>Half your skills damage you, you dodge like a barn (Per Neppy)
>if you prep for bash

It's not like bash sucks if you're not trucking around max weight.

Think of bash with a reasonable carried weight as the standard, and bash at max weight being an option you have if you're willing to trade a lot of dodging for a little more bash effectiveness. 90% of the time, it is not a good trade, but it's an option you have when you need it.