Curse

Yukito Kunisaki · Jun 15, 2005, 09:29 PM // 21:29

Iwouldn't underestimate a hammer's capabilities. However, the problem with hammers is just that adrenaline requirement and well...

How do you beat a skill-lock? ^_^

Howling Wind · Jun 15, 2005, 10:50 PM // 22:50

I think axes too will become popular if they brought out "cool" models of it like big GIANT axes with nice glow or shadowy effect like the ones you seen in world of warcraft arts or some powerful dwarven guy. Anway I'd like to see some good axe models, bit unfair is swords gets a 3 good models and axe only has chaos. Don't know much about hammers.

Scaphism · Jun 15, 2005, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Shrodekill

u guys are really underestimating hammers here... they are much better anti-casters then swords and axes w/ their knockdown skills. monks cant cast a thing if the hammerer is doing it right.

I'd say you either didn't read my post at all or you decided to ignore it and post anyways.
It's not that hammers are bad, they're harder to do well. On top of that, anything that counters swords and axes is more effective vs hammers.

You miss with a sword attack? Don't worry, you'll attack again in 1.33 seconds to get that last strike of adrenaline before galrath slash.
Miss with a hammer? You'll be waiting 1.75 seconds to try again.

Same thing applies with attack speed debuffs- as far as I know, they're a percentile increase, not a flat amount.

Reversal of Fortune is also a hammer user's nightmare- instead of hitting someone for 60ish damage, they get healed for 60 instead! That's a 120 point swing, and ROF recharges fast enough to negate a hammer's damage. Sure it does the same against a sword or axe, but when you use a hammer you need every hit to count, because you get fewer opportunities overall.

And that's really what it comes down to- you need every attack to count, and you get fewer chances with a hammer.

As for keeping a target shutdown- hammers are clearly superior than swords and axes for shutdown. That's not in question. The problem is there are so many ways to make warriors miss that even a good hammer user has problems getting people on their backs.

Wasn't this thread about axes though? Nice job getting us off-topic.

BigTru · Jun 16, 2005, 05:36 AM // 05:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jia Xu

nice post Scaphism, should clear up the misconceptions.

anyways, on to what i was going to say. The weapon type depends very much on what your overall team build is trying to do. A Hammer Warrior is a great Monk interrupter, and combined with Aftershock on a W/E can be damned dangerous if used correctly. However, they are slow, and other warriors/mesmers can take them apart with relative ease, and there are a lot of warriors and mesmers in tombs atm. Axes are my favourite, purely because everyone used to use swords, and I wanted to suprise people about how good axes actually are.

I suppose you could put it like it is in Real Life : a sword has more finesse, and you can do more with it, hence gashes, sever arteries, ripostes and so on - more arty farty tricks and conditions. Axes are used for smacking their way through armour and doing lots of damage, although if someone came at you with a sword you'd be hard pressed to stop them doing what they want. Axes are a damage dealer, so for most people who want to Warrior, they are actually a better choice than swords, which are slightly more reactive and defensive, with good conditions and trapping.

I tried to avoid mentioning specific skills, as part of the beauty of Guild Wars is that swords can beat axes when certain necro debuffs are being used etc.

I have yet to meet a single non-hammer warrior who can take on my Hammer warrior...

Weakness + Blind + Knockdowns make it hard for a Warrior to recover, and I can do it quite often. Adrenaline is never a problem for me.

Lord Malikai · Jun 16, 2005, 08:09 AM // 08:09

Wouldn't be talking so lowly of swordsmen. If you do it right, you don't need to stop hitting skills and can do 20 seconds out of every 30 seconds of 80-110 damage hits using a sword. Adrenaline smedgaline. Use energy skills, except for final thrust of course. So what, ya got no healing or defensive skills but you sure as hell will make people notice you.

my War/E arena brawler
15k plate (superior vigor) (dyed black yes, Im mean looking)
max shocking fellblade of fortitude +28 hp 15% >
magmas shield 16 AL +10 hp
15 swordsmanship (superior sword)
13 strength

Warriors Endurance
Hamstring
Savage Slash
Pure Strike
Seeking Blade
Power Attack
Final Thrust
Conjure Lightning

I play him for fun in the arena. Not the most effective guy in the world when it comes to survival against many foes but he has his moments. There has been times where I've killed an entire team with just very impressive damage output. Then there are times when a mesmer makes me look like a baby and sends me humiliating whispers... But if you're a swordsman and you're looking to make people notice you, this is the way to go.

JYX · Jun 16, 2005, 09:19 AM // 09:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTru

I have yet to meet a single non-hammer warrior who can take on my Hammer warrior...

Weakness + Blind + Knockdowns make it hard for a Warrior to recover, and I can do it quite often. Adrenaline is never a problem for me.

Can you do it once every 2 seconds? Because thats how fast a monk can remove it. While healing.

aemon · Jun 16, 2005, 03:13 PM // 15:13

If you have good monks warriors can keep plenty effective (even hammer). I love the hammer line with aftershock. Dev Hammer + Crushing + Aftershock can all be done in one knockdown with Stonefists and that is a serious spike especially if you have a few eles crunching him at the same time. The target will almost always die. Don't forget if you are targeting a monk knocking him down before the spike takes a healer out of the picture.

Hammer is really good for its interrupts/knockdowns though. Having a Warrior running around with Dwarven B-Stance and a couple of knock downs is very bad for your casters in the short term. It has it's place best in spike teams, imo, who wish to simply stop a few attacks or heals for a quick victory... or even to keep that other team's hero from capping the alter in HoH. Just another of many ways to play an anti-caster and I would never say it's any lesser a line than any other warrior line.

... I despise swords for it's simplicity and have no interest in playing a sword warrior.

BigTru · Jun 16, 2005, 03:41 PM // 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everous

Can you do it once every 2 seconds? Because thats how fast a monk can remove it. While healing.

Did you actually read the post? It is 1 vs 1, not a team thing... Besides, I can redo it within the time it takes for purge conditions to recast.

elenna · Jun 16, 2005, 09:10 PM // 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTru

Did you actually read the post? It is 1 vs 1, not a team thing... Besides, I can redo it within the time it takes for purge conditions to recast.

Yeah, but can you do it in the time it takes Mend Ailment or Mend Condition to recharge?

Hell Marauder · Jun 17, 2005, 03:34 PM // 15:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by elenna

Yeah, but can you do it in the time it takes Mend Ailment or Mend Condition to recharge?

Have you counted how long it takes a warrior to get that 5 energy to recast Mend Ailment? Not to mention energy is needed in a swordman's attack. Have you guys played a monk at all? Or just a W/Mo trying to guess what a monk will do?? I've played a Mo/E with armor of earth and ward against melee, and I can tell you that a monk with those two skills can fend off two swordmen for over a minute. So when I play warrior I chose hammer combo that can generate knockdown every 4 seconds, because that's the only thing a monk fears from a warrior.

Scaphism · Jun 17, 2005, 06:26 PM // 18:26

You're all going way off topic here. The thread is supposed to be about axes. I have no idea how it degenerated into theoretical 1v1 situations, but anyone planning for those is planning to lose. There are no 1v1 fights in the game.
I also don't see what one or two successful fights in the arena show us about how one weapon is superior to the others. Boasting that weapon X is better than weapon Y just shows your personal bias.

Instead of trying to pick out why you like a particular weapon so much, try and figure out what role you need to fill in your team and figure out which weapon best suits your needs. They all have different strengths, trying to pick one best weapon is a rather arbitrary decision- like judging a beauty contest. Maybe one looks better in a bikini but the other is better in an evening gown. If you need a date to a ball, you generally wouldn't take the one who looks better in a bikini, would you? Even if you think she's better overall? No, you wouldn't- you take the one who looks good in formal wear.

/end totally off-topic analogy