Shattered Kingdoms

I don't believe that swashes need that much of a buff. Weapons which are unparryable are weaker than parryable weapons as a whole (bandalores being the exception to the rule, and all but two of them have been heavily nerfed), and taunt gives swashies an edge above every other warrior class in that they can force any PC to stay in the room regardless of aura/class/formation/etc. The fly penalty to hit was also more of a buff to swashes than the other melee classes, in the sense that in order to keep yourself from being trip-locked by a swashie in melee, you are forced to take a hit to accuracy.

Could swashies use a buff? I couldn't say, I've only played a barb and merc, and those to a limited extent. But judging from the capability of current and past swashbucklers in the game, I'm inclined to say that they're just fine.

It's not like they don't get skills like retreat, and rallying cry, and ranged weaponry, several things that give them an edge over barbarians tactically speaking.

Taunt has so many flaws. I wouldn't even be surprised if an MR kit makes a character immune to it.

I'll also remind everybody that mercenaries at one point had berserk as well. While they may not be the strongest in melee combat, they've enough tricks to make up what they lack, and I suggest the removal of enhanced parry from mercenaries so that they don't gain the same benefits that are aimed at buffing the swashbuckler class from the pansies that they currently are.

I've had no trouble murdering swashbucklers with flails, whips, and bandalores. They're the only melee class that doesn't get to use shields, they have to wear light armor (which is useless against accurate weapons), they do not have access to reasonable reach weapons, and if they do choose to use weapons that can reach they lose out on the benefits of dual wield and multiple attacks, and they also have no defense against ranged combat.

Do I think that this will overpower them? No, I'm still of the opinion that a shield is going to be better than removing enhanced parry from mercs, and the swashbuckler still isn't going to gain the benefit of using shields at all. They're still not going to be as good as the barbarian or mercenary, but at least they'll have a fighting chance, or in other words, they'll be competitive.

Also, I'm not sure if you've played a paladin or hellion, but a mercenary is going to outperform both classes in melee due to specialize and fourth attack.

Not to mention bash.

My suggestion wasn't to say that they aren't already somewhat easy to disarm. But don't whips have a bonus to disarming or some such? I was suggesting giving swashbucklers some sort of innate bonus like that. And perhaps to be able to disarm anyone who has a focused melee attack on them.. If you can't already. Actually haven't ever tried to disarm someone who's reaching from behind a guard but I assume you can't.

Kinda like that, you mean?

My last paladin beat a priest/merk/swash combo alone, but she was fistie, so she was badass.

I would be so ashamed if I couldn't beat a fistie anything as a merc alone, unless it involved a missed bash.

A missed bash, a taunt(fisties hit harder with taunt), and a throw:P

Not really, to me it doesn't sound like a bonus to disarming, just as it says "Making up for familiarity" as in putting them at the same level of disarming as anyone else would be if they'd mastered the weapon. Course maybe I'm wrong.

That is a bonus to disarming.