Whirlwind Attack Speed

Whirlwind Attack Speed

Yet another technical reference by Siosilvar
Last Updated for Median XL Sigma 2.2.8

Have a neat idea for a build using a

Relic (Whirlwind)

Relic
Required Level: 75
+(8 to 14) to Whirlwind
(2 to 4)% to All Attributes
Poison Resist +25%

? Ever wonder if

Hammer of Jholm

Hammer of Jholm
Great Maul (Sacred)
Two-Hand Damage: 76 to 89
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 1472
Item Level: 120
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
While Using Windform:
Adds 3 - 5 Fire Damage per 20 Attributes
Adds 3 - 5 Lightning Damage per 20 Attributes
+200% to Fire and Lightning Spell Damage
-1% to Enemy Fire and Lightning Resists per 60 Attributes
15% Chance to cast level 60 Nova on Melee Attack
15% Chance to cast level 63 Apocalypse on Melee Attack
120% Attack Speed
+20 to Windform
Requirements +100%
Socketed (6)

would be good? (it isn't) Just want to play whirlwind barb? Here's how attack speed works for Whirlwind and Windform.

Whirlwind's speed calc is different from every other skill in the game. There are only three things that matter for WW attack speed:

Attack speed on the weapon ( off-weapon attack speed does not count), without the usual diminishing returns
Your weapon's attack speed modifier, which you can find on the base items page in the docs
Your class's attack frames with the weapon you're using (but not the animation speed)

Other notes:

Barbarians treat two-handed swords as one-handed weapons at all times. I believe that other classes do as well, but haven't confirmed this yet.
Whirlwind attack speed is not affected by slows!
These FPA numbers aren't used directly, because Whirlwind checks for hits every 4 frames. A 6 FPA weapon actually checks at 8, then 4, then 8, then 4, etc. frames rather than every 6.
When you start a whirlwind, you get two free attacks at 4 and 8 frames. If you're dual wielding, the first one only attacks with your glove side weapon.
When dual-wielding, both weapons attack on the same frame, and the speed switches between attacks - so the speed is effectively based on one weapon's speed only, and which one it is depends on whether the single-weapon attack at 4 frames is in or out of range of an enemy.
Gale Force (the Barbarian AoE passive) doesn't work if you put your
Sunstone of the Twin Seas
Sunstone of the Twin Seas
Required Level: 50
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+2 to All Skills
10% Combat Speeds
-5% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-5% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
-5% to Enemy Cold Resistance
10% to All Attributes
Elemental Resists +10%
+5% to Experience Gained
in stash. For technical reasons, it's actually a 100% on melee attack proc on the sunstone that just does nothing if you don't have the skill.

Now go free, and spin to your heart's content!

Whirlwind Speed Tables

Reading these tables: Find your class and weapon type to get the net speed you need from your weapon. Add your weapon's Attack Speed Modifier (from the docs) to see how much speed you need. Remember that only weapon attack speed helps - runes, jewels, and MOs applied directly to the weapon can help, but nothing else does.

"Slow" just means that anything that doesn't meet the 14 frame breakpoint is 16 frames.

To help clarity, I've removed any frames that are unreachably slow from the tables. The unredacted table can be found at the bottom of this post.

Barbarian

FPA       16   14  12  10   8   6   4
all 1h   slow -38 -30 -19 -10   8  34
2h sword              -19 -10   8  34
other 2h slow -26 -17  -4   6  27  59

treewarden (The King of Ents
The King of Ents
Labrys (Sacred)
Two-Hand Damage:  (291 - 321) to (446 - 527)
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 796
Item Level: 120
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
Thunderfury
Treewarden Morph
+1 to Barbarian Skill Levels
50% Attack Speed
+(150 to 200) to Maximum Damage
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
+(5 to 15) to Rend
+(50 to 100) Life after each Kill
Socketed (6)
)     -16

Examples:

Gharaniq

Gharaniq
Barbarian Swords, Barbarian One-Handed Axes
Except Barbarian Two-Ha
'JahSilElq'
Runeword Level: 100
+(3 to 4) to Barbarian Skill Levels
Adds 5-10 Damage
Adds 120-115 Damage
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
Weapon Physical Damage +(60 to 80)%
+(81 to 100) to Strength
+(225 to 250) to Dexterity
5% Chance to Avoid Damage
made in a Kriegsmesser (-5) needs 29 attack speed to reach the cap, which can be done with jewels or MOs.
Blacktongue
Blacktongue
Flamberge (Sacred)
One-Hand Damage: (101 - 119) to (110 - 130)
Two-Hand Damage: (165 - 195) to (169 - 200)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 300
Item Level: 105
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
15% Chance to cast level 44 Rotting Flesh on Melee Attack
+25% Bonus to Poison Skill Duration
+(120 to 160)% Enhanced Damage
+(40 to 60)% to Poison Spell Damage
-(20 to 35)% to Enemy Poison Resistance
+(14 to 20) to Amatoxin
Slow Target 15%
Maximum Poison Resist +(1 to 2)%
Requirements -50%
Socketed (6)
is a Flamberge (+15) so needs 34 + 15 = 49 attack speed for the best frame.
A Labrys (+25) needs 59+25 = 84 attack speed.
Yaggai's Sagaris
Yaggai's Sagaris
Labrys (Sacred)
Two-Hand Damage: (441 - 471) to (496 - 527)
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 796
Item Level: 105
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
Thunderfury
50% Chance to cast level 16 Stormblast on Melee Attack
50% Attack Speed
Adds 150-200 Damage
-35% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
+100 to Strength
+100 to Vitality
Elemental Resists +(10 to 20)%
+250 Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)
has 50 already, so two Gul runes for 15% each and one 6% attack speed MO gets you there.

Assassin

FPA       16   14  12  10   8   6   4
claw                               -8
other 1h                  -16   0  25
spear    slow -11   0  16  29  54  92
other 2h slow -26 -17  -4   6  27  59

Amazon

FPA        16   14  12  10   8   6   4
1h thrust                  -16   0  25
1h swing               -19 -10   8  34
spear              -21  -9   0  21  50
other 2h  slow -23 -12   0  12  34  67

Druid

FPA       16   14  12  10   8   6   4
all 1h            -17  -4   6  27  59
2h sword      -19  -8   6  17  41  75 (might use 1h frames)
spear    slow -11   0  16  29  54  92
other 2h      -34 -25 -14  -5  14  42

bear                      -33 -19   0
wolf, owl             -34 -27 -13   9

Necromancer

FPA       16   14  12  10   8   6   4
all 1h            -17  -4   6  27  59
2h sword slow -11   0  16  29  54  92 (might use 1h frames)
spear    slow  -7   5  21  34  61 100
other 2h slow -23 -12   0  12  34  67

deathlord (The Defiler
The Defiler
Spirit Edge (Sacred)
One-Hand Damage:  (170 - 211) to (362 - 441)
(Necromancer Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 537
Item Level: 120
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
Parasite: +6 Targets
Deathlord Morph
+(1 to 3) to Necromancer Skill Levels
Adds (90 to 115)-(220 to 270) Damage
(10 to 15)% Life stolen per Hit
+(150 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
(10 to 15)% Deadly Strike
Socketed (3)
)   -10   8  34

Paladin

FPA       16   14  12  10   8   6   4
1h swing                  -16   0  25
1h thrust         -25 -14  -5  14  42
spear    slow -23 -12   0  12  34  67
other 2h      -30 -21  -9   0  21  50

superbeast        -34 -25 -16   0  25

Sorceress

FPA        16   14  12  10   8   6   4
1h swing       -23 -12   0  12  34  67
1h thrust          -17  -4   6  27  59
spear     slow -11   0  16  29  54  92
2h sword  slow  -7   5  21  34  61 100 (might use 1h swing frames)
other 2h       -30 -21  -9   0  21  50

Technical Gobbledygook

► Full Tables

FPA  14  12  10   8   6   4 bar sin zon dru nec pal sor
10  -61 -56 -50 -44 -33 -16 tree
11  -57 -51 -44 -38 -26  -8     clw
12  -53 -47 -39 -33 -19   0             bear
13  -50 -43 -34 -27 -13   9             wolf/owl
14  (not used)
15  -42 -34 -25 -16   0  25     1h  1ht         1hs/superbeast
16  -38 -30 -19 -10   8  34 1h      1hs     deathlord
17  -34 -25 -14  -5  14  42             stf     1ht
18  -30 -21  -9   0  21  50 2hs     2ht         2h  stf
19  -26 -17  -4   6  27  59 2h  stf     1h  1h      1ht
20  -23 -12   0  12  34  67         2h      stf 2ht 1hs
21  -19  -8   6  17  41  75             2hs
22  (not used)
23  -11   0  16  29  54  92     2h      2ht 2hs     2ht
24   -7   5  21  34  61 100                 2ht     2hs

Anything slower than the 14 frame breakpoint is 16 frames.

1ht = 1 hand thrust (javelin/dagger)
1hs = 1 hand swing (other 1h weapons)
1h = 1ht + 1hs
2hs = 2 hand sword (probably considered 1hs)
2ht = spears
stf = 2 hand swing weapons (other 2h weapons)
2h = stf + 2hs (zon/pal), stf + 2ht (bar), 2ht + 2hs (sin)

► How to calculate it yourself

Get the animation data for the current mod version. It's available here since the online speedcalc uses it.

a1Frames is the FramesPerDirection for the class & weapon type (e.g. BAA11HS for BArbarian Attack1 1HandSwing)
animSpeed is hardcoded to 256 for Whirlwind

netSpeed = wIAS - WSM
mAnim = FLOOR(animSpeed * (100 + netSpeed) / 100)
delay = a1Frames * 256 / mAnim

Look up the delay in this table to see the final FPA for that weapon:

To calculate the tables directly from those delay values:
netSpeed = CEILING((100 * CEILING(a1Frames * 256 / delay) / 256) - 100)

Credits

Zapp Brenigen for being wrong in Discord, giving me the motivation to write a calculator for this.
Whirlwind guide writers Wulf and Magz for attracting attention to the skill.
Everyone in this Lurker Lounge thread from 2003 for doing a deep dive into the mechanics of WW.

God's Work

I really love these kind of thread. Have learned a lots from your Poison guide and now this one.

Big thanks to you, Sio.

I asked you about this in another thread. Thank you for explaining this in such incredible detail!!

What I'm curious about is: since attack speed is only taken from one weapon and which weapon that is seems unpredictable in real time, is it worth getting the attack speed breakpoint on both weapons, so that you always have the attack speed cap?

Hi, does using 2 1-handed weapons give any advantage over 2-handed? Do we actually hit more often when dual wielding, or effective number of hits remains the same as long as breakpoints are met?

revolut1oN wrote:Hi, does using 2 1-handed weapons give any advantage over 2-handed? Do we actually hit more often when dual wielding, or effective number of hits remains the same as long as breakpoints are met?

While dual wielding you get twice as many hits, but only if there are actually 2 targets in range - the weapons can't hit the same target, but they can hit different ones.

Any1 able to explain me this part:

"Gale Force (the Barbarian AoE passive) doesn't work if you put your Sunstone of the Twin Seas in stash. For technical reasons, it's actually a 100% on melee attack proc on the sunstone that just does nothing if you don't have the skill."?

Hubix wrote:Any1 able to explain me this part:

"Gale Force (the Barbarian AoE passive) doesn't work if you put your Sunstone of the Twin Seas in stash. For technical reasons, it's actually a 100% on melee attack proc on the sunstone that just does nothing if you don't have the skill."?

it means what it says. you need sunstone for gale force to work, because gale force is a proc and passives can't *actually* give you procs.

idk why you'd ever put sunstone in stash except if you forget it or are trying some kind of personal challenge run, but there it is.