ok, userunfriendly, give me some advice

Aragorn Returns · Post by **Aragorn Returns** » Sun Apr 28, 2002 9:45 pm

hey userunfriendly, or anyother kensai-mage users.
i have played kensai-mage and i very much like it, but i've always used the staff of the magi. but you are a fan of dual weilding right? why would it be more advantages to dual weild than use the staff of the magi? also, what weapons should i use? i don't want to use celestial fury though because i have my theif using that.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Sun Apr 28, 2002 10:23 pm

well, dual wield and two handed weapon are both good choices, but will serioulsy effect game play. I typically use two handed, so my second weapon is

crossbow, loaded with frag grenades so i can launch a frag grenade with g deathblow, to kill off a room full of vampires in one shot... oops..kensai cant use ranged weapons...sorry, think then azuredge, for undead hunting...if you get a kensai with grandmastery axes, you can use throwing axes and keep your lovely kensai bonuses..

but serioulsy, for kensai mage absolutely use dual wield, and get belm, when you cast impr haste on yourself, you will never need g whirlwind or even miss it...

with belm in off hand, and gloves of really nasty weapon whacking in watchers keep, you can indeed get with imp haste 9 or 10 attacks per round!!! once you get the gloves you can even use a good weapon, instead of kundane for main hand and still get mondo attacks per round!!!

and if you tried dual wield before, you know you can have two one handed weapons in the weapons slots for main hand, and you keep blem or kundane in off hand, for the extra 2!!! attacks per round (kundane adds attack per, and equipping a weapon in off hand adds another attack!!)

so pick the best one handed weapon you have got, get belm (gong quest, limited wish, also a really funny and fun quest...hint, get a wand of frost before you go...) or kundane...(astral prison)
and count on doing watchers keep fairly early in the game...after immie???
but with a small party, you get to godhood status if you go before hitting underdark...

i recommned celestial fury, give thief short sword of backstabbing or even ilbratha, +1 sucky bronze shortsword, but has great defensive spell, mirror image, so your thief can protect himself if yoshimo, since he cant cast spells, when things go bad...

celestial furys very lovely stun effects work on even clay golems!!!

have on the second slot either dragonbane, resist fear, and slow regen, cool, or flametongue, for lich whacking fun, or equalizer, after underdark and dump that helm of charm protection....

two handed are for fighte rmages multi, who have g whirlwind, as they can invoke that and get 10 attacks per, and the much greater dmage potentials of two handed swords or halberds...

oh yeah, i have bun bun with deathbringer assault, and deathbringer triggers more often, to my experiience with two handed weapons.

Aragorn Returns · Post by **Aragorn Returns** » Sun Apr 28, 2002 11:19 pm

i've never really used belm, the only person i've ever had use it was jaheira. but i really like the staff of magi. what makes belm so good? wouldn't i be better off with malakar or the equalizer, or jhor the bleeder or maybe blackrazor?

GNGSpam · Post by **GNGSpam** » Mon Apr 29, 2002 12:33 am

Even with 6 NPCs I normally hit 2,500,000 before hitting the asylum/underdark. And thats skipping Watchers Keep until afterwards (along with some like Kangaxx, Twisted Rune, and others that I prefer to get the better equipment, such as more +4 weapons, before doing)

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Mon Apr 29, 2002 12:58 am

aragorn, i assume you are using standard kits, so you dual at around 9 or 12, right? unless you are hacking an elven multi...

you wont get g whirlwinds unless you hack, so quite simply, you need dual wield to speed up your attacks per!!!

the staff is a great straight mage or sorc item, or aeris fav toy, since you use it to have turn undead on, while walking around invisible...or blade barrior, or globe, use for munchkin tactics, kill them while they cant see you...

the staff is not really good for fighter mages or kensai mages...

better to go with a big honking sword or two of them if you dont have g whirlwind...

if you hacked a multi, by all means take the staff and a big sword, lilacor, or soul reaver if evil, or silver sword. watchers keep has killer staff of ram...

but serioulsy, the whole purpose of the kensai mage dual is to provide you with imp haste via contingency, in enmergenceis, so you can whack them fast and kill them...under mislead and imp haste you will kill most things befoer they know you are there...

Littiz · Post by **Littiz** » Mon Apr 29, 2002 1:29 am

User, you're too much used to hack, you forget that a kensai is
not allowed to wear gloves (while I suspect Bun Bun is, right?

)

Anyway, I agree with Aragorn that the Staff is a great item, but
for me the problem is easily solved as I leave it to Immie.
I suggest the same for you if you have another mage.
If you haven't, well, just try without it for once...
I think that a kensai should use bladed weapons, at least,
if not only katanas.

And dualwielding is considered so highly because of the possible
combos with the abilities that weapons grant.
And, as User says, to gain more attacks (especially with Imp. Haste)

Belm grants +1 more attack, but it's only +2... not really definitive,
IMHO, unless you have a VERY good weapon in the main hand.
I prefer D'akkon Blade, still only +2, but it's cool and adds
spells (I LIKE spells...).

Do you have ToB? With ToB the possibilities are nearly infinite..
bastard sword, scimitar, wakizashi, long sword, are all good choices!
In SoA, if you don't use CF, you could go for Daystar maybe..
What about Daystar + Equalizer?
You'll be immune to charm and confusion, and will smash all the undead
and evil buddies!!
Or maybe Adjatha + Flame Tongue !!
(I mean the one found in the druid grove, really good weapon..)
You'll be immune to charm and domination, you'll be healed when
Adjatha hits, and Flame Tongue will smash undead and regenerating monsters!

Anyway I'd try to choose a weapon type only and achieve GrandMastery with
that.

Aragorn Returns · Post by **Aragorn Returns** » Mon Apr 29, 2002 5:49 pm

it looks like i'll be going with cf for sure, i think i'll let my theif use adjatha. so what about the off hand? should i go with malakar so i can get grand mastery? or sould i go with something else, if i dual at 12 how many ability places do i get? only enough to get one weapon and dual weild as high as they can go, right? or should i go with cf and maybe something else like daystar?

Littiz · Post by **Littiz** » Tue Apr 30, 2002 1:37 am

at level 12 (as a fighter) you have 8 prof. points.
When you regain the fighter abilities, you can put the mage points in the fighter pool (so another point at 18th level can be used for GrandMastery for instance...)

You can put three stars in dual wield and specialize in two or three weapons, or be grandmaster in one (which I think is more fitting for the Sword Saint...), try any combo that you like, but consider D'akkon Blade, too!