Weapon Requirements - Guild Wars Forums

kotumaru · Aug 16, 2006, 10:15 AM // 10:15

I am sort of new to the game and I just don't understand why it is that the low requirement # weapons go for so much more. Do you actually get a benefit from the Axe Mastery requirement being 8 instead of 12? Is it just a rarity thing? Thanks for your help in advance.

Phenixfire · Aug 16, 2006, 10:23 AM // 10:23

ok, to sort this out right from the beginning ...

Higher Weapon Mastery Attribute = More Damage with the Weapon

The Req just sets a req. attribute level you must achieve if you want the weapon to do full damage. Everything below its req will make the damage caused by the weapon fall rapidly.

A lower req of a weapon DOES NOT increase the damage output, only a higher mastery attribute does that.

So for example, you have a Gothic Axe req13 and a Gtohic Axe with the same stats, but which is req8.
At a Axe Mastery level of 13+, both weapons will do THE SAME damage. But with 12, means it is below the req of the req13 axe, the req8 weapon will do more damage ( still full damage ), while the other one doesnt do full damage any longer due to its reqs not being met

Why people want req8 things instead of req12 alot of times ? no idea, maybe they still think that the bigger the difference between the req and the mastery attribute the more damage you do ( which is WRONG ). Some just want to have it because of the prestige, the fame, to show that tehy can afford such things. Or simply because they dont have anything else to spend their money on. ( req8 weapons are in general rarer than req10+ )

RotteN · Aug 16, 2006, 10:38 AM // 10:38

lower req weapons can be used better in certain pve builds, however, once you meet the req of your weapon, there will be no difference in damage, like phenix already said.

They're rarer aswell, it's prestige, that's what makes them expensive

G_MAGNUS · Aug 16, 2006, 10:48 AM // 10:48

to expand on build...if you want to take a build where you might want other attributes...you want a low req weapon so that it you can meet the reqs...but still have points available to place elsewhere...

example...your build demands strength....axe mastery (since you'll be killing stuff)...and tactics....not the best example but you get the point...

if you're a ranger....you'll want expertise as high as you can...marksmanship at req lvl...and say wilderness high as well for some preparations or spirits...this is a little more to the point...

shadow39365 · Aug 16, 2006, 11:10 AM // 11:10

actually with the increase of weapon mastery so does the chance of inflicting a critical hit, now on an Axe a Critical hit is when you hit at the high end of your weapons damage, in this case 28, Higher Axe Mastery increases your chances to hit a critical hit, and as a result you hit more 28s than 6s and more higher end numbers, increasing your damage, to be honest if your running 8 Axe Mastery with the hope of doing some serious damage you have to rethink your strategy.

In a lot of cases damage is the #1 Priority for Warriors, so you want to have your weapon has high as you can, sometimes a good combo for attributes is 9 Strength, 16 Weapon, 11 Tactics (Tactics for things like "Watch Yourself" and "To The Limit").

The Main point about Requirements has been covered but i'd happily buy a cheaper Req 13 Gothic Sword over an extortionate Req8 one any day. Higher Req Weapons i think may encourage you to have your weapon mastery higher anyway.

As for Expertise, you don't want it as high as you can, there are cut off points for Energy reduction on skills, so for example if your running a simple Barrageway, you can run 8 Expertise, or 12 Expertise an still have the energy cost at 5, for 10 ENergy skills you can have Expertise at 9 or 11 and it will still cost 6. For skills which cost 15 energy, 2 ranks of expertise decreases the energy cost by one, so if your running some quite costly skills then yes high expertise, but generally its good to look at the Energy Demand if you will of your build and judge expertise on that, so if your just using Barrage, have 8 Expertise

I'm sorry i dragged a little off topic but here is a page which lists the Energy Cut Offs for Expertise etc http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Expertise

**Marty Silverblade** · Aug 16, 2006, 11:39 AM // 11:39

It's because they are more perfect. That's what a lot of people spend time doing in GW once they finish all the stuff they need to. They farm their fingers off and then buy crap that is totally needless.

For example, you can go through the game with a non-max white weapon and non-max AL armor with no runes or fancy crap. It's just that many people have to make themselves look good so these things appear needed. Just go to Beacon's Perch and 9/10(probably more) people are looking for a runner to Droknar's Forge(get max armor there).

Example 2:
Sundering Tribal Blade of Fortitude
Slashing dmg: 15-22
Damage +14% (while health is above 50%)
Armor penetration: 19%(19%)
Health + 29

Value= 30-50k

No lets have the same weapon, just perfect and fancy.

Sundering Fellblade of Fortitude
Slashing dmg: 15-22
Damage +15% (while health is above 50%)
Armor penetration: 20%(20%)
Health + 30

Value=120k+

Mo Joe Joe Joe · Aug 16, 2006, 12:08 PM // 12:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty Silverblade

Example 2:
Sundering Tribal Blade of Fortitude
Slashing dmg: 15-22
Damage +14% (while health is above 50%)
Armor penetration: 19%(19%)
Health + 29

Value= 30-50k

30-50 eh? You must be a much better seller than I. Wanna buy all my merchant fodder and resell it?

Back on topic. Some are trying to say it is just for fluff/bragging. NOT TRUE. Well...hmmm. for the most part, yea it's true.

If you stick to PVE, I agree that low req does not matter. On some farming builds a low req is helpfull, but overall no. The main advantages for low reqs become evident in high level PVP play. Low req gives the OPTION/FLEXIBILITY to tweak your attributes and maintain the max damage of your weapon. Aside from the critical damage info provided above for melee players (which I concur with), a low req may allow a caster to kill a spirit faster by wanding than may have been possible with a high req weapon. The differences are small, but in high level PVP every advantage is sought.

Zakarr · Aug 16, 2006, 03:22 PM // 15:22

Simply, lower weapon requirement gives you more room to sacrifice your melee damage for attribute points. If your weapon mastery is even one point below the requirement, it will destroy your melee damage.

Swinging Fists · Aug 16, 2006, 04:58 PM // 16:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadow39365

on an Axe a Critical hit is when you hit at the high end of your weapons damage, in this case 28

Not true. An axe will hit between 6-28 for normal hits. Critical hits will be higher.

shadow39365 · Aug 16, 2006, 05:02 PM // 17:02

i know you won't ACTUALLY hit for 28 damage, as enemy armour comes into play and your rank in axes increasing your damage.

bakabum · Aug 16, 2006, 05:21 PM // 17:21

Actually, the higher weapon attribute you have, the more damage you do. A critical hit is roughly equivalent to hitting something with a +4 in your weapon attribute.

Several of you may want to read up on
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Damage
and
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Critical_hit

Having a req of 8 and using your "perfect weapon" will still not do as much damage of using that same weapon with 10 in the attribute. The req8 only guarantee's that you will at least hit (lets say for swords) in the 15 area, whereas a higher req of 12 (being perfect) will enable you to hit in the full 15-22 area. 16 in swords should pump it to about 15-26/7.

DeanBB · Aug 16, 2006, 05:27 PM // 17:27

Besides the need to meet the weapon's requirement, your attribute level also affects damage. Level 12 = listed damage, anything below that and you do proportionately less damage, above 12 and more damage.

So even with an axe 6-28 req 8 if you only put 8 points into axe you won't deal the listed damage, before applying other factors like armor and level difference, etc.

There's an explaination of all the factors here or on guildwiki if you want to see it all.

kotumaru · Aug 16, 2006, 07:20 PM // 19:20

Thanks for the replies guys. 10x the information than I expected.

Aug 16, 2006, 10:23 AM // 10:23	#2
Phenixfire Krytan Explorer Join Date: May 2006 Guild: Malice Dedication Ambition [MAD] Profession: Mo/	ok, to sort this out right from the beginning ... Higher Weapon Mastery Attribute = More Damage with the Weapon The Req just sets a req. attribute level you must achieve if you want the weapon to do full damage. Everything below its req will make the damage caused by the weapon fall rapidly. A lower req of a weapon DOES NOT increase the damage output, only a higher mastery attribute does that. So for example, you have a Gothic Axe req13 and a Gtohic Axe with the same stats, but which is req8. At a Axe Mastery level of 13+, both weapons will do THE SAME damage. But with 12, means it is below the req of the req13 axe, the req8 weapon will do more damage ( still full damage ), while the other one doesnt do full damage any longer due to its reqs not being met Why people want req8 things instead of req12 alot of times ? no idea, maybe they still think that the bigger the difference between the req and the mastery attribute the more damage you do ( which is WRONG ). Some just want to have it because of the prestige, the fame, to show that tehy can afford such things. Or simply because they dont have anything else to spend their money on. ( req8 weapons are in general rarer than req10+ ) Last edited by Phenixfire; Aug 16, 2006 at 10:26 AM // 10:26..

Aug 16, 2006, 11:10 AM // 11:10	#5
shadow39365 Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: England Guild: Angels Symphonys [AnSy]	actually with the increase of weapon mastery so does the chance of inflicting a critical hit, now on an Axe a Critical hit is when you hit at the high end of your weapons damage, in this case 28, Higher Axe Mastery increases your chances to hit a critical hit, and as a result you hit more 28s than 6s and more higher end numbers, increasing your damage, to be honest if your running 8 Axe Mastery with the hope of doing some serious damage you have to rethink your strategy. In a lot of cases damage is the #1 Priority for Warriors, so you want to have your weapon has high as you can, sometimes a good combo for attributes is 9 Strength, 16 Weapon, 11 Tactics (Tactics for things like "Watch Yourself" and "To The Limit"). The Main point about Requirements has been covered but i'd happily buy a cheaper Req 13 Gothic Sword over an extortionate Req8 one any day. Higher Req Weapons i think may encourage you to have your weapon mastery higher anyway. As for Expertise, you don't want it as high as you can, there are cut off points for Energy reduction on skills, so for example if your running a simple Barrageway, you can run 8 Expertise, or 12 Expertise an still have the energy cost at 5, for 10 ENergy skills you can have Expertise at 9 or 11 and it will still cost 6. For skills which cost 15 energy, 2 ranks of expertise decreases the energy cost by one, so if your running some quite costly skills then yes high expertise, but generally its good to look at the Energy Demand if you will of your build and judge expertise on that, so if your just using Barrage, have 8 Expertise I'm sorry i dragged a little off topic but here is a page which lists the Energy Cut Offs for Expertise etc http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Expertise Last edited by shadow39365; Aug 16, 2006 at 11:14 AM // 11:14..

Aug 16, 2006, 03:22 PM // 15:22	#8
Zakarr Jungle Guide Join Date: May 2005 Location: Finland	Simply, lower weapon requirement gives you more room to sacrifice your melee damage for attribute points. If your weapon mastery is even one point below the requirement, it will destroy your melee damage. Last edited by Zakarr; Aug 16, 2006 at 03:28 PM // 15:28..

Aug 16, 2006, 10:15 AM // 10:15	#1
kotumaru Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Murrieta, CA Guild: Royal Order of Ascalon Profession: W/Mo	Weapon Requirements I am sort of new to the game and I just don't understand why it is that the low requirement # weapons go for so much more. Do you actually get a benefit from the Axe Mastery requirement being 8 instead of 12? Is it just a rarity thing? Thanks for your help in advance.

Aug 16, 2006, 10:38 AM // 10:38	#3
RotteN Forge Runner Join Date: Jun 2005 Profession: W/	lower req weapons can be used better in certain pve builds, however, once you meet the req of your weapon, there will be no difference in damage, like phenix already said. They're rarer aswell, it's prestige, that's what makes them expensive

Aug 16, 2006, 10:48 AM // 10:48	#4
G_MAGNUS Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Oct 2005 Guild: La Legion Del Dragon [LD] Profession: W/	to expand on build...if you want to take a build where you might want other attributes...you want a low req weapon so that it you can meet the reqs...but still have points available to place elsewhere... example...your build demands strength....axe mastery (since you'll be killing stuff)...and tactics....not the best example but you get the point... if you're a ranger....you'll want expertise as high as you can...marksmanship at req lvl...and say wilderness high as well for some preparations or spirits...this is a little more to the point...

Aug 16, 2006, 11:39 AM // 11:39	#6
Marty Silverblade Administrator Join Date: Jun 2006	It's because they are more perfect. That's what a lot of people spend time doing in GW once they finish all the stuff they need to. They farm their fingers off and then buy crap that is totally needless. For example, you can go through the game with a non-max white weapon and non-max AL armor with no runes or fancy crap. It's just that many people have to make themselves look good so these things appear needed. Just go to Beacon's Perch and 9/10(probably more) people are looking for a runner to Droknar's Forge(get max armor there). Example 2: Sundering Tribal Blade of Fortitude Slashing dmg: 15-22 Damage +14% (while health is above 50%) Armor penetration: 19%(19%) Health + 29 Value= 30-50k No lets have the same weapon, just perfect and fancy. Sundering Fellblade of Fortitude Slashing dmg: 15-22 Damage +15% (while health is above 50%) Armor penetration: 20%(20%) Health + 30 Value=120k+

Aug 16, 2006, 05:02 PM // 17:02	#10
shadow39365 Lion's Arch Merchant Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: England Guild: Angels Symphonys [AnSy]	i know you won't ACTUALLY hit for 28 damage, as enemy armour comes into play and your rank in axes increasing your damage.

Aug 16, 2006, 05:21 PM // 17:21	#11
bakabum Academy Page Join Date: Aug 2006 Profession: E/Me	Actually, the higher weapon attribute you have, the more damage you do. A critical hit is roughly equivalent to hitting something with a +4 in your weapon attribute. Several of you may want to read up on http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Damage and http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Critical_hit Having a req of 8 and using your "perfect weapon" will still not do as much damage of using that same weapon with 10 in the attribute. The req8 only guarantee's that you will at least hit (lets say for swords) in the 15 area, whereas a higher req of 12 (being perfect) will enable you to hit in the full 15-22 area. 16 in swords should pump it to about 15-26/7.

Aug 16, 2006, 05:27 PM // 17:27	#12
DeanBB Forge Runner Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Arizona Guild: Wizardry Players Guild, http://4guildwars.7.forumer.com	Besides the need to meet the weapon's requirement, your attribute level also affects damage. Level 12 = listed damage, anything below that and you do proportionately less damage, above 12 and more damage. So even with an axe 6-28 req 8 if you only put 8 points into axe you won't deal the listed damage, before applying other factors like armor and level difference, etc. There's an explaination of all the factors here or on guildwiki if you want to see it all.

Aug 16, 2006, 07:20 PM // 19:20	#13
kotumaru Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Murrieta, CA Guild: Royal Order of Ascalon Profession: W/Mo	Thanks for the replies guys. 10x the information than I expected.