Mustrum_Ridcully
Legend
Sunder:
If you have a good magic weapon, consider sunder enemy weapons, especially if they use exotic weapons (usually, the really focus on this weapon, which means they probably also lose special weapons).
Sundering shields is also a good idea, but be careful - hitting can be easier, but if the enemy has power attack (3.5), you might regret it, since he can now take his weapon in both hands.
Nice targets for sundering are also: Wands (easy target), Staffs or Potions.
Since some opponents like to use this tactic against you, hold some spare weapons ready (or have Improved Unarmed / Spiked Gauntlets or whatever).
Disarm:
If you can`t sunder a weapon, disarm the opponent of his weapon.
If you were disarmed or had your weapon sundered, it might be an especially good idea to do so (still unarmed), because obviosuly the opponent`s weapon isn`t bad. (But if you`re evil, don`t take the Paladins Holy Avenger )
Countertactics are spare weapons and Locked Gauntlets.
Grapple:
Grappling opponents often cripple their combat abilities. They can`t use their weapons (at least effectively), and if you have the better Attack Bonus (you are the Big Bad Guy, hmm?), they have little chance against you.
But be sure to grapple the rogue first, because otherwise you will become subject to his sneak attack. (If there are two rogues in the group) and this will probably be worse than anything else that happens.
Wizards and Sorceror are usually easy targets for grapples.
Be prepared against grapplers by having Armor Spikes, Potion of Slipperiness or an armor of Slickness (?), a high Escape Artist value or the Improved Grapple Feat.
Trip:
Tripping an opponent gives you better hit chances, more AOOs and costs the opponent his full attack. Especially useful if you are large, quarduped, a dwarf and/or have the Improved Trip feat.
Bullrush:
Bullrushing Opponents is an option that use and effectiveness is often depending on the battlefield. Opponents adjacent Chasmns, stairs (down), traps and walls invite you to bullrush them. Another, though difficult option is to break an enemy formation (if, as an example, you are surrounded by them).
Overrun:
Overruning Opponents is a good choice to get behind enemy lines, if you want to approach a distant target (usually archer or spellcaster).
Ranged weapons:
Ranged weapons are good choices in open spaces, and their is much distance to be covered. If you have allies that can reduce the speed of approaching enemies, this is optimal. If your enemies is within Point Blank Range, chances are good that you will be forced to either flee or switch to melee combat. Anyway, a good ranged weapon is a good way to soften up then enemies. Strong warriors should consider using thrown weapons instead of bows or crossbows, especially if you only want to attack in a surprise round.
Against archers, having a cover is a good protection (obviously), a mobile one is even better. (Like a Tower Shield, or an improvised cover - a wooden door or a weak opponent bullrushed towards the archer - or a better cover - can be a good idea.) If you can`t get a good cover, be fast to get to the archer (consider running, even if you lose your Dex Bonus to AC).
Even if you have many melee foes, it can still be a good idea to get near the archer (at best into your threat range).
Reach weapons:
This gives you a good chance to hold your opponents at bay, but it is useless in tight places where you become surrounded by them.
Against Reach weapons, careful 5 foot steps, getting the enemy into corners and disarming/sundering him of the weapon are all good choices, though the best probably is having one yourself.
Rage:
If you rage, you can try to compensate the AC loss by magic items or shields, or concentrate on dealing damage (and taking damage). For maximum benefit, it is a good idea to have as much attacks as possible to gain more from the extra damage (two weapon fighting, using reach weapons, Combat Reflexes and so on)
After your rage wears off, you are obviously severely weakened. Consider ending the encounter (without your death, prefereable) to regain it.
If the opponent rages, remember his low armor class and use power attack (or combat expertise, whatever you have.)
Try to avoid that your enemies can run away from you and wait until your rage wears off. (Unless this ends the encounter.)
If you are faster than him, you could also try to outrun him and wait until his Rage ends.
Whirlwind Attack:
A good way to improve a bad situation. Being flanked is bad, but having all attacks at full attack bonus might compensate for this. If you are good at a certain attack option (like Disarm, Sunder, Trip), consider using it now.
AOOs:
Combat Reflexes often surprises careless foes. If you don`t have combat reflexes, but have a good chance to get several chances in a round, think about which AOO you take. Some spellcasters (Bards, Ranger and Paladins especially) aren`t that good at casting on the defensive, and if you force them to do so, they have a high chance of losing the spell.
Usually it is best to avoid an AOO, but don`t let them completely inhibit your actions. If you have to move through threatened areas, do so - if you can`t attack, take a Defensive Stance or something like that.
Cleric as enemy:
Clerics usually need a certain amount of time to increase their combat abilities to comparable (or "uber") niveau, so if you hit them on surprise, they are usually easy targets. Obviously try to avoid that they can steadily heal themself. (Grapple is a good idea here).
If you didn`t chose him as a primary target, be sure that he has at least difficulties healing other party members.
If you can`t kill all of your enemies, but have a chance to drop at least one of them, the cleric is a good and nasty choice - they will be unable to heal themselves (or at least be severely weakened in this ability).
Wizards/Sorcerors as enemy:
Wizards and Sorcerors are weak if unprepared, and pose little problem during a grapple. (But they have effective defenses, like Fire Shield).
So try to surprise them. If you can`t, remember that some of the most dangerous agressive spells are area affected, so have some of his allies near you (though this has its own risks, if for an example near means you are surrounded by them). Other abilities rely on Ranged (Touch) attacks, so cover, being engaged in melee, or keeping them in your threat range is a good idea. A brooch of shielding is very nasty against low level wizards/sorceror. Since many spells also deal energy damage (the most common type fire), consider some protections against it. (Ring of Fire Resistance, Potions of Energy Protection and so on)
Wizards/Sorcerors have also another option of threatening you: by buffing their comrades. Enlare Person, Bull`s Strength, Cat´s Grace, Haste, Invisiblity are all good choices. Your best chances in this case are to find a way to avoid that the caster can cast these spells.
Flying Enemies:
This is one of the most dangerous kind of enemy if you can`t fly yourself.
There are some ways to work against it:
Fight indoors (or try to move there). It is more difficult to fly there, and chances are good that you can still get into melee range.
Use ranged weapons.
Take full cover. Feeling like a coward is better than being dead. (unless you are a Klingon, maybe)
If you ever get into melee range, grappling the enemy is a good choice.
Invisibile Enemies:
Similar to flying enemies, a very dangerous kind of enemy (at least if he still attacks you.)
Blind Fight gives you an improved chance to hit the target, a potion if invisibilty completely negates your problem.
If the enemy still uses melee attacks, you have a good chance to guess his position. Similar to flying enemies, grappling is a good choice if you can´t dispel or negate the invisibilty otherwise.
If you have a good magic weapon, consider sunder enemy weapons, especially if they use exotic weapons (usually, the really focus on this weapon, which means they probably also lose special weapons).
Sundering shields is also a good idea, but be careful - hitting can be easier, but if the enemy has power attack (3.5), you might regret it, since he can now take his weapon in both hands.
Nice targets for sundering are also: Wands (easy target), Staffs or Potions.
Since some opponents like to use this tactic against you, hold some spare weapons ready (or have Improved Unarmed / Spiked Gauntlets or whatever).
Disarm:
If you can`t sunder a weapon, disarm the opponent of his weapon.
If you were disarmed or had your weapon sundered, it might be an especially good idea to do so (still unarmed), because obviosuly the opponent`s weapon isn`t bad. (But if you`re evil, don`t take the Paladins Holy Avenger
)Countertactics are spare weapons and Locked Gauntlets.
Grapple:
Grappling opponents often cripple their combat abilities. They can`t use their weapons (at least effectively), and if you have the better Attack Bonus (you are the Big Bad Guy, hmm?), they have little chance against you.
But be sure to grapple the rogue first, because otherwise you will become subject to his sneak attack. (If there are two rogues in the group) and this will probably be worse than anything else that happens.
Wizards and Sorceror are usually easy targets for grapples.
Be prepared against grapplers by having Armor Spikes, Potion of Slipperiness or an armor of Slickness (?), a high Escape Artist value or the Improved Grapple Feat.
Trip:
Tripping an opponent gives you better hit chances, more AOOs and costs the opponent his full attack. Especially useful if you are large, quarduped, a dwarf and/or have the Improved Trip feat.
Bullrush:
Bullrushing Opponents is an option that use and effectiveness is often depending on the battlefield. Opponents adjacent Chasmns, stairs (down), traps and walls invite you to bullrush them. Another, though difficult option is to break an enemy formation (if, as an example, you are surrounded by them).
Overrun:
Overruning Opponents is a good choice to get behind enemy lines, if you want to approach a distant target (usually archer or spellcaster).
Ranged weapons:
Ranged weapons are good choices in open spaces, and their is much distance to be covered. If you have allies that can reduce the speed of approaching enemies, this is optimal. If your enemies is within Point Blank Range, chances are good that you will be forced to either flee or switch to melee combat. Anyway, a good ranged weapon is a good way to soften up then enemies. Strong warriors should consider using thrown weapons instead of bows or crossbows, especially if you only want to attack in a surprise round.
Against archers, having a cover is a good protection (obviously), a mobile one is even better. (Like a Tower Shield, or an improvised cover - a wooden door or a weak opponent bullrushed towards the archer - or a better cover - can be a good idea.) If you can`t get a good cover, be fast to get to the archer (consider running, even if you lose your Dex Bonus to AC).
Even if you have many melee foes, it can still be a good idea to get near the archer (at best into your threat range).
Reach weapons:
This gives you a good chance to hold your opponents at bay, but it is useless in tight places where you become surrounded by them.
Against Reach weapons, careful 5 foot steps, getting the enemy into corners and disarming/sundering him of the weapon are all good choices, though the best probably is having one yourself.
Rage:
If you rage, you can try to compensate the AC loss by magic items or shields, or concentrate on dealing damage (and taking damage). For maximum benefit, it is a good idea to have as much attacks as possible to gain more from the extra damage (two weapon fighting, using reach weapons, Combat Reflexes and so on)
After your rage wears off, you are obviously severely weakened. Consider ending the encounter (without your death, prefereable) to regain it.
If the opponent rages, remember his low armor class and use power attack (or combat expertise, whatever you have.)
Try to avoid that your enemies can run away from you and wait until your rage wears off. (Unless this ends the encounter.)
If you are faster than him, you could also try to outrun him and wait until his Rage ends.
Whirlwind Attack:
A good way to improve a bad situation. Being flanked is bad, but having all attacks at full attack bonus might compensate for this. If you are good at a certain attack option (like Disarm, Sunder, Trip), consider using it now.
AOOs:
Combat Reflexes often surprises careless foes. If you don`t have combat reflexes, but have a good chance to get several chances in a round, think about which AOO you take. Some spellcasters (Bards, Ranger and Paladins especially) aren`t that good at casting on the defensive, and if you force them to do so, they have a high chance of losing the spell.
Usually it is best to avoid an AOO, but don`t let them completely inhibit your actions. If you have to move through threatened areas, do so - if you can`t attack, take a Defensive Stance or something like that.
Cleric as enemy:
Clerics usually need a certain amount of time to increase their combat abilities to comparable (or "uber") niveau, so if you hit them on surprise, they are usually easy targets. Obviously try to avoid that they can steadily heal themself. (Grapple is a good idea here).
If you didn`t chose him as a primary target, be sure that he has at least difficulties healing other party members.
If you can`t kill all of your enemies, but have a chance to drop at least one of them, the cleric is a good and nasty choice - they will be unable to heal themselves (or at least be severely weakened in this ability).
Wizards/Sorcerors as enemy:
Wizards and Sorcerors are weak if unprepared, and pose little problem during a grapple. (But they have effective defenses, like Fire Shield).
So try to surprise them. If you can`t, remember that some of the most dangerous agressive spells are area affected, so have some of his allies near you (though this has its own risks, if for an example near means you are surrounded by them). Other abilities rely on Ranged (Touch) attacks, so cover, being engaged in melee, or keeping them in your threat range is a good idea. A brooch of shielding is very nasty against low level wizards/sorceror. Since many spells also deal energy damage (the most common type fire), consider some protections against it. (Ring of Fire Resistance, Potions of Energy Protection and so on)
Wizards/Sorcerors have also another option of threatening you: by buffing their comrades. Enlare Person, Bull`s Strength, Cat´s Grace, Haste, Invisiblity are all good choices. Your best chances in this case are to find a way to avoid that the caster can cast these spells.
Flying Enemies:
This is one of the most dangerous kind of enemy if you can`t fly yourself.
There are some ways to work against it:
Fight indoors (or try to move there). It is more difficult to fly there, and chances are good that you can still get into melee range.
Use ranged weapons.
Take full cover. Feeling like a coward is better than being dead. (unless you are a Klingon, maybe)
If you ever get into melee range, grappling the enemy is a good choice.
Invisibile Enemies:
Similar to flying enemies, a very dangerous kind of enemy (at least if he still attacks you.)
Blind Fight gives you an improved chance to hit the target, a potion if invisibilty completely negates your problem.
If the enemy still uses melee attacks, you have a good chance to guess his position. Similar to flying enemies, grappling is a good choice if you can´t dispel or negate the invisibilty otherwise.
