Back for more advice. Have tried to read the posts about our famous acid kensai and have beaten him easily with party. However now i'm single blade, currently level 16 and just cannot see how to bury him!. My summons from wand cannot hurt him enough as his regen is incredible. Spiders and Skeleton warriors last a tiny bit longer but fall as well. Any advice?, spoilers are very welcome.

Level 16? Use Stoneskins,PfMW,PfMA and Mislead! I am not sure but I think that when you are under Mislead he can`t see you. Also if you have ToB you can buy Firetooth Crossbow and hit Kuro with Normal Kuo-Toa bolts.(It will bypass his Stoneskin)

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Yeah, Mislead can kick his butt, but your THAC0 might be a problem, so after casting Mislead and hiding your clone somewhere, Tenser's Transformation will help.

The blade is a more powerful version of the fighter/mage multiclass :D So he should be rather easy. Use PfMW! Or Mislead. I guess your problem is the acidic backlash, isn't there some 4th level spell which grants complete immunity to acid?

Or otherwise a scroll can help you out [img]smile.gif[/img] Protection from Acid and maybe some fancy ring or something, and it will actually heal you [img]smile.gif[/img]

It is? I am a bit of a bard noob, but I always felt that a Blades thaco was too low to compare to a fighter/mage. The 1 proficiency only and level 6 spells max sucks too. Their offensive spin isn't anywhere near as damaging as GWW either.

It is? I am a bit of a bard noob, but I always felt that a Blades thaco was too low to compare to a fighter/mage. The 1 proficiency only and level 6 spells max sucks too. Their offensive spin isn't anywhere near as damaging as GWW either. </font>[/QUOTE]My toughts exactely. He isn`t more powerful. But he can be one of the most over powered characters in the game. Oh and the F/M also get`s Mage HLA`s. [img]smile.gif[/img]

It is? I am a bit of a bard noob, but I always felt that a Blades thaco was too low to compare to a fighter/mage. The 1 proficiency only and level 6 spells max sucks too. Their offensive spin isn't anywhere near as damaging as GWW either. </font>[/QUOTE]Someone could make a calculation:
GWW and average damage with FOA - Fighter - 10 attacks
Improved haste + (dual wield for ex. FOA + Scarlet Ninja-To (for extra attack)) + Offensive Spin (Max. Damage) - 8 attacks

I don't think it's such a big difference and Blade can protect really well (Stoneskins, PFMW, ...) while fighter will usually need to be healed somehow.

BTW - I never ever used Tenser's Transformation except with Kuroisan fight in my entire solo run through SOA - THAC0 was good enough. ;)

Were comparing Blade to fighter/mage Leslie, not pure class fighter [img]smile.gif[/img] The fighter/mage gets all the blades spells and more. I recently rolled a skald, but I am very dissapointed about the song. If you drift the tinest away from the party for 2 seconds even, they lose the song effects :/ I wanted a backup caster standing back singing when he isn't casting, but instead I have to be right next to every fighter or the song doesn't work.

Because the skald was a dissapointment, I would like to try a Blade, but I am not sure how to make the best use of him (people here are saying he is very powerful). Is he ever as strong as a swashbuckler/mage?

Thanks guys,

Using mislead actually makes me survive longer. Still have a problem with thaco and damage on him. I have yet to find Tensers transformation, where to find it?. Have not used pfmw yet, should do fine with mislead if i can find tensers. The acidic backlash is not a prob, have scrolls for that.

txs

I remember stealing a tensers scroll from somebody in Waukeens promenade...probabally the scroll seller upstairs in the adventure mart.

Spell Immunity: Conjuration- for immunity to the Acidic Backlash
Improved Haste + Offensive Spin + Boots of Speed- to help deal out damage as well as to outrun him if necessary
Breach- to remove his PfMW after waiting out 14 rounds for his SIs to run out
Remove Magic- to remove his Mirror Images/Stoneskins
Stoneskin- to help live long enough to cast Breach
Mirror Image- to help live long enough to cast Breach as well as to have a buffer against Death Fog
PfMW- when you finally attack him
Fire Shields- to help create a chain of Acidic Backlashes in melee against him after he's been Breached; you'll be immune to the Acidic Backlash (might require a couple of SIs), but he won't be immune to both FSs
Spell Immunity: Abjuration- to take his Remove MAgic and Breach out of the picture


Order of operation:

Buff with Mirror Image, Improved Haste, Offensive Spin, and SI: Abjuration during the fight. The SI is most likely the most important of the lot, followed by Improved Haste, then Offensive Spin. You should have Stoneskin on originally. Mirror Image comes next. Dodge the Death Fogs. Buy a Spell Sequencer (from Bernard if necessary), and load it up with a Stoneskin/Mirror Image/Slow + the 2 Fireshields). It would also be helpful to get a wand of Spell Striking from WK so that you can save some level 5 slots.

You try to last out his SIs. Then, re-cast SI: Abjuration, SI: Conjuration, Breach, and Remove Magic as fast as possible. After the Remove Magic, cast PfMW, then attack him. Cast the Spell Sequencer ASAP. He should die very shortly afterwards. If you're still having trouble, then after the SI, cast Slow to get rid of the Haste, then the Spell Sequencer one should Slow him for real.

ADD] If you're having a lot of trouble hitting him, then buy one of the potions that increase your strength from Roger the Fence. If after that, you're still having trouble, after the whole long list of debuff'ing, etc., try adding in Tenser's Transformation.

[ 09-19-2003, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: Assassin ]

Breach ignores Spell Immunity:Abjuration, at least according to the Spell Reference Site.

You just need a few spells.

Protection from Acid or Spell Immunity:Conjuration
Fireshield Red and/or Fireshield Blue
An ability to eat a lot of cheese.

After casting these spells, walk straight up to Kurio and tell him face to face, "Hit me with your best shot".

Consider drinking an Oil of Speed beforehand so that you can run and cast at a safe distance away or heck, just cast PfMagical Weapons. If Kurio has PfFire and Cold, cast Breach on him.

The game will then proceed to lag as Kurio fries and freezes while your character giggles from the Acidic Backlash.

People who claim GWW is better than Offensive Spin fail to factor in the fact that OSpin grants maximum damage to all hits, and it lasts for 2 rounds too. Blades have access to the IBSong too, and can fight under its' influence even when soloing.

Also remember... play the Bard as it is, not what you want it to be. Bards only become powerful if the person stops thinking of them as F/Ms and starts using them as Bards. This is a common mistake made by many, and applies to all classes. The Bard is to the F/M as a Sorcerer is to a Mage.

[ 09-20-2003, 12:38 AM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]

I was saying it was a better Fighter/mage cause you use a fighter mage with protective spells, then attack. The blade uses the same, but his protective spell powers grow way faster and have more power earlier(due to faster higher levels:)). Yes, you may have higher thac0 with the blade, but is that really the problem with the extra special abilities+more spellprotection power?

It only does not matter when you get in the really high levels. Blades get to lvl 8, while F/M's get to lvl 9. But this is only when you already have accumulated 6000000 XP, you will be nearing the cap then.

Well, for me it soemtimes does, and sometimes doesn't ignore SI. -_-;; Kuro comes with a PfF and PfC already up, so you do need to Breach it off first. Oh, and if you're going with the Acidic Backlash loop, then I'd suggest SI: Conjuration, because Sanchuudoku can lower your Acid REsistance, and if he manages to get in 3 or more shots (doable with his weapons speed/Improved HAste), then you're going to be huring.

SI, pfmw, pfmw, pff, pfc! Can anybody bring me up to date on this slang please [img]smile.gif[/img]

PfMW: Protection from MAgical Weapons
PfF: Protection from Fire
PfC: Protection from Cold

Yah!, after hours of frustration i buried him. Using acid prot scrolls, mislead, stoneskin, mirror image, improved haste, offensive spin, SI conjuration he started to fall. Unfortunately when he was near death he cast shadow door and me having no spell to detect him. I searched for either oracle or true sight but could not find one. Finally i gave up and hired Anomen, just for his true sight spell. I had no other choice, at least he is dead, gone and no more.

Appreciated the help

Oh, yeah I missed that. ;)

And yes I was also disappointed with Skald's song radius - but check this: Enhanced Bard Song has unlimited radius ! :D

Best use ? Dualwield somtehing + Belm (Kundane, Scarlet Ninja-To with UAI) + Improved Haste + Offensive spin !
(Using Stoneskin, Spirit Armor, Mirror Image, PFMW, SI:..., Mislead :D )

You can fight Dragons solo and even Improved Irenicus if you don't mind cheese Spike Traps. ;)

Offensive spin description says it doesn't stack with haste or improved haste :/ Anyways, I started a blade today and have done roughly a third of chapter 2 so far. I am going with a party atm and dual wielding katanas. He is lots of fun! The spin styles are great and I am using spells I never really used before with him. It was Dundee's comment that the Blade when compared to a Fighter/Mage is like a Sorcerer compared to a Mage that made me need to try him! I will solo with him once I have done SoA and ToB with him and a party I think.

The additional ApRs from Haste/Improved Haste will not stack with OSpin, but... the Speed Factor will. ;) Ever wondered what a Human Speedy Gonzales would look like?

Yeeba! Yeeba! Ankhgeray! Ankhgeray!

"Yes, I know I have horribly mangled the Mexican language and apologise for it."

The description of Offensive spin really says that but in reality they can be combined. I have all the patches and fixes.

I just tried that with my solo blade in TOB (she dualwields Crom Faeyr and Scarlet Ninja-To which gives her 3 ApR) and she can use improved haste (she gets 6 ApR) and then Offensive spin and she gets 8 ApR.

And it also works if you first use Offensive spin and then improved haste.

"Arriba Arriba, handre handre" ;)

wow..i had no idea...

well, i still like my evil minsc or keldorn using technique...slightly less cheesy...OMG...I can't even believe I said that...

that one is rather simpler conceptually...protect your archer like minsc or keldy with protection from acid scrolls, improve haste them, and give them the crossbow of searing or firetooth...then breach kuro, this will take down his protection from energy, and shoot plain unmagical bolts at him...the firedamage will punch thru protection from magic weps and stoneskin, you can sear him to death...

dundee, may i quote you in the next cheese guide and include this evil little backlash trick???

oh yeah, and if you really like cheese...cast mislead, and your mislead clone(?) can all cast improved bard song...now that's cheesy! and they stack too...

[ 10-11-2003, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Userunfriendly ]

Well, in my experience, the Fireshield trick has been absolutely <u>worthless</u> against Kuroisan. A brief recap of my 2 duels with the bastard:

Tactics Run #1: My first game as a Cavalier. Did the Improved Guarded Compound very late in the game, with the result that Kuroisan showed up in Suldenessallar. Nalia and Imoen bounced him back and forth between their PfMWs and Breaches until he was vulnerable, then the rest of us charged in. Once we knew his pattern, he was toast.

Tactics Run #2: My first game as a Wild Mage. Did the Improved Guarded Compound very early (there's a reason why I say Tactics should be called the "Invisibility Potions MOD"), so Kuroisan hit us at a very low level--trying to fight him with only 2 or 3 PfMW slots is not for the faint of heart. So I had no qualms with using cheese against him, and tried the Fireshield method. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that not only is Kuroisan <font color=white>immune to Fire and Cold damage,</font> but also has <font color=white>non-Breachable Fireshield Red and Blue.</font> Yes, these effects were verified during subsequent tests.</font>

• Using a Fireshield (without first casting PfFire and PfCold) = You get fried/toasted on his Fireshields, while he's Immune to your damage.</font>
• Using a Fireshield without PfFire and PfCold, but you cast Breach on him first = Exact same result.</font>
• You use PfAcid, PfFire, and PfCold, then use the Fireshield = The game lags while you both take thousands of hits that do 0 damage. Meanwhile, he's eating through your Stoneskins, lowering your Acid resistance, and the constant barrage of hits means you can't refresh your PfMW.</font>

Easiest way (especially for a Solo Blade):
1) Protection from Acid.
2) Oil of Speed.
3) Breach.
4) Invisibility Potion.
5) Run to a safe distance.
6) Go back to Step 3.

he's got a spell shield up!!!!

you should have breached him TWICE...

i know the trick with the fireshield works, since i too have the latest tactics mod, and about a month ago, i was using sanchu while in windspear hills dungeon, i died very rapidly using sanchu against those djinn with fireshield red...

breach should have brought down the fireshields...after i published my evil methods for taking down undead sola, using chain contingency to punch thru spell immunity divination and improved invisibility, wes had undead sola cast spell shield...so it took 2 ruby rays to take his protections down, followed by breach...wes likes spell shield... ;) ;)