Block for All 2h Weapons

I'm using an alternate style of Earth Shatter because I didn't feel like doing the whole shout setup.

It's Earth Shatter of Fragility with Less Duration. Each Slam produces 5 spikes with a 0.6s duration so you get around ~3.4-3.6 APS which allows 15 spikes, the maximum to be planted before the first set explodes. It takes 3 swings or 1 MultiStrike and then you're rolling.

The Shout setup hits harder. At least in the gear range that build was in.

there is block for 2 handers:

Perfidy + WARCRY PUMP + Dread Banner + Versatile Combatant

65% all block with pretty much no investment (~8 wasted passives to setup warcry pump + 3link)

all you need is a mental timer to press the button every x seconds.

it is very interesting and viable setup, esp if you wanted to use Warcries anyway (you need at least 3 for WARCRY PUMP).


so sad that banners are literally useless without WARCRY PUMP and barely usable with it. to make them actually worth building around you need both WARCRY PUMP AND Perfidy. champion's 'linger' node is a substitute but requires immense concentration to pull it off and assumes you stick to basic 50 valour. ~100 valour setups without both perfidy+WARCRY PUMP are unrealistic

banners you either have always on, or there is no hardly any scenario when they are worth using


so yes, you can get significant all block from reasonable investment on a 2h mace or whatever. in fact im pretty sure banners were designed precisely with 2handers in mind as otherwise the boni they give are.. not worth it. the final nail is tying entire mechanic to one chest and warcries. this is terrible design

Dread banner increases anyone's ability to block, using a mechanic that is not the most reliable. This is not the same as giving 2h weapons a defensive layer (block or something else) that all other styles possess.

Just a nitpick about this thread. 2 handed weapons don't block. They parry.

The typical fantasy game trope of 2handers is they deal more damage but lack defense compared to 1h + shield while dual wield is in the middle, often emphasizing speed.

In reality if you were to try and block a longsword with a staff you'd end up with two halves of a staff. You have to parry. I've been happy to see old fantasy tropes dying out like a shield being only good for defense. Hitting a fully armor person with the edge of your shield will generally do more than a sword could ever hope to do. It's why they had the murder stroke.

Still, if any weapon setup needs help in this game. My vote is dual wielding.

There is no parry mechanic in the game, but would love one.

I suggested some kind of bonus to Fort but an evasion bonus also works to simulate parries.

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Xzorn wrote:

Just a nitpick about this thread. 2 handed weapons don't block. They parry.

Major eyeroll here lmao