Are long swords or bastard swords best for a Kensai/Thief?

2088432

My character is a level 13 kensai level 16 thief. I have the proficiencies: Long Sword ++, Two-Handed Sword +++++, Katana +, Scimitar/Wakizashi/Ninjato +; Fighting Styles: Two-Handed Weapon ++, Single Weapon +, Two-Weapon Style +.

DJKajuru

In SoA the only relevant bastard swords are the bleeder+2 , the blade of searing+3 and the +3 one found in watchers keep , but let's face it: as a kensai thief your greatest asset will be the massive backstab damage, so bleeding is not really a relevant deal, and the +3 options aren't really that much better than other swords in the game.

That said, SoA has amazing long swords. There's a +3 one that can be found quite early in the copper coronet, and the sword of silence +2 found in the graveyard, and the legendary daystar that does double damage on undead . So if I had to choose I would definitely pick long sword.

jsaving

This is a weird question for the BG1 forums, it doesn't matter a whole lot in that game whether you go with long swords or bastard swords. For BG2 a kensai/thief would want to use either celestial fury or daystar, so you would definitely want to pick long sword over bastard sword as your weapon of choice.

smyth25

Can Kensai/thief even backstab with a bastard sword? As far as I know, backstabs only work with weapons that a vanilla thief can use (this also applies to Stalkers). As a result long swords or katanas are the best option.

jsaving

The OP's kensai/thief currently has five pips in two-handed swords so he doesn't seem too concerned about that, though yes that would definitely be another reason to choose longsword.

Very_BigSword

Based on your proficiency allocation two handed sword for general melee, and one handed long sword for back stabbing (to use the increased critical chance from single weapon style).

Shangeroo

Long sword - in SOA you can get early access to Daystar,+4 vs evil so you can solo Kangaxx and is good throughout the entire SOA. Plus in TOB you get the +5 flame sword with a 0 speed factor to make hit and run easy.

Hempz

Shangeroo wrote: »

Long sword - in SOA you can get early access to Daystar,+4 vs evil so you can solo Kangaxx and is good throughout the entire SOA. Plus in TOB you get the +5 flame sword with a 0 speed factor to make hit and run easy.

Daystar is an outstanding weapon and Namarra is another good option in case you use the former with another character. It deals 1d8+4 (despite being of +2 enchantment) to everyone hence it is one best single handed weapons for backstab from early to mid SOA.

Grond0

Shangeroo wrote: »

Long sword - in SOA you can get early access to Daystar,+4 vs evil so you can solo Kangaxx and is good throughout the entire SOA. Plus in TOB you get the +5 flame sword with a 0 speed factor to make hit and run easy.

You get access to Blackrazor and The Answerer in ToB as well - which both have more vicious on-hit effects than Angurvadal.

Mathsorcerer

I *love* The Answerer. Whirlwind (or GW) + Answerer = lowering MR to 0 in only one round...but it also makes the subject's AC worse by 2 for every hit. The Imprisoned One starts off with AC -12 and MR 90, so a 25th-level fighter using this sword and a Potion of Storm Giant strength will hit 50% of the time, and each successive hit makes it easier to hit it.