Any hidden benefits of 2H weapons?

[newfangle]

Hi there,
Just wondering if the damage per second listed in your character screen is completely honest. It seems like the damage bonus from using a 2H weapon is negligible (perhaps 10dps at high levels) compared to 1H. But in practice, it seems like I'm doing more damage with 2H, even if the DPS is the same.

Is there some hidden multiplier on the 2H weapon?
Thanks!

[Valas Azuviir]

Instant Melee Attacks


Pre Patch 1.8

Instant melee attacks do damage based on the damage range of the weapon, plus a bonus for the player’s attack power. This bonus is then multiplied by the speed of the weapon. As a result, slow weapons do more damage than is intended, and fast weapons are considered inferior by most players.

Post Patch 1.8

Instead of multiplying by the speed of the weapon, the attack power bonus will be multiplied by a fixed number pulled from the following list:

* Two-handed weapons - 3.3
* Daggers - 1.7
* All other one-handed weapons - 2.4

Please also note that all normal weapon swings will be completely unaffected by this change. The following abilities are affected by the design change: Sinister Strike, Ambush, Backstab, Whirlwind, Mortal Strike, and Overpower.

[yavvy]

If you're DWing it should do about the same damage as a 2h.
Thing is, with an offhand you do 25% (I think) less damage on that hand, to balance it out.
And as Valas said, instant attacks do more damage with 2h weapons than 1h.

If you're a Druid, only the stats of the weapon matters.

[amgyn]

DPS and damage per swing is not the same newfange.. i think thats where you are mistaken.. :)

2hander will do like 100 damage every 4 seconds = 25dps
1hander will do like 37.5 damage every 1.5 seconds = 25dps

[Finu]

On a side note, yeah the raids benefit from procs like this one:

Nightfall [300] 2H Axe (171-258) 3.2 Spd, Proc: Reduces target resists by 60 for 5 seconds, L 60, 67.0 DPS (Epic, Bind on Equip)(Bind on Pickup plan sold by Lokhtos Darkbargainer in the bar in BRD for ? g, requires Exalted with Thorium Brotherhood)
- 12 Dark Iron Bars, 10 Arcanite Bars, 8 Lava Cores, 5 Fiery Cores, 4 Huge Emeralds

[Icefrost]

Originally Posted by Finu

Nightfall [300] 2H Axe (171-258) 3.2 Spd, Proc: Reduces target resists by 60 for 5 seconds, L 60, 67.0 DPS (Epic, Bind on Equip)(Bind on Pickup plan sold by Lokhtos Darkbargainer in the bar in BRD for ? g, requires Exalted with Thorium Brotherhood)
- 12 Dark Iron Bars, 10 Arcanite Bars, 8 Lava Cores, 5 Fiery Cores, 4 Huge Emeralds

Uh, is that stuff actually meant to be readable?

[Finu]

It was an off-topic answer, stating that sometimes you may decide to use a 2h like Nightfall, not b/c of DPS, but b/c of it's proc: reduces target resists by 60 for 5 seconds, something that the raid can greatly benefit from.

[Tunga]

Actually that is out of date, The proc is +15% spell damage taken, so even better :) .

[NSGrendel]

Originally Posted by Icefrost

Uh, is that stuff actually meant to be readable?

What part of it is confusing? Taken left to right, it's totally legible, has relevant spacing and is entirely apparent what each numeral refers to presuming you have a familiarity with Warcraft itemisation.