Has anyone played a Tome of Battle class?

[takasi]

I'm playing a crusader in a short 2 session campaign. He's 2nd level and I'm having fun with him. Doesn't really outshine the rest of the party, but so far his strikes and stances add a lot more excitement to melee combat.

 

[satori01]

In my Savage Tide campaing one of the players is using a Swordsage. So far pretty interesting character...though he spent most of the combat on the Blue Nixie unconscious, so I can not say he was overpowering at first level.

I can see how DMs and Players that believe that balance is inmutable, and objectively defined can see the maneuvers and freak. The Swordsage used The Child of Shadow stance, which gave him 20% concealement any time he moved more than 10'. He also use the Mighty Throw Maneuver which is basicaly like Improved Trip and Bull Rush combined w/o incurring AOO and giving the intiator of the Maneuver a +4 bonuses to boot. Both of those were not something you expect to see on a first level character, yet none where overbalancing, They where cool. The Swordsage threw one ruffian overboard, and while the 20% concealment added some xtra protection, a +2 boost to AC would probably have more effect than the concealment.