Duo MP Team ~~~ Fighter/Thief+Cleric/Mage VS Fighter/Cleric+Mage/Thief

roadster213

Which combo is better and more efficient? I am leaning towards Fighter/Cleric+Mage/Thief due to the situation with armor restrictions. What are your thoughts?

jsaving

Armor restrictions seem important but turn out not to matter much because of the mage's superb combat buffs. Fighter/mage is probably the game's strongest multiclass while fighter/mage/thief is the most versatile.

However there is nothing wrong with a half-orc fighter/cleric and a mage/thief -- though you would need to decide whether the mage/thief should be multi or dual classed.

ilduderino

I think the F/C and M/T will be better early on in the trilogy (due to armour restrictions and more clear definition of roles) but will be surpassed by the F/T and C/M as the trilogy goes on (a fighter with use any item, backstab and scouting ability is great and a late trilogy C/M is one of the most powerful combos). So it depends if you want to be better in the early part of the trilogy or later on.

Neverused

I'm more partial to F/C + M/T myself, simply because you're getting out two spells per round instead of only one.

Permidion_Stark

I've recently discovered the delights of playing a cleric/thief combo so I would give the pack another shuffle and go Fighter/Mage and Cleric/Thief.

Skatan

All combos work, but I would probably choose F/C and T/M myself since I've played those characters plenty and know their ins and outs well enough. I'm also heavily biased for dwarf F/C as my favorite powergamey character.

Since you start in BG1, AC still matters for many, many play hours and I would take that into account when planning the characters and not just look at the endgame where ie a C/M is juicy. The F/C stays very competitive from level 1 and onwards, same with T/M for utility. I'd probably pick a gnome T/I to have two shorties, but it's not necessary (I just like shorties). The added saving throws and spell slots from specialization gets less important further into the saga but is a really nice boon the first half (until levels, items and spells can make up for it). The T/M can use bows and the F/C can focus on melee which is a pretty decent setup.

Why T/M over F/M? Well, a F/M have to spend more spell slots on buffs than a T/M with the F/C as tank. The F/C will draw most of the aggro and offensive spells cast in them, so the T/M can spend less spell slots on then unnecessary spells like ie Blur etc and can therefore have more slots for utility, debuffs and nukes. The F/C will have enough spell slots to buff themselves and the T/M since so many clerical buffs are AoE and still have enough slots to buff themselves with single target spells.

In the end I think it comes down to preference and knowledge about the class combo though and either probably work, FC+TM, FM+TC, FT+MC, but I often see people preferring the halforc over dwarf, something I personally would never choose for anything other than RP reasons. +5 saves >>>>> +1 damage/+1 THAC0 which is even more important with less chars since 1 failed save on 50% of your characters is very dicey and the F/C has one of the best save rolls of all characters and adding shortie (dwarf) to that and clerical buffs will make you save on pretty much everything (especially combined with ie shield of harmony etc).

Zaxares

Both combos can work, but yeah, personally I'd go with Fighter/Cleric for the Heavy Armor compatibility and Mage/Thief because the AC benefits from Light Armor are mostly negligible when you take Bracers of Armor and other Mage spell buffs into consideration.

gorgonzola

FMT and MC imo is the stongest option, they both can wear armor in some bg battles, later they can rely on spells.

FMT get so much from the arcane class that the cost of lev 9 spells is not a problem, as long as someone other can.
You have all the functions of a larger party, arcane protection on all the party, 2 capable casters and some mlee power with only 2 people, thanks to their versatility.

Between FC and MT or FM and CT i prefer the latter as a MT can not buff himself for mlee while a CT can, with only 2 i want them hit hard with weapons when needed.