SK Pre-50 Leveling: 1 Handed or 2 Handed

[supercalif]

I have been playing a SK Twink and was wondering what the best leveling weapon would be up to level 50? Budget isn’t a concern so I am curious what would be the best option?

I am considering Massive Dragonclaw Shard, Reaver, Argent Protector, etc. I am currently using a Swiftblade of Zek pre level 30 as I figured that makes the most sense (I also have a Blade of Carnage but I think swiftblade would be better pre level 20).

I am not considering any questable or No Drop items at this time.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

[PatChapp]

If you plan on fear kiting big 2h is pretty nice. You don't need to stay in perfect range the whole time like you would with a 1h
For group tanking sword and board is nice

[Ripqozko]

I have been playing a SK Twink and was wondering what the best leveling weapon would be up to level 50? Budget isn’t a concern so I am curious what would be the best option?

I am considering Massive Dragonclaw Shard, Reaver, Argent Protector, etc. I am currently using a Swiftblade of Zek pre level 30 as I figured that makes the most sense (I also have a Blade of Carnage but I think swiftblade would be better pre level 20).

I am not considering any questable or No Drop items at this time.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

Use any 1h pre 30 doesn't matter what, after that swap to 2h and pretend 1h doesn't exist

[Crede]

I have been playing a SK Twink and was wondering what the best leveling weapon would be up to level 50? Budget isn’t a concern so I am curious what would be the best option?

I am considering Massive Dragonclaw Shard, Reaver, Argent Protector, etc. I am currently using a Swiftblade of Zek pre level 30 as I figured that makes the most sense (I also have a Blade of Carnage but I think swiftblade would be better pre level 20).

I am not considering any questable or No Drop items at this time.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

Just use reaver 20+. It will still hit for like 80 20-30. Or if you really need to 1h for a sec then ebon mace but I never bothered. Sell sboz/boc for narandi crown if you don’t have one.

[Keebz]

If you raid on your main and you're not an elf, the Dain axe is hard to beat.

Don't buy a Massive Dragonclaw Shard unless you get it very cheap. They are impossible to move.

I like the 21/24 piercer until 30 for Reaver (or Dain axe if you're fancy).

[supercalif]

I’m not currently raiding any longer so that’s why I took off no drop items for now. For some weird reason I like 1 handed dps but I do agree that I might just go for a Reaver next time I see one for sale.

[Snaggles]

Reaver is tough to beat once the cap gets lifted. Leveling with like a Frostwrath, Soul Defiler, or Sledge of Smashing wouldn’t be bad.

I’d rather just use a velks sword or ebon for tanking over a MDS.

[Toxigen]

Reaver / Herbalist Spade til Narandi's Lance

1 handers are shit, even for tanking.

[Trelaboon]

Reaver is tough to beat once the cap gets lifted. Leveling with like a Frostwrath, Soul Defiler, or Sledge of Smashing wouldn’t be bad.

I’d rather just use a velks sword or ebon for tanking over a MDS.

I dunno, with the SK threat changes, might be worth having the higher DPS weapon. My 51 SK twink is using a rocksmasher so I don’t have experience either way, but seems higher damage output would make a solid difference.

[Snaggles]

I dunno, with the SK threat changes, might be worth having the higher DPS weapon. My 51 SK twink is using a rocksmasher so I don’t have experience either way, but seems higher damage output would make a solid difference.

Probably, I guess let someone else interior. My big point was don’t buy a MDS.

[Crede]

Reaver / Herbalist Spade til Narandi's Lance

1 handers are shit, even for tanking.

Herb spade on sk? Bad idea. Usually snare/fear around 50%.

[Troxx]

Having recently leveled a ranger to 51 and parsed along the way, I can honestly say I never found a need to swing anything but a 2hander after dmg cap was lifted at 30. I had 2 11/20 one handers to use until first cap raise at 20 and then wurmslayer + 11/20 following. I’d swap weapons in to keep skills up at the start of new levels but never consistently used them otherwise.

It’s not a knight, mind you, but the performance on parses across all those levels was night and day.

2h is just better these days.

[Snaggles]

Prior to the scaling damage bonus speed played a much bigger part when comparing ratio. Now since it scales on delay a 2h that’s over a 1/1 ratio is tough to beat for pure dps if you aren’t stuck with damage caps.

Bash damage and stats aside, the best droppable 1h for a SK is the massive dragon claw shard at 28/30. The Reaver is 40/40. The Reaver is 7% better without any damage bonus, or nearly anything. At level 50 the 1h is 8dmg bonus, the Reaver is 14…now it’s a 2.133 ratio for the MDS and 2.35 for the Reaver (almost 10% better). It continues to climb like that and eventually ends up 2.233 vs 2.85 at 60 (or a 22% advantage to the reaver.

This of course not accounting for losing less dps between casting. Bigger ripostes, less mob ripostes (less of an issue but still), and less issues with damage shields. That and a reaver is like 1/5th the cost.

Unless you are tanking or really needing to stop a gater you better have a ntov equivalent 1h to even consider it over a generic EC buy. Even the whole “fast weapons for high ac raid” is kinda out the window. A Soul Defiler on damage bonus alone is a .57 ranking (19 delay, 11 damage bonus) where the reaver is .8 (32 dmg bonus to 40 delay). At 60 the Soul Defiler is 2.78 ratio so still behind the Reaver even if insignificantly so.