Korgan's proficiencies: Where do you stick 'em?

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This is a little easier, IMHO, than the thread about Jaheira.

He's already a grandmaster in Axes, so you'd better use them more than anything else. He's also profiecient in Hammers (depending on what level he's at when you get him), and it's probably a good idea to at least specialize in them (that Dwarven Throwing hammer rocks!).

I'm going to start giving him slots in Two Weapon Fighting. I think two axes, or an axe and a hammer might really kick some butt.

Another idea is to start putting slots into Scimitar (for Belm in his offhand), or Katana (Celestial Fury is awesome).

Where do you stick Korgans proficiencies?

[ January 13, 2004, 13:27: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Go for GM in hammers and two weapon fighting. Axe of Unielding and Crom are a scary duo.

 

Warhammers are the way to go - Runehammer is perfect weapon to switch to in the main hand in ToB.

 

Two weapon fighting. Specialize in Warhammers as well. You can choose the rest. There are plenty of great axes in the game (the Ruad mod adds an awesome axe, Frostfury in the game) so his already present ax proficiencies should be fully exploited (too bad he can't use Azuredge) before getting Axe of Unyielding etc. Too bad that to fight Melyssan, you can only use two handed +6 weapons.

 

Depending on the mood I normally go warhammers and axes with everyone else. But every once in a while i decide to pump longswords for Angurdval and Answerer or bastard swords. Axe of Unyeilding and Angurdval(sp?) make a scary combo.

 

Looking at my party, there's nobody proficient in Longswords (and everybody is spoken for, at least for about 6 more levels). Maybe I'll follow that path, there seem to be a lot of magical longswords in this game.

 

Get warhammer and two handed fighting if you plan to give him crom faeyr in his off hand. Otherwise try to pick him up early as possible and give him his points in short sword, scimitar, or imo the best option just sheilds. Because honestly Axe of unyielding plus sheild weilding korgan can give out tons of damage and have -15 ac easily. Very deadly. Furthermore you can get belt of fire giant strength to up his damage. Or you could go for long swords and dual weild axe of unyielding and Avangudaral.

 

Warhammer, two weapon style. Crom, axe of unyielding, runhammer are some of the most nasty weapons in the game. Korgan with them is unbeatable in Melee (especially with gauntlets of dexterity) he simply sh!ts on Sarevok.

 

Abomination, (and I'm not being sarcastic here) does Korgan really "simply Sh!t" on Sarevok? I ask because I was wondering about this i.e. Sarevok is stronger, this I am certain of. Who has the most hit points (I know Korgan has loads)? Who's got the best Dex? Does Sarevok spread his weapon slots or focus on a single weapon?

 

Korgan has more hp, comes earlier so you can focus the points where they count, and is overall a better fighter. Not to say sarevok is bad, hes the second best fighter in the game, and would be first if he came earlier. Sarevok would be especially useful in early soa, where there arent as many strength enhancing items to pass around. My main gripe with sarevok is his points allocation, he puts too many in two handed swords. I always shadow keep to switch over all his points to halbreds, and then get weild the wave until I find the ravager.

 

@keldor of course he does. Dwarves also gain bonus saves based on their CON whereas humans don't. You don't have to give Korgan two handed weapons either. Sword and shield work just as good and the AC bonus can be very impressive with the Darksteel Shield or Shield of the Order. Korgan is the game's 'ultimate' tank.

 

Ah, P&P D&D would have Korgan's movement half that of Sarevok and he'd be restricted to a maximum level (on the issue of his Cons. saving throws bonus). There are others too, of course, e.g. 15% chance that non-fighter specific magic items won't work for Korgan each time he goes to use one. I hate that demi-humans aren't restricted in their level advancement.
By the way, I'm playing SOA at the moment and don't know Sarevok's scores by heart, but I do know he is the best NPC in the game by a long way *numerically* so I would have thought it would be a close contest between the two of them. Doesn't Sarevok have some sort of insta-kill power?

 

It's not quite instant kill, but it's very powerful. It's called Deathbringer Assault, with which he can do up to 200 damage (that amount is from experience - it might be higher).

 

I love Sarevok with Gram Sword of Grief (or whatever its called... the yellow one )

But, Korgan with Axe of Unyielding (2nd best weapon in game) and Runehammer (i dont usually forge Crom unless im soloing) is just as good if not better.

So if you haven't worked out. War Hammers and Dual Wielding .

 

200 damage will kill any non-boss creature in the game, so yeah, it's insta-kill.

Honestly, Sarevok is a better tank that Korgan. I think if you compare the hitpoints if they're both at the same level, you'll see next to no difference (Korgan might actually be slightly lower). Sarevok has a much higher dex and strength than Korgan (strength is worthless by this point, though).

 

I always wonder why people like Korgan so much, since of all three fighters in the game (Mazzy, Sarevok, Korgan), Korgan is the least powerful. Yeah, Mazzy has lower hitpoints, but she can haste herself, heal herself, and protect herself and the party from fear. Sarevok has his fear aura and Deathbringher assault. Mazzy and Sarevok have better stats, and though Mazzy has lower strength Girdle of Giant Strength + Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization is definitely a better combo than Girdle + Gauntlets of Dex, in the case of Korgan.
All proficiencies can be focused on one weapon or another, and since all are fighters this doesn't matter at the very least.

 

Korgan is a better tank because he already has his weapon proficiency points allocated to the right weapons.

IIRC, Mazzy has them in Short Swords and Sarevok has them in Great Swords. Shorts Swords aren't effective for frontliners, especially for weak ones. Great Swords are usually very good, but dual-wielding is so broken in BG2 it's not even funny. Korgan's ability to Dual-wield effective weapons (Namely Crom Faeyr, Rune Hammmer, and Axe of Unyielding) puts him a notch above the rest.

This isn't a question of HP or abilities but one of weapon selection without having to resort to Shadowkeeper.

 

Which is why it doesn't matter if you plan to allocate points into the best items in the game later on. Fighters get more than enough proficiency points for just about every useful weapon.

The only think that makes Korgan really special early on is his incredibly high HP.
As for the short swords being weak, I strongly disagree. The line-up for short swords is a very good one, to the point that a few slots poured into them will never go into waste. (Even for Korgan!)

Arbane's Sword = Mindflayer Killer Extraordinaire. With the Shield of Harmony you get the most reliable non-enchantable fighter very early. Llbratha = Instant Mirror Image, which has saved my fighter's skin more than once from the occasional spell-combo-into-oblivion. Cutthroat = Kangaax Killer (I've yet to see a +4 axe before ToB). Kundane = more attacks (3 attacks per round with any early axe you have against 4 with this sword, big difference) and the sword from Watcher's Keep which entangles an enemy in place - which in the hands of Mazzy going at ten attacks per round with GWW is wondrous to behold. All these can be recovered very early, short of Cutthroat and Kundane.

Mazzy can dual-wield as effectively as Korgan.

Axes, as far as pre-mid-ToB goes, are reliable only as Trollkillers and disrupting spells. You can simply switch into one and any fighter would be able to kill the fallen troll regardless of whether he/she has proficiencies in it or not, and in the case of mages there are more than enough ways to compensate.

The later weapons are irrelevant, since by the time they come into play anyone you pick can be ready for them, except perhaps Sarevok.

[ January 19, 2004, 15:45: Message edited by: Scythesong Immortal ]

 

I disagree incarnate, dual wielding is not "insanely" overpowered. Throughout the game there are exactly 4 weapons to put in your off hand slot that are worth more than a sheild in your off hand slot, these are: belm, Kundane, Crom Faeyr, Avangudaral. 1 Extra attack per round imo, is worth much less than an extra 5 AC and plus 1 to saving throws. The Avangudaral strength bonus can be achieved by a girdle, and you still get the AC bonus and Saving Throws bonus. So whats left? Crom Faeyr? Its hard to make the case against crom faeyr, 25 strength is at least an extra 7 damage more than your character would ever be able to do without items, but again its a fairly even trade off imo. With korgan your better off taking crom faeyr, since he will be wearing full plate mail + 3-4, but since many people like to play kensai's and barbarians, I would strongly suggest NOT to dual weild, because you will die from your crappy AC, which can be as low as -4 to -1 on a barbarian who weilds a two handed weapon or dual weilds.

 

The Improved Mace of Destruction is great in your offhand, in the right situations.