Outside of the Axe=Lethal and WM=Smashing, there's this from an earlier thread on the same thing.
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Originally Posted by BunnyAnomaly
Oh, I just noticed in the numbers the following:
T9 of Battle Axe does more damage (10) but hits 5 instead of 10 and has a chance it won't knockdown. T8 of Battle Axe does more damage (20) but a slightly narrower (20 degree instead of 45 degree) cone. On the basis of the T9 (10 targets is beautiful) I'd probably favour WM. The damage is too close to call but the extra targets and mitigation is fantastic. I stand corrected, sorry. Axe has better base damage, WM probably is better overall. I'd still say go with what you think looks better  |
Axe is all knockdown, Mace has knockdown and disorients. Smashing damage is also less resisted. Those are pluses for Mace.
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Essentially BS does more per hit, Katana has shorter activation and recharge times. But they are not in balance at any level of enhancement, not on SOs, not on IOs, not unslotted. At all points Katana does more damage in any specific amount of time. What is worse, the more damage and recharge you put into them the farther Katana pulls ahead.|
Originally Posted by UnicyclePeon
This sorta reminds me of Broadsword vs Katana. I've noticed before their power layouts are also more or less identical, but I've heard that (for whatever reason; attack chains with high recharge perhaps?) Katana is way better than Broadsword.
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Per Bill's old spreadsheets (the results are in), Broadsword is the third lowest damage of all scrapper primaries only beating Electric and Spines (barely) and behind all others. On SOs (the "take 2" version) Katana was rated at 128 damage per second, BS was 121. On IOs (the original) BS had 154, Katana 168, doubling the difference between the two sets.
Note that these are not the top damage either can do, they are just the baseline Bill was using to test the difference in single-target damage between brutes and scrappers. Still, it is solidly the case that the only reasons to take BS are for flavor, because you want to use a shield, or for PvP. In all other cases, take Katana you will be happier with the character.
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| Is there something similar hidden in the comparison between Axe and Mace that I should know about? Or is it largely down to visual preference? |
Mace's cone (clobber) hits 10 targets for more damage than axe's (5 targets). Mace's stuns have a higher % to trigger than Axe's knock, in some powers 100%.
I believe the damage and endurance numbers are weighted for axe to hit slightly harder but use more endurance. I also understand that the same issue with katana vs BS impacts Axe vs Mace where the devs did not properly weights the slower attack times against the damage dealt.
Mace is flat out superior from a mechanical standpoint. You will do more damage, more reliable damage, and with more reliable mitigation using a mace.
Axes have better customization.
That said, I have an Axe and a BS character and do not have a Katana or Mace. They are fun, and they are not gimped at all. But if I had gone Katana and Mace they would be mathmatically superior. As I do not care about soloing AVs "with no temps and no inspirations" (I am fond of purples, nukes, shivans, venomed daggers, and recovery serum) there is nothing in the game that I attempt that either is incapable of achieving.
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Gavin, minor nitpick: I'm fairly sure zombies are weak to lethal damage. I remember encountering someone who ran a Banished Pantheon farm on a Claws scrapper for this reason. I could be wrong; I don't fight zombies much.
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All,
Thanks for the info. I am planning to do both Axe and Mace. I have a concept character that has to be Axe, and Mace is about the only other weapon set I havent tried that I still want to try.
Lewis
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Quote:
hmm, might have read them inverted, it's certainly not unheard of for me =)
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Originally Posted by AllYourBase
Gavin, minor nitpick: I'm fairly sure zombies are weak to lethal damage. I remember encountering someone who ran a Banished Pantheon farm on a Claws scrapper for this reason. I could be wrong; I don't fight zombies much.
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"Hmm, I guess I'm not as omniscient as I thought" -Gavin Runeblade.
I can be found, outside of paragon city here.
Thank you everyone at Paragon and on Virtue. When the lights go out in November, you'll find me on Razor Bunny.
I'm pretty sure Banished Pantheon zombies are weak to Lethal and Fire. I'm not sure about other zombies though, like Vahzalok.
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I am almost certain the Vahz are weak (or, at least not resistant to) Lethal. They stop at 20 anyway, when that kind of thing would start to stand out. What other zombies are there?
Edit: Ok, so no: Vahzilok are NOT weak to Lethal. They just lack resistance to it, mostly. Banished Pantheon are weak (-5% resistance) to Lethal, Fire, and Energy.
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Axe - Lethal damage, most attacks do Knockback. Has a high damage control power with a high chance of Knockback. Tier 9 cone attack doing high damage.
Mace - Smashing damage, most attacks do Stun. Has a high damage control power with a high chance of Stun. Tier 9 cone attack doing high damage.
Broadsword - Lethal damage, most attacks do Def Debuff. Has a low damage buff power which raises the caster's Defense. Tier 3 cone attack doing moderate damage.
Katana/Ninja Blade - Lethal damage, most attacks do Def Debuff. Same basic attacks as Broadsword, but with lower damage and faster recharge and animation.
Dual Blades - Lethal damage, combo system. Has a moderate damage debuff attack with -Dam, and a "Feint" power that buffs +Dam. (Like Claws) Lacks a knockup attack. Has two cone attacks at Tier 8 and 9 with high damage.
That's my take on it. 
(Also, Headsplitter, Golden Dragonfly, Cleave and Shatter are all fairly narrow cones which are really intended to "hit the target behind" your target. Shatter is wider, but shorter. Dual Blades' two cones seem to be a compromise between this and the wide cones of Pendulum and Crowd Control. It also gets Mace's 10 targets on One Thousand Cuts)
All,
I was casually comparing Battle Axe and War Mace and the power-sets seem identical. Well, at least in terms of how many are single target, how many are PBAOE, how many are a melee cone, and exactly which level they get each type of power at. They both get Build Up as well.
I'm wondering, are these two more or less the same other than aesthetics? Or is there a critical difference that sets them apart?
This sorta reminds me of Broadsword vs Katana. I've noticed before their power layouts are also more or less identical, but I've heard that (for whatever reason; attack chains with high recharge perhaps?) Katana is way better than Broadsword.
Is there something similar hidden in the comparison between Axe and Mace that I should know about? Or is it largely down to visual preference?
Thanks,
Lewis
Random AT Generation!
"I remember... the Alamo." -- Pee-wee Herman
"Oh don't worry. I always leave things to the last moment." -- The Doctor
"Telescopes are time machines." -- Carl Sagan