Swordmage: Help grasping the concept, please

[mkill]

@deganawida: I think you should just give the class a try. Like many things in 4th edition, it takes a long time to explain, but when you see it at the table, it's pretty natural and easy to grasp.

Hmm, that actually sounds really cool when you put it like that. So, despite not having High[W] attacks, you still get in a lot of attacks and do more things in combat than just having to attack?

If you want a straightforward previous-edition-style fighter who walks up to the monster and smacks it repeatedly until it drops, Swordmage is not what you are looking for.

Swordmages are more like a bag of tricks: Each power that you choose has another neat little thing built in. Whether it's an MK Scorpion "get over here", teleporting around the battlefield, blasting a group of enemies, smacking everyone around you or dealing all kind of special effects. Yes, the damage is low on the [W]s, but that doesn't mean you're not useful.

In fact, it is possible to build a swordmage for damage, but these are optimized builds that only kick off at Paragon levels. One type abuses damage on teleports and charges and the feycharge feat (look for "Feycharger" and "Arcane Slasher"), the other kind of build starts with the innocent-looking Swordburst and piles feats, item effects and Paragon Path features on it until you unleash a storm that wipes the battlefield.

 

[On Puget Sound]

I play a genasi swordmage/warlord hybrid (assault/ tactical; both use STR, INT and a sword, so it's an easy hybrid to make), and I am never bored. In fact, I don't think I've ever hit the same enemy twice with the same power. So many things to do! And I'm only level 4.

 

[Garthanos]

I must be the only one resisting doing the genasi thing ;-) humans rock... and swordmages have nice at-wills and feats.

 

[renau1g]

Humans also rock as hybrids that way you can get two from one class and one from the other. I like swordburst as the mainstay of most SM builds, but if you grab Commander's Strike and still have access to another SM or warlord power that's cool

 

[Prestidigitalis]

I must be the only one resisting doing the genasi thing ;-) humans rock... and swordmages have nice at-wills and feats.

Nope. Level 8 Human Shielding Swordmage MC Wizard, heading toward Coronal Guard (although Spellstorm Mage is tempting). Emphasis on Swordburst with Enlarge Spell + Destructive Wizardry to keep the damage level up. Sadly, I rarely use my second at-will (lightning lure), let alone the third (luring strike) granted by the human racial bonus. Swordburst does it all.

Can someone confirm that I can use my sword for Spellstorm Mage powers without having to take a feat to do it? (sorry for the tangent)

 

[Herschel]

I must be the only one resisting doing the genasi thing ;-) humans rock... and swordmages have nice at-wills and feats.

Genasi is the race that lured me away from playing almost exclusively humans. Genasi Barbarians, Rangers, Sorcerers, Avengers, Warlords, Fighters, etc. have all seen my character building and play. They are like 10 races in one with the manifestations.

 

[Garthanos]

Sadly, I rarely use my second at-will (lightning lure), let alone the third (luring strike) granted by the human racial bonus. Swordburst does it all.

Things like that bother me.. there should be more situational influences...or at least rock paper scissors type variation in choice.(fort/will/ref)

 

[Garthanos]

Genasi is the race that lured me away from playing almost exclusively humans. Genasi Barbarians, Rangers, Sorcerers, Avengers, Warlords, Fighters, etc. have all seen my character building and play. They are like 10 races in one with the manifestations.

I had an idea for a group of champions who where each born in a disaster associated with 1 element... except the last and he was born in a combinational horror story. The last seemed entirely human at first (then discovered he had gifts governing all elements) the others discovered they single focused elemental power. Building this using Genasi sounds enticing to me.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

Things like that bother me.. there should be more situational influences...or at least rock paper scissors type variation in choice.(fort/will/ref)

Oh, Lightning Lure would be awesome -- if it didn't target Fortitude. As it is, I don't think I've ever hit with it, so I gave up. I'd rather use Swordburst as a "signature move" of my character even when it's not tactically quite as good. Given my build, that's not very often.

Luring Strike also has real potential, but we just don't seem to end up in the kind of tactical situations where positioning is as important as damage or AoE potential.

Re: Genasi. I was going to play one for my first character, but I just couldn't get the damn spiky-headedness of the images in the FRPG out of my head. Ugh.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Re: Trying to Grasp the Concept of a Swordmage

Think this guy: