One-handed sword fighter?

[MortyTheGobbo]

This is mostly a theoretical question, since I'm not going to start a new playthrough before Deadfire comes out, but... I've wondered how viable a fighter with a single one-handed sword would be. Or rather, how strong - since on Normal difficulty, just about anything will work fine enough.

 

As I see it, swords aren't very optimal for this style, because there aren't any with powers that trigger on a critical hit. I once had Maneha one-hand We Toki and it was a fine knockdown-inflicting machine. A fighter has no carnage, but more accuracy and Disciplined Barrage, so a single-handed weapon that stuns or knocks down on crit might work. But there's no swords that do it.

[Boeroer]

I'd say it's one of the worst weapon options for several reasons:

 

• Knockdown is a Full Attack
• The initial hit roll of Knockdown (and any other x on hit/crit effect) gets +12 ACC and hit-to-crit conversion from one weapon (style), but the fortitude roll that determines if the target goes down does not(!)
• Charge ends in a Full Attack but the AoE damage isn't connected to your weapon - so no ACC bonus
• Same with Into the Fray and Clearout
• Disciplined Barrage already gives you plenty of ACC
• Sword is one of the worst weapon type when it comes to unique ones - they come either superlate, are just meh or only circumstancially useful.

But of course it would be viable. 

[MortyTheGobbo]

Pretty much what I figured. I'm really not fond of how special abilities favour dual-wielding. Hopefully it's better in Deadfire, but that's not the section for it. What would happen if we had a rogue one-hand a sword?

[Boeroer]

Same basically. Lots of Full Attacks that would be better with a dual wielding setup. Backstabs would be better with a two hander/gun.

 

The only setups where I see a benefit is the early game, an overbearing/stunning weapon or a chanter with Dragon Thrashed (because for weird reason offensive chants get the +12 from one handed usage).

[MortyTheGobbo]

Yeah, I got a lot of mileage out of Maneha with an Overbearing axe. I always felt like the full attacks' favoring of dual-wielding was excessive, but what can you do. Props to Pillars for remembering the one-handed style, but I guess it's still niche. Maybe I'll try it in Deadfire just to see what happens.

[Boeroer]

It would be better if Full Attacks would be implemented as a series of fast hits and dual wielding would simply add one more or so. But yeah - whatever...

[MortyTheGobbo]

I guess they were worried dual-wielding would feel wasted when executing such attacks, but considering that you've got a handful of them per encounter and then it's back to auto-attacking... it puzzles me.

Edited April 26, 2018 by MortyTheGobbo