How to optimize fighting with a longsword? 3.5

[Mystic Muse]

How hard is it exactly to optimize fighting with just a long sword? Is optimizing two handed fighting really that much easier?

I'd go with a two hander but the character concept I want to use only works with a longsword.

So, how hard exactly is it to optimize fighting with a longsword?

I'll be usingSurrealistik's (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133737) Paladin.

[sonofzeal]

How hard is it exactly to optimize fighting with just a long sword? Is optimizing two handed fighting really that much easier?

I'd go with a two hander but the character concept I want to use only works with a longsword.

So, how hard exactly is it to optimize fighting with a longsword?
Problem - Animate shields are pretty cheap. There's little reason not to go two-handed, at higher levels.

Other problem - for classic melee classes, damage output generally comes from bonus damage, usually either precision damage (multiplied by number of attacks, so TWF is king here) or Power Attack (and two-handed weapons get a better ratio, so they're king here).

Partial solution - Tome of Battle works just fine no matter what weapon you use. A Warblade with a light mace is almost as dangerous as one with a greatsword, at most levels. A longsword-user could fit right in here.

[Thajocoth]

What edition?

In 4e, you would take Weapon Expertise (+1 to hit per tier) & Weapon Focus (+1 to damage per tier) in Heavy Blades, and use it 2-handed when you attack for +1 damage (unless you've got a shield). If you're a Swordmage, you'd want to release your hand (as a free action) after the attack. Then take feats and powers that specify bonuses for wielding a heavy blade... I know there are a bunch, but I don't remember offhand.

[NEO|Phyte]

Use longsword in two hands, optimize for 2handed fighting. :smalltongue:

Not sure how much support there is for onehanded/swordnboard fighting, I suppose there's the obvious ToB.

[Divide by Zero]

Can't you just use the longsword two-handed? At that point, all you're losing out on is a couple of damage from the weapon dice.

Edit: how about a ninja with a longsword?

[Mystic Muse]

Sorry. Forgot to specify edition and class. Editing original post.

[Eldariel]

It can be done, but only with very specific feats and classes. Crusader has few excellent Shield-maneuvers, which makes them a fine candidate for Sword & Board (note, I'm assuming that's what you want). There's also a few feats like Shield Slam [CWar] & Shield Charge [CWar] and Shield Ward [PHBII] spread around the books that expand the utility of a shield quite a bit. Person Man's Guide to Shields (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123630) is a rather comprehensive compendium for this.

And then, we arrive at a conundrum: Since you need Improved Shield Bash for all that anyways, why are you using a Longsword anymore? You could just bash peoples' brains out with a pair of Shields or a single Shield two-handed instead! And here, we arrive at the heart of the matter. Shield can be made very useful alone. But once you go through the trouble, you'll have little reason left to use a one-handed weapon in the other hand. About the only thing I can think of is using a heavier shield in the off-hand (Extreme Shields and Tower Shields can't be used for Bashing, but still qualify for the various Shield-maneuvers), and the only weapons with real utility in that one hand are Kusari-Gama and Spinning Sword; reach weapons wieldable in one hand. Longsword has little going on for it. Lance (mounted) is another useful one-hand weapon that could go with a Shield, but again, it's no Longsword.


I suppose you could TWF with Longsword and Shield, but meh, that doesn't really help with the Longsword there. Though getting Pounce and some TWF efficiency could make that relatively powerful.

[gdiddy]

With Sur's pally revision, you're going to be effective, mostly because every round you're conscious, you conceivably negate the actions of several enemies. Honestly, sword and board it, with a couple martial study feats, you'll do good damage. Honestly, who cares, though? You are effectively a vacuum for the enemy's action economy.