Seeker-Ranger hybrid: +1 Dwarven Thrower vs. +2 vanilla vs. other

[Joshua Randall]

Playing a 4e Seeker-Ranger hybrid using throwing weapons modeled on [MENTION=12749]MwaO[/MENTION] 's miscibility table guidebook. Using battleaxe main-hand and handaxe off-hand, so far. Currently 3rd level. Game has turned out to be extremely magic item stingy for RP reasons, so this might be the last time my character finds a magic item for a while.

I have the opportunity to take a Common or Uncommon item up to level 5 *or* a +2 vanilla magic weapon. So that means: a +1 dwarven thrower weapon, or a +2 vanilla weapon, or something else (see below for the 'else' items).

I see a lot of advice that this type of character benefits from a Dwarven Thrower weapon. Pop it on a Waraxe or an Ugrosh and you get to throw a much bigger dX than the wimpy handaxe's d6. Plus claim the +1 attack with a 'thrown' weapon from the Seeker.

Alternatively a +2 vanilla handaxe would of course have a higher attack/damage than a +1 anything else.

Other items I've looked at are:

Shadowdance Armor - to be able to RBA (Biting Swarm) or Throw & Stab from in melee without provoking OAs.

Power Jewel - to be able to use Off-Hand Strike (Ranger's minor action Encounter power attack) twice in a key encounter.

Thoughts?

 

[MwaO]

I'd probably look at getting a throwable +2 weapon that you can use with everything. Big dice when you mostly 1w attacks vs +1 to hit/damage on almost all your attacks makes it reasonably simple I think.

Big question is dagger vs hand axe - light blade expertise, if you can trigger it, is really valuable...

 

[Joshua Randall]

I was afraid you were going to say that. I often claim to want to take interesting magic items but the maximum plus always wins out in the end.

The party isn't very CA-generative so I'd have to make my own to take advantage (heh!) of Light Blade Expertise. I might stick with Axe Expertise as my one nod to RP-over-optimization.

 

[MwaO]

I might also actually look at Weapon of Speed - free minor action encounter RBA that's a Seeker power ought to be valuable too.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Weapon of Speed is a Rare and unfortunately my DM is being a stickler about the Rarity rules.

I promised to bring pizza for a month but he still wasn't budging. Ah well. I will continue my 30 year saga of never actually having that one item I really wanted. (AD&D ring of the ram I'm looking at you.) (No I don't remember why I wanted that item so much.)

 

[masteraleph]

Rebounding Weapon is interesting and Uncommon- 1/encounter, if you miss an enemy, make an RBA against a different enemy. I assume that one of your primary stats is WIS. It sounds like the other may be STR; if so, make sure you use it on something Heavy Thrown (maybe Handaxe for now, or Drow Long Knife if you have a feat lying around for Superior Weapon Proficiency).