Modern Weapons and SSI

[Obsidian]

I've held out on the 100 HLL warrior, but I'm ready to dive in and drop vampire form. I'd like some thoughts on weapons you are all running these days and how you are stacking SSI on your suits. Let's talk about a swordsman.

With reforging, you can hit 100 HLL on a Bladed Staff (3.0s base weapon) without SSI. This is the slowest base weapon where you can hit 100 HLL. A 2.75s weapon maxes out at 96 HLL without SSI and it goes down from there. So far a swordsman, it seems logical to me the Bladed Staff would be the preferred weapon.

So if I reforge 100 HLL, what are the total mods on your weapons? I am thinking of running something like this:

Bladed Staff
100 HLL (70% reforge) -- 154 imbuing weight
75 HML (50% imbue) -- 110 imbuing weight
50 HSL (50% imbue) -- 100 imbuing weight
40 DI (exceptional) -- 80 imbuing weight
Super Slayer -- 130 imbuing weight

Of course super slayer could be replaced with 50 HLA, 50 HLD, or specific slayer. Are there any changes you'd make to this weapon? Also, I am assuming the weapon is 100% physical as it would be difficult to reforge both 100 HLL and 100 Elemental Damage without getting other unwanted mods (and burning a ton of runic hammers).

If this is the case, what items are you using to hit 20 SSI and run with 150 Stamina?

For a double strike weapon, the only option I can think of is the Scimitar with a 3.25s base speed. You have to adjust the mods for a single handed weapon which means you are capped at 500 imbuing intensity. But more troubling is that you'd need 20 SSI with 180 Stamina or 35 SSI at 150 Stamina. I also think a DS weapon needs to be with 100% of the mobs weakest resist unless you want to run Consecrate Weapon throughout the fight.

Is my bladed staff and scimitar plans consistent with what other bushido warriors with 100 HLL are running these days? Thanks for your input.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[CorwinXX]

Bladed Staff for AI
Double Axe for DS (the same speed as a scimitar)

Standard weapons:
Bladed Staff: 50 DI, 100 HLL, 75 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer
Bladed Staff: 50 DI, 75 HLL, 100 HML, 50 HSL, 50 HLA (to chain AI without honor/slayer bonus)
Bladed Staff: 50 DI, 75 HLL, 75 HML, 50 HSL, 60 HFat (better than HLA)
Double Axe: 50 DI, 81 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer, 100% Elemental Damage
Double Axe: 50 DI, 81 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SC (-1 FC), 100% Cold Damage (vs slims)

It is not very difficult to craft a Double Axe with 50 DI, 97 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer, 100% Fire/Cold Damage. (reforge 132 intensity HLL and 70 elemental damage, then enhance for 100 elemental damage).


You can get 20 SSI with DF and trade bonus. Use SSI jewels to get more SSI.


One my swordsman (Melee Archer) has 35 SSI (20 SSI on jewels + DF) and 190 max stamina with potions (40 gap for 1.25s).
Another my swordsman (Disco Swordsman) has 20 SSI (DF + trade bonus) and 202 max stamina with potions (22 gap for 1.25s).

 

[Tuan]

Scimitars are 3.0s, not 3.25 - so you have that going for you if you choose to go that route.

Why the concern of 150 stamina threshold? Is your goal to run a suit with <180, or do you just want a big buffer? If you swap 100 necro for 100(or 120) resist then debuffs aren't that big of a deal... If you run a metal suit, then your stamina is pretty nicely protected against stam loss from damage too. You need to get hit for ~25+ before losing any stam at full health in 5x metal + glasses.

My ideal setup would have me running HLD on my weapon, and then I don't wear the glasses - just get the biggest hammer I can choose "mighty of haste" properties and make myself a nice reforged helmet...

 

[Obsidian]

Why the concern of 150 stamina threshold? Is your goal to run a suit with <180, or do you just want a big buffer?

Ideally, I want to stack the suit with luck too for the new loot drops. I'm exploring the trade off of 150 stamina vs 180 stamina and how I can fit in luck vs SSI vs stamina. For example, I would like to use the 400 luck ring/brace turn-in point set, but it has no Dex or Stamina Increase. That inhibits my ability to easily hit 180 stamina, unless I drop the M&S Glasses and use the Despicable Quiver over the Augmentation Cloak.

 

[Tuan]

Ok, makes sense, but why not just use the EQ to switch into the luck suit for just the killing blow(s)? Going to be really, really difficult to build a suit that is both lucky, and useful for killing the highest end monsters.

 

[CorwinXX]

I have a suit:
1970 luck
70-70-70-70-80
45 HCI, 23 DCI (40 max), 100 DI, SSI 35
HLL 87, HML 60
122 HP, 177 SI, 50 MI (without potions)
HPR 4, SR 5, MR 4
damage 45-58 (broadsword)

only 105 tactics, 65 anatomy (because my char has Disco, Music and Healing)

 

[Obsidian]

I have a suit:
1970 luck
70-70-70-70-80
45 HCI, 23 DCI (40 max), 100 DI, SSI 35
HLL 87, HML 60
122 HP, 177 SI, 50 MI (without potions)
HPR 4, SR 5, MR 4
damage 45-58 (broadsword)

only 105 tactics, 65 anatomy (because my char has Disco, Music and Healing)

Would you be willing to show pics of your suit pieces?

 

[CorwinXX]

Would you be willing to show pics of your suit pieces?

helm 12-20-10-9-7, 170 luck, 8 LMC, 8 SI, 4 DCI
gorget 10-20-10-10-8, 180 luck, 8 LMC, 6 SI, 5 MI
arms 14-8-20-10-20, 190 luck, 6 SI, 5 MI
legs 12-9-9-18-11, 160 luck, 8 LMC, 8 SI, 4 HCI
tunic 12-20-10-7-11, 170 luck, 8 LMC, 8 SI, 4 DCI
gloves 10-15-8-6-20, 180 luck, 8 LMC, 6 SI, 5 MI

Broadsword 87 HLL, 60 HML, 34 HSL, 140 luck, 20 SSI
Shield 2-3-3-0-3, 160 luck, FC 1, DI 20, HCI 4, DCI 10

Despicable Quiver (Poison)
Lune Rouge
Soleil Rouge
Crimson Cincture
Earring of Protection (Fire)
Blackthorn Epaulette (luck robe)
Blackthorn Tunic (lt sash)
Soles Of Providence
Soldier's Medal

The suit was designed to use with The Slither, so with Soldier's Medal I have overcapped HCI and undercapped DCI.

 

[Obsidian]

@CorwinXX -- For the 6 suit pieces you listed above, are you running studded leather and enhancing with spined? It looks like you are reforging Luck and DCI. So Auspicious of Fortune and Towering of Aegis with a horned or copper runic? Powerful reforge or not?

Also, I am glad to see you are also using the Lune Rouge and the Soleil Rouge.

And finally, why the Lieutenant of the Royal Guard Sash (Blackthorn Surcoat) when you could run a Corgul Sash and refine for 50 DCI? I'm using an elf and could push energy resist down to 70.

 

[CorwinXX]

For PvM more resists is better.
All items are metal. I used Copper Runic but it was before the last patch (when you could get 150 luck from Copper).
I don't remember exactly but I believe it was "Copper, of Fortune, powerful" - 4 charges per item.

I forgot to say that initially it was a suit for a sampire (95 fire res).

 

[hungry4knowhow]

It is not very difficult to craft a Double Axe with 50 DI, 97 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer, 100% Fire/Cold Damage. (reforge 132 intensity HLL and 70 elemental damage, then enhance for 100 elemental damage).

Bladed Staff for AI
Double Axe for DS (the same speed as a scimitar)

Standard weapons:
Bladed Staff: 50 DI, 100 HLL, 75 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer
Bladed Staff: 50 DI, 75 HLL, 100 HML, 50 HSL, 50 HLA (to chain AI without honor/slayer bonus)
Bladed Staff: 50 DI, 75 HLL, 75 HML, 50 HSL, 60 HFat (better than HLA)
Double Axe: 50 DI, 81 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer, 100% Elemental Damage
Double Axe: 50 DI, 81 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SC (-1 FC), 100% Cold Damage (vs slims)

It is not very difficult to craft a Double Axe with 50 DI, 97 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer, 100% Fire/Cold Damage. (reforge 132 intensity HLL and 70 elemental damage, then enhance for 100 elemental damage).


You can get 20 SSI with DF and trade bonus. Use SSI jewels to get more SSI.


One my swordsman (Melee Archer) has 35 SSI (20 SSI on jewels + DF) and 190 max stamina with potions (40 gap for 1.25s).
Another my swordsman (Disco Swordsman) has 20 SSI (DF + trade bonus) and 202 max stamina with potions (22 gap for 1.25s).

What exactly would be the process for this @CorwinXX ?
Craft exceptional iron double axe
Reforge w/ Copper hammer for 100HLL

where does the 70 ele damage come in? From everything im reading getting 100 Leach AND 70 Ele Damage is pretty much a pipe dream.

 

[Herp!]

True story, Double Strike + onslaught with an ele weapon for lowest resist for the monster in question is highest damage possible. Another fun fact, I've been doing Semidar, Rikktor, Parox, etc etc etc, basically all but Travesty... With 100% ele, slayer(if applicable), 81hll, 81hml, 50hsl, 38hld double axes for the past few weeks with no issues whatsoever. 81% hll + doublestrike = you won't die(one of those hits is BOUND to fking heal you for a lot when you are hitting for 150-200 twice per swing). 38 hld + 30 from glasses = you basically won't miss cuz yeah... math says thats 100% chance to land HLD on every swing, RNG says you'll definitely land HLD at least once every 8s duration.

On monsters with no slayer or Fey, I use 2h axes with 15ssi 75hll 75hml 50hsl 50hld & their lowest resist elemental damage.

I've done ridiculous amounts of math for this.... do not even bother making AI weapons, do not bother with reforging 100 hll.... you don't need them. Just reforge 100% elemental on a non exceptional weapon, get 100 DI on gear, and GG. Seriously, STOP WASTING A SLOT FOR IMBUING ON FKING DAMAGE INCREASE. IT'S WORTHLESS. GET THAT CRAP ON YOUR GEAR, NOT HARD.

As for gear, ringmail chest sleeves gloves, plate gorget, mace and shields, 5ssi 5stam 15hci 8dex 25di jewelry, Tinker legs required, Enhantress Cameo(SG)/Soldier's Medal(Cleanup points) for the tali, cape can be either Jumu's Sacred Hide like I am using, or if you have the availability, Ranger's Cloak for moar ssi... I do not have the luxury of a Ranger's Cloak & actually prefer the free 20% DI from Jumu's, I also recommend getting 75 phys fire cold psn energy(80 energy if elf) by way of item refinements, 180+stam (preferably with buffer stam for curses, but pots will generally make you ignore all curses) and as much str as you can get. I do not run DCI because DCI is the bane of my existence and causes me to parry less often, which causes Confidence & Counterattack to NEVER proc. The order of hit mechanics runs DCI check before Parry check for some god awful reason....

You wanna kill crap.... just use DS and Onslaught. You get low on hp/stam? Use confidence/evasion. Since the introduction of Onslaught the game has become even more of a joke for warriors. To the point I can solo SG with maybe 1 fail out of all the rooms(silly Belfry GDragon ) & maybe 2 on the roof if Virtuebane wants to be an asshat.

PM me and I'll share the spreadsheet I made for damage calculation if you'd like to know more about ignoring AI, unless the mob has OVER 90 resists in the element you are attacking with, AI is worthless. I am on rarely nowadays but I will try to keep an eye on Stratics more closely as I was in the past few months.

I will also mention, it took me literally 3 weeks of 7 days a week 4-8 hours a day crafting to make the 4 pieces that aren't artifacts or the jewelry which I happened to just have lying around. It's worth the time spent making a solid suit with overcap resists & I spent 0 on the refinements because I run 3-4 champ spawns in an hour with this build, built the suit to be overcap, ran spawns en masse, refined suit as I got the bits, profit.

Template:
120 Swords
120 Parry
120 Bushido
100 Tactics
100 Anatomy
80 Chivalry
80 Resist Spells

Can drop 60 out of parry, get 100 RS, 120 tact, 100 Chiv if you want higher damage/don't like fizzling on enemy of one. Can then further the damage by dropping RS for LJ on bosses that you don't worry about paralyze/mana drains on, such as Paroxysmus (dat 100% damage bonus booty)


TL;DR PM me and I'll send you my spreadsheet (when I get a chance) showing why AI & 100 HLL are worthless unless you're fighting an Ophidian Berserker(he's a rough one.... killed him dead solo). Possibly soon to come; video footage... If I can be arsed to hit f9.

 

[Tuan]

38% HLD on weapon AND 30% on mace'n'shield != 68%. It is 38 + (62*.3) = 56.2% I suggest that putting HLD on the weapon isn't necessary. I did the math in another thread somewhere with the last year or two, so I won't reproduce it here. I believe in that case I was looking only at AI strikes, so if using DS, even with "only" 30 HLD from the helmet, it's still pretty unlikely that you'll ever not re-apply the effect.

Also... to make the best weapon possible, why not make an exceptional weapon, and use a whetstone to remove the DI - that way you still get the full imbue weight? Then I'd imbue HLA instead of HLD. Or if you insist upon HLD on the weapon, with the extra imbue weight of using exceptional weapon + whetstone, you can run a different head slot piece than mace'n'shield.

Another fun thing to try would be to reforge for the elemental damage + Hit Mana Drain for use against the big casters.

Against a creature with sufficiently high weaponskill (because the 2nd hit can, and does miss) and sufficiently high resist, AI is still the way to go. Do many, of those creatures exist? No.

 

[Herp!]

38% HLD on weapon AND 30% on mace'n'shield != 68%. It is 38 + (62*.3) = 56.2% I suggest that putting HLD on the weapon isn't necessary. I did the math in another thread somewhere with the last year or two, so I won't reproduce it here. I believe in that case I was looking only at AI strikes, so if using DS, even with "only" 30 HLD from the helmet, it's still pretty unlikely that you'll ever not re-apply the effect.

Also... to make the best weapon possible, why not make an exceptional weapon, and use a whetstone to remove the DI - that way you still get the full imbue weight? Then I'd imbue HLA instead of HLD. Or if you insist upon HLD on the weapon, with the extra imbue weight of using exceptional weapon + whetstone, you can run a different head slot piece than mace'n'shield.

Another fun thing to try would be to reforge for the elemental damage + Hit Mana Drain for use against the big casters.

Against a creature with sufficiently high weaponskill (because the 2nd hit can, and does miss) and sufficiently high resist, AI is still the way to go. Do many, of those creatures exist? No.

There's literally one of those creatures that exists currently with too high resists.. maybe 2 if Blackrock elementals still spawn on occasion, but I cannot recall their resists, and the high weapon skill makes no difference in my experience, I have never missed a single 2nd strike on ozymandias who has 190+ wrestling or anon(earth form has 220+ wrestling often) if the first hits, so does the 2nd. And while it is GREAT to use whetstones, I don't see a reason to farm them, or waste 5m on them.. considering 550 weight on a 2h weapon is plenty weight and 600 is excessive.

Quick maffs session;
Double axe min dmg is 15. 15x2.8(280% from skills I currently use + 100 di on gear) = 42.
42+(42*2)(honor + eoo = 200%) = 126.
Say the mob has 70 resist in the element in question minus 20 from onslaught so 50.
126-(126x.5) = 63 * 2 = 126 from a double strike on a no slayer boss (which i really only use even higher damage 2h axes for). (All of this not using LJ for ridiculous damage boost btw)
So... a broadsword, same speed... lower minimum damage, would do LESS than the minimum damage per AI than a DS. Because AI would just ignore the resists and do 13-17 * maffs I just did, equating to.... less damage. Even if the 2nd strike misses. Because you'll end up having less HLD procs with the broadsword and you will then end up dying as a result of not hitting things! It's really true, I did the math and made a spreadsheet that contains every boss in the game min/max dmg for aI/ds... the only bosses that were questionable at first were non slayer/fey bosses(really only lord oaks) but then corpse just explained that I should utilize a 2h axe and do more base dmg.

Your math is sound on HLD but I use HLD on weapon in addition to glasses because I found that while soloing SG, I need the extra 2 chances to apply HLD or I risk it falling off and me dying to ozymandias or virtuebane. I use HLA on rare occasion but, if you understand mechanics of counterattack and confidence, you actually want the boss to be able to hit you.... so you can hit them more or heal more... I tested it on rikktor, believe me, it's nicer when he hits you for some reason.

 

[Tuan]

I never considered counterattack... so yeah, if you're a counterattacker, then probably HLA isn't what you want.

First off... let me say that I'm one of the people who constructed the "DS + Onslaught" bandwagon. I'm not disagreeing with you that it's generally for the best - I'm suggesting that it's not quite as cut and dry as you seem to think.

As for you never missing the 2nd strike... I dunno how you manage that, I miss the 2nd hit regularly, even against things with 0 weapon skill, since the max change to hit is always 98%, even after all modifiers. So at absolute best, you're going to miss the 2nd swing 2% of the time. According to the wiki at UO.com, UOGuide, and Stratics the 2nd swing has a chance to miss...

Part of the reason why DS with a Double Axe is better than AI with a broadsword is that the axe is harder hitting. It's not quite apples to oranges, but it's like apples to pears. If you were using a katana, against something with 70 natural resist, you're better to AI, since you won't be landing the DS on every hit (the ones to apply onslaught must be singles).

10 + 10 + 10 + 10 > 5(the hit where you apply onslaught just before the previous onslaught runs out) + 10 + 10 + 10. (we needn't worry about all the various modifiers, since they all apply in exactly the same way whether you're DSing or AIing in this case)

The math, or maffs, is somewhat more complicated than you suggest.

If you're interested I will go into the in depth explanation of why, I will. If you're not, I will save myself the time.


I grant that the needing to keep HLD applied etc. is a selling point for DS as well, but it's not quite so cut and dry as you'd suggest. Also, by doing more smaller hits, it protects you better from when 1 of them leeches 0...

 

[BeaIank]

And if you are farming Minax Captains in Blackthorns, very often you will want AI because unless they spawn with 0 resist and 5 times more HP, they all have resists in the 90s.

 

[Tuan]

There is a true equation that will show you exactly where it makes sense to use DS vs AI for a given pair of weapons. (since no one uses a katana for PVM...)

 

[Kazute]

It is not very difficult to craft a Double Axe with 50 DI, 97 HLL, 81 HML, 50 HSL, SuperSlayer, 100% Fire/Cold Damage. (reforge 132 intensity HLL and 70 elemental damage, then enhance for 100 elemental damage).

@CorwinXX I know your post is pretty old but would you mind explaining how to reforge that kind of double axe? My attempts on test shard with copper/bronze/gold and powerful vampiric/quality all seem to fail at successfully making this.

 

[CorwinXX]

When I reforged 140% of the cap HML/HLL (copper powerful or ash non-powerful) I sometimes got 120% of the cap HML/HLL + 70% elemental damage.