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I've always been iffy about the interpretation that Mobile Challenge lets you shift after the triggering opponent does, "following" him as it were. So I built this Brawler partly as a different way to stuff shift+charge escapes from L1, as well as to be a cool, flavourful lockdown defender. (no DSCS or HOFL  content used).

"Vampiricus Maximus" Show

Note as well that I haven't kitted him out with magic equipment.

His  main shtick during Heroic when proper grabs are hard to come by is  Weapon Master's Strike with a spear. It allows him to make an OA as well  as a CC attack when his target shifts... and the OA he will make is  Grappling Strike.

So if an enemy tries to shift away, he takes 2  attacks and is grabbed, ending his movement.

Trip Up (and later Tangle  Up) provide an easy means of establishing a Pin Down when an enemy tries  to violate his mark. Now an enemy that tries to shift away finds himself eating 3 retaliation attacks, being proned and pinned.

The Undying Warrior ED, as well as being  flavourful, also provides him a way of recharging his surges, which he  will be spending multiple times per encounter with his rechargeable  Blood Drain.

Comments and criticism welcome.

Neat. See sig =).

Oct 5, 2011 -- 7:34PM, Alcestis wrote:

Um, what is their to be iffy about? Mobile Challenge goes off as a reaction (in terms of timing) to the II that is Combat Challenge, meaning it goes off before the actual shift resolves. Is that a popular interpretation? I've never even seen that question asked....

If I'm reading you right, I agree with you? What I'm objecting is the interpretation that you can "chase" an enemy with Mobile Challenge.

Mobile Challenge states:
"After you hit an enemy with a melee basic attack granted by your Combat Challenge class feature, you can shift 1 square."

There's nothing there to say that the triggering shift occurs first. The way I'd interpret the order is:

Enemy decides to shift
Combat Challenge (interrupt) goes off
Mobile Challenge (specifically states it happens after Combat Challenge) goes off, and you shift
Enemy shifts

But besides interpretations of Mobile Challenge's wording, what do people think of my brawler?

Well, I think it's been done before (Bob, the Bloody Brawler in my sig has the same class, race, PP, ED, most of the same powers) almost exactly, barring a few minor differences. It's a powerful build.

For advice:
As a Brawler, your Fort should be nearly unbeatable. That means typically taking an 18 in Str, moreso if you plan to use a +2 prof weapon.

Decide if Dex or Wis is your secondary, and pump only that (don't touch Con). The Fort feat is nice in heroic (which you dont have), but I'd drop it for Improved Defenses (lose one fort, gain Will and Reflex? Sold). Epic Fort in Epic is interesting, I usually take it, depends how often mobs break free.

I don't think Improved Grab is worth it (only works on standard action grab attacks and Body Shield), moreso if you use a Spear (Grasping Weapon is *amazing*).

His NADs are bad because he is missing the proper feat/item/stats bonus. With Improved Defenses, item bonus, proper stat allocation and maybe Epic Reflex/Will, its looking a bit better.

So yea, take a 18/14/11 array (Str/Wis/Dex), pump ONLY Str and Wis, take some better feats and items. Power selection is solid.

Oct 5, 2011 -- 11:11PM, Khan_the_Destroyer wrote:

Actually, there has been debate regarding Mobile Challenge. It is commonly stated to hinder a monster's shift+charge option because the fighter can 'chase' the monster with Mobile Challenge and stop the charge with Combat Superiority.

...That works anyway. You shift adjacent to where the monster was going to shift. Now it shifts. Still adjacent. If it charges, you can hit it with an OA. It hinders Shift+Charge when used correctly and, apparently, when used incorrectly so that can't possibly be the reason.

@Rathyr: I accounted for everything but an item bonus. Still low (two NADs under 40 low).