best rpc fighters

[tower]

Between Mazzy, Minsc, Korgan, Keldorn, Valigar; i would like to exclude Sarevok (unquestionably the best) nad Sola (he is half mage, and kinda special). I heard Mazzy is the best. I know Minsc and Caligar aren't pure fighters, buy they are good substitutes), as paladins (in my opinions) are almost fighters.

[Alson]

* puts a KL note into the envelope *

[Rataxes]

1) Korgan
2) Mazzy
3) Keldorn
4) Minsc
5) Valygar

[SixOfSpades]

1) With his mad HP, Saves, and THAC0, his good AC, and weapon points distributed squarely among 2 of the very best melee weapons in the game (plus the potential to hit Grandmastery in 1 or 2 others), Korgan definitely takes the top slot.

2) Keldorn's Dispel Magic and True Sight are enough to overcome his crappy DEX and lack of Weapon Mastery to secure him the #2 slot. Liches and Invisibility-Drinkers beware! Also wins points for his versatility in swapping from (Shield-totin', Magic-Resisting Tank) to (Carsomyr-swingin', Crossbow-poppin' backup Tank).

3) Mazzy also takes points for her flexibility, as her HP, AC and Saves let her Tank with the best of them, and she can also be your mobile artillery unit with a Bow and GWW: Machine-Gun-Mazzy! Get her up to Grandmastery in whatever weapon you want, even though Halflings do indeed look goofy using Halberds. Minus points for needing a STR girdle.

4) Apply the boot of righteousness to the backside of evil with all the buttkicking power that is Minsc and Boo! Okay, so there aren't many snazzy Maces in the game--how long does it take to give him 2 stars in something else? Minsc loses points for his awkward DEX and CON: Not quite high enough to be awesome, not quite low enough to justify buffing him up with an item. Also loses points for having Saving Throws that aren't quite up to the par of the 3 NPCs listed above him. But give him a good Bow and watch him Stealth and Snipe!

5) Anomen didn't spend enough time as a Fighter to do himself much good in the THAC0 and Saves departments, but he can indeed be your party's one and only Tank if you equip him right. Minus points for requiring the Gauntlets, bonus points for being able to put 5 stars into Mace or Flail while under Draw Upon Holy Might.

6) Valygar does indeed have great stats, but he is quite simply not a Tank. Sure, download the MOD and improve his armor, give him the best Shield, Helmet, and AC-boosting jewelry you can find, he still won't have the AC, Saves, or Resistances it takes to do proper obesiance to Tempus. But if you're looking for a backup Tank with the best Backstab in the game, Valygar's your man.

[IronDragon]

I know on paper Valygar makes no sense as a great fighter but in every game I have played through with him, at the end he consistently has the highest kill rates of any NPC in my party.

[ 03-16-2003, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: IronDragon ]

[SixOfSpades]

Oh, Valygar is good, no doubt about that. But he's definitely no Tank, and with my playing style, at least 1 Invincible Tank is absolutely necessary. It's nice to have Valygar kickin' ass with a Bow or Halberd, or kickin' ass Dual-wielding CF and CF, but he'll never be as important to the party as, say, Korgan.

He starts with Long Bow** and Spear**, both of which prevent the use of Shields, and using a Shield with a Katana gives you -7 scores for realism and Coolness Factor. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I also forgot to include Rebalanced Cernd in my list of great Tanks. But then again, it's just as well that I didn't, as in my opinion the Rebalanced Shapeshifter is too much like cheating. Others will disagree, however.

[Butterfingers]

What is it about Valygar that makes him such a great killer?

He has decent stats... Nothing spectacular.

He is capable as a partial tank, with the right buffs.

He is quiet, never says much, and you never really notice him in the party.

Yet you open up your information screen and realize, this guy kills more then Jack the Ripper.

As a Ranger, he can become capable in a wide variety of weapons. He can be outfitted with pretty much anything, filling a wide variety of roles.

His backstabs aint nothing to laugh at, he connects often, and HARD. He makes a darn good mage killer and for many of my dragon fights, he always seems to get the killing blow.

[Indemaijinj]

Remember, a meelee fighter is not necessarily a tank.

A tank is a character which specific role is to suck up as many assaults (of various nature) as possible.

Valygar is cool because he can backstab, and still take the heat of the battle when he reveals himself, but as a tank he will be an unjustifiable potion drain.

[Dundee Slaytern]

People who dismiss Valgar as a tank and then go on to embrace Minsc as a superior tank, seriously need to reconsider that train of thought.

To see what I mean... open up their Character Screen and start comparing their statistics. STR is a non-factor, that is what the Girdle of ~~ Giant Strength is for. Valgar has superior INT to Minsc, making him less vulnerable to Mind Flayers.

HE HAS A NATURAL DEX OF 18 FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

This gives him an AC advantage of -2 over Minsc and still can wear Gauntlets to improve his melee capabilities. WIS is usually a non-factor, but Valgar is one of the blessed few NPCs who can use their WIS score to initiate certain dialogue in the game. CHA is for the most part, a non-issue due to a certain ring.

Lack of metal armour? Pfft! You can get the Shadow Dragon Scales in Chapter 2. Come ToB... Leather Armour can have the same AC values as Full Plate Mail.

Valgar excels at dualwielding Katanas. Celestial Fury + Malakar is the usual pair to use. Come ToB, we will have Hindo's Doom. You can actually sneak Valgar to backstab somebody and STAY there to slice and dice the rest. Beyond the Fighter/Thief and their ilk, not many melee warriors can boast of doing this.

Oh... and always remember. Valgar can wear Elven Chainmail. Fool around in the Underdark by giving him a Drow Elven Chainmail and see what happens when you combine a natural DEX of 18 to that. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[Butterfingers]

In my game, Valygar is unable to wear Elven Mail. The item is always redded out. Did I miss something about Stalkers being able to wear leather armors only?