Handwraps

Handwraps enhance a Monks' unarmed attacks.

Overview

Advantages

Experienced Monk players know of several reasons why unarmed attacks, as a character levels, are superior than centering ki weapons such as kamas.

• Unarmed combat is about 8% faster than using weapons 1.
• Monks add their full strength bonus to attacks with both hands.
• The Two Weapon Fighting line of feats allow Monks to increase the number of off-hand procs per attack, making them one of the most prolific DPS classes in the game
• Handwraps are generally worthless to other classes, making them readily available in weapon and pawn shops and the Auction House--especially important since there are no "monk vendors" in the game.
• Handwraps suffer no damage per round to rusting or acid, making the class a perfect fighter of oozes (which will not split apart from a Monk's bludgeoning attacks) and rust monsters, to name a few.
• As a Monk levels, their handwraps begin to bypass Magic, Lawful, and Adamantine damage reductions (DR). As a Shintao Monk's unarmed attacks begin to bypass additional DRs, handwraps with both a prefix and a suffix allow these Monks to add additional damage.

Disadvantages

The limitations of handwraps are few, though significant to some.

• Handwraps are bludgeoning weapons only, making attacks on enemies such as zombies a bit tougher.
• You can wear only one type at a time; you can't have one type of handwrap on one hand and a second kind on another.
• Handwraps that bypass advanced DR, such as Silver, don't drop often. However, with Update 14, overall drop rates for metal-laced or lined handwraps are becoming far more common. While "The Shadow Crypt" can drop Devout Handwraps (+2 Metalline of Pure Good), it is more practical (and less exasperating) to find silver-laced handwraps and use Cannith Crafting for new abilities, or find an increasing number on the Auction House. The Alchemical Handwraps do allow a metal-typed crafting option for high-level Monks, and Metalline crafting handwraps is also possible.
• Green Steel handwraps do not exist. (See "Properties", below.)
• Since base damage of monks' unarmed attacks vary with their class level, handwraps are not programmed like other weapons are.[1] This has caused handwraps to suffer from some bugs, particularly in unique items and during crafting.

Properties

Handwraps gain many unique abilities from other weapons, but also are limited in their upgrading due to their design or game design.

Unique

You can find these special properties or handwraps or add the property using the Stone of Change.

• Force prefix (Found or crafted)
• Force Burst prefix (Crafted)
• Bleeding suffix (Found)
• Metalline (Found)
• Stunning (Found--this property is shared with other non-ki bludgeoning weapons)

Metalline handwraps have a base price modifier of 5, instead of the typical 3, reflecting their rarity or value.

Missing or New

Handwraps with these following properties didn't exist in the game prior to Update 14, but now appear.

• Impact prefix
• Righteousness suffix

The Greater Parrying suffix appears on handwraps (since at least Update 16).

As handwraps are considered bludgeoning weapons, properties such as Vorpal, Wounding and Puncturing cannot be found on handwraps. This is not a bug. However, the natural 20 rolls that would confirm Vorpal hits often activate many special Monk attacks by way of feats, enhancements or items. New enhancements, such as Vorpal Strikes, can add this to the character.

Bugged or Working-As-Intended

Handwraps have a few broken aspects.

• Prior to Update 14, Axiomatic and Anarchic handwraps added alignment damage properly, but Monks (who are always Lawful) didn't receive a negative level penalty as they should when using handwraps with opposite alignment. As of Update 14, however, Anarchic handwraps in normal loot tables or crafted wraps will give a negative level to the player (even if the wraps dropped prior to the update).
• The Unstable Handwraps, by design, do not give a negative level to the player, which remains true with Update 14.
• Pure Good - UMD 20 is not required for Neutral characters

Non-Weapon Based Enhancements

• Destruction enhancements from Breastplate of Destruction and Dragonrouched Robes don't apply on handwraps, but developer Eladrin stated that it is intentional. [2]
• Special armors have appeared that add damage augmentation, such as the Garments of Equilibrium.
• Using the Stone of Change, the Force Damage Ritual and Force Critical Ritual didn't take effect on handwraps automatically once applied, but a work around was implemented by running the affected handwraps through the Stone of Change by themselves (known issue). This workaround is no longer needed. Force Damage and Force Critical rituals now work on randomly-generated, alchemical, and named handwraps. No information available as yet if the effect works for Cannith Crafted handwraps.
• The Ravager Set bonus damage does not work with handwraps. This is Working As Intended

Special Materials

Metallic property Handwraps

"Cold Iron Studded"

Handwraps with rare materials are included in regular loot tables as of Update 14. Quests such as Devil Assault were first reported to drop "studded" handwraps that can possibly bypass DR of various monsters on all difficulties since summer 2011, with much better drop rate on Epic.

A supreme advantage to the existence of such handwraps is, unlike the prized metalline Devout Handwraps, these do not bind to character or account and seem to be considered a tradeable, randomly-generated item.

As of Update 14, metallic handwraps of all types appear with much greater frequency throughout the game (particularly in higher levels), retain their metal quality when crafted, and are tradeable.

Metallic handwraps may be more appealing to Path of Inevitable Dominion Monks with Ninja Spy enhancements, as they do not get the ascending DR bypassing of Byeshk, Cold Iron and Silver to unarmed attacks available to Path of Harmonious Balance Monks with Shintao Monk enhancements.

Many unique metal-laced handwraps are also available. Two examples: Devotion handwraps, which are Flametouched Iron threaded (adding the Good quality, if they weren't already Holy), and Eternal Rest handwraps, which are silver threaded.

Green Steel-Weave

Game developers note that there will NOT be Green Steel handwraps implemented, at least in the near future. Speculation for the decision involves bugs that could develop from these type of handwraps, or that the developers believe monks with Green Steel wraps will be over-powered and break game balance.

Tips for Using

Since handwraps are very lightweight (in comparison to other weapons), Monks learn to carry a handwrap for just about every occasion. This is a great advantage since it allows Monks to tailor themselves for maximum damage and/or defense.

Many properties on handwraps will easily offset their limitation as bludgeoning weapons, such as elemental damage, bane damage, and crowd-control abilities, such as paralyzing. Take advantage of finishing moves, which add all manner of damage that can stack on handwraps.

A significant challenge for low-level Monks are Iron Golems. Built from adamantine, they have high DR/Adamantine, and are immune from most of extra damage effects. Until your character finds handwraps with Construct Bane or Smiting, on achieving level 16 or acquisition of metalline handwraps, you may need a quarterstaff or kamas with adamantine damage reduction to supplement your handwraps.

A tip vs. Golems: Against orange-named (and lower) Golems, try using Vertigo handwraps, Fire Stance (or other boosts to STR and tactics), and try and score a Trip attack. This is particularly handy vs Clay and Stone Golems. Metalline Handwraps of Vertigo can be a very versatile option for many immune-to-stun enemies in addition to Golems.

Anarchic Handwraps act differently from other Anarchic weapons on a Monk (thanks to the current glitch), and are perhaps the best weapon to use vs a Marut. Anarchic Handwraps of Greater Construct Bane/Smiting may be the ideal.

References

1. Vanshilar's Attack Speed Index and Formulae