Frenzy and Double Swing... holding hands?

[Shocky]

I just made my first Barbarian since ancient times when a level 1 thorns aura killed WWers with one prick. I went with frenzy and noticed that double swing is actually faster than frenzy. Has anyone ever tried a barbarian that frenzied up some bacon and eggs and served them with double swing? If someone has made such a build (20 Frenzy 20 Swing) should any points go into bash as a synergy? I'm up to 20 Frenzy and 10 Swing right now and thats working real swell...

Also, what should I socket Schaefer's Hammers with?

[Jackson]

Hey, check out Ash's Comprehensive Frenzy Guide in the stickied Guides thread at the top of this forum.

DS *is* faster than Frenzy.

Shael rune would be nice in Schaefers.

but yeah.... read the guide, it's better!

[SSoG]

Yeah, Double Swing comes with some tasty IAS built into the skill that the game never tells you about. IIRC, it's either 30% or 50% built-in IAS. This does make it a lot faster. Also, Double Swing will deal comparable damage with a comparable skill point investment. With that said, it's usually not the best idea to max and focus on both skills. They have different synergies, so you will have just spent a lot of time and points synergizing a skill that you won't use much, anyway.

Generally, people choose either Double Swing *or* Frenzy.
Double Swing advantages:
*No charging, which means faster initial speed.
*Comparable damage output with a 20-40 point investment.
*You can charge up with a low-level Frenzy for even faster speeds.

Frenzy advantages:
*Higher top-end speeds (although not as high as the two combined).
*Higher potential damage output, if you're willing to spend 60+ points.

If you want to charge up Frenzy and then go crazy with DS, you're probably better off making a dedicated DS barb with a couple of points into Frenzy. With 20 points in Frenzy, you're definitely better off using that as your main attack.

[Shocky]

The frenzy guide is incredibly helpful but it only mentions double swing as a means for mana leeching and attacking undead. I'll probably max it for the AR and synergy to Frenzy. I use double swing to milk a lot of statics from the Schaefer's, so the AR isn't wasted.

But you're right, there is not enough points to focus on both.

I'll try socketing with shaels... I can always empty the sockets if I find a good ed and ias jewel instead.

Thanks for the replies.

[Jackson]

The AR from DS doesn't get carried to Frenzy, AFAIK.