difficulties with my 1h/shield char

[Leshma]

Meh, now I wear Coat of Plates myself and it's a bit better but costly. Light armor + shield isn't good combo since there is no force field anymore.

About 2H vs ranged, as a ninja I had no problems with that and even tincans don't have much issue with archers these days. You just have to be on move all the time and do zig zag moves, never run in one direction and you're mostly safe from ranged. And even if they hit you, having 50+ overall armor means it will take a lot of arrows to kill you.

I disagree about Side Sword. Huscarl + Side Sword is 15k together which is the price you have to pay for flamberge and even less the price of elegant poleaxe. As I said it's not the best sword but it should be, it should be better, it should be more OP. Even regular scmittar has invisible range (range 97 but feels like 100) and it's 3rd the price of Side Sword. Side Sword has good stab, that's true but that sword is so easy to read and block unlike curved weapons like Scmittar, Katana and such. I think that for it's price Side Sword should at least have 2 dmg added or 1 point in speed. Speed wouldn't make it OP, we're talking about 1h weapons which are slow when used with shield.

[kinngrimm]

The most expensive 1h sword isn't the best.
.... Next stop, polearms. They seem versatile and hella lot faster than site says.
.... I forgot to mention that hybrids are crap now.
.... Also, only hybrids, archers and ninjas wear light armor.
.... Current ownage formula

I have to ask you kinn grimm, how can you kill anything with PS3?

sidesword is truely not a weapon of choice if you want to have the longest ... weapon, but it is versatile and balanced in its own for technics i am used to go for, meaning, i have very high athletics and can move in and out inbetween the attack animations of strength based builds, espially 2h/polarm. But you could be right that those seem to be faster now then before the patch. What i am saying is the same as Kalam, it depends on playstyle, i tried the long espada and i just couldn't handle it, i was far better off with a wakasashi 
Perhaps i will try the espade one day again and get used to it, but not atm.

I have speced some very good players with hybrid builds which are doing just fine, thats partly because they were before that very good players specialized with other weapons.
Partly because you can have surprising tactics with hybrids, other couldn't, for example i see a lot of 1h|spear/shieldl/thrower atm, i believe the Searaider clan mostly was it who started it as a team strategy, huscarl, sword and throwing axes and often i have seen them using war spear or awlpike, thats just a big pain if you meet such a build, you don't want them in your site and never in the back.  They just switch to or from throwing weapons and may get you buy surprise, great harrasment builds. cheers to Leikneer and the other though folks of those Nordmen troops.

Myself also noticed as you said that the most regular best k/d ratios are owned by similar equipment, but don't forget in combination with very good players.

I wear light armor, for the reason i've been telling in this thread on and on, manouverbality, 1-2 foes you have a fair chance. It protects your shield, it protects you, it is dangerous for the ennemy, fast in range of my weapon, fast out of range of his weapon. If a shield crusher normally would destroy my shield with 2-4 hits, he strikes several times into the air now, and with the right timing i get him.

well Thomek had seen me on a real good day i guess, i am not (hopefully yet) in a regular bases in the top 3rd of the k/d list, though it happens, but i mostly can pay for my blood.
And that i did mostly without PS at all!!!!!!!!
I got PS 1, 2 days ago with lvl 31 in my 3 generation.
I guess i know you (Ninja_?)Leshma_II(?) and we did kill each other several times , but if i remember correctly i believe you killed me a bit more often 0_0

I am still bad at feinting and get bluffed too often. I often take high risks in going solo and sometimes have to pay the price, espacially if i take the same way more then once the enemy will await me. In massive clashes of troops, i die easiely, mostly because i get impatient, often because i break attack pattern to actually hit one ennemy, but to only open myself to another one.

My next generation will get PS 4, but i keep mainly my other specs i am used to, less IF and shield, perhaps more risky but i have to test it how it feels.

2) You get to be an excellent support character, which is always crucial when I'm playing with my clanmates- which is where most of my fun comes from.

Excellent point, As a shielder i do block strikes every now and then that would have not blocked, propably killed a teammate. I see a friendly horse coming down not far away, and the 2h guy who brought him down prepares to finish him, i just go in either with shields up, the cav man now foottrooper can recover and we take his former nemesis down together. You have to be a master of 2h/polearm blocking to do the same without shield, but sure possible too. Difference is, i know i will survive his first and most likely 2nd attack, the one without shield doesn't for sure. Multiplier saved ;)




......... oh man Leshma you have posted while i wanted to answer now i have to edit
15k ,yes but i wear a leather vest, helm and shoes, worth combined i don't know 1k? so it is ok.
I wouldn't say anything against a slight possitive increase in shields durability or in the speed/dmg output of my sidesword, as far as i can tell i hope to reach that over time through heirlooming, i am quite new to the game and the community and espically balancing seems yet out of reach of my knowledge.

[Grey]

Have you tried spamming your attack?  Use a fast weopon and dont stop swinging.  Block once or twice with the shield moving in fast then get in there close and start swinging.  It's cheap, skilless and very effective.  Strafe them constantly right up against them - and keep those attacks coming.  I'm sure things have changed a little since patch, but spam ftw hands down.  Let the ones who cry about spammers be the ones who can't whistle anymore. 

Keep on whistling.

I FUCKING LOVE when shielders try to crowd me when Im on 2h char. Thats the OPPOSITE of what they need to do. You cannot get behind a good 2h because they change direction as they attack, and since thy diidnt waste any points on shieldskill, they just have nice speed. Cyber is only shielder that I fear, in the entire playerbase of crpg. Every other shielder is easykill, you are carrying a big slow thing that doesnt help you....why would you DO that to yourself?

EDIT: Mala and Varyag are badass with shield too, but both Cyber and Mala can block manually when needed anyway, shield is just a bonus to them. Varyag, I dont know, never broken his buckler to find out!

[kinngrimm]

I FUCKING LOVE when shielders try to crowd me when Im on 2h char. Thats the OPPOSITE of what they need to do. You cannot get behind a good 2h because they change direction as they attack

I am not sure why you quoted Islander.  Not in that context, your statement is agreeable to some extent.
I am mostly not too happy when more then 2-3+ are ganging up on one other guy, with more you increase the chances for team wounds/kills drasticly. But i don't agree that it is a bad thing that those who gang up, are shielders too and don't need to close in all at once, 1 left 1 rigth 1 front, those on the flanks will most likely get the kill. I would most likely hug the 2h spammer if i am alone against him or he has no havy armor on him that way i can hope for a fast kill. I only need to hit him once to shock him, after that it is often my point.
Also i am really careful about gang up in combination with other 2h/polearm users, they hit me sometimes as easiely as the ennemy, if not me then my shield and i kind of like it if it to stick with me till the end of round.

...
and since thy didn't waste any points on shieldskill, they just have nice speed.
...
you are carrying a big slow thing that doesnt help you....why would you DO that to yourself?

The last point, my point exactly, 1h are faster with their left strike in most cases, if not then the balancing is flawed. OR you created a lot of agi points through converting skill points, in that case ask your self who really wasted something, but then again so did i for myself the same and created about 2-4 Attributepoints depending on build. Good 2h agi builds are a pain, but agi builds either 2h or shield have both the flaw that they need to go for low weight armor, to be mobile and not a sitting duck.

, ... Cyber is only shielder that I fear, in the entire playerbase of crpg. Every other shielder is easykill,...

EDIT: Mala and Varyag are badass with shield too, but both Cyber and Mala can block manually when needed anyway, shield is just a bonus to them. Varyag, I dont know, never broken his buckler to find out!

oh there are more good to fantastic out there who would make you problems, Vicouse666, Mortough, Sorokopud are all excellent even without their shield and those are only i can pick right out of my head.  But then again it allways depends on playstyle/build/weapon/daily form and many other factors.
Even you the great Grey will get killed from 1h/shield from time to time, perhaps even more after your last post here 
I know next time i meet you at that hill of the ruins i will be more carefull at least i will time it better that not 2 others are destracting me, what shouldn't imply you couldn't have killed me anyway.

[Mala]

...

EDIT: Mala and Varyag are badass with shield too, but both Cyber and Mala can block manually when needed anyway...

Nah, i can´t (lack of practice ). When i block then it is the attack direction with the highest probability.

[ShinySpoons]

What about the done damage, is there a difference ?
a) between left, right and overhead. The thrust is most likely different because it is no slash, it is pierce damage and the weapon carries different values for that.
b) with and without inertia, moving into the strike. Are there different inertia intensities?
c) where you actually hit the foe. Head, Hands, feet, front or back center. (this must depend on armor in those different places, or is there sth else?)

@ShinySpoons
You said its harder to hit with  a right swing to the head, well damn right you are, the only positions i can think of are when you are on higher ground or you try the full range of your weapon and hit him with the outer most part of it, at the end of the attack animation.

Head is x2 cut dmg (x3 for pierce), always go for the head if possible. I don't believe any other body part has special values for melee weapons. For projectiles, hitting arms of legs do decreased dmg though.

With the right conditions, a thrust will be more damaging then a cut, sadly, conditions are rarely right. If both players run at each and you get a stab in, loads of dmg due to the speed/inertia bonus. (and if you can get a headstab as well...) Like other weapons, a spin/lolstab is frequently necessary to not whiff. Just harder to do with a 1hander.

On right swing to head, you have to flick your mouse up at the point of release, easier to do with a slow weapon, but has saved me from whiffing off armoured targets and subsequently dying. Doesn't have to be at end of atk animation, you just hafta be fast 

Probably already mentioned, on almost all attacks, you should be moving and swinging the mouse in the direction of your cut (can't do this with overheads). This makes it hit the guy faster and increases the speed bonus, thus, increased dmg.

[kinngrimm]

@ShinySpoons thanks for your input, it is much appriciated.

"can't do this with overheads"
this part is as Vicouse666 said, doable when you jump=>release strike=>hit
You can test it with all directions, that it is doable if you take a sparings partner who blocks those different directions with a sword.
You and he will notice that his sword arm gets stuned for a second or less.

[ShinySpoons]

Hah! Yeah I forgot about the jump overheadXD I just rarely do it with a 1hander compared to the longer weapons.

[kinngrimm]

Hah! Yeah I forgot about the jump overheadXD I just rarely do it with a 1hander compared to the longer weapons.

It is a funny thing, as it is quite hard to aim that way and it happens you stand behind an archer jumping and missing and jumping and missing and you go crazy about it 

[Spawny]

Jump-thrusting often puts people off.

Anyway, after testing just about every high tier and midtier weapon that didn't have a direct upgrade, I've come to the conclusion that a side sword is the best weapon overall. There's a weapon for every situation, but the side sword can be used in most of em.

When heirloomed to masterwork it's a 103 speed weapon with 36 cut/29 pierce damage. Enough for me.

The steel pick/1h broad battle axe are both pretty powerfull, but lack a thrust, which is invaluable to my playstyle (you can't force a maul/barmace user to block first). Pre-patch I played with a long espada, but now it feels sluggish, weird and it get's stuck in midair/walls/dust particles flying in the air all the time.
Since my game of choice is siege mode, I don't mind the side sword being a bit short compared to the long espada.

[krampe]

This makes it hit the guy faster and increases the speed bonus, thus, increased dmg.

Sorry but that is wrong. You hit him earlier but not faster! You can try it in singleplayer where the speed bonus is shown.

[Spawny]

Sorry but that is wrong. You hit him earlier but not faster! You can try it in singleplayer where the speed bonus is shown.

It used to be like that iirc, but it was changed. Only movementspeed adds to the speedbonus, rotation speed does not.

[kinngrimm]

It used to be like that iirc, but it was changed. Only movementspeed adds to the speedbonus, rotation speed does not.

Let me get that straight, atm i rise my weapon to strike, i get slower(the same when i rise my shield)
When i strike then the only damage modifier comes from my speed which just droped because i wanted to strike.
Or do i slow down only if i hold the attack open without striking?
With an jump/overhead attack i even come to a standstill, which is not a problem as long i didn't miss.


Rotation into the strikes direction has no effect on damage but results in stun of the blocking weapon or shield,  then, right?

This sounds quite different to what i have been told till know, or did i misunderstand something?

I thought the inertia dependend mainly on the fact you get yourself fully into the strikes direction. When i think about it , thats the only way i ever brought some feeling of overwhelming power into the strike. You can see/hear/feel it when you try these moves.

[Spawny]

Not sure.

What I did notice however, is my shield get's stunned when it get's struck sometimes. It killed me a few times, as I couldn't but wonder what happened when I was sure I attacked, but my toon just stood there doing nothing.
It's something I had to get used to. I don't have a clue about the mechanic behind it.

[Vance]

Let me get that straight, atm i rise my weapon to strike, i get slower(the same when i rise my shield)
When i strike then the only damage modifier comes from my speed which just droped because i wanted to strike.
Or do i slow down only if i hold the attack open without striking?
With an jump/overhead attack i even come to a standstill, which is not a problem as long i didn't miss.

Yep, blocking and striking slows movement.
Yep, movement provides a bonus to damage.
Nope, you slow down if you block, strike or change weapons.
All jumping stops you.

Rotation into the strikes direction has no effect on damage but results in stun of the blocking weapon or shield,  then, right?

Wrong. You rotate only to deliver your strike at the sweetspot of the swing, if your angle is already correct then any rotation deviates from the ideal.

If you're getting spam-stunned to death it's because:
Low shield weight
Low shield skill
Low str
High opponent str
High opponent weapon weight
Maybe WPF contributes but agi spammers using a light weapon don't usually cause a problem, so it's probably negligible compared with the factors above.

Just sharing my experience and guesses ;)