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I'm trying to build a rapier fighter for and upcoming forum game and since its generally unusual concept for a defender I would like a bit of opinions if it will do well. Unfortunately its not as swashbucklish as I would like, with a heavy shield in the right hand, but its an unusual character anyway so the shield is not so out of place. It's a 24 point buy game. So... The party is made of Inspiring Warlord, Brutal Rogue, Artful Rogue and Paladin. So no controller, hence this build tried to cover some of its functions.

Bugbear Fighter: One-Handed Weapon Talent Option
Paragon Path: Swordmaster
Epic Destiny: Demigod
Abilities: Str 18 Con 12 Dex 18 Int 8 Wis 12 Cha 10
All dual increases go to Str and Dex.

Feats:
1. Weapon Proficiency: Rapier
2. Toughness
4. Sneak of Shadows
6. Skill Training (Bluff)
8. Acolyte Power
10. Wintertouched
11. Lasting Frost
12. Defensive Advantage
14. Distracting Shield
16. Adept Power
18. Shield Specialization
20. Weapon Focus (Light Blades)
21. Nimble Blade
22. Triumphant Attack
24. Surprise Knockdown
26. Power Attack
28. Evasion
30. Iron Will or whatever - game over anyway.

I actually intend to delay toughness and get some other feat before than, but I would probably chicken out and take it before the game starts.

Powers:
1. AW: Cleave, Tide of Iron; E: Phasing Attack, Predatory Eye, Sneak Attack; D-Villain's Menace.
2. U:No Opening.
3. E: Rain of Blows.
5. D: Rain of Steel
6. U: Unbreakable
7: E: Come And Get it
9: D: Thicket of Blades
10: U: No Opening
11: pE: Precision Cut
12: pU: Fantastic Flourish
13: E: [s]Precision CutStorm of Blows
15: D: [s]Rain of SteelBloody Path (Rogue)
16: U: Raise the Stakes (Rogue)
17: E: [s]Phasing AttackWarrior's Challenge
19: D: [s]Thicket of BladesDevastation's Wake
20: pD: Crescendo Sword
22: U: No Surrender
23: E: [s]Warrior's ChallengeFangs of Steel
25: D: [s]Villain's MenaceReaper's Stance
26: eU: Divine Regeneration
27: E: [s]Come and Get itCruel Reaper
29: D: [s]Devastation's wakeForce of Battle

The advantages I can see in the build.
High initiative. High reflex save. Competitive AC. High AoE Damage Output. High Chance to hit (Rapier, Nimble Blade, CA).
Disadvantages:
Low Con, Low will save, Low Healing Surges, no damage on miss, Low Single Target Damage Output.

Memorable Combos: The most suitable AoE attack to mark all enemies around (The build has many) and spend action point for bloody path making them hit themselves and hitting them with AoO in return since they are marked.
Raise the Stakes + Cruel Reaper is almost guaranteed crit... refreshing Cruel Reaper again and knocking few enemies prone and penalizing them with triumphant attack.

Any comments? I've never played a game past the first few levels so have no idea how viable this build will be, compared to a vanilla hammer iron vanguard or something.

P.S: The more I think about it, the less Raise the Stakes seems to be worth it, since it costs me two feats for a beneficial effect that can be halfway duplicated without the drawbacks and with much more added win from reaper's stance. So probably will retrain skill focus bluff and acolyte power for power attack and nimble blade latter on, and then latter take blade opportunity and epic resurgence or something.

You may want to check out some of the new exploits in the recently released Dragon article. Good synergy to a light-blade wielding fighter as most of them add +att or +dam equal to your Dex modifier. Also some that use Strength vs Reflex...

Are you planning on using Hide or Scale? Armor specializations?

Bugger... I was under the delusion that there is no limit on the combat challenge attacks, because its a case of specific against general rule and the limit of immediate interrupts and reaction has the purpose to limit the powers you can use during your opponent's turn.

As for the rapier against heavy blade... 1st the rapier is part of the character flavor, 2nd the rapier gives me pretty awesome rain of blows, 3rd I don't find heavy blade opportunity that appealing for non iron vanguard strength user, 4th I prefer nimble blade over scimitar dance since hitting>damage on miss in my opinion an nimble rapier has +2 attack over dancing scimitar.

Light Blade Mastery is easy to get, but as far as I know it doesn't stack with reaper's stance... though it probably is worth it nonetheless.

Btw, what is the Containing Strike that the Swordmaster Paragon Path speaks of?

Merchant_of_Shadows wrote:

Bugger... I was under the delusion that there is no limit on the combat challenge attacks, because its a case of specific against general rule and the limit of immediate interrupts and reaction has the purpose to limit the powers you can use during your opponent's turn.

No shame in this. I think this about the most common misunderstanding out there. BAD writing! BAAD!

Merchant_of_Shadows wrote:

As for the rapier against heavy blade... 1st the rapier is part of the character flavor, 2nd the rapier gives me pretty awesome rain of blows, 3rd I don't find heavy blade opportunity that appealing for non iron vanguard strength user, 4th I prefer nimble blade over scimitar dance since hitting>damage on miss in my opinion an nimble rapier has +2 attack over dancing scimitar.

Good point. I hadn't noticed the +2. Although in many cases it will be +1, having +2 for daily powers is very nice. And rain of blows is just broken.

Merchant_of_Shadows wrote:

Light Blade Mastery is easy to get, but as far as I know it doesn't stack with reaper's stance... though it probably is worth it nonetheless.

No it doesn't stack. But reapers stance is a level 25 daily. So you won't have it for four levels. Plus, you do fight more than one significant battle per day, don't you?