Wizard Slayer or Kensai?

[Dreamer128]

Your opinions on this please...

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Those who watch their backs meet death from the front- Dreamer128 paladin of the order of the holy flame.

[Sparhawk]

Wizard slayer cannot use magic items xcept for weapons....THIS INCLUDE potions so be VERY carefull...I´d go with the kensai...doublewielding a couple of katanas or longswords with haste at about twelth lvl. he´s gotta be MEAN

[Lifetime]

The Kensai is a nasty piece of work. The wizardslayer is a nasty piece of shit
No really, the wizardslayer can't use any magical items, so that means no rings, cloaks, belts, etc. I'm not sure about potions either.
The Kensai however can't use ranged weapons, but can use throwing axes, and can't use armor of any kind, meaning no shields, plates or helmets.
I'd go with the Kensai. The kai special ability kicks ass when you need it to.


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Why?

[Kerlyssa]

The wizard slayer cannot use potions, but that was unintentional and will be ixed in ToB, and possibly the most recent patches...?

[Drawde1]

Are Kensais immune to critical hits? If they're not, their inability to wear helmets is a real problem. It doesn't matter how good your AC is, if an enemy gets a critical hit in they'll hit you and if you're not wearing a helmet you'll take double damage.. that's probably also why thieves seem to die so easily in melee combat even with 18 dex and the best leather armour available.

[Volourn]

They're both good, but Kensai have less disadvantages so they're the obvious choice if you want to power up(except against mages)

[Gorgasim]

Kensai's arn't immune to critical hit put you can simply wear an ioun stone that protects from it....
I've got a 9/12 kensai mage right now and he rules the world...I totaly spell him up to get around -6 ac, fireball a few things then chop everything to pieces. Fun fun fun.

[ShadowUK]

I'd definently go for a Kensi............
If it's a good fighter you want though, you might want to consider a monk. They're the best in melee along with the Kensi.

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[sunder]

Yeppers, If you have the bonus CD or have downloaded it, Your Kensai mage will be a incredible melee fighter also.

SPOILER maybe
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A Kensai mage has the advantage to be a great melee fighter along with being a great mage. You can get a level 9 kensai up to a level 17 mage I believe. Or you can wait until level 13 and then dual class up to a level 14 mage. Either way, you'll have good melee skills.
Most Kensai mages use dual weapons (3 slots) and Grandmaster the Katana. They can go into battle using the famed Celestial Fury katana in one hand, and another katana in the 2nd. They can wear mage robes (robes of the good archmagi, fire resistance,), rings, amulets, boots, girdles, etc. No bracers though.
With the Addon download or the bonus CD, Your Kensai mage has access to buy 2 of the nicest items a Kensai mage can have. The robe of Vecna which they can wear gives AC5, magic resistance, and spell casting speed, and a great Katana +2 you can use in your off hand that gives you additional spells.
Your Kensai/mage won't be great with distance weapons such as bows and slings, so give the best missile weapons to other characters. Use your spells for distance attacks, and your 2 dual weapons for some close fighting.
A Kensai/mage in melee combat backed up by some great spells is really great in close combat compared to a regular mage, or even compared to a Kensai. Being able to cast blur, mirror image, ghost armor, haste, improved invisibility, stoneskin, and my all time favorite kensai/mage spell, tensers transformation, will make your Kensai/mage later in the game even bypass some of your fighter characters.
You'll have to learn to use armor spells instead of wearable armor in combat, even with great equiptment you might get your regular AC down to -2 or so, only some spells and such will get you down close to -10.

Play it, you'll love it. You might have a little problems during dual classing trying to bypass your kensai level, and with getting hit early in the game, but you'll soon learn to work around those things well.

[Volourn]

Another note. Basically any fighter dualled to a mage has access to this devasting combo. Can you imagine a bererker/mage in berserkmodewith the following spells: mirror image, stoneskin, and tenser's transformation? I shudder at the thought.