Envenom vs Dual Wield

[taromas]

I just started an infiltrator. Every guide I read says to go envenom because Dual Wield sucks.

Can someone explain why?

The way I see it is that an envenom infiltrator will do his backstab combo and poison/debuff his target and finish of with the basic melee styles and a dual wield infiltrator will do his backstab combo and then keep hitting hard with his dual wield styles.

Is the damage output not the same in the end?

 

[old.ShadowBlood]

A lvl 50 infil untrained in Dual Wield will have a high chance of pulling off a double hit... about 30% i think, every point he puts into the DW spec will give him an extra 0.5% chance.
Its not that DW is crap its just that its only worth spending a small amount of spec points on it as the bonus is neglible..

Plus envenom rocks... you can attack someone and leave them to be poisoned to death while you fight another enemy etc etc... you can debuff, cripple, disease etc much more room for variation.

Im pretty sure the DW formula is:

(level/2)+(DWx0.5)=% Chance of a double strike

~veSTax~
*To hell and back*

 

[ivan_russky]

Additionally to Shadows post :

In most encounters you would use critical styles not DW styles as the damage output varies greatly <depending on the points spent of course but whats a stabber without critical ? a zerker, but is only viable not with DW but with LA which is much better>
DW styles may get better who knows....

But out of the two <Envenom and DW> i say go Envenom to prolly 38-39. To get the Lifebane with RR and item bonuses.

My two pence.....

 

[ilmater]

at first its does seem like DW is worth it. but by the time you get up to garrote that is all you will really use. like person above said you use crit style much more, and if not that than slash or thrust style depending on which you choose. if you need more info on infils the best place to go (as with most chars) imo is the vnboards on at ign.com

http://camelotvault.ign.com

for any more help

you generally want to have your weapon a 2/3 your lvl as well as stealth. get garrote and PA asap as well.

poisons are good. you usually have a thrid weapon in your 2 handed weapon slot in which you use to cripple a mob or player if you are in trouble.

etc.
etc.

enjoy

 

[old.Arctic]

DW is [25% + (Skill / 2)%] so you got not 30% base but 25.5 as you allways has 1 point into it. lets say you got 50 DW, then you would get 25+50/2=50% doing a doublehit then if you got lvl 5 of Dualist's Reflexes realmability you have 15% more, that would be 65%, lets say you got +20 in DW, then you got 25%+(70/2%)+15% then you would have 75% chance. well that they way it is. not saying it is good. =)

 

[old.LandShark]

FYI dual wield offers an excellent style at 18spec, anytime detaunt with HIGH defence bonus. At lvl50, high defence bonus + evade7 = easy to force an evade. Evade = dragonfang = good thing

plus 18DW is about the point where you start getting diminishing returns for DW spec inreases, so it's a good place to stop.

50thrust/39CS/18DW/37env/36stealth
slightly higher stealth or env. with autotraining

 

[Sarnat]

There is also a level based bonus to DW chance. If you max DW and are at L50 you should DW around 50% of the time or more.