Little Thom

Little Thom, NPC
Nation: Ascalon Born in: Unknown Age: Unknown

Little Thom is first seen as a skill trainer for warriors in Barradin's Estate in pre-searing Ascalon. Later in post-searing, he is mentioned by Farrah Cappo in Piken Square as someone who deserted the Ascalon forces that were being rampaged by the Charr. She has you attempt to deliver a message to him in The Red-Cloaked Deserter quest.

At a Glance
Origin: Ascalon Army, first seen at Barradin's Estate, first hirable at Yak's Bend

Profession: Brawler (Axe Warrior)

Armament: Axe and Round Shield

Pros Cons
 * Can take a beating.
 * Deals a fair amount of damage.
 * Stefan is slightly better defensively.
 * Has a little deserter in him. Little Thom (unlike Stefan or Devona) has a tendency to back away if severely damaged to try and heal himself or get healing.
 * Has same pathing issues as Stefan.

Known Skills

 * Balanced Stance
 * Executioner's Strike
 * Healing Signet
 * Resurrection Signet
 * Sprint
 * Swift Chop
 * Wild Blow

From Dragon's Lair on:
 * "Charge!" (replaces Sprint)

Behavior
Little Thom is described as a "Brawler" henchman. He carries an axe and charges into battles as soon as they are initiated. He is most useful to supplement a party lacking in high-damage Warriors. Be aware that if not already fighting, Little Thom immediately engages any enemy that attacks a party member, be it by ranged attacks, spells or melee. This means of course he will very often rush right into the middle of an enemy group, drawing the attention of more enemies. He is also very reluctant to back off an enemy and retreat; you will have to run away quite far before he stops fighting and begins trying to catch up. Tactics like luring small groups of mobs away from a larger host are very difficult when Little Thom is involved and next to impossible if it comes to ranged attackers.

Tips
Little Thom is a fair alternative to Stefan with higher damage and a little less defensive strength. If you are not a warrior, it may be more effective to take both of them. By taking both they manage to corner enemies and hold their attention better, and of course if one dies you still have another tank to fall back on.