Kensai.. any good?

[Yohan Marischal]

Playin thru SoA again with main char as Kensai....
But I keep having to quaff healing potions cos he's always getting hit ( due to lack of armour!)
I'm only in starting dungeon but is there any point in going on with this char cos it's bugging me that I have to keep 'topping' him up?

Will it get any better?

[Dundee Slaytern]

Use your Kensai as a flanker, not as a tank. Use your party tanks to engage the enemy, then when they are distracted, use your Kensai to flank and make sushi.

[Lioness]

Keep him!!!! Kensai's as they get higher, get such a low THACO that they don't get hurt as much. At the beginning, what you need to do is use a tank(Minsc) and send him up first. While he's taking the hits, have your Kensai slash em up. Kensai;s are, IMHO, the best fighters in the game in terms of offensively. Of course, I'm sorta biased, seeing as I love my lvl 10 Elven Kensai.

------------------

Lil' Angel
Sword Saint and Enchantress of the HADB Clan
The Lady Lioness of Castle Kerhelm
Waitress at Cloudy's Cafe and the Promised Land
Official Restrainer of Table Dancers
PeaceKeeping Force, Intelligence Division
Emerald Dragoness of DOTW

[Barry the Sprout]

Quite good when duelled to mages. Apart from the obvoius ability to cast spells they get to wear mage robes. That is one of the weirdest holes in the rules in my opinion. By duelling to a mage you can actually protect yourself MORE. Am I the only person who finds that ironic?

[frudi_x]

Originally posted by Barry the Sprout: Quite good when duelled to mages.

that's the understatement of the year
dual-classed kensai/mage is easily the most powerful character you can create. if you use him, you run a serious risk of becoming bored with the game because it becomes too easy . also, the fact he can use robes, as opposed to a single class kensai, isn't that big a deal since he'll be using combat protections all the time anyway (stoneskin, protection from magical weapons, mantle...).

as for a straight kensai - as others have said, they're not front line tanks; rather, you need to send in someone else to draw enemy fire then send in the kensai to slice everything up. alternativly you can use protective spells like barskin, spirit armor, defensive harmony, improved invisibility etc.
but I would definately recomend keeping him

[Madman-Rogovich]

Kensais = boring in my opinion....... cant beat thieves
Madman

[Yohan Marischal]

Thanks Guys.....Guess I just can't help the Barbarian in me from coming out....


Cheers

[jabidas]

In BG2 the kensai is absolutly cracking, great class with the right equipment, absolute destruction all round but when it comes to ToB they fall short and everybody outdistances them so your better off to duel to mage or cleric or something at about level 9 or 10.

------------------


jabidas = Sorcerer of clan Aerie thing

Also I will have nothing to do with sulpher powder and secret priesthoods so dont even try it.

And dont worry soon you shall all be part of my ever growing army of the undead.

[floyd]

I'm not sure how Kensai's fall short in ToB... My level 29 Kensai has a Thaco of -25 ... And at this level, my characters are no longer gaining Thac0 points. My monk has a thac0 of -12, and Sarevok has a Thac0 of -13. So essentially these are maxed out characters, and the kensai has 100% better thac0, almost!

The only real drawback is that in ToB, fancy helms, armor, and bracers start appearing with more frequency, and Kensai's can't make use of them. So in that sense they are handicapped. But its no biggie; my Kensai still rolls through bosses (Yaga-Shura, most recently) with Spirit Armor + Hardiness just fine.

[Hayashi]

Having played as a kensai (no dual class) through to ToB, I must say that imo the class is overrated. The lack of ability to wear armour and to use missile weapons (bows, slings or crossbows) makes him a liability in melee and ranged combat respectively, and far outwieghs the advantages he gets when he starts out (can't remember what they are now, lol).
His AC in ToB was only about 0 or -1, compared to Keldorn and (censored so as not give away spoiler) who were around -5 or -6.
For my money, I'd take a straight fighter over a kensai. Or d/c the kensai to mage early on.