What are the 6 most powerful weapons (or weapon combos) in the game?

[Klorox]

I'm trying to build a party with a lot of melee characters in it. So far, I've got:

Korgan: Axe of the Unyeilding +5
Mazzy: Ravager +6
Anomen: Flail of the Ages +5
Jaheira: Ixil's Spike +6
Keldorn: Carsomyr +6

I'd use a M/T protagonist, armed with the Staff of the Magi (and Staff of the Ram +6 for backstabbing). He's use Short Bow of Gesen for ranged attacks when not casting.

I think a primarily melee orientated party would actually be quite powerful. I'd be low on casting, but I don't really know if that would be much of a problem.

I also LOVE that 4 characters get Fighter HLAs, and one gets Thief HLAs. Anomen loses out in that department.

[Crenshinibon]

It doesn't really matter what your protagonist uses due to the sheer power of six Tensers combined but I'd use Melf Minute Meteors instead of Gesen's. It's too slow. I'd choose the Crimson Dart +3 over it as well. As a Kensai/Mage your MMMs do significant damage as the Kensai bonus applies to ALL weapons. Actually, now that I think about it, you can effectively be a pure mage and have no items what so ever and dominate absolutely anyone in melee. Also, for backstabbing, as you're already part mage, I'd suggest using the golem's fist which is 4d10 +10.

As for the others I'd have Korgan with the Axe and Crom Fayer. Anomen With Flail of Ages or Runehammer in the main and Defender of Easthaven in the offhand. Mmm... I don't know about the Ravager... you'd need a fast attack speed to make it effective and even then, the Vorpal Blade has a higher percentage... I'd probably use it as a main weapon as the THAC0 bonus doesn't mean that much for fighting types but if you should come across something which needs +5 or better, witch to the halberd. Keldorn is good as is. Jahiera... hmm... I'd rather give her another girdle and have her use Spectral Brand +5 and Yamato +4. Possibly in fire elemental form. If you want you could dispell the magic weapon and have her use the weapons either way, only her getting the stat bonuses and resistances.

[Klorox]

Thanks! BTW, Gesen's isn't slow at all if you equip arrows, and it becomes even more powerful!

[Crenshinibon]

Well, it depends on what kind of character you have. If you have a lot of strength then for a ranged weapon you should definitely pick a sling as it is affected by your strength bonus.

[Celacena]

with slings - isn't it only some that get the str bonus - arvoreen springs to mind. I thought that other slings didn't get the bonus.

what about DEX - does a high dex affect missile weapons disproportionately?

[Thrifalas]

Korgan: Axe of the Unyeilding +5
Mazzy: Ravager +6
Anomen: Flail of the Ages +5
Jaheira: Ixil's Spike +6
Keldorn: Carsomyr +6

I'd use a M/T protagonist, armed with the Staff of the Magi (and Staff of the Ram +6 for backstabbing). He's use Short Bow of Gesen for ranged attacks when not casting.

Get Faeyr to Korgan or Anomen and you should be set, I think you've listed the (brutally) best weapons in the game. Ixil's Spike though? Never actually used it, is it worth it?

If you're up for powerful weapons you should try some game mods though. Tsuki no Ken, Sanchuudoo, Bloodband, Soul Reaver+6 or Valen's claw really outshines all the vanilla game weapons. ;D

[Solusek]

Well, I would definitely add Foebane +5 to the list. This weapon is very underrated in my opinion, and may not look very spectacular on the first glance, but if you take I closer look it's really awesome. First of all, it adds +1 to all saving throws, which is nice.

In addition, it does +6 dmg against all undead, shapeshifters, and all extra planar creatures, which basically covers the whole repertoire of dangerous enemies. So actually this sword does 2d4 + 11 dmg instead of 2d4 +5.

That alone is already awesome. Now add the Larloch's Minor Drain(no save) for an additional +4dmg AND +4hitpoints on hit, which even adds to your maximum HP. To sum up Foebane gives +1to all saves, does 2d4 +15(!!) dmg and leeches 4 life per hit, adding up to your maximum hp. Combine this with Crom Faeyr in your off-hand for 25 strength and it stops being funny.



So long,
Sol

[Klorox]

Get Faeyr to Korgan or Anomen and you should be set, I think you've listed the (brutally) best weapons in the game. Ixil's Spike though? Never actually used it, is it worth it?

If you're up for powerful weapons you should try some game mods though. Tsuki no Ken, Sanchuudoo, Bloodband, Soul Reaver+6 or Valen's claw really outshines all the vanilla game weapons. ;D

Ixil's Spike knocks down enemies for 3 rounds, and nobody is immune to it (many bosses are immune to Axe of Unyielding and Ravager's abilities). An immobile boss is toast.

I don't like mods that make my game easier, so I'll be avoiding any item upgrading mods.

[Thrifalas]

Well, I would definitely add Foebane +5 to the list. This weapon is very underrated in my opinion, and may not look very spectacular on the first glance, but if you take I closer look it's really awesome. First of all, it adds +1 to all saving throws, which is nice.

In addition, it does +6 dmg against all undead, shapeshifters, and all extra planar creatures, which basically covers the whole repertoire of dangerous enemies. So actually this sword does 2d4 + 11 dmg instead of 2d4 +5.

That alone is already awesome. Now add the Larloch's Minor Drain(no save) for an additional +4dmg AND +4hitpoints on hit, which even adds to your maximum HP. To sum up Foebane gives +1to all saves, does 2d4 +15(!!) dmg and leeches 4 life per hit, adding up to your maximum hp. Combine this with Crom Faeyr in your off-hand for 25 strength and it stops being funny.



So long,
Sol

I find most though enemies to be humans, actually. Can't think of any really difficult dragon/demon in the game, undeads and shapeshifters are jokes, and so on and so forth.

Besides, it's bugged so that MR negates the Larloch's Drain (on yourself) and bastard swords are a horrible weapon class.

It's definately a good weapon, but so are most weapons if used correctly. It still lacks a little for making the top notch.

And klorox, does knock down equals it not being able to fight back? I always thought she enemy was just "pinned to the ground" and not able to move.

And besides, it doesn't make the game easier. Both the Kuroisan and Red Badge encounters are awfully rough and deserves such a tasty reward.

[Crenshinibon]

In the end your weapon choice depends on your play style. While I don't use it too much, the Answerer +4 looks very appealing. But the combination I gave you should be powerful enough.

Seriously though, with 25 strength and six Tenser's and an Improved Haste on him while wielding Carsomyr, your Mage/Thief will me nearly invincible.

[Solusek]

@ Thrifalas:

Actually it is not bugged, Thrifalas. Maybe you're playing the game completed unpatched or un-modded. But with the latest patches and the Baldurdash fixes the Larloch's Minor Drain works absolutely correct. My F/M wielding it has 65 magic resistance and it's working perfectly.

I, on the other hand, can't think of any difficult human opponent, except Improved Balthazar perhaps. Human enemies are mostly hopeless weaklings. Heck, many of them even wield +1 or lower weapons, so my mainchar is completely immune to their dmg.

And why should bastard swords be a horrible weapon class?
That's just an opinion of yours, cause you might not like style or whatever.

I still think it's one of the best weapons, and likely THE best weapon for a F/M, as the "taking dmg" aspect is completely negated, making pin/stun/hold effects nothing more than a funny gimmick.


About Ixil's Spike: Yes it says "pinned" for three rounds, rendering them unable to move. But in this case this equals rendering the opponent completely unable to do anything. "Pinned" opponents are affected by sleep AND hold person effects. I'm not sure though if *nobody* is immune to the effect. Dragons come to my mind. But I will test this in my current run.



So long,
Sol

[Klorox]

Well, I would definitely add Foebane +5 to the list. This weapon is very underrated in my opinion, and may not look very spectacular on the first glance, but if you take I closer look it's really awesome. First of all, it adds +1 to all saving throws, which is nice.

In addition, it does +6 dmg against all undead, shapeshifters, and all extra planar creatures, which basically covers the whole repertoire of dangerous enemies. So actually this sword does 2d4 + 11 dmg instead of 2d4 +5.

That alone is already awesome. Now add the Larloch's Minor Drain(no save) for an additional +4dmg AND +4hitpoints on hit, which even adds to your maximum HP. To sum up Foebane gives +1to all saves, does 2d4 +15(!!) dmg and leeches 4 life per hit, adding up to your maximum hp. Combine this with Crom Faeyr in your off-hand for 25 strength and it stops being funny.



So long,
Sol

But who uses foebane on my list? I'd have to take out one of the weapons I'm using, and they all look better than foebane.

In the end your weapon choice depends on your play style. While I don't use it too much, the Answerer +4 looks very appealing. But the combination I gave you should be powerful enough.

Seriously though, with 25 strength and six Tenser's and an Improved Haste on him while wielding Carsomyr, your Mage/Thief will me nearly invincible.

This is a no-reloads game. I'm going to keep my M/T as far from combat as possible!

[Thrifalas]

@ Thrifalas:
I, on the other hand, can't think of any difficult human opponent, except Improved Balthazar perhaps. Human enemies are mostly hopeless weaklings. Heck, many of them even wield +1 or lower weapons, so my mainchar is completely immune to their dmg.

And why should bastard swords be a horrible weapon class?
That's just an opinion of yours, cause you might not like style or whatever.

I still think it's one of the best weapons, and likely THE best weapon for a F/M, as the "taking dmg" aspect is completely negated, making pin/stun/hold effects nothing more than a funny gimmick.

1. By "humans," I mean the opposite of vampires, planetars and other planeswalking beings. Primes, the ones Foebane doesn't gain extra damage against.

All top end bosses should be considered of the primal plane, afaik. That includes Amelissan and all of the five except Big A in his last form. Demogorgon should be the only exception, but he's a big pushover. Same goes for the though modded fights - Ascension, Eclipse, Red Badge, Kuro, etc. Name one challenging enemy except Demo and Undead Sola and I'll might reconsider.

2. Bastard swords as a class doesn't have impressive damage, speed or usability. Besides, it's ONLY usable by the fighter class. Crom Faeyr is a good weapon because it's the perfect offhand for a fighter/cleric, Angur is a good weapon because it allows backstabs, thus good for the thief class, etc.

Even if Foebane technically is better than a lot of weapons, it's rendered useless due to the Fighter-only-status. It would've been much more useful as a Warhammer or Longsword.

3. A Fighter/Mage should be so unbelievable protected that no life leech is necessary. Fighter/Mages should focus their weapon skill purely offensive, aka Unyielding/Ravager, as prot spells takes care of the defensive. I'd say the straight opposite to you - I consider foebane the possibly worst weapon for a Fighter/Mage. If anything, it should be used by a tank who cannot completely shield himself from incoming damage.

[Solusek]

1.
Actually I was talking about powerful "standard" enemies rather than bosses. I doubt beating a tough boss solely depends on the right weapon choice. Not even partially. What's most important is that the enchantment is sufficient to hit him, and that's basically it. Can't imagine any boss/encounter I wouldn't beat with standard +4 or +5 weapons(if there were any). Sure, there are some really devastating effects, like instant killing, pinning down, etc. But where's the challenge if you just pin a powerful boss down, oder kill him by decapitation?

So basically you're whole "most bosses are human" argument doesn't apply, because what I consider to be the best or one of the best weapons is not the weapon that's best suited for boss fights, but the weapon that makes the best companion for the rest of the game. You have to agree that most of the "challenging" standard encounters, which can also cost you a reload or two, are on Foebane's list. Except high level mages perhaps.


2.
Well, show me a weapon class that has "impressive damage". Can't think of any. Apart from that, most of the dmg comes from your strength modifier anway. Even a dagger is deadly and quite capable of doing massiv damage in the hands of a 20+ Str char.

And what do you mean by "Fighter-Only". Barbarians can use it, Rangers can use it, Paladins can use it, most Fighter Multi-class combos can use it. It is true that there are still many classes who can't use bastard swords, but this also applies for many of the undoubtly best weapons in the game.

Maybe Foebane would be even better, if it was a longword. But again, this applies to most of the best weapons in-game.


3.
Do you also run around with Stoneskin, Spelltrap, Mirror Image, Mislead, Protection from Magic Weapons, Protection from the Elements, and Spell Immunity: Abjuration?

I don't think so. Believe it or not, but even a Fighter/Mages takes dmg. Even mine did, and he had 85magic resistance and lots of immunities. Play one, and you'll see. You can't completely elminate every possible source of dmg.

As I said, I'm not talking about boss fights. Don't know about you but I don't rest and fully buff myself before every group of enemies. In fact, I try to rest as rarely as possible. So most of the time it comes down to stoneskin + mirror image if you don't keep resting frequently and spend your whole spell arsenal on each mob group.


4.
I have to agree with one statement you made earlier though. Most of the Cespenar and Cromwell weapons are really really good when used correctly. And in my opinion it can be very difficult to decide which weapon(s) is(are) the best. Every time I play ToB I'm sad because there are some of the best weapons in-game in my inventory and there's is no one in my party that can benefit from it. So what I'm saying is not that Foebane is the absolute best weapon and there can be no other, but well, it is one of best if used correctly.



So long,
Sol

[Celacena]

not much attention is being paid to the quarterstaff category, which features two of the games best weapons - Staff of the Magi - which debuffs the enemy and Staff of the Ram +6. Hit somebody with SotM and they are vulnerable, hit them with SotR and they take huge damage and often get knocked down. dragons can be knocked back and giants? well giants DO get knocked down and out. I particularly enjoy seeing fire giants sprawling.

I'm using SotM to allow my thief to run into shadows to come back and backstab - with the cloak of non-detection and ring of free action, you can get away every time - swap weapon, hide, return and backstab. that is a reliable way of dealing with multiple bad guys without taking any damage. I did all the beholders, mind-flayers and gauths in the underdark with just the PC using that technique. makes SotM a class 1 weapon.

[Crenshinibon]

The staffs are good, yes, but the knockback, it's just a fancy feature that doesn't really help unless yo want to go ranged all of a sudden. Also, if you can go invisible, you don't really need that ring. The only reason I'd use it is to make a Blade mobile while using Defensive Stance.

[Celacena]

I agree that with targeted attacks, being invisible is enough, but there are some area-effect spells that can immobilise, slow or otherwise impede the PC.

I just like the security of knowing that I'm almost untouchable when on the run.

I often use the shield of harmony to prevent disabling attacks - it is a shame that the staff and the shield cannot be used at the same time. I think there are other items with mind-protecting features, but I cannot recall them all. when not doing the run and return, my thief uses that shield and a sword when backstabbing.

[Crenshinibon]

By the time you get UAI, the two AOE spells you should be afraid of (Hold Person and Web) are nothing. Spell Trap should take care of the rest. When backstabbing I usually go for Staff of the Ram +6 but sometimes use Sword of the Mask +5 or Dagger of the Star +5.