The Battlemind is out on the CB

[Nymrohd]

You might have noticed that there was a CB update today, which included the Battlemind. It is not fully out on compendium yet (last I checked only the feats and PPs were out).

 

[Piratecat]

Woot, I totally missed this! Thanks.

 

[renau1g]

Just looked at it and the class is probably IMO the worst defender out there. Even less effective at defending than the Warden (although I do love that class). They have 0 recourse against a shift+charge. They have to burn a feat to get a decent MBA, otherwise monsters can laugh at their OA's. Now, there might be some really cool feats in PHB3 or changes made to the class that will change my opinion, but as written, I find it extremely underwhelming. Also, monster damage (especially as you go higher in levels) usually scales slower than their hp, so the mark is not terribly strong, and MBA's for fighters/wardens gain all their static modifiers (usually fairly high).

 

[Hawke]

Now that we know all the PH3 classes, anybody have any rumors to the soul knife? Do you think they're considering it a paragon path or maybe "theme" (see dark sun)?

OR do you think they're looking at it as a build for Psionic Power or a class for some future supplement?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Just looked at it and the class is probably IMO the worst defender out there. Even less effective at defending than the Warden (although I do love that class). They have 0 recourse against a shift+charge. They have to burn a feat to get a decent MBA, otherwise monsters can laugh at their OA's. Now, there might be some really cool feats in PHB3 or changes made to the class that will change my opinion, but as written, I find it extremely underwhelming. Also, monster damage (especially as you go higher in levels) usually scales slower than their hp, so the mark is not terribly strong, and MBA's for fighters/wardens gain all their static modifiers (usually fairly high).

I am not sure, but I never considered the Warden to be a bad defender. Bad for the NPCs, perhaps.

Shift and Charge might be a way to still attack someone else but the Defender, but it's usually not a way to bring the powerful abilities of a monster to bear.

 

[Davachido]

Just looked at it and the class is probably IMO the worst defender out there. Even less effective at defending than the Warden (although I do love that class). They have 0 recourse against a shift+charge. They have to burn a feat to get a decent MBA, otherwise monsters can laugh at their OA's. Now, there might be some really cool feats in PHB3 or changes made to the class that will change my opinion, but as written, I find it extremely underwhelming. Also, monster damage (especially as you go higher in levels) usually scales slower than their hp, so the mark is not terribly strong, and MBA's for fighters/wardens gain all their static modifiers (usually fairly high).

I don't think battleminds are that bad, consider first that their main stat gives them more hp and attack/damage thus they will probably have more hp than any other defender. Not to mention one of their level one abilities causes the opponent to not be able to take OAs which means repositioning around said enemy becomes really easy.

Also battleminds don't have 0 recourse against shift+charge, at base battleminds don't have a way but I suspect the level 7 power lightning rush will basically be taken by every battlemind to stop the charges. Other options include attacking an enemy and then ending your turn with winged weapon so your mind spike becomes range 10 instead of melee 1. Remember not all enemies want to charge either.

In regards to the mark you forget that warden/fighter ones need to roll to-hit whereas in the case of battleminds/paladins they don't, it automatically does the damage so long as you have an immediate action left (for the case of the battlemind). It will also probably bypass most resistances since its psychic and force damage.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think Lightning Rush is the power that best handles an enemy getting away with shift + charge. Though I get a lot of this classes depends on getting Opportunity Attacks, with all those "trance" powers that open up new at-wills.

At least it's good to see the Psychic Warrior back. With this build the image of someone in Heavy Armour who can move really fast, feels like a rhino charging you down.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Now that we know all the PH3 classes, anybody have any rumors to the soul knife? Do you think they're considering it a paragon path or maybe "theme" (see dark sun)?

OR do you think they're looking at it as a build for Psionic Power or a class for some future supplement?

Player's Handbook 4

 

[Timeboxer]

Just looked at it and the class is probably IMO the worst defender out there. Even less effective at defending than the Warden (although I do love that class). They have 0 recourse against a shift+charge.

I actually think that the Battlemind is just a different kind of defender, to be honest. Whereas the Fighter is a defender that sucks enemies in and doesn't let them go, the Battlemind seems to make enemies want to run away to avoid automatic damage.

They have to burn a feat to get a decent MBA, otherwise monsters can laugh at their OA's.

I believe their dailies give OA at-wills for an encounter.

 

[Turtlejay]

Just looked at it and the class is probably IMO the worst defender out there. Even less effective at defending than the Warden (although I do love that class). They have 0 recourse against a shift+charge. They have to burn a feat to get a decent MBA, otherwise monsters can laugh at their OA's. Now, there might be some really cool feats in PHB3 or changes made to the class that will change my opinion, but as written, I find it extremely underwhelming. Also, monster damage (especially as you go higher in levels) usually scales slower than their hp, so the mark is not terribly strong, and MBA's for fighters/wardens gain all their static modifiers (usually fairly high).

If you look at their powers, many (most) of their dailies give you a stance. Said stance has a power you can use when someone moves but does not shift. That power is an OA.

It uses dailies to emulate the Fighter ability to do the same thing. This means low levels suck a bit, but once you have a couple dailies in you, busting them out during appropriate encounters will allow you to deny the shift charge (shift using your class feature to follow your enemy, use the stance to punish them for charging while adjacent to you).

Jay