What Greatswords should you use for leveling?

[Chiefvisigoth]

I have heroic Echo of the Black Razor and a heroic level sword of shadows. Planning on playing a greatsword-wielding Bladesworn Paladin. So, what would be a good sword to have for late heroics? Epics and finally legendary content. Was wondering if getting a Whirlwind and making it epic. The other possibility is making the Sword of Shadows epic

There is the Hunter's Slayer from Study in Sable I could farm for. Not sure what to try getting for endgame play.

This will be my first Paladin build, but I have a few past lives. Artificer, Favored Soul, Cleric, Ranger and currently working through a storm Singer Bard life. Got about 6 Epic past lives. As you can see, I have a lot of experience with ranged toons and just a little with a caster.

So any suggestions on what to try finding to use for would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Matuse]

Cannith Craft a red/purple or red/orange dual slot blank greatsword with a damage prefix and keen, and slot in a couple of level 1 or 4 rubies. Use that until Sword of Shadows, then Epic Sword of Shadows (shouldn't be too hard to have both if you have any draconic raider boxes), then a Dino Bone Greatsword.

It's really not a complicated upgrade chain. If you don't have the crafting to make something, then Guardian's Dagger at 2, Sword of Thirty at 6.

 

[AlimonyJFMSU]

I just use whatever I can find.

 

[cdbd3rd]

Cannith Craft a red/purple or red/orange dual slot blank greatsword with a damage prefix and keen, and slot in a couple of level 1 or 4 rubies. Use that until Sword of Shadows, then Epic Sword of Shadows (shouldn't be too hard to have both if you have any draconic raider boxes), then a Dino Bone Greatsword.

It's really not a complicated upgrade chain. If you don't have the crafting to make something, then Guardian's Dagger at 2, Sword of Thirty at 6.

I'd switch out Keen with Unnatural Bane.

(I still don't trust crafted Keen with Red slots.)

 

[Leamos]

2-3 Ghost touch from Borderlands NPC
4-9 Carniflex (is not a greatsword but still 2h)
10-19 SoS
20+ Epic SoS

 

[Spook]

SoS to ESoS will be best in slot till 28ish and good enough until cap

 

[Br4d]

Kukri. Much more damage than any THF weapon.

 

[Spook]

Kukri. Much more damage than any THF weapon.

Not for a (pure) paladin as it cant be made into a favored weapon unless absurdly lucky with curses and 2hf still awesome for levelling but fall off at end game

 

[Br4d]

Not for a (pure) paladin as it cant be made into a favored weapon unless absurdly lucky with curses and 2hf still awesome for levelling but fall off at end game

Then Scimitar. SWF and Quick Cutter are still better than anything THF can produce.

I don't know for a fact there's a huge difference though the way there is for SWF/VKF/Kukri. I think that build is as strong as Inquisitive right now in the right hands.

 

[Shear-buckler]

Kukri. Much more damage than any THF weapon.

That is more of an endgame thing.

 

[Shear-buckler]

Sword of shadows.
If you dont have it then Whirlwind from sands is a decent alternative and is easy to farm. It has +2 crit range.

Both are min lvl 10.

 

[droid327]

Then Scimitar. SWF and Quick Cutter are still better than anything THF can produce.

I don't know for a fact there's a huge difference though the way there is for SWF/VKF/Kukri. I think that build is as strong as Inquisitive right now in the right hands.

Scimitar is 14-20/x3 with standard crit bonuses. Kukri is 15-20/x3 with just VKF. SoS is 14-20/x4.

For 20+, Epic Mirage is at least 12-20/x3, but eSoS at 14-20/x4 is still a better profile (90% vs 105%)

Slower attack speed, yes, but that doesnt change the CD on QC. And for the other 5 secs, you're not doing AOE with Scimitar.

Also, unless you're Elf, you cant Favor scimitars till L24

 

[Br4d]

Scimitar is 14-20/x3 with standard crit bonuses. Kukri is 15-20/x3 with just VKF. SoS is 14-20/x4.

For 20+, Epic Mirage is at least 12-20/x3, but eSoS at 14-20/x4 is still a better profile (90% vs 105%)

Slower attack speed, yes, but that doesnt change the CD on QC. And for the other 5 secs, you're not doing AOE with Scimitar.

Also, unless you're Elf, you cant Favor scimitars till L24

Rapid Slash.

 

[droid327]

Rapid Slash.

For the other 3 seconds?

Everything SoS does is an AOE. So unless you're OHKO all the mobs with QC, then SWF has a downside. And if you are OHKOing with SWF and QC, then you're going to OHKO with SoS and QC too, so that's really a push

Its only against bosses that SWF has an advantage, where the attack speed helps and the always-AOE doesnt

I have a SF SWF VKF build - its great. Two WWs, QC, and Rapid Slash mean I'm doing a lot of sustained AOE. But A) that's a very specific build designed to maximize SWF AOE, and B) I also have a Pal/Dlord Welf Falchion build, and it rips through packs more steadily

 

[Br4d]

Rapid Slash not only hits hard but it bumps QC’s damage up to with double strike buff.

I’m all over eSoS when I can be but nothing hits harder than a kukri with SWF and VKF right now. Kukri (and Scimi by a DH/Ranger) are also naturally light and if we are talking Hobo Chainz that’s one less switch.

 

[l_remmie]

1. Use a cannith crafted keen falchion
IGNORE favored weapon.
2. At lvl10 use a Sword of Shadow.
3. At lvl20 upgrade your SoS.
4. At 29ish pick whatever legendary you have that's good.

 

[vryxnr]

You know what I love? When someone wants to do something specific (like use a greatsword in a video game with greatswords in it, or even something quirky like a meme-build), and asks for advice on how to do that specific thing well, and instead of advice regarding their specific desire, they get told to abandon it completely and do this other unrelated thing because it's "better".

Oh wait, did I say love? I meant hate.

 

[minamber]

I have to agree with vryxnr. Why bother recommending kukris? We all know VKF + kukri is really strong in endgame now, there's no need to go around derailing threads to say so.
The OP specifically asked about greatswords and leveling, why are you talking about a different weapon that's only great in epics? For that matter, why bother recommending falchions? I'm pretty sure the OP can read crit profiles as well as anybody else, if he wants to use a greatsword anyway, that's his business.

Anyway, to answer the question, I'd go crafted or a named keen greatsword like sword of the thirty until lvl 10, then use SoS if you have that until 20, then eSoS until 29. If you don't have SoS, then Whirlwind is pretty easy to get from desert at lvl 10, just need about an hour of farming to get enough mats.

 

[jglabare]

I have heroic Echo of the Black Razor and a heroic level sword of shadows. Planning on playing a greatsword-wielding Bladesworn Paladin. So, what would be a good sword to have for late heroics? Epics and finally legendary content. Was wondering if getting a Whirlwind and making it epic. The other possibility is making the Sword of Shadows epic

There is the Hunter's Slayer from Study in Sable I could farm for. Not sure what to try getting for endgame play.

This will be my first Paladin build, but I have a few past lives. Artificer, Favored Soul, Cleric, Ranger and currently working through a storm Singer Bard life. Got about 6 Epic past lives. As you can see, I have a lot of experience with ranged toons and just a little with a caster.

So any suggestions on what to try finding to use for would be greatly appreciated.

SoS is pretty much the grim reaper of heroic THF weapons. With your added Pally damage you don't really need any other bells and whistles, the fact that with improved crit you're critically hitting 30% of the time with a x3 multiplier will murder everything. Best suggestion for THF?

Have a SoS heroic, and have an epic SoS as well if that's an option. You're set after that

 

[Lagin]

The original sword of the thirty (new version is lvl 6 btc w/ a red slot)

Original ToEE upgraded

After that SoS