Ettin research thread

Ok, I originally did this research on a different site, but I copy and pasted the information i found:

This experiment is to test the giantslaying mod on gypsie ettin as well as the elemental mods.

Elemental Testing:
To test which type of elemental damage does the most damage against ettin, I will be using 5 different swords including a control. The swords will be from the collector in the desert (15% while enchanted). I will slay 10 ettin with each sword and record every hit, excluding any damage done with disrupting skills (since ettin use healing signet). My attributes will be 9 in swordsmanship which is the minimum to use the sword and I will use NO skills except to disrupt the ettin's healing signet and to keep myself alive.

Swords to be used:
Long Sword (control)
Firey Long Sword
Icy Long Sword
Shocking Long Sword
Ebon Long Sword

Race Testing:
To test the race of the ettin, I will be doing roughtly the same experiment as above. I will be using 2 different swords, both from the collector, 1 as a control and 1 with a 20% more damage against giants mod on it. I will slay 10 ettin with each sword and record the values in the same style as above.

Swords to be used:
Long Sword (control)
Long Sword of Giantslaying (20%)

By getting a range of all the above values, I should be able to determine whether the ettin is a giant or a seperate race and what elemental damage is the most effective.
I will update this thread while I research tonight and probably tomorrow as well.

Build used:
My particular build is submitted to the Gameamp staff for verification, once it goes up in the guides section, I will link it here, so be patient.

Research Log:
1/31/06
Start of experiment and procurement of materials needed:
Item (Amount needed) Aquired(y/n)
Firey Sword Hilt (1) y
Shocking Sword Hilt (1) y
Ebon Sword Hilt (1) y
Icy Sword Hilt (1) y
Jade Manibles (30) y
Sword Pommel of Giantslaying 20% (1) y

Gotten all materials. I'm going to start the elemental damage experiment.

Results:
Firey damage range: 16-32
Shocking damage range: 11-28
Ebon damage range: 11-28
Icy damage range: 16-32
Control damage range: 11-28

Giantslaying damage range: 11-32
Control damage range: 11-28

NOTE: The above values acquired without the use of damage skills and excludes critical strikes.

Elemental experiment conclusion:
Firey and Icy hilts deal more damage against ettin then both Ebon and Shocking with increase in about 5 min dmg and 4 max dmg.

Giantslaying experiment conclusion:
Giantslaying vs the control did little or no difference.

The best damage against ettin is any sword with firey or icy hilts and ettin do NOT count as a giant.

Original Thread on a different forum:
http://guildwars.gameamp.com/forum/showTopic/23469.php

Pretty interesting results.

I did the same thing a few weeks ago.

Note that I tested with wild blow, which always criticals, so there's no need to do data collection and compare variable numbers.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...7&postcount=31

Your elemental damage results are interesting. I'd like to see if the changes are due just to random results vs actual elemental resistances. If you still have your weapons, wild blow would solve that question.

Excellent analysis! Thank you for the info!

I would think that Ettins are Ogres, not Giants.

According to Guildwiki, Trolls and Ettins are sub-classes of Giants.

http://www.guildwiki.org/wiki/Ettin
http://www.guildwiki.org/wiki/Giant

Nicely done...I suppose Ill stick with my firey sword and look for a troll mod to try. Thanks for the info.

Yea, that's gotta be incorrect (as proven above)

How do +dmg% modifiers work then? When is the 20% added? Just using the averages, it looks like it works.

11 - 28 vs 11 - 32

(11+28)/2 = 19.5

19.5 x 0.2 = 3.9

28 + 3.9 = ~32, or 20% above control.


Some reason I always assumed that's how the +dmg modifiers work, because if its not working, where's that extra 4 points of damage coming from?

Interesting, I have found firey to be the best as well, wonder about it compared to sundering.

Considering that purely physical damage on the ettins using wild blow and 16 swords yeilded 30 damage, I'd go for the consistently higher elemental damge than the 1 in 10 chance for slightly better sundering damage.

The mods work by adding 20% to the base (control) damage if you meet the criteria.

Control = 11 to 28 damage

Control + 20% = 13.2 to 33.6 (This probably rounds to 13-34)

GS mod vs. Ettins = 11 to 32

As you can see the minimum damage didn't change during the test. For me, that's the giveaway. The minimum damage isn't getting the 20% bonus, and it would if Ettins were Giants.

The maximum damage is elevated 4 points, and the expencted increases would be 5-6. Maybe thats a stastical anomaly and more attacks would have achieved the full range.

These results are somewhat contradictory though, so I don't think anything has been definatively proven.

Have anybody tried that ogre knife?