Bit confused. I keep reading that, with all relevant AAs, S+B is better dps than twohanders for warriors . Yet for knights its the other way around? Am I wrong on the warrior part? And if not wherein lies the difference? AAs or itemization?
Correct. With the relevant AAs, warriors use sword and board for most things. Knights use sword and board for tanking, 2handers for DPS. This is assuming similar tier'd weapons, of course.
It lies in AAs AND itemization, knights now get 2her damage boost AAs, and we also get special knight only 2hers with really good ratios.
Bzzt, sorry, knights don't get 2hander damage boost aa; paladins got the shaft on that. Only SKs get that line.
Toward the end of VoA a player who was quite happy with his S&B DPS in a mostly melee DPS support group put a Warrior weilding a 2Hndr in that group. They did the same content and the 2H wielder was coached to use similar techniques to maximize his DPS. In that ad hoc test 2H DPS was practically the same as S&B using a high ratio 1Hdr and a DMG aug (not to my mind a tanking weapon). (Discusion can be found on TSW). It MAY be that 2H was not all that far behind S&B especially if one compares a 2H weapon with a DMG aug to a 1H aggro weapon with an aggro aug. Maybe a small burn AA ability could help out Warrior 2H. Um we got one (Wars Sheol) but it doesn't care what you are wielding. Maybe better ratio 2Handers like knights have been getting? Um The better Warrior usable 2handers were trimmed back to VoA best 2H ratio. It seems there was concern 2H damage could be getting out of hand. No special AA's for 2H (at this time). Stagnated 2H ratios. It doesn't look to me like there's a strong desire to increase Warrior 2H DPS. It's abilities and itemization (and I expect also our usual role - tank). /shrug
it comes down to spells cast and the lack there of for warriors. Paladin dps Inquisitors judgement, righteous #name and then spells cast is adding an additional 20k dps (voa numbers), and it is probably more for sks on a burn. For sustained dps paladin dps is split about 50/50. the problem with upping warrior ratios to knight 2her levels is that it would all be passive and the warrior passive dps is already near on par with knights *total* dps (spell/melee/pet). Where the differential is being seen is through the lack of warrior activated abilities. In my opinion that is where it should be made up. The minute you add passive upgrades to warriors, because of their superior skills and weapon dlys it becomes and issue of too much passive dps and would put them near zerker dps. Spell dps is modified, but not in the same way that melee is. The exponential factors make a mess of things and require way more fine tuning. If warriors had an ability like inquisitors judgement (higher base b/c of the lack of .spell dd dmg mods through aa) it would go a long way to balancing the class. Furthermore, activated dps (ie spell casts w/ yellow mana) would also balance the scales. Knights do more through multiple facets of dps for sk it is spell (dot/dd) pet, personal melee. For paladins it is spells/melee and for wars it is melee and few activated discs. Passive melee through weapon ratios is not the answer for warriors. That is a direct route to nerfs imho.
One of the problems is we have a special attack when using a shield we have no special attack when using a 2 hander or 2 swords . Shield topple equals a lot of damage and is not made up for by using the Vital Strike ability below 20%. They really should make the knuckle crush ability something similar to shield topple and usable with all weapon sets the problem will arise there that it locks out ridicule. But so does shield topple so really it doesn't matter. We just need some special attacks we are a pure melee with only one special attack and only when using a shield. But right now nothing makes up for the shield specialist aa and shield topple. I have personally parsed my dps with sword and board and a 2 hander and it does not equal the same . Putting any warrior in a dps group is called skewing the numbers we are not put in a dps group ever unless half the raid is absent .
And to be honest we are supposed to excel in groups and raids so putting us in any group should give us the biggest benefit compared to anyone else since we have absolutely zero solo ability. Clerics solo better then we do and they are designed to heal. So in a dps burn group outside of raids we should blow away any other tank in the sustained dps department because we are supposed to . We have no spells or utility and we should dominate in mitigation and melee dps compared to the other two tanks to even out in both the raid and group game. I personally am on both sides of the fence I feel we should all 3 be somewhat equal in terms of dps and I feel there should be raids designed for all 3 of us to excel at tanking hence my ideas about raid named tanking flags.
I find it strange and annoying that so many classes seem to be forced into using certain weapons. Like monks and beastlords who dont get any 2hb, 1hb or piercing weapons that can keep up with h2h. Same with rangers and 2h vs dw. Why give classes weaponskills and then totally ignore them in itemization and AA builds. Variety is a good thing...
