Easton Synergy HTX vs. Warrior Dynasty HD1
The last time I compared an Easton stick with a Warrior stick (CX vs. QR1), it was one of the closest and most fun comparisons that I have ever done. In fact, it was so much fun that I want to do it again! This time, let's look at mid kick sticks: Easton Synergy HTX vs. Warrior Dynasty HD1.
Notable NHL players using an Easton Synergy HTX: Marian Gaborik (LA), Erik Johnson (COL), Mikko Koivu (MIN), Jarome Iginla (COL).
Notable NHL players using a Warrior Dynasty HD1: Erik Karlsson (OTT), Henrik Zetterberg (DET), Tyler Johnson (TB), Nicklas Bäckström (WSH).
Shaft Construction
The Synergy HTX is made of a uni-directional EC100 carbon fiber matrix which creates a well-balanced stick. There is a very slight taper near where the shaft meets the blade. The shaft has square corners, slightly concave sidewalls, and a ribbed texture on the shaft corners.
The Dynasty HD1 is created with a unique blend of carbon fibers and toughened epoxy that are saturated and thermoset cured in order to create ultimate shaft strength, feel, and response. New to the Dynasty stick line is the Strong Arm Taper. The wide geometry resists torque to improve power transfer and accuracy when firing slap shots and one timers. The Warrior HD1's shaft has round corners, straight sidewalls, and a ribbed Pro texture.
Kick Point
Both sticks have a mid kick point, but with a few differences. The HTX has a "mid taper flex profile" which means you will still get a standard mid kick point but with a subtle taper near the bottom of the shaft. This enables the HTX to flex like a traditional mid kick stick. Since practically every mid kick stick released since 2014 (Bauer Nexus 8000, CCM Tacks, CCM Ultra Tacks, and the Warrior Dynasty HD1 to name a few) has a graphic on the shaft to show exactly where the kick point is, I was a little disappointed to find there wasn't one on the Easton HTX. While it wasn't particularly difficult to find the kick point, every now and again my hand wouldn't be in the perfect spot and it would result in a soft shot.
Meanwhile, the HD1 has a "HyperDrive Enginereed Kick-Zone" which is easily located in the middle of the shaft by a 19" red and white graphic. When a player's bottom hand is in this zone while shooting, the stick will flex incredibly easily and will give the shooter maximum velocity on their slap shots or one-timers. This graphic is definitely the new standard for mid kick sticks and I believe should be found on every stick with this type of kick point.
Because of the easy-to-find graphic on the kick point, I found the HD1 was much easier than the HTX to load and get the most power out of my shots.
Blade / Puck Feel
The Easton HTX blade is "Hypertuned" for energy transfer and has a "HyperToe" for shot velocity. In other words, the Hypertuned technology tailors the flex of the blade to the shaft's flex to create a more responsive blade for every player - so if you get a 75 flex stick, the blade will be much softer than the blade on a 100 flex stick. Then, the HyperToe gives players a super stiff toe for maximum shooting power. While these features were great for shooting, the puck feel with the HTX was brutal - I couldn't stick handle to save my life with this stick, especially after just using an Easton CX. The blade just did not have the very lively feel that I had come to expect from Easton.
For the Dynasty HD1, Warrior added two Twinspar carbon fiber supports to the middle of the blade. This, with the addition of Hardcore X foam core, results in a stiffer and more durable blade with amazing puck feel. The blade on the HD1 was very lively and responsive, enabling me to shoot the puck and stick handle very easily.
Both the HTX and HD1 were pretty equal in the blade technology department, but the HD1 outperformed the HTX by a landslide in terms of puck feel. I had to put all of my focus into controlling the puck when stick handling with the Easton HTX and was pulling toe drags and keeping puck possession with ease with the Dynasty HD1.
Shooting Power / Accuracy
Both of these sticks were great for shooting - especially if you are a player who winds up on his shot. I even tried experimenting with the kick points by shooting really quick snap shots. I had a bit of difficulty shooting like this with the HTX, but surprisingly not the HD1. With the HD1, I could still get a lightning fast release like I was using a low kick stick! Still, both sticks gave me some of the most consistently hard and accurate shots of any sticks I've used in recent memory.
Since the Easton HTX and Warrior HD1 both provided hard shots, the biggest difference maker would have to be the versatile kick point. I would find myself using the HD1 much more often than the HTX because I could get a ton of power behind snap shots in addition to wrist and slap shots. I would only prefer the HTX over the HD1 for shooting if I was a player who rarely took snap shots.
Durability
One of the biggest complaints that players had with the Easton Synergy HTX stick was how fragile it was. Nearly everyone I know that used one, myself included, ended up breaking their HTX in the heel region of the blade. It cracked in that spot in just the third time I played with it. This might be the reason why we had them on a "Buy One Get One Free" deal this holiday season.
I had no issues with the durability on the Warrior HD1 apart from a few minor cosmetic dings and chips in the graphics after a few stick lifts and slashes.
My Easton Synergy HTX had some serious durability issues - it broke on me the third time I used it. I did not find any damage on my HD1 after using it for a month, so I would highly recommend the HD1 over the HTX if you are looking for a durable stick.
Weight
An Easton HTX stick weighs 425 grams, which is slightly lighter than the Dynasty HD1.
Warrior used a 100% carbon fiber thermoset on the HD1, which created a better-balanced and lighter stick. Even after making it 20 grams lighter than its Dynasty AX1 predecessor, a Dynasty HD1 weighs 432 grams, making it one of the heavier top-of-the-line sticks of 2015.
While neither of these sticks will find themselves in the featherweight catergory, the Easton Synergy HTX is lighter than the Warrior Dynasty HD1 by 7 grams.
Flex, Patterns, & Length
The Synergy HTX is offered in four flexes [75, 85, 100, and 110], four different blade patterns [E3 dual lie / lie 5 (mid curve), E4 (mid-heel curve), E28 (toe curve), and E36 (mid curve)], and one standard length [60"].
The Warrior Dynasty HD1 is offered in three flexes [75, 85, and 100], seven different blade patterns [W01 Lupul (mid-heel curve), W03 Henrique (mid curve), W05 Granlund (heel curve), W71 Pacioretty (big mid curve), W88 Zetterberg (mid curve), W16 Karlsson (mid-heel curve), and W28 Yakupov (mid-toe curve)], and two lengths [Regular (60", available on all patterns) and Long (63", available on select patterns)].
The Warrior Dynasty HD1 has three more blade patterns than the Easton Synergy HTX as well as a second length to choose from. This means it will be tailored towards more players with different shooting/passing styles and towards taller players without the need for a shaft extension plug.
Summary
In conclusion, I preferred the Warrior Dynasty HD1 over the Easton Synergy HTX in almost every category. It comes in more patterns and lengths, is very durable, has amazing puck feel, and shoots lasers! What more could you ask for? If you are in the market for a top-of-the-line stick that's built to last, check out the Warrior Dynasty HD1.
While the HTX was great for shooting wrist and slap shots, it just felt pretty average in all other categories. I felt it would be inadequate for a player who relies heavily on their puck handling skills. This is not to say the Easton Synergy HTX is a bad stick - I just think it was geared too much towards the niche market of players who mainly like to get set up for one-timers. But, at just $179.99, the Easton Synergy HTX would be a good pickup for a player who is either on a budget or looking to get his or her first top-of-the-line stick. Just be sure to save your receipt in case it breaks on you within the first 30 days.
Do you agree or disagree that the Warrior Dynasty HD1 is better than the Easton Synergy HTX? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading and we'll see you on the ice!