[SixOfSpades]

Dual-wielding: There are so many kickass weapons in the game (especially as you get further and further along) that you just want to use ALL of them! It seems a crying shame to leave any of them behind, so you've got to take advantage of what weapon enchantments you can. Obviously, this is only an option for Warriors, who have the THAC0 to make their offhand strike count for something, and who also have the hitpoints to be able to run around without a Shield. I use this style very sparingly, however, since it's the only one where you can't equip a ranged weapon, and I'm a BIG fan of shooting down the bad guys before they can get to you.

Sword & Shield: Don't EVER throw any of your proficiency points down the toilet that is Sword & Shield Style. What, 2 weapons stars for a piddling -2 AC bonus vs. Missile Weapons? If they made to be against all weapons, it would be worth something, but as it is, it's just crap. This is not to say that Shields are worthless, however--I love love LOVE my Tanks, and use one all the time (except in situations like Dragon battles, when there is no such thing as a Tank). True, a Shield will only get you a -3 to -5 AC bonus, which is rather paltry in BG2, but it's worth it to have 1 character who's that much more difficult for the bad guys to hit. There's a BIG difference between being hit 5% of the time, and 25% of the time.

Two-Handed Weapon: For me, the main reason to use this style is if I have a 2-handed weapon (ranged or melee) that is worth more than 2 1-handed weapons. A lot of ranged weapons fit the bill here, since I almost always have party members that I want to keep out of the fray, but a few melee weapons (such as Carsomyr) are worthwhile as well. There are a lot of good Bows in the game, so this style sees a lot of use with me.

Single Weapon: This style is useful for....Thieves who want to raise their chances of a Critical Backstab from 5% to 10%....and....that's about it. Seriously, get a damn Shield.