Do Weapons have differing effects?

I need this for the FAQ but I've been wondering about this for awhile and I don't feel like stealing info from Gamefaqs. :shifty:

So my question is, do the different types of weapons have various effects like in FFT/XII or do they just have minor stuff like Axes have high attack power, spears allow you to attack from the back row.

I mostly wonder cause there are several weapon types I never bothered using cause I couldn't really see the point in using them like Staffs, rods, and knives.

I don't recall the differences but I do think there were some. Bows are the only thing you can use from the back row, though.

I'm going to need to replay the game but snooping around I did learn that Shields effect evasion and Armor effects Strength which in order to build a strong mage would mean you have to avoid heavy armor cause it will lower their intelligence as they gain strength...

I came into this thread with a pretty decent idea of how it actually went but now I've forgotten too D:

Mainly minor stuff. Also some people come with better abilities in a specific weapon, like Leila comes with higher proficiency using a knife

So I busted out FFII last night and I'll be posting my discoveries as I can.

Okay, so I really sat down and played the game last night and was playing around with how most of the weapons worked and kinda learned that certain conventions I take for granted later don't work the same in this game (Back/Front Rows). WARNING, THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.


Weapon Guide Revised 1.5

Swords: All around average in the beginning, good attack power, good accuracy, and good weight. In the middle of the game, you'll run into the Blood Sword, Ancient Sword, and Crescent which all have weird "tricks" to them but all three have some great uses, especially the Blood Sword which does damage based on a weird algorithm based on enemy HP and your sword proficiency, making it the games unofficial best super weapon. The Excalibur and Masamune are two of the strongest weapons in the game so its wise to actually keep someone leveled with these weapons.

Knives: Knives offer high accuracy at the cost of damage output. They also raise your evasion percentage which in turn makes raising your evasion a little easier (in theory). They're decent in the beginning and the Ripper is a great weapon mid-game but they will eventually get outclassed by other weapons.

Axes: Offer high Att. Pwr. but have low accuracy They are stronger when either duel wield or when the second hand is empty but using a shield or a low power weapon like a knife or staff may not be the best combination. Like swords, they really begin to shine midway to the end of the game as you get some peculiar and powerful weapons like the Rune Axe

Staff/Maces: Probably the oddest weapon in the game. They are about average overall in stats and their only true contribution comes from special effects many of them carry with them. You see the problem with Staffs/Maces is that like most of the melee weapons, they can't attack from the backrow, not even party members so they should actually be used by warriors unless you are towards the end of the game using the spell effects some carry on them when used as an item.

Lances: Still experimenting with this one. Spears have lower accuracy and power from its other starting brethren of weapons (swords, knives, axes). Late in the game you get some truly powerful spears like the Holy Lance.
Bows: Low attack power and a shaky selection, the bow makes up for all this by being one of the few weapons hat can attack from the back row which makes it great for any Black Mage specialist in your party who probably has a low Endurance due to raising intelligence levels. Its not a great damage dealer but at least you can give your mage something to do without serious consequences to lower their Mage stats.

Bare-Handed: Starts off weak unless you have been busy and have an exceptionally high Str. stat. BH does damage based on your Str. stat and your BH proficiency levels. Of all the melee weapons, this one gets very powerful very quickly. It boasts a high accuracy but lowers your Evasion to criminal levels unless you really want to work on HP and Endurance. Great in the beginning of the game and probably until mid but once you get some of the game's end game gear it gets a bit outshined. I can't confirm this but it seems like this weapon raises Str. faster than others but I still need better confirmation.

Shields: The most overlooked "weapon proficiency" the only things shield can do is raise your evasion percentage and at higher proficiency levels the character can use the shield to negate a physical attack and depending on the shield, possibly even magic. Great for defensive minded characters or to create a less durable mage type character. Enemies can't hit as many times when a shield is equipped and even better, the main theory among sources is that shields help to raise Evasion and Agility to some extent so if you really want to "break the game" you'll need to play with this one. I personally like the shields but specifically for giving to temp party members so they can last as long as the main party. Gordon for some reason is set up to gain high levels from this item so he becomes a defensive tank after a while...