Kinda doesn't work out the way you'd think.

So when I first played, I used Co8 to increase party size, thinking this gives you an edge. And it does, sort of. With a bigger party, it's easier to get a well rounded team, couple of healers, couple of mass destruction casters and a couple of front line tanks. You'll find use for most items you come across, yay!

But then I tried with a smaller party. Currently having fun with a party of 3. Maybe not the optimal choices but I like them.

At the temple with:
Human male LG Paladin1/Cleric6
Human male LG Paladin7
Elven female CG Thief1/Ranger1/Wizard5

The thing is, there's so much money and loot and XP when you only split 3 ways! I could afford plate mail for the paladin when clearing out moathouse. Now he's whacking about with a +2 holy greatsword!! (decided to forgo glaives this time)
Was expensive, but affordable when I can pawn a bunch of magic weapons and items that'd otherwise go to secondary tanks.

With extra XP, I seem to be constantly a couple of levels above that of a normal full party. Maybe more. The going seems actually easier this way, much like in Icewind Dale.

PS. turns out you can't craft a weapon that's bot holy and axiomatic. :(

Turns out you indeed can make holy axiomatic weapons.
(2d6 against evil + 2d6 against chaos works out real nice in the temple).
Greatsword worked fine enough, but really missed the reach!

Much as in the beginning, everything was pretty easy with a small high level party.
Still couple of hellishly difficult fights, but the endboss went down just like that.

Somehow broke the additional content and didn't see Verbobonc this time either,
nor anything after that. And it seems there's yet another Co8 patch out there,
so guess I'll try yet again someday soon...

Ps. Now, on my n:th playthgough I first realize you can use a 2-handed weapon and a buckler at the same time!

Nice (you bozo). Good to hear that you're still learning!

IIRC, the buckler AC only counts when the 2-handed weapon bearer doesn't attack that turn. Still worth having.

o____O

Whoa! I've even found a couple of masterwork bucklers and enchanted the heck out of them. Attack every turn as well...

Decided to jump right back with another even smaller party, consisting of

Rogue/Fighter (about 1/3 rogue and 2/3 fighter),
glaive + combat reflexes + great cleave + whirlwind attack + weapon specialization + improved criticals
= oh honking bells of heaven! God almighty of destruction!

Druid/Barbarian (only 2 levels of barbarian, mostly for fun & flavour, also for weapon proficiencies and extra HP)

The start was as steep as anything ever, and ding dang bzoing if the Co8 slavers weren't a tough nut, but mostly it's been... surprisingly easy. And there's a certain buahahahaaa invelved when summoning large elementals on surprised ogres, or when the fighter whirlwind-cleaves half a tribe of bugbears on the first round.