Haplok

Its a very nice combo IMO. Her spell school specialization doesn't let her be a focused primary nuker anyway, but she can be your swiss knife for any occasion, that never runs out of spells, either for healing, buffing (don't sleep on Woodskin/Aspect of the Delemgan - they can change many challenging fights - such as boarding actions, but many others also - into cakewalks), CC or persistent DOTs. That's how I played with her in the party and would do it again.

...and Deltro's Cage.

In reference to the above, one important distinction is that if a weapon has an effect on kill, does the kill need to be done with the weapon (most cases, for example Grave Calling) OR can it be a kill with any means (like Engoliero de Espirs, cascading kills off spells/abilities and its own effects).

I'd argue that in Turn Based actually the most expensive Shadowing Beyond wins. Because you're "wasting" a whole round to hide with Smoke Veil, while Shadowing Beyond is a Free action that will grant you Stealth AND also the positioning you desire.

Most rogue skills do. But Strike the Bell and Withering Strike do not (primary target only). Not sure about many monk abilities, I believe many may not work. But Stunning Blows/Surge and Whispers of the Wind do! Think in case of fighter most abilities should work. Maybe except Power Strike and such? Not sure. Certainly Clear Out and Mule Kick do work!

My subjective opinion is Battle Mage for buffed melee, Arcane Knight for casting without worry in the middle of the enemy horde. Personally I find the fighter active combat abilities much more fun then paladin FoD spammage. Like Boeroer wrote, Arcane Knight is more reliable/durable troughout the game, including the more difficult early stages. But later on, a fighter with Unbending and Wall of Draining is nearly immortal anyway.

Yep, you need to do both Hasongo and Ashen Maw main quests before you can get Scordeo's Edge from Aeldys.

Dhow is significantly more durable, while still decently fast. Extra row of cannons too. I found it a big upgrade, which together with experienced crew, let me tackle all enemy ships (except those fire giant ships - they always close so fast I cannot do enough damage before they board). The bigger hostiles were a significant hazard with a sloop. Or maybe I'm not good enough at this.

I disagree. The game is balanced okay with its regular content for party-play and party synergies IMO. However it is certainly NOT balanced for solo play OR fair combat versus ENTIRELY OPTIONAL "Megaboss" bonus challenges, that weren't even included in the base game - and neither it should be IMO.

I've had good fun with a Streetfighter Swashbuckler, Devoted to Estocs. Estocs have supreme Penetration, so coupled with Devoted bonus and Pen bonuses from Rogue abilities and solid Crit rate, they Overpenetrate often, doing great damage. Needed to play carefully, a bit like an offtank initially. But once I had fighter Unbending, I could charge headfirst into enemy ranks, activate Unbending and leave a bloody pile of corpses around me due to Streetfighter sick bonuses.

I wouldn't ignore Estocs based on the fact that Engoliero de Espirs comes late. Before you can earn it, both Eager Blade and Blade of the Endless Paths are very solid picks and available very early). And finally earning your ultimate prize has its worth for me as well. That said, they aren't necessarily better for a Brute then the weapons you do describe.

Uhhh, don't play Ironman during your first encounter/learning the megabosses?

Fists are strong in raw damage. But the various weapons have so many different awesome effects that I find it hard to give them up. Of course, Scordeo's Edge saber is kinda meta for a monk MC - particularly one who can extend his buffs.

Sink them instead. Its usually easy if you know what you're doing (and preferably bought Royal Bronzer cannons + a Dhow ship). Also, only recruit either masters at the craft (mainly if you have that Berath's Blessing) - or sailors with 1 star only. Focus one area of activity hard, particularly on cannoneers (meaning, don't get any stars in other jobs). That way you can target bounties like 10 levels above you, with great loot and rewards.

Swashbuckler Eder is a very effective character. Can also get a lot of passive Riposte attacks. Of course, would have been even better with Trickster....

Its mostly a meatwall, though. Not sure its worth loosing the abilities of an entire second class for that... Particularly when the 3 summoned weapons are plenty strong on a MC character already.

I was in your boat. I also did not see the appeal of monk. But it changed after I actually tried playing one. Those abilities like Swift Flurry and Heartbeat Drumming look pretty innocent. But then you see him make 10 attacks in one action and squishy enemies explode outright when targeted by a monk. It doesn't work THAT good versus tough enemies. But in practice often the squishies are the biggest threat and should be eliminated fast. After that, killing meatwalls is just wrap-up that takes more time. Time a FF can save, btw. with his Enfeebled - can't heal AT ALL affliction (and long lasting debuffs). Plus endlessly renewable resources (not just wounds, their generation can be kinda slow at first - particularly on a FF (it improves A LOT later on, though), but also limitless CC with Stunning Surge full attacks. Then the SC monk end game abilities are simply ridiculous...

Sorry for double post

Particularly one infamous late game pirate saber, the availability of which depends on a certain choice in a faction questline can be ridiculously strong on a monk with his Flurry/HBD multiattacks. Its good for most characters, mind you. But a monk (preferably one who can extend his buffs - like a monk/wizard with Wall of Draining OR has a priest with Salvation of Time in the party) can really make it shine.

Absolutely go for the Streetfighter. Note you have to be careful early on. But once you get Unbending, you can carefree charge head on and fight surrounded by many enemies and laugh in their faces. Trickster is also good and could be another great option - but way more defensive and doesn't kill enemies nearly as fast.

I've played a Swashbuckler with an Estoc Devoted / Swashbuckler and never hated that build. Quite the opposite, it was VERY strong, Overpenetrating all the time for 30% extra damage. People exaggerate with Pierce immunity. There are like 4-5 areas total with them. And not that hard. Bog Lurkers are complete pushovers actually. Elite skellies can be a bit tougher, but you can for example: 1. Use Monastic Unarmed Training - blunt works well, 2. Use Grave Calling sabre - extremely deadly against vessels, so even lowered Accuracy shouldn't be much of an issue, 3. Use Spine of Thicket Green staff - bonus vs vessels, Reach. People maybe confuse Pierce resistance with immunity. There are quite a few enemies with good Pierce resistance. But when you have 17 base Pen, rogue and fighter active skills can offer +2-4 Pen more and you crit left, right and center, you laugh at those Pierce Armor Ratings.

I'd say quite the opposite is true: tanking is extremely strong here, when compared with other games I tend to play. As Boeroer wrote, watch out for enemy rogue-types, though. They have mobility and sometimes also stealth abilities and love to target your squishies. Be careful to interrupt or CC them. Or build your casters so that they can take some punishment. I think enemy monks are SLIGHTLY less aggressive, but also very mobile and fast + very disruptive so watch out for them also. One advice I can offer is to try advancing enemies under stealth with the tank (with engagements) at the front - and unstealth the tank first. Enemies who see and charge the tank when the combat starts, will generally stick to him and will rarely try to switch targets (unless rogue/monk, that is).

IMO a pure Fighter will never be even a half-decent damage dealer. Tank, sure. Battlefield controller, yes. But a damage dealer? Nah. You have fighter multiclasses with rogue, monk or barbarian for that.

Agreed about the bigger aoe, that can be useful. Although I generally prefer to kill fewer enemies faster then spread some damage over a larger group. The huge damage difference between MPPB and Death Ring PLUS the fact that Fortitude is often the highest enemy defense means that the use cases for Death Ring were really narrow in my case. It would be very rare that the MPPB would leave enemies Near Death but still alive. Even if it did - with Death Ring they would probably be only Bloodied then. And I don't rely ONLY on Pierce spells. Although you're exaggerating with many foes immune. There are what, like 3 areas with skellies who are immune (1 of them optional, depending on faction), and maybe something like 2 areas with Bog Lurkers. Its not much at all. Even if enemies are resistant, MPPB has 15 base Pen, I think. Add food or something and its 17. Assassin Bonus => 21. Crit: over 30 Pen. It Overpenetrates nearly all enemies you meet. I've still got Ninagauth's Freezing Pillar, Ninagauth's Death Ray, Ninagauth's Shadowflame and even the Ninagauth's Bitter Mooring. Of course can't effectively use Stealth once some of them tick, but its still worth it sometimes (in Turn Based mode Death Ray interacts amazingly well with Stealth - being my No. 1 killer of foes with high AR!).

You CANNOT use Chill Fog or Malignant Cloud when you want to use Stealth, as the Clever Hound has pointed out. Noxious Burst or Deathring would work... but particularly the latter is a pretty poor use the 6th level slot in most cases. Minoletta's Precisely Piercing Burst would often easily do twice its damage. Freezing Pillar also wins in cumulative damage over time by a huge margin.