Fast Weapons

[Lotti Fuehrscheim]

Is there a point in using them?

 

I have been running Edér with dual fast weapons for a while, but most of their damage is absorbed by the DR, often they just do minimum damage.

 

Do you have to use DR lowering spells?

 

I would like to find a use for the unique fast weapons, for fun, but they seem so underpowered.

[GuyNice]

It's true that fast attack weapons struggle against high DR targets, and gain less from damage buffs than slower, higher base damage weapons do. That said, they are not too far behind. Stack as much DR bypass/reduction as you can - Vulnerable Attack modal, Ryona's Vambraces, Expose Vulnerabilities (Wizard spell and/or Golden Gaze proc). You can also sacrifice the Devil of Caroc for 1 DR bypass. With those you can get 9-15 DR bypass (Bleak Fang comes with 6 DR bypass) and 5 DR reduction. The latter is even more important as DR reduction will help your lashes penetrate armor, while DR bypass does not.

 

There are also several unique fast weapons with properties that elevate them closer to their slower cousins. Drawn In Spring with high Might score is one of the best 1handers in the game, and it's fast (wounding enchant double dips Might buff and deals Raw damage which bypasses DR). Vent Pick has DR bypass, a free Durgan Steel enchant, and 15% chance to proc Flames of Devotion. The Unlabored Blade has Speed, Mythic enchantment and a chance to proc a very powerful AoE (Firebug). Spelltongue gives insane speed to any weapon you have equipped via Time Siphon.

Edited July 30, 2017 by GuyNice

[Pallegina's Panties]

Once you start finding moar of the Unique weapons in the game, there is also the advantage of being able to get the special benefits/effects of two weapons at once as opposed to just one.

[Torm51]

Also classes that have bonuses to damage that are stack able and get DR bypass talents can make them hit hard.  Rogues (sneak attack/deathblows) and Fighters (weapon mastery) come to mind.

[Lotti Fuehrscheim]

But a bonus that has a single or fixed number  of uses will always favour a heavy weapon.

 

Only a permanent or fixed time bonus will profit from the attack speed of the weapon.

[scythesong]

It really depends on what you're trying to accomplish. There are also fast weapons with unique enchantments, or more heavily enchanted fast weapons that show up relatively earlier than their normal speed counterparts. Non-weapon skill-dependent characters/spammy casters will definitely want faster weapons so you have a much easier time shifting between casting spells and attacking stuff.

Edited July 31, 2017 by scythesong

[Boeroer]

but most of their damage is absorbed by the DR, often they just do minimum damage.

You discovered the reason why so few builds use fast weapons.

 

If you (or the weapons themselves) have some means of overcoming high DR (Drawn in Spring or Persistence with Wounding for example) or if the higher rate of fire helps to trigger spell chances more often (Stormcaller) then it's ok. But besides that fast weapons with low base damage pretty much suck.