be bought if you've got enough patience though.

But phase blades are indestructible to start with

Swords really don't cost that much to repair (unless you've got spent charges on them), and if you're keeping your stuff maintained every town trip, a broken weapon shouldn't be a problem. It does make things more convenient though, if you don't have to repair a weapon at all.

Personally, I prefer the look of the Long/Rune/Cryptic swords and the Flail/Knout/Scourge on a Paladin, and always try to have one of those equipped reguardless of the low min damage. Either that, or a War/forgot-the-exceptional/Berserker Axe, which also look good.