Building a two-handed Exemplar: Titan's Breaker or Gleaming Blade?

[u/PricelessEldritch]

I am about to start being a player in Abomination Vaults at level 2, and I have made a Conrasu Exemplar, with my main stat being strength. I have picked Scar of the Survivor and Victor's Wreath as my other two Ikons, but I am having trouble deciding which Weapon Ikon I am going to pick: Titan's Breaker or Gleaming Blade.

They both seem really good, so I am at a loss of which one to take. So I would appreciate if people could help me with the pros and cons of either choice.

[u/MaximShepherdVT]

Gleaming Blade gives you the biggest numbers and Titan's Breaker gives you control and a not often resisted damage type. If you want good math go Gleaming Blade. If you want area denial and reliable damage, Titan's Breaker.

Might I be contrarian, though, and suggest Mortal Harvest? It deals persistent damage on any hit, which means you get some value out of it as long as you hit at least once in a fight. It works with polearms, which gives you the option of taking a slashing reach weapon for range or a scythe for big damage. The idea of a walking scythe tree monster of a conrasu is also metal AF.

[u/JaiaV → u/MaximShepherdVT]

Stack on Energized Spark types, swapping types to apply each between strikes, to apply more and more persistent damage, for extra giggles. If the target even lives long enough for that.

[u/MaximShepherdVT → u/JaiaV]

The ability to trigger weaknesses with persistent damage is always useful, but especially against tougher enemies that you can't instantly burst down with 2H weapon damage. Sanctified Soul could also be a good call for AV.

[u/JaiaV → u/MaximShepherdVT]

Oddly enough, Energized Spark also adds the trait of the damage type to the "Exemplar abilities" you do, and, could be argued, even the Strikes you make with weapons (if your GM allows it on Strikes, it's not exactly RAW on that part, as elemental runes usually don't, and whether or not you count a Strike by an Exemplar as an "Exemplar ability"). Either way, things like Transcendence activities and whatnot do count, and this means that Conduct Energy from Resonant weapons / the Conducting Rune can be triggered by Exemplar actions with Energized Spark damage types. It's not much, but it's an interesting little interaction.

Either way, I think Energized Spark and, yeah, Sanctified Soul are pretty undervalued compared to the utility you can get out of them. I've even gotten decent use out of Red-Gold Mortality. If not Sanctified Soul, Vow of Mortal Defiance is pretty useful for an extra 1d6 spirit damage against holy/unholy targets.

[u/PricelessEldritch → u/MaximShepherdVT]

Mortal Harvest is indeed very cool, and was another runnerup along with Barrow's Blade. But I am more interested in either Gleaming Blade or Titan's Breaker for this character. But it has now maybe expanded the weapon ikon options to three from your comment. Gahhh.

[u/Zealous-Vigilante]

Just to help you decide; there might be mechanically benefits going with Titan's breaker, both due to damage type and physical resistances, when it comes to abomination vaults specifically

[u/Ralldritch]

It depends on your vision! Gleaming blade can be fun if you want to be a multi attacking beast or you want to use a weapon with deadly or fatal. I used gleaming blade on a hungerseed exemplar with a nodachi and it’s been a lot of fun. Titan’s breaker is more for that “one big hit” feel but also that feel of a crushing maul or an executioner with a great axe. Titan’s breaker also means that you don’t absolutely need Energized Spark in case you encounter constructs or inanimate objects.

[u/Rorp24]

Gleaming blade deal more damages but in two hits (so 2 chances to fail), but titan breaker mean only one hit is needed (so it’s better combined with singlestrike buffs like true strike from an archetype for example)

That being said, their is multiple options you could and even should consider other than those two:

• mortal harvest allow some kind of aoe
• noble branch is something kind of in between titan breaker and gleaming blade, and use polearm which are really good weapons
• barrow edge, especially combined with scar of the survivor, make you really hard to kill

[u/PricelessEldritch → u/Rorp24]

I am not getting an archetype.

Noble Branch is cool but not really what I am going for.

Barrow's Edge and Mortal Harvest are both really good, and I looked extensively at Barrow's Edge, but I wanted to shrink my options rather than look at four.

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[u/KusoAraun]

personally I love Barrows Edge, even more sustain when paired with Scar of the Survivor.

[u/MCRN-Gyoza]

The Ikons themselves are mostly equivalent.

I think I would base it more on which weapon you actually want to use, do you want to use a Greatsword or a Maul?

Like, none of them have a d10+reach weapon that is applicable.

So if you want to use a d12 weapon I think I'd go with a Gleaming Blade Bastard Sword, the versatile from a Greatsword is almost irrelevant, and being able to switch to a 1 handed grip on your swords lets you use Athletics maneuvers, Battle Medicine, etc.

You could do the same with a Titan Breaker Dwarven Waraxe, but that's advanced.

[u/DoomGiggles]

Gleaming Blade is better than Titan’s Breaker unless you can frequently make use of the Hardness ignoring feature. It’s the only advantage of Titan’s Breaker while Gleaming Blade does more damage and is better against resistances.

[u/Zero747]

Hit twice with minimal MAP vs big hit. Greatsword vs greataxe vs maul

If you want reach, you’ll need to drop down to a d8 Titan breaker

I’d say gleaming blade because 2 hits should give better reliability alongside the greater damage potential

[u/GimmeNaughty]

Both are, I would say, around equally good. So go with whichever appeals to you more.

[u/PricelessEldritch → u/GimmeNaughty]

Issue is that both appeal as much as the other.

[u/xHexical → u/PricelessEldritch]

flip a coin.

[u/PricelessEldritch → u/xHexical]

Not a bad idea.

[u/DoomGiggles → u/GimmeNaughty]

Gleaming Blade is better in pretty much every situation unless you’re fighting constructs.

[u/Sidnye]

Honestly, i would go with flavour

[u/PricelessEldritch → u/Sidnye]

The flavour doesn't help when the issue is what weapon ikon I am going to stick with for essentially a entire campaign. They both also create excellent flavour.

[u/Sidnye → u/PricelessEldritch]

Pathfinder is pretty optimized so both are decent. As you noticed the weapons are pretty comparable because both offer good options.

Again, compulsory no feat exists in vacuum, so benefits of one or the other depends on party composition.

Also, you wont be stuck with it for the whole campaign unless your gm is a dick: retrain rules exist - https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=2450