Could someone explain to me why Neit is generally recommended over Verac? Are the slightly reduced penalties and +3 str really worth it over the def when bossing?

It has no attack penalties; all other helms do.

But Verac's attack penalties are miniscule. Is the def really worth trading off?

Yes attack bonuses matter more than defence bonuses; plus the average outfit gets all defences up to like 200 - 300 anyway so 2 or 3 means nothing as it has little impact. While the attack bonus can still make a differnce.

Case and point:

Bandos and defenders are better than other armours and shields despite giving very limited defence.

And void melee owns despite being virtually defencless

But Verac's attack penalties are miniscule. Is the def really worth trading off?

 

Yes.

 

Actually, depends on what you're going to do.

Verac's is good for using the whole set. Otherwise, Helm of Niet is better. Offers no attack penalties as well as a similar prayer bonus, which is the real reason behind Verac.

Verac's helm is good in safe pvp situations. Esp. for tribridding and stuff.

 

It's also good when you're soloing bosses.

I use a verac's helm in some of my range tank setups in the wilderness. It's useful for pvp, although a torags helm would probably work just as well, and is cheaper.

I understand the applications of this type of helm. I'm just perplexed as to why you would sacrifice so much def for 2 points of ranged accuracy.

You don't need defense in most cases.

You don't wear it while ranging, that's what arma/pernix is for. When meleeing you often don't need the extra defence, hence the neit's offensive bonuses make it superior.