Minor correction to #10 above (sorry Player SFTW, I deeply respect your knowledge). The suit DI applies to base weapon damage and is NOT applied to the Damage MODIFIER. Super slayers (including Cameo's) give 200% damage modifier. Specific slayers give 300. Damage increase is not the same as damage modifier, two separate calculations. This is the most confusing thing about the damage calculation, and keeps cropping up. It doesn't help that the Dev's themselves get it confused! Like Merlin and Chester advised, read that sticky at the top of the forum.
My personal inclination is to advocate using Broad sword / long sword for AI and chug pots. Use Halberd (with 60 SSI and 180+ stam) for whirlwind for truly big hits. Starting Sampires can rely on the Double axe and Bladed whip for WW, and Bladed staff / Broadsword for AI. I am beginning to wonder if, with your low parry, you might not actually benefit from using a shield. Most sampire builds make a shield a penalty because of the parry penalty to them from Bushido. BUt your build just might benefit, since you can get SSI, HCI, DCI and DI (but not all) on a shield. A shield with soul charge (mana leech), reactive paralyze, and SSI minimum just may help you out with some of the issues you identified.
1. Hit Stamina Leech is critical on most weapons. That is more vital than HLL in most situations if you are in Vamp form, as the base Hit Life Drain from it can cover your healing needs. I consider HSL and HML as mandatory on all my weapons.
Another option I am not seeing mentioned is using protection scrolls instead of FC to cast corpse skin with no interrupt. I use that to free up weapon slots. With what I am seeing from your build, Hit Lower Attack is MANDATORY.
You SHOULD have a general purpose AI weapon, as that is NOT dependent on targetting lowest resists.
You should have tailored Whirlwind weapons that are 100% of an elemental damage, Unless you want to spam consecrate weapon a lot. . If you are not using cameo's, then you definitely want them with slayers.
GIven the issue with getting hit more for more damage than most templates, I am thinking you might greatly benefit using a Daisho (feint + double strike) in single target situations. You will want them as 100% elemental damages, but the 50% damage reduction from feint will greatly help you out. And you can modify Sadok's tips around it.
My suggestion for your weapons:
Whirlwind weapon:
Slayer
HML
HSL
HLA
Hit area
AI weapon:
Slayer
HML
HSL
HLA
Hit fatigue (get this from reforging with shadow / DC hammer, then imbue up)
2. Enchanted apples, remove curse, or high resisting spells. It took me years, but once I started running 120 resisting spells instead of anatomy, I will never go back. Instead, I swap out chivalry and anatomy based on what I am hunting.
3. Lightning strike for when you are low on mana. One reason you are having mana flats (no returns) is the SSI on your weapons. You can't max HML if you have it. I consider rigging my suit to have 30 SSI and get me to 180_ stamina a priority so I can max the leeches on the weapons. Another is just the way HML works. No matter how high it is, the range for return always starts at 0. So 100% hml gives you a range of 0-100% mana return. The RNG just loves to get stuck in ruts and gives you less back than you used sometimes. It works best in Whirlwind situations because each hit is giving you an HML chance and the returns are additive.
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6&7. WOW, this is a problem to me. Low DCI and No parry means getting hit a ton more than most templates. Most run EITHER DCI 45-60, OR 120 parry. Some do both. But NEITHER is something I cannot get my head around. HLA on a weapon in that case would seem mandatory as well. Getting hit less is (IMO) > Higher suit resists > Leeching more. With refinements I normally agree that higher suit resists is much more effective than DCI, but in this case I might reconsider.
My thread below discusses most of this, goes through a suit build, and gives a decision matrix. It might help you, might not.
17 minute, 48 second Rikki run, Sampire(ish) template, with gear/build/EC macroes
Also, read Sadok's thread, TONS of pertinent information there as well.
I'm making this because I end up repeating it over and over again, this way I can just link to this thread. About this template: I've done a lot of theory crafting and testing out weapons/skills in the past 2 years. This is hands down the strongest all-around tank template in the game. People...
community.stratics.com
For your evasion understanding:
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9. Confidence, Evasion, Counterattack are Bushido skills I rely on in all situations. Momentum strike for 2 MOBS. Like you say, practice using them! Your parry DOES make Counterattack less effective, but ANY extra damage is good damage.
Lightning strike is great when you hit one of those mana flats and can't leech enough back. The critical hit will boost you right back up.
11. Practice on Stygian mini-champs, and Ilshenar champs. The paragons will really help you fine tune your combos.