The pure fighter

[Aerich]

Hands up, those who take them on a semi-regular basis. The pure grunt, with no excuse to take them other than pure gruntiness.

I'm interested in finding out how people use them - so answer these questions if you want, and feel free to add more.

1) Do/have you used pure fighters without intending to dual class?
2) What race(s)? Why?
3) Do you get 5* in a melee weapon? If not, why not, and what do you do instead?
4) What melee weapon(s) do you favour?
5) Do you take 3* in a missile weapon? Which one?
6) Ever taken two or more in a party where you don't intend to dual-class either one?


Here's mine.

1) Yes.
2) Gnome (for the Trusted Defender Helm and ability to get 18/** Str, unlike halfling), Human (for roleplay), Dwarf (for the "purest" tank)
3) Yes.
4) Axe or Great Sword for primary (5*), Hammer or Flail for secondary
5) Yes. Bows are too good not to, unless you power up Axe proficiency and get the Throwing Axe. Only ever take 3* with Bows, although I did take 2* on crossbow once.
6) Yes. Once, on my second time through the game (the original, no HoW). Gnome (Axe) and Human (GS, longbow). They crushed everything. The gnome had a fluke roll and got 18/00 Str (not a cheat or endless re-rolling) - ended up with 50% of the kills, and the human had about 35%, in a six-character party.

[ 09-24-2004, 02:42 AM: Message edited by: Aerich ]

[Stratos]

1. Yes, I used a pure fighter the first time through IWD with a six member party, but as I generally play smaller parties, I always multi/dual class them.
2. Human or dwarf, they just seem more fighter-ish.
3. Yes. No reason not to, unless you play an archer character.
4. Same as yours, Aerich.
5. Bows.
6. No, Fighters are too plain (read:boring) as a single class.

[galdur]

1) Yes, I used pure fighter, but only first time I played IWD (without heart of winter). As Stratos, I prefer smaller parties. Once I finished IWD and How with single character, cleric/ranger. Very powerful class. Now I am playing IWD:HoW multiplayer over LAN at home with my friend in 2 member party. (without PAUSE) I am cleric/mage and he is figher/thief specialized in swords and crossbows.

2) Human. Dont like dwarves

3) Yes Swords. Ehm question. Fighter/Thief cannot exceed 2 specialization in any weapon?

4) Swords, Axes, Bows. (arms and legs in real life

5) No. My pure fighter was melee fighter. But then I've found out, how brutal are ranger weapons. So my friend's figher/thief have crossbow specialization, but only 2* because he cannot pick more

6) No. I intend to take more mages instead. Figher was only to group monsters together, and mages "fireballed" them at once .

5)

[silencer]

1) Usually as protagonist, I always want at least one solid fighter with no weaknesses at any point in time attributed to Dual/Multi. Always ends the game with the most kills and is near-invulnerable.
2) Human, since he's usually the leader; I don't see a dwarf in RP sense leading a party.
3) Yes.
4) Usually long sword / mace (secondary). The reason for the long sword is I use bow 40-50% of the time.
5) Long bow if (any) fighter is at the front of the party, else crossbow.
6) Bleh. Possibly my first time through. All other fighters are usually MC.

[pritchke]

1. Yes, nothing wrong with taking a grunt or a couple grunts along. One party I had 2 pure fighters. Main reasons are hit points, and 5 points in weapons that no other class can have.

2. My pure fighters are usually dwarves very sturdy, high con. I don't usually put fighters in the lead, just behind a bard, or paladin. Usually when the party lead is attacked first I move them behind the fighters and as the monsters try to pour through the fighters cut them down.

3. Yes, anytime I play a fighter I take 5* in one weapon.

4. Usually Axe as I will eventually obtain a throwing axe so I consider this best weapon for a fighter in melee, and ranged. Secondary I usually take the Flail, some of the best weapons in the game are Flails and some creatures can only be damaged by crushing. If taking a slashing weapon it is always good to have a crushing weapon as a secondary backup.

5. I usually never take 3* in a ranged weapon for a pure fighter as I use axes as a ranged weapon as well and this ends up with 5* anyway. Dual classed human fighter is the only time I take 3* for ranged weapon and depends on class and race.

6. Yes I often use 2 straight fighters in a 6-pack, never more. This gives me 4 characters to really play with. So while plain fighters may be considered boring they are good at what they do and can be used as front line tanks or as bodyguards to mages, clerics, and bards.

A couple other questions:
7. As any one ever used a plain fighter for the purpose of protecting another member?
Yes, protect mage, or bard

8. What weapon strategies do you use for the bodyguard?
Definitely needs a ranged weapon (here is were I might use 3* on a pure fighter for a ranged weapon), be able to quickly switch to melee when the monsters get to close to the target you are protecting.

[ 09-24-2004, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Aerich]

Originally posted by galdur: 3) Yes Swords. Ehm question. Fighter/Thief cannot exceed 2 specialization in any weapon?

Yep, that's right. No multiclass fighter can get more than 2* in any weapon - 5* in melee and 3* in ranged is the reason to take a pure fighter.

Originally posted by pritchke: A couple other questions: 7. As any one ever used a plain fighter for the purpose of protecting another member? Yes, protect mage, or bard 8. What weapon strategies do you use for the bodyguard? Definitely needs a ranged weapon (here is were I might use 3* on a pure fighter for a ranged weapon), be able to quickly switch to melee when the monsters get to close to the target you are protecting.

7. Not entirely sure what you mean here, as fighters are always tanking at the front and thus by definition are protecting/bodyguarding the weaker party members. Are you referring to running a mage forward of the group with a fighter, maybe to cast Sunfire or Malevon's Rage? If so, yes, especially when my other characters had just dualed and were relatively ineffective.

8. Much the same as you. Ranged to wipe out weak or weakened enemies. Melee to take out the close stuff. Sometimes I "leapfrog." Mage to draw enemies (melee, not ranged, if I can help it) and use Sunfire, retreat behind fighter to let him/her wipe out what's left, if a significant number and strength of monsters manage to close to melee range on the fighter, mage casts another AE spell.

[pritchke]

Originally posted by Aerich: 7. Not entirely sure what you mean here, as fighters are always tanking at the front and thus by definition are protecting/bodyguarding the weaker party members. Are you referring to running a mage forward of the group with a fighter, maybe to cast Sunfire or Malevon's Rage? If so, yes, especially when my other characters had just dualed and were relatively ineffective. Yes, but in the interest of role-playing you could create a pure fighter (bodyguard) that you will not tank. His purpose being to protect the leader, or an important weak member like a mage. He never leaves that members side, it is an interesting concept and another way to use a pure fighter. There are also many spells were a mage needs to get in the think of things and the pure fighter as a body guard works best here. Fighters that people create as Archers are ideal bodyguards as they usually stay back with the mage and have good melee capabilities as well. But people usually just use them as archers and not role-play them as bodyguards staying next to the mage to protect him. 8. Much the same as you. Ranged to wipe out weak or weakened enemies. Melee to take out the close stuff. Sometimes I "leapfrog." Mage to draw enemies (melee, not ranged, if I can help it) and use Sunfire, retreat behind fighter to let him/her wipe out what's left, if a significant number and strength of monsters manage to close to melee range on the fighter, mage casts another AE spell.

I often have a bard as leader and he is always in the thick of battle singing. If I have a fighter it is almost always placed near the Bard so creatures attack him first much easier to roleplay using a fighter as a bodyguard to protect the leader as you can still tank him. I have only thought about using one for a mage but it is difficult to role play and keep the fighter back as I almost instinctively want to tank him.

[silencer]

Originally posted by pritchke: I have only thought about using one for a mage but it is difficult to role play and keep the fighter back as I almost instinctively want to tank him.

This is where F/T comes in good if you have a smaller party (4-). I usually have him sitting in the back near my mage while pelting everything with ranged. Anything that manages to sneak past the front line will be intercepted by the F/T, backed up by the mage if necessary.

[Crawford]

I always take a pure fighter:
A dwarf named Grom, with an axe as big as himself I simply like this little bugger hacking away through even the biggest foes. Sometimes I give him the "young rage axe" and send him ahead to have some fun. And he can use this nice returning throwing axe +2 as his missle weapon.