@Yannir excluding two-handed weapons, I personally believe FoA, Axe of the Unyielding, Short Sword of Mask and even Runehammer are better than Foebane. Axe of the Unyielding because whirlwind decapitation is a thing, Short Sword of Mask for whirlwind level draining, the rooting effect can be useful and Runehammer though being extremely situational, basically gives you a instant win against all undead, the Negative plane Protection is also nice.
These weapons might not do as much damage per turn as Foebane, but the unique mechanics out value what Foebane can do. Foebane's healing is nice, great even, but it's ToB so giant super king khamahamaha healing potions exist, Clerics also have multiple castings of Healing.
I kind of put Foebane in a class with Spectral Brand and say it's better than Angurvadal and Storm Star.
@SmilingSword Just for the record, I don't intend to pick an argument, I'm just trying discern whether your view on the subject is an objective one, or a subjective one. I'll freely admit that I dislike FoA, even if it is the best DPS one-handed weapon in the game.
@Yannir I guess this subject falls into the subjective category for me. Oh by the way I too dislike FoA, as free action is an annoyance and flails just look stupid BG2.
The strange about the best one handed DPS weapon in game and the next 5 runners up is realistically about one more turn of attacking before whatever you're fighting is dead.
As you said, Runehammer is very situational. There are very few undead in ToB, and even less enemies that drain levels. If you are using SSoM for draining levels, you could also be using Blackrazor for the same purpose. It DOES require being or becoming evil but that's that.
A good-aligned person probably wouldn't use a level draining weapon in the first place. A weapon that sucks the life out of your opponent? I think that would be horrifying for a good person.
AotU is a nifty weapon which I value very high myself but I value Foebane higher because of consistency. The vorpal effect is very random, and doesn't even work on many enemies.
The biggest thing that dictates my weapon choice usually is how it fits the character. I would never give Korgan anything but an axe or a hammer. Anomen usually swings flails and maces. Haer'Dalis always gets longswords and short swords. With the PC it's easy to make up character and make whatever fit into it.
I do hate the fact that you can't sell FoA or the Silver Sword.
@SmilingSword Which ToB weapons are you referring to? FoA and Crom do indeed eclipse Foebane damage-wise but that's it, the others don't. Two-handed weapons are not easily comparable.
Defensively thinking I can't really think of anything better than a weapon that returns 6 (4 apr -1 from off-hand, IH, all LMD rolls are 1's) to 40 (single weapon style/sword and board style, GWW, all LMD rolls are 4's) hp per round. Some variation comes from missing your attack and/or enemies that are immune to magic, but it still averages to about 19-23 hp returned per ROUND.
Gnasher would be up there as well since its damage stacks. But I think the +5 Foebane would edge it out (plus it would be able to hit more enemies).
The biggest thing that dictates my weapon choice usually is how it fits the character. I would never give Korgan anything but an axe or a hammer. Anomen usually swings flails and maces. Haer'Dalis always gets longswords and short swords. With the PC it's easy to make up character and make whatever fit into it.
This I completely agree with, Jaheira gets staves or spears, Viconia gets a flail, a mace sometimes a hammer and Haer'Dalis gets sword swords or duel katanas when I'm feeling silly. I suppose I hardly ever have anybody trained in bastard swords, well Keldorn is, but he has the Carsomyr.
When I saw the topic title, I didn't think of my least favorite weapon type, I thought of my least favorite single weapon, and that's Bala's Axe. I played enough 3.X D&D to grow weary of the golf bag mentality it engendered with regards to weapons, and that's bled over into weapons specialized against particular foes. Bala's Axe is no better than a normal axe against most enemies, and even against spellcasters, it gives them a save vs. spell (which Mages have the best saves against in the game) to ignore the effect. At least the Mace of Disruption gives you guaranteed immunity to level drain to death for dealing with vampires and wraiths. Bala's Axe always gets sold at the next merchant trip in my playthroughs.
really? I am running a kensai dual thief, singled handed // sword and shield scimetar grand mastery, it is heaven, get belm +2 imediately, as soon as you unlock kensai you get the +4 in 1 level of watcher's keep, then eat kangaxx once you have use any items, the scarlet ninja to is just... and all this before you get to spellhold I think fighter dual druid or thief, scimetar is the best choice for a solo party.
Don't get me wrong, Scimitars are useful. Belm is almost unarguably the best off-hand weapon in the game for anyone who can't use Scarlet Ninja-to. I just don't think they make very good main-hand weapons unless you're playing a class like, as you said, Druid, since their only other option is club. But even then I would probably take the Gnasher over almost all Scimitars in the game against most opponents since that bleed effect is vicious. The exceptions being enemies that need +3 or higher.
The best weapons in the game have useful effects on-hit or buff you in some way that makes you hit harder. Angurvadal for example is better than Spectral Brand in almost every way because of that strength buff. It's just the way I differentiate main-hand vs. off-hand weapons anyways.
really? I am running a kensai dual thief, singled handed // sword and shield scimetar grand mastery, it is heaven, get belm +2 imediately, as soon as you unlock kensai you get the +4 in 1 level of watcher's keep, then eat kangaxx once you have use any items, the scarlet ninja to is just... and all this before you get to spellhold I think fighter dual druid or thief, scimetar is the best choice for a solo party.
Don't get me wrong, Scimitars are useful. Belm is almost unarguably the best off-hand weapon in the game for anyone who can't use Scarlet Ninja-to. I just don't think they make very good main-hand weapons unless you're playing a class like, as you said, Druid, since their only other option is club. But even then I would probably take the Gnasher over almost all Scimitars in the game against most opponents since that bleed effect is vicious. The exceptions being enemies that need +3 or higher.
The best weapons in the game have useful effects on-hit or buff you in some way that makes you hit harder. Angurvadal for example is better than Spectral Brand in almost every way because of that strength buff. It's just the way I differentiate main-hand vs. off-hand weapons anyways.
I agree with much of this.
Off hand weapons are the best when they give you passive bonuses. My favorite off hand weapons...
Belm (+1 attack) Crom Frayer (25 str) Axe of the Unyielding (+1 AC, +1 Con, hp regen) Hindo's Doom (+10% MR) Flail's whom name I can't remember (15% damage resistance)
etc.
Pair them up with a weapon that is high damage or which has a good effect on hit, and you're golden.
I'm surprised that more people aren't saying longbows though. Come BG2, in almost every way shortbows and crossbows are just better.
Compare Taralash (+5, +2 movement speed longbow) to any of the good shortbows. Gesen (+1-8 electricity damage, electricity resist, no arrows needed which is great against enemies immune to all other arrows) Tuigan (3 shots per round!) Firetooth (auto shoots +2 bolts and does +2 fire damage)
Longbows are still good in BG1. I think that's why. But shortbows are still almost as good as longbows in BG1, whereas the Tuigan Bow is substantially better than longbows in BG2.
I'd say bastards swords. There's just no good one until very late. And even then there's only a couple good ones, one of them restricted to Paladins. Foebane is OK for guys like Mincs that will mostly use other proficiencies until ToB, but I can't imagine some fighter wasting grand mastery on that.
I'ts true that longbows in late BG2 are not as good as shortbows, but they are still good. If all the shortbows disappeared tomorrow I would be fine using longbows instead. If all the other sword types disappeared I still wouldn't choose bastard sword.
Off hand weapons are the best when they give you passive bonuses. My favorite off hand weapons...
Belm (+1 attack) Crom Frayer (25 str) Axe of the Unyielding (+1 AC, +1 Con, hp regen) Hindo's Doom (+10% MR) Flail's whom name I can't remember (15% damage resistance)
etc.
Pair them up with a weapon that is high damage or which has a good effect on hit, and you're golden.
Flail's name is Defender of Easthaven, or as I like to call it, the Defender of OPhaven. That thing only gets replaced once I get Crom Faeyr but I always miss the damage resistance sooner or later.
I like Axe of the Unyielding in the MH sometimes. The vorpal effect actually works fairly often on a surprising number of enemies, and it doesn't do terrible damage either. It really depends what you plan on using it with though.
btw maybe it's a little bit off topic but since we are talking about scimetar, why can't we backstab with scarlet ninja to? Does the weapon suddenly turn into marshmallow knowing it's going to be used for a backstab?
btw maybe it's a little bit off topic but since we are talking about scimetar, why can't we backstab with scarlet ninja to? Does the weapon suddenly turn into marshmallow knowing it's going to be used for a backstab?
Haha, you never know!
But it's because the weapon is normally unusable by a Thief, even though it belongs to a weapon class that Thieves have access to. The same thing happens with the Staff of the Magi.
Just put it in the off-hand with something else in the main-hand since the chances of landing a backstab hit with the off-hand are pretty low anyways. Otherwise it works great in normal combat situations.
I hate that it is so cool, you have to find the ingredients and reforge it yourself at the culmination of the "Fighter" quest and ...
Ta-da, it's a flail. I think flails look silly. I think this flail, all shiny and gold like a Christmas ornament tied to tinsel, looks particularly silly. I hate how cool it's powers are that it makes you consider specializing in flail.
I like fighter types with swords. The cool weapon you reforge at the end of the "Fighter" quest should have been a blade. I imagine my fantasy heroes with blades in their hands not glorified wheat threshers.
It really annoys me that the developers created such a cool weapon with interesting mechanics, that is also so useful from the time you reforge it until the last boss fight and ... it's a flail.
If they wanted it to be weird or exotic, they could have made it a Bastard Sword or Katana. heck if clerics needed to use it then the Mace of Ages would have been better (I think maces look pretty wicked.)
Yeah, the Bastard of Ages would have been so much cooler...
I hate that it is so cool, you have to find the ingredients and reforge it yourself at the culmination of the "Fighter" quest and ...
Ta-da, it's a flail. I think flails look silly. I think this flail, all shiny and gold like a Christmas ornament tied to tinsel, looks particularly silly. I hate how cool it's powers are that it makes you consider specializing in flail.
I like fighter types with swords. The cool weapon you reforge at the end of the "Fighter" quest should have been a blade. I imagine my fantasy heroes with blades in their hands not glorified wheat threshers.
It really annoys me that the developers created such a cool weapon with interesting mechanics, that is also so useful from the time you reforge it until the last boss fight and ... it's a flail.
If they wanted it to be weird or exotic, they could have made it a Bastard Sword or Katana. heck if clerics needed to use it then the Mace of Ages would have been better (I think maces look pretty wicked.)
Yeah, the Bastard of Ages would have been so much cooler...
Once Charname has his destiny fulfilled, he will use the flail of ages to indeed thresh wheat. Unfortunately he will soon be fired from that job, as the flail keeps burning/electrocuting/freezing/melting the wheat that is being threshed. Charname soon returns to being a murderhobo, wandering the lands, killing things for money and their items.
Charname does eventually die when the Flail of Age's free action prevents Charname from using a potion of speed to get away from an army ornery dwarfs who had just eaten their only turnip farmer.
If only the flail of ages hadn't been a flail, Charname could have avoided such a horrible fate. That is, being fired as a wheat thresher. Not being killed by ornery dwarfs. That was just a given.
The cool weapon you reforge at the end of the "Fighter" quest should have been a blade. I imagine my fantasy heroes with blades in their hands not glorified wheat threshers.
The thing is the flail is more or less power full depending on how many heads you find. In my very first game I only got two. A sword assembly would be all or nothing. You also find the axe +3 with fire/acid. They should have put the blade of roses there instead, +3 longsword with charisma bonus seems fitting for a new castle lord.
Bastard swords, easy. There are like two that aren't +2, both of which are in WK/ToB, plus one of them is so hidden that until 2014 no walkthroughs knew about it
@Francois "The thing is the flail is more or less power full depending on how many heads you find. In my very first game I only got two. A sword assembly would be all or nothing."
I disagree, it would have been just as easy for the pieces to have been hilt or pommel gems, gems that fit the inside of the blade etc, same game mechanics different fluff, but A SWORD!
I would have to go with crossbows, out of all the bg I have played over the years ( and trust me, that has been A LOT) they are the weapon that I have used the least, I've even used clubs and spears more than I have used crossbows
Clubs were super-terrible in the original non-enhanced Baldur's Gate 1, where I think the most powerful club was the Shillelagh.
Crossbows were the worst in the original BG2 Shadows of Amn (without Throne of Bhaal installed). The crossbows weren't that good, and the longbows at least had an extra attack per round. Most of the quarterstaves also weren't very good in combat (a lot of them had great abilities, but you didn't need to be proficient in quarterstaves in order to use those abilities).
I think maces were the worst in BG2 Throne of Bhaal. The Storm Star, the best mace in the game, isn't quite as good as the other upgraded weapons in the game (actually the Dagger of the Star is worse but at least a dagger user could wield the amazing Fire Tooth throwing dagger).
really? I am running a kensai dual thief, singled handed // sword and shield scimetar grand mastery, it is heaven, get belm +2 imediately, as soon as you unlock kensai you get the +4 in 1 level of watcher's keep, then eat kangaxx once you have use any items, the scarlet ninja to is just... and all this before you get to spellhold I think fighter dual druid or thief, scimetar is the best choice for a solo party.
How is a kensai-thief going to wield the scarlet ninja-to before Spellhold? Since when can you get Use Any Item that early? Scimitars are very good though.
If you dual-class early and are playing solo it's possible to get UAI very early. I'm pretty sure my Berserker/Thief had it before spellhold too, but just barely.
I think maces were the worst in BG2 Throne of Bhaal.
I think maces are a great choice, but not for fighters. In BG1 you have the stupefier. Early BG2 you have mauler's arm (+2, 18 str) which is perfect for Aerie or Viconia. They are a great weapons for clerics, rangers and barbarians. Upgraded mace of disruption always hits as a +5 and is always a must agains any undead despite it's weak THAC0 bonus (destroying Shangalar and other liches in a single round makes it a pretty decent weapon). While maces are not amazing it's always a good proficiency to have on a least one party member. But it would be great is Cespanar could bump up the mace of disruption to something truly epic.
Mace of Disruption has ended difficult fights for me without breaking a sweat like no other weapon can. Most liches can be hit once before their contingencies kick in and sometimes that's all you need - I think I even killed Kangaax with it, though not his demi-lich form. But for what it's worth the Mace is one of the easiest items to acquire that can be used to hit demi-Gaax. I always have it in a quickslot on any character that can use it, just in case I get in a fight with Vampires or whatever.
Storm Star is also very good, kind of like a blunt Celestial Fury. Jerrod's Mace also has it's moments in SoA.
really? I am running a kensai dual thief, singled handed // sword and shield scimetar grand mastery, it is heaven, get belm +2 imediately, as soon as you unlock kensai you get the +4 in 1 level of watcher's keep, then eat kangaxx once you have use any items, the scarlet ninja to is just... and all this before you get to spellhold I think fighter dual druid or thief, scimetar is the best choice for a solo party.
How is a kensai-thief going to wield the scarlet ninja-to before Spellhold? Since when can you get Use Any Item that early? Scimitars are very good though.
when u solo you reach 3 millions xp before spellhold. assuming you do all the sidequests of course.
really? I am running a kensai dual thief, singled handed // sword and shield scimetar grand mastery, it is heaven, get belm +2 imediately, as soon as you unlock kensai you get the +4 in 1 level of watcher's keep, then eat kangaxx once you have use any items, the scarlet ninja to is just... and all this before you get to spellhold I think fighter dual druid or thief, scimetar is the best choice for a solo party.
How is a kensai-thief going to wield the scarlet ninja-to before Spellhold? Since when can you get Use Any Item that early? Scimitars are very good though.
when u solo you reach 3 millions xp before spellhold. assuming you do all the sidequests of course.
Not only with solo, in my last playthrough i had 3 stable party members and i reached 3 millions just before taking the ship for the city near Spellhold (Brynnlaw?). I already killed the dragons too
Comments
These weapons might not do as much damage per turn as Foebane, but the unique mechanics out value what Foebane can do. Foebane's healing is nice, great even, but it's ToB so giant super king khamahamaha healing potions exist, Clerics also have multiple castings of Healing.
I kind of put Foebane in a class with Spectral Brand and say it's better than Angurvadal and Storm Star.
The strange about the best one handed DPS weapon in game and the next 5 runners up is realistically about one more turn of attacking before whatever you're fighting is dead.
A good-aligned person probably wouldn't use a level draining weapon in the first place. A weapon that sucks the life out of your opponent? I think that would be horrifying for a good person.
AotU is a nifty weapon which I value very high myself but I value Foebane higher because of consistency. The vorpal effect is very random, and doesn't even work on many enemies.
The biggest thing that dictates my weapon choice usually is how it fits the character. I would never give Korgan anything but an axe or a hammer. Anomen usually swings flails and maces. Haer'Dalis always gets longswords and short swords. With the PC it's easy to make up character and make whatever fit into it.
I do hate the fact that you can't sell FoA or the Silver Sword.
The best weapons in the game have useful effects on-hit or buff you in some way that makes you hit harder. Angurvadal for example is better than Spectral Brand in almost every way because of that strength buff. It's just the way I differentiate main-hand vs. off-hand weapons anyways.
Off hand weapons are the best when they give you passive bonuses. My favorite off hand weapons...
Belm (+1 attack)
Crom Frayer (25 str)
Axe of the Unyielding (+1 AC, +1 Con, hp regen)
Hindo's Doom (+10% MR)
Flail's whom name I can't remember (15% damage resistance)
etc.
Pair them up with a weapon that is high damage or which has a good effect on hit, and you're golden.
I'm surprised that more people aren't saying longbows though. Come BG2, in almost every way shortbows and crossbows are just better.
Compare Taralash (+5, +2 movement speed longbow) to any of the good shortbows.
Gesen (+1-8 electricity damage, electricity resist, no arrows needed which is great against enemies immune to all other arrows)
Tuigan (3 shots per round!)
Firetooth (auto shoots +2 bolts and does +2 fire damage)
Longbows just don't compare...
I'ts true that longbows in late BG2 are not as good as shortbows, but they are still good. If all the shortbows disappeared tomorrow I would be fine using longbows instead. If all the other sword types disappeared I still wouldn't choose bastard sword.
I like Axe of the Unyielding in the MH sometimes. The vorpal effect actually works fairly often on a surprising number of enemies, and it doesn't do terrible damage either. It really depends what you plan on using it with though.
I run AotU (upgraded, MH) and Crom off on my Dwarven Wizard Slayer in ToB. I still need to find better armor for her though =/
I've always thought that running a blunt and sharp weapon looks weird but maybe that's just me.
But it's because the weapon is normally unusable by a Thief, even though it belongs to a weapon class that Thieves have access to. The same thing happens with the Staff of the Magi.
Just put it in the off-hand with something else in the main-hand since the chances of landing a backstab hit with the off-hand are pretty low anyways. Otherwise it works great in normal combat situations.
I hate that it is so cool, you have to find the ingredients and reforge it yourself at the culmination of the "Fighter" quest and ...
Ta-da, it's a flail. I think flails look silly. I think this flail, all shiny and gold like a Christmas ornament tied to tinsel, looks particularly silly. I hate how cool it's powers are that it makes you consider specializing in flail.
I like fighter types with swords. The cool weapon you reforge at the end of the "Fighter" quest should have been a blade. I imagine my fantasy heroes with blades in their hands not glorified wheat threshers.
It really annoys me that the developers created such a cool weapon with interesting mechanics, that is also so useful from the time you reforge it until the last boss fight and ... it's a flail.
If they wanted it to be weird or exotic, they could have made it a Bastard Sword or Katana. heck if clerics needed to use it then the Mace of Ages would have been better (I think maces look pretty wicked.)
Yeah, the Bastard of Ages would have been so much cooler...
Charname does eventually die when the Flail of Age's free action prevents Charname from using a potion of speed to get away from an army ornery dwarfs who had just eaten their only turnip farmer.
If only the flail of ages hadn't been a flail, Charname could have avoided such a horrible fate. That is, being fired as a wheat thresher. Not being killed by ornery dwarfs. That was just a given.
"The thing is the flail is more or less power full depending on how many heads you find. In my very first game I only got two. A sword assembly would be all or nothing."
I disagree, it would have been just as easy for the pieces to have been hilt or pommel gems, gems that fit the inside of the blade etc, same game mechanics different fluff, but A SWORD!
Crossbows were the worst in the original BG2 Shadows of Amn (without Throne of Bhaal installed). The crossbows weren't that good, and the longbows at least had an extra attack per round. Most of the quarterstaves also weren't very good in combat (a lot of them had great abilities, but you didn't need to be proficient in quarterstaves in order to use those abilities).
I think maces were the worst in BG2 Throne of Bhaal. The Storm Star, the best mace in the game, isn't quite as good as the other upgraded weapons in the game (actually the Dagger of the Star is worse but at least a dagger user could wield the amazing Fire Tooth throwing dagger).
Storm Star is also very good, kind of like a blunt Celestial Fury. Jerrod's Mace also has it's moments in SoA.
I already killed the dragons too