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Toughest of the solo bounty hunters?

SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582
edited January 2014 in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
Who do you find to be the most difficult of the bounty hunters/mercenaries that you come across while traveling the Sword Coast, who is pursuing the contract on your head.

Note that this pertains only to the solo hunters - so it excludes party members like the Amazons that you meet outside the Nashkel mines.

During my playthroughs of the original BG1, I remember having the most trouble with Nimbul and Tarnesh. However, during my playthroughs of BG:EE, I've easily dispatched them both with wands. By contrast, I've found Neira to be a much more stubborn opponent than I'd remembered (in fact, I hadn't even remembered her at all until now).
  1. Toughest of the solo bounty hunters?108 votes
    1. Shank (Candlekeep)
        1.85%
    2. Carbos (Candlekeep)
        1.85%
    3. Tarnesh (Friendly Arm)
      34.26%
    4. Karlat (Beregost)
      12.04%
    5. Neira (Nashkel)
      13.89%
    6. Nimbul (Nashkel)
      25.93%
    7. Am I forgetting someone? / I want to see poll results
      10.19%
«13

Comments

  • Night_WatchNight_Watch Member Posts: 514
    This guy is a definite eye opener to the a$$-kickery that BG has offer. One of my favourite characters.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    @Nano

    Ya your characters first introductions to Horror and Mirror Image are kinda nasty >< I also think its interesting that he's a level 5 Wizard (he has 2 second level spell casts that he uses, and his magic missile hits 3 times, so unless he is casting from a scroll....) when your entire party is extremely likely to only be level 1.
  • MitchforkMitchfork Member Posts: 390
    I don't think I ever fought Nimbul as a kid. I always just hopped straight from the Naskel Mines' exit to Beregost.
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 6,002
    edited January 2014
    I remember back in the day when those guys used to be hard, neira would give me the most trouble, her AC is around 0 and its hard for level 1 guys to hit her plus hold person type spells just wrecked my team, and funny thing is, I've never had trouble with nimbul because the first time I stepped out of the nashkiel mines ever, I was around level 6 ( the reason why I was such a high level because the first time I ever played the bg series the guy would owned it had a scratched disk 3, so I could never enter the nashkiel mines, so I was always used to doing all the quests before naskiel mines, and I remember the first time I ever went in there, I was like whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooa knew area, this is CRAZY) so yeah, no sweat, especially if some amnish guards happen to be around......
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited January 2014
    My main use for Xzar and Monty when I'm playing good is as sacrificial lambs to the Dark Lord Tarnesh. I thought that inn was supposed to be friendly?

    PS: Silver Medal goes to Karlat when I'm a mage PC and just with Imoen. I sometimes just recruit Kagain since he can take (maybe) three hits. I love how the Finch NPC mod helps you out against that fat mean dwarf.
    Post edited by booinyoureyes on
  • BelanosBelanos Member Posts: 968
    While he's not after you personally, Greywolf is also a bounty hunter and puts up a pretty good fight. But I think the toughest time I have is with Neira. I usually have to reload a few times before I can take her down.
  • velehalvelehal Member Posts: 299
    Nimbul. With SCS he is able to fight with the whole group of adventures (and kill half of them).
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    the amazons weren't solo, but they were definitely the toughest for me. Especially if you exit the mines right after beating Mulahey's skeleton army and have low health/no spells
  • elementelement Member Posts: 833
    she's actually one of my favourite characters and even with just a few lines she oozes personality

    shes a dangerous opponent and unlike nimbul and tarnesh who are also awesome you don't get the town guards to help
  • RedWizardRedWizard Member Posts: 242
    Karlat, especially with SCS. Huge AC, Huge HP, huge damage enough to one shot most characters that aren't 18 CON Fighters, oh yeah also drinks oil of speed as soon as battle starts with SCS. And the fact you fight him at level 1.
    Blessed was the day I discovered Command destroys all those Bounty Hunters except for Nimbul which is very easy to deal anyways thanks to disruption/detect invisibility.
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Tarnesh just because you meet him super early, so he can one shot you with his magic missles.
    Honestly he would be even harder if he didn't waste the first round casting horror.
  • IllittiIllitti Member Posts: 17
    If you count the ones at Baldur's Gate, Larze at Blushing Mermaid was the most painful for me. For an organized party he's probably easy, but as a solo melee player that has to go close and personal with him, he inflicts pain like it's nobody's business.
  • OnestepOnestep Member Posts: 225
    Honestly, it all depends on whether you still have a charge of the magic missile rod left. If you do, and you time it right, you can basically lock all the caster enemies down for three or so rounds.
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582
    sarevok57 said:

    I remember back in the day when those guys used to be hard, neira would give me the most trouble, her AC is around 0 and its hard for level 1 guys to hit her plus hold person type spells just wrecked my team, ...

    Yeah, I find her to be the hardest to hit and disrupt her spells. Plus she seems to have a high number of hit points.

    She basically combines the spellcasting ability of a Nimbul or Tarnesh with the durability of Karlat.
    element said:


    shes a dangerous opponent and unlike nimbul and tarnesh who are also awesome you don't get the town guards to help

    Not only that, but you're confined in a room full of innocents where you have to be careful of what spells or wands you use. I can't just blast her with the lightning wand like I do with Nimbul, because I'll kill about 10 other people with it.
  • Mrpenfold666Mrpenfold666 Member Posts: 428
    Tarnesh has no strategy just throw everyone that isnt CHARNAME at him and hope no one dies, or try and lure him so the guards fight him aswell XD playing as a mage against him is a foolish thing to do as he will always one shot you unless you do the sound strategy of hide in a corner ans cry while imoen, monteron and xzar attack him
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    SharGuidesMyHand said:

    sarevok57 said:

    I remember back in the day when those guys used to be hard, neira would give me the most trouble, her AC is around 0 and its hard for level 1 guys to hit her plus hold person type spells just wrecked my team, ...

    Yeah, I find her to be the hardest to hit and disrupt her spells. Plus she seems to have a high number of hit points.

    She basically combines the spellcasting ability of a Nimbul or Tarnesh with the durability of Karlat.
    element said:


    shes a dangerous opponent and unlike nimbul and tarnesh who are also awesome you don't get the town guards to help

    Not only that, but you're confined in a room full of innocents where you have to be careful of what spells or wands you use. I can't just blast her with the lightning wand like I do with Nimbul, because I'll kill about 10 other people with it.
    I put her to sleep then beat her with a stick until she dies. I find her less difficult if you have any mage with the sleep spell.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @booinyoureyes, how can you use Sleep on Neira? She's level 5 (casts third level cleric spells).
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    Nimbul is probably tougher, but I'm typically much more battle seasoned after the mines than I am when I bump into Tarnesh. That guy has ended more runs than I care to count.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    belgarathmth said:

    @booinyoureyes, how can you use Sleep on Neira? She's level 5 (casts third level cleric spells).

    I'm almost positive I did. Is she the one in the tavern of Nashkel? Unless it was the cleric version spell that only affects one person
  • Mrpenfold666Mrpenfold666 Member Posts: 428
    some of them have auto cast spells when the fight starts so maybe they have the spell but your mistaken about their level? *shrug* im not sure myself but i know having the auto spells is a thing
  • nanonano Member Posts: 1,632
    Sounds like it was Command. I think she is level 5. I always pick up Viccy to slay bounty hunters and ankhegs because of that, though in a recent game I'm ashamed to say the flaming fist actually kicked my ass.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited January 2014
    On her character file on eeKeeper it does say level 5 (somehow she has a second level 3 class? but it doesn't show up under "characteristics"?)

    She knows spiritual hammer, hold person, entangle and rigid thinking (which is a third level spell)

    Now I'm almost positive I used command and not sleep

    image
  • TwoWayFinesseTwoWayFinesse Member Posts: 128
    Not sure I would really vote for Tarnesh now, but have 'fond' memories of my first play through.

    Right, got my party of 4, although a couple of them do seem to be a few arrows short of a full quiver.
    Who is this just accosted me on the stairs, no worries they will surely be easily dispatched just like those idiots in Candlekeep. Hang on a mo, why are all my people suddenly running around like headless chickens? and those magic missiles are now killing all of them!
    Steep learning curve!

    Having said that 3 others on the list have all caused power word reload to be cast on occasion as well.
  • That1DudeThat1Dude Member Posts: 19
    Tarnesh, always took me a couple tries when I was new to the game

    Never had a problem with Nimbul but I usually clear all the areas oudside of Baldur's Gate you can reach before I start on the actual story line so my characters are usually between level 5 and 7 depending on how many I'm using when I face him so yea... Hello Nimbul meet Minsc an... oh little chunks flying everywhere.
  • nanonano Member Posts: 1,632
    Greetings, mercenaries! I am Silke, thespian extraordinaire!
    booinyoureyes said:

    According to eeKeeper she is a level ten (10!!!) bard

    Guess she wasn't lying...
  • OnestepOnestep Member Posts: 225
    I guess I'm the only person who never really has a problem with Tarnesh?

    I don't normally even grab Montaron and Xzar, and Imoen and Charname never seem to have any real troubles with him, epsecially with the Wand of Magic Missiles and the guards.

    Nimbul, Neira and Karlat tend to be more challenging for me, depending on the equipment I have available to me.
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