I haven't played a plain fighter yet, but my current Samurai is so good, she revoked my Lord's spanking license. Between the fireballs and lightning strikes hardly anybody else gets a chance to kill anything.

My ranger keeps running out of ammo, which is why I suggest mules. But seriously, you're going want some STR esp. if you are playing on expert where you have a hard time hitting the broad side of a barn.

Actually, I rather have a Sammie with Bloodlust over a Fighter anyday. Sammie has a lot to offer, especially with instant wack (CS). In truth, your SP build for your fighter isn't that much different that a Sammie, and lets face it, there are plenty of training spells you could use to increase your realms (Light, Magic Screen, Knock-Knock, etc). As such, for levels 2 - 4, basic distribution of SPs would be something like 3 to Sword, 2 each to CS, CC, and Dual/Shield (I prefer dual as shield really doesn't offer you much). Then at lv 5+, you switch to Thaum 3, Sword 3 (till 50, then switch to 2), and 1 each to CC, CS, Dual/Shield (switching to 2 in CC once Sword hits 50). Likewise, Sammies don't have that many HPs less than a fighter (a Dracon Fighter has about 18 HPs, a Dracon Sammie has about 16 at first level). Also, your attribute point distribution between your ranged Fighter and a Sammie would be very similar (Spd/Sen/Dex until those are maxed).

ive never really cheese trained a sammy's magic before. Thats probably why they always seem weak. Hmm. Without magic they are a fighter without berserk (can use BLust but loses the choice to use *real* weapons ;) ), with CS, but less hp and damage output, and slower levelling.

Looks like one slot in my next party is taken already [img]tongue.gif[/img]

One other thing I neglected on talking about the Sammie...Lightning Strike. Imagine 4 Beserks in a round (using Bloodlust). Even with a few less HPs, that Sammie will kill the baddie quicker than the Fighter will (even without Instawack).

Of the close combat hybrids (Sammie, Lord, Valk, Ninja, and Monk), Sammie is probably the top and could go toe-to-toe easily against a Fighter. Fighter may tank better, but what need of you of a tank if you are killing more quickly?

Then there's Muramasa...

(rats, i'm editing everything tonight)

And a Sam with *Light* and Assassin's Cap is kinda amusing--almost all the Lightning Strikes get interrupted by instawhacks, or death by damage.

[ 03-18-2004, 07:04 PM: Message edited by: Scatter ]

Although in my experience lightning strikes are quite rare.

To get regular lightning strikes (1 every 10 attacks or so), my samurai ends up being every monsters number one target (low AC) and requires a lot protection spells to stay alive. Plus, on expert mode, it's really hard to hit with bloodlust, particularly with a lightning strike (which lowers your to hit chance even more), even with an over-the-top sword skill. Many times I have had six misses on a lightning strike with bloodlust, or only one hit.

I don't understand why you have to sacrifice AC. I usually get about that many LS's when i'm at just under 1/3 weight capacity and that leaves room for Camail +2's or a Flak Jacket and Mesh Pants and even archery equipment (Sam-special armor is too heavy and not worth it).
I usually go 3 Dex, 2 Str and 1 Vit until Dex = 100; then 3 Str, 2 Sen, 1 Vit. (Hobbit)
Speed comes from magic.
And if you Super your Sam, it gets even better.
I never use Bloodlust with any character.
Also Stealth helps keep you from being the target all the time--just one level as Rogue or Ninja and a little training fiesta.

For one thing, I don't do training outside of casting a few spells before camping (and I only camp if helpful/necessary for other reasons), so dual classing for the sake of stealth wouldn't get me very far. So, it's not that the AC is so horrible, it's that my other frontline characters either have stealth (rogue, monk, ninja) and get attacked less than the samurai even if overall AC is similar or worse, or require the heavier armor not to be the target themselves. My biggest challenge from this came by playing with a samurai and a monk in front. In mid-game, even taking off the monks armor (leaving him with moderate stealth, maybe 50-80, a few magic items for an AC of maybe 10-12), the samurai with the AC of 15 was still getting attacked two or three times as often. And on expert mode you get hit a lot with that AC

Now, if I had put three points into Dex every level I would have opened Reflexion sooner, but I was going for Powercast, so I was limited there. Of course, I was not unhappy with the samurai - she was by far my most deadly character (particularly after upgrading to Fang), and I found the powercast went up nicely and was effective throughout the late game.

GMK,
My first group finished with a Gadgeteer, and I was pretty pleased with the results. Since you are focusing on ranged damage, the Gadgeteer's ability to build doubleshot and tripleshots xbows add a lot of punch to ranged fighting. Like others have said, that sucks down a lot of arrows. But oh well, once you set a portal on the Trangaporter (or especially Ferro), you can go back for supplies pretty easily.
It's not a pretty sight with tripleshot crossbows unloading all those lightning bolts per round. Body parts everywhere. You will use them up faster than Ferro will sell them to you, so I switch with Hunter Quarrels and a Strong Bow/Armor Piercers.

Have you considered a monk with thrown criticals? I know the range isn't quite as good as bows, but that instant death is a nice factor. And you also get psionics, one of the books I like the most. But I wouldn't pick RFS. What is it with everyone's love affair with RFS? A monk without psionics is completely handicapped.

[ 03-25-2004, 03:37 AM: Message edited by: Dedzy ]