WSG works really well in tandem with someone else generating slow/immobilize or with multi attacks. You could also go WSG with a DB Hammer+Shield Fighter|Warden. Slow/immobilize/prone, daily forms and come and get it, crippling crush, shield push, bashing shield and hindering shield with draconic arrogance. All good stuff.
Iron Vanguard was the planned PP. HAven't decided on an ED yet. What would be some useful things I would get access to from MCing Warden?
I had planned to pump Str/Con the whole way. Superior Will would be nice, but I think the head slot item (whose name escapes me right now) that does the same thing will work just fine.
My feat list is always one of the first things I start looking at once I've settled on a design concept and a base class, and I need to shorten my list right now.
Mostly Crioppling Crush - Con modifier extra damage whenever you slow or immobilize with a Weapon attack using hammer or mace. Then there are a couple options, but that's pretty much a regular addition to the push/prone/slow build. If you manage to push, slow and prone with a single attack you're looking at Str x2 + Con x3 extra damage. With 18Str 16Con as post-racial starting scores, it's 27 extra damage at level 16 when Iron Vanguard kicks in.
As for your ED, pretty much the standard package I'd say.
Consider Gladiator as your theme. Keep Them Close slows enemies just by marking them, which you'll do with every attack. Then you have two instances of slowing (this and Hindering Shield) on your Melee attacks and can keep them slowed while turning the other instance into daze via Overwhelming Impact. As for Close powers, which Fighters use, you will still have a reliable slow just by attacking them.
Setting: Tomb with a perilous bridge and cliff 100 feet above a lava pit.
Mummy pops out of his sarcophagus, initiative:
Felix, Half-Elf Artificer: Twin Strike with crossbow.
Trump (ala Donald), Eladrin Warlord: Charges mummy with Opening Shove, pushing off the cliff. Mummy fails saving throw, and falls into pit.
Sanshiro (ala Japanese "superhero" Segata), Minotaur Barbarian: Strength check to lift sarcophagus and carry to cliff. Free action, drop sarcophagus into square above mummy. Sarcophagus drops on mummy, shoving him further down into lava.
Mummy: proceeds to make a series of horrible athletics checks to swim and climb cliff. Dies a horrible death with lava permeating every orifice.
Entire Party: Watches on in delight, faces alit with the glow of lava and flaming undead.
I soap myself up, and turn up the hot water in the shower, so my sweat mixes with the soap, slickening my skin: +5 to grapple
I use my own legs as a shield since only upper-body hits matter: +5 defense
I use my teammates bodies to construct a vehicle for myself, and dual-wield their weapons because as long as I win, we all win: +10 attack, +10 defense
I completely ignore the enemy, their attacks, the devastating damage they are dealing to me and my team, and strike directly for their base, completely obliterating them, their way of life, and any chance they had at survival as a species: WIN
I wouldn't hybrid if I were you, imho Warden doesn't hybrid well and a straight Fighter can pull his weight without beating an eye.
I wouldn't take Sudden Roots, since your OAs push already (via Hammering Iron), you get the slow form Hindering Shield, no need to have another feat for the same effect. Also, you don't take Knock-Back Swing, you merely retrain Hammering Iron into it.
Martial Mastery is better than Dual Challenge, imho, also, I would take Overwhelming Impact as soon as possible, as well as Hindering Shield. They may very well be your 11th and 21st level feats.
If you're going with a straight Fighter, then you won't pick Rapid Wild Defense and that frees up a slot to have Keep Them Close without retraining Hindering Shield, which then works towards that double slow trick I was mentioning earlier. And obviously you swap Hybrid Talent for the MC Warden feat, don't remember what the name is.
Also, why Weapon Proficiency? You may want a Craghammer, but you lack Weapon Focus. Take that if you want damage.
I would also personally choose Superior Will over Hammer Rhythm. There is the Circlet of Arkhosia, all right, but I'd rather have the feat and not depend on the item.
Boy is that feat intensive. I almost forgot how small a margin Fighters have.
If I don't hybrid, I'm going to end up having to take Plate Proficiency, so I'm saving a feat by hybriding. Hybrid Talent lets me use Con for AC and I can use Hide.
Also, as a hybrid, if I take both Rapid feats, doesn't that give me 3 immediates per turn for punishment? And I can mark one person with Tide of Iron and mark another adjacent with a minor action, from level 1. It seems like a pretty impressive defender suite. I would be losing out on Combat Superiority though, which is a big piece of a Fighters stickiness.
Dropping Sudden Roots and retraining Hammering Iron into Knock Back Swing opens up two feats. One could be Superior Will, and the other could eventually be Epic Reflexes, helping to patch those two up. Maybe I should switch Improved Defenses to Epic Will in that case, as my Will would need more attention than my Fort.
Also hybriding, if I'm in Hide, I can take Second Skin which is one of the best feats for an AC boost.
I suppose I can drop the Craghammer prof. I'm getting my damage from all the extra damage from push/slow/prone as you said.
Setting: Tomb with a perilous bridge and cliff 100 feet above a lava pit.
Mummy pops out of his sarcophagus, initiative:
Felix, Half-Elf Artificer: Twin Strike with crossbow.
Trump (ala Donald), Eladrin Warlord: Charges mummy with Opening Shove, pushing off the cliff. Mummy fails saving throw, and falls into pit.
Sanshiro (ala Japanese "superhero" Segata), Minotaur Barbarian: Strength check to lift sarcophagus and carry to cliff. Free action, drop sarcophagus into square above mummy. Sarcophagus drops on mummy, shoving him further down into lava.
Mummy: proceeds to make a series of horrible athletics checks to swim and climb cliff. Dies a horrible death with lava permeating every orifice.
Entire Party: Watches on in delight, faces alit with the glow of lava and flaming undead.
I soap myself up, and turn up the hot water in the shower, so my sweat mixes with the soap, slickening my skin: +5 to grapple
I use my own legs as a shield since only upper-body hits matter: +5 defense
I use my teammates bodies to construct a vehicle for myself, and dual-wield their weapons because as long as I win, we all win: +10 attack, +10 defense
I completely ignore the enemy, their attacks, the devastating damage they are dealing to me and my team, and strike directly for their base, completely obliterating them, their way of life, and any chance they had at survival as a species: WIN
If I don't hybrid, I'm going to end up having to take Plate Proficiency, so I'm saving a feat by hybriding. Hybrid Talent lets me use Con for AC and I can use Hide.
Also, as a hybrid, if I take both Rapid feats, doesn't that give me 3 immediates per turn for punishment? And I can mark one person with Tide of Iron and mark another adjacent with a minor action, from level 1. It seems like a pretty impressive defender suite. I would be losing out on Combat Superiority though, which is a big piece of a Fighters stickiness.
Dropping Sudden Roots and retraining Hammering Iron into Knock Back Swing opens up two feats. One could be Superior Will, and the other could eventually be Epic Reflexes, helping to patch those two up. Maybe I should switch Improved Defenses to Epic Will in that case, as my Will would need more attention than my Fort.
Also hybriding, if I'm in Hide, I can take Second Skin which is one of the best feats for an AC boost.
I suppose I can drop the Craghammer prof. I'm getting my damage from all the extra damage from push/slow/prone as you said.
The other option is to go Dwarf for DWT (especially early on).
Currently working on making a Dex based defender. Check it out here Spoiler:Show
Need a few pre-generated characters for a one-shot you are running? Want to get a baseline for what an effective build for a class you aren't familiar with? Check out the Pregen thread here If ever you are interested what it sounds like to be at my table check out my blog and podcast here Also, I've recently done an episode on "Refluffing". You can check that out here
But he wants a Dragonborn pusher, so Dwarves are not an option.
As for hybriding and AC: as you wish. But I've played a similar character and you can live a good life with your Scale armor, no problem. By being a pure Fighter you gain Combat Superiority and the Fighter weapon talent, whichever you want to pick. At the very least it's free proficiencies (Arena) or +1 to hit. It's really down to that. Guardian forms are nice, but it's not like Fighters lack good powers, Str/Con hammer builds in particular have some impressive options, e.g. Anvil of Doom (E13) that you'll keep as long as you live.
FEATS Knock-Back Swing Second Skin Keep Them Close Dual Challenge Level 1: Hybrid Talent Level 4: Bludgeon Expertise Level 6: Shield Push Level 8: Superior Will Level 10: Crippling Crush Level 11: World Serpent's Grasp Level 12: Hindering Shield Level 14: Draconic Arrogance Level 21: Overwhelming Impact Level 22: Rapid Combat Challenge Level 24: Rapid Wild Defense Level 26: Bludgeon Mastery Level 28: Epic Reflexes Level 30: Epic Will
ITEMS Acrobat Boots x1 Knockback Warhammer +6 x1 Voidhide of Durability +6 x1 Hammer Shield Heavy Shield x1 Gauntlets of Blood (epic tier) x1 Circlet of Arkhosia (epic tier) x1 Amulet of Life +6 x1 Ring of Personal Gravity x1 Ring of Giants x1 Belt of Blood x1 Moradin's Blessing of Iron (level 28) Strongheart Tattoo (epic tier) x1 ====== End ======
Setting: Tomb with a perilous bridge and cliff 100 feet above a lava pit.
Mummy pops out of his sarcophagus, initiative:
Felix, Half-Elf Artificer: Twin Strike with crossbow.
Trump (ala Donald), Eladrin Warlord: Charges mummy with Opening Shove, pushing off the cliff. Mummy fails saving throw, and falls into pit.
Sanshiro (ala Japanese "superhero" Segata), Minotaur Barbarian: Strength check to lift sarcophagus and carry to cliff. Free action, drop sarcophagus into square above mummy. Sarcophagus drops on mummy, shoving him further down into lava.
Mummy: proceeds to make a series of horrible athletics checks to swim and climb cliff. Dies a horrible death with lava permeating every orifice.
Entire Party: Watches on in delight, faces alit with the glow of lava and flaming undead.
I soap myself up, and turn up the hot water in the shower, so my sweat mixes with the soap, slickening my skin: +5 to grapple
I use my own legs as a shield since only upper-body hits matter: +5 defense
I use my teammates bodies to construct a vehicle for myself, and dual-wield their weapons because as long as I win, we all win: +10 attack, +10 defense
I completely ignore the enemy, their attacks, the devastating damage they are dealing to me and my team, and strike directly for their base, completely obliterating them, their way of life, and any chance they had at survival as a species: WIN
