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Death Before Dishonor: A Knight's Guide (By lorduskblade)
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<blockquote data-quote="Veep" data-source="post: 6707927" data-attributes="member: 6793297"><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Knight Stances: The Way of Honor</strong></span></p><p></p><p>As mentioned before, the Essentials model for Martial Classes is distinctive because of its reliance on the basic attack. To supplement it, you get a choice between a handful of At-Will Stances, each with a different effect. You get to pick two from this list at L1, and another at L7 and L17, so don't sweat it if you didn't have room for a Stance you liked at the beginning of your career: you'll have another go. That said, this section essentially boils down to what Stance you want to use to complement <strong>Defend the Line</strong>, because that is the one power no Knight should ever be without.</p><p></p><p><strong>Battle Wrath (HotFL)</strong> - A straight extra damage stance. It can be useful to make your attacks a bit more threatening in an effort to force foes to pay more attention to you, which is actually a <span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>good</strong></span> way to defend early on in your career.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Cleaving Assault</span> (HotFL)</strong> - The ability to soften up one opponent while you swing away at another can be quite useful on a Defender, especially one as suited to holding multiple opponents down as you are.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900">Defend the Line</span> (HotFL)</strong> - Quite simply the cornerstone of the class. The ability to slow on every attack (especially on OA's and on punishment attacks) is amazing for a Defender who needs to keep people close in order to affect them, and there's even support to make this a more powerful effect. It may not always be the Stance you want while you're attacking on your turn, but it should always be the one you end your turn in, so you can continue to contain multiple foes.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Glimmering Blade</span> (D 395)</strong> - An Eladrin-only option, the ability to teleport around your opponent is ripe with the potential to use and abuse, so this is a pretty nice choice.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Hammer Hands</span> (HotFL)</strong> - At first blush, this Stance would seem to have quite a bit of optimization potential, but the fact that the push occurs outside of the attack puts a significant dent into how much you can trick this out. Still solid, but not close to what it could have been if the push was part of the attack. That said, this does fulfill an important function on a Knight, and that is the ability to potentially cluster enemies closer together (and hopefully in your Aura).</p><p></p><p><strong>Measured Cut (HotFL)</strong> - The ability to shift after an attack is made can be great for jockeying for an advantageous position over an enemy.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Poised Assault</span> (HotFL)</strong> - A no-strings-attached bonus to hit is a pretty good idea to have around, since a lot of what you do (including your ability to enforce your Defender Aura) is contingent on your attacks actually connecting.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 18px"><strong><strong>Fighter At-Will Powers</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p>While a typical Knight has nothing to do with these powers, a Human member of the class can choose to take one of these instead of the Heroic Effort power. For their benefit, we will mention them and how they apply to a Knight:</p><p></p><p><strong>Fighter At-Wills</strong></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><strong>Free Hand:</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Grappling Strike</span> (MP 2)</strong> - A free hand is hard to come by on the classical sword-and-shield style of a Knight, and your ability score setup and feat support isn't quite built to supplement this style the way it needs to be. I'm not really seeing it.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">Slash and Pummel </span>(MP 2)</strong> - Essentially an MBA, without the cool stuff applied to it, that requires you to cut into your damage for a secondary attack that won't break even. No.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><strong>Shield:</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong>Resolute Shield (D 382)</strong> - Resist all sounds good at first blush, but it's only against that target, which cuts into its appeal somewhat.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Shield Feint</span> (D 385)</strong> - An At-Will +3 to hit on your next attack can certainly help swing things your way for a while, making this a pretty good choice.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tide of Iron (PHB)</strong> - While you do have a Stance that replicates this effect, it does not do so as part of the attack, which is the important part for some effects that support pushes. As such, I can definitely see people taking this.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><strong>Two-Handed Weapon:</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Wicked Strike</span> (D 379)</strong> - Trades in accuracy for some damage, and to boot requires a two-hander, which goes against your Shield focus. Not what I'd pick.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><strong>Two Weapons:</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Dual Strike</span> (MP)</strong> - The main issue to overcome is that this requires wielding two weapons, and some of your features want a shield. While a compromise can certainly be reached on that regard, multi-targeting isn't quite as awesome on a Knight as it is on a Fighter.</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong><strong>Any Weapon:</strong></strong></span></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Brash Strike</span> (MP)</strong> - The bonus to hit is sweet. Granting CA kind of isn't, so look for something to fix that up. Apart from that, this At-Will looks like a good choice (at least early on).</p><p></p><p><strong>Cleave (PHB)</strong> - You have a Stance that mimics this effect fairly well, but this power has plenty of feat support to keep it relevant.</p><p></p><p><strong>Crushing Surge (MP)</strong> - THP on an At-Will basis is pretty respectable.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #0000ff">Footwork Lure</span> (MP)</strong> - Looks plain at first glance, but it can be pretty good if supported properly.</p><p></p><p><strong>Knockdown Assault (PHH 1)</strong> - While it is true that the damage is kind of sad, the ability to knock prone at will opens up other cool stuff, especially when you can use it on a charge.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Reaping Strike</span> (PHB)</strong> - An MBA (minus the perks) with a little miss damage. Profoundly underwhelming.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #800080">Sure Strike</span> (PHB)</strong> - Losing damage and MBA support is not worth a small accuracy bump (which, incidentally, can be replicated by said support). Pass.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">Threatening Rush</span> (MP)</strong> - Marks interact poorly with your Defender Aura, so this doesn't work well with you.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000">Vicious Offensive</span> (DSCS)</strong> - As above, marks and your Aura don't mix.</p><p></p><p><strong>Weapon Master's Strike (D 382)</strong> - Since you already punish shifts as an opportunity action, the only noteworthy effects here are the Axe and Heavy Blade, which are OK, though this At-Will <span style="color: #800080"><strong>suffers</strong></span> from not scaling in Epic.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Veep, post: 6707927, member: 6793297"] [CENTER][SIZE=5][b]Knight Stances: The Way of Honor[/b][/SIZE][/CENTER] As mentioned before, the Essentials model for Martial Classes is distinctive because of its reliance on the basic attack. To supplement it, you get a choice between a handful of At-Will Stances, each with a different effect. You get to pick two from this list at L1, and another at L7 and L17, so don't sweat it if you didn't have room for a Stance you liked at the beginning of your career: you'll have another go. That said, this section essentially boils down to what Stance you want to use to complement [b]Defend the Line[/b], because that is the one power no Knight should ever be without. [b]Battle Wrath (HotFL)[/b] - A straight extra damage stance. It can be useful to make your attacks a bit more threatening in an effort to force foes to pay more attention to you, which is actually a [COLOR=#0000ff][b]good[/b][/COLOR] way to defend early on in your career. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Cleaving Assault[/COLOR] (HotFL)[/b] - The ability to soften up one opponent while you swing away at another can be quite useful on a Defender, especially one as suited to holding multiple opponents down as you are. [b][COLOR=#ff9900]Defend the Line[/COLOR] (HotFL)[/b] - Quite simply the cornerstone of the class. The ability to slow on every attack (especially on OA's and on punishment attacks) is amazing for a Defender who needs to keep people close in order to affect them, and there's even support to make this a more powerful effect. It may not always be the Stance you want while you're attacking on your turn, but it should always be the one you end your turn in, so you can continue to contain multiple foes. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Glimmering Blade[/COLOR] (D 395)[/b] - An Eladrin-only option, the ability to teleport around your opponent is ripe with the potential to use and abuse, so this is a pretty nice choice. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Hammer Hands[/COLOR] (HotFL)[/b] - At first blush, this Stance would seem to have quite a bit of optimization potential, but the fact that the push occurs outside of the attack puts a significant dent into how much you can trick this out. Still solid, but not close to what it could have been if the push was part of the attack. That said, this does fulfill an important function on a Knight, and that is the ability to potentially cluster enemies closer together (and hopefully in your Aura). [b]Measured Cut (HotFL)[/b] - The ability to shift after an attack is made can be great for jockeying for an advantageous position over an enemy. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Poised Assault[/COLOR] (HotFL)[/b] - A no-strings-attached bonus to hit is a pretty good idea to have around, since a lot of what you do (including your ability to enforce your Defender Aura) is contingent on your attacks actually connecting. [CENTER][Size=5][b][b]Fighter At-Will Powers[/b][/b][/size][/CENTER] While a typical Knight has nothing to do with these powers, a Human member of the class can choose to take one of these instead of the Heroic Effort power. For their benefit, we will mention them and how they apply to a Knight: [b]Fighter At-Wills[/b] [Size=3][b][b]Free Hand:[/b][/b][/size] [b][COLOR=#800080]Grappling Strike[/COLOR] (MP 2)[/b] - A free hand is hard to come by on the classical sword-and-shield style of a Knight, and your ability score setup and feat support isn't quite built to supplement this style the way it needs to be. I'm not really seeing it. [b][COLOR=#ff0000]Slash and Pummel [/COLOR](MP 2)[/b] - Essentially an MBA, without the cool stuff applied to it, that requires you to cut into your damage for a secondary attack that won't break even. No. [Size=3][b][b]Shield:[/b][/b][/size] [b]Resolute Shield (D 382)[/b] - Resist all sounds good at first blush, but it's only against that target, which cuts into its appeal somewhat. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Shield Feint[/COLOR] (D 385)[/b] - An At-Will +3 to hit on your next attack can certainly help swing things your way for a while, making this a pretty good choice. [b]Tide of Iron (PHB)[/b] - While you do have a Stance that replicates this effect, it does not do so as part of the attack, which is the important part for some effects that support pushes. As such, I can definitely see people taking this. [Size=3][b][b]Two-Handed Weapon:[/b][/b][/size] [b][COLOR=#800080]Wicked Strike[/COLOR] (D 379)[/b] - Trades in accuracy for some damage, and to boot requires a two-hander, which goes against your Shield focus. Not what I'd pick. [Size=3][b][b]Two Weapons:[/b][/b][/size] [b][COLOR=#800080]Dual Strike[/COLOR] (MP)[/b] - The main issue to overcome is that this requires wielding two weapons, and some of your features want a shield. While a compromise can certainly be reached on that regard, multi-targeting isn't quite as awesome on a Knight as it is on a Fighter. [Size=3][b][b]Any Weapon:[/b][/b][/size] [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Brash Strike[/COLOR] (MP)[/b] - The bonus to hit is sweet. Granting CA kind of isn't, so look for something to fix that up. Apart from that, this At-Will looks like a good choice (at least early on). [b]Cleave (PHB)[/b] - You have a Stance that mimics this effect fairly well, but this power has plenty of feat support to keep it relevant. [b]Crushing Surge (MP)[/b] - THP on an At-Will basis is pretty respectable. [b][COLOR=#0000ff]Footwork Lure[/COLOR] (MP)[/b] - Looks plain at first glance, but it can be pretty good if supported properly. [b]Knockdown Assault (PHH 1)[/b] - While it is true that the damage is kind of sad, the ability to knock prone at will opens up other cool stuff, especially when you can use it on a charge. [b][COLOR=#800080]Reaping Strike[/COLOR] (PHB)[/b] - An MBA (minus the perks) with a little miss damage. Profoundly underwhelming. [b][COLOR=#800080]Sure Strike[/COLOR] (PHB)[/b] - Losing damage and MBA support is not worth a small accuracy bump (which, incidentally, can be replicated by said support). Pass. [b][COLOR=#ff0000]Threatening Rush[/COLOR] (MP)[/b] - Marks interact poorly with your Defender Aura, so this doesn't work well with you. [b][COLOR=#ff0000]Vicious Offensive[/COLOR] (DSCS)[/b] - As above, marks and your Aura don't mix. [b]Weapon Master's Strike (D 382)[/b] - Since you already punish shifts as an opportunity action, the only noteworthy effects here are the Axe and Heavy Blade, which are OK, though this At-Will [COLOR=#800080][b]suffers[/b][/COLOR] from not scaling in Epic. [/QUOTE]
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Death Before Dishonor: A Knight's Guide (By lorduskblade)
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