Incline Battle Brothers + Beasts & Exploration, Warriors of the North and Blazing Deserts DLC Thread

[damager]

Spartan, 65 melee, 16mdef**, 107 fat, 105hp
Night Owl, Hate for Undead, 66 melee. 9mdef, 113 fat, 102hp*

I chose them mainly for their high fat, so they were still able to move and swing with all the armor and big weapons. Both had also natural high health

 

[Brancaleone]

Spartan, 65 melee, 16mdef**, 107 fat, 105hp
Night Owl, Hate for Undead, 66 melee. 9mdef, 113 fat, 102hp*

I chose them mainly for their high fat, so they were still able to move and swing with all the armor and big weapons. Both had also natural high health

For the first one it depends a lot on the Melee Attack rolls, you could still roll six ones after all. If the rolls are unlucky, he'll be a goodish shield-bro, if you get lucky he can be a decent two-hander (depends also if you have already taken the Gifted perk). To account for both outcomes and also for the equipment you already have, if you want to specialize now I'd suggest hammers: you'll get either a maul wrecker if you get good Melee Attack, or a defensive armour-wrecker/poisoner (one handed hammer + shield) if he gets poor rolls.
The second one doesn't have much good going for him. At least to get advantage of the fatigue, and of the equipment you already have, I'd say mace, to switch him to the polemace if he survives (so he can stun from a distance without getting hit a lot, which he would if he is on the frontline).

 

[damager]

I’ll check the stats of my other mercs when I’m home. Do I have to strip them naked to see their base stats?

Hammer and mace seems to be a fun combo though

 

[Brancaleone]

So I should look out for high mdef for 2h bros is what I get from this

Well, overall 2h bros will 1) not have a shield 2) will get the best out of their weapons by wading into the thick of enemies (which doesn't mean getting surrounded), so they have to be able to dodge hits. A decently good 2h bro should have at least 30 MDef by level 11 (you can get by with less, but it takes quite a bit of skill in terms of positioning, turn order and so on). You could also have a 2h with poor defense be one step behind the bros with better defense and just take one step and use the basic strike at the right moment (also in order to save fatigue if you have little of it), but at that point you are better off with a polearm for the much better positional flexibility.

If you want to just have fun with the 2h special skills take Nimble on level 7 and give your bro armour+helmet for a max of 15 fatigue penalty. Nimble is a borderline broken perk that trivializes so many aspects of the game (being one-shotted, fatigue management, armour repairs, extra suits of armour, wounds, enemy with high armour penetration, risking your life in order to dagger down enemies with heavy armour, buying super-expensive heavy armour, and many more), it will make your life incredibly easier until the endgame.

 

[damager]

Yeah but wearing heavy armour is honestly half the fun in a medi evil themed game for me. I already bought quite the nice scale piece and a closed helmet.

I’ll look into making a medium/light armoured fighter type too though. I got a dude with the dexterous feat I‘ll check his other stats when I’m home

 

[damager]

Look at this crazy basterd. He's level 5 as well with free perk. And dextrous

How about this guy as a nimble light armor 2h fighter? He got the fat perk, nice stars he's just missing some fatigue do to his weight. Seems like he was born for this

 

[Brancaleone]

Yeah but wearing heavy armour is honestly half the fun in a medi evil themed game for me.

Oh, I absolutely agree, I never ever take Nimble myself. The game is about frail humans in tin cans against overwelming odds, not about perma-stoneskinned mutants (well, Anatomists get a pass).

 

[damager]

Also I think you would like this guy. Great stars, great perks and decent base stats. All these guys are level 5 without a weapon spec yet

With extra headshot chance maybe go into flails with this guy?

 

[Brancaleone]

Also I think you would like this guy. Great stars, great perks and decent base stats. All these guys are level 5 without a weapon spec yet

With extra headshot chance maybe go into flails with this guy?

Assuming you didn't already take Gifted on any of them, the first one can become from a decent polearm guy at worst to a great 2h guy at best (though unlikely with no stars). For the second one, keep in mind that he's likely to lose the Fat trait along the way (and you have no control over this), so plan accordingly (also, Killer on the Run has +10% chance to hit the head). The third can be from a decent 2h guy at worst to a very good one at best, depending mostly on how MDef rolls out.

The extra chances for hitting the head are a not going to have much of an impact with the flail, since it's the only weapon with a dedicated headshot skill. You can make some use out of it with the Headhunter perk, in which case I'd say go for 1h Axe (+50% damage to head). Otherwise, you just risk spreading the damage between head and body, which is never a good thing.

 

[damager]

Thanks! Any weapon spec recommendations for those? I'm guessing Mace for number 1 so I can switch him into the backline with a Pole-Mace if he fails to get good mdef. Is the Goedendag the polemace?

With the 2-Hand Axe I really have problems to position myself for a big swings without hitting my friends or getting surrounded.

In my stash I have the Goedendag, 2 Two-Handed Spiked Mace, the Two-Handed Mallet and 2 Woodcutter Axes

Also two Warforks and a Pike but those are for the backline

 

[damager]

If murdering is your hobby become a battle bro and you wake up everyday with a smile

 

[Brancaleone]

Thanks! Any weapon spec recommendations for those? I'm guessing Mace for number 1 so I can switch him into the backline with a Pole-Mace if he fails to get good mdef. Is the Goedendag the polemace?

With the 2-Hand Axe I really have problems to position myself for a big swings without hitting my friends or getting surrounded.

In my stash I have the Goedendag, 2 Two-Handed Spiked Mace, the Two-Handed Mallet and 2 Woodcutter Axes

Also two Warforks and a Pike but those are for the backline

Yes, mace for first one is fine, with stuns you need to hit reliably in order not to waste fatigue. Goedendag is a hybrid spear-mace, the polemace is from the Southern bandits etc. in the desert, it allows you to hit (and stun) from two hexes away.

You are right, 2-hand axe is a bit of a trap, it gets your bro easily killed if you try to take advantage of the round-swing, plus it has a weird mechanic of splitting damage. If I have nothing better in the early game, I give them to disposable bro's and use only the standard hit. You can pull it off late in the game, but you need an exceptional bro to go round-swinging (it needs good attack, defense, fatigue for the round swings and for all the dodging, and morale because you'll have to let yourself be surrounded or semi-surrounded, which most of the time means a lot of morale-checks).

The best you've got now are the 2h mace (Strike Down is awesome with its 2 turn stun) and the mallet (great for the flank, also for crowd control with its arc swing with pushback).

 

[damager]

Thanks! What about shield bros? I read before in this thread maces and stuns are the way to go on them too

 

[Brancaleone]

Thanks! What about shield bros? I read before in this thread maces and stuns are the way to go on them too

Shieldbros will use most of their fatigue with defensive/positioning skills, and together with selecting Shield Expert and other low tier perks early on, it means you can deprioritise weapon specialization and basically wait until you get a particularly good 1h weapon and choose the specialization accordingly.