Scott M Schoen's page

Huzzah!!

you have to banish Masterwork if you don't have the Arcane or Divine skill; the printed version is a typo.

I wondered about that, but hadn't had a chance to check the FAQ yet. Thanks for the clarification. And thanks for destroying all hope. :-)

No I upgraded for the blessings. Partly for role play as Tarlin is a cleric of Iomedae. Mostly due to his role powers. Once he picks a role he recharges the Blessing of Iomedae instead of discarding it.
I have been thinking of getting the Ultimate Combat for many of the reasons you mentioned.