WFRP The Perfect Warrior?

I was looking at the various Warrior careers in WFRP and working out the best career route for maximizing our melee combat skills.  This is intended for Humans and Elves since Dwarves get their own personal advanced career in Giant Slayer and Hobbits should not be battle-masters given there terrible combat characteristics.

  • WS, Str and Attacks give us the best damage output.
  • Toughness, Wounds and Initiative improve our defense.

Getting +2 / +30% is available in many careers but the final bonus to get +3 /+40% has a single advanced career available for most characteristics.  The notable exception is Toughness.  I prefer going with Duelist over Outlaw Chief for the additional mental characteristics as well as career exits.

Starting careers are random but the advanced Careers we want form a nice circle letting us move around from any starting point.  I have rated the basic careers based on becoming the perfect warrior; some of them are a little better if you have other progression in mind.  If you do end up with a 1-2 Star career this wastes an advance picking another basic option before starting your advanced journey.  Humans have 55% and Elves 65% of getting a 3 Star or better start.  I have listed the career exit for each to start our journey.

Basic Career Rating Career Exit
Noble 4 Star Free Lance
Squire 5 Star
Outlaw 5 Star Highwayman
Pit Fighter 5 Star Judicial Champion
Protagonist 4 Star
Watchman 2 Star
Marine 3 Star Mercenary Sgt
Mercenary 3 Star
Soldier 3 Star
Seaman 2 Star Basic Warrior
(pick a 5 star option)
Bodyguard 2 Star
Labourer 1 Star
Militiaman 1 Star
Servant 1 Star

The key skills we want are : Disarm; Dodge Blow; Strike to Stun; Strike to Injure; Strike Mighty Blow; Special Weapon - Net; Two-handed, Parrying; Street Fighting.

Net includes duelling cloaks and, historically accurately, we can use it as a shield or to entangle an opponent.  Parrying weapons includes sword-breakers which together with Disarm gives options to remove opponents weapons.  With maximum weapon skill an Elven Warrior has a ~65% chance to disarm (you have to hit twice using a single attack) with humans being a little behind on ~56%.  Strike to Stun is a weak skill but it is another tool at our disposal for the occasional use.





Career
Free Lance WS +30; S +3; T+1; W+4; I +20; A +2
This is our Strength boost.  Either our first or last career in the chain.  If we start here it also gives 7/9 of our combat skills.  Other the Str there is nothing better than what is offered by being a Champion meaning we do not need to get all advances before moving on.

Merc Sgt
 None!
Most likely our starting point 1/4 men and 1/3 Elves have this as career exit.  We pick up Street Fighting and then move on to be a Champion.  It is not worth spending the 20 advanced to become an actual Captain.  If we have a low strength we can go in the opposite direction to Free Lance but will have to eventually waste an advancement to come back here before moving on.

Judicial Champion
 WS +40; S +1; T+1; W+6; I +20; A +2
Max weapon skill and most of the combat skills we want are here.  An important pick here is Special Weapon - Net as it does not come up again for a while.  We also want Two Handed Weapon skill allowing us to use a Bastard Sword single handed.

Duelist
 T+3; Int +30; CL +30
This is our Toughness boost and an option on some mental stats.  This career gives access to six of our nine combat skills if we did not get them elsewhere.

Assassin
 W+6; I +30; A +3
Max Attacks and stealth skills (to be more than a one dimensional battle bunny).  Amusingly trappings include net but you do not get the skill to use it.

Witch Hunter
 W+6; I +30; WP +40
This is just a stepping stone to the other combat careers but does give the option for Willpower.  The other chance to get Net skill if we did not take it earlier.

Templar
 W+8; I +30;
A couple of extra wounds and the chance to learn to read.  If we finish here there is the option to join the clergy.

Free Lance
 S +3 ; Ld +30; Cl +30
This is our Strength boost.  Either first or last career in the chain.  Extra mental characteristics can be taken if we did not pick them up before.

Highwayman
 I +40; Fel +30
If we want the final boost to Initiative we need to be a Highwayman.  Outlaws can start here; Duelists can spent three advances to make a round trip, picking up the extra characteristic on the way, or we can just do a double hop from Merc Sgt when we have finished our main career circuit.


Image Credits 

Images from historic fencing manual on Quora

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