Question about swords

[OMGitsTHEMEMI]

Is armor piercing worth in the steel swords or should I just go with the one that gives the most raw damage?

[worm_master]

Never in my substantial playthoughs, have i ever bothered with Piercing. Just no point, I always go for dam and stats, which is why i love my current swords.

I'm also 1 of the most accomplished an excellence player, so can help in other ways

[OMGitsTHEMEMI]

Originally posted by worm_master:

Never in my substantial playthoughs, have i ever bothered with Piercing. Just no point, I always go for dam and stats, which is why i love my current swords.

I'm also 1 of the most accomplished an excellence player, so can help in other ways

will ask here again if I need something but so far I was only confused by swords

[worm_master]

Originally posted by OMGitsTHEMEMI:

Originally posted by worm_master:

Never in my substantial playthoughs, have i ever bothered with Piercing. Just no point, I always go for dam and stats, which is why i love my current swords.

I'm also 1 of the most accomplished an excellence player, so can help in other ways

will ask here again if I need something but so far I was only confused by swords

I'm usely around, pretty much all the time, i'll help as i can.

[OMGitsTHEMEMI]

well I have one more since I should go for the higher raw damage should I go for swords with % on poison and critic on top of raw damage?

[MULTIPASS]

There was a bug/mistake in the original game that prevents all human enemies from receiving the armor stats they're supposed to have and I don't think they ever fixed it. Some of the human enemies from the DLCs do have armor, and a few animals like bears have a little bit. Overall, it's a worthless stat for steel swords and nearly worthless on silver once you've gained some levels.

The enemies that have armor only have a small amount that is meaningful when your level is low, but it doesn't scale up to higher levels.

If you're using any major game overhaul mod, they likely fixed it so I can't speak to how that's balanced.

[Veritas]

Armor piercing is worthless because even in the DLCs where armor value is properly applied to enemies, the value is far too low to care, and in the damage formula, "attack power" for swords (like from red mutagens or perks) is so heavily favored that even as early as the early 10s of levels you will be doing far more damage than what the content is balanced.

Ghost mode is the only mod that really tackles any of these problems unfortunately, and that overhaul is not next gen compatible. And in some ways ghost mode can be worse than vanilla experience depending on what you're looking for out of the combat.

[worm_master]

Originally posted by OMGitsTHEMEMI:

well I have one more since I should go for the higher raw damage should I go for swords with % on poison and critic on top of raw damage?

I go for a mid point, dam is NICE, but stats, make the fight better, you can add poisoning via rune, but some swords come with poisoning or bleeding, which doubles the ryne output, in essence I have +20 to poisoning.
My fav steel sword comes with poisoning included, but the other stats are better,

My Steel Sword.
Type
Steel sword
Level Req.
46 (+ starting level in NG+)
Source
Craft
Weight
2.41 Tw3 weight brown
Attributes
Effect(s)
+75% Critical hit damage bonus
+15% Critical hit chance
+15% Chance to cause bleeding
+15% Chance to poison
+3% Chance for instant kill
Slots
3
Damage
371-453.8 (at level 46)
+7.2-8.8 per level in NG+

Silver Sword Gesheft
Tier
Relic
Type
Silver sword
Level Req.
45 (+ starting level in NG+)
Source
Craft
Weight
2.41 Tw3 weight brown
Attributes
Effect(s)
+30% Aard Sign intensity
+100% Critical hit damage bonus
+15% Critical hit chance
+15% Chance to poison
+5% Bonus experience from monsters
Slots
3
Damage
508-620 (at level 45)
+9-11 per level in New Game +

I picked both up at level 9 or 10... 8D

[OMGitsTHEMEMI]

Originally posted by worm_master:

Originally posted by OMGitsTHEMEMI:

well I have one more since I should go for the higher raw damage should I go for swords with % on poison and critic on top of raw damage?

I go for a mid point, dam is NICE, but stats, make the fight better, you can add poisoning via rune, but some swords come with poisoning or bleeding, which doubles the ryne output, in essence I have +20 to poisoning.
My fav steel sword comes with poisoning included, but the other stats are better,

My Steel Sword.
Type
Steel sword
Level Req.
46 (+ starting level in NG+)
Source
Craft
Weight
2.41 Tw3 weight brown
Attributes
Effect(s)
+75% Critical hit damage bonus
+15% Critical hit chance
+15% Chance to cause bleeding
+15% Chance to poison
+3% Chance for instant kill
Slots
3
Damage
371-453.8 (at level 46)
+7.2-8.8 per level in NG+

Silver Sword Gesheft
Tier
Relic
Type
Silver sword
Level Req.
45 (+ starting level in NG+)
Source
Craft
Weight
2.41 Tw3 weight brown
Attributes
Effect(s)
+30% Aard Sign intensity
+100% Critical hit damage bonus
+15% Critical hit chance
+15% Chance to poison
+5% Bonus experience from monsters
Slots
3
Damage
508-620 (at level 45)
+9-11 per level in New Game +

I picked both up at level 9 or 10... 8D

damn those look OP

[worm_master]

Lol well yes and no, in my hands, way way OP, but then so's a level 4 sword.

In others hands, nor so much, I completed the final stage of "A Rose on a Red Field" at level 10, in under 7 mins..

[Praesi]

I played through Witcher 3 several Times. I always went for highest raw Damage. Armor piercing did nothing i noticed.

[Draconifors]

Personal attacks are NOT welcome. If you cannot post without attacking someone, please don't post at all.

Posts removed. Also, you are very much mistaken if you think only reported posts get deleted, or that all reported posts get deleted. Not even remotely true.

[pjedilord]

Originally posted by Snazzy Dragon:

Armor piercing is worthless because even in the DLCs where armor value is properly applied to enemies, the value is far too low to care, and in the damage formula, "attack power" for swords (like from red mutagens or perks) is so heavily favored that even as early as the early 10s of levels you will be doing far more damage than what the content is balanced.

Ghost mode is the only mod that really tackles any of these problems unfortunately, and that overhaul is not next gen compatible. And in some ways ghost mode can be worse than vanilla experience depending on what you're looking for out of the combat.

Originally posted by worm_master:

Originally posted by OMGitsTHEMEMI:

well I have one more since I should go for the higher raw damage should I go for swords with % on poison and critic on top of raw damage?

I go for a mid point, dam is NICE, but stats, make the fight better, you can add poisoning via rune, but some swords come with poisoning or bleeding, which doubles the ryne output, in essence I have +20 to poisoning.
My fav steel sword comes with poisoning included, but the other stats are better,

My Steel Sword.
Type
Steel sword
Level Req.
46 (+ starting level in NG+)
Source
Craft
Weight
2.41 Tw3 weight brown
Attributes
Effect(s)
+75% Critical hit damage bonus
+15% Critical hit chance
+15% Chance to cause bleeding
+15% Chance to poison
+3% Chance for instant kill
Slots
3
Damage
371-453.8 (at level 46)
+7.2-8.8 per level in NG+

Silver Sword Gesheft
Tier
Relic
Type
Silver sword
Level Req.
45 (+ starting level in NG+)
Source
Craft
Weight
2.41 Tw3 weight brown
Attributes
Effect(s)
+30% Aard Sign intensity
+100% Critical hit damage bonus
+15% Critical hit chance
+15% Chance to poison
+5% Bonus experience from monsters
Slots
3
Damage
508-620 (at level 45)
+9-11 per level in New Game +

I picked both up at level 9 or 10... 8D

I use 300 piercing damage and kill npc in few hits, so must be good?

[worm_master]

Dude I completed the final battle of "Rose on a red field" under 7 mins, and involves killing at least 11 NPC's. As a level 10 makes it more impressive. Piercing means nothing.

[Zero]

Yes, armor piercing is worth it on steel swords. Steel swords are used for human enemies, which have armor value. Armor piercing on silver swords is not much of a help, though, as most monster have little to no armor value.

Originally posted by worm_master:

Piercing means nothing.

This is simply not true. Armor Piercing has value on Steel Swords against human enemies. Every point of Armor Piercing that does not exceed the target's armor value is factually and mechanically more valuable than an equivalent amount of raw damage.

[MULTIPASS]

Originally posted by Zero:

Yes, armor piercing is worth it on steel swords. Steel swords are used for human enemies, which have armor value.

Almost no human enemies have armor value, the only exceptions being a few types that are specific to the DLCs. Even then, the amount of armor they have is static and does not scale with levels, so once you're deep into level 40+ with an end-game build and weapons the amount of armor they have is pretty trivial.