Martial Weapon Proficiency for Elf Grenadier

[Abyssian]

So my PFS alchemist is level 2 now. Not to worry; I haven't played him at level 2, yet, so I can still tweak him. Having played him as a vanilla alchemist before realizing that the poison class features are not especially cost effective, I decided to go Preservationist. Now that PFS allows 1st-Level Character Retraining, I'm considering making him a Grenadier. If I do, though, I'm not sure what I want to take as my Martial Weapon Proficiency since I definitely want to keep him as an elf.

Do I keep Weapon Training? If so, what weapon to pick up for free?

Do I trade Weapon Training? If so, for what alternate racial ability?

Do I just go ahead and play him as a Preservationist like I was going to?

Any advice welcome. Thanks.

[RainyDayNinja]

What do your stats look like? You could take Elven Curve Blade, and finesse it with both hands for extra damage.

[Abyssian]

ECB is definitely a possibility since I have a 16 dex. My str isn't too high, though, so I won't be doing much damage until I can afford (fame and gold) an agile weapon.

EDIT: by "not too high" I mean 10.

[Atarlost]

O don't know PFS, but you're getting longbow from your racial proficiencies, which gives you longer range and more endurance than bombing. You also get longsword, which I think is going to be the best one handed martial weapon for most of your PFS career on a medium BAB class without Arcane Strike.

You get another martial from Grenadier though and it's probably kind of wasted. If golf bagging is economical you could take a polearm. If you're dex based you could grab scimitar and dervish dance. Or you could grab Greatsword if you're going for an alchemical pseudo-barbarian.

Generally a character only really needs one good weapon choice and one ranged backup though and you can use bombs as your ranged backup if you're going melee primary so I'd drop the elven proficiencies. I don't have the ARG so I can't advise much on what should replace it.

If you want to go ranged primary I'd stick with elf and consider not going grenadier unless you're dex based and want to dervish dance. Elf proficiencies plus scimitar does have the advantage that you can finesse a rapier for the first two levels and then pawn it at level 3.

If you're dex based and don't have access to Dervish Dance (I think it's in UC as well as whatever inner sea book it was originaly printed in but I have neither) and can swing 13-14 strength elven curve blade might be worth it over rapier. Elven proficiencies make it martial so you can snag it with the Grenadier proficiency.

[Abyssian]

Atarlost, I think you may be right. In fact, I've already bought a longbow and a longsword (non-refundable, just resell-able at 50% off), too. Really I just like that I'd be going in to level 2 with both precise bombs (I'm bomb-focused) and infusion instead of just waiting one more level. Not having infusion won't be a waste if I stay Preservationist, though, since I'd be chucking extracts of Summon Nature's Ally.

I think the Grenadier might be a bit of a waste for bomb&bow-focused elves.

Thanks, guys.

[Secane]

My PFS Elf Grenadier makes use of Light Hammers to provide him with range blunt type damage.

As an Elf you already got Longsword proficiency, which is great as a backup melee weapon, as you can wield it one hand and throw bombs or use a pot with the other.

What you lack is range blunt damage in one hand... (you can use a longbow + Blunt arrows...too!.)
Plus you can AoO with a light hammer in one hand.

[Cataphor]

With my Elf Grenadier I just dropped the weapons from Familiarity, went with the Fleet-Footed trait instead, and picked up a comp. longbow prof. with the Grenadier's bonus martial feat. The Grenadier features (namely getting a free discovery with the bonus Precise Bomb and dumping poison for alchemical weapon) just meshed better with what I wanted out of the character.

[Gwen Smith]

Abyssian wrote:

ECB is definitely a possibility since I have a 16 dex. My str isn't too high, though, so I won't be doing much damage until I can afford (fame and gold) an agile weapon.

EDIT: by "not too high" I mean 10.

Even without a strength bonus, the ECB still gives you a 1d10 weapon usable with weapon finesse. If you can deal with the two-hands issue, it's not a bad back up weapon at all.