In my opinion, Desert Wind isn't so much about the damage as it is about the mobility. There's quite a few maneuvers that provide movement modes not otherwise readily available. Combine with Shadow Hand's teleportation options, and you can basically go wherever you want on the battlefield. Desert Wind also has some very nice damage boosts if you like those - and yes, fire damage is resisted by a lot of things, but quite a few things are also very vulnerable to it. When in the desert, don't ready those maneuvers (Swordsages have so many maneuvers known, you'll have other options). When in the arctic, OTOH, abuse that fire damage.
Also, at low levels (before you're only fighting demons and stuff), Desert Wind can really shine nicely.
It doesn't get much mobility, though. Wind Stride sucks, Leaping Flame is cool but kind of high level, and IMO is mostly outdone by shadow hand teleporting and Setting Sun's reactive movement abilities. The charge that lets you briefly fly into the air is definitely handy, no argument there. If only it allowed you to hover there each round so long as you hit the enemy at least once and then once defeated allowed you to jump to another airborne enemy...it'd be like playing Shinobi *drools*
Shadow Hand is actually a bit weak, I think. The various utility maneuvers are mostly stances, except for the excellent teleportation maneuvers. This can be good or bad, depending, but won't be only good in combat (out of combat, it's a different story). The sneak attack enhancing stuff can be nice, but depends on staying in Assassin's Stance. The ability damage maneuvers are utter crap for the level and shouldn't be used at all. The supernatural 'noose' maneuvers aren't worth it at their level: single target, mediocre damage blasts with an attack roll attached.
The shadow garrote is mostly nice compared to other low level ranged attacks (like Fan the Flames, also 3rd level) because it has 60 ft range, not 30 or less. Also unlike DW maneuvers, it's untyped damage, not fire. On a class without martial ranged proficiencies, I've found it to be handy. Every Swordsage ever has Adaptive Style, so you don't go into the fight with it readied, you switch it in if the need arises. Otherwise yeah, SH strikes almost universally suck, I think the high level ones are ok, though. It does have great boosts and stances.
Setting Sun throws - I'll go against SotS's otherwise excellent analysis here - aren't really advertising use by weak halflings except through one artwork. The throws are a unique and fun way to go about battlefield control as a meleer IMO. Being big and strong is mostly what melee combat is about anyway, so I've got no gripes there. The movement-based counters are nice in concept, but seem rather situational to me, I'd rather use the aforementioned disciplines for movement options.
If you read the legacy weapon section for Setting Sun ("Eventide," iirc), the entire story is about a halfling or small boy, I forget, pwning a bunch of giants. The legacy weapons delve into the history of the discipline and its themes, so I think that's significant. Also, SS often talks about using the foe's size and strength against them or at least nullifying it. But, while the throws can use dex or str for you...enemies can still use str even if you choose dex, and both sides still apply the normal size modifiers (ie, bigger is better). Most damning, RAW you still can't throw anything more than one size larger than you, due to trip rules. YMMV, but to me the discipline was supposed to be about technique overcoming size, and it failed miserably. Add to that how the swordsage class seems designed to be a light skirmisher type with powerful quick strikes, and...it just doesn't mesh at all. I wish SS was a Warblade discipline, as written it'd work far better with them.
Diamond Mind is a fantastic discipline! Even if you only use the save-replacing counters (you'll only need two of those, since your Ref saves will be high anyway), you'll win out big time. But if you're already doing those, and getting a good Concentration check, you can as well put it to use with some of the fantastic strikes in this discipline. Obviously, those strikes will shine the most when facing high AC opponents, but you will also force the occasional massive damage save. Hearing the Air is a great stance that deserves special mention.
DM is amazing, one of the best disciplines. Great strikes at almost all levels, some of the best counters (swordsage has good will as well, only Mind Over Body is really needed), and nice high level stances. Low level stances and boosts are lacking, but...can't have everything.
Tiger Claw is about damage, pure and simple, and offers some nice ways of piling it up even when moving first. If you have a damage boost from some source (such as sneak attack, Knowledge Devotion, Inspire Courage etc.), Tiger Claw's many attacks will let you do lots of it. I haven't found much use in the stances offered, though (except for the one granting Scent at 1st level!).
Agreed. And there's tons of strikes for 2H weapon users if you want to ignore the TWF-oriented parts. I think the 8th level stance is actually really good, a free 5 ft step each time you're missed really helps with the skirmishing. And I can't overstate how great Sudden Leap is, it's worth burning a "wasted" maneuver on Wolf Fang Strike for (swap later), just to access it. I've used it when I just needed a bit more distance to reach an enemy, to do a fake "Spring Attack" with a strike maneuver, and more.
[sblock]Hmm...random thought/question: You can use free and swift actions in the middle of other actions...against a "self-destruct when defeated" enemy, could you use Sudden Leap after giving the kill shot to avoid the explosion? Far as I can tell, both RAW and Rule of Cool point to yes.[/sblock]
Stone Dragon is advertised as bad, bad, bad, since you have to touch the ground to use its maneuvers. At the mid to high levels, this cramps your style quite a bit. The stances often require you to not move at all, which sucks even more. However, some of the strikes are pretty solid (pun intended...), escpecially the Mountain Hammer line. Ignore any kind of DR? Yes, please! Also, Charging Minotaur is a nice movement-without-AoOs option.
The stances do allow you to 5 ft step, and you can always move then swift action reactivate, but it's still really annoying. Charging Minotaur is nice, but the other two classes can just take the superior Battle Leader's Charge for non-provoking charges. And the best part of Mountain Hammer is that, unlike Foehammer (otherwise identical except Devoted Spirit and thus not tied to the ground), it ignores all DR
and hardness. I use it as much out of combat than in, to destroy obstacles and such. A few weeks ago, the party found a room with an adamantine door. My character hacked it up into ingots for a whole lot of unexpected (for the DM) bonus treasure.
Two other SD strikes deserve special mention. The 9th level one, Mountain Tombstone Strike, is actually decent and more importantly, has NO required maneuvers known! Great to add on to any high level PC who's run out of other 9th level maneuvers he can qualify for. Crushing Vise at level six is the other. Should you run into a ground-bound foe by those levels, by all means swap it into your readied pile. If you hit, the foe cannot move at all for one round, no save.
