Best Possible Animate Weapon

[Fallen]

I wished to get everyone's opinion of what they assume is the best possible animate weapon. I know there is no definitive answer, though there are certainly a few weapons which shine above the rest. My personal choice is the Lance. The lance is an extremely powerful weapon for a number of different reasons.

The first of which is its DF, or damage factor. This weapon strikes very hard, and has two very deadly attacking methods; crush and puncture.

The second reason why I prefer this weapon is its versatility. If you are in a hunting ground where you are hunting undead, the weapon can be blessed. If you are fighting all living targets, you can E-blade a store-bought variety lance and have yourself a deadly 4x flaring weapon.

One of the balancing aspects of a lance which keeps it from being the end-all be all of weapons for PCs is its RT, and its weight. Both of which are not a factor for animates. An animate will swing a lance as fast as it will swing a dagger. It is all the same to them. The item when not in use can be phased so that the weight is not an issue.

The primary drawback to the lance is that is does often puncture, which means some types of creatures will be immune to its effects. Other drawbacks include the fact that the weapon is not available in every weapon shop, only some. It also cannot be forged, which rules out getting a higher end, though still disposable weapon.

What are your thoughts?

[Drew]

Against a living stunnable creature not wearing full plate I'd probably prefer a claidhmore over an ebladed lance. You also might want to consider a player forged superior steel awl pike. You can get one pretty cheaply and eblade that and it will work better than a lance on creatures wearing brig and plate class armours and be darn near even on chain (.468 DF compared to .475 for a lance and AvDs trailing by 6 or less). Outside of claidhmore, lance, forged awl-pike I can't think of any other weapons deserving consideration for an animate.

[Fallen]

Against a living stunnable creature not wearing full plate I'd probably prefer a claidhmore over an ebladed lance. You also might want to consider a player forged superior steel awl pike. You can get one pretty cheaply and eblade that and it will work better than a lance on creatures wearing brig and plate class armours and be darn near even on chain (.468 DF compared to .475 for a lance and AvDs trailing by 6 or less). Outside of claidhmore, lance, forged awl-pike I can't think of any other weapons deserving consideration for an animate.


Good point, and many favor the Claidhmore. However, consider that Claidhmores cannot hit magical creatures. For me, this is a massive drawback due to the presence of Constructs in OTF. Also, Claidhmore's cannot be blessed, yet another drawback to the weapon. Points you of course addressed in your original response. Still, few areas are devoid of all three types of creatures.

Another point to consider is that most people animating will choose creatures that are below them in levels, and therefor will have a lower AS than what can regularly strike creatures in higher level hunting grounds. I am certainly not saying A claidhmore is a poor choice, but I do argue that the lance is superior.

I have indeed contemplated getting a superior/Perfect Awl-pike. I may swap out depending on if I can find one I like.

Other weapons that are often used are store bought Feras Mattocks and Battle Axes. I've also heard that some people favor Trollswords, though I am unsure why.

[fallenSaint]

I dont play a sorcerer but naginata sounds like it might be a suitable choice if you need a creature with higher AS given their direct AvD bonus.

[Drew]

Troll swords are just greatswords from Teras so that would be more of a style choice. A greatsword wouldn't be a bad choice but when you have access to the two 9 second polearms I wouldn't use one outside of style reasons. Feras weapons are a good choice except they have the problems you mentioned with claidhmores and you could be left with a creature with no weapon in a key moment. I've never used an animate but it would seem like a lance or awl-pike would be the best overall choice.

[Sean of the Thread]

Just ask Tsin guys.. he's a GM first of all and second of all I'm sure he has something in his used car lot to fit any budget.

[Necromancer]

You've all pretty much hit it on the head, with a notable exception.

1. Claidhmore. Assuming you are fighting a creature that is not undead and does not require magical weapons to be struck, this is generally your best choice. They are rather cheap to purchase, and the weighting on them will far outdo any damage factor of a standard store-bought weapon. Though the issue with AS is worth noting, it is also worth noting that a sorcerer who knows her spells at all will be able to reduce creature DS significantly. The stance neutral curse is my favorite. It's an automatic -50 to DS, disables the creature with RT, and if they are holding a weapon or shield, their DS falls even farther.

2. Lance/Awl-Pike Either of these weapons will do nicely. As mentioned, they can be e-bladed or blessed under most circumstances. The DF is always impressive. Awl-Pikes can be purchased VERY cheaply in the Caravanasary (spelling) cleric shop. The only lance I've found for sale is from the Kharam Dzu cleric shop. It is 2x and cost me around 20k.

3. Heavy Composite/Long Bow Ranged weapons are often overlooked because ultimately only a hand full of creatures can use them effectively. But if you do manage to find a creature who can, these weapons can be incredibly effective due to the lower ranged DS of most creatures. They also won't throw their bow, which is nice.

4. Mattocks. If you haven't hunted with one of these, you haven't lived. I wasn't sure exactly where to place them on this list, but they could easily have gone second. They crit very often, and their DF is insane.

5. Troll Sword/Great Axe Troll Swords are favored in Ta'Illistim because they can be purchased in the weapon shop easily. Both of these are classic weapons, and I personally relied on them from the Temple on up for animates.

And, as always, CHECK THE PAWNSHOP. You would be utterly, utterly amazed at some of the weapons that get left there. I had my animates using a sighted heavy crossbow for a while; that was fun. And then there's the mechanical flaring mattock that I found in the pawnshop. Boy is that one ever fun to pull out when you've got a nice Scout animate.

[Drew]

4. Mattocks. If you haven't hunted with one of these, you haven't lived. I wasn't sure exactly where to place them on this list, but they could easily have gone second. They crit very often, and their DF is insane.



And then there's the mechanical flaring mattock that I found in the pawnshop. Boy is that one ever fun to pull out when you've got a nice Scout animate.



Mattocks are what my character uses, they are great if you can aim, but since you can't tell your creature to "aim head" I can't see them being better than a lance. The mechanical flaring one you found is probably the temporary one from Anfelt. Still a good find although it will run out.

[Fallen]

Another bonus of mattocks is they come in feras.

[Drew]

The only lance I've found for sale is from the Kharam Dzu cleric shop. It is 2x and cost me around 20k.





>order 7
You ask about the price of a lance.
You try to strike up some conversation before getting down to business, but Gratkor will have none of it. Gratkor says, "I can see you have a sharp mind indeed. Perhaps 110 silvers would satisfy your intellect? Final offer."
You may CUSTOMIZE your selection, ORDER something else, or BUY this item.




>l
[Gratkor's Cart]
This rather large cart, pulled by two placid-looking roltons, sits in the middle of a roped-off clearing. One side of the cart has been folded down to make a short table, revealing piles of boxes and crates filling the interior. Standing at either corner of the cart are two dwarven clerks, handling sales. Hanging along the top of the cart is a large banner. Along the front of the cart stands a weapon rack. At the back of the cart is a modwir display case. You also see a path leading back to town.
Obvious paths: none

[Necromancer]

I suck