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View Full Version : Help me to pick best Warblade stances



neochaos
2008-04-03, 04:40 PM
Ok, I'm building Warblade 21 character now, but I couldn't figure out which stances will be usedul, and I know I have to be careful because I cannot change it later. So, please help me to pick up the best stances in the book....

P.S. I'm planning to pick Thicket of Blades with feat.

NEO|Phyte
2008-04-03, 04:45 PM
What disciplines are you planning on focusing on?

neochaos
2008-04-03, 04:56 PM
Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw, and bit of Iron Heart (at least to the point to to get Iron Heart Surge)

by the way, could you guys help me with picking maneuvers too? It's confusion to a newbie like me... I want to get both Feral Death Blow and Time stand Still, and it will be nice if I could pick White Raven Tactics too.

neochaos
2008-04-03, 06:06 PM
Oh, also, can I just pick shadow blink with a feat without having real Swordsage level?

Captain van der Decken
2008-04-03, 06:20 PM
Not as a Warblade.

It's pretty easy to get as a feat though, since all it requires is IL 13. Thicket of Blades you'll need to take two feats to get since it requires you already know a devoted spirit maneuver.

You're better off going 20 warblade/ 1 crusader, actually. It's a lot easier than taking two feats to get thicket of blades and you still get the warblade capstone ability.

Edit: If you take crusader late enough you could pick up strike of righteous vitality as well.

Douglas
2008-04-03, 06:41 PM
Edit: If you take crusader late enough you could pick up strike of righteous vitality as well.
Yes, but "late enough" in this case is level 33. I don't think he wants to wait that long.

neochaos
2008-04-03, 09:06 PM
Is Crusader good? It doesn't seem like Paladin-like class

CockroachTeaParty
2008-04-03, 09:19 PM
Crusaders are excellent damage sponges. They also have pretty potent maneuvers, if you don't mind the inability to have exactly what you want to use ready at the start of a fight. They're pretty much better than paladins in most ways, and you don't have to worry about violating any moral codes. They can be a lot of fun.

Darrin
2008-04-03, 10:46 PM
Ok, I'm building Warblade 21 character now, but I couldn't figure out which stances will be usedul, and I know I have to be careful because I cannot change it later. So, please help me to pick up the best stances in the book....

P.S. I'm planning to pick Thicket of Blades with feat.

Thicket of Blades requires one Devoted Spirit maneuver as a prereq. Start with Foehammer (if you take Martial Study at 3rd) or Crusader's Strike. Vanguard Strike isn't bad, either. Pick up Thicket with Martial Stance at 6th. This gives you the two Devoted Spirit maneuvers you need to pick up Aura of Chaos at 12th with Martial Stance. Yes, it's three feats, but Aura of Chaos is worth it. Particularly with a Greatsword (2d6) + Punishing Stance (+1d6) + another damage boost, such as Inferno Blade (3d6+IL).

Your most potent dual stance combos will, surprisingly enough, probably be 1st level stances: Punishing Stance or Leading the Charge. At that high level, -2 to AC isn't all that much to worry about. The extra 1d6 damage doesn't seem all that sexy, but combined with all the extra attacks from Tiger Claw, it starts to add up. Leading the Charge scales up with your IL and is much, much, much more potent... particularly when combined with something that gives you extra move actions, such as the Travel Devotion, Belt of Battle, or Quicksilver Motion. The easiest dual stance combo to pull off as a pure warblade: Leading the Charge + Press the Advantage. Use Press the Advantage to move 10' away, charge for bonus damage. Rinse and repeat. Happy Magical Kittens With Chainsaws if you have Pounce as well.

Thicket of Blades + Aura of Chaos isn't a bad combo, either, with a spiked chain (exotic) or guisarme (martial). If you need reach + TWF, then try guisarme + armor spikes, or consider the kusari-gama (DMG p. 145, exotic light weapon w/ reach).

If you're focusing on Tiger Claw, it's tempting to take Leaping Dragon stance, but you can duplicate the effects of the stance by taking the feat Leap of the Heavens (if you can spare it). This lets you keep your two stances focused on extra damage or whatever else you're trying to maximize.

If you're looking for something more defensive... spending another Martial Stance feat on Immortal Fortitude, combined with Diamond Mind's saving throw counters, plus Stance of Alacrity (two counters per round) might cause a little weaping on the other side of the DM screen. Supreme Blade Parry (DR 5/-) + Strength of Stone (immune to crits) isn't a bad idea, either.

So, my recommendations:

1) Punishing Stance
4) Leading the Charge
6) Martial Stance: Thicket of Blades
10) Press the Advantage
12) Martial Stance: Aura of Chaos
16) Stance of Alacrity or Supreme Blade Parry

Eldariel
2008-04-04, 12:28 AM
Much depends on your weapons of choice. Spiked Chain really wants Thicket of Blades while dual Kukris scream Blood in Water. Generally, dual wielder wants the damage bonus stances, while battlefield controller wants movement restricting ones. Then there're few for chargers (Leading the Charge, most importantly) and some generics that you can use if you feel bored.

Other stances are good to have in store depending on the rest of your party composition and equipment; Hearing the Air, Hunter's Sense, Leaping Dragon Stance, etc. are 'good to have'-stances, that will be useful more often than not (Leaping Dragon Stance less so in a normal Magic campaign; it's generally just useful for executing Tiger Claw-strikes if your campaign has usual amounts of flight) but ones that you won't spend your whole time in. I'd probably pick Hearing the Air and Hunter's Sense given spare Stances, but other options are definitely valid. I just like having some Magic-like detection capabilities in my pocket should need be; Hearing the Air can really save one against invisibles when faced with Dispel-effects on your equipment (you have to eat up the miss chance, but at least you can pinpoint the opponents) and Hunter's Sense can both, be used to detect the hiding, and to track down targets.

Blue Paladin
2008-04-04, 11:02 AM
Oh, also, can I just pick shadow blink with a feat without having real Swordsage level?Yes, as long as you meet the IL requirement. Might I suggest Shadow Stride instead? It's the move-equivalent version (and only needs IL 9 to boot). Given that swift actions are generally more "valuable" in terms of what you can do (boosts, magic item effects), and standard actions are still the meat & potatoes (strikes & maneuvers), having Shadow Stride (instead of Jaunt/Blink) "costs" you less. That said, you can still have both (or all three).