Magic Weapons

[Taqwus]

Even some of the cheaper weapons can be quite useful. Flaming swords tend to be armor-piercing, and at least one Version gives 50% fire resistance, for instance. Elf bane can be dangerous to magical foes. A Duskdagger is armor-negating, useful on a high-strength / high-morale commander (short weapon, so you can expect to be repelled, and it doesn't do much damage by itself); lightning attacks are also armor-negating. Against the vulnerable, even a Snake Bladder stick can be nasty. Bane blades are a decent toy for an assassin if you think you can get a hit, but not necessarily an outright kill, since it can cause Decay.

Among heavier stuff, Gate Cleaver is pure damage (damage 29, plus strength, armor-negating) and good for sieges. It's a nice anti-tank weapon, and unlike a Phoenix Rod cannot be blocked with any elemental immunity.

Mage Bane causes a guaranteed KO (100 fatigue per hit), plus a large MR bonus; Sun Slayer is an Area DEATH weapon; the Stone Sword is also lethal in an area (petrification). Summit is another pure-damage weapon, but is 1-hd, leaving room for a shield. Tempest is a nasty electrified 2-hd sword that automatically casts Storm, and can also be used to cast Thunderstrike. The Unquenched Sword is very thematic for an Archdevil or a King of Elemental Fire.