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Tips for a Solo Cavalier

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  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    @Dragonspear‌ I have no idea how I missed this till now. This is a very nice list, which I'm sure I'll be referring to occasionally. I think I've already got my proficiencies set, but the weapon list is incredibly handy. Thanks!
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    I really don't see the point of longswords compared to scimitars.

    Let's compare them, based on Dragonspear list :

    Varsoncia BG1 -> 2 +2 scimitars in BG1 (or drizzt sword if you want to kill him)
    Dragonslayer : useless for a cavalier. The only point is the immunity to fear which cavalier get by default. The extra damage VS dragon is ridiculous compared to an extra attack from belm
    Daystar : sunray can be used without proficiency. For melee attacks, belm does more damage. (which are anyway weak foes)
    Blade of roses : useless
    RAS : the dancing sword can be used without proficiencies. Belm is far superior otherwise
    The answerer : very late game item. Quite useless for a solo char with -5-10 THACO compared to other
    Flametongue : ok for BG1. Troll killing is anyway trivial (axes, FOA)

    To summarize the point of longsword is to give immunities (charm, fear) which the cavalier has by defaut -> useless
    They also have some nice abilities (daystar, RAS) but these do not require PIPs.

    For everything else, belm is superior by a huge margin to all SOA swords and can be acquired very easily from the start of the game. To be noted also that a +4 wakisachi (spelling?) can also be found from the start.

    Since in BG1, scimitars are also one of the best weapon class (2 +2 available early in the game, even not including drizzt weapon), there is really no point on wasting proficiencies on longswords, unless for RP reasons.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited March 2014
    With a solo cavalier you are going to get to the point where you start getting HLA's so fast that speed weapons really aren't all that important. You'll have 17 HLA choices to choose from in total and if you do most of the quests in chapter 2 and 3 you'll be at 8 million XP by chapter 4. Assuming you take the deva that leaves 16 HLA warrior picks. In this kind of a build I'd only go for the scimitar if I planned to dual wield (which isn't apparently what Dragonspear had in mind with that list) and use Spectral Brand as the main weapon. Otherwise I'd take long swords, katanas, flails, and even clubs before I'd go with scimitars.
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    I agree with your point regarding HLA but i don't understand your reasonning :

    The before HLA part is the hardest part of the game. Once you get the HLA, SOA is anyway a walk in the park and TOB is not much harder.
    Speed weapons are by a huge margin the best choices before getting soa, and even more if you are not dual wielding.

    For the end-game, longswords are anyway a much weaker choice (even it they are still functionnal) than flails (FOA), axes (axe of the unyielding), warhammers (crom faeyr), 2H swords,.... So you will end up never using them.

    To summarize :

    BG1 : scimitars are on par with other main weapon types (longswords, shortswords,...), even if you discount drizzt weapons. if you include drizzt's they are by far the best.

    Early SOA (pre HLA =chapter 2-3) : scimitars are miles ahead of the competition thanks to belm and the +4 waki

    Mid SOA-End game : scimitars way behind compared to the big players, but longswords also are

    Anyway you will have enough proficiency to specialize in 6 weapon types (on top of dual wielding and 1 PIP in 2H weaps).
    That's enough to get all the main end-game weapons AND scimitars (best early game weapon type).

    Therefore my point remains valid : longswords are a poor choice compared to scimitars for a cavalier.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited March 2014
    @mumumomo, as much as I appreciate scimitars (they're my favourite weapon for the rogues I tend to play), I think we've got to respect Elrandir's commendable choice to roleplay his cavalier in a certain way.
    Theodoric's focus is primarily on occidental blades, that's what he grew up with and was trained in. It seems that until perhaps some roleplay-based justification for training in scimitars presents itself, he won't be that interested in those weapons.

    BTW I'm not sure if the part before he gets HLAs is the most difficult. My experience is that I can solo most of Chapter 2 on SCS with relative ease, even if I may save some enemies for later, so vanilla should be doable. The most important thing in the Cavalier's run would be to have protections against status effects, so that mages won't be killing him. By the end of Chapter 2 or maybe a bit later, Theodoric will already get his first HLAs.
    Post edited by Blackraven on
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    I completely respect the roleplay choice and anyway longswords are a functionnal choice.
    But scimitars are mechanically a much better choice at every step of the game.

    As for rarely soa being the hardest part, i will only comment for the vanilla game :
    - chapter 2 can be simple if you plan it very well. If you don't plan it well however, you WILL die.
    - once you get hla, the rest of soa will be a walk in the park. Hell, a summon deva can probably solo it while the paladin is wathcing and drinking tea
    - tob may be harder for a paladin but i am unsure of that. Carsomyr makes you immune to magic, DoE + hardiness+ armor of faith makes you immune to physical damage.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    Woops yea you are right.
  • MacHurtoMacHurto Member Posts: 731
    @elminster‌ just exported my BG1 no reload character to SoA. The XP over the cap dissapear (at least on the iPad).

    God, I hate imps in that dungeon
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    Yea I'd had some problems with it myself but I wasn't really sure how widespread the issue is. It can carry over but I think the issue is with BGEE not properly keeping the amount over a certain point (from what I can tell the total XP can go up and down after the 161,000 mark). In any case even with 161,000 xp it should be too bad to get to 3 million xp. Most of the enemies I was facing to get to 560k were giving mediocre experience.
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    edited March 2014
    I do agree that varscona is a little bit better than the 2 rashad claws but really that elemental damage is not that important in BG1 where most mage have no stoneskins. and they are anyway in small quantities.

    Playing exclusively solo i can tell you exactly how long it takes to get to 3M xp. You have to do :

    circus /copper coronet /slaver compound /bridge district skinner / harpers quest / trademeet quest /Umar village and dungeon / thieve guild quests /lich run/main quest until killing bohdi/darnise hold/fierkraag/astral prison

    That means you have to do all chapter 2 quests save for 2 of them.
    Not that long but not that short either. And definitely longer than BG1 by any means.
    I gladly trade 1 elemental in BG1 for 1 extra attack (= +10-15 damage) for the "hard" half of soa.

    Where you are right is that your damage capability is not really linked with your survivability in that game but longswords do not provide ANYTHING for that matter to a cavalier. Therefore damage dealing capability is the only relevant point remaining when comparing longswords to scimitars.

    Yes daystar is a nice weapon, in some conditions on par with usuno's blade. But can you really say that you prefer daystar VS belm AND usuno? Furthermore the main selling point of daystar is anyway its sunray ability which, once more, does not require any proficiency.
    As for the convenience of not having to swap weapons, come on, that's for solo play and paladins have 3 quickslots for weapons.

    Finally dragons are powerful ennemies but there is 3 in soa and 3 in tob. Apart from liches, Undead are among the weakest ennemies in the game, especially given the number of prot from undead scrolls which are available.

    Don't get me wrong, longswords are perfectly fine weapons, especially for characters needing their protective status but i cannot possibly understand how you can think they are not mechanically inferior to scimitars for a cavalier.

    BG1 : +1 elemental damage for longswords (1 weapon only, scimitars get +1 thaco and damage on the second weapon)
    half of SOA : -1 attack
    End game : not significant, neither longswords or scimitars are interesting weapon types.

  • ZaknafeinBaenreZaknafeinBaenre Member Posts: 349
    I am actually doing a Cavalier run right now (not a solo run mind you), but I went the dual-wield route with Katana's and Bastard Swords and I am really enjoying using Celestial Fury and stunning all my enemies, with the bastard sword for Purifier.

    I'm surprised nobody is giving any consideration to Purifier, it's basically a one-handed Carsomyr
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    bastards swords are very nice but you get them VERY late. The early game choices are really poor.

    Celestial fury is a very strong choice for the early game.
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    edited March 2014
    @ZaknafeinBaenre‌ Well I hadn't given much thought to the Purifier for a couple of reasons.
    1. I didn't realize it was a bastard sword. XD I thought it was just a long sword.
    2. It's one handed, but it's still just not as good as Carsomyr.
    3. I think the upgrade item for both is the same item, so I'd rather upgrade the superior weapon.

    Edit: I tagged the wrong Zaknafein! Whoops. =p
  • ZaknafeinBaenreZaknafeinBaenre Member Posts: 349
    mumumomo said:

    bastards swords are very nice but you get them VERY late. The early game choices are really poor.

    Well, you can pick up Foebane and Purifier in Chapter 2 if you don't have any qualms with doing Watcher's Keep early. But yea, it's not AS good as Carsomyr, but it's damn close, and it frees up another hand. I like it in combo with Celestial fury early and Axe of the Unyielding late.
  • DragonspearDragonspear Member Posts: 1,838
    Purifer and/or Bastard Swords are good (In fact, I think getting Bastard Sword specialization later in SoA is a great idea just for the weapon), but there aren't as many stand out bastard swords as there are other blades.

    Re: Scimitars, Katanas, etc. Personally I play my paladin in a similar fashion to the OP, therefore I tend to base my initial weapon choices along similar lines to an actual knight. Furthermore, while shields ARE weak, I'd rather use one myself instead of DWing. I've done a DWadin and it didn't feel right in BG. That is a matter of personal taste/flavor.

    Re: Dragonslayer sword and how it gives nothing useful to a cavalier.

    You're right, a cavalier is already immune to fear, thus that benefit from the sword does nothing. The cavalier also already gains an additional 3 hit and damage v dragons, which would seemingly further negate the use of the sword.

    Depending on exactly when you do the quest though (and if you're solo or not, for the rest of this discussion we will assume that you are).

    Considering Firkragg has -12 AC, the more Thac0 you can stack before you fight him is better. Things like the Dragonslayer help you do this. And while the "best' passive from a cavalier perspective (double damage to dragons) only applies when he doesn't have stoneskin up, it allows you more damage at the start of the fight (the few hits you gain before SS procs for him) and helps you end the fight faster once that is back down.

    Also, I think thematically the weapon fits a Cavalier extremely well, and that is my personal opinion on the matter.
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    If only I could both like and agree... This is my constant struggle...

    I think that Theodoric will definitely use the D-slayer against Firkraag, possibly (probably) in tandem with another weapon. It just makes sense. =p
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    Elrandir said:

    If only I could both like and agree... This is my constant struggle.... =p

    Yeah, I wish that'd be possible too!
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Me too! I think you can change your decision though: I've clicked 'Like' below a post and then later 'Agree', and it changed. Not sure if the initial Like is discounted or not...
  • ZaknafeinBaenreZaknafeinBaenre Member Posts: 349
    CrevsDaak said:

    Elrandir said:

    If only I could both like and agree... This is my constant struggle.... =p

    Yeah, I wish that'd be possible too!
    Are you telling me that when I click "like" "agree" "insightful" it is only recorded as "insightful" ?!?!?!?!! WHA WA WHAAATT?
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