[Darksword]

Hi again.

I am level 22 mercenary and have just brewed and drunk 8 STR potions (I still have to find the Dragon Root on the tree in Khorinis in the NE forest, for some reason I just can't see it). My raw STR is now 122, 140 with +5 STR belt, +3 STR ring and +10 STR amulet.

For my current weapons of choice (Orcish War Sword, Giant Machete, Typhoon) I don't need the +5 STR from the belt.

My question is: which would give more advantage in battle - the +5 STR from the belt or the +7 weapon and arrow protection from the Belt of Protection Garrett gave me?

As always, thank you anyone who can help.

[Enternix]

Well, this depends on your preferred playstyle, 5 more Strength will give you at max (if you land a crit) 5 more damage against an opponent, but this is only relevant, if you can reduce the total number of hits needed. More protection is almost always a good choice, since you can fight tough opponents easier by tanking more hits, but plus 7 is not that much alone. I would recommend using the Warrior Set from Jharkendar combined with the belt for a total of extra 47 melee protection, this would make a noticable difference. You could also get a better weapon from Sarah, namely the scimitar which would deal 145 damage and you could wear it without using temporary bonuses. Hope that'll help you out.

[Darksword]

Thank you very much for the help. I have considered the scimitar (cutlass in the English game), but it has a reach of 120, and I prefer, if possible, something a bit longer for toe to toe fighting so I can prevent enemies from getting too close to me. The Orcish War Sword has a reach of 140 and is a real pleasure to swing! Perhaps I need to think again.

The warrior set sounds great, I've never used it before for some stupid reason. I shall do so this time, but I haven't found it all yet, I have still got a lot of Jharkendar to do. I stopped Jharkendar briefly to go and get the Orcish War Sword and the Dragon Roots from the NE forest in Khorinis, so I've still got to finish, in Jharkendar, one of the mansions (the one with harpies and mine crawlers) and kill some of the orcs in the Canyon plus I haven't started all the bandit camp stuff yet.

[Arkain]

It can be worthwhile to sacrifice reach for damage. If you get ahold of one of the +10 str belts (i.e. Sengrath or in chapter 4 at Jora's) you could equip the cutlass, which would offer you a total of 290 damage on a critical hit, which means that many strong enemies could be felled in 2-3 hits. Besides, it looks rather cool. Dead enemies don't deal damage. On the other hand, protection is basically the strongest "stat" in the game.
I do feel that reach, while nice, has been overrated every now and then in these forums. We're not talking about the reach difference between wolf blade and orc slayer after all. So do consider it, maybe test it even. By the way, my last playthrough was an explicitly axe-only run - so yes, I do understand the pain of short reach rather well at this point

[Enternix]

Just as a final note, if you wear the full warrior set+protection belt+the third dragon hunter armor, any monster will only deal you 5 Damage per Hit. Making them as weak as giant rats or young goblins. While this may seem overpowered it feels quite cool to be nearly untouchable.^^

If you need hints to find the full set, just ask again. But by simply walking through Jharkendar and being on the lookout, you should aquire it quite easily. Have fun.

[Darksword]

Thank you both so much for your kind and helpful answers.

Arkhain, you've persuaded me to try an axe-only run, they do look cool, unlike the really good swords e.g. Dragon Slicer is a bit disappointing. I'm not absolutely sure I'll be able to do it - I first started playing RPGs in the very old days: I just turned 70, so my reflexes are not fast. I didn't know other people thought reach was an important factor, maybe they, like me, have fingers that don't fly over the keys.

Eternix, I like the sound of all that protection! Yep, I'll find the rest of the Warrior set when I get on with Jharkendar.