Viable weapons to help new players

[Recursive Gamer]

As a man who played this game for a bit, I so far only recommend spears to any new player. I recently went back to an old favorite of mine, and discovered the synergies between one handed maces and shields.

Any other weapons which can be helpful to recommend to new players?

[funkmonster7]

Easy/For-New-Players
- 2h sword Arna.
- Sword/shield Arna. (That starting armor is much better than what Jorgrim starts with. Not to mention Arna's trait.)
- Bow Dirwin.
- Spear Velmir (as you said).
- Mace/shield Arna.

Intermediate
- pure DW in general (pure meaning no hybrids, except maybe only Taking Aim with crossbow)
- Pyromancy
- Electromancy
- just about every 2h weapon in the game

Hard
* Disclaimer: there is virtually no difference between Intermediate and Hard at this stage... but anyway, some builds are not as instinctive to use.
- Geomancy (not as instinctive at first)
- Hybrids
- DW hybrids (don't even try this unless you know how to play pure DW builds; as a DW specialist I know you can screw yourself over if you invest too much into Ranged Weapons for example, in DW daggers builds)
- Warfare/Athletics builds (not particularly hard, just no real weapon focus)

Just my opinion anyway.

[Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom]

what to avoid until you/they get more experience:

avoid dual wielding.
avoid staves.
avoid 1h swords. they're not bad, but the others are better.

avoid using jorgrim because his gear is trash and is kind of a trap, and he doesn't get benefit from shrines.

some things to consider:

2h mace, 2h sword, solo dagger, and 1h mace are all very powerful imo.

velmir has a helmet that will last a long time into the mid-game
dirwin's bow and arna's cuirass will last a bit less than that

my advice for a new player in this current build is to invest in anything that lowers fumble in the beginning. signet rings and leather belts are cheap. hitting consistently is very important.

pyro and electromancy are good, but it's harder than just whacking things with a big hammer. early mage "armor" is paper thin, and there are massive penalties to magic users fatigue, which really affects your character's survivability

also, battle cry in warfare is considered possibly the strongest early game ability.
i find that disengage is also very helpful for repositioning.
focus on your weapon tree and good hunting

[Atma]

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

avoid using jorgrim because his gear is trash and is kind of a trap, and he doesn't get benefit from shrines.

Jorg still has the best trait for snowballing damage if you are using a physical weapon, though. Once you're used to playing the game, should prolly give him a shot.

Not using shrines isn't that big of a deal, it's 5% xp and some morale, but once you're used to managing stats, it's a non-issue. Should also point out that his unique necklace gives +9% xp (4% more than shrine) and 10% damage reduction.

I know this thread is for beginners, just don't want people to think he is never a good choice lol. He's honestly great for physical damage against groups (one of the more dangerous scenarios you'll face in the game) and I'm using him right now w/ bows : )

[Recursive Gamer]

Originally posted by Atma:

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

avoid using jorgrim because his gear is trash and is kind of a trap, and he doesn't get benefit from shrines.

Jorg still has the best trait for snowballing damage if you are using a physical weapon, though. Once you're used to playing the game, should prolly give him a shot.

Not using shrines isn't that big of a deal, it's 5% xp and some morale, but once you're used to managing stats, it's a non-issue. Should also point out that his unique necklace gives +9% xp (4% more than shrine) and 10% damage reduction.

I know this thread is for beginners, just don't want people to think he is never a good choice lol. He's honestly great for physical damage against groups (one of the more dangerous scenarios you'll face in the game) and I'm using him right now w/ bows : )

From older builds, Jorg required extensive use of drugs to keep him at peak performance. I remember videos of him soloing the troll at level 6 or lower, by triggering battle furry with the herb, then using a two handed ax for massive bleed and critical damage.
Very much a glass cannon that requires a more dodge focus build over just building up damage. He is suppose to be light armored and a bit insane.

[Atma]

I just see him as the best character for killing groups, worst for 1v1s (like bosses).

He's kinda nuts with a bow, as all the Perception gives him a bunch of natural crit chance and his trait stacks weapon damage and crit efficiency.

[Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom]

Originally posted by Atma:

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

avoid using jorgrim because his gear is trash and is kind of a trap, and he doesn't get benefit from shrines.

Jorg still has the best trait for snowballing damage if you are using a physical weapon, though. Once you're used to playing the game, should prolly give him a shot.

Not using shrines isn't that big of a deal, it's 5% xp and some morale, but once you're used to managing stats, it's a non-issue. Should also point out that his unique necklace gives +9% xp (4% more than shrine) and 10% damage reduction.

I know this thread is for beginners, just don't want people to think he is never a good choice lol. He's honestly great for physical damage against groups (one of the more dangerous scenarios you'll face in the game) and I'm using him right now w/ bows : )

yeah jorgrim is great, but he is definitely a trap for new players
his axe does nice damage, but ups fumble. his necklace and belt, in particular, can really fool a newer player. the exp bonus from the necklace seems nice, but it really just offsets his inability to use shrines. and a necklace that ups acc or lowers fumble would be a lot more useful. same thing with the belt. a little crit is nice, but lowering fumble is more important.

and i think shrines are important in the beginning of the game. it doesn't give you morale. it gives you exp bonus, +10 heal efficiency, +10 unholy resist. where else are you getting unholy resistance? and with the new necro spells, it is always shaving damage off against the bosses.

[Atma]

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

Originally posted by Atma:

Jorg still has the best trait for snowballing damage if you are using a physical weapon, though. Once you're used to playing the game, should prolly give him a shot.

Not using shrines isn't that big of a deal, it's 5% xp and some morale, but once you're used to managing stats, it's a non-issue. Should also point out that his unique necklace gives +9% xp (4% more than shrine) and 10% damage reduction.

I know this thread is for beginners, just don't want people to think he is never a good choice lol. He's honestly great for physical damage against groups (one of the more dangerous scenarios you'll face in the game) and I'm using him right now w/ bows : )

yeah jorgrim is great, but he is definitely a trap for new players
his axe does nice damage, but ups fumble. his necklace and belt, in particular, can really fool a newer player. the exp bonus from the necklace seems nice, but it really just offsets his inability to use shrines. and a necklace that ups acc or lowers fumble would be a lot more useful. same thing with the belt. a little crit is nice, but lowering fumble is more important.

and i think shrines are important in the beginning of the game. it doesn't give you morale. it gives you exp bonus, +10 heal efficiency, +10 unholy resist. where else are you getting unholy resistance? and with the new necro spells, it is always shaving damage off against the bosses.

Oh, I don't disagree, he is more of an intermediate pick.

But until you replace his necklace, you won't find a 6% full time damage resist neck for a while, and a fulltime 9% xp bonus on top is pretty slick considering shrines are temporary.

His belt is definitely a trap, but the necklace is solid. You won't find anything w/ +acc or -fumble in comparable amounts to -6% damage taken and +9% xp for a pretty long time.

All the rest of his starting gear (outside of his weapons that I always sell anyway lol) is trash and should be replaced asap.

Honestly, that's the thing about Jorg. Most of his starter kit is trash and needs to be replaced, so I guess it's pretty fair to say that he isn't for beginners.

I see him as the "build-a-character" for anything physical damage related XD

[Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom]

Originally posted by Atma:

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

Honestly, that's the thing about Jorg. Most of his starter kit is trash and needs to be replaced, so I guess it's pretty fair to say that he isn't for beginners.

but what about his 1 protection fur onesie it's so cute lmao

[brown29knight]

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

what to avoid until you/they get more experience:

avoid dual wielding.
avoid staves.
avoid 1h swords. they're not bad, but the others are better.

avoid using jorgrim because his gear is trash and is kind of a trap, and he doesn't get benefit from shrines.

some things to consider:

2h mace, 2h sword, solo dagger, and 1h mace are all very powerful imo.

velmir has a helmet that will last a long time into the mid-game
dirwin's bow and arna's cuirass will last a bit less than that

my advice for a new player in this current build is to invest in anything that lowers fumble in the beginning. signet rings and leather belts are cheap. hitting consistently is very important.

pyro and electromancy are good, but it's harder than just whacking things with a big hammer. early mage "armor" is paper thin, and there are massive penalties to magic users fatigue, which really affects your character's survivability

also, battle cry in warfare is considered possibly the strongest early game ability.
i find that disengage is also very helpful for repositioning.
focus on your weapon tree and good hunting

Staves, even after the rebuild, are pretty usable without magic, and even better with. I would put them at the very end of easy, very start of intermediate. The mobility they give, as well as the block, make them an easier starting choice than some weapons.

2H sword is king currently though

[laveley]

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

what to avoid until you/they get more experience:

avoid staves.
avoid 1h swords. they're not bad, but the others are better.

Uat?

Staves are the easiest and most powerful meele weapon in the game by a far margin.

Battle trance is a game breaking skill that you can take by lvl 1 and up your weapon damage by 100% for no reason.

It's basically an "I win" button.

Swords are also very powerful and very straightforward.

If anything, you should be recommending staves and sword to new players.

[Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom]

Originally posted by laveley:

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

what to avoid until you/they get more experience:

avoid staves.
avoid 1h swords. they're not bad, but the others are better.

Uat?

Staves are the easiest and most powerful meele weapon in the game by a far margin.

Battle trance is a game breaking skill that you can take by lvl 1 and up your weapon damage by 100% for no reason.

It's basically an "I win" button.

Swords are also very powerful and very straightforward.

If anything, you should be recommending staves and sword to new players.

oh i guess i haven't looked at staves recently
eh. op isn't even reading this

[Recursive Gamer]

Originally posted by laveley:

Originally posted by Thulsa ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Doom:

what to avoid until you/they get more experience:

avoid staves.
avoid 1h swords. they're not bad, but the others are better.

Uat?

Staves are the easiest and most powerful meele weapon in the game by a far margin.

Battle trance is a game breaking skill that you can take by lvl 1 and up your weapon damage by 100% for no reason.

It's basically an "I win" button.

Swords are also very powerful and very straightforward.

If anything, you should be recommending staves and sword to new players.

What happen with staves?

[jotwebe]

they got nerfed a bit in the big update early this year and now are more tied into using magic. Before, while they were the best weapon tp combine with magic, that wasn't better than just putting more points in utility trees instead. Still pretty viable.

[AN]

I started with geomancy, haven't played a ton, and everything else seemed like you're in constant danger. That was a while ago, though.