Weapons question

[u/Jazzlike-Doubt8624]

Reborn: why does switching from Damascus +1 1H sword to Dragon Fang dagger give Azelstan +27 attack, but Vyce gets -10? Neither has any dagger skills and both have sword skill in the 30s. Same weapons, VERY different outcomes. Why?

[u/Synval2436]

If the weapon matches the character's element, they get a buff. If the character is weak against that element, they get a penalty. If the element is neither matching nor weak, they get neither.

For example, I have a character with a lightning bow and earth dagger. Making the character earth element gives buff to dagger and nothing for bow. Making the character lightning element gives buff to bow and penalty for dagger. Making the character water element gives penalty for bow and nothing for dagger (yep, it's bad). Making the character ice element causes nothing.

[u/Jazzlike-Doubt8624 → u/Synval2436]

So much of this stuff is completely unexplained. I wonder what else I'm missing. How do I even tell which element a weapon is? Is that where all the different elements have different numbers? Is there a "best" element?

[u/Rucession → u/Jazzlike-Doubt8624]

The first page/tab shown when highlighting/selecting a Weapon in the equipment details menu will have the following attributes listed:

1) Weapon Type (e.g. 1H Sword/2H Sword)

2) Weapon Name

3) Range

4) Area

5) Weight

6) RT Cost (when used to perform a Basic Attack)

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Under the above 6 attributes listed will be a set of Icons representing the Weapon's

a) Physical Damage Type (Sword/Hammer/Spear for Slash/Crush/Pierce) and Physical Damage Bonus value

b) Elemental Damage Type (the various Elemental Symbols) and Elemental Damage Bonus value

c) Racial Damage Bonus Type (the various Racial Category Symbols) and Racial Damage Bonus value

---

7) ATK/DEF

8) Base Stat Bonuses (HP/MP/LUK/STR/VIT/DEX/AGI/AVD/INT/MND/RES)

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[u/Synval2436 → u/Jazzlike-Doubt8624]

https://i.imgur.com/zrgf1RB.png You can see on the weapon preview if it has an element (some have none).

"Best" element either matches your main weapon or your most powerful elemental finisher. For example fire for maces / crossbows or lightning for spears.

I didn't know this initially, I mostly realized this because I have favourite weapons (spears, bows and maces mostly, unless a class can't use it) and noticed "why is this spear an upgrade for Mirdyn and not for Ravness?" and started checking and noticed it's the element, because they were both white knights otherwise. You can preview elemental charms on a character and you will see it will give a bonus for one element and penalty for another.

[u/Rucession → u/[deleted]]

The "Melee Attack" value on the unit stat screen is calculated using the Basic Attack formula of the unit's equipped Weapon(s), but with all the theoretical Defender's attributes set to 0.

Dagger/1H Katana Basic Attacks convert their user's STR/DEX to Offense Value at a rate of 1.5/1.6 per point.

1H Sword Basic Attacks convert their user's STR/DEX to Offense Value at a rate of 1.8/1.3 per point.

That is not enough of a difference in Base Stat weighting for the OP's Vyce (even with very lopsided STR/DEX values due to Stat Charm investment in only one of the two) to lose "Melee Attack" value when switching from the Damascus Sword +1 to the Dragon Fang, even with the loss of Offense Value from Weapon Skill Rank.

The phenomenon that the OP is experiencing is almost definitely due to the User Affinity + Attack Element (Weak) Interaction and their Vyce having the Lightning Affinity (which Synval2436 has already pointed out in their comment).

[u/Caffinatorpotato]

It's easier to forget the numbers after a while, use either a debuff weapon or just what looks cool, and gives you more finisher coverage. Minor attack bonuses aren't nearly as important as the 30-50%+ stackable bonuses from the rest.

[u/Artorias38t]

I'd guess there's some scaling, maybe mostly dexterity/agility but strength too.