DracoSuave
First Post
Actually the archer/skirmisher build uses wisdom or intelligence. As the archer feature is currently written, you get screwed if you wanted to make wisdom your secondary score since you'll end up with around 13-14 AC total (depending on your dex mod). I don't have a problem with letting people choose battlefront commander and then pick up scale proficiency. Combat leader isn't all that great for a wisdom-warlord anyway.
Skirmishing Presence does not require that you take Archer Warlord. The suggested build for that Warlord type says 'Take Intellegence.' The paragon feat that improves Skirmishing Presence requires Intellegence; Wisdom-Skirmishing Warlords are there to dabble in Insightful powers, but they don't need to take Archer Warlord to do that; they might be better off just taking Weapon Proficiency in a superior bow.
For intelligence-warlords it is probably not a good idea to turn in combat leader (it becomes very good once you get to paragon and pick up the upgrade). For wisdom-archer-warlords it is basically required (and a feat tax).
It's not -really- a feat tax; feat taxes are when you take something to catch up. This combination puts an archer at where a normal warlord would be after spending a proficiency feat on scale. Spending a feat is not a tax compared to spending a feat.
The words 'feat tax' get used way too much.
I expect this all to be the subject of errata in May, actually. With any luck they'll also change the paragon feat feat to allow wisdom bonus to initiative or at least offer an equivalent feat for the canny leader alternative (the one that gives bonuses to perception and insight).
They errata things that are decidedly subpar, and they errata things that are decidedly powerful. They don't errata things that are decidedly on the power curve where it should be.