Overrated/Underrated weapons

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I just felt like checking up on SP's opinions for Overrated and Underrated weapons.

For example.

Underrated: Blackrazor. This sword is +3, steals levels, heals you, hastes you. I think it's comparable to if not better than the uber katana of cheesiness.

Overrated: Carsomyr. We all know it's powerful, but compare it to other 2h swords of even lesser quality. Let's say.. Soul Reaver. While Carsomyr has magic resistence, dispel and lots of damage, soul reaver actually does the job of disabling a foes ability to hurt you back.

Or, Gram, Sword of Grief, once it's upgraded, that's no comparison!

Underrated: Foebane. I never see anyone posting about this weapon or even going into bastard swords period. This sword casts larloch's minor drain on each hit, no save and gives +1 to saves, no to mention all it's +damage bonuses.

 

As a class spears are the most underrated weapons. Impaler is absolutely deadly in the hands of Jaheira (and an excellent weapon for SoA)-- as is Ixil's Spike in ToB. Ixil's Spike pinning ability is great, with improved haste that's a lot of opportunities for even the best opponent to get a one on it's save.

Clubs come in second as an underrated class, with both Gnasher and Blackblood being two of the most useful mage-killing weapons out there.

As far as two-handed swords are concerned, the Silver Sword was simply awesome in the hands of Minsc and Sarevok -- it is another underrated weapon. IMO only Carsomyr was more powerful (I obviously disagree with your overrated score).

In my experience, Celestial Fury actually was overrated -- it's a good weapon, but not the 'be all and end all' that everyone seemed to claim it was. I would put it on par with Impaler, but nowhere near Carsomyr in power.

 

Carsomyr does the job of killing the opponent.

Overrated: Crom Faeyr, yeah it's great, but it takes how long to get it?

Overrated: Belm, everybody seems seems to focus in the fact that it gives the extra attack per round and forgetting it's a +2 weapon.

Underrated: Namarra, excellent in the beginning (sucks after that), doing 1d8 + 4 damage.

Underrated: All spears, there are some good ones like the Impaler (1d6 + 3 + 10 damage) and Spear of Withering (1d6 + 4 + 4 damage).

 

The only people who seem to rate Crom Feyr highly are those who use it as an off-hand weapon, just for the 25 strength.

One of the real problems with BG2 is that there are a lot of weapons in the game that could be fun or interesting to use, but they are of less than +3 enchantment, and therefore not even "rated" at all - they are simply regarded as loot to be sold to the next fence or storekeeper the party comes across.

 

I love the Impaler... my first game I had a sweet
Avenger who used it.

Celestial Fury is definately overrated also, there's lots of semi-comparable stuff out there.

Ras the dancing sword is cool, but I think some people like it too much.

Tansheron's (sp?) bow is overrated as well... not using arrows isn't that great.

The Silver Sword is one of (if not) the best weapons in SOA... awesome.

I really don't know how anybody else rates these, so I'm taking guesses; I'll wait for more opinions and react to them.

 

I wouldn't think the Silver Sword is underrated...I mean it's awesome and all but hordes of nerds tend to go ga ga over anything vorpal.

...Myself included

 

If you're using Bastard Swords, Foebane is really the only way to go. And it's real easy to get. I think it's underrated as well.

 

Foe bane is pretty good, but there's still the issue of what to use until then.

Gram the Great Sword of Grief- pretty awesome weapon, but you get it too late to use it much.

underrated - Impaler for sure...I mean +10damage!! Also people don' tend to rave about halberds too often, Dragonsbreath does +5 damage in miscellaneous elemental damage, Blackmist is +4 and can cast blindness and Ravager +6, in addition to the vorpal effect, can go straight through mantle.

 

Im a halberd user all the way. They are underrated for the most part. I mean, Dragons Bane is easy enough to get, then you go to the Dragonsbreath+5, the to the Wave, then onto the Ravager.

I do not believe I have heard of this Blackmist +4. Where abouts can you get it?

With regards to bastard swords, they only start getting good in the underdark with Jhor the Bleeder, and the Blade of Searing. Good if you want to rush off there after getting the one from the copper coronet.

I reckon that the Blade of Roses is fairly underrated, as well as the Stonefire axe. Both fairly cheap +3 weapons straight out of Jonnies dungeon.

 

You get Blackmist +4 if you are evil and made a deal with the demon summoned by the Matron Mother in Ust'Natha.

I agree with Blade of Roses and the Stonefire Axe.

Another weapon I never hear people talk about is the Answerer +4. I find it very useful, whittling AC and magic resistances off with every hit.

Or how about Flame Tongue? +4 against undead and you get it early on. It's not bad for undead encounters.

 

Foebane is on the first floor of Watcher's Keep. So you can get it as soon as the start of Chapter Two in SoA.

I think the Short Sword of the Mask +5 is overrated. Sure it's got 15% chance to Level Drain, but anything worth Level Draining is immune to it. Also, it's a short sword, so a thief using it (whom I believe would be the one using it) only gets 1 attack per round with it (ideally). 15% at one attack per round is REALLY low, wouldn't you say? It is the best short sword, but then again, that doesn't seem to be saying much.

 

Personally, I always thought slings in general were underrated, jsut because they add the STR bonus to dammage (all the slings expect the regular non enhanced ones seem to do this, not just the sling of seeking). In the hands of char with hugh STR bonuses, a sling +2 equipped with bullets + 2 will dish out considerable dammage from afar, much more than any bow or crossbow in the early stages.

I never was big fan of the equaliser though, much better weapons available byt hte time you get it.

 

I suppose the reason behind people not regarding slings so highly is because it usually isn't worth taking proficiency points for a front line warrior, and other classes (ie mages) don't have the strength or grand mastery to use them to their full effect. I suppose the reason why bows and crossbows are regarded more highly is because of variety of ammo (ie. fire, acid, biting, dispelling etc) that can be very useful in different situations (Trolls anyone?). Also they kicked ass in BG1, so people may be holding onto old sentiments. Bows tend to power up fairly regularly as well.

 

The main bonus bows have is the +1 attack per round, but they were nerfed somewhat after BG1, with the bonus damage from enchantment removed and an increase in movement rate allowing melee foes to get close faster. Slings - whilst not as crap as they first seem - aren't really the (unexpected) star of BG2. Enchanted throwing daggers give both +1 attack per round, have "unlimited ammo" and add STR bonus to damage! Add to that they're usable by both Kensai and Cavaliers (iirc), classes normally restricted from missile weapons! A +2 example is available from the off, by pickpocketing Captain Dennis in Bridge District, Athkatla, and of course there's Firetooth +3, too. Assuming you can access STR-enhancing kit, these babies will outstrip most bows in terms of damage/round.

 

Any of the weapons in ToB can be considered over rated since you use them for such a short time.

What about the flail of ages? Under rated?

I dont think the crom faeyr is underrated, because by giving you 25 strength it makes you into a killing machine. killing some golems one shot is helpful too.

an underrated weapon for clerics, I think, is the maulers arm +2. Its a cheap +2, and it sets the wearers strength to 18 - useful for clerics who wear shields and sometimes engage in fighting (eq mage/clerics).

 

Regarding slings, another advantage is that you can use them with a shield, so it is easy to switch to melee.
Give just one or two profeciency points to all your warriors in slings, equip with slings, and fire one round before engaging in a melee battle.
I've seen a mere sling +2 with a +2 bullet in the hands of Anomen for example dish out like 20 damage, without a critical hit. Multiply that by the numbers of fighters equipped and you have quite a lethal sling firepower there
Not to mention slings often injure creatures that bows can't attain.
I'm not saying bows or crossbows suck in comparaison, but just that they are overrated versus slings.
Bows are awesome for the variety of arrows they can fire + the number of attacks per round.
Slings are awesome as a first dammage wave.

 

Good point with the switching to melee thing, the convenience factor is not something to be overlooked.

I don't think Flail of Ages is underrated, granted its an awesome weapon that's available early in the game, upgradable and has a nice slow effect, but most people *do* tend to regard it fairly highly, hence the I think the regard is proportionate to its ability.

Crom Fayer - Yeah the 25 strength is amazing and gives you some crazy damage and to hit bonuses, I think that, like the Flail of Ages, it is rightly regarded as one of the best weapons in the game.

 

Underrated: Boo's lightning-fast paws.

Overrated: Everything else.

 

Mauler's Arm is underrated. Especially when you take Viconia in your party. She doesnt' even have anough strength to wear plate mail when she joins making this mace awesome.

Crom Faeyr is the same thing. It's really not that great a weapon on its own. Golems aren't hard to kill and set str to 25 doesn't help a character with 18-19 str that much. The damage the weapon deals is dwarfed by other swords/spears/etc. So it's really only useful on a character like Viconia who lacks the strength in the first place, or as an offhand weapon.

 

I agree Maulers arm is awesome for viconia and makes her quite the tank