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I want to know what is the most common type of damage in BG2. The different types I speak of are piercing, slashing, bludgeoning, and missile. This is important evaluating the value of damage preventing girdles and cloaks and such. Thanx in advance.

Slashing is probably most common, but there are a ton of different types of creatures and different parts of the game have enemies that do different things, in certain areas of the game a girdle that prevents slashing damage will have absolutely no effect.

While slashing is probably the most common damage the weapons used against you are normally common swords. I think protection from piercing (arrows/darts/bolts/knives) is more important to achieve. There's a nice Shield of Reflection that causes piercing weapons to be reflected back at the attacker. You can find it in the Adventurers Guild. There's also another shield that has +5 protection from arrows.

who is it for?

The real answer to your real question depends on who you are choosing girdles for. If a fighter - then slashing damage prot is best, and blunt second

For an archer or spell caster, or anyone that stays in the back away from combat - then piercing protection is better...

I would say blunt protection is the best for fighters, because heavier armors already have built-in slashing and piercing protection. I think full plate is like -4 pierce, -3 slash, 0 blunt. Piercing is good for magic users, it prevents casting from being interrupted by enemy archers. Slashing is a good all-round choice for those in light/medium armor who melee.

Chainmail actually has a penalty for blunt weapons so if you have a bard as a melee fighter, you will definitely want to get the Girdle of Bluntness. At least until you come to your senses and put him in the back line where he belongs.

Let me try to help *minor spoilers abound*

Also, if you have a warrior (Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, and Barbarian), and give him proficiency in "Sword and Shield Style", they'll get an additional armor class bonus vs. missile weapons, depending upon whether you put one skill point (gives a +2 bonus) or two (+4).

Since there are about 3 (or was it just 2?) Girdles of Bluntness available at the most throughout the game, then that might have something important to say.

The Girdle of Piercing, along with the right mage robe and boots, if you ask me, really helps your wizard stay alive. Then, of course, there are also a pair of pair of boots you get off of one guy in a quest that add a +5 armor class bonus towards missile weapons.

The Golden Girdle (+2 armor class bonus vs. slashing weapons), sadly, is not really available for all classes, except maybe with the multi-stronghold mod/patch. Let's just say that I won't go any further than that for now.

Mangle Me Elmo (nice name, by the way), you're best bet would be to use mage robes (one with an weapon protection and saving throw bonus that you feel is important) until later (will not spoil the details in case it will ruin the surprise for you)

Well, I hope this helps you out enough.