Katana or Two handed sword?

JustCurious · Post by **JustCurious** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 4:20 pm

Okay, I've decided to make an evil half orc beserker...should i dual wield katanas or take a 2 handed sword? Hammers, clubs, etc just bore me sorry.

Figure I'm gonna just wack everything as a evil bastard.

DaJir · Post by **DaJir** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 4:59 pm

i say go for both. there are some pretty nifty 2h swords out there, alot fewer katanas but the ones you get are pretty darn spiffy. Wouldn't take 2h swords unless ya have points in 2h weapon style. they're just too slow otherwise imo.

Curdis · Post by **Curdis** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 5:26 pm

JustCurious,

As you are playing evil, the best two handed sword is not going to happen for you, so I'd go with the dual wield.

It is worth considering long swords as there are so many with really great properties. - Curdis

samcu · Post by **samcu** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 8:23 pm

Originally posted by Curdis:
<STRONG>JustCurious,

As you are playing evil, the best two handed sword is not going to happen for you, so I'd go with the dual wield.- Curdis</STRONG>

I think there is a unholy avenger somewhere in the game but it is no where near as good as a holy avenger...

Obsidian · Post by **Obsidian** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 9:39 pm

As you are playing evil, the best two handed sword is not going to happen for you, so I'd go
with the dual wield.

Well, theres always the Soul reaver, damn fine wpn.

Curdis · Post by **Curdis** » Sun Jan 13, 2002 10:18 pm

@samcu - Unholy Reaver +5 (Usable only by an anti Paladin) - Not a Beserker PC weapon.

@Knight Errant - Soul Reaver +4. it is a fine weapon BUT compared to +5/+6 it really isn't worth the distance.

In defence of Two handed swords The silver sword is only +3 but has a 25% chance of killing per hit so it is pretty useful against most opponents.

And to argue against my main thesis the only character who can grandmaster two handed and use Carsomyr is a dualled fighter to thief. So getting the extra three stars and having to use a +4(then later possibly +5) sword (instead of +5/+6) is a bit more of a judgement call. - Curdis

Silvanerian · Post by **Silvanerian** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 4:45 am

The enchantment of a sword doesn't really matter as long as it's +4. The extra +1 or +2 damage is redundant - especially for a orcish berserker.
The soul reaver is a great weapon. The THACO drain is very useful - it goes through stoneskins also by the way.
After a round or two - without GWW - even a dragon can't hit you. That's a nice trait. Also Firegiant are rendered rather useless against a master of twohanded swords wielding Soul Reaver. Otherwise - give it to Sarevok if you plan on taking him.

-Sylvanerian

Silvanerian · Post by **Silvanerian** » Mon Jan 14, 2002 4:47 am

Oh, another sword you might consider if you plan on dualwielding is the upgraded Foebane. You get it almost first thing in ToB and it's minordrain also goes through sotneskins. I've had above 400HP with this weapon - within the spells duration of course.
Great for healing and boost a fighters duration in combat a lot!

-Sylvanerian

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: Silvanerian ]

DaJir · Post by **DaJir** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 6:57 am

wow, time to find that sword. got it in my bag of holding somewhere.... be'n a packrat does have its drawbacks....

Kovi · Post by **Kovi** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 11:06 am

I agree with the Soul Reaver, especially for ToB. Both Silver sword and Celestial Fury has a save and some monsters are immune to their effect.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 2:29 pm

kovi, as I mentioned in another post, if you can hit dragon with greater malison and lower resist you can induce save fail and whack red dragon witha single vorpal swipe!!!

the expression on dragon face priceless....

Just curious, may I suggest kensai??? kensai thief high level dual is a vicious package, use any plate and still have obscene thaco...kensail max out at around -15 thaco...so I get -22 wih grandmaster weapon, but -15 with no silled weapon...still around -5-8 better than a standard warrior with grand mastery in a weapon!! so even if I have no profs in a weapon, it still hits...and hurts lots!!!

I chose bastard sword and two handed...get a killer bastard sword in watchers, and I agree about foe bane.

soul reaver is a good weapon, but you have to realize not too many creatuers have sole meelee attack as major ability....good for golems and think the ravager in hell or one of the trials. hit with str spell to drop str to 18, whack a few times with soul reaver, let nalia finish up meelee!!

planning to carry unholy reaver for a while and pretend I am anti paladin....

oh, poisoned HOLY AVENGER with kai and greater whirlwind is a pure dragon killer, just add holy might to really whack them good...

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 2:33 pm

I dont like the berserk ability, its gretat defense, but I am a mugger type of play...hit very fast and with over whelming force, mop up any shell shocked survivors. the only reasn I would get berserk kit is for str and immunities...get charm protection helm and other items, you can pretty much duplicate thme. belt of fortitude for hits, ring of gaxx, hel of cahrm, dragon plate.

great about grandmastery in bastard sword...carry foebane or purifier in main, and crom in off, you hit stuff lots and they go "ouch!!!"

Kovi · Post by **Kovi** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 2:57 pm

Silver Sword and Greater Malison: is OK, for fighter/mage dual or multi or for a sorcerer and an improved hasted Planetar

But a fighter/barbarian solo can't cast Greater Malison. Eveb paladins/rangers can use only a single doom (with Baldurdash patch). So they need many hits (more than 20 on avg against a dragon) to succeed. That many hits would probably kill it anyway. And as I wrote some ToB bosses are immune to "death".
You wrote about other "threats", but power items can protect from most of those (eg. Cloak of Mirroring, Shield of Harmony, Ring of Free Action).

For dual wield in ToB Foebane is probably the best. I would choose Belm in off-hand, as the strength should already be near to 25.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Tue Jan 15, 2002 4:01 pm

exactly!!!

glad you agree, you can duplicate all teh perks of enrage with items, and they work better too...

disagree about foebane and belm, thats what greater whirlwind is for...to increase the number of attacks to do some real damage. yes, you can use blem with gauntlets of master weaponry to get up to 5 attacks with foe bane in main hand, but I line the fludidity and ease of multiple two handed weapons on my main cahr, and switching from one to another without worrying about off hand or shields.