Spiked Shield = win (I think)

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

There is a problem with the tempest fighter and spiked shield: the tempest fighter gets TWD as a bonus feat. Why bother burning a feat on a shield, whose AC/Reflex bonus doesn't stack with the TWD feat?

 

[eamon]

Remember that only one of a double sword's attacks acts as an off-hand weapon (see the shaded text on AV p.10), so the double sword-wielding tempest fighter is using only a single off-hand weapon, just like a bastard sword + spiked shield tempest fighter. The difference is that the bastard sword wielder is doing more damage with his main attack.

This isn't how I read the shaded text. Sure, you've got two ends, but the shaded bit doesn't say the off-hand keyword doesn't apply. The distinction between primary and off-hand end is made for purposes of the enchantment. I see how you could argue that the "primary" end of the weapon isn't an off-hand weapon, but the text doesn't come right out and say that, right?

Beyond that basic question anyhow, my previous post was looking at the AC of a bastard sword wielder, which is one higher than your previous analysis since you don't need to take the tempest path and can thus use scale mail.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Double postage

 

[Saeviomagy]

Why would a non-tempest fighter be using a spiked shield at all? Do you really have so many empty feat slots lying around that you want to spend one just so you can spend another on getting +1 damage with your bastard sword? It's not like you're ever going to attack with the spiked shield if you don't have powers that specifically call for off-hand attacks.

You don't have to be a tempest fighter to use the two-weapon attack power.

 

[boolean]

You can also place enchantments on the spiked shield whereas the double sword can only have 1 enchantment on the main end....

OTOH, the double sword gets the enhancement on the off-hand end for free. I'd call that a wash between the two options.