[BM] Weapon Choice

[Caeth]

So, I've been under the impression that two-hand is better than dual wield....first...is that better?

More importantly though...when is ilvl difference more important? I've had awful luck with two-hand weapons so I'm using the monk ilvl450 class quest one. I've gotten ilvl463 dual wield weapons though. Should I switch over until I get an ilvl463 two-hander?

Etc.

Thanks!

[Kisho]

Just go for the higher ilevel, always. The difference between two hander and dual wielding is utterly miniscule and thus irrelevant.

Also, try searching the forums more. This has been answered several times.

[Ivalen]

I've always heard that the difference is miniscule - but here's my observations.

Again based solely on play not on any math. I'm a level 85 monk and I levelled up to 85 using dual McGowans. At 85 I got my first staff from Pandaria and Elusive Brew is finally useful to me.

What I've noticed is that when I get EB stacks I get three at a time - this coincides perfectly with cooldown and questing since 3 or 6 stacks make it seem worthwhile to use whereas with 1handers I would be at 1-2 then 4 or something like that, the numbers just weren't good enough for me to bother using the EB skill.

Again this is purely based on play - but now that I have a staff and get 3 stacks at a time, that 3 or 6 stack EB during a 'round 'em up' pull with my BrM makes it very useful and I find myself using EB much more often.

[Grubjuice]

it is nice have weapon two enchants, instead of one.

[Caeth]

Sorry I didn't see another thread.

Ok so if ilvl is the winner, does the same apply to WW monks? My off-spec is going to be DPS for raids for when we need 1 tank....so does the same two-hand/dual wield apply for WW monks? Then I can just have one set of weapons for both and switch out legs/bracers/helm that would just have stam enchants.

[SurrealNight]

For BrM DW seemed to be higher DPS for me but haven't done any hard testing. EB stacks seem to be the same between both from what I can tell. Overall highest iLevel will be your winner.

One thing to keep in mind is if your raid is going to have a DPS (rogue) that will want to DW. If that is the case you might want to defer to the 2H from Spirit Kings and let them get the Gara weapons. Otherwise use the best that have dropped for you, they are so close it doesn't really matter.

[Deleted]

Higher ilevel is preferred.
After that it is certainly DW right now due to the 40% more haste benefit for 2h mystically gets factored in AFTER the elusive brew calculation making you create more elusive brew with dw than with 2h. A significant amount more. This doesn't seem to be intended and is likely going to get fixed kind of soon (tm).

[Alibi]

Higher ilevel is preferred.
After that it is certainly DW right now due to the 40% more haste benefit for 2h mystically gets factored in AFTER the elusive brew calculation making you create more elusive brew with dw than with 2h. A significant amount more. This doesn't seem to be intended and is likely going to get fixed kind of soon (tm).

Yeah, I notice that too.
I was using the Screaming Tiger and got another Gara'kal and started testing, I got EB stacks faster.

[Forumchibi]

One thing to keep in mind is if your raid is going to have a DPS (rogue) that will want to DW. If that is the case you might want to defer to the 2H from Spirit Kings and let them get the Gara weapons.

This was the case for me. The rogue got a dagger off the dogs, and once the fist weapon dropped off Gara'jal, I just let them have that as well since I had already been tanking with a 2H. It didn't really feel like it made sense for the 1H to sit in my inventory while I waited and hoped another fist would drop to even it out. Plus I prefer the polearm right now since I don't like how you can't see fist weapons in combat.

[Fecund]

Higher ilevel is preferred.
After that it is certainly DW right now due to the 40% more haste benefit for 2h mystically gets factored in AFTER the elusive brew calculation making you create more elusive brew with dw than with 2h. A significant amount more. This doesn't seem to be intended and is likely going to get fixed kind of soon (tm).

I have brought this up several times and every time I test it come up with the same conclusion. Currently I am using 2Hand because of weapon ilevel, hoping to get a 2nd 1Hand weapon so I can go back to DW. Kind of surprised this made it through beta, it seemed to me that DW got more EB stacks so I tested it.

[Kisho]

Sorry I didn't see another thread.

Ok so if ilvl is the winner, does the same apply to WW monks? My off-spec is going to be DPS for raids for when we need 1 tank....so does the same two-hand/dual wield apply for WW monks? Then I can just have one set of weapons for both and switch out legs/bracers/helm that would just have stam enchants.

The difference betwen dual wielding and 2 handers for WW is slightly bigger (dual wielding is better there, I believe) but it's still a pretty small difference. It's not something you're going to be too concerned about until you're deciding between heroic 2x claws of shek'zeer or heroic Gao'rei.

[Birkin]

Go with whatever you have higher ilvl with for now. If you get to a point that you have the same ilvl choices, then you have to decide between stats and 2 weapon enchants. The difference is very small as a Brewmaster.

[Nikkaszal]

It can also boil down to your usage and familiarity with EB stacks.

DW'ing will, on average, see single stacks piling up rapidly. Using a 2hander results in the stacks coming in greater intervals, but in larger chunks. If you're using a staff (EB stacks twice per proc, as opposed to slower polearms stacking 3) it means your effective EB cap is 14 sec rather than 15, because stacking from 14 to 15 means you've wasted a second of EB usage

[Fecund]

It can also boil down to your usage and familiarity with EB stacks.

DW'ing will, on average, see single stacks piling up rapidly. Using a 2hander results in the stacks coming in greater intervals, but in larger chunks. If you're using a staff (EB stacks twice per proc, as opposed to slower polearms stacking 3) it means your effective EB cap is 14 sec rather than 15, because stacking from 14 to 15 means you've wasted a second of EB usage

Polearms also only stack 2 at a time. There is no current MoP weapon that will stack 3 that I have been able to find. The slowest weapon I can find is 3.6, which yields 2 stacks per proc. I do believe the intent was for them to stack 3 per proc but currently in game that is not the case, believe it has to do with the weapon speed increase when using a 2H weapon.

[Nikkaszal]

Eh?

I was using Ghostheart - polearm from Mogu'shan Palace - for about three weeks and I assure you it stacked EB in threes.

[Hyrican]

Polearms also only stack 2 at a time. There is no current MoP weapon that will stack 3 that I have been able to find. The slowest weapon I can find is 3.6, which yields 2 stacks per proc. I do believe the intent was for them to stack 3 per proc but currently in game that is not the case, believe it has to do with the weapon speed increase when using a 2H weapon.

Screaming Tiger one with 3.6 definitely always gave me 3, and the staff now only gives me 2. I hate it, the style, everything. But i do not have a 2nd 1h weapon (only 463 blue).

Having said that, my sims show me a 502 mainhand with 463 offhand gives me only 500 dps less than the 496 Staff.

[Needonboots]

I can't remember the exact number, but if your mainhand DW weapon and the 2H weapon are the same ilevel, the offhand needs to be something like 28 ilevels lower for the 2H to win out.

[Disgruntler]

Polearms also only stack 2 at a time. There is no current MoP weapon that will stack 3 that I have been able to find. The slowest weapon I can find is 3.6, which yields 2 stacks per proc. I do believe the intent was for them to stack 3 per proc but currently in game that is not the case, believe it has to do with the weapon speed increase when using a 2H weapon.

I haven't seen a polearm that doesn't stack in 3s, been using one for quite some time. Never seen Elusive Brew stack in anything BUT 3,6,9,12, or 15 using one.

[Nivrax]

Archy polearm stacks at 3 as well. However there is, I believe, bug with Glyph of Jab that makes 2h give only 2 stacks (not sure if it was hotfixes or moved to 5.1).

[Hyrican]

Archy polearm stacks at 3 as well. However there is, I believe, bug with Glyph of Jab that makes 2h give only 2 stacks (not sure if it was hotfixes or moved to 5.1).

Yeah that was it, they listed this in the last hotfix nov 12 (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/2...e-november-12/)

"Fixed an issue with the way that Glyph of Jab could interact with various weapons."

So i guess you had this glyph but should now always receive 3 with polearmes.