Talk:Heavy
Strategy
I'm just gonna put a draft here for what I'd put in the tips & tricks / strategy section. I'm admittedly very biased on the subject so feedback is advised. Hordes (talk) 16:47, 20 February 2023 (CET)
Strategy
In theory, heavy can be an incredibly risky brand, due to the importance of reaching 1.0 attack delay. A weapon with minimum delay of 0.7 would now have a delay of 1.05 decaAut. This represents a 5% chance of a regular speed enemy getting a double-turn of attacks.
With 2 turns, a deep elf annihilator can hit you with 2 crystal spears for a maximum 204 damage, enough to instantly kill most characters for most parts of the game. Deep elf annihilators have a 0.002% to maxroll a single crystal spear, which is further reduced by AC / EV / SH, and most enemies won't be that dangerous. But most enemies don't come alone. When multiple monsters get a double-turn on you, things can go sour very quickly. Even if they aren't a maximum roll, a few high damage attacks can end your run, or at least force you to use scrolls or potions.
Weapons below 0.7 minimum delay, like demon blades, demon tridents, and Short Blades, can reach a post-heavy mindelay below 1.0. Therefore, the dangers of heavy are mostly negated. Watch out for shields, which can bring delay back up beyond 1.0.
With all that being said, heavy offers a slightly weaker damage boost than flaming or freezing, but has the benefit of being irresistable. In addition, heavy is less impacted by AC, slaying, and enchantment. In an average situation, heavy is a competitive brand with flaming or freezing - assuming you are past the early game (early on, low accuracy makes heavy a risky brand). Heavy can also be a great brand if it's on a weapon below 0.7 min delay, for the reasons stated above.
- This looks quite reasonable. I've got only two suggestions:
- It might be better to illustrate the dangers of getting two attacks using an earlier and more common enemy, like a death yak. Compared to annihilators who have a bunch of spells, death yaks just move and attack. So the players are more likely to notice death yaks' 30 max damage turning into 30x2.
- If we don't want to scare players away from the brand, it's worth pointing the benefits too. A better base damage means that your Damage Rating increases faster with skills. Also, you'll get fewer "You hit a <high AC enemy> with your weapon, but do no damage." Ge0ff (talk) 15:38, 21 February 2023 (CET)
- As I understand it, skills have the same proportional effect with heavy as with flaming/freezing.
- Flaming increases damage by 25% after AC, so it will increase your skills' damage by 25%. If skill gives you +5 pre-brand damage, flaming increases it to 6.25 "skill damage".
- Heavy increases damage by (180% / 150%) Skill would have the same multiplier to your damage, so it is the same multiplier.(?) If skill gives you +5 pre-brand damage, heavy increases it to +9. But then it's done 50% slower, for a total of 6 "skill damage".
