Overall, I really like the item balance changes, especially with the variety that was created among two-handed weapons, though I think there is still some work to be done.
Heavy Great Sword Sword of War Highland Claymore
weapon length: 120 weapon length: 121 weapon length: 117
weight: 2.5 weight: 3 weight: 3
difficulty: 14 difficulty: 15 difficulty: 16
speed rating: 92 speed rating: 93 speed rating: 92
weapon length: 120 weapon length: 121 weapon length: 117
thrust damage: 22 pierce thrust damage: 23 pierce thrust damage: 22 pierce
swing damage: 39 cut swing damage: 40 cut swing damage: 43 cut
Here's what I'd suggest
Heavy Great Sword
weapon length: 120
weight: 3.5
difficulty: 16
speed rating: 91
weapon length: 120
thrust damage: 24 pierce
swing damage: 40 cut
If the whole point of the recent 2h rebalance was to create versatility among the class, making this change creates another niche weapon that is something like the Nodachi, except with a thrust and less cut damage. Also, give the nodachi 44 cut already, it's really a shitty weapon.
Two Handed Sword Miaodao
weapon length: 110 weapon length: 115
weight: 2 weight: 2.5
difficulty: 12 difficulty: 12
speed rating: 96 speed rating: 96
weapon length: 110 weapon length: 115
thrust damage: 22 pierce thrust damage: 0 pierce
swing damage: 38 cut swing damage: 40 cut
When people constantly complain about thrusts, be they from 1h, 2h or polearm weapons, I don't think it makes any sense that a 22 pierce, +70 length animation is somehow only worth 40 cut damage, or that 3 speed is worth a 23p +70 length thrust. I suggest giving the Miaodao +1 speed or +2 damage.
Dadao Highland Claymore
weapon length: 115 weapon length: 117
weight: 3 weight: 3
difficulty: 12 difficulty: 16
speed rating: 93 speed rating: 92
weapon length: 115 weapon length: 117
thrust damage: 0 pierce thrust damage: 22 pierce
swing damage: 42 cut swing damage: 43 cut
Same argument. If anything, the price difference should make up a 1~2 cut damage loss, but the fact that it also lacks a thrust entirely, means that it should end up at 94 speed or 44 cut.
New polearms:
Long Awlpike
weapon length: 185
weight: 2.8
difficulty: 14
speed rating: 89
weapon length: 185
thrust damage: 32 pierce
swing damage: 18 blunt
Ranseur Spetum Corseque
weapon length: 189 weapon length: 186 weapon length: 186
weight: 2.5 weight: 2.5 weight: 2.5
difficulty: 12 difficulty: 12 difficulty: 12
speed rating: 85 speed rating: 86 speed rating: 86
weapon length: 189 weapon length: 186 weapon length: 186
thrust damage: 31 pierce thrust damage: 31 pierce thrust damage: 31 pierce
swing damage: 22 cut swing damage: 18 blunt swing damage: 19 pierce
3-4 speed loss on all of the new polearms while they all lose 1 pierce damage as well. Nearly everything else is exactly the same, they're just not worth using, regardless of how badass they look. I suggest adding versatility here, like what was done with the greatswords.
Proposed stat changes:
Ranseur
weapon length: 189
weight: 2.5
difficulty: 12
speed rating: 90
weapon length: 189
thrust damage: 29 pierce
swing damage: 32 cut (remember it's cut damage, against 50 armor the blunt or pierce will be better.)
Spetum
weapon length: 186
weight: 2.5
difficulty: 12
speed rating: 86
weapon length: 186
thrust damage: 31 pierce
swing damage: 24 blunt
Corseque
weapon length: 186
weight: 2.5
difficulty: 12
speed rating: 92
weapon length: 186
thrust damage: 27 pierce
swing damage: 20 pierce
Lots of versatility, stats based on the Long Awl Pike and the English Bill
English Bill Swiss Halberd
weapon length: 174 weapon length: 162
weight: 4 weight: 3
difficulty: 17 difficulty: 15
speed rating: 89 speed rating: 91
weapon length: 174 weapon length: 162
thrust damage: 28 pierce thrust damage: 28 pierce
swing damage: 31 pierce swing damage: 38 cut
Partisan
weapon length: 176
weight: 3
difficulty: 14
speed rating: 85
weapon length: 176
thrust damage: 36 cut
swing damage: 25 cut
This one's arguable the worst out of all four, this is what I propose, remember cut damage is far less effective than pierce.
Proposed stat change:
Partisan
weapon length: 176
weight: 3
difficulty: 14
speed rating: 93
weapon length: 176
thrust damage: 37 cut
swing damage: 33 cut
At 37 cut the partisan, against a 50 armored target and a .25 speed bonus, should do the same exact damage as a 28p thrust. This means the weapon specializes in fighting light armored opponents, but the effectiveness tapers off against armor. 33 cut on the swing to help balance the additional speed that the weapon gains over the swiss and the Bill.
Overall, more versatility, all equally usable, none of them are "OP" and all relatively equivalent to weapons that have been in game for quite a while now.
Finally, completely remove polestagger from NA (duel, strat, and siege; I believe it's only removed from battle) and actually implement the polestagger reimbursements that were previously talked about. You can't remove pole stagger from a War Spear for example, and expect the weapon to be anywhere nearly as good as it was without reimbursement. This is probably why those weapons have fallen in price on the marketplace and are now a bit of a rarity on the servers.
Oh yeah, nerf armor/buff cut damage/buff 1h cut weapons specifically.
tldr;great patch, but a few things were left out that don't make sense.
Edit: Sorry for the really shitty formatting.
