Madu Question

[Alexander Augunas]

So I've been reading the Equipment Entry for the Madu (Ultimate Combat, Eastern Weapons or Ultimate Equipment) and it reads as follows:

Ultimate Combat wrote:

If you are proficient with the madu, you may use it to fight defensively with a –2 penalty instead of the normal –4, and your attack penalty for using Combat Expertise improves by +1 (minimum –1 penalty). You cannot hold anything else in the hand that bears a madu. If you are not proficient with the madu, treat it as a light spiked shield.

So from what I'm understanding, even if you aren't proficient with it, a Madu is a light spiked shield. If you are proficient with it, you reduce the penalties for fighting defensively and using Combat Expertise.

So, here are some questions:

1) Do you have to be attacking with the Madu in order to reduce these penalties? Namely, if I make a full-attack action with my only my sword and use Combat Expertise, do I still get to apply my Madu's modifier to fighting defensively and/or Combat Expertise?

2) If the answer to #1 is "No," a previous FAQ states that you may use any weapon you are wielding during a Full Attack action. If I am wielding a longsword and a madu, is making a single attack with the madu enough to receive this benefit?

3) If the answer to #2 is "Yes," does it matter which attack is made with the madu? For example, does my first attack have to be with the madu, or could I allow my final attack (the attack with the lowest bonus because of a previous ruling that attack rolls must be made in order from largest bonus to smallest bonus) to be the one that I use the madu with and still receive this bonus on all of my attack rolls?

My curiosity stems from the fact that as far as I know, fighting defensively and Combat Expertise have never had a clause that specifically said, "You are doing this thing with this specific weapon." Because of that, my gut instinct is that simply wielding the madu is enough to gain the benefits regardless of whether or not you are actually attacking with it, partially because there is no precedent of needing to attack with a specific weapon to perform those actions and partially because this ruling would make the madu s heck of a lot less complicated, but I want to see what the Rules Forum thinks.

[R2D2TS]

1) It seems to come down to how "use it to fight defensively" is interpreted. I believe it is intended for you to attack with it in a defensive manner. So my answer would be no, you could not just attack with the sword. If it were to be only wielded then it would probably say that.

2) Yes, I would let a single attack would suffice.

3) Personally, I would rule it would have to be the first attack. I see it as setting up a special kind of defensive fighting. It also avoids the creature being dead before you attack with it.

Normally fighting defensively and Combat Expertise would not require a specific weapon. This is a non-normal use brought on by the Madu. This is just my personal interpretation and not backed by any rules. I can see how others might read it differently. I will wait and see any other arguments before hitting FAQ myself.

[MageHunter]

But of necro here, but thoughts? Or seems like you have to attack with the madu, but it signs be interesting if you could use a different weapon.