Maneuver Combos from the Tome of Battle

[Tokiko Mima]

Anyone got any cool combination to keep in mind when selecting maneuvers?

For example, I was thinking of a way to get the 1st level Immediate magic trick Conjurers do and put it on a ToB melee. So as a Swordsage X/Master of Nine 4, I would choose Shifting Defense (lvl 5 Setting Sun Stance) and any Counter Maneuver that triggers when I'm attacked (e.g. Fool's Strike, One with Shadow, or Zephyr's Dance.) Then when my counter activates I switch from whatever stance I'm in (per the Mo9 Counter Stance ability) to Shifting Defense, which gives me a 5' foot step immediately when attacked. I step out of melee/charge range with no AoO. If I'm still in danger I just keep Shifting Defense up and 5' step in and full attack, then 5' step away as soon as I'm attacked.

To make it more powerful, you could use that Training Dummy that lets you take a 10' step instead of 5' step and/or take the Combat Reflexes feat, which fuels Shifting Defense. Then you could dance out of the way whenever you're attacked by something with less than 15' reach, DexMod times per round. The only limit is your AoO's per round, and the maneuver you expend to initially go into Shifting Defense.

Anyone else have a good combination of ToB Maneuvers, feats and/or items? :smallsmile:

[Mystic Muse]

Emerald razor combined with power attack.

[Tokiko Mima]

Emerald razor combined with power attack.

Nice! Power Attack is the best, and touch attacks get easier the higher level you are. :smallbiggrin:

How about 2 charges from Belt of Battle plus Mountain Tombstone Strike plus any maneuver requiring a Fort save? The great part about Mountain Tombstone Strike is it's the only 9th level maneuver without any prerequisites in a school all Martial Adepts get, so any class can take it once they have access to 9th level maneuvers. (Even if you don't have any other Stone Dragon maneuvers known!) :smallsmile:

[Woodsman]

Here's a combo I enjoy, involving Dual Boost.

Time Stands Still + Two-weapon fighting + Raging Mongoose + Speed Weapons + Girallon Windmill Flesh rip = 20 attacks + 20d6 damage.

[Wings of Peace]

Pretty much any combo used by Sinshadow, the enlightened prodigal (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871346/Tome_of_Battle_Build_Compendium?post_id=338390950# 338390950)

[Curmudgeon]

I would choose Shifting Defense (lvl 5 Setting Sun Stance) and any Counter Maneuver that triggers when I'm attacked (e.g. Fool's Strike, One with Shadow, or Zephyr's Dance.) Then when my counter activates I switch from whatever stance I'm in (per the Mo9 Counter Stance ability) to Shifting Defense, which gives me a 5' foot step immediately when attacked. I step out of melee/charge range with no AoO. If I'm still in danger I just keep Shifting Defense up and 5' step in and full attack, then 5' step away as soon as I'm attacked.
This doesn't work, because you only get one immediate action per round. Fool's Strike, One With Shadow, and Zephyr Dance all require an immediate action, leaving none for Shifting Defense's 5' step.
While you are in this stance, you can make an immediate 5-foot step each time an opponent attacks you. You gotta pay attention to those specific D&D terms.

[Fishy]

I'm a fan of Warforged characters with Stone Power and Shocking Fist. Almost as effective as Leap Attack, and much more stylish.

Also, Shadow Hand teleport maneuvers and the Sun School feat, because free attacks are nice.

[Tokiko Mima]

This doesn't work, because you only get one immediate action per round. Fool's Strike, One With Shadow, and Zephyr Dance all require an immediate action, leaving none for Shifting Defense's 5' step. You gotta pay attention to those specific D&D terms.

To be fair, it doesn't say 'immediate action,' which is the correct parlance. There is no such term as 'immediate 5' step.' The stance is keyed off using AoO's available. You lose an AoO each time it triggers. The full text is:



Your ability to read your opponents' moves and use their strength against them allows you to shift your position during battle. Each failed attack gives you the split second you need to move without drawing attacks.
While in this stance you can make an immediate 5' step each time an opponent attacks you. Moving in this manner consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the current round. You cannot move in this manner if you have no attacks of opportunity remaining. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

As you can see, this stance is obviously set up to work multiple times in a round. Interpreting it so it can only be used once makes the language very awkward considering the extensive use of plural whenever opponents attacks or AoO's are mentioned. It should say 'once per round when,' 'consumes your attack of opportunity' and 'attack of opportunity' respectively if it only could be used once per round as an immediate action.

Whereas, if you assume the position that 'immediate' refers to when the 5' step happens (rather than the action type) the language makes sense. It also makes sense because the stance is drawing from your attack of opportunities pool and not simultaneously requiring two different action resources in combat.

[PhoenixRivers]

Agreed. The term is used to indicate that the 5 foot step happens immediately, not that the step is taken as an immediate action.

[Dacia Brabant]

Shadow Hand teleports + Shadow Pounce = Pouncing Charge on speed.

Avalanche of Blades + Stormguard Warrior + any trick to give you an extra turn/take your next turn early = pain.

Defensive Rebuke + Robilar's Gambit + Thicket of Blades + Stormguard Warrior = damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Really just about anything melee + Stormguard Warrior, it's just that good.

[Curmudgeon]

As you can see, this stance is obviously set up to work multiple times in a round. Interpreting it so it can only be used once makes the language very awkward considering the extensive use of plural whenever opponents attacks or AoO's are mentioned.
I obviously don't see it that way. Stances last indefinitely, so obviously the plural would be used to refer to using the benefit of the stance. And since the normal limit of AoOs per round is 1, it makes sense to point out that if you've already used all of your AoOs that round you're obviously done. That still doesn't mean that you get to use the stance's benefit more than once per round. The language only seems awkward if you view the stance as something you turn on for a brief duration, as opposed to the normal case of being active for hours or days at a time.
A stance remains in effect indefinitely and is not expended. You enjoy the benefit your stance confers until you change to another stance you know as a swift action. You can remain in a stance outside of combat situations, and you can enjoy its benefit while exploring or traveling.
An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and you can only make one per round. You don’t have to make an attack of opportunity if you don’t want to.

[Book Wyrm]

Gaining power points through some means and buff your concentration checks. Theres a neat clause about concentration that allows you to expend your psionic focus to take 15 on a concentration check. Combine this with the Diamond Mind maneuvers that require concentration checks, especially Insightful Strike and Greater Insightful Strike. This with the feat Instant Clarity means you can expend focus to power Insightful Strike and then gain focus as a swift action to do it again next round.

[Doc Roc]

Something of... (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=357.0) an essential guide.

[Gametime]

I obviously don't see it that way. Stances last indefinitely, so obviously the plural would be used to refer to using the benefit of the stance. And since the normal limit of AoOs per round is 1, it makes sense to point out that if you've already used all of your AoOs that round you're obviously done. That still doesn't mean that you get to use the stance's benefit more than once per round. The language only seems awkward if you view the stance as something you turn on for a brief duration, as opposed to the normal case of being active for hours or days at a time.

Fine, but your interpretation is still reading more into the description. It doesn't say immediate action. It says an immediate 5-foot-step. Immediate =/= immediate action. End of story.

Further, since attacks of opportunity aren't immediate actions, why would it consume BOTH? It's nonsensical.

[Eldariel]

- Pounce + Bounding Assault-maneuver.
- Pounce + any White Raven-charge.
- Shock Trooper + any Charge-maneuver.
- Power Attack + Battle Jump [UE] + Shock Trooper + Diamond Nightmare Blade. Alternatively, just Power Attack + Diamond Nightmare Blade.
- Raging Mongoose + Time Stands Still (yes, it works according to some readings)
- Knowledge Devotion + School Focus: Insightful Strike + Desert Wind AoE attacks (they actually add to the damage)
- School Focus: Insightful Strike + Pounce + Charge-maneuver (or Pouncing Charge)

Yeah, charging is pretty good with ToB (but at least not the automatically best option like without).

[Frosty]

Diamond Nightmare Blade is not a charging manuever is it?

[Eldariel]

Diamond Nightmare Blade is not a charging manuever is it?

Nope, it's not. Battle Jump helps there; perform a Jump and then initiate Diamond Nightmare Blade for it to count as a charge.

[KitTheOdd]

Not purely a manuever combo, but one I had a lot of fun with last week was:

13th level Bard4/Warblade6/Jade Phoenix Mage3

Move into position the - Burning Blade + Whirling Blade(spell)

IL = 11, so

Everybody in a 60 foot line gets hit (at my highest attack bonus) for [normal weapon damage] + 1d6 fire + 11.

Not game breaking by any stretch, for 4 guys got hit for 30+ and the last one hit was one-shot-killed. Lots of fun.