Path of Exile 1 Gameplay Help and Discussion - Cleave vs. Sweep w/ 2-Handed Axe - Forum

Reading the description of cleave is: The character swings their weapon (or both weapons if dual wielding) in an arc towards the target. Also does half damage to other nearby monsters. Only works with Axes and Swords. The description of sweep is: Swings a staff or a two-handed axe or mace in a partial circle, knocking back some monsters around the character. So, my question is: If you are using a 2handed weapon or staff, is Sweep the better option for AoE attacks? Thanks in advance for the advice/responses	Posted by spork48#1886 on Apr 19, 2012, 6:01:07 PM Quote this Post
Use sweep if you are more tanky and more likely to be surrounded (360). Use cleave if you are dps'er and want to kill them in 1-2 shot (a cone) Unviable build tester. Fuse mechanics: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/21503 95% Crit Build Without Charges [0.10.1c]: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/172438	Posted by Progammer#5080 on Apr 19, 2012, 8:37:32 PM Quote this Post
I haven't leveled s Sweep gem up very high yet. How does the damage increase on the two compare at higher levels?	Posted by ChaoticDecree#0877 on Apr 19, 2012, 9:46:04 PM Quote this Post
" Altnaharra wrote: ]Damage can be subjective/situational with AoEs. I guess you could adjust your playstyle to incorporate yourself being surrounded all the time. But in my experience with craploads of melee characters Cleave is just better. When is sweep good(doing full damage potential? Monkeys, Squids, small spiders, Quickened elites w/friends. When is cleave good; pretty much all the time. Why would someone take Sweep? Because they like to use staves and hammers. Or their playstyle involves them taking more damage than they have to. heh (just my opinion of course) I recently traded Cleave out for Lightning Strike with one of my characters, it suited what I wanted a little more. (it really just depends on what you want to do.. or how you want to do it) There is no reason why you couldn't use both if you have the option to, phaserun or leap in to a horde, sweep then cleave down a path. They do make good friends/you'll still probably end up cleaving more than sweeping.. Excellent write up and exactly what I was looking for. Thank you	Posted by spork48#1886 on Apr 19, 2012, 10:08:38 PM Quote this Post
I just went for a tank-ish build focused on HP, resists and life leech and i use Sweep all the time (sometimes even in 1v1 fights because it has a big range compared to Heavy Strike). I have life on hit and added fire damage as support gems and even if it eats quite a bit of mana it's still easier to use than cleave, because it hits all the targets around you. I only finished normal and cruel so i'm not sure how viable is later into the game, but phase run/leap slam + sweep, retreat and repeat vs any boss without energy shield or life regen is pretty OP :P	Posted by brekner#2267 on May 14, 2012, 9:27:31 AM Quote this Post
I'm only in cruel, but I've gone sweep + resolute technique + blood magic. I don't really have any need for dex or int, so I'm just focused on str & hp. Sweep has worked great for me with maces, and glacial hammer is nice too since I don't have to worry about mana. Last edited by Thakog#2128 on May 14, 2012, 9:59:03 AM	Posted by Thakog#2128 on May 14, 2012, 9:57:17 AM Quote this Post
Sweep is nice to take out 20 mobs at once and farm fast in easy areas like fellshrine, but it gets kind of bad once you can't tank all of them anymore. Even if you build tanky, you can't really tank Maelstrom without a shield well enough to use sweep. TL;DR: Fun but impractical late-game Level up cleave to swap it in once you hit level 60 or so, I guess. Last edited by Silty#2454 on May 14, 2012, 12:25:33 PM	Posted by Silty#2454 on May 14, 2012, 12:23:28 PM Quote this Post