Rather than performing two successive fast hits, similar to frenzy, of which the first or second hit can potentially miss or be blocked?, double swing would improve if:
Performs one simultaneous swing of both weapons to compound their damage into 1 hit.
See some of my other ideas for item improvements here
See some of my other theory craft here
Double Swing is designed to be used on crowds, where as Frenzy is designed for single monsters. When bolting into a crowd with Frenzy, quickly switch to double swing, which will wipe out the crowd pdq - faster than Frenzy.
There is no need for skills to be so similar to one another.
Frenzy also attacks in the same way as double swing; with either two fast hits against one enemy, or two fast hits against two nearby enemies ( 1 hit each )
The only thing similar about them is they are for duel wielding. Frenzy is practically useless compared to Double Swing when swarmed. Further more, Double Swing doesn’t require mana at slvl 9.
What is your reasoning? Frenzy and double swing both hit in the same way; either 1 enemy 2x or 2 enemy 1x
Double swing;
Gives no damage bonus other than the synergy for 200% at level 20
Has a lower AR than frenzy
Frenzy is faster
You move faster with Frenzy
Frenzy does hit 2 monsters at once, but when it does it is hindered, it works best when it is hitting a single monster. Again, when the barb is swarmed (surrounded) Frenzy becomes weaker and weaker, where as switching to Double Swing when swarmed cuts down the pack very quickly.
So again, Double Swing is for large groups of monster that have swarmed the barb and it’s for mana burners.
When you get swarmed by mana burners and you have no skill to use to get out of the situation, you switch to Double Swing, because it’s the only skill that doesn’t use mana.
Here you’ll see I switch from Frenzy to Double Swing to kill Infector quicker. Frenzy does not work well in such tight quarters.
https://youtu.be/CLuAjiaOVfM?si=KSma2oqZUjqdZi94
My video also demonstrates how fast Frenzy kills one monster compared to when it is hitting multiple monsters. I’m one-shoting uniques and champions, but I get slowed down by 2-4 trash monsters.
Though it’s not demonstrated in the video, the reasoning behind Taunt being a synergy is because taunting a pack of monsters can line them up instead of being in a pack that will swarm. I don’t use it in this video because the barb is insanely powerful.
Why do you say frenzy is hindered vs 2 or more, and double swing is not? What hinders it? How does it become weaker and weaker?
First, understand that Double Swing has a much faster attack speed than Frenzy.
Second, when a monster hits the barb, the barb is put into hit recovery, this disrupts the Frenzy attack, which depends on uninterrupted accumulative hitting. And so going into hit recovery slows down Frenzy’s attack speed. This isn’t much of a problem when getting hit a couple of times, but when swarmed, like you see with Ventar and his minions in the video I posted, the attack speed of Frenzy slows down from each hit landed on the barb.
Switching to Double Swing, though the barb can be put in hit recovery, the attack speed will not be slowed down. A frenzied up Double Swing is the fastest attack in the game. The damage is not as high, but the hits are far more often. 5 to 1 probably.
You’ll better understand what I’m trying to explain by experiencing it for yourself. It’s a real thing in the game that can’t be discover in the math.
It sounds like frenzy needs to be fixed to both be as fast as double swing, to start, gaining more speed as it continues, and to be uninterruptible, and then double swing needs the change I propose of 2 simultaneous hits which compound the damage of both items into 1 damage.
Or learn how to use the skills. I cleared Hell Chaos with a HC Frenzy barb in 4 minutes. I wasn’t using Grief or Fort, which would have near doubled my clear speed.
No need to have 2 skills so similar in function, especially if the earlier available one being better.
Same for other skills like ice and fire bolts etc, and they should be changed to be different.
As someone who frequently uses these skills, and not someone who just wants to change skills for the sake of changing them while having no experience mastering the skills, I do not want them changed.