Whips and spears on a thug for repelling?

[moderation]

Hi, I'm still trying out the demo and experimenting with making a thug. Would a Vine Whip be useful as a defensive weapon if it is able to entangle anyone who attacks? I tested this out, but I don't seem to entangle anyone who attacks. I thought combining this with a Vine Shield might be useful. The Vine Shield seems to well, but the whip by itself only entangles one enemy at the time.

On a related note, I've been trying out a Lightning Spear and it doesn't seem to be effective for repelling. Can someone clarify how repels work and what would be the a good defensive weapon? I've tried the Frost / Fire Brands and the Sword of Swiftness, which seems to be almost as effective while giving some extra defense. The thug in question has 20+ strength so it pretty much kills anything in one hit, but I'm wondering what weapon and equipment combo I can use to keep it alive and affliction free longer.