Swing Speed

Swing Speed is the final delay between two swings of the weapon in seconds after the Stamina statistic and the Swing Speed Increase bonuses are applied to the base Weapon Speed of the weapon. It is one type of way that can make a player's weapon shoot or swing faster and is very helpful in PvP and PvM.

Swing Speed Formula

The formula is based upon March 9, 2007.

Your swing speed is dependent upon 3 factors: your base Weapon Speed, your current Stamina, and your total Swing Speed Increase mods (from items).

The base weapon speed is displayed in seconds in its tool tip. To be precise, the number of seconds is the delay between swings, not a speed. The game's internal unit of weapon speed is actually 'ticks' of delay between attacks, one tick being equivalent to 0.25 seconds. The shortest possible delay (Swing Speed cap, if you like) is 5 ticks (1.25 seconds).

You can calculate your swing speed from the calculator below:

Examples

Example 1

Halberd base swing speed is 4.25 seconds, or 17 ticks.
Bare-handed base swing speed is 2.5 seconds, or 10 ticks 1.

Example 2

Diamond mace swing speed is 3 seconds, or 12 ticks.

Your swing speed is then adjusted downwards by 1 tick per 30 points of current stamina, rounded down.

Note 1: The formula refers to current stamina, not maximum stamina. This is how total refresh potions can be useful - they restore your stamina when your stamina has been drained, which restores your swing speed.

Example 1 (cont)

Halberd swing speed with 100 stamina will be 14 ticks, or 3.5 seconds. This works out as an attack rate increase of 21%. (21% == (17/14 - 1) * 100%)
Bare-handed swing speed with 100 stamina will be 7 ticks, or 1.75 seconds. This works out as an attack rate increase of 43%. (43% == (10/7 - 1) * 100%)

Note 2: this formula gives you a much bigger percentage increase in damage output with a fast weapon than a slow weapon.

Example 2 (cont)

Diamond Mace speed with 90 stamina will be 9 ticks, or 2.25 seconds. This works out as an attack rate increase of 33%. (33% == (12/8 - 1) * 100%)
Diamond Mace speed with 120 stamina will be 8 ticks, or 2 seconds. This works out as an attack rate increase of 50%. (50% == (12/8 - 1) * 100%)
Diamond Mace speed with 150 stamina will be 7 ticks, or 1.75 second. This works out as an attack rate increase of 71% (71% == (12/7 - 1) * 100%)

Note 3: this formula gives you increasing returns, rather than diminishing returns. That is, each additional dexterity tick you shave off with stamina increases increases your damage proportionally more than the previous tick. (71 - 50 > 50 - 33).

Finally, Swing Speed Increase should be factored in. If not for rounding, speed increase would work as an accurate measure of your increase in damage output. That is, with a total swing speed increase mod of 20%, the time it takes to swing isn't reduced by 20%, rather the number of swings you make per interval time increases by 20%.

Note 4: Swing Speed Increase is capped at 60%.

Example 3

Base halberd swing speed: 17 ticks
Halberd swing speed with adjustment for stamina: 16 ticks
Halberd swing speed with adjustment for stamina and Swing Speed Increase: 13 ticks (from 16 * 100 / (100 + SSI) = 13.3333, rounded down)

Extra credit - achieving max weapon speed with a halberd is basically impossible:

Base halberd swing speed: 17 ticks
Stamina of 180: adjusts to 11 ticks (if 180 is theoretically achievable?)
Swing speed increase of 60%: 6.875 ticks, so even if rounded down to 6 ticks this is still 1.5 seconds.