Atrox Enforcer, 2H Blunt or 2H Energy Edged?

[____________Panpiper]

Ok, so here's my dilemma. I've seen several people saying as how the support beam is the ultimate weapon for an Atrox Enforcer. This is I expect largely due to the damage shields most MOBs use at later levels. It's better to hit a few times for a lot of damage so as to minimize the damage those damage shields do to your character. However...

I'm at that interesting time just before hitting level 15 where my skills have capped and I have extra IP. With the full IP reset available, I reasoned that I could test two weapons approaches and reset afterward to concentrate on a single development path.

I had sought for ten levels a weapon I could use that was better than what I found on a MOB at level two (I got fairly lucky). Finally I found a Dull Energy Blade (or some name like that) with a 15 quality that I was able to equip by making a few implants. I also just afterwards got a mission with a quality 15 Support Beam as a reward. A perfect testing situation.

The Energy Blade does require several skills to be improved so it will cost some extra IP to follow that path but I don't consider that to be a major factor. The main difference is that it does a little less than half the damage as the Support Beam but does it more than twice as fast. You would think that the total damage output would be the same. It is not.

I found that with the Energy Blade, I could go up against orange mobs loosing only a third of my HP. If the mob turned on a median damage shield, I could still bring them down loosing only half my HP. Red MOBs with high damage shields (for my level) I could still bring down by hitting my superbuff (don't remember the name but it ups the damage of all my attacks by 12). Going up against orange MOBs with the Support Beam was by contrast extremely dangerous, they would usually leave me well below half my HP.

So I wonder, are those who say to go with the Support Beam wrong? Was the result of my test skewed by my limited statistical sampling? Am I underestimating the effect of higher level damage shields? Would I be making a huge mistake by going some other route than 2 Hand Blunt?

I only play solo so far, if that makes any difference. Newbie first character.

PS; Anyone want to help me with implants? Be nice to the newbie.

Panpiper on RK2

[_______zeroframerate]

Neither weapon choice is wrong, but consider the following:

There are NO Enforcer nanos that increase 2he skills. There are only nanos that increase 2hb skills, hence the vast majority of Enforcers using beams and other blunt weapons.

However, Cosmik has stated that Enforcers will be getting 2he nanos in the future. Now it's just a question of when and how patient you're willing to be.

I went 2he btw. :-) In the name of variety's sake and because I think it looks cooler. :-)

[_________LordMaxwell]

Originally posted by zeroframerate
Neither weapon choice is wrong, but consider the following:

There are NO Enforcer nanos that increase 2he skills. There are only nanos that increase 2hb skills, hence the vast majority of Enforcers using beams and other blunt weapons.

Not quite true, the challenger line increases 2he. (And 1hb, 2hb, piercing.) By quite a lot actually. But then you have the headcracker line as well for 1hb/2hb. (Which let me self-equip a ql 96 sledge hammer at level 39. Would have been stuck with a 70ish 2he weapon.)