The SK pet is pretty poor until the level 52 and especially the level 58 pets, at which point they become useful sources of damage. That's a long ways off though. In particularly the mid-level pets are wretched, with the 39 pet in particular being so bad that in my opinion it isn't even worth summoning. You shouldn't have to worry about any of them out-damaging you. If you're using the pet, don't kill it pointlessly. Instead it's best used as an effectively mana-free damage supplement.
A Human Shadow Knight can do any job any of the other races can do. My own SK is a Human; I've been 60 for several years. I give up about 200 HP off an Ogre in equivalent gear (higher-end group gear in my case, like Thurgadin armor), but that's not really very much for people who buff to over 5000 hit points. If you progress into North Temple Veeshan-level equipment, everyone caps stamina and the stats become equal. Nobody who invites a tank to their group ever cares what race the tank happens to be, so don't worry about it. The Human leveling a little faster and having easier factions is a nice compensation for the player with limited time.
It's difficult to find 1H weapons with good damage ratios for cheap prices. I consider it easier to start out using a cheap 2H weapon (Nathsar Greatsword with its 17/30 ratio is a common choice) then switch to 1H/Shield once you have more money. The cheapest 1H weapon I truly consider worth using is the Mace of the Shadowed Soul and that still typically costs at least 1000 platinum or more. If you're determined to use 1H exclusively, try to use Velious weapons. Ebonwood cudgel is obsolete; you can look for some Velious weapons (such as a Crystallized Blade, 13/31 ratio) for probably 100P or so. That'd be good enough to take you into the 20's or so anyway.
Danth
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