Equipment Predicament

bogotter · #1 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 04:39 AM

I'm really not sure what weapons (or styles) would give my party best balance....

1. P.C. Undead Hunter...2 hand sword, and style, crossbow..I think thats ok
2. Minsc..not sure..dual wield maces?
3. Anomen...not sure...mace or wot?
4. Jaheira..I'm using scimitar and big shield and a sling
5. Nalia..bow
6. Aerie...Sling

I may put Mazzy in sumwhere, I'm not sure. I just wanna make use of different kinds of weapons, not just 2handed swords and maces....

Aegnor · #2 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 05:00 AM

If you want variety, try dumping Minsc for Mazzy or Valygar, and get into spears, katanas, or one-hand swords. I notice you have no dual-wielders, which can be quite fun later in the game when the more powerful weapons show up - they often carry innate defensive abilities when equipped.

How badly do you want Anomen? If you can go with just one cleric (Aerie) then you could go with someone more colourful like Haer'Dalis (though he's difficult to use effectively). Oh, and you have Jaheira too! The party seems a bit heavy in the fighting/curing department...with your PC and Minsc or another tank, you probably only need one of Anomen or Jaheira as backup.

just my advice, that's all.

bogotter · #3 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 05:45 AM

I'm gonna replace Jaheira or Anomen with Mazzy...and Nalia with Imoen...which would make party...I'll keep Minsc, I could never get rid of him!

Undead Hunter...Tank...2 hand sword,crossbow
Minsc....Tank..dual wield Mace and sumthing else?
Mazzy...Tankish...Long sword, Shortbow
Jaheira/Anomen...Semi Tank/Healer
Aerie...Healer/Mage
Imoen...Mage/Thief

Is Minsc good dual wielding?? he has proficiency there. (I think)

Wolf_pd · #4 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 06:23 AM

Minsc has as all rangers two * in two weapon style, so you can consider him ok in dualwielding. Mace is ok to use, especially some later maces, other weapons? Hmm, don't know, I think I gave him flail or something. There are great combos to make with it though, to you to find them out.

Kassaras · #5 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 06:28 AM

Minsc does have 2 stars at dual wielding and at mace so give him the enhanced mace of disruption and mace+2 or the Skullcrusher and he can become THE vampire slayer.However I think that he is better with a two handed sword.If you want dual-wielders try HaerDalis!
Give to Anomen the flail of the ages and to Jaheira Blackblood+3.They will be kicking golems all the way to the 9 hells!!!!

Chanak · #6 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 08:21 AM

Dual weapons are a blast and has great potential. Rangers get an extra slot beyond Paladins with Two-weapon style (which means Minsc gets that advantage), which to me makes it a strength of the Ranger. I think Minsc armed with the Mace of Disruption (primary hand) and another nice weapon in his off-hand spells doom to any vampire, which I like to administer swiftly (I hate losing levels).

I think Paladins (which is my favorite class) make great two-handed sword wielders, or in other situations, weapon and shield types, but I wouldn't use them in any other capacity.

If you use Anomen with Minsc as a mace wielder, I would give Anomen's weapon slots to something else, like a flail or war hammer. You come across nicer war hammers later in the game that deal out better damage than 1d4. He used to be a fighter, so remember that you can go all the way with his specialization - *****. Not bad. That does amount to something.

I've equipped Jaheira properly - upped her strength with a giant strength girdle, gave her good armor, etc. - and she's not bad at all. In all the battles, she holds her own and you don't have to worry about her.

Mages can be alot of fun. Nalia and Imoen are good for ranged weapons only, but spells can change things. Oh, one time I used Edwin and I had some fun doing the Black Blade of Disaster, Haste, and Tenser's Transformation (in that order). It was fun to wreak havoc that way. You could do something similar with them, too, once you increase their intelligence score later on (I won't say where, assuming you don't know and don't want to).

bogotter · #7 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 12:01 PM

So should I put mazzy in istead of Anomen or Jaheira...and is therene way of getting the mace of disruption before chapter 6??? I WANT IT!!!

UserUnfriendly · #8 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 12:50 PM

you get it in chapter 2, once you side with bodhi or aran linvale, you get a chance to loot bodhi's graveyard flat, and do the serles quest for temple of helm, but give them the illiseium alloy chunk instead of real ore to serles. he's a dweeb anyway...

UserUnfriendly · #9 (**permalink**) 01-19-2002, 01:00 PM

oh yeah, if you install the patch from balderdash for tob, or soa, you can get azuredge, whcih in my experience is better than mace of disruption...ranged attacks with greater whirlwind by a fighter will mow them down like wheat...killed major liches with a whirlwind and azuredge...sure, both come with a save, but repeated hits and sooner or later they will fail save and be destroyed. azuredge is better in many respects, but I consider both to be essential items, since my pc sorc kensai NEEDS the amulet of power and jahira gets spectral brand. those are the only items that protect against level drain, except the god aweful spell...short stinking duration. turn undead has a lot of disadvantages, you need to either have cleric scoot while turning, since it seems to be a duration issue more than anything else, the undead needs to spend seconds in close proximity and un restricted line of sight, and unless you turn ai off, you need to equip with mace to keep from level drain. the high level undead, like liches, you treat as spell casters, like using mislead and spell immunity to make yourself untargetable by spells, and evil use of chain contingency, aerie is major lich hunter, chain 3 sunrays when she gets high enough and use sanctuary to get close and whack em!

the mace is best used to grant fighterss immunity to level drain when the undead are in close range, like unseeing eye and graveyard, use azuredge in a back row ranged fighter and have cleric turn undead in middle ranks and you're set.

fishhead · #10 (**permalink**) 01-21-2002, 10:47 AM

I thought I might mention something about your paladin as everyone has done a great job with everything else. I played my Undead Hunter with Two hander and Crossbow and found that I never used the crossbow skill. My pally pretty much got into the thick of battle 100% of the time. What I would have done if I could go back is early specialization in a blunt weapon, like the flail, mace or hammer. This helped out against golems and other creatures resilient to slashing or piercing items.

Good Luck

Curdis · #11 (**permalink**) 01-21-2002, 04:22 PM

Tom,

The only problem with having a Paladin as your two handed sword specialist is that once they get Carsomyr its like it is a cursed sword, they will NEVER let go of it, so all the other great two handed swords go to waste.

Having Minsc dual wield maces is probably the most efficent route (he has stars in mace from the start) and as his racial enemy is Vampire the mace of distruption (particularily in its +2 negative plane protecting form) is an obvious choice.

I'd get someone to specialise in Flail (Aerie) and someone else in War hammer(Anomen). - Curdis

Raenvan · #12 (**permalink**) 01-21-2002, 07:33 PM

I would drop Minsc for Valygar. He has higher dex, better weapons (katanas of course) and backstabs quite well.

Anomen, Aerie and Jaheria are too many healers for one party. Mazzy is the NPC who fits this group instead of Jaheira. Her weapons are short bows and halberds (this may look a bit stupid anyway).

And Anomen should really use warhammers, he becomes a top fighter with Crom Faeyr. In my opinion he's one of the most efficient NPCs in the game.