2h weapon imbalance?

[Mort_Q]

... don't get the stronger Power Attack.

I would assume that a versatile weapon used in two hands would be considered a two-handed weapon.

Am I missing something specific in the PH, or are we just interpreting what is written differently?

The bastard sword does one more point of damage per die than a greatsword when used two-handed. Which is about what a feat is worth.

Sure. It's the shield thing that I'm not quite sure how to balance out.

 

[Kaelkatar]

I would agree with MortQ in that it would receive the full power attack bonus, both in the written sense that "you can use them two handed" and that the flavor sense that reckless attacking with two hands will do the same extra power when used with a small weapon.

I mean the Katar replaces the short sword, the rapier comes very very close to replacing the short sword(and is very better even if it doesn't quite have offhand property) and the spiked chain replaces the glaive. Why can't the bastard sword replace the greatsword?

 

[small pumpkin man]

I would assume that a versatile weapon used in two hands would be considered a two-handed weapon.

Am I missing something specific in the PH, or are we just interpreting what is written differently?

There was a quote from a dev a while ago saying that versatile weapons count as two handed or one handed weapons as appropriate, so you would get the better power attack and the full reaping strike.

 

[Runestar]

IMO bastard sword is kinda broken. . . at the cost of 1/18 of total feats, you get to use a shield AND/OR more damage. Only an extremely feat-starved or thematic character would choose Greatsword.

I am wondering if it is such a big deal. Back in 3e, this same advantage was touted, but in reality, most players just chose 1 dominant fighting style and stuck with it. It was just too much of a hassle to concentrate on 2 different fighting styles.

Same for 4e. Will we ever see fighters who will switch between 2HFing and sword+shield style as the situation dictates? It seems more likely that the fighter will have made the decision to which path to follow at the start of his career, and stick to it thereafter. Thus, all you are really getting is +1 damage for a feat. Okay at best, since it will eventually fall behind weapon focus in terms of benefit.

 

[Tony Vargas]

The bastard sword does one more point of damage per die than a greatsword when used two-handed. Which is about what a feat is worth.

Well, one more point, anyway, which is exactly what some heroic level feats do (at heroic level). I don't think the +1 for two-handing a versatile weapon is part of the weapon's damage dice (that is, it wouldn't be multiplied by a 2[W] power), FWIW.

The bastard sword seems like a reasonable upgrade from the longsword. That it also edges out the greatsword seems a little off.

 

[erik_the_guy]

Thus, in a purely statistical perspective, greataxes are actually inferior. Not by much, and in practice there may be instances where an axe is superior. Still, if I was a greatweapon fighter or paladin, I would take either greatsword or maul/flail, not the axe.

If you include the epic tier feat that allows you to crit with a 19 or 20 when using an axe, it is my guess that the axe probably deals a little more (the benefit of the high critical property is essentially doubled).

I'm disappointed in the paragon tier feat that makes all axes high crit weapons. The great axe essentially becomes inferior.

 

[zerotkatama]

and the spiked chain replaces the glaive.

Ehh... not really. Maybe in the Heroic Tier, but in the paragon tier, the combo of Blade Opportunist (from Heroic)+Heavy Blade Opportunity + Polearm Gambit is niiice.

Not to say Sweeping Flail isn't nice too.

 

[Victim]

The paragon axe feat doesn't help the Great Axe at all, since it's already high crit. While the hammer feat won't be useful for all fighters because of the emphasis on Con, it will work with a maul.

 

[FadedC]

High crit sounds impressive, but the actual damage increase it gives you is quite low. A high crit great axe at heroic tier will do an extra 6.5 damage on average on a crit. You will score a crit 1 out of 20 attacks. As a result the high crit feature gives you an average of .325 damage on each attack. That's why you only give up .5 damage for it.

Regarding Bastard Sword vs. Great Sword, the problem is just that a superior longsword exists in the game, but a superior great sword does not. It would probably be balanced to add some kind of superior 2-handed weapon that was +3 to hit and did d12.

 

[hong]

Bastard swords are katanae. This explains all.