Cut / Smash From the Air and Equal Opportunity


Advice


I love this feat chain and want to build a character around it, which I think is best optimized by pumping your attack bonus as high as possible. I also noticed that the otherwise lackluster Two Weapon Warrior archetype has the Equal Opportunity class feature, which allows you to make two attacks of opportunity, one with each weapon, whenever you make an attack of opportunity. Would that ability let you make two attacks to deflect a missile/spell?

My fallback option is to go with Mutation Warrior, pump Dex as high as possible and use an Elven Curve Blade.

Anyone else have any suggestions on how to make use of these feats? A full BAB class seems necessary, especially if you pick up Spellcut.


It will work. That's a long road to get these 2 attacks but it is good for strike from air feat chains.

However spell cut is not an going to get 2 tries though. It's not an AoO. And it's clear it's once a round.

I went straight fighter doing this. It's pretty damn incredible.


Cavall wrote:

It will work. That's a long road to get these 2 attacks but it is good for strike from air feat chains.

However spell cut is not an going to get 2 tries though. It's not an AoO. And it's clear it's once a round.

I went straight fighter doing this. It's pretty damn incredible.

Sweet. That's good to know. In your opinion, would it be better optimized by not going with Two Weapon Warrior? I love the versatility of Mutation Warrior by getting wings, fast healing and a crazy high Dexterity. Equal Opportunity really is the only benefit of Two Weapon Warrior. Their weapon training replacement doesn't even apply to AoO's since you have to be full-attacking to use it. That leaves you 4 attack bonus shy and 4 more on top of that from missing out on +8 Dex. Is getting two attempts at the AoO deflection worth +8 attack and some damage? Would adding a Fortuitous enchantment to both weapons make up for it? All of the advanced weapon training options are so good, it's hard to sacrifice them for one ability.


Fortuitous doesn't help slightly as it needs a successful aoo to activate. So hitting a spell or arrow means jobs done.

I do like the fact with combat reflexes you're actually better with these feats at blocking arrows then they are at hitting you due to diminishing attacks vs aoo at your highest.

Two weapon does eventually drop 2 weapon penalties entirely.

I went straight fighter with falcata, to try out a 17 20 x3 crit weapon. Then I also humped into the step up feat chain. I also loved the idea of advanced armour and weapon training. He's got a massive DR and won't let anyone move around him without cutting them off and striking them down. We are level 9 crits for 3d8+2d6+96 on a power attack.

For me, totally worth staying straight. Bit I have to admit there's some (to me) decent trade offs for that archetype but adding in options for weapons training and armour training makes straight fighter too good.


Right, I knew Fortuitous wouldn't help with the Cut from the Air deflection, but I was hoping having it on both weapons would help boost the damage on the Two-Weapon Fighter.

I'm leaning toward the Mutation Warrior, mechanically. If my math was right, at level 20, the Mutation Warrior with the alchemical bonus to Dex has an attack bonus around +52. The Two-Weapon Warrior's attack bonus is around +43. If a CR 23 Solar has a top ranged attack bonus of +31, even with two attacks to deflect, the Mutation Warrior is guaranteed to deflect on anything except a 1. Two attacks almost guarantees you'll avoid natural 1s, though I still think I'd prefer the chances with the higher single attack over two lower attacks.

Conceptually, I think the Two-Weapon Warrior would be more fun to play, which is probably more important than the mechanical advantages. They're both flavorful builds - I wanted to go Aasimar for wings and Celestial Obedience (Ragathiel) for the Two-Weapon Warrior and an Elf curved blade-wielding speed-demon Mutation Warrior capable of making a stupid number of AoO's both defensively and offensively. I was possibly going to add Eldritch Guardian to both, too, just to capitalize on the action economy silliness.

I still need to crunch the numbers, but I think the Two-Weapon Warrior pulls ahead in straight damage due to the extra attacks and AoO's, but for the purpose of maximizing the Cut From the Air feat chain, I think the Mutation Warrior wins.


Hmm I don't know about +52 barring buffs from friends. But combat reflexes pretty much will stop a ranger going all out on you.


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Cavall wrote:
Hmm I don't know about +52 barring buffs from friends. But combat reflexes pretty much will stop a ranger going all out on you.

Checked the math and I messed up a couple places. The attack is actually higher than that self-buffed!

The Mutation Warrior can hit +63 on AoO's if he gets Greater Heroism from someone, +59 if not. +20 BAB + 17 Dex + 5 enhancement + 4 weapon training + 1 weapon focus +1 greater weapon focus + 2 dueling gloves + 1 trait +1 competence from ioun stone + 1 luck from Helm of Conquest prayer + 6 from animal focus and + 4 morale from heroism)

The +6 animal focus is from Stalker's Focus (snake) and only lasts a minute, but it's untyped and huge. Prayer procs on crits. The morale bonus is the only thing left, I think, and greater heroism gives the biggest bump.

The Two-Weapon Warrior manages +53 with greater heroism, +49 without, having lost 4 from a lower Dex and 6 from weapon training and dueling gloves.

The Mutation Warrior is pretty far ahead, attack-wise, but since they're both so high that almost no attack spell or ranged attack would ever hit them, damage might be the deciding factor. If it's full-attack vs full-attack, the Two-Weapon Warrior dominates. Each Agile kukri does around 1d4+33 per swing with 7 attacks, slightly lower on the off-hands, two attacks per AoO. The Mutation Warrior manages 2d8+50 per swing for four attacks.

These are both comparisons at 20 and the progression isn't linear until level 13, when Equal Opportunity comes online. The Mutation Warrior is the clear favorite for the first 12 levels. Hard to decide!

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