Does any weapon not suck?

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So, everytime I find or look up a new weapon and try and do some reading on the hardcore boards all I seem to walk away with is "no newb it actully sucks". The one exception to this is maybe FoA but thats my main hand weapon I am looking for an offhand weapon.

Here is what people seem to say.


Belm: Extra attack is awesome but thats it. Won't cut it at level 2.

Kudane: Same as above. Nice for extra attack but at level 2 its not that good.


Crom Frayer: Or whatever it i. " Newb weapon that is there just to appeal to newbs"


Equalizer: Sucks. Only good thing is the plus 6 damage to main hand weapon.


Blade of Roses: No one even talks about this one. As if its not even worth anything.


Defender of Easthaven: Good for protection but thats it.

CFury: Awesome in SoA but sucks in ToB. (Which would be the time I could actually use it)


Daystar: Only good vs Undead and for Sunray.


I am using FoA and Equalizer right now because it seems to me almost all people I will fight will either be good or evil.


Could someone tell me what actually would be a good off hand weapon? I am running out o options. I have points in Flail and Long Sword. At some point I should be able to get Scmitar as well.

 

You're worrying too much. Objectively speaking, all weapon types have their unique pros and cons and while most people would love to say that certain weapons are significantly more powerful than others, in the end it depends on how you intend to use them. There are only two weapons that remain significantly powerful all throughout the game and with very little "ifs" attached to them as long as you could actually use them, and both are two-handed. One is a paladin sword, the other a mage staff.

While Belm and Kundane are both only +2, the extra attack can be worth more than most enchantments. Ceatures that require +3 or better weapons to hit are fairly rare, even in ToB, and you can simply swap weapons if you encounter one. Some feel that the presence of abilities like Whirlwind and Greater Whirlwind diminishes the value of these weapons, and while this is somewhat true the fact is if you're spamming whirlwinds then you should ideally be using (or swapping to) a two-handed weapon.

Crom Faeyr is a particularly powerful weapon in the right conditions. As long as your other warriors do not need the extra +strength items, or as long as your party has more magic-types instead of fighter types, then it is one of the most powerful weapons in the game.

Given how almost every monster you get to fight in BG2 is chaotic evil, the Equalizer is a lot more powerful than most people give it credit for. It's a good weapon, though I'd personally rather keep it as a weapon swap option. The extra damage is great, but I prefer having a more useful enchantment.

Few people discuss the Blade of Roses because the +x bonus of the weapon rarely becomes an issue unless you're fighting a particular monster type. For the most part, you want a weapon with good enchantments.

The Celestial Fury actually remains pretty powerful in ToB. There are more monsters that require a +4 or better enchantment in ToB, but if you're used to swapping weapons then it shouldn't bother you. It's stunning effect is more useful than ever, actually.

FoA + Equalizer is decent, though ideally you should have Belm or Kundane as an off-hand and only switch to FoA + Equalizer or better against monsters that require +3 or better weapons to hit it. As a fighter-mage who already has the Equalizer though I assume you have lots of Haste or Improved Haste spells memorized, so attacks per round shouldn't be a problem.

 

So, basically Cfury- Belm or Equalizer would be the best offhand weapon? Hmmm. I guess I will go or whichever one looks the best then. I like the looks of Scmitars and Katanas.

 

Lot's of weapons don't suck, and certainly Crom Faeyr does NOT suck. A plus +5 hammer that raises your strength to 25 -- and all the attack and damage bonuses that come with that -- among other benefits, is, simply put, divine. When my PC is a cleric, I like to have him wield Crom Faeyr in the offhand, and Flail of Ages in the main hand. There ain't nothing "newb" about that combo. And when it comes to BG2, I may be a lot of things, but a "newb" aint one of them.

Carsomyr is another weapon that is just awesome, assuming you have a paladin with you.

It is true that a lot of weapons in SoA become less useful in ToB, but that's okay, because you can just change your weapons out once you find the upgrades.

At the end of the day, you really can't go wrong. My advice is to pick the weapons that you like and make it work. Worry about finding "the perfect set of gear" for each character on your second playthrough (something tells me you'll be playing this game several times).

Many of us here played through this game before there were any walkthroughs available to read. We all made it through just fine without precision knowledge of what to expect. Then we went back the second time and did it even better. Then many of us started complaining that the game was too easy, and had to start installing tactical mods to increase the challenge.

Bottom line, use the best weapons you can find, and enjoy. You will win the day.

 

I love that sword, I used to pair it with Adjatha the Drinker on my Kensai. HP regen per strike and DoT damage goodness. Pity the combo doesn't work on demons, but it worked very well on dragons. Drove mages nuts too, the bleeding effect ignores Stoneskin.

 

W.W. -- some people can't say anything good about anything. Ignore the "that weapon sucks" stuff. Look at the properties, if they look useful then use the weapon. That said, off-hand weapon are more situational than the main hand weapon. You just want incredible damage with main hand weapon (and a high plus to hit more often); you want an off-hand weapon with good properties and defenses for the situation ... or that will give you another attack with the main hand weapon.

 

Yea those comments seem extreme to me. Belm and kundane certainly don't suck. They may lose luster in Tob but they are still great as off hand weapons for most characters. Even with whirlwind attack they are still worth having around if you are dual wielding and using them makes it more likely that you can use imp haste instead and get nearly the same results but for longer.

Blade of Roses is a fine sword it just does not get the press since it just gives you a cha boost. It does not do anything special but that is far from suck.

Also don't worry about ToB. There is a long time before ToB where you need those SoA weapons and you will have plenty of money if you do lots of quests to get what you want.

Also since when is Crom bad? Unless you have crazy high str it is one of the best off hand weapons in the game (and even if YOU have great str chances are somebody else in the party does not).

 

I suspect the people on those other boards are Diablo players who don't really understand what BG is about. BG is intended to be a role-playing game where finding uber-weapns and maxing out your character isn't the point. The game is easily beatable with what is provided. If you want to powergame (and again, I enjoy it as well), on future runs, there are mods you can install which give better weapons, greater difficulty, etc. But for your first time, I would suggest that you stop worrying so much, relax, and enjoy the experience. You're only a first-timer once.

Edit: but CFury is definitely a main-hand weapon.

 

Listen to Grandpa Splunge, he knows.

I wish I could play BG2 again for the first time... .

 

I would say that most weapons in BG II are good (some are even great). Problem is that some people sees Belm and thinks "Damn! Just +2". It has already been said that there are few monsters that require +3 or more weapons. I would also like to point out that some weapons are better than others just for the fact that they work for a long time. Sure Foebane, Angduraval and others are great, but you get them very late. I have just reinstalled BGII (after staying away for almost a year) and it looks like I'm going with a Blade - wielding shortswords....

 

Thanks everyone thats what I thought. I love the comment about Diablo players because its soooo true. I got really into that game as well and the community was the antihesis of this place. Everyone had something to prove and every weapon you mentioned "actually suckes". I think they just like make you feel like a newb.

Damn the Crom wepon sounds amazing! So, I can just put that weapon in my offhand and have crazy high STR. Thats awesome! I wish I could find something for Nahila though.


You guys are awesome.


Wait a second. Does the Crom Fraeyr actually give the 25 STR bonus if its not in the left or right hand weapon but the offhand? It must right or else I don't see the point.

 

Good off-hand weapons have good bonuses when worn.
Good main hand weapons have good bonuses when hitting.

So FoA is a good main hand weapon (slow and elemental damage per hit), as are Celestial Fury (chance to stun per hit) and Daystar (bonus damage vs undead). Other good options for the main hand weapons: Axe of the Unyielding (vorpal hit!), Mace of Disruption (insta-kill undead unless they save), Runehammer (ditto) and Foebane (Larloch's minor drain per hit = ridiculous amount of hp on the character that's wielding it).

Similarly, Crom Faeyr is a great off-hand weapon due to the 25 STR (although makes a very decent main hand weapon as well, especially against Trolls and the like), as are the Equalizer (immunity to charm and confusion is very useful), Adjatha the Drinker (immunity to charm) and Defender of the Easthaven (20% damage reduction).

Angurvadal could go both ways, immunity to level drain and 22 STR are great passive abilities, but fire damage per hit is not bad either for a main hand weapon.

Defender of the Easthaven is quite fun in ToB as well. A high level barbarian gains 25% damage reduction. Combine this with the Defender of Easthaven and you already have 45% damage reduction. Add the HLA Hardiness and you have 85% DR. Much better than AC.

 

W.W? Are you talking about Willy Wonka here? Maybe Walt Whitman? Or....

* * * * *
So, um, Mr. White, can you not tell that we all just really want you to enjoy your game, and stop nitpicking over every little detail?

Of course, it's your game, and you can play it however in the hell you see fit. Especially a man in your position. I would not want to be so presumptuous as to tell you how to manage your business.

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Crom Faeyr gives the strength bonus in either the main or offhand.

For Nalia, I like to give her a nice magical returning throwing dagger, and let her equip a magical buckler. It's best to keep her away from the fighting, and the buckler helps her AC when that doesn't work out. Slings are another way to go. Once you can spare a belt of strength for her, giving her a sling that adds strength bonus to damage can be nice.

 

Thats a good idea but I am still confused. Crom Faeyr is a two handed war hammer is is not? So, you could never dual wield it. But, you could put it in the off off hand slot and still get the bonus? I do not mean the second weapon slot but the back up weapon slot.


Or do you mean its one handed and I use it in my left hand? For that I would need 2 points in War Hammers.



Well, shut my mouth and call me silly. It is a one handed weapon. I guess I will go War Hammer instead of Katana or Scmitar. I just assumed all War Hammers were 2 handed.

 

This would be a good way to go. Your attack bonus isn't going to be as high as that of a true fighter due to your mage levels, so the bonus to attack from the 25 strength is going to be a big boon to your character. He'll hit more often with both weapons, and when he does... OUCH! He'll hit like a Mac truck.

In 2nd edition 25 strength was considered godly strength, as it wasn't possible for anyone to obtain a higher value, just to give you an idea how big a deal this is.

 

A little sad I won't be able to go Scmitar but this does sound like the optimal route. FoA and Crom Faeyr should be a deadly combo.



I just realized I had put points into Mace instead of Flail. Perhaps, this is why my character just was not doing as well as I thought he should. Thank god for ShadowKeeper. I think it will allow me to ditch Yoshimo for Vicionia as well. I just find her more interesting and making Nahila a little better at traps won't break the game. Is is starting down a slippery slope though so I gotta think about it.

 

Actually, it's Kudane that most people have that reaction to. Mostly because the description fails to mention the extra attack.

Has one of the modern fixpacks finally corrected this oversight? I haven't updated my fixpack in years. I might still be using Baldurdash.

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Oh, and I have to agree with everyone here that in addition to Carsomyr and the Staff of the Magi, the Flail of Ages remains useful throughout Throne of Bhaal, especially when you consider the upgrades available there. Crom Faeyr is one of if not the most powerful weapon in the game along side Carsomyr. Celestial Fury is a good weapon even with the mere +2, although you'll have to switch it out for other weapons more in ToB.

There are also some good two-handed weapons. Spears, Halberds (wave and Dragon's breath) and lots of 2-handed swords.

 

This just means that you can save the good scimitars for Jaheira.