Of course South Cleave is not a bad weapon, but the blue KK weapon is really easy to get, you gain 140 combat rating, and lose something like 9 crit rating, and 70 offhand rating ?
Also, the combat rating on KK weapon is cold combat rating, and a lot of bosses have less protection than armor.
I think too that West Cleave + Blade of Widows is a good choice if he doesn't want to farm for T3 craft
Because this particular weapon specifically has combat rating blunt : CR (1HB).
But it's the same thing if you have a blunt in main hand, and Combat Rating (HE) on your offhand sword.
It's ok if there is only generic Combat Rating.
That's why Scepter of Return if not a really good offhand weapon if you have a sword in main hand.
for an overall barb i agree, but also depends on your play style and more important how the barb is feated...
for example:
- more hits by offhands, more crit chance (CoS starter feated comes in mind) = south cleave. the is also the -hate deacrease that comes in handy on several fights and lets you dps more freely and/or even increase more damage in feats/perks instead of aggro decrease, etc - BUILD example using Upheaval+Bone Shatter as perks
- more base dps = west cleave, its better when, for example barb is feated with 25% damage on whirlwind, CoS and jagged cut, never worrying about crits - BUILD example using without warning + bone shatter as perks
anyway, for the barb, any gear will do
Why i play AoC:
Barb for Lore;
HoX for challenge;
BS for fun;
Ranger to annoy;
Nocomment, that build is just weird. If you have five ranks of Without Warning, it is not needed to feat Atrocity. Also, for a Reaver barb, not feating Spirit of the Panther is lunacy.
This is the way to go no matter if you have T3.5 or T4 weapon in off hand.. http://is.gd/ZeJNWu
Tempered Steel only adds 5% to the Combo finisher. Which is 440-480, meaning rough +22-23 dps on each Cyclone / Upheaval combo for 5 points spent. And if you dont slot Upheaval, its basically a huge waste.
Sever is not worthwhile to spend 5 points in. 1 is ok as a filler to get further down in that tree.
It actually does, it's just the weapon damage that doesn't matter on the offhand. (Or maybe it does to some extent but the effect seems very limited).
That being said I use yag blunt as offhand with a sword, cos combat rating makes such a little tiny difference, but it has great crits.
Expert Shield of the Risen opener.
No it does not. Unless if your offhanded weapon combat rating states it being blunt combat rating. So if you have blunt and its stats say combat rating it does not matter. Am not sure how combat rating gone calculate if you put 1he combat rating gem in your offhanded blunt while having main hand as 1h edged I wanted to test it but dont want to buy stupid blue crafted blunt for 50 gold or so.