Broken War vs Zaw, which is the best 1h sword?

[Zaxon_Strike]

Hello.

I was wondering, which would be the best weapon in the 1h sword class.

Would a proper Zaw build beat out the Broken War? Or is there another contender? 

Thank you for your time.

[Leqesai]

Neither...

Pangolin Prime is the best 1H sword IMO (for combo counter builds)

Broken War has better crit stats but worse status. 

Pangolin Prime comes out on top due to its ability to more effectively layer status while also being able to deliver hard-hitting crits. 

Pangolin Prime has 10% higher base status chance which is pretty significant. 

Hybrid melee builds tend to outperform crit-heavy setups unless you're going full heavy attack.

 

But for a full on heavy attack setup I'd go Dakra Prime. It has the highest crit chance and 2.4x crit multiplier which will go a long way on a heavy attack setup.

 

Personally I wouldn't go with a sword Zaw. Of the two options you presented Broken War is a much better option than a well-made sword Zaw IMO. 

[Sir.X]

Broken War has

187 Damage, 35% crit chance, 2.2x Crit Dmg, and 20% Status chance

Assuming you have enough standing and resources from Cetus to make a Zaw, the Best one has

Ooltha Strike (Mewan has more even stats) with 224 Damage, 18% Crit chance, 2.0x Crit Dmg, and 18% Status chance, the Korb Grip with +28 Damage, but makes your Zaw swing slower, and the Vagreet II Ruhang Links with +14% Crit chance, +14 Damage, but -8% Status chance.

So by using this build, you deal more Damage per critical hit, however you lose out on Status chance and Attack Speed.

[Graavarg]

7 hours ago, Leqesai said:

But for a full on heavy attack setup I'd go Dakra Prime...

👍

The main difference between Dakra Prime and Broken War is if you like/dislike the Impact proc (Broken War) and your luck with the roll(s) of the respective rivens.

In my opinion both weapons are (significantly) better than "commonly believed", especially for all-round use (the melee weapon that for some reason just stays equipped because there is no reason to change it).

[Butterfly85]

I'll stick with my Mewan Zaw. Get a bit of combo counter going then let loose with Exodia Contagion bolts. 

I will never tire of seeing a room full of red crits when I swing that thing 😂