Strength might have more effects in total, but those first few in the DEX stat are huge in terms of the overall change in combat they cause. Trust me, DEX is the top stat for combat by far, if only because it provides such a big bonus to the MELEE and DODGE skills as well as to your Crit chance. STR is powerful, but things like extra HP don’t make the slightest difference if you don’t get hit. 
