As everyone is pointing out in here, 2h has better animations, feinting is a tad easier, and you can hitslash quite often with that left to right trick. (Right swing is incredibly fast and can be easily combined with the stab to pull of those crazy feints some people like Atze or Seph do - the nativeish feints)
I've played as a 2h nearly all the time in cRPG, and at first I was having trouble fighting polearms, more than other 2h. This is because polearms with long reach and acceptable speed (such as the glaive, or elegant poleaxe) can outreach any 2h, except in stab mode. I would always get a taste of that block his attack, then try to swing mine and get hit because of his
backpedalling footwork (oh the irony)
The stab mode comparison is different. They serve for different purposes. After trying both classes what I can say is:
· 2h stab is an easy stab, a very powerful move. Everyone can use it, and be successful with it because there is no mastering involved in it. The only mastering I've seen of the 2h stab is actually
not using it at all, and that, our friend GTX was very good at. It is because 2h stab is so scary, he just mantained it and closed in at the last moment knowing the opponent would not risk it not to block. Once closed in, GTX would always have the advantage, and he'd repeat that every single time with the aid of good footwork. GTX would actually never use the stab as an attack, just as a feint or to confuse opponents.
· Polearm's stab is different, but it should
not be underestimated. In fact, in the hands of a good player, polestab becomes increasingly useful, rather than 2h stab. Polearm's stab is short, and can be outranged easily by a 2h. However, it is intended to be use in short-range, since it rarely glances. The animation is so fast it easily grants a second move after the opponent blocked your former one. I've had a lot of trouble fighting NuberT and his polearms in a duel. I'd block his first swing, then watch how he'd easily stab me right afterwards as my stab is not fast enough to catch up with his. This is in fact another way of spamming polearms have, that many cannot seem to appreciate because it is not as obvious as in the 2h class. One must know when and how to do it, whereas the 2h stab just can't go wrong. The thing is, when fighting good players, it is likely they are all cautious about the 2h stab - everyone knows it is dangerous. But who can expect at first a second hit coming from below from a seemingly "nerfed in reach" animation that counters your stab easily in close range? That is the point.
Now, I'm not intending to defend 2h in any way vs polearms. I know how polearms can be a far more difficult class to master - that is actually the point I'm trying to make. Polearm is tougher to master, but there are some aces you can use once you learn the class well. The reason why 2h is generally believed to be a superior class is because it does not take a genius to learn why it is overpowered.
Edit: I'd like 2 things to happen. Bringing back the turn rate speed of SOME polearms, not all. And leaving 2h unchanged, it was already nerfed, and the point is not to balance this game by nerfing, it should be by buffing. Otherwise some day this will end in turn-based combat.
NOTE: If you are fighting a longsword user, then you might as well give up for that shit IS overpowered.
