What is the best "Tank Heavy" party ( using PreMade NPCs)?

roguekiller · Post by **roguekiller** » Thu Sep 20, 2001 9:50 pm

I think it would be :
Korgan
Minsc
Keldorn
???
But you also need magic and healing so who else?? and what Protagonist would be best suited?
And is Minsc any good? I had him in BG1 and in BG2's first dungeon but that was it!

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Thu Sep 20, 2001 10:09 pm

viccy is a mgical tank, with human skin armor and amulet of magic resist 10% and shield of the lost her magic resist is at 100%. send her in with boots of speed in a magic heavy fight, and watch her bash mages with handmaiden mace, which does poison damage for a few rounds. like melf acid arrows, should make a good mage disrupter.

nael · Post by **nael** » Thu Sep 20, 2001 10:21 pm

as annoying as he may be, anomen makes a better tank than vic, he has more hit points and more proficiency points due to his fighter levels.
minsc is strange...as a ranger he has the points towards two weapon style but he also coems proficient in two handed swords...just doesn't mesh, but he still a good tank.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Thu Sep 20, 2001 10:29 pm

Korgan, Keldorn and Sarevok are given. Mazzy ain't bad either, although most people use her as an archer. Anomen is much more of a tank than Viconia (higher strenght, lower THOC0, double HPs, grand mastery). In fact, I've often used him as my only tank. Jaheira can tank as well. Haer'Dalis can tank once you know how to prepare him for the tougher fights. Without protectivce spells he's pretty weak though. I really prefer Valygar to Minsc but I guess Minsc is more of a tank due to Valygar's armor restrictions.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Thu Sep 20, 2001 10:33 pm

true, I just have no good things to say about anoweenie. I never played much with him, or I would hate him more, I always dropped him after his first smug remark.

But tanking I think needs defining. about half the mosters will whomp you with clubs and for that you want high ac. but quite frankly, I have dumped or sold a neato magical armor just to keep the extra magical protection of my existing armor or what not. for example, jaheira always wears aegis hide armor, even though she can wear plate, so if my party is hit by chaos or confusion, at least one party member will be totally immune.

physical bashing is not what my party is desined for. it can bash, and that is often the best strategy, but running a mage heavy party makes you think more in terms of magicaal defense and offense.

so I think of magical buffing, or the amulet of spell wardings, or the robes of good archmagi, which adds to all saves.

as I was saying, half the monsters bash, but the other half will cast a nasty spell to occupy you while moving into range.

that half is where I worry about, cause a good flock of summons can always take care of the bashers in my party.

Garcia · Post by **Garcia** » Thu Sep 20, 2001 10:45 pm

Korgan no doubt give him some axes frost cleaver....and a heavy armor he chups through anything. Keldorn with the right items comes in on second.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Thu Sep 20, 2001 11:19 pm

Originally posted by UserUnfriendly:
true, I just have no good things to say about anoweenie

On the other hand, you don't stop talking about Aerieweenie so that's more than compensated for.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Fri Sep 21, 2001 11:15 am

Haerry should make a more-than-decent tank when he's all dressed up in Stoneskins and Tenser's and the like.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Fri Sep 21, 2001 11:29 am

Astafas, you wound me, sir, with your rapier like wit!

Speaking of which, why no rapiers in the game?

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Fri Sep 21, 2001 11:33 am

Aerie can tank with the best of them but she takes so da**ed long to get ready. for a tank heavy party I'd go:

me (kensai/mage)
anomen
korgan
keldorn
sarevok
viconia

Just run over traps with viconia at 100% MR and run through anything that gets in your way with a red circle at its' base. Of course keldorn and viconia won't make it in the long run so use the happy script. Each party member with over 100 hp's, 3 dual wielders, everyone with a -8 or better AC. You'd need a lot of potions of agility with keldorn and anomen in the party though. Only one of them gets a permanent 18 dex.

THE JAKER · Post by **THE JAKER** » Fri Sep 21, 2001 11:38 am

The problem with the all tank party is that is is hard to fill ALL positions with tankers - either your thief position or your mage position has to be a little light. I had a successful tanky party with:

Keldorn (two handed and ring of gaxx)
Mazzy (crom faer and shield)
Anomen (foa/mace of disruption)
Jaheira (best AC of the group)
fighter or berserker dual mage (140 HP)
and Jan, the only weakling
here the thief position is weak

OTOH, you could have:
Korgan
Jaheira or Valygar or Haer dalis
Viccy with STR enhancement
Sarevok
PC fighter/thief (140 HP)
Edwin
Here the mage position is "weak" in tank terms.

But both party kick butt - it's easy to protect one weakling.

F

Heavens_Myst · Post by **Heavens_Myst** » Fri Sep 21, 2001 4:37 pm

Really I don't think any of the above parties are any good. But that's me.

I would make 2 PCs, just because 4 NPCs is 4 too many for me but I digress

First PC - Multiclass Ranger/Cleric Tanking ability with all cleric and druid spells plus good weapon selection and 2 prof points allowed. Beats Vic hands down, just make sure wisdom is 18

Second PC - Multiclass Mage/Thief he will always be your back line, thief skills for traps and mage spells for break...which is basically the only mage spell handy in the game. also you can ID things without visiting merchants.

Korgan

Keldorn

Sarevok

Then add whoever else you want, mazzy valygar anomen or whoever.

PS Dont listen to user, you dont need magic to get through the game, it actually slows you down since you have to wait to stop and recast stuff plus you need to rest every so often to get them back, its a pain

THE JAKER · Post by **THE JAKER** » Fri Sep 21, 2001 8:44 pm

Originally posted by Heavens_Myst:
I would make 2 PCs

Topic title says - "using premade npcs".

your party just proves my point about either the mage or the thief being weak - you have combined the weakness in one character equivalent to my good aligned party with Jan, above.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sat Sep 22, 2001 12:42 am

Sarevok
Korgan
Anomen
Minsc
Keldorn

and...

A Fighter/Mage/Thief!

Covers all your bases, but don't expect to pick any pockets with that one. Or cast level 9 spells, for that matter.

Robin_Hood · Post by **Robin_Hood** » Sat Sep 22, 2001 1:37 am

Someone put Keldy and Viccy into the same party...if I recall correct, Keldorn will chomp Viccy to pieces at some point.

My tank-heavy party:

A dwarven berserker, imported from BG1, wielding axes/axe and a shield.
Sir Anomen, wielding Crom Faeyr and a shield
Valygar, wielding katanas
Mazzy, wielding short swords or a bow
Minsc, wielding maces/2-handed sword
Jan Jansen, the illusionist/thief, definitely not a tank

You can always replace someone with Keldorn. Not with Korgan because this is a good-aligned tank-party.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Sat Sep 22, 2001 6:51 am

Originally posted by UserUnfriendly:
Astafas, you wound me, sir, with your rapier like wit!

Speaking of which, why no rapiers in the game?

Not to badly, I dare hope.

Yes, I agree, rapiers would have been nice. Especially for the Swashbuckler. Still, they have implemented lots of different weapons. Guess they didn't have time to create any more.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Sat Sep 22, 2001 7:16 pm

Heavens_Myst is right, you don't need magic to complete bg2 and quite a few discussions do mention that fact. It is fast and quick, no or little resting involved, and it is effective and really works well.

However you don't need FIGHTERS to finish bg2, either. 90% of the time my tank, I tend to run a spell heavy group with a single tank if that, was pecking away with a ranged weapon while my magic summons did all the brutal close up stuff. it is entirely possible to drop all the fighters and go with a mage/cleric only party.

It depends on what you enjoy, tactical bashing, the whale until everyone is dead, or the sling of spells and counter spells. quite frankly, it would be enourmously hard for ME to run a fighter heavy party thru bg2, and in many ways it takes more tactical planning to do so.

But I love the spells, that is what bg2 means to me, and I love the sorc class above all, and my absolute fav, the hacked sorc is the char I enjoy playing the most.

but this therad was obviously created by a person who wants to run a fighter heavy party thru bg2, good luck!

remember, scrolls are your friends, and get jan, so when you do have magic mage items, like staff of magi, someone can use it.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sat Sep 22, 2001 11:39 pm

Playing with tanks is much simpler than playing with spellcasters. You just point & click, or even let scripts handle all the running up and bashing for you.

Playing with spellcasters is easier IMO, since they are more rewarding and potentially more powerful if you spend the time and thought needed (and rest often).

Fighter/Mage is relatively simple and very easy. You can solo SoA with one almost with your eyes closed.

-Maedhros- · Post by **-Maedhros-** » Sun Sep 23, 2001 7:52 am

Well, here's my opinion on a good tank-heavy party of all premade characters. Go with 2 half-orc fighter/clerics, 2 half-orc barbarians, a blade (for magic and fighting) and a fighter/thief. Everyone is a tank and you have enough magic and thief skills to get through the game. Plus, can you really go wrong with 4 half-orcs?