Axes Vs Swords - What Is YOUR Opinion? - Guild Wars Forums

Vanchatron · May 09, 2007, 03:21 AM // 03:21

I've been reading up on axes and swords as I don't know which one to wield. I'm not going to pick hammer as they're too slow and you can't wield a shield whilst holding one (as far as I know, they're all 2 handed right?).

Anyway, both the sword & axe have an attack interval of 1.33 seconds making them just as fast as each other. The only difference (again, as far as I know) is the attack "range". By range I mean:

Swords - maximum damage range of 15-22

Vs

Axes - maximum damage range of 6-28

So I'm pretty confused as to what to pick. I know I want to pick 1 of these 2 as opposed to the hammer (for the reasons stated in the 1st paragraph) but I'm not sure which.

If anybody could shed some light on WHY I should pick 1 over the other I'd be grateful, thanks.

HK

Winston · May 09, 2007, 03:30 AM // 03:30

It depends on your situation, what will you be doing? general quests, farming?

Although I am yet to have a good go at a Hammer build, I wouldn't outright dismiss it as an option. There are many good Hammer skills such as knockdowns which may serve greater purpose to your team.

cdgsax · May 09, 2007, 03:48 AM // 03:48

I used a sword with my Warrior pretty much since I created him. After I completed all 3 campaigns, I decided to switch to axe to try something new.
I also use a hammer sometimes to have some fun and for the challenge (haven't perfected the build yet, but I'm getting close to the way I want it)

Basically, it depends on your own personal preference. Use what you find works best for you.

VitisVinifera · May 09, 2007, 03:52 AM // 03:52

there's no one answer to such a broad question. it's situational

I like swords for riposting builds and crippling
I like axes for the huge damage skills and sweet combos

Mournblade · May 09, 2007, 03:54 AM // 03:54

Welcome to GWG vanchatron. Your question has been asked and answered many times over the last two years. The search function is iffy at best, but I bet you could find your answers without too much trouble.

Long story short - its totally situational. They are both awesome when you have the build to support them.

shrouded^god · May 09, 2007, 04:02 AM // 04:02

Axe when needed for a farming build, otherwise I wield a sword...sometimes for PvP Ill run a hammer build.
I think the sword is more widely used as it seems more "traditional".

Lurid · May 09, 2007, 04:55 AM // 04:55

I like all three Warrior primary weapons, just each in different situations. Spiking I tend to prefer an Axe or Hammer, however when soloing enemies who attack Swords are always useful. Switching between all three keeps things fresh imho, as all three have their own specific strengths and weaknesses.

Giga Strike · May 09, 2007, 03:19 PM // 15:19

its all in the skills that they allow you to use. swords allow you to use ripostes which block attacks and therefore help in defense. axes have more destructive skills that place more conditions, plus cyclone axe hits multiple targets.

Vanchatron · May 09, 2007, 03:22 PM // 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mournblade

Welcome to GWG vanchatron. Your question has been asked and answered many times over the last two years. The search function is iffy at best, but I bet you could find your answers without too much trouble.

Long story short - its totally situational. They are both awesome when you have the build to support them.

Thanks for the Welcome. I tried searching but as you said it is iffy, why is that? You'd think that with such a big member database the search function would be a little better.

Also, the forum is taking AGES to load all the time. Could just be due to the vast amount of members though.

And thanks for answering my question, I guess like everyone else said, I'll just have to experiment as it's down to personal preference.

HK

ZenRgy · May 09, 2007, 03:58 PM // 15:58

Axes push out more damage, swords are more pressure / condition (especially with the oh-so sexy buff to Crippling slash.

Axes are much more effective for pure damage in a spike, whereas swords can continually spam attack skills if you use builds with Dragonslash and Sun and moon.

Sun and moon + conjure = orgasm btw

007kyra · May 09, 2007, 04:15 PM // 16:15

I origionally enjoyed using the sword with my warrior, its pressure like attacks and general coolness of skins amzed me. It served it purpose thoughout propheices and factions. However with my increasing desire to get rich quick, i began using the axe to offer a good attack spike, and heavy AoE damage, coupled with a zealous attacment i could effictively dispatch all the groups of enemy i aggroed. Since then the axe has been my favourite choice of weapon. I think it is also generally more effective in hard mode, in which a higher damage output is usefull....But like the others have said it depends on the situtaion and your build. Yes my dispaly picture is of my ele

but i have been using a warrior effectively for a while now........I intend to sample hammer builds for PvP as its knockdown abilities should prove very usefull.

Keithark · May 09, 2007, 04:38 PM // 16:38

I started with axe and loved it (tripple chop+cyclone = always have energy/adrenaline with zelous mod) but when they made foes scatter it reduced the pros for axe to me. The attack skills used with axe cost more adrenaline so takes longer to build up for spike or takes more energy because use of energy skills...I like sword better now (at least in HM) Because I can spam higher damage skills more often due to somewhat lower adrenaline cost..be sure to get enraging charge either way as it is a great way to build adrenaline and it also gives you a speed boost so you can take aggro first instead of your hero's/hench running in ahead of you

AxeMe · May 09, 2007, 05:09 PM // 17:09

As you can see, different players - probably all of them pretty good - have different preferences and opinions. I think that tells you that it would be smart to experiment with both to form your own opinion. I agree with most of what I've read here - including the fact that swords work better for some circumstances and builds, axes for others.

But I also think - besides that - that the style of playing makes a difference. So how you play may influence which works best for you ... and no one can duplicate that. So that's why it may be a good idea to experiment.

All that said, I've gone back and forth - over the 2 years I've played - and tend to agree with the people who believe that it depends on the type enemies you are facing and the conditions in the instance.

I tend to use an axe more often than a sword and would swear to you that I have better luck with it - especially in HM. But you'll find lots of people who are more skilled than I am with different opinions.

Valeria · May 09, 2007, 05:22 PM // 17:22

for big groups of smaller enemies i prefer axes since swordmanship has longer combos imo.

Anyway i cange between hammer sword and axe every now and then because you will only have half the fun if you stick to one kind of weapon.

15-22 or 6-28 doesn't matter to me its about the skills and the looks

Lonesamurai · May 09, 2007, 05:34 PM // 17:34

PvP, hammer all the way, but PvE, I'm personally partial to Axe over sword, although i do have a Katana and exalted aegis W/R with a wolf pet... now I just need to decide which armour is suitably Samurai for him and his samurai style will be set

Coloneh · May 09, 2007, 08:57 PM // 20:57

for pve i go with axes most of the time because triple chop and cyclone axe give you a HUGE dps boost against mobs.

idicious · May 10, 2007, 03:56 AM // 03:56

All depends:

Sword is good for spreading around conditions and good base DPS
Axe gives higher dmg
Hammer interupt, slowdowns, high dmg

strcpy · May 10, 2007, 06:05 AM // 06:05

I'll add my 1 cent's worth:

Hammers are mainly a PvP thing. It's not that they are useless in PvE (far from it - anything that works in PvP will work in PvE), but more that a dead enemy is a better interrupt than simply interrupting them. Due to a total lack of rez's within PvE something just do not work as well. However, they can also do a decent DPS , especially with skills like Wild Blow, and with knockdowns (interrupts) so that's not to be sneezed at.

As to axes or swords - I would say depends on the current skill balance. I've almost always preferred an axe, however with hundred blades, sun and moon, an elemental damage sword, and the appropriate conjure spell from an ele secondary you have some *serious* DPS.

You also have a general cost issue. If, like me, nearly everything is self found (through collectors, crafters, drops, and salvages) then this is irrelevant. If you intend to purchase on the player market then Axes tend to be a little cheaper.

Currently I prefer a sword due to the conjure line with an ele - lots of nice damage there with hundred blades and sun & moon.

madman24749 · May 10, 2007, 06:14 AM // 06:14

I use both swords and axes randomly
They are both awesome and with good builds their damage pretty much equals out to around the same output
Hammers I'd agree are suited for mostly PvP

Poison Ivy · May 10, 2007, 07:35 AM // 07:35

Sword. Fellblade is the bigass pwn.

May 09, 2007, 03:21 AM // 03:21	#1
Vanchatron Banned Join Date: May 2007 Guild: [MNM] Profession: E/Me	Axes Vs Swords - What Is YOUR Opinion? I've been reading up on axes and swords as I don't know which one to wield. I'm not going to pick hammer as they're too slow and you can't wield a shield whilst holding one (as far as I know, they're all 2 handed right?). Anyway, both the sword & axe have an attack interval of 1.33 seconds making them just as fast as each other. The only difference (again, as far as I know) is the attack "range". By range I mean: Swords - maximum damage range of 15-22 Vs Axes - maximum damage range of 6-28 So I'm pretty confused as to what to pick. I know I want to pick 1 of these 2 as opposed to the hammer (for the reasons stated in the 1st paragraph) but I'm not sure which. If anybody could shed some light on WHY I should pick 1 over the other I'd be grateful, thanks. HK

May 09, 2007, 04:02 AM // 04:02	#6
shrouded^god IGN: J C A C H E Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: 843 Guild: [Liar]	Axe when needed for a farming build, otherwise I wield a sword...sometimes for PvP Ill run a hammer build. I think the sword is more widely used as it seems more "traditional". __________________

May 09, 2007, 04:15 PM // 16:15	#11
007kyra Pre-Searing Cadet Join Date: May 2007 Location: England, Lincolnshire Guild: Soft Spirits and Faint Whispers Profession: E/Me	I origionally enjoyed using the sword with my warrior, its pressure like attacks and general coolness of skins amzed me. It served it purpose thoughout propheices and factions. However with my increasing desire to get rich quick, i began using the axe to offer a good attack spike, and heavy AoE damage, coupled with a zealous attacment i could effictively dispatch all the groups of enemy i aggroed. Since then the axe has been my favourite choice of weapon. I think it is also generally more effective in hard mode, in which a higher damage output is usefull....But like the others have said it depends on the situtaion and your build. Yes my dispaly picture is of my ele but i have been using a warrior effectively for a while now........I intend to sample hammer builds for PvP as its knockdown abilities should prove very usefull. Last edited by 007kyra; May 09, 2007 at 04:17 PM // 16:17..

May 09, 2007, 03:30 AM // 03:30	#2
Winston Krytan Explorer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia	It depends on your situation, what will you be doing? general quests, farming? Although I am yet to have a good go at a Hammer build, I wouldn't outright dismiss it as an option. There are many good Hammer skills such as knockdowns which may serve greater purpose to your team.

May 09, 2007, 03:48 AM // 03:48	#3
cdgsax Academy Page Join Date: Aug 2006	I used a sword with my Warrior pretty much since I created him. After I completed all 3 campaigns, I decided to switch to axe to try something new. I also use a hammer sometimes to have some fun and for the challenge (haven't perfected the build yet, but I'm getting close to the way I want it) Basically, it depends on your own personal preference. Use what you find works best for you.

May 09, 2007, 03:52 AM // 03:52	#4
VitisVinifera Banned Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Northern California Guild: HoTR Profession: N/Me	there's no one answer to such a broad question. it's situational I like swords for riposting builds and crippling I like axes for the huge damage skills and sweet combos

May 09, 2007, 03:54 AM // 03:54	#5
Mournblade Furnace Stoker Join Date: May 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Guild: Dawn Treaders [DAWN] Profession: W/Mo	Welcome to GWG vanchatron. Your question has been asked and answered many times over the last two years. The search function is iffy at best, but I bet you could find your answers without too much trouble. Long story short - its totally situational. They are both awesome when you have the build to support them.

May 09, 2007, 04:55 AM // 04:55	#7
Lurid Jungle Guide Join Date: Mar 2006 Profession: Mo/	I like all three Warrior primary weapons, just each in different situations. Spiking I tend to prefer an Axe or Hammer, however when soloing enemies who attack Swords are always useful. Switching between all three keeps things fresh imho, as all three have their own specific strengths and weaknesses.

May 09, 2007, 03:19 PM // 15:19	#8
Giga Strike Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: stranded in vabbi this time Guild: None [N/A]	its all in the skills that they allow you to use. swords allow you to use ripostes which block attacks and therefore help in defense. axes have more destructive skills that place more conditions, plus cyclone axe hits multiple targets.

May 09, 2007, 03:58 PM // 15:58	#10
ZenRgy Zookeeper Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Australian Discussion Posse HQ - Glorious leader Guild: ҉ ̵̡̢̢̛̛̛̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟&# Profession: N/E	Axes push out more damage, swords are more pressure / condition (especially with the oh-so sexy buff to Crippling slash. Axes are much more effective for pure damage in a spike, whereas swords can continually spam attack skills if you use builds with Dragonslash and Sun and moon. Sun and moon + conjure = orgasm btw

May 09, 2007, 04:38 PM // 16:38	#12
Keithark Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Nov 2006 Guild: Be Aggressive B E Aggressive [AGRO] Profession: E/Me	I started with axe and loved it (tripple chop+cyclone = always have energy/adrenaline with zelous mod) but when they made foes scatter it reduced the pros for axe to me. The attack skills used with axe cost more adrenaline so takes longer to build up for spike or takes more energy because use of energy skills...I like sword better now (at least in HM) Because I can spam higher damage skills more often due to somewhat lower adrenaline cost..be sure to get enraging charge either way as it is a great way to build adrenaline and it also gives you a speed boost so you can take aggro first instead of your hero's/hench running in ahead of you

May 09, 2007, 05:09 PM // 17:09	#13
AxeMe Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta Guild: HEX Profession: W/	As you can see, different players - probably all of them pretty good - have different preferences and opinions. I think that tells you that it would be smart to experiment with both to form your own opinion. I agree with most of what I've read here - including the fact that swords work better for some circumstances and builds, axes for others. But I also think - besides that - that the style of playing makes a difference. So how you play may influence which works best for you ... and no one can duplicate that. So that's why it may be a good idea to experiment. All that said, I've gone back and forth - over the 2 years I've played - and tend to agree with the people who believe that it depends on the type enemies you are facing and the conditions in the instance. I tend to use an axe more often than a sword and would swear to you that I have better luck with it - especially in HM. But you'll find lots of people who are more skilled than I am with different opinions.

May 09, 2007, 05:22 PM // 17:22	#14
Valeria Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Germany Guild: PaRe Profession: W/	for big groups of smaller enemies i prefer axes since swordmanship has longer combos imo. Anyway i cange between hammer sword and axe every now and then because you will only have half the fun if you stick to one kind of weapon. 15-22 or 6-28 doesn't matter to me its about the skills and the looks

May 09, 2007, 05:34 PM // 17:34	#15
Lonesamurai Furnace Stoker Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Cheltenham, Glos, UK Guild: Wolf Pack Samurai [WPS] Profession: R/A	PvP, hammer all the way, but PvE, I'm personally partial to Axe over sword, although i do have a Katana and exalted aegis W/R with a wolf pet... now I just need to decide which armour is suitably Samurai for him and his samurai style will be set

May 09, 2007, 08:57 PM // 20:57	#16
Coloneh Furnace Stoker Join Date: Nov 2006 Profession: D/W	for pve i go with axes most of the time because triple chop and cyclone axe give you a HUGE dps boost against mobs.

May 10, 2007, 03:56 AM // 03:56	#17
idicious Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Holland Guild: LoD Profession: P/W	All depends: Sword is good for spreading around conditions and good base DPS Axe gives higher dmg Hammer interupt, slowdowns, high dmg

May 10, 2007, 06:05 AM // 06:05	#18
strcpy Desert Nomad Join Date: Jul 2005 Guild: One of Many [ONE]	I'll add my 1 cent's worth: Hammers are mainly a PvP thing. It's not that they are useless in PvE (far from it - anything that works in PvP will work in PvE), but more that a dead enemy is a better interrupt than simply interrupting them. Due to a total lack of rez's within PvE something just do not work as well. However, they can also do a decent DPS , especially with skills like Wild Blow, and with knockdowns (interrupts) so that's not to be sneezed at. As to axes or swords - I would say depends on the current skill balance. I've almost always preferred an axe, however with hundred blades, sun and moon, an elemental damage sword, and the appropriate conjure spell from an ele secondary you have some serious DPS. You also have a general cost issue. If, like me, nearly everything is self found (through collectors, crafters, drops, and salvages) then this is irrelevant. If you intend to purchase on the player market then Axes tend to be a little cheaper. Currently I prefer a sword due to the conjure line with an ele - lots of nice damage there with hundred blades and sun & moon.

May 10, 2007, 06:14 AM // 06:14	#19
madman24749 Academy Page Join Date: Jul 2006 Guild: Ceasers X I Legion Profession: W/Mo	I use both swords and axes randomly They are both awesome and with good builds their damage pretty much equals out to around the same output Hammers I'd agree are suited for mostly PvP

May 10, 2007, 07:35 AM // 07:35	#20
Poison Ivy Forge Runner Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Toronto Guild: Hopping Profession: Mo/A	Sword. Fellblade is the bigass pwn.