POLL: Favorite Underappreciated Weapon

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This is the poll promised from the similarly-named thread. Some basics of why certain things were included or not. First of all, things that are generally agreed upon to be very useful (such as stalkwalker's examples of Belm and Daystar) are not included because they are by definition not under-appreciated. I also didn't include any missile weapons in the list, because they are a completely different category of weapon. Many under appreciated weapons have utility as an off hand choice, or just carried in a weapon slot, but thrown weapons are all actively used (and prevent you from dual wielding) so things like the Boomerange Dagger and Azuredge are out. I also didn't include specialty weapons that are good against a specific type of creature. Yeah, Flametongue is great when you're fighting undead, and the Dragonslayer long sword is obviously very useful when fighting dragons, but are much less useful otherwise. Anything of greater than +2 enchantment is also eliminated.

So that means we have a list of 9 inculded in the poll (with a brief description of what it does if you forgot).

If you can't settle on a single choice, I've allowed the option of picking 2 (9 is a whole lot of options after all).

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 49 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Favorite Underappreciated Weapon (49 votes.)

Favorite Underappreciated Weapon (Choose 2)
* Mauler's Arm (+2 mace, raise strength to 18) - 20% (10)
* Namarra (+2 long sword, silence 15' radius) - 6% (3)
* Gnasher (+2 club, +2 splinter damage per round) - 10% (5)
* Ilbratha (+1 short sword, mirror image) - 20% (10)
* Arbane's Sword (+2 short sword, haste) - 35% (17)
* Kundane (+2 short sword, extra attack) - 27% (13)
* Stilletto of Demarchess (+2 dagger, chance to stun) - 10% (5)
* Unicorn Spear (+2 spear, immunity to charm and confusion) - 8% (4)
* Sarevok's Sword (+2 2-handed sword, heal 1hp per successful hit) - 10% (5)

 

Ilbratha, I say, it is a must to have for kensais or any other fighters who wish to survive, why, horrific Abi Dalzim's hurled at you via smarter liches can not damage you if you are mirror imaged! It helps kensais exceptionally well, by the time mirror images are gone, all enemies of a fierce kensai are already dead.

 

You forgot Arbane's Sword's immunity to hold and stun, but I voted for it anyway

 

I voted for Gnasher, simply because those splinters are priceless against 'Skined' mages or druids.

 

I went for two swords - Arbane's and Sarevok's. Gnasher is probably more useful than Sarevok's sword, but it's not my favorite. With the Sword of Chaos it's not so much the weapon itself for me, but the satisfaction of having it early on while everybody else still uses normal or +1 weapons.

 

I'm the only one who voted for the Unicorn Spear?
Oh well, it'd be because I make it then never use it since I've got better stuff by then.

 

Arbane's Sword
Unicorn Spear (great for Jaheira)

 

My favorite 2 of the 9 mentioned are:
Sarevok's Sword: It ensures that the secondary tank is available at short notice to take the heat away from the sheild bearer.
Arbane's Sword: I really like its immunities and haste is good to have.

About the other weapons.
Mauler's Arm - I am not really interested in getting this weapon for someone who has 1 attack/round. Still Aerie might get it (arcane self buffs anyone).
Namarra - Silence is not a spell I much like considering every mage and his familiar cheese anyway.
Gnasher - I didn't know it punched thru Stoneskin, still FoA is more easily acquired.
Ilbratha, Kundane - Both these weapons are useful, just not top 2.
Stilletto of Demarchess - A dagger at the frontlines, not my style.
Unicorn Spear - I'd much rather wear the helm thank you.

 

Stiletto. Just because it's the only one my party uses and Imoen is still carrying it around!!!

 

I'm a bit partial to arbane. Match it with ilbratha and a decent potion and your fighter will have a pretty decent chance against illithids and such.

 

Mine went to Arbane. Staff of Curing wasnt there Considering I used it for almost all of a SoA game i thought it would have fit the bill as being useful in many encounters... oh well hehe

 

From the list, Arbane. I find the ease of acquisition combined with Haste/day and Hold & Stun immunity more useful than Kundane on a warrior's off-hand, although Kundane would probably be a more sound choice for a 1 attack/round character. Although I use Ilbratha's mirror image quite a bit, I can't bring myself to select a weapon I never use to attack with as my favourite. Unicorn's Spear is useful for a pure Druid, but lacks for a Warrior. The Spear weapon class was severely underpowered in both BG games, and this is probably the sole example to be worth using at all, at least until the grand ToB item-a-thon.

 

@Mal - isn't the Staff of Curing +3? That's why I didn't use it in the list. If it is a +2, then my bad, and sorry about that.

There are actually two spears worth using in SoA segment of the game, the Spear of the Unicorn, and the one you get from the fish king. It wasn't included on the list, seeing as how it's +3, but it has an effect that it adds an additional 10 points of damage per hit, so for that fact alone, the extra 10 points is almost like getting an extra attack per round (especially if you hit twice in the same round) as you would with another two-handed weapon.

 

I'm surprised so few people like Namarra. It's usually one of my first stops of the game if I'm playing a character who wields long swords. It's easy to aquire, and is an excellent aquisition for the early stages. Not because of the silence once per day (though that's nice, I suppose) but for the damage. It's a +2 weapon, but it does 1d8+4 damage. If memory serves, the enemy who carries it (The Crypt King) isn't too challenging.

@ Aldeth - The spear you get from the Fish King is The Impaler. It does 1d6 +10 damage, though I've never really been sure how that works. You'd think that the damage would 11-17 base damage per hit, but I found myself scoring hits that did less than 10 with it, so if someone could explain how the damage works I'd appreciate it. Maybe the +10 is added seperately?

 

/uses Namarra's special ability on Death Rabbit

It's Backbiter +3, Aldeth. The only weapon worth the curse, imo.

 

@ keumper and DR - The Impaler is not cursed - you're thinking of the +4 spear you can get by Ust Natha - I think one of the creatures imprisoned in one of the facets of that imprisonment cube thing carries it.

@DR specifically - I've always noted that whenever you get a hit with the spear, you get 2 damage statements - the first one is variable and could very well be less than 10, if for example, you don't have much of a strength bonus. The second one is always 10 damage (unless said creature has a resistance/immunity to the damage). I think it is done that way because the +10 is not calculated in with a critical hit, which would in effect make it +20. That's the only reasoning I can come up with as to why it is in two separate damage statements (just like elemental damage is separate from what you get on a critical hit).

 

Yeah, it's a special effect like the splinter damage from the Gnasher or the elemental damage from FoA. In this case it's just 10 piercing damage.

Don't lie, kuemper. Impaler is the one you get from the fish king (SAHKNG02.CRE), and Backbiter is NOT worth the curse; it hurts you every time you hit something.

No, the Backbiter spear is +3, but that is where you get it. The only +4 spears are the Spear of Withering (4 additional poison damage) and Ixil's Nail.

[ December 09, 2005, 16:58: Message edited by: Felinoid ]

 

Somebody would have to check what it's extra enchantments rate it at but combat bonus wise the staff of curing is only like +1 or +2.

 

Never said it was - you be loopy, foo. The Backbiter is the cursed one, and I always sell it immediately. I find the Impaler is the only spear in the game worth considering other than the Staff-Spear, but that counts as a staff. Good for mages early on. And it's purple. Good for gay mages, too. No wonder Zxar was carrying it.

 

Always remember, whenever I do something really stupid - like credit a statement to you that you never said - the lesson, as always, is I'm an Idiot.

While I feel inclined to reference the above idiot-related comment, maybe I'm not THAT big of an idiot, and we're just talking about different staffs. I was under the impression that the Staff of Curing is the one you find in the Graveyard District. I'm specifically thinking it's the staff you get from the tomb where the priest is trying to find a home for the orphan. I thought that's where you got the Staff of Curing, and I was pretty sure it was +3. If that's NOT the staff others seem to be talking about, then we're not even talking about the same thing. (Which in hindsight only further proves my idiocy, and indicates that I should have referenced the above idiot-related comment.)