Iaijutsu Focus

[questionmark693]

I see this skill getting talked about a lot, especially in factotum builds. But....from what i can see, unless your opponent either is flat-footed or agrees to formally duel you, it's a useless skill?:smallconfused:

[Gildedragon]

It's good against objects too. Helps break them faster.
But otherwise, yeah. The trick in in getting the opponent flat-footed.

[Snowbluff]

Feinting.
Scarlet Corsair is good at it.

[eggynack]

I believe that the trick, once you have them flat-footed, is to use a gnomish quickrazor to make all of your attacks into attacks where you're drawing your weapon. You just have to combine that with one of the flat-footed causing methods. Grease and marbles are pretty standard tactics for causing flat-footed. It's not the single greatest combat strategy in the world, but it's not a useless skill by any means. For one thing, it's just about the only skill that can give you a damage dealing ability at all, without support from an external ability.

[Feint's End]

I see this skill getting talked about a lot, especially in factotum builds. But....from what i can see, unless your opponent either is flat-footed or agrees to formally duel you, it's a useless skill?:smallconfused:

As described by eggysnack before the trick is to use Gnomish Quickrazors and a way to get the enemy Flat footed.
The reason why it gets talked about a lot is because it gives the Factotum a reliable source of damage as a support character (aside from Alter Self). While the Factotum is great and reliable in most Situations it isn't good when it comes down to dealing damageunless you use (as mentioned) Alter Self (and that got limited uses per day).

So if you plan on going mainly Factotum (meaning more than 10 Level) then I suggest this tactic. Dip into Warblade if you need some more power and go to town.

[Slipperychicken]

I see this skill getting talked about a lot, especially in factotum builds. But....from what i can see, unless your opponent either is flat-footed or agrees to formally duel you, it's a useless skill?:smallconfused:

There are a number of ways to achieve this. Using things like Grease or Marbles to force the opponent to make Balance checks (during which a character with fewer than 5 ranks in Balance is Flat-Footed), using a Blurstrike weapon, using some skill tricks (from complete scoundrel) helps, having a high Initiative roll are all relatively easy ways to do it. Keeping most of these methods handy makes Iaijutsu Focus a pretty good deal for a Factotum. Just spend some skill points, spare cash, and skill-optimization to make it work, and you end up a viable combatant.

Also, it isn't precision damage and isn't subject to that immunity, so in this respect it's much better than Sneak Attack. You'll be a die or two behind the Rogue in terms of d6s (might be ahead him if you get a custom item to boost Iaijutsu Focus), but it works on anything which can be Flat-Footed (or even considered Flat-Footed, in the case of some abilities).

It is trickier to pull off, but if you've done your homework, are prepared, and have the Flat-Footed rules memorized, then it shouldn't be a problem.

[SciChronic]

Sapphira Blade Strike maneuver from the diamond mind discipline is a great way to get enemies flatfooted while still dealing damage, that said, you need access to maneuvers, and as a factotum, you cant afford to use the feats on getting access to them, so warblade is your best option really.

[Snowbluff]

Um... as in Sapphire Nightmare Strike.

[Chronos]

Quoth Feint's End:

The reason why it gets talked about a lot is because it gives the Factotum a reliable source of damage as a support character (aside from Alter Self). Wait, how do you use Alter Self to get a lot of damage? All of the applications I've heard for that have been diplomatic (disguises), defensive (natural armor), or tactical (movement modes). I don't think I've seen any offensive uses.