Why is headman's sword inferior to Vaal greatsword in every respect?

Headman's Sword
Two Hand Swords
Physical Damage: 55-128
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.3
Weapon Range: 13
Requires Level 57, 106 Str, 89 Dex
+400 to Accuracy Rating

Vaal Greatsword
Two Hand Swords
Physical Damage: 68-142
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.3
Weapon Range: 13
Requires Level 63, 122 Str, 104 Dex
+470 to Accuracy Rating

If a kind of weapon has more phy damage, it should have less atk speed of crit chance to keep balance, like

Spine Bow
Bows
Physical Damage: 38-115
Critical Strike Chance: 6.5%
Attacks per Second: 1.4
Requires Level 64, 212 Dex

Citadel Bow
Bows
Physical Damage: 36-144
Critical Strike Chance: 6%
Attacks per Second: 1.25
Requires Level 58, 185 Dex

Thicket Bow
Bows
Physical Damage: 32-96
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.5
Requires Level 56, 179 Dex

Citadel Bow has highest phy damage, but its atk speed is the slowest. A weapon has its merits and demerits.

But why is headman's sword inferior to Vaal greatsword in every respect?
Same atk speed, same crit chance, but less phy damage?

"

Azisardo wrote:

Headman's Sword
Requires Level 57, 106 Str, 89 Dex

Vaal Greatsword
Requires Level 63, 122 Str, 104 Dex

This is why.

You would expect weapons to get better the further you find them into the game. This is of course balanced by the requirements to use them.

This is not the case. POE weapons' templates are cyclical and graded. For example, bow has 3 tiers:

Tier 3:
1.Short Bow
2.Long Bow
3.Composite Bow
4.Recurve Bow
5.Bone Bow
6.Royal Bow
7.Death Bow
8.Reflex Bow

Tier 2:
1.Grove Bow
2.Decurve Bow
3.Compound Bow
4.Sniper Bow
5.Ivory Bow
6.Highborn Bow
7.Decimation Bow
8.Steelwood Bow

Tier 1:
1.Thicket Bow
2.Citadel Bow
3.Ranger Bow
4.Assassin Bow
5.Spine Bow
6.Imperial Bow
7.Harbinger Bow
8.Maraketh Bow

Maraketh Bow, Steelwood Bow and Reflex Bow have the same template:

Reflex Bow
Physical Damage: 37-56
Critical Strike Chance: 5.5%
Attacks per Second: 1.4
Requires Level 36, 124 Dex
6% increased Movement Speed

Steelwood Bow
Physical Damage: 58-86
Critical Strike Chance: 5.5%
Attacks per Second: 1.4
Requires Level 57, 190 Dex
6% increased Movement Speed

Maraketh Bow
Physical Damage: 61-92
Critical Strike Chance: 5.5%
Attacks per Second: 1.4
Requires Level 71, 222 Dex
10% increased Movement Speed

That is to say Maraketh Bow is the higher version of Steelwood Bow and Reflex Bow.
The higher version of a weapon template is of course better than the lower versions.

But a weapon CAN'T beat a same tier weapon in all aspects. Like the Tier 1 bows:

Thicket Bow
Physical Damage: 32-96
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.5
Requires Level 56, 179 Dex

Citadel Bow
Physical Damage: 36-144
Critical Strike Chance: 6%
Attacks per Second: 1.25
Requires Level 58, 185 Dex

Ranger Bow
Physical Damage: 56-117
Critical Strike Chance: 6%
Attacks per Second: 1.3
Requires Level 60, 212 Dex

Assassin Bow
Physical Damage: 43-130
Critical Strike Chance: 6.7%
Attacks per Second: 1.25
Requires Level 62, 212 Dex
+(15–25)% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier

Spine Bow
Physical Damage: 38-115
Critical Strike Chance: 6.5%
Attacks per Second: 1.4
Requires Level 64, 212 Dex

Imperial Bow
Physical Damage: 29-117
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.45
Requires Level 66, 212 Dex
(20–24)% increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills

Harbinger Bow
Physical Damage: 50-133
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.2
Requires Level 68, 212 Dex
(30–50)% increased Critical Strike Chance

Maraketh Bow
Physical Damage: 61-92
Critical Strike Chance: 5.5%
Attacks per Second: 1.4
Requires Level 71, 222 Dex
10% increased Movement Speed

Thicket Bow is the lowest level required one and has the lowest phy damage, but it has the highest atk speed. Harbinger Bow has the slowest atk speed and crit chance, but it has high phy damage and (30–50)% increased Critical Strike Chance. Each one has its special features and can't beat a same tier one in every aspect.

But for Headman's Sword and Vaal Greatsword, they are both Tier 1 swords, Vaal Greatsword is not the higher version of Headman's Sword, but it's stronger than Headman's Sword in all aspects.
This a design mistake.

"

But a weapon CAN'T beat a same tier weapon in all aspects

this is false

Terror claw vs gemini claw
same attack speed (1.5). same crit (6.3).
gemini claw - 68.2 dps
terror claw - 66.7 dps

karui axe / butcher axe / infernal axe

same 1.3 attack speed. same 5% crit. DPS? 81.9 // 87.1 // 88.4


midnight blade (level 68) vs legion sword (level 62) is actually backwards!
same 1.3 attack speed, 5% crit, 40% acc implicit.
legion sword - 90.6 dps // midnight blade 87.1 dps


spiraled foil // jewelled foil.

same 1.6, 5.5% crit, 25 multi. same 212 dex required. 72.8 dps vs 73.6 dps

2-handed-sword tier:

Tier 3:
1. Longsword
2. Bastard Sword
3. Two-Handed Sword
4. Etched Greatsword
5. Ornate Sword
6. Spectral Sword
7. Curved Blade

Tier 2:
1. Butcher Sword
2. Footman Sword
3. Highland Blade
4. Engraved Greatsword
5. Tiger Sword
6. Wraith Sword
7. Lithe Blade

Tier 1:
1. Headman's Sword
2. Reaver Sword
3. Ezomyte Blade
4. Vaal Greatsword
5. Lion Sword
6. Infernal Sword
7. Exquisite Blade

Headman's Sword
Two Hand Swords
Physical Damage: 55-128
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.3
Weapon Range: 13
Requires Level 57, 106 Str, 89 Dex
+400 to Accuracy Rating

Vaal Greatsword
Two Hand Swords
Physical Damage: 68-142
Critical Strike Chance: 5%
Attacks per Second: 1.3
Weapon Range: 13
Requires Level 63, 122 Str, 104 Dex
+470 to Accuracy Rating

Vaal Greatsword is a same tier weapon as Headman's Sword but designed as a higher tier version of it.

"

Thror2k5 wrote:

"

But a weapon CAN'T beat a same tier weapon in all aspects

this is false

Terror claw vs gemini claw
same attack speed (1.5). same crit (6.3).
gemini claw - 68.2 dps
terror claw - 66.7 dps

karui axe / butcher axe / infernal axe

same 1.3 attack speed. same 5% crit. DPS? 81.9 // 87.1 // 88.4


midnight blade (level 68) vs legion sword (level 62) is actually backwards!
same 1.3 attack speed, 5% crit, 40% acc implicit.
legion sword - 90.6 dps // midnight blade 87.1 dps


spiraled foil // jewelled foil.

same 1.6, 5.5% crit, 25 multi. same 212 dex required. 72.8 dps vs 73.6 dps

But Terror Claw has the property of 2% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life, different with the property of +38 Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks
+14 Mana gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks. The two claws cannot be completely compared. Both one has its merits.

"

Azisardo wrote:

But Terror Claw has the property of 2% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life, different with the property of +38 Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks
+14 Mana gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks. The two claws cannot be completely compared. Both one has its merits.

and the OTHER examples???

"

Thror2k5 wrote:

"

Azisardo wrote:

But Terror Claw has the property of 2% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life, different with the property of +38 Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks
+14 Mana gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks. The two claws cannot be completely compared. Both one has its merits.

and the OTHER examples???

Still, though Karui Axe has lower dps than Butcher Axe, but Physical Damage: 49-77 compared with Physical Damage: 47-87 also has a winning of 49＞47, it's not completely defeated (but still a perfunctory design).
Infernal Axe's Physical Damage: 51-85 vs Butcher Axe's Physical Damage: 47-87, we have 85＜87.

It's not like Headman's Sword's Physical Damage: 55-128 and Vaal Greatsword's Physical Damage: 68-142. While having the same atk speed and crit chance, 55＜68, 128＜142.

Headsman's sword is probably because of its level requirement tbh as while they go in tiers they are also somewhat tethered by ilvl.