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BEST WEAPONS: Baldur's Gate 1, Baldur's Gate 2


Best Weapons Baldur's Gate



The Dagger of Venom is the best weapon in Baldur's Gate, and the Flail of Ages is the best weapon in Baldur's Gate 2.

Best Weapons: Baldur's Gate 1


Dagger of Venom is not only the best one-handed weapon and the best melee weapon, but it is hands down the absolute best weapon in Baldur's Gate.



The Dagger of Venom devastates with the copious poison pouring out of its blade. Not much stands against it; even flesh golems drop like sacks of potatoes. It's a playful wield in that STACKING poison damage works over time, disrupts enemy spellcasting, and also slows down the victim's movement rate. It's really funny watching the enemy cry out in pain every round or so trying to GET AT US, while being slowed by the poison, and then succumbing to it.

The DoV is not just for backstabbing. What a waste that would be. Even our supertanker should be packing DoV with Specialization in Small Swords. And any class except Clerics can wield DoV.

See: Fighter BG1 for hand-holding.





Best Weapons: Baldur's Gate 2


Hands down, Flail of Ages, Celestial Fury and Belm are the best weapons in Baldur's Gate 2. This rests primarily on their easy and early acquisition, wieldability in parties and extremely powerful abilities.






This is why the Flail of Ages is so good


  • +3-5 enchantment. With the exception of PfMW and magical golems (both rare), such an enchantment means FoA can hit any enemy in the campaign as we progressively make our way through it.
  • 1d6 +4 to 1d6 + 6 crushing dmg. Solid damage for a one-handed weapon. Crushing aka bludgeoning damage is not easily resisted by the most common armor AC mods and the more stubborn monsters such as skeletal undead and clay golems. Remember that skeletal undead have 50% resistance to slashing and clay golems have full immunity to slashing.
  • Highest average dmg one-handed weapon. Range of 22-32 for 27 per hit.
  • Insane Rainbow Damage: 3-10 elemental dmg per hit for up to Fire +2, Cold +2, Acid +2, Poison +2, Electrical +2. This means we can burn through stoneskins and ironskins very quickly. We can disrupt enemy spellcasting and then slay the spellcaster outright before we have burned through their protective coatings. "Kills trolls dead" goes without saying.
  • on-hit magic resistance bypassing, no-Save cumulative 33% chance of Slow. This is godly because it can reduce the attack rate of enemies to the point of immobility.
  • Freedom of Movement and token MR (5%).

Criteria for Assessment for Best Baldur's Gate Weapon


As can be seen, the Baldur's Gate series itemizes a wide range of unique, interesting and powerful weapons. Due to the variety of foes, their various resistances and our limited proficiency allocations, the chosen wield is not to be taken lightly during the chargen process and subsequent level-ups. 

Some weapons sport blanket immunity against negative status effects, others bestow stat bonuses and powerful activated abilities, many inflict crippling on-hit status effects that hapless monsters will have difficulty recovering from, and some weapons are so great that they will change the way we play the game.

We should ask ourselves the following when assessing a weapon's worth:

How combat encounter-impacting / -dictating is the weapon over the course of the campaign?

  • Does the weapon inflict on-hit debuffing or immobilization? [example, example]. Especially, the MR-bypassing or no-save type?
  • Is it capable of acute damage or HP bypassing insta-death (backstab-capable or Vorpal and effects akin to vorpal such as shattering and disruption)?
  • Is it capable of spellcaster disruption (on-hit elemental or para-elemental damage-over-time)?
  • Is it capable of illusion/stoneskin dispersion (on-hit Dispel, elemental, para-elemental or ApR)
  • What is the weapon's enchantment level?
  • Does it confer blanket immunity to negative status effects, e.g., Free Action, Negative Plane Protection, Mind Shield?
  • Who can wield the weapon, how easy is its acquisition, and is its usefulness long-lasting?

Such traits can be decisive factors in how a weapon ranks.

This article is based on the original Baldur's Gate and BG2, as released and patched by BioWare. While there won't be many differences, it does not take into account the Enhanced Edition (BG:EE + Siege of Dragonspear, BG2:EE).

Also, this post does not relate to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.

Best Weapons for Companions


If a Baldur's Gate companion can wield the Flail of Ages or Celestial Fury on-hand, then that is the weapon they should be wielding unless they lack ApR or someone else in the party wields it better. 

Likewise, Belm on the off-hand if they can dual-wield bladed weapons.

Obviously, there is only one each of the best weapons. Thus, we have to give some companions second-tier wields. For example, the best weapon for Aerie IS the Flail of Ages, but she doesn't do it justice because she lacks warrior ApR, THAC0 and weapon proficiency. So we're not going to "waste" it on her unless she is our best melee-martial companion (which is not inconceivable).


Underrated Weapons Baldur's Gate



Baldur's Gate 1 (Index)Baldur's Gate RacesBaldur's Gate Magic
Best Classes Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate ItemsBaldur's Gate Dual-classing
Best Spells Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate THAC0Baldur's Gate Specialist Mages
Best Weapons Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate Armor ClassBaldur's Gate Weapon Proficiency
Best Companions Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate ApRBaldur's Gate Thieving

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13 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 23, 2017

    My favourite weapons are scimitars, purely because of its aesthetics, they are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ulisses MacedoAugust 23, 2017

    I'll have to try the Gnasher sometime; I admit I never cared for clubs because they're, well, clubs. But I'm not sure it'll be as efficient because I've started to play Enhanced Edition, maybe they changed it and the splinters' 2mdg/round won't stack.

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  3. rogueknight333August 23, 2017

    You are right to point out that an important advantage of Ashideena and the Flail of Ages is how early in the game they can be obtained, a factor often not considered. By ToB, you have your pick of OP weapons, but most of them are not going to see a lot of use before the game ends, so I find it hard to disagree that consideration does indeed make FoA BG2's best weapon. Arguably, Varscona could beat out Ashideena in BG1. It is also a very good weapon relative to how early in the game it can be obtained, and while less good against skeletons or other mobs resistant to non-bashing damage, it compensates by having slightly higher base damage and being backstab-capable.

    Crom Faeyr might be overrated but I think not by much. It is true there are spells and potions that can be used as alternative strength boosters, but these will not be equally suitable for all classes and situations, and of course require more micromanagement on the player's part. And even if you do not take the strength boost into account at all, its other properties are pretty powerful.

    Azuredge has long been one of my favorites and is definitely underrated. Among other things, being able to use it as either a melee or ranged weapon gives a lot of tactical flexibility.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownAugust 23, 2017

    Great write up tho, really enjoyed it.

    PS: You are such a nerd!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tarien ColeAugust 26, 2017

    I have to disagree on the overrating of Carsomyr. But then, I love me my paladins. :P

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  6. bg2mezOctober 03, 2017

    Yes, Flail of Ages all the way! You can get it so early in BG2! I only upgrade it to the +4 version and only use the FoA +3 or +4 in ToB - and win the final battle no problem. Yes, Ashideena in BG1 all the way to the final battle! Do not need it at all in BG2, however.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AstarionNovember 01, 2017

    Hey Lilura love your blog!!

    Having played BG2 like a hundred times it's gotten to the point where I want hardly any spell casters (usually 1 or less arcane as in multi, negligible divine and only part thief) because it's just so much fun passing around the great weapons. Even though I hate having a large team in IE games (horrid path finding and baby sitting) so I solo mostly, and get stuck with CF lol.

    I love Frostreaver. It's an outright cheat tier weapon because it allows kensai a missile weapon. The throwing dagger and the homing dart also are in this tier. Doesn't matter the base damage is low, it applies str and kensai damage bonus so every hit is like 10+ damage with high ApR.

    I maaaaay be mistaken on this but I may recall the Scarlet Ninja-to gives an extra attack like Belm but it's been years so maybe I'm talking out of my arse. Plus the poison effect kills mages.

    If I play a team I tend to work around classes with equipment restrictions. FoA will always go to a cleric (always a fighter multi, single class are dead weight), with Crommy off hand. Ok it's overrated but not that many other good offhand weapons except Defender if Easthaven (shields are for sissies). Switching to Mace of Festruction for undead.

    Druids (Jaheira) gets the Impaler. I LOVE the Impaler. It's seriously underrated because a flat +10 damage on top of weapon and enchantment damage is insanely good and competitive/better than many other high tier weapons. And ToB upgrade to Staff of the Ram. Gnasher is fun and underrated but I usually go 2 handed.

    Thieves (multi) gets Celestial Fury and generally Belm/Kundane off hand.

    Paladin (Keldorn) gets dual bastards, unless I use a bard (Haer'Dalis).

    Rangers either multi cleric or archers. Talking about archers they're my favourites and Tuigan is the best usable for the entire saga that you can get right from the start.

    I find long swords to be really lack lustre. Blade of Roses is a shopping sword. Daystar I whip out occasionally for the False Dawn. Blackrazor ive never used due to 1) literally right at the end of SOA, 2) stupid design flaw makes you evil/fallen, 3) roleplaying lol. And it's not like the game don't have enough top tier weapons by then. Equaliser is shit after all the effort it takes to get meh damage and only against few enemies.

    Halbards are also crap before the fully upgraded Ravager (very end of game). The Wave takes effort to get and only does extra damage sometimes. The Impaler does +10 guaranteed damage on every hit and is more accessible (Druids). Another meh.

    The third meh goes to 2 handed swords. Silver Sword vorpal has a save (on ToB its useless). Carsomyr is bugged to hell and back. And Foebane + Purifier is a better combo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lilura1November 01, 2017

      Hi, Astarion. And thanks for leaving that comment; it was a good read! I didn't mention Scarlet because it's Monk/Rogue UAI only (too specific). I agree that it's one of the best weapons for those who can wield it, though. Role-playing concerns aside, it is possible to avoid the alignment shift by stealing the Bhaaltear from the Blackrazor genie. And yeah, skewering foes with Impaler never gets old. Cheers! - and I hope you enjoy reading my other BG2 write-ups.

      Delete
  8. UnknownMay 26, 2018

    Heyo,

    Someone can tell me, what is DUHM? =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lilura1May 27, 2018

      Draw Upon Holy Might; it's a clerical spell and a Bhaalspawn power (in BG, the powers are based on reputation; in BG2, they are based on alignment).

      Delete
  9. AlrikApril 23, 2020

    Considering your affinity for the DoV I'm surprised to see that you haven't even listed one of the best weapons in the BG2; Jhor the Bleeder.

    It's only a +2 Bastard Sword, but it's bleed effect is 1 damage/3 seconds for five rounds (10 total) no save and it stacks like DoV/Gnasher. Basically on-hit stackable Insect Plague (1 damage/2 seconds).

    Total damage per hit is 14-20 (17 avg), which AFAIK is the second highest among one handed weapons behind FoA +5 - but you get it WAY earlier in the Underdark by killing Madman Aganalo after you free him from the Drow imprisonment device.

    The only drawback as a magekiller (aside from the +2 enchantment level) is that the bleed effect doesn't hit through Stoneskins like elemental damage does, but if you can get a hit in before their contingencies kick in they are screwed. The bleed even outlasts a PFMW/Mantle/AI.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AlrikApril 26, 2020

      However, bastard swords are poorly itemized before the Underdark. But a F/M (or any other warrior without access to GM) can start with specialization in two of long swords/katanas/flails with TWF and then add proficiencies to bastard swords at F9 and F12. You will likely have 12 fighter/warrior levels even as a multiclass when you finally get to Jhor unless you rush to Spellhold ASAP.

      SCS Spellhold will be a nightmare with GM in bastard swords since Enchanted Weapon only provides a long sword, short sword, mace or axe. If you play BG2EE (why would you?) you can use it to enchant the normal bastard sword you find in the Bag of Holding though.

      Delete
    2. Lilura1April 26, 2020

      Thanks, Alrik. The weapon has been added.

      Delete

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