Reach fighter tactics

[Thurbane]

Hi, just a couple of quick questions about fighting with a reach weapon.

I am wanting to play a fighter who specializes in the glaive, but haven't had much experience using reach weapons...

I believe that you can't use a reach weapon when the target is in an adjacent square, unless you use the Short Haft feat from PHBII. Without using that feat (as the game may be a core only game), is my best option to simply keep taking a 5 foot step away from the target before attacking (assuming I'm not flanked or backed up against a wall), or should I have a backup, such as a spiked gauntlet, ready for these situations?

Basically I want a fighter who concentrates on dealing damage, with Power Attack, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, WF: Glaive, WS: Glaive and possibly the Whirlwind Attack feat chain at higher levels.

Finally, is there much advantage to taking the Great Cleave feat? How often am I realistically going to be taking down foes in the same round?

 

[Legildur]

As you point out, stepping back (or sideways) 5ft is not always an option.

A spiked gauntlet is one common option. The Improved Unarmed Strike feat is prehaps a little more versatile, but then again, it costs a feat. Armor spikes are probably a better option. On pp29-30 of the FAQ it outlines some rules for combining armor spikes as an off-hand weapon with a two-handed weapon (as a primary attack).

Great Cleave tends to see more use at lower levels, unless your DM is prone to using lots of mooks to try and swamp the party.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Finally, is there much advantage to taking the Great Cleave feat? How often am I realistically going to be taking down foes in the same round?

I'd definitely aim for Spring Attack before Great Cleave.

Why?

Let's say your opponent fifteen feet away has a longsword, and you aren't backed into a corner.

He moves to attack you, provoking an AoO as he passes through your reach, and makes one attack from five feet away.

You spring back five feet (provoking no AoO due to Spring Attack), make an attack, and spring back another five feet.

Result of round one? He made one attack, you made two attacks at your highest bonus (consider the implications for Power Attack), and you're back to being fifteen feet away.

In a smaller space, or when you are backed into a corner, the No-AoO effect of Spring Attack means you can move around your opponent with relative impunity, so instead of backing up all the time (beware the lesson of the half-ogre and the cliff!), you can stay fifteen feet away without ever going too far from where you started.

Spring Attack is a very handy feat for a reach weapon wielder, given that they need to remain mobile to ensure they don't get crowded.

Another interesting trick is with Readied actions. If you win initiative, you ready an action "If he attacks, I'll step back and attack".

He approaches, you take your AoO, he attacks from 5 feet away... and before his attack resolves, your Readied action triggers. You 5' step back and attack. He now completes his attack action, but you're too far away for him to hit with a longsword. End of round 1.

Results? You made two attacks at your highest bonus, he made no attacks... and you go ahead of him in the initiative order in round 2. The down side? You're only ten feet away, so he doesn't provoke an AoO when he 5' steps in to attack. The up side? You've readied another action... so in round 2, the score is you 1 attack, him 0 attacks again...

One more alternative suggestion - swap the glaive for a guisarme, and go the Improved Trip/Combat Reflexes route... lots and lots of area control going on.

-Hyp.

 

[javcs]

As an alternative weapon, you could use a Spiked Chain, because then you'd be able to hit opponents ajacent to you as well.
You'd still be able to use Hyp's suggestion of Improved Trip/Combat reflexes.
Either way, I'd go with Combat Reflexes anyways, and possibly Hold the Line as well, that way opponents provoke AoOs for entering your threatened area.
You might want to check out my 'walking wall' build.
It's an Ogre Fighter 8 if memory serves, listed it under Characters in here.
Thrice-damned hyperlink not working.
Here's the URL anyways:
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=172522

 

[Moon-Lancer]

You may also want to check out the feat in dragon compendium. It’s called Shorten Grip. You don’t need to take an action to choke up, but you take a -2 on your attack. This is a good feat to stop someone from taking too much advantage of you close in. I know you could use a gauntlet, or armor spike, but at the -2, you can do a lot more damage with a d10 and strength and a half. It also lets you do more damage with a whirlwind attack.

if your going dervish, it might be usefull to take two weapon fighting. You can attack at 10, then attack again at 5 with armor spikes

 

[Stalker0]

As Hyp mentioned, don't feel you need to go charging in, let them come to you.

A readied action plus the AOO for charging you can give you a huge offensive advantage right off the bat. Also keep in mind that many AOO provoking actions don't work against you because the person can't reach you. Trip is one example.

 

[Bront]

Another good thing is to partner with a meat-shield close up fighter, who can stand in the way while you reach over and attack. Think of this formation.

MRM

M is a Melee guy, R is reach weapon guy. You get to AoO anything that gets near you or your companions for the most part, AND anything close enough to prevent you from reaching is subject to one or both of them.

This can be harder to accomplish, and isn't getting as many attacks, but it can help.

Also, Combat Reflexes can be a boon with a reach weapon if you get more than one attack.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Also keep in mind that many AOO provoking actions don't work against you because the person can't reach you. Trip is one example.

Well, no, because Tripping with a weapon doesn't provoke an AoO But Disarm and Sunder are two better examples

-Hyp.

 

[reel_big_gish]

Snow Savant's Chain Tripper

Some of it won't work without a Spiked Chain, but it's more or less the definitive word on battlefield control with a reach weapon.

 

[kjenks]

Another good thing is to partner with a meat-shield close up fighter, who can stand in the way while you reach over and attack.

Soft cover will give your opponent +4 on AC rather often this way because using a melee weapon to attack a creature in a non-adjacent square uses the rules for ranged combat to determine who has cover.