Is this a second chance to parry or just an increased chance to parry? Does this impact some weapons more than others like mace and axe? If parry is strength and skill based would a 23+ str race get even more mileage out of this legacy than what a 20- str would?

From what I've gleaned from forums reading (not having had the legacy) ward works like dance in that it is a second chance to parry like dance is a second chance to dodge.

If your base chance to parry with an axe is say 40% and you get a second chance (I would guess at a reduced rate) at 30% that is going to net you a 58% total chance (if my math is correct) or 18 extra parries out of 100. On the other hand, if you are a sword spec with a base chance (with flourintine) of 80% and the second is 70% (these are totally made up numbers) your increase will be smaller to 94% or 14 extra parries out of 100. So the impact on axe is greater than the impact of sword.

After doing the math, I'd guess it is closer to half on the second chance (so 40/20 80/40) which makes more sense to me. 52% vs. 88% show the difference more clearly in this case. Basically, you get more mileage out of axe because you have more missed parries, but you'll still defend better with a sword.

The strength factor is going to weigh in in the same way as weapon. You get more increase from lower strength because you parry less and have more chances at a second parry, but overall you still parry less.

That may or may not make sense to you, but I think this is essentially how it works (with the caveat that my numbers are totally made up and based on nothing at all.)

Tac

The trick here is to look at the extra parries as a percentage of total un-parried hits.

Take the axe guy. If his parry goes from 40% to 58% then his rate of taking damage is reduced by 18/60 or 30%. With respect only to melee damage, then, and assuming he's not disarmed, then ward acts like permanent 30% dam redux.

Now take the sword guy. If his parry goes from 80% to 94% then his rate of taking damage is reduced by 14/20 or 70%. The kicker here is that he's taking less melee damage to begin with since he already parries well. So, for him, the percentage of the *overall* damage he's taking that's comprised of melee hits will be smaller than for the axe guy.

What dodge and ward seem nice for is making it harder for someone to just spam lag and outmelee you unless that guy is also doing unblockable damage via progging gear or riposte/concealed/etc.