Quote Originally Posted by ZamielVanWeber View Post
2d6 Con is actually a lot of damage. With an average damage of 7 that will do 4xHD damage (if Con is even) or 3xHD damage (if Con is odd) for a single no fuss hit and the damage is harder to shut down that a charge. The only 9th level maneuver that leaves me feeling meh is Desert Wind's.
But their HP is scaling by more than that amount. It can't kill anyone with more than 12 CON (and only averages killing people with 7 CON), and those people would mostly just die to being stabbed. Generally, you spend your action to hit a dude really hard.

Devoted Spirit: Spammable Heal is nice, especially since it works in situations where magic may not. The prerequisite to learn it is also lower and Devoted Spirit has some solid choices. SAdly in combat only, but cannot have everything.
Combat healing is not super good. Particularly when it can't really be spammed barring Idiot Crusader cheese, Martial Study, or items.

Diamond Mind: Good at trying to cut through a lot of mooks, since the average build will have 6 or 8 attack with this. Also great for crit fishing. Not amazing, but cool. Just be aware of DR.
How is this good at cutting through mooks? You have to be in (or close to) melee range with a bunch of opponents who are probably able to fly, teleport, or both.

Iron Heart: No fuss pile of damage. Certainly useful and synergizes nicely with Finishing Blow against most foes.
That's probably less damage than you get from your PA multipliers. Good

Setting Sun: Back to the painful prerequisites. Great at mook clearing, but literally useless against larger foes. Can get your trip check to insane numbers if you have a good movespeed though.
Most high level foes are large or larger. I think every CR 17 opponent is Large or larger, and many are Huge or more.

Tiger Claw: A death effect with a strength based save is cool. The fact anyone immune to crits is immune to it not. The jump is not too bad if you really want to use this maneuver.
Weren't casters throwing around single target death effects at melee range at 9th level (with slay living). Obviously not a one-to-one comparison, but it's hard for me to get excited over an ability that people have had for 8 levels already -- a horde of Clerics who can cast slay living is not an encounter you are supposed to get XP for at 17th level.

White Raven: If your entire party wants to charge this gets crazy quickly and can drop stuns (no save) and let allies move as an immediate action. It is really inconsistent, but amazing when you can get it off.
Your entire party almost certainly does not want to charge. What's the threshold where you see this becoming good? Two other chargers? Three?