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Best fighter (single or multi) across the series

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  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    @Raduziel Well, people actually have to use him to see how good he is.
    RaduzieldockaboomskiJuliusBorisov
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    Yeslick does have a problem of being in the back-end of a mine with absolutely no equipment, and unless it's an EE companion you boot out or have a free space, you've just condemned one of your so-far trusty companions to die a very watery death.
    dockaboomskiJuliusBorisov
  • OtherguyOtherguy Member Posts: 157
    Berserkers are amazing, and making the NPC berserker a dwarf is almost cheating.
    OrlonKronsteendockaboomskiJuliusBorisov
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 950

    Yeslick does have a problem of being in the back-end of a mine with absolutely no equipment, and unless it's an EE companion you boot out or have a free space, you've just condemned one of your so-far trusty companions to die a very watery death.

    You can hire Yeslick in baldurs gate after cloadkwood, if you dont have place in your party first time.
    dockaboomskiJuliusBorisov
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Is that new?

    I like kagain a lot. Maybe because I prefer bg1 :)
    OrlonKronsteendockaboomski
  • DemivrgvsDemivrgvs Member Posts: 315
    edited September 2016
    Nothing can compare with a dwarf Berserker within vanilla BGs imo.

    Korgan has the best CON you could ask for which also gives him an insane +5 to saves vs death, wands & spells (covering pretty much 99% of vanilla's spells), and the Berserker kit was the strongest fighter class by far with a Rage ability purposedly customized by developers to make it as convenient as possible (see immunity to level drain and imprisonment).
    dockaboomski
  • spacejawsspacejaws Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 389
    Montaron...what does OP have against halflings? This is outrageous!
    dockaboomski
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    When I weigh characters in a poll like this, I don't take stat boosting gear into account. I look at their base kit, ability scores and starting proficientcies to determine "out of the box" usefulness. Because honestly, you can make anyone look good by dumping super powered artifacts on them.
    dockaboomskisemiticgoddessAethernaut
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    I dunno if you could make Garrick look good, really. He needs a LOT of items And a brain.
  • dockaboomskidockaboomski Member Posts: 440
    @spacejaws I've heard he's a jerk.
    spacejaws
  • GenderNihilismGirdleGenderNihilismGirdle Member Posts: 1,353
    I'm basing it more on who I liked having in my party best more than stats, and I remember being over the moon when I got to recruit Sarevok at the beginning of ToB and really dug the way they let you redeem him to an extent (and his party banter with Imoen was THE BEST)

    He was also probably my fave frontline fighter too, not that I got to use him for anything but ToB.

    I usually used Khalid as my frontline fighter in BG1, and since my main party choice was usually Imoen (unless I was Evil, a Rogue or trying to mix up the party composition), Khalid and Jaheira usually because you get them so early (unless I was Evil or once again for party composition specific runs), Minsc and Dynaheir because I wanted that magical firepower (or, if I was a Mage, because I wanted some even more ridiculous Magic Missile spam, again unless I was Evil or for party comp reasons) and so I usually didn't have a Cleric or straight Druid of any kind for healz in the party.

    Jaheira handled what healing she could but mostly I had her bashing faces with her husband and Minsc, so I guess they're my favourite "fighters" even though Minsc isn't one. I just let potions do the bulk of my healing, especially once I got to Baldur's Gate and started buying up potion stock (god BG is so much more high magic than FR is normally). Runs with a Cleric in my party were usually me trying for a specific cast of characters rather than just going through the game as per my usual, but similarly I almost never went without Khalid and Jaheira so my fighter bases were usually covered and I didn't tend to go for anyone else except to collect 'em all and plop them down somewhere to look at and go "ah, the followers of the Bhaalspawn! together hangin' out in Beregost!" (or wherever I abandoned them together, one time it was right outside the gate to BG but my fave has always been in the courtyard in front of the steps of the Friendly Arm Inn)

    In BG2 though, unless I was going Evil, I rarely had a straight fighter filling the fighter role (if I was Evil it was Korgan). Or if I was doing a lady playthrough and wanted to smooch a loverboy I might have Anomen. If I was an Evil lady, I'd usually have both! FAIL THE TEST! FAIL THE TEST!

    Usually my BG2 party's fighter-type outside of ToB was Minsc, since I usually had me, Imoen/THE TRAITOR, Jaheira, Minsc, Aerie, and then a wild card slot to try out different companions until ToB came out, which turned out to be a good policy because I wasn't attached enough to any one companion to mind having Sarevok come with on my first ToB playthrough (which was with my standard party comp+Valygar if I remember correctly who I swapped out for Sarevok). But I juggled, and I've had every single companion in my party at one point or another in both games. I just tend to default these days to my tried and true combos that I like best for both story and nostalgia reasons.

    tl;dr I like bland vanilla parties and wind up with Khalid/Jaheira and then Minsc in that role in SoA (sometimes Mazzy also or another non-fighter) and then grab Sarevok in ToB...but EVIL parties in BG for me often make use of Kagain and Korgan.
    dockaboomskiJuliusBorisov
  • GenderNihilismGirdleGenderNihilismGirdle Member Posts: 1,353
    Grum said:

    I dunno if you could make Garrick look good, really. He needs a LOT of items And a brain.

    Returning throwing axe
    +1 Dex shield
    Elven Chain
    Lots of wands

    He gets all the best spells (fireball, paralyze), can identify anything in the game, gets strong magic missiles, sleep, and defense spells. He's got a better AC than any Mage, and when not casting spells he has a +2 returning throwing axe (with his now 17dex)

    And finally, he can make the party immune to fear, which is useful when enemy mages cast horror. Garrick is only good when he has the items.
    ...wow I gotta try that sometime.
    dockaboomskiGrum
  • alceryesalceryes Member Posts: 380
    Hahaha, another Garrick lover! "Brave brave Sir Garrick, Sir Garrick led the way..."
    (not gonna quote the second half :p)
    dockaboomski
  • dockaboomskidockaboomski Member Posts: 440
    I finished the EE the first time as a wizard slayer with Garrick, Quayle, and Xan composing most of my spellcasting power. How about that for unloved NPCs, amirite?
    ThacoBellGenderNihilismGirdletbone1
  • PK2748PK2748 Member Posts: 381

    I finished the EE the first time as a wizard slayer with Garrick, Quayle, and Xan composing most of my spellcasting power. How about that for unloved NPCs, amirite?

    I was actually planning a Jester with Quayle, Xan, Garrick and possibly Faldorn (I have problems mixing clerics and Druids though). Can't figure out my thief is the issue

    dockaboomskiGenderNihilismGirdle
  • JumboWheat01JumboWheat01 Member Posts: 1,028
    PK2748 said:

    I finished the EE the first time as a wizard slayer with Garrick, Quayle, and Xan composing most of my spellcasting power. How about that for unloved NPCs, amirite?

    I was actually planning a Jester with Quayle, Xan, Garrick and possibly Faldorn (I have problems mixing clerics and Druids though). Can't figure out my thief is the issue

    Alora, of course. After all, nobody uses her since she's so bloody late-game and there are more rogues than you can shake a stick at.
    ThacoBelldockaboomskiGenderNihilismGirdle
  • SouthpawSouthpaw Member Posts: 2,026
    The Big Bad of the first game, turned enemy and ultimately henchman in the second...
    Strong enough to crawl out of hell and even level-up twice in the process. With Strength and Intelligence to even take up Magery ... look no further!
    dockaboomskiGenderNihilismGirdle
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864

    When I weigh characters in a poll like this, I don't take stat boosting gear into account. I look at their base kit, ability scores and starting proficientcies to determine "out of the box" usefulness. Because honestly, you can make anyone look good by dumping super powered artifacts on them.

    Your point of view has it's good reasons, and I don't disagree.
    But is also true that the super powered artifacts exist in the game, and they make anyone look good, but make some characters, like Korgan, look better than others. Keldorn, that is not a fighter, so not present in this poll, is not so powerful, unless you take in account a certain sword and some gauntlets.
    Also the moment when you can have those items imo is relevant, Korgan will have Crom only in late SoA, if you don't bend your gameplay to rush to the Asylum, but has a very good natural str and can get the gauntlets, a throwing axe and a +1 APR weapon quite early.

    As the OP leaved the choice open considering the "out of the box" usefulness is as good as taking in account the items available in the game and the moment when you can get them.
    ThacoBelldockaboomskiGrumGenderNihilismGirdle
  • PK2748PK2748 Member Posts: 381

    PK2748 said:

    I finished the EE the first time as a wizard slayer with Garrick, Quayle, and Xan composing most of my spellcasting power. How about that for unloved NPCs, amirite?

    I was actually planning a Jester with Quayle, Xan, Garrick and possibly Faldorn (I have problems mixing clerics and Druids though). Can't figure out my thief is the issue

    Alora, of course. After all, nobody uses her since she's so bloody late-game and there are more rogues than you can shake a stick at.
    Yeah but I also think she is easily the most powerful rogue in the game with her Luck and stats
    dockaboomskiGenderNihilismGirdle
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    edited September 2016
    Southpaw said:

    With Strength and Intelligence to even take up Magery ... look no further!

    And then need 3M xp to complete the dual...
    Only available in ToB, when every previous fighter is powerful and well developed, only fully functional in the very end, if you don't bring tons of scroll bags collecting every possible scroll in SoA to dump every other party member just to have him learn/erase them all.
    Is true that he is the only fighter NPC that can be legally dualed into mage or thief, but you have to really focus only on the very late game and use a powergamish leveling strategy to find it useful.
    Not asking why he has gained 1 point of constitution, 3 points of intelligence and 2 points in charisma, but has lost 2 points of wisdom from BG1, no RP reason for it.

    Grum
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    Grum said:



    BG2, it is definitely Korgan.

    As a berserker, he gets to rage, which makes him immune to some of the nastiest spells in the game. He also starts off with Str 18/77, Dex15, Con19 and Int12. That allows him to perform even without special equipment, and his Int means that he can fight mindflayers. He starts off being great with axes, which are a good weapon choice throughout the entire game.

    He only gets better from there. Throw the brawling hands on him for Dex18 and give him Crom for his offhand for Str25, and he has the perfect stats for a fighter. It is almost unfair at that point. Add in his racial bonus against spells, and I just don't see Sarevok competing.

    Sure, Sarevok has higher base Str, but with Crom what does that matter? Sure, Sarevok has higher mental stats, but those don't matter for a fighter. Sarevok gets deathbringer assault, which is great...but I personally find defense against magic to be more important.


    BG1, BG2 and ToB

    Korgan.

    (1) You don't get Coran until the cloakwood
    (2) You don't get Yeslick until the cloakwood mines
    (3) You don't get Sarevok until ToB
    (4) However, you get Korgan right after Irenicus' dungeon. He sticks with you through 2/3 games, which nobody else can really claim.

    Put together, you get Korgan the longest, he doesn't really need help from items, he carves through mooks, tanks bosses, and in some cases is your only hope against certain wizards.


    "The dwarf will bloody do it."

    You have convinced me, I was undecided but after reading this I will vote for him, even if I seldom use him and had never him for a complete SoA and ToB run. Thing that I doubt that I will do in the future as I struggle against RP an evil Charname or party, the more I seem to be able to diverge from goodness is neutrality :smile:

    dockaboomskiGrum
  • GrumGrum Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100

    Grum said:



    BG2, it is definitely Korgan.

    As a berserker, he gets to rage, which makes him immune to some of the nastiest spells in the game. He also starts off with Str 18/77, Dex15, Con19 and Int12. That allows him to perform even without special equipment, and his Int means that he can fight mindflayers. He starts off being great with axes, which are a good weapon choice throughout the entire game.

    He only gets better from there. Throw the brawling hands on him for Dex18 and give him Crom for his offhand for Str25, and he has the perfect stats for a fighter. It is almost unfair at that point. Add in his racial bonus against spells, and I just don't see Sarevok competing.

    Sure, Sarevok has higher base Str, but with Crom what does that matter? Sure, Sarevok has higher mental stats, but those don't matter for a fighter. Sarevok gets deathbringer assault, which is great...but I personally find defense against magic to be more important.


    BG1, BG2 and ToB

    Korgan.

    (1) You don't get Coran until the cloakwood
    (2) You don't get Yeslick until the cloakwood mines
    (3) You don't get Sarevok until ToB
    (4) However, you get Korgan right after Irenicus' dungeon. He sticks with you through 2/3 games, which nobody else can really claim.

    Put together, you get Korgan the longest, he doesn't really need help from items, he carves through mooks, tanks bosses, and in some cases is your only hope against certain wizards.


    "The dwarf will bloody do it."

    You have convinced me, I was undecided but after reading this I will vote for him, even if I seldom use him and had never him for a complete SoA and ToB run. Thing that I doubt that I will do in the future as I struggle against RP an evil Charname or party, the more I seem to be able to diverge from goodness is neutrality :smile:

    Glad to hear it!

    If you don't like evil parties, take him with Keldorn and Mazzy. Korgan gets along well with the paladin, and has a little romance with Mazzy. With Mazzy there you get to find out why he is CE, as well as the non-evil side of him. Without spoiling things, he is more nuanced than he acts without her.

    You'll just need to watch your reputation...which is easily doable once you get the slayer form.
    dockaboomskigorgonzolaGenderNihilismGirdleJuliusBorisov
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    edited September 2016
    I will try that trio, that will be a big change from my habits as very often all my party members are arcane casters. I am a strong believer of the theory that defense is better than offense and no one can protect himself like a mage do.
    Is a very long time since I played my last party with 3 single class physical damage dealers and you give me a good reason to do it again, for the party interactions and because I know that they can complement each other very well, 2h sword, axes and hammers, ranged and swords. Probably I will go with a charname priest of lathander 11->mage and Aerie leaving the 6th place for quest NPCs. Enough magic to fit my standards and 5 people that can kick butts in mlee when is needed. I will feel very naked, protected "only" by some piece of metal, and with keldorn and mazzy so exposed to magic, even if she has shorty saves.
    I wander also as they can survive tactics kangaxx without relying on scrolls that I never use.
    May be is better that I run the party in EE with scs, not that is easier than tactics, is just less cheating and cheesy. And probably that run I will finally use those potions that with my usual parties are completely optional.
    Or are korgan and aerie not compatible? now I don't remember, but in the case she can be replaced by haer Dalis.
    Edit Jan is the last member, not the bard or the C/R as I like to play thieves.
    dockaboomskiJuliusBorisov
  • GrumGrum Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100

    I will try that trio, that will be a big change from my habits as very often all my party members are arcane casters. I am a strong believer of the theory that defense is better than offense and no one can protect himself like a mage do.
    Is a very long time since I played my last party with 3 single class physical damage dealers and you give me a good reason to do it again, for the party interactions and because I know that they can complement each other very well, 2h sword, axes and hammers, ranged and swords. Probably I will go with a charname priest of lathander 11->mage and Aerie leaving the 6th place for quest NPCs. Enough magic to fit my standards and 5 people that can kick butts in mlee when is needed. I will feel very naked, protected "only" by some piece of metal, and with keldorn and mazzy so exposed to magic, even if she has shorty saves.
    I wander also as they can survive tactics kangaxx without relying on scrolls that I never use.
    May be is better that I run the party in EE with scs, not that is easier than tactics, is just less cheating and cheesy. And probably that run I will finally use those potions that with my usual parties are completely optional.
    Or are korgan and aerie not compatible? now I don't remember, but in the case she can be replaced by haer Dalis.
    Edit Jan is the last member, not the bard or the C/R as I like to play thieves.

    Given your playstyle, I'd take Haer'Dalis. Especially as Korgan and Aerie don't get along at all (she will eventually leave).

    I like to have 2 front liners who can tank. Haer'Dalis does this admirably as a blade. Stoneskin, mirror image, etc. Seems like what you are used to. Korgan is a different kind of tank...his large pool of HPs, immunities and immunity to the worst kind of spells make him quite useful as well. Throw in Keldorn with the two handed sword behind them (where he shouldn't be getting attacked) and you'll be set. Mazzy indeed is a good ranged fighter. Rounding all of that out with your cleric looks like a good team that will give you a very different BG experience.

    Also, I applaud you for leaving the 6th spot open for quest NPCs. I like doing that as well. So that I can get Valgyar for his quest, Nalia for hers, etc.
    gorgonzoladockaboomskiGenderNihilismGirdleJuliusBorisov
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    what I am used to, when is needed, is 3-4 people with the levels of a small party attacking mlee, fully protected against physical damage, eventually elemental one, and with a spell immunity that protects their buffs, as they also debuff the enemy, send to him crowd control spells. Maybe with 2 or 3 simulacra, a planetar and 4 mordy or skelly as helpers. and maybe with 2 or 3 CC set and ready to trigger at the very beginning of the battle and triggers and sequencers prepared and ready to be used at the right moment :wink:
    And we are on a completely different level of tanking and global efficiency.
    But what you tell is exactly what I have in mind for that party.
    dockaboomskiJuliusBorisovGrum
  • sluckerssluckers Member Posts: 280
    edited September 2016
    Oddly, enough, despite medieval fighters being the traditional handsome white-knight who get's the princess, the BG series is actually dominated by the ladies in this regard. Jaheira, Shar-Teel, and Mazzy. I would say those are the 3 best. Personally I have to go Shar-Teel.

    This is, actually, a difficult question. The scope of the game changes so much over the series that different fighters become the best at different times, really. So in answering this question, I vote for the fighter that made the most impact for me, personally, within the context of that particular portion of the game. I think this is an important condition, given that only Jaheira is with you for the whole series (which alone could make her the best fighter hands-down for some).

    Shar-Teel doesn't hold a candle compared to Sarevok or Mazzy, and has no innate immunities or abilities.

    She does, however, give you a dual-welding option at a time in the game where oils of speed are exceedingly rare if not absent, and there is no scroll of haste until cloakwood. That's a long stretch, and Shar-Teel with her proficiencies and exceptional strength fits perfectly into that setting as an indespensible disciple of ass-kicking.

    And I'm honestly flabberghasted that so many pick Sarevok. I don't care what he can do. He could very well be the offspring of Shiva, Chuck Norris and the Rabbit from Holy Grail, I'll never consider him the best. All the awesomeness in the world won't help you if you arrive only in the final few chapters. His death blow is basically superfluous among peers who possess greater whirlwind. Deathblow can deal huge damage, yes, but very little survives a buzzsaw either. There is little point in a GWW Sarevok doing 400hp damage in a round next to a fighter who only does 250 damage when you foe only has 200HP.

    That said, objectively, he's frickin' awesome. All fighters are, being the bread and butter of the series. But ya, sorry bub. Too late for me.

    RE: The Shorties: I think Mazzy edges out Korgan. Though Korgan has better saves and more HP, Mazzy's abilities are the literal embodiment of the buffs you want for a fighter, and she is more versatile against a variety of foes with the option of bow grandmastery and all the nice ammo varieties.

    She's easily immune to lots of nasty status effects with Sword of Arvoreen and Shield of Harmony. She just needs to keep the sword of backstabbing or sword of mask as back-up for when a +3 option is needed (rare before Tob). But by then she's well enough protected to switch to another weapon for higher enchantment levels.

    Only thing she cannot compete in with Korgan is negative plane protection. Bit of a problem, that. So you have to have a druid or cleric.

    On the whole I think both fighters are amazing, but Mazzy has just a bit more flexibility than Korgan and with the right gear has similar immunities--permanently. Korgan is a bit of a one trick pony. He's delightfully vulgar, though, so that's a plus. Honestly, with these two shorties, I would just say 'Why not both?'. As a pair they are a true wrecking machine.

    I like Yeslick, but I don't think he's the best either, as there is a significant portion of the game to traverse without him before recruitment. He is a great character, though, and a staple of good parties.

    But I've always liked Shar-Teel.

    She arrives early, can be with you for those very difficult first few levels of BG1, and I think very few NPC's have quite the impact that she does with her dual wielding, which is an absolute boon in the oil-of-speedless pre-cloakwood mine territory of Baldur's Gate. Varscona and Dagger of Venom... oh my! And if you want, make her a thief... a dual wielding thief.

    Shar-Teel: swashbuckling before swashbuckling was even popular.

    Plus, she gives you a literal get out of jail free card.

    I have always felt a dramatic easing of difficulty after her recruitment. So I vote her.
    RaduzielSkatangorgonzolaJuliusBorisov
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