"Endgame quality" weapons?

[Chud]

What really makes a weapon "endgame quality" as I've seen described here on and off? Dealing out lots of damage seems an obvious element - anything else, or does it really depend on your other equipment mix?

Just found the Trident of Ulmo at about DL50, and it seems great now for where I am, but I suspect it may not hold up deeper... :-)

[Mondkalb]

The Trident of Ulmo is quite good for several reasons. But, you will probably find a weapon that deals even more damage in the end.
Ulmo is good enough until then anyway - immunity to acid is always nice to have and resistance to nether is sometimes difficult to cover or requires difficult equipment choices.

[Oramin]

It depends on your equipment mix. The last time I took on Morgoth, I was using Turmil (mainly because I was shooting him with a Sling of Buckland). Most of the time with the Dunadan Paladin that I was hanging out on L97-98 I was using Aglarang (enchanted to +15, +15) with Scythes of Slicing of Acid and *Slay Demon* as swaps.

Those aren't the "best of the best" weapons (AKA Ringil and Aule) but they're good enough with enough speed.

[Mondkalb]

I would say, it depends on class also.
Last time I had Ulmo very long, mostly because of acid immunity and rnether. In the end I used Mundwine because it does a little bit more damage against evil and I had acid immunity from Thorin.
Also, Mundwinde covers that nasty electriity resistance hole, that nowadays often opens up (if you can't find Vilya ...).

Oh, and Ulmo is an excellent weapon to hunt dragons ...

[Magnate]

What really makes a weapon "endgame quality" as I've seen described here on and off? Dealing out lots of damage seems an obvious element - anything else, or does it really depend on your other equipment mix?

It depends more on how you intend to kill Morgoth. If you intend to kill him with spells or archery or wands of annihilation, then "endgame quality" can mean anything - Ringil for its speed, or a defender for base resists.

If you intend to kill him with melee, then endgame quality has to mean highest damage vs. evil (per turn, not per blow). Nothing else really matters.

[scud]

Playing with randarts I've often found that my best Purple P Killer isn't actually an artefact. I've just killed him with a Blade of Chaos of Extra Attacks @ 470 points a turn, which nothing else could approach when it came to 'evil'.

I play fairly conservatively, usually hitting CL50 at around DL80, killing all other uniques, and spending some time post-Sauron hoovering up rods and potions. By the time I take on Morgy I'm weighed down with *healings* and lifes and mass banishments etc, and regardless of my character class I'll simply grind him down; it's just attritional melée.

I'm pretty sure there are stories of adventurers taking the big guy out with a shovel (1d2) (+0,+0). My bloke, a paladin, would average 153 pts of damage a round with a shovel. Sounds perfectly feasible, although rather long-winded. I suspect you'd need speed to spare because you'd consume a load of stomach-bloating potions...

Just make sure you've got sustains for STR/DEX/CON, because he can reduce your stats at a frightening rate. If you're a caster you'll also benefit from INT or WIS sustain, although quaffing the occasional 'life' will take them back to max.