[Dmitriy_Baskakov]

Introduction
I always thought that two-handed weapons are just weak, no matter what you try. To prove or disprove it, I decided to make some calculations.

Early-game
Most two-handed weapons have enormous STR requirements that you just can’t fulfil at the beginning. This means that you will still use one-handed weapons for quite some time. The best thing you are probably getting is a self-forged Two-Hander, dealing a total of 85 weapon damage per hit. Its STR requirement also precisely matches the requirement of Large Weapons 1, the skill. You certainly don't yet have the needed STR to wield orc weapons.

The earliest you can use a Two-Hander will usually be level 15-16.

For one-handed weapons, your best bet very early on is probably a self-forged Broadsword (70 DMG), very quickly followed by a self-forged Longsword (85 DMG) and then Bastard Sword (95 DMG). This means that 1h weapons beat or almost beat two-handers. You can start using a Broadsword by level 3, and by level 16 you will learn Strong Swordfighter, beating the Two-Handed Sword with your 110 points of damage.

No weapons would be sharpened because, with Alternative Balancing turned on, it takes more learning points (30) than just increasing your STR by 20. Strength also allows you to wield better weapons and helps with impact weapons, while sharpening doesn’t. Sharpening only becomes optimal once you start levelling up Smithing to get Improve Armor.


Attack speed
I used the console to give myself all skills in the game. With all the related skills learnt, here is how many hits you can make with a weapon in a minute. When I give .5 values, it means that the last attack’s animation has been interrupted my the 1-minute mark.

Any weapons held in two hands (staves, swords, polearms — doesn’t matter):
LMB attack — 89
RMB attack — 97.5
Spin attack — 73. It’s probably possible to make more of such. I’ve watched closely and I believe that it’s essentially two quick attacks, or the same damage as 73 normal attacks. I believe that it’s the most viable way of using two-handed weapons because it interrupts enemy animations.
It should be noted that two-handed weapons are noticeably longer — at least there have been a lot of times when I interrupted the opponent’s attack just because I was far enough. Spin attacks obviously need a lot more space to perform.

One-handed weapons:
LMB attack — 98
RMB attack — 107.5 This deals less damage, but is the safest option, especially against spinning orcs.

Using a shield doesn’t change attack speed at all.

Two Blades:
LMB and RMB attacks — 102.5. I haven’t tested whether there is any damage difference between the two, but I believe they just exist so that you can control which blade hits the target.
Spin attacks — 47. I believe that it’s 4 quick hits. At least, it deals the same damage as two normal hits. I think that it’s the best attack, again, because of the interrupts.

Other notes
Power attacks (Long LMB press) haven’t been tested for the simple fact that they are rarely available as an option. They aren’t very safe even against one opponent, and against two or more trying a power attack is a suicide. When you have an opportunity for a free power attack (e.g. attacking someone from behind), speed hardly matters.

I also only tested for two-blades fighting whether there is any difference in attack speed when you haven’t yet learnt the whole skill tree (there isn’t). I just assume that the situation is the same for other weapon groups.

Changing STR didn’t show any difference. I believe that attack animations are slower when you only have e.g. Swordfighter, but not Strong Swordfighter or Master Swordfighter, but I haven’t checked yet. This is because I am only speaking about late-game builds now.

Calculating damage per minute, early-game and late-game

This is clear for one-handed weapons, including fighting with two blades. However, a passage from the damage formula makes calculating top-tier two-handed DPS a bit harder

Schritt 1: Basisschaden
Schaden = WAF-SCHD
Handelt es sich um Magieeinsatz? => Schaden = Schaden * 2.
Das Maximum ist dabei 200.

If I understand this correctly, it means that any base damage above 200 doesn’t matter. I hope that I misunderstood it. However, my next calculations will include both variants.

Here is the spreadsheet that I created: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e28SYnuZsJbhJcHOZiGZdLDn9kZqeuy7uKCGkoPG0tQ/edit?usp=sharing

Conclusions
1. More testing of attack speeds should be done, but for periods longer than one minute. Obviously, my results aren’t exact. I believe that it should be at least 5 minutes per fighting style. However, I just don't want to invest another hour right now. Maybe someone else would do it for me.

2. As expected, two-blade fighting is by far the most optimal damage-wise. This is both for using the safest attack (spins when available, quick RMB when not) and for when only raw DPM matters.

3. Fighting with a one-handed weapon and a shield is the safest option, but you need to also pick the exact steps in enemy animations to deal any significant damage. I think that it’s the most optimal to learn Fight Wiith Two Blades and Strong Shield Parry if you are going melee. This way, you can use a shield in more dangerous situations and two blades when you just need to finish one enemy quickly.

4. Two-handed weapons still look pathetic.
4.1 They don’t offer extra defence as a shield does.
4.2 Their damage output is significantly weaker than that of two-weapon fighting, and getting access to Fight With Two Weapons is possible quite early in the game.

5. Staves didn’t get any calculations because they are generally even more pathetic damage-wise.
5.1 If you are a mage, you should use spells to damage the enemy and a magic staff for its bonuses.
5.2 If you are conserving mana, use a bow.
5.3 If you really have to go melee (e.g. in an arena fight) early on, well, get a Spear — this is the best option you have against non-orcs and doesn’t have any skill requirements. Against orcs, take your trusty Orc Slayer that you get at the very beginning of the game.
5.4 If you really want to spend Learning Points on melee, learn Staff Fighting III, spending 9 LPs on it, and take a Blade Staff. With STR 120 and all the skills, you will deal a total of 205 damage per hit. This is the same as a Fireball powercast when your Ancient Knowledge is 105. You will get STR 220 as you win arena fights, or you can invest a few more Learning Points. Certainly don’t spend LPs on getting your STR higher than 120.

Please comment if you have something to add or see a mistake in my calculations.

[Der Kantelberg]

I think you miss 2 points:

1st: Great weapons have more reach. The best starting weapon ist the halberd. Not the forged 2-Hander, because the Halberd has greater reach which is crucial. And in playing the game the reach makes the difference wheter you stagger the 3 attacking wolves or they stagger you.

2nd: The spin attack is good. Its extremely effective, because it can hit 2 times. And it staggeres multiple enemies. I often grab a spear in Reddock because it has such a spin attack and doesn't need great weapons. Walk backwards - spin - walk backwards - spin - and so on works wonders against groups of wolves, snappers, boars. They just don't hit you. and with a halberd it gets even better due to its reach.


Onehanded weapons just can't do this. The spin you get with dual wielding has the problem that you move forward and thus get into the range of the enemies.


So a way for the 2-handed warrior would be: Start with 150 strength, than Great Weapons I and grab yourself a halberd und your fittted for the first half of the game until you can carry Krush Tarach.

[Montefiore]

Work with your feets and learn to use the right animation in the right situation and you wil have fun with large weapons. Even the axes.