@the_spyder With the right equip, Kagain becomes the best melee char in the game. Both on damage dealing and tank side. Like it or not. And yes, that's because of his CON, class and race are complementary with the items you find.
Not sure why you feel the need to be 'right'. This is both off topic and you completely missed my points in an attempt to validate yourself.
Like it or not, the loss of a 20 CON is a factor to consider when using the claw.
Also, power isn't the only factor in choosing an NPC, at least not in my book.
@the_spyder With the right equip, Kagain becomes the best melee char in the game. Both on damage dealing and tank side. Like it or not. And yes, that's because of his CON, class and race are complementary with the items you find.
Not sure why you feel the need to be 'right'. This is both off topic and you completely missed my points in an attempt to validate yourself.
Like it or not, the loss of a 20 CON is a factor to consider when using the claw.
Also, power isn't the only factor in choosing an NPC, at least not in my book.
I agree with you here, hence the whole point of this thread. Of course I only take 2 or 3 npcs with me so I look for every advantage I can find.
Off topic, but it's worth noting that Kagain levels up very fast as compared to Rangers and Blackgaurds
Yes, there is more to selecting your NPC's than their power level for some. I personally like Kaigan more than Minsc and play more evil games than good so I tend to bring him along more frequently. All that aside there is no denying that power wise Kagain is the best tank NPC in the game and Minsc isn't really all that great as a tank. Minsc is more viable as a melee DPS character, his low con and dex means he's not great at taking a hit but he sure can pack a wallop. I also feel that the Fighter class is much stronger than the Ranger in BG:EE. The ranger really doesn't get much, some charm animal spells and stealth which most people don't really take advantage of anyways. The 2 free pips in Two-Weapon Fighting are ok if you want to go that route but sadly neither of the two rangers in the game are really headed in that direction when you recruit them since Minsc has Two-Handed Sword pips (and 1 in mace and 1 in longbow) and Kivan focuses on Halberds and Longbows. The Fighter's ability to get mastery in weapons I find to be more useful for my upfront party members and the fact that they level slightly faster is always a boon. In BG2 and beyond classes like the Ranger and Paladin come into their own more with spells like Armor of Faith etc. but I still prefer the Fighter class.
As for using the claw with him, it comes down to preference I suppose. Personally though I think the benefits of using the claw with him far outweigh the loss of 8hp and a very slow regen.
Yes, there is more to selecting your NPC's than their power level for some. I personally like Kaigan more than Minsc and play more evil games than good so I tend to bring him along more frequently. All that aside there is no denying that power wise Kagain is the best tank NPC in the game and Minsc isn't really all that great as a tank. Minsc is more viable as a melee DPS character, his low con and dex means he's not great at taking a hit but he sure can pack a wallop. I also feel that the Fighter class is much stronger than the Ranger in BG:EE. The ranger really doesn't get much, some charm animal spells and stealth which most people don't really take advantage of anyways. The 2 free pips in Two-Weapon Fighting are ok if you want to go that route but sadly neither of the two rangers in the game are really headed in that direction when you recruit them since Minsc has Two-Handed Sword pips (and 1 in mace and 1 in longbow) and Kivan focuses on Halberds and Longbows. The Fighter's ability to get mastery in weapons I find to be more useful for my upfront party members and the fact that they level slightly faster is always a boon. In BG2 and beyond classes like the Ranger and Paladin come into their own more with spells like Armor of Faith etc. but I still prefer the Fighter class.
As for using the claw with him, it comes down to preference I suppose. Personally though I think the benefits of using the claw with him far outweigh the loss of 8hp and a very slow regen.
There certainly are some pros and cons (no pun intended...or was there?). The +4 bonus vs missile attacks is nice, thats the same as taking 2 ranks in sword and shield style. The +3 to all saves is absolutely huge. The +1 to AC is also very good.
The -4 penalty to death saves is offset with items like Baldurs gear and a ring of prot +2. And immunity to poison with Simmeons sword. So, not a big deal at all.
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Like it or not, the loss of a 20 CON is a factor to consider when using the claw.
Also, power isn't the only factor in choosing an NPC, at least not in my book.
Off topic, but it's worth noting that Kagain levels up very fast as compared to Rangers and Blackgaurds
As for using the claw with him, it comes down to preference I suppose. Personally though I think the benefits of using the claw with him far outweigh the loss of 8hp and a very slow regen.
There certainly are some pros and cons (no pun intended...or was there?). The +4 bonus vs missile attacks is nice, thats the same as taking 2 ranks in sword and shield style. The +3 to all saves is absolutely huge. The +1 to AC is also very good.
The -4 penalty to death saves is offset with items like Baldurs gear and a ring of prot +2. And immunity to poison with Simmeons sword. So, not a big deal at all.
The -8 hp and loss of regen is the only downside.