How is this melee weapon so cheap?
 

Venomous Axe of the Velium Brood
Ratio: 11/24
Poisonous Chill (85 damage, procs at Level 1)

This thing is really only 700? I'm trying to buy a Winter's Fury as my mainhand until Earthcaller (with Frostbringer in my off-hand), and that's nearly 2k. How is this thing, with a comparable ratio (Winter's Fury is 13/23) and a good damage proc that works at Level 1, cheaper than that? How is it this cheap to begin with?

2 more damage and 1 less delay is pretty significant. The poison proc threat might also put some people off that are playing classes that don't want to be ripping off of tanks.

I hear this, but I haven't seen the math to show how significant a difference in parsing just 1 more point of damage or 1 less of delay makes.

But 2 damage/1 delay is enough DPS per minute to outstrip an 85 proc that triggers at Level 1? And what if you're soloing or acting as a Tank (in this case, a Ranger Tank), or at least playing support to a Tank and doesn't mind grabbing aggro?

The delay is minor. 10 delay = 1 second, so the .1 is only 1/10 of a second faster. The 2 damage is pretty big though.

IMO, the venomous axe would be fun to use in the lower levels because the proc is just gonna dumpster low level mobs when it procs. But once you get into the mid levels where your dual wield and double attack is landing more consistent hits, the 2 damage on the WF is gonna add up pretty quick compared the inconsistent nature of the axe proc. I don't have any math to back it up because I'm lazy, but I'd say by mid 30's is when I'd lean more into the raw damage over the proc.

If you have the funds, I'd say buy both and play around with em and see what you like more, then sell the one you don't like. If you're tight on cash, I'd lean more towards the Winter's Fury because the better ratio is only going to do more for you as you gain levels and your combat skills go up, where the axe proc at level 50 is the same as at level 1.

its cheap because its farmed into oblivion. I held this camp 1 day for 5 hours and we got like 3 of these axes. Over the course of a week probably 12 hours total at the camp i saw about 8 axes drop.

In this case my Ranger is level 48.

If that's the case though with proc threat, is Frostbringer a detriment in group play too? I paid 1800pp for that thing, and it's a nice weapon while I'm soloing but I don't want it to go to waste.

It is not a comparable ratio at all. Winter's Fury is much better.

Also the proc is underwhelming. Assuming 0 resists the proc adds 2.125 DPS with 170 dex and 2.833 DPS with 255 dex. And there are going to be resists especially on a twink fighting red con mobs.

Actually, if damage/delay is that significant at the higher levels, is Winter's Fury sister sword, the Skyfury Scimitar, worth pairing with it? It's also 13/23, with Wis/Mana instead of Str/HP.

I could use Skyfury Scimitar and Winter's Fury for group DPS, and Venomous Axe/Frostbringer for group tanking and solo play.

SBOZ/swiftwind is the go to play. Anything else below this isn’t going to matter much. All the weapons you’re describing are chump change. Axe of the Velium Brood is a good twink weapon for level one, and that’s pretty much the extend of its use.

I have a budget of about 12k at the moment and I'm not going to start the Epic quest for some time still, likely not until I can also afford an SEoC. Think they go for about 50k or so now?