Warblade Maneauver Advice

[Rasman]

I've finally narrowed down the Stances I wanted for my Warblade, I ended up with:

Thicket of Blades and Foehammer with Martial Study and Martial Stance feats, then Stance of Clarity (DM), Strength of Stone (SD), Press Advantage (WR) and Hunter's Sense (TC). But to compliment these, I'm not sure EXACTLY what maneauvers I should take. I've found some I like, but narrowing it down is the hard part. Any suggestions as to the "you gotta have this" maneauvers I shouldn't pass up?

[Overshee]

I don't have that much experience but http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=357.0 might help.

Both Diamond Mind and Iron Heart (and their associated feat... thingeys) are very good.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Sudden Leap, Iron Heart Surge.

[Tinydwarfman]

Mountain Hammer is Foehammer except it also ignores hardness.

[oxinabox]

Iron Heart Surge,
Get to getther all of the material, including the Sage advice.
before you mention it to the DM.
Discus with the DM, what it should do.
It should End conditions imposed on you.
This means it should end:
Fatigue, (weather from a spell, poison or not sleeping)
- if dm compains that you shouldn't be able to IHS away tiredness, ask him how is your summoning your second wind, channeling your inner fury,
to shake off effects of tireness
different from an elan, spending power power point to not need to eat. (Psionics wore by focusing ones mind, not accessign any external power source like magic runs off)

Dominate unless you have been given orders not to try and end the dominate (hbut that is basically the same as an order to fail your will save, most dms don't like that).
Dominate is specifically as spell that affecting you.

It should and anything listed in the DMG (or is it in the ePHB in 3.5) listed as a condition.
and any spell (or invocation or power or...*) that imposed a somthign that mechanically works like a condition*.



By the sage advice it specifacally can end eanything with a duration of 1 or more rounds (this exclused thigns like fireball)
It can't end hitpoint damage, or ability damage, put can end the poision that is causing the damage.

Now there is a litery debate as to weather 1 or more rounds excludeds things that hafve time measured in minutes, but RAI says that a minute can be thought of as 10 rounds.


Also discuss things it can't do,
Eg Get rid of the Sun.
get rid of that knights sword.

Once yoru've shaken out with the dm as to what he says (remembr it's fine to discuss, debate, even disagree with the dm. but even if you do disagree, he still ahs the final word)

*the inumerable number of things that can impose conditions, anbd the pressents of things that work like conditions but arn't labled as such is the reason (imho) that IHS is worded so badly.

[Darrin]

I've finally narrowed down the Stances I wanted for my Warblade, I ended up with:

Thicket of Blades and Foehammer with Martial Study and Martial Stance feats, then Stance of Clarity (DM), Strength of Stone (SD), Press Advantage (WR) and Hunter's Sense (TC). But to compliment these, I'm not sure EXACTLY what maneauvers I should take. I've found some I like, but narrowing it down is the hard part. Any suggestions as to the "you gotta have this" maneauvers I shouldn't pass up?

What level Warblade? What's your preferred weapon and/or fighting style?

[Rasman]

What level Warblade? What's your preferred weapon and/or fighting style?

20, Minotaur Greathammer, Probably going with an AoO build that feeds Storm Guard Warrior.

[Draz74]

I've finally narrowed down the Stances I wanted for my Warblade, I ended up with:

Thicket of Blades and Foehammer with Martial Study and Martial Stance feats, then Stance of Clarity (DM), Strength of Stone (SD), Press Advantage (WR) and Hunter's Sense (TC).
Stance of Clarity kinda sucks, unless you're sure you'll often be fighting only one creature. Even then ... not my favorite. Consider swapping it out for Pearl of Black Doubt (DM), Punishing Stance (IH), or Bolstering Voice (WR).

Wait, on second thought, definitely switch it out for Punishing Stance. You need an Iron Heart stance to take Ironheart Aura (and therefore Stormguard Warrior).

Other than that, looks ok. Strength of Stone is the only other weak point, and it's not so much that it's terrible as that it's competing with the awesome Stance of Alacrity (DM).


But to compliment these, I'm not sure EXACTLY what maneauvers I should take. I've found some I like, but narrowing it down is the hard part. Any suggestions as to the "you gotta have this" maneauvers I shouldn't pass up?

I'm assuming you're big on the hard-hitting, not so big on the extreme mobility, based on your comments about your build plan. Will you be maxxing Jump? Concentration?

Hmmm. I'm having trouble coming up with a maneuver progression that will get you the right prerequisites for each of your stances in time, unless I completely ignore Diamond Mind, which is a shame since it has some key maneuvers for a hard-hitter build or a stormguard warrior or an AoO build. How do you feel about using 3k magic items to qualify for some things?

Here's a selection of maneuvers you shouldn't overlook:


Emerald Razor (DM2): Great synergy with Power Attack, which I assume you'll have.
Rapid Counter (DM5): Want to whack someone with an AoO and still accrue Stormguard Warrior bonuses? Now you can.
Avalanche of Blades (DM7): Incredible synergy with Stormguard Combat Rhythm.
Diamond Nightmare Blade (DM8): Lots of stinkin' damage.
Time Stands Still (DM9): Probably the best L9 maneuver.
Wall of Blades (IH2): If you like defense, this does it well.
Iron Heart Surge (IH3): Duh. You have to get two IH maneuvers for Stormguard Warrior anyway. This might as well be one.
Adamantine Hurricane (IH8): When you do a lot of damage per attack, attacking more creatures is good. Only worth it if you sometimes fight big groups, though.
Charging Minotaur (SD1): Flavor synergy should be obvious. This is incredible at Level 1, and it never becomes completely obsolete, so probably don't swap it out until after you have Strength of Stone.
Bonesplitting Strike (SD4): One of the better mid-level Stone Dragon maneuvers you can use to qualify for Strength of Stone.
Ancient Mountain Hammer (SD7): You need three SD maneuvers to qualify for Strength of Stone. This does a lot of damage, has out-of-combat utility (breaking stuff), and seems nicely flavorful, so it should be one of them.
Rabid Wolf Strike (TC2): Probably the best entry into Tiger Claw (you need something before Level 4, so you can get Hunter's Sense) for this build. Feel free to swap it out once you've got all the Tiger Claw you want, though.
Pouncing Charge (TC5): Required for any Warblade who doesn't have a Barbarian dip.
White Raven Tactics (WR3): Duh. You need two WR maneuvers to qualify for Press the Advantage. This might as well be one of them.


EDIT: I ran through the progression again, and I figured out how you can make all of your prerequisites in time (with nothing your DM should find questionable at all) and end up with the following maneuver selection:

DM: Avalanche of Blades, Emerald Razor, Rapid Counter, Time Stands Still
IH: Iron Heart Surge, Lightning Throw, Strike of Perfect Clarity, Wall of Blades
SD: Ancient Mountain Hammer, Charging Minotaur, Mountain Tombstone Strike
TC: Pouncing Charge
WR: White Raven Tactics

The two in italics were chosen right at the end, and you could have almost any two Warblade maneuvers you want (except top-end White Raven stuff; that has harsh prerequisites) instead of these two if you don't like them. Also, none of these assume anything about your Jumping or Concentrating abilities.

[Optimator]

No Warblade should be without Wall of Blades. Evar.

[Foryn Gilnith]

No Warblade should be without Wall of Blades. Evar.

The warblade I'm playing ATM has 34 AC, making Wall of Blades relatively useless (and, at the very least, a waste of a maneuver slot)

[Thrawn183]

White Raven is one of those somewhat debatable schools. If you're the only melee combatant, it kinda stinks. If you're sharing a party with a couple of fighters, a monk and a rogue? Oh sweet jebus will it leck you wreck stuff all over the place.

[Keld Denar]

I dunno, White Raven Hammer is probably one of the strongest 8th level maneuvers in the book. No save stuns are pretty sexy. Some things are immune to stuns, but not most things. Works great on nearly all outsiders, on dragons, and against most of the other big non-construct/undead baddies.

[NEO|Phyte]

The warblade I'm playing ATM has 34 AC, making Wall of Blades relatively useless (and, at the very least, a waste of a maneuver slot)

How's your Touch AC?

[Foryn Gilnith]

The fact that I forgot what it was means that the DM doesn't use touch attacks nearly as often as he should.

Which reminds me: OP should keep in mind the metagame when selecting maneuvers. The DM's style may make some maneuvers less useful than others.

[Optimator]

How's your Touch AC?

Exactly. At level 20 WoB will most assuredly surpass your normal AC, let alone touch AC.