Meat Cleaver vs. Lifespike

Arty · 04-11-2009, 01:51 PM

Watching the WW channel lately, there seems to be a bit of debate as to which is better. In order to decide which to use, I got a large pot of coffee and some training dummies...

Test setup:
10 training dummies per weapon with mythical in mainhand. I kept spurious off so there wasn't any issue with unreliable procs. Minus any stats from the weapons, my stats were:

Str: 1047
DA: 38%
MC: 78%
dps: 47
haste: 52 (equivalent static delay of 3.5 seconds)

Each run consisted of just auto attack, to limit any variability in CA's, casting order, etc. Therefore the only damage being done were procs and auto attack. The justification was in raids, MC is capped, or nearly capped and therefore constant addition to both weapons, and DA doesn't affect CA's.

Raw data:

Meat cleaver:
Average total dps: 1862.9
Average auto attack dps: 1305.0
Average hit (includes hits from myth): 1719.3
Average delay: 3.51

Lifespike:
Average total dps: 1902
Average auto attack dps: 1299.7
Average hit (includes hits from myth): 1648.2
Average delay: 3.268

I ran t-tests and compared each data category to each other. Sparing the details, Average total dps and average auto attack dps were statistically equivalent to a 95% confidence interval.

What's really interesting is the difference in means of the average delays can not be attributed to chance alone... i.e. there's a somthing going on to cause the lifespike to hit quicker than the cleaver. Note that the average delay *should* have been 3.5 given my static haste.

The question is: Why? Is it just the way ACT parses two piercing vs. one piercing one slashing? Is LS not "really" a 4.0 second delay?

Tyger · 04-11-2009, 03:49 PM

What if you re-ran the test without your myth and the weapon in your primary? This would reduce your stats some and not represent a true raid picture, but would also eliminate some variability from the myth.

aeeron · 04-11-2009, 04:42 PM

I prefer the Sabre of the Voidbeast from palace of the ancient one over both, in mt group with high dps mod it hits usually 200-400 average hit lower than mythical weapon.

and i also took the cloak over the weapon because i like having high melee mod.

EverQuest II Players - Profile for Aeryox

Riffy · 04-11-2009, 07:15 PM

Yes Bob id like to take talon for $500

sinuz · 04-11-2009, 11:08 PM

i killed 5 training dummys with lifespike, meat cleaver and talon of milyex at 83 mc, 58 da, 68 dps, 43 haste without offhand. mythical in mainhand, 6 set tso gear. my only procs are from mythical, 5 set bonus, pirate stab, offhand and offensive stance (no spurious bravado).

and here are the results:
avg swarthy chaos proc: 61 dps (from mythical)
avg pirate stab proc: 133 dps (from agi aa line)
avg mortal lifetap proc: 49 dps (from 5 set bonus)
avg interrupt proc: 66 dps (from offensive stance)

lifespike:
time: 1:29, ext dps: 2284, pierce: 1787, lifespike proc: 76
time: 1:44, ext dps: 1948, pierce: 1627, lifespike proc: 68
time: 1:43, ext dps: 1981, pierce: 1665, lifespike proc: 32
time: 1:33, ext dps: 2173, pierce: 1671, lifespike proc: 100
time: 1:40, ext dps: 2016, pierce: 1691, lifespike proc: 56
avg ext dps: 2080

meatcleaver:
time: 1:36, ext dps: 2102, pierce: 1027, slash: 758, proc: 33
time: 1:43, ext dps: 1969, pierce: 891, slash: 814, proc: 50
time: 1:36, ext dps: 2110, pierce: 972, slash: 823, proc: 0
time: 1:36, ext dps: 2113, pierce: 927, slash: 777, proc: 11
time: 1:32, ext dps: 2204, pierce: 930, slash: 992, proc: 57
avg ext dps: 2100

talon of milyex:
time: 1:32, ext dps: 2197, pierce: 1830
time: 1:28, ext dps: 2305, pierce: 2030
time: 1:25, ext dps: 2386, pierce: 2274
time: 1:36, ext dps: 2110, pierce: 1811
time: 1:33, ext dps: 2174, pierce: 1890
avg ext dps: 2234