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Best Fighter/Mage/Thief weapon for HoF mode?

WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
So is started to wonder today what weapon the FMT should go for in our duo of power having just picked up a Fast Flail for the FMC.

Basically I'm looking for the best weapon to backstab with as I certainly intend for the character to abuse Mislead.

Staff? (Caps at 4.5 APR), Longsword? Katana?

Suggestions welcome!

Comments

  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    I'm pretty sure you can BS with BBOD, and my guess would be you'd use that anyway.

    Don't need to BS with staves I don't think, as there's no Staff of Striking/Staff of the Ram in IWD (is there?) and those were basically the main reason to be using staves to BS. Without the sick fixed damage of those two staves, staves just do 1d6 like any short sword, so no real reason to lose APR.

    You can just pick up whatever BS-able weapon has the highest fixed modifier, as that then gets multiplied by BS (things like elemental damage on hit will not). My guess would be that's the +4 longswords (any of them), or the aforementioned BBOD.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Mainhand candidates:
    Solemn Duty +3
    Shortsword: Hammer +4 (is this sword still in the game?)
    Singing Blade of Aihonnen (where does this work as +5?)
    Gloomfrost weapon (which one?)

    I'm actually liking the Shortsword the most but I'm not sure if it's still in the game, can anyone confirm? Sure, less damage but it's hard to go past stun procs, am I right?
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Okay so Shortsword +4: Hammer is out, sad days.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Lord_Tansheron said:

    I'm pretty sure you can BS with BBOD, and my guess would be you'd use that anyway.

    Don't need to BS with staves I don't think, as there's no Staff of Striking/Staff of the Ram in IWD (is there?) and those were basically the main reason to be using staves to BS. Without the sick fixed damage of those two staves, staves just do 1d6 like any short sword, so no real reason to lose APR.

    You can just pick up whatever BS-able weapon has the highest fixed modifier, as that then gets multiplied by BS (things like elemental damage on hit will not). My guess would be that's the +4 longswords (any of them), or the aforementioned BBOD.

    Yes BBoD will be the premier choice but it only comes at 9 million xp and then only a few uses/day.

    Staves are out.

    Which +4 longswords are you talking about?
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    Wowo said:

    Which +4 longswords are you talking about?

    Long Sword of Action (those are +4 right? haven't touched IWD in weeks). I suppose that a LS+4 is just about equal to a Katana+3 (exact same average damage) but of course the LSoA also comes with APR so you'll want to use that anyway. Some flexibility in the MH department though I guess, so Katana could be a choice as well (I don't remember where the +3 one was, though the +2 one is found reasonably early). There is no +4 Katana though, right?
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Lord_Tansheron said:

    Wowo said:

    Which +4 longswords are you talking about?

    Long Sword of Action (those are +4 right? haven't touched IWD in weeks). I suppose that a LS+4 is just about equal to a Katana+3 (exact same average damage) but of course the LSoA also comes with APR so you'll want to use that anyway. Some flexibility in the MH department though I guess, so Katana could be a choice as well (I don't remember where the +3 one was, though the +2 one is found reasonably early). There is no +4 Katana though, right?
    Correct. The +3 katana comes from Nym's store and is +5 against outsiders and has some other perks including decapitation.

    Apr will cap out with offhand LSoA.

    The gloomfrost blade and singing blade seem the obvious alternatives.
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    Anything with a high fixed damage bonus will do, but early game considerations may factor in as well. I think there are several choices that are very close in power.

    Also should note that you don't have to OH the LSoA, it doesn't actually matter where you wield it. If there's some other weapon with a decent passive bonus you can use that in the OH and just MH the LSoA. I'd have to look up all the choices, but I seem to recall that one of the Katanas has double crit, doesn't it? Or was that one of the modded ones in BG2...
  • ameliabogginsameliaboggins Member Posts: 287
    edited December 2014
    Lord_Tansheron said:



    Also should note that you don't have to OH the LSoA, it doesn't actually matter where you wield it. If there's some other weapon with a decent passive bonus you can use that in the OH and just MH the LSoA. I'd have to look up all the choices, but I seem to recall that one of the Katanas has double crit, doesn't it? Or was that one of the modded ones in BG2...

    Your confusing me here. Are you saying you can backstab with an offhand?

    I was under the impression that katanas/lswrd cant BS ?? (slashers)

    DOes the FMT do any tanking?

    If so then imo use this:

    http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/equipment/images/bloodiron.jpg

    Anyone done any number crunchin on using halberds for backstabs? I tend to have sneakattack on so i thinkdual weildis betterinthat case. Am too lazy to use backstab the proper way tbh.

  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    ameliaboggins said:

    Your confusing me here. Are you saying you can backstab with an offhand?

    No! I was purely talking about the +1 APR bonus, which will be applied to your MH attack regardless of where you wield the LSoA. Usually it's the OH because the sword itself tends to deal less damage than alternatives, but since those alternatives tend to do the extra damage via elemental components (which do not get multiplied by BS), in this particular case of perma-BS via Mislead "abuse" it may be a viable MH choice.
    ameliaboggins said:

    I was under the impression that katanas/lswrd cant BS ?? (slashers)

    You can BS with *any* melee weapon a single-class thief can use; this includes Katana/Long Sword. The weapon damage type (slashing etc.) doesn't actually matter for BS at all.
    ameliaboggins said:

    Anyone done any number crunchin on using halberds for backstabs? I tend to have sneakattack on so i thinkdual weildis betterinthat case. Am too lazy to use backstab the proper way tbh.

    See above. You can only BS/SA with weapons allowed a single-class thief - since those can't use Halberds, you cannot BS/SA with them. The only 2h weapon that allows BS is staff, but since those do pitiful damage outside of things like Staff of Striking/Staff of the Ram (which are in BG1/2 but not IWD) it's not really worth a consideration here.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    ameliaboggins said:

    Lord_Tansheron said:



    Also should note that you don't have to OH the LSoA, it doesn't actually matter where you wield it. If there's some other weapon with a decent passive bonus you can use that in the OH and just MH the LSoA. I'd have to look up all the choices, but I seem to recall that one of the Katanas has double crit, doesn't it? Or was that one of the modded ones in BG2...

    Your confusing me here. Are you saying you can backstab with an offhand?

    I was under the impression that katanas/lswrd cant BS ?? (slashers)

    DOes the FMT do any tanking?

    If so then imo use this:

    http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/equipment/images/bloodiron.jpg

    Anyone done any number crunchin on using halberds for backstabs? I tend to have sneakattack on so i thinkdual weildis betterinthat case. Am too lazy to use backstab the proper way tbh.

    You can backstab with your OH weapon via Mislead.

    I saw Bloodiron but unfortunately the FMT is CG.
  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,079
    edited December 2014
    How about Mordenkainen's Sword? You can backstab at range with it, and it's pretty solid in general.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    OlvynChuru said:

    How about Mordenkainen's Sword? You can backstab at range with it, and it's pretty solid in general.

    What are it's stats?
  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,079
    edited December 2014
    Wowo said:

    OlvynChuru said:

    How about Mordenkainen's Sword? You can backstab at range with it, and it's pretty solid in general.

    What are it's stats?
    It counts as a +2 weapon, it deals 5d6 damage, and it has no attack bonus (but since you are in HoF your FMT will most likely be a very high level fighter). I've already used Mordenkainen's Sword on a FMT solo playthrough and it is great.
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    5d6 is actually pretty sick damage (17.5 average; to compare, a long sword+4 is 8.5 average). No THAC0 bonus, but that isn't a problem in IWD I don't think, you have buffs out your butt. Does it work properly with APR/proficiency?

    Actually, that might even be better than BBOD, which is 2d12 (13 average), especially if you don't like the disintegration.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Lord_Tansheron said:

    5d6 is actually pretty sick damage (17.5 average; to compare, a long sword+4 is 8.5 average). No THAC0 bonus, but that isn't a problem in IWD I don't think, you have buffs out your butt. Does it work properly with APR/proficiency?

    Actually, that might even be better than BBOD, which is 2d12 (13 average), especially if you don't like the disintegration.

    Iirc disintegration and flesh to stone don't lose loot in IWD.
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,212
    No? Well, fair enough. I guess Mordenkainen is still lvl 7 vs. BBOD lvl 9, that is quite a difference. But yeah, instant-death is pretty silly in HoF.
  • WowoWowo Member Posts: 2,064
    Did anyone check if Mords Sword works with proficiences correctly?

    I was thinking about it and it's ranged property will be the winning consideration given the amount of lost potential DPS moving from enemy to enemy when the character is hitting for 150/hit.
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