Guild Wars 2

If (for example) I loot an axe, and I want to know if it’s better than the sword I am currently using, I’ll look at the damage ranges, maybe the stat bonuses.

Is there an easy way to tell (approximately) whether the two-handed weapon I’ve just looted is “better” than the two single-handed weapons I’m currently wielding (or vice versa)? I don’t need an exact weapon-by-profession-by-build breakdown, just a rule of thumb like “Add together the stats of your two weapons and multiply by 3/4 to get the approximate stats of an ‘equally good’ two-handed weapon” or similar.

Thanks

Look at the equipments level and rating.

A weapon of a lower grade and level will have fewer stats. If there’s some combo of lower level and greater rating or something, I tend to consider price to upgrade. If something you’re using had an expensive upgrade, it’s not worth bothering if the stats are slightly better on something that dropped.

PS: over all it probably doesn’t matter. If you’re comparing two different weapons, just keep both and equip that weapon when you need those skills. At max level, it’s not uncommon to have one of most of your profession’s weapon for specific cases, like carrying a warhorn and shield on your warrior or a staff on your guardian.

just go by level, rarity, and stat distribution

oh boy… that’s a tough one. Each weapon type for the classes that can wield them have their own set of abilities, which are more or less effective depending on what those abilities do and what they are good for.

But for actual stat distribution, at level 80 which exotics, the 2 handed weapon (Let’s say 2hsword) has one or two more points in a particular stat than dual wielding (Let’s say 2 axes).

But like I said, the actual weapon abilities are more important than the stats on them: the stats are just a means to an end, the weapon abilities being that end.