4E Character Optimization: Class Guides

This page is dedicated to easily referencing the general guides and build discussions for whatever type of character you want to play. Simply find your main class and secondary class, if any, and take a look at some of the best the Character Optimization Board has to offer for what you have in mind!

(Special thanks to the creator of The_Collective for the original thread this wiki page is based on!)

Most of the links from The_Collective's thread are now dead. It appears that this is just broken links, and the original threads are still there (lordduskblade's Stormwarden and Ytterbium_Dragon's Tools of the Trade: An Artificer Handbook were both initially broken links, but the threads still exist). If you can repair any of the dead or misdirected links, please do so.

Defenders

• (DEAD) 4e, Defenders and the MMO mentality - Unmaker
• The Art of Defending - mkill

Fighter

• Fighter's Handbook: Taking it to the Face and Loving It - C_A
• Hard as a Rock: The Fighter's Handbook - lordduskblade

Builds

• Tank (v2.0): When Push Comes to Shove - Gnoob
• (Barbarian) The Terminator T-700 - Fighter/Warforged Juggernaut/Demigod - Belile
• (DEAD) (Cleric) Fighter/Cleric Opportunity Gish - SeraphKast
• (Cleric) Human Fighter/Warpriest/Demigod - C_A
• (DEAD) (Ranger) Gambling Man (Longtooth Shifter or Bugbear Polearm build) - Titanium Dragon
• (DEAD) (Ranger) Two Weapon Fighter!!! OMFG!!! (Human Scimitar & Short Sword Build) - Lord_Ventnor
• (DEAD) (Rogue) Attempt at Dexterity Fighter Opt. PEACH - Merchant_of_Shadows
• (Rogue) Eladrin Feycharger - ZephyrTempest
• (Warden) The Inescapable Fisherman - SongNSilence
• (Warlord) The Emo-Angler Netarious
• (DEAD) (Warlord) MC Hammer (Minotaur maul fighter build) Titanium Dragon
• (DEAD) (Warlord) The Swashbuckler - Eladrin Tempest Fighter - klaser84
• (DEAD) (Warlord) Siren: She Who Calls You to Your Death - Alennox
• (Warlord) Bulldozer: The Minotaur Spear and Shield Guardian Push Fighter by Khan_the_destroyer
• (DEAD) (Wizard) MY take on a Fighter/Wizard - Anguirus23
• (DEAD) (Wizard) Spellstorm Gish (Stormsoul Genasi Quarterstaff Build) - Lord_Ventnor
• (Hybrid) The Terminator T-800 - Fighter|Barbarian/Warforged Juggernaut/Demigod - Belile

Paladin

• Pillars of Faith (and Facestabs): The Paladin's Handbook by Litigation

Builds

• (DEAD) Optimizing Paladin - Melil13
• (DEAD) (Barbarian) Savage Sun - Litigation
• (MISDIRECTED) (Bard) Heavy Artillery(Bow or Hammer): Paladin/Bard Ranged Builds - JonnyFortune
• (DEAD) (Cleric) Sticky Halfling - Leemo
• (DEAD) (Cleric) Prophet Blade of Tempus: Paladin/Cleric/Divine Oracle/Demi - JonnyFortune
• (DEAD) (Sorcerer) Gaurdian Sorcerer: Paladin/Sorcerer/Hospitaler/Demi - JonnyFortune
• (DEAD) (Warlock) Witchknight Variant, Half-Elf Paladin/Paragon Multiclassed Warlock/Demigod - MwaO
• (DEAD) (Warlock) Pallock the Feyladin - A New 5th Man Utility Build - Innuit
• (Warlock) The Starry Knight (Half-Elf Paladin/Student of Caiphon) - ChristopherGroves
• (DEAD) (Wizard) Okay, I'll try it your way... Paladin/Wizard - TheAnthroDM

Swordmage

• Unleashing Feywild: Feysword and Feyblade - a hardcore teleporting damage combo! - Pandexander
• Blades of Arcane Fury: A Swordmage Handbook - DwarvenSparten
• Swords and Sorcery: A Swordmage Manual - Lord_Ventnor
• Heart of the Blade - A Swordmage Manual - Cecil90670

Builds

• Shielding Swordmage - anomalousman
• (DEAD) Arcane Blade - Poder Miser?vel
• (DEAD) Shielding Stormtrooper - Genasi Spiked Chain SM/Lyrandar Wind-Rider/Chosen of Tempus - upho
• (DEAD) (Fighter) Guardian Stormtrooper - upho
• (DEAD) (Hybrid) "Thunderglaive" - runreallyfast
• (DEAD) (Hybrid) "FeyCharger" - SongNSilence
• (DEAD) (Hybrid) Thundering Stormtrooper: Genasi Swordmage|Wizard/Academy Master/Champion of Prophecy - upho
• (Hybrid) Shielding Immo-bola-izer (level 16) - Netarious

Warden

• Bastion of the Boondocks: A Warden's Handbook - LordofLeapin

Builds

• (DEAD) Tuluk ES Warden: "I will break you" (PEACH) - brotherjgizmo
• (Barbarian) The Terminator T-600 - Warden/Warforged Juggernaut/Demigod - Belile
• (DEAD) (Fighter) Wild Defender - lordduskblade
• (MISDIRECTED) (Fighter) The Machine - Warforged Warden/Dreadnought/Demigod - Belile
• (MISDIRECTED) (Fighter) The Wild One - Longtooth Shifter Warden/Son of Mercy/Demigod - Belile
• (Warlord) Boulder - Warden Defender/Controller/Leader - MeNsInSaNa

Strikers

• (DEAD) The Art of Striking - mkill
• (DEAD) Axioms of Striker Construction - ophite
• (DEAD) "Best" striker at levels 1-3 - PeterAbelard

Avenger

• Righteous Wrath: The Avenger's Handbook - kilpatds
• (DEAD) The Avenger Handbook: Because nobody expects the Divine Inquisition - Klivian

Builds

• (Fighter) Avenger Master of Defense - lordduskblade
• (DEAD) (Fighter) Making the Infidel Flee: An Avenging Feycharger - Ignis_Fatuus
• (DEAD) (Warlock) Avenlock - The Eternal Wrath of Caiphon - The Exarch
• (Warlock) Angel of Wrath - Avenger/Student of Caiphon - Pandexander
• (DEAD) (Warlock) All-Radiant Avenger - Pursuit variant w/ radiant OAs and charges - Llamas Notsheep
• (Hybrid) Shielding Immo-bola-izer (level 16) - Netarious

Barbarian

• (MISDIRECTED) Destruction Manifest: The Barbarian's Handbook - lordduskblade

Builds

• (DEAD) (Fighter) The San Diego Super Charger (216 DPR) - ShakaUVM
• (Fighter) Eladrin Barbarian Draeven Marauder: Knocks Prone and Devastates Them All - Elwyndas
• (Fighter) Barbarian Bruiser - lordduskblade
• (Hybrid) The Terminator T-800 - Fighter|Barbarian/Warforged Juggernaut/Demigod - Belile

Monk

Ranger

• (DEAD) The Ranger Handbook: How to strike them where it hurts - GeorgeFHarris
• Living for the Hunt: The Ranger's Handbook - lordduskblade
• (DEAD) Catharsis, or The Ranger Handbook (incomplete) - NoldorForce
• The Art of Shredding: The Ranger Build Handbook - lordduskblade

Builds

• (DEAD) Da Bleeder - 96 ongoing damage without needing to-hit - ShakaUVM
• (DEAD) Ziana's Archer - Ziana
• (DEAD) Undying Ranger - Jay_Ibero_911
• (DEAD) (Cleric) Ranger + Warpriest (the Sticky Striker) - Nifft
• (Fighter) Ranger/Pit Fighter/Demigod - lordduskblade
• (DEAD) (Fighter) Ranger Pitfighter - unundindur
• (Fighter) Stormwarden - lordduskblade
• (DEAD) (Fighter) The Frozen Bolt: Ranger/Pitfighter/Demigod - Gelarshie (Very complete explanation, level-by-level, equipment and discussion included)
• (DEAD) (Fighter) Storm Stormtrooper: MC Fighter/Swordmage, Stormwarden, Eternal Defender - upho
• (Rogue) Battlefield Archer - lordduskblade
• (DEAD) (Wizard) Eladrin "Arcane Archer" - lordduskblade

Rogue

• Flash Lads and Gallow Birds: A Guide to the Rogue - Vikingkingq
• The Manual of Rakes, Sneaks and Thugs (a.k.a. The Rogue Handbook) - Litigation
• Rogue Handbook: "Once me and my crew stole the wand of Orcus, I swear!" - unundindur
• Draw Pardner: All about Sniper Rogues - Squirrelloid

Builds

• (Bard) "The Inevitable" - (Half-Elf Rogue/Bard / Daggermaster / Dark Wanderer Build) - McSmashin
• (DEAD) (Cleric) "Monk" build - Thorvald_Grimbjorn
• (DEAD) (Fighter) Darth Maul- The Non-Dagger Brutal Rogue - Xantos000
• (MISDIRECTED) (Paladin) An AOE Rogue (rogue/paladin...black flame zealot?!) - Denouema
• (DEAD) (Ranger) Rogue - Optimized - Favored Enemy
• (DEAD) (Ranger) Rogue Crossbow Sniper - Faytte
• (DEAD) (Warlock) Artful Drowlock: Rogue/Warlock/Shadow Assassin/Demi - JonnyFortune

Sorcerer

• (DEAD) Joseph Silver's Mini-Guide to Sorcerer Damage Types - Joseph_Silver
• (DEAD) How to be a Gishy Squishy: A Sorcerer Handbook - Ytterbium_Dragon
• Joe's Sorcerer Guide - joemama1512
• (DEAD) Pure Power: The Sorcerer's Handbook - Sven_Stryker
• (DEAD) Sorcerer Optimization Notes - Joseph_Silver
• Shock and Awe: A Storm Sorcerer's Guide - LordYawgmoth

Builds

• (DEAD) (Fighter) Cool Stormtrooper: Dragonborn Sorcerer/Fighter/Kensei/Demigod - upho
• (DEAD) (Rogue) A-ling of Doom: Wild Sorcerer/Arcane Wellspring/Harbinger of Doom - JonnyFortune
• (Rogue) Archetype series: Halfling Chaos Sorc Daggermaster and a Dragonborn Dragonsoul Heir - anomalousman
• (Rogue) The Charging Sorcerer by Van_Hellsing

Warlock

• Selling thy soul for the promise of power: A Warlocks handy guide - eharper256
• A Warlock Guide - Valheru_Blade
• The Power of the Dark Side: The Warlock's Handbook - Malkonnen
• Speaking with a Thousand Voices: The Vestige Warlocks Handbook - Soyim

Builds

• The Facelock - 1/2 Elf Charisma Based Starlock/Doomslayer/Demigod - up to 21st Level, Up to 30th Level - AEDAN
• (DEAD) (Cleric) Dr. Mindbender, Warlock/Divine Oracle (optimizing the "roll 2x vs. Will") - Zaruthustran
• (DEAD) (Cleric) Hexhammer of the Gods, Warlock/Paragon Multiclassed Cleric - MwaO
• (DEAD) (Fighter) Hexhammer Gish - Nifft
• (DEAD) (Paladin) The Witch-Knight (like hell you can't make Gish!) - Subedei
• (DEAD) (Paladin) The Feyknight of Corellon- Warlock/Paladin/Justicar Combo - MeltedCanary
• (DEAD) (Wizard) Mittens the Warlock - McDungeon

Controllers

• Controlling 101 - alien270

Druid

• Being the Beast: My Notes on Beast Form Druids by Christophergroves
• Heart of the Wild: A Druid Handbook by Molecule

Builds

• The Predator - Druid Controller/Striker by Belile

Psion

• I Can Kill You With My Brain: The Psion's Handbook by Belile

Invoker

• Judgement Has Arrived: The Invoker's Handbook by Dabutcher

Wizard

• Treantmonk's guide to Wizards: God 4e style by Treantmonklvl20

Leaders

• Super Healers Away! - Voidbane
• Heal Theory: Surge, Bonus and Pure - AlphatheGreat
• (DEAD) The Art of Leading - mkill

Artificer

• Tools of the Trade: An Artificer Handbook - Ytterbium_Dragon

Bard

• Oh! blame not the bard. - The Bard Handbook by Jwt

Cleric

• Holy Smoke! A Cleric's Handbook by Gelatinousoctahedron

Shaman

• Gotta Protect 'Em All: A Bear Shaman's Handbook by Wrylen

Warlord