Sword and Shield > 2 handed/Duel wielding?

[Myradin]

Sword and Shield > 2 handed/Duel wielding?

Im making a barb for pvp and im unsure what mastery to use. Ive maxed WW, shout and BO.

What are the advantages of duel wielding 2 waepons? I take it you get more hits in one whirl or something? Also does the longer reach with a polearm benifit me in pvp?

I'm leaning towards sword mastery and use 2 grandfathers, with stormshield/doombringer on the weponswitch. Is that any good? I should prolly tell you im not rich. I heard grandfathers are around an Um so two of those I could get. However grief or botd are way outta my reach.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Inuyasha]

It all depend whether you are going for PvP or not. Personally, I prefer the dual-wielders. You can dump everything into vitality with them, giving you much more life. Also, yes, you get many more hits per whirl. The longer reach of a polearm does benefit you slightly in PvP, however it is highly suggested that you either go axe/shield or double Zerk axe in PvP. More hits means more chances to get through an enemies shield, surely a good thing.

If you are not rich, PvP is not good for you. ESPECIALLY with a WW barb, as they are easily the most gear-intesive build in the entire game.

 

[[exile]]

If you are not rich, you will almost definitely need a shield for melee PvP. that's 75% less hits against you.

Dual and 2Hand are more suited against casters, AFAIK.

If you are not rich, PvP is not good for you. ESPECIALLY with a WW barb, as they are easily the most gear-intesive build in the entire game.

I beg to differ. Ever tried making a V/T? |shudders| I'm having a hell of a time getting all those Bers/skillers.

 

[mcm]

If you have a good build w/ good gear, you only need a shield vs other WW barbs, PERIOD.

 

[5Ws]

i wouldnt do pvp if not rich, it would only result in frustration.

 

[Inuyasha]

i wouldnt do pvp if not rich, it would only result in frustration.

Yep, that just about sums-up my experiences with diablo II for about 4 years before I finally got to wrap my hands around an enigma (Thanks to Biotech), and double EBotD Zerkers (There is a much more long and complicated story behind these).

And yes, WW barbs are the most gear intensive. V/T's can actually do decently with mid/high gear, unlike Barbs which can only truly function on the best of the best (ever tried dueling with a Razor's Edge Ww barb? Not exactly fun).

 

[eA-Zaku]

You can still stand a very good chance with sub-par gear, except vs classes that "standard" godly barbs would lose against, and other barbs with better equipment.

When I started ladder I made a standard s/s barb and managed to get this equipment:

Arreats 6%
2000 Defense Stone Archon
Grandfather / Stormshield
10/35 Verdungo's
Angelic ammy/ring/ring
Dracul's Grasp (use zerk to set off the life leech if possible)
Gore Riders
+some random life sc's

I borrowed a friends eBotD colossus and steelrends and I did better than I would ever ask of my pkers. With the equipment I listed above I wasn't constantly dying in duels...it's just like a weaker barb. Survivability isn't a concern if you have enough experience in dueling, especially in spotting classes to avoid/change tactics against. The only thing I noticed was a massive boost of damage when I used the godly gear. If I had a Fortitude (didn't exist back then) or a CoH or something, or even a super vit-enigma build, I would probably have my dream barb.