4E Class Survivor - Round 5

[ScorpiusRisk]

Just to clarify, I was merely trying to sum up what happened in the last thread. I find the Bard, especially in 4e, to be very useful and fun. I'm playing one on L4W.

I will continue to vote for the Sorcerer despite the peer pressure.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

I don't play any of them...but ya know I like voting in polls.

 

[Invisible Stalker]

Thief, Warlock, Barbarian, Swordmage, Man-at-Arms with delusions of grandeur, plenty of class gutter trash to STILL vote for.

 

[Roland55]

I'm starting to feel like the Grim Reaper here ... I vote, they die.

Might have to switch soon to support CadFan -- he's got a darned good point about the SwordMage. It's a disappointing class.

 

[Herschel]

Time to die, swordmage.. (although I think another war-class will go)

You're getting old and complacent Jack. You want to vote off one of the most innovative classes (FINALLY a viable, lightly-armored swordsman who can stay in the front line AND has the best at-will EVER in Lightning Lure). Yet you don't say anything about the boring, predictable, doesn't do anything special ranger? Do you pass on gourmet meals to sit home and eat mac & cheese with hot dogs cut up in it while the VCR records "Wheel of Fortune"?

 

[Nai_Calus]

How is the Swordmage disappointing?

Seriously, someone explain the hate.

Like the last poster said, finally a lightly-armored swordsman/Gish class that WORKS and isn't god-awful or some tortured multiclass exercise in optimization. What's to hate?

 

[ferratus]

I will never forgive you all for killing off the bard. I had more fun with the bard than anything else I've played in 4e, because he was a sneaky, tricky bastard who didn't sing a note.

Now the warden on the other hand, his flavour text is the weakest sauce. Though, he does have better flavour text than the new assassin class.

 

[Cadfan]

How is the Swordmage disappointing?

Seriously, someone explain the hate.

Like the last poster said, finally a lightly-armored swordsman/Gish class that WORKS and isn't god-awful or some tortured multiclass exercise in optimization. What's to hate?

I can only speak for myself:

I hate grab bags of elemental damage. I love theme. The Swordmage is a grab bag of elemental damage class, much like the Wizard.

I like the potential of the swordmage. I think it could have been truly great, and maybe someday as the number of swordmage powers proliferates it will become possible to make characters that avoid the grab bag effect. But right now I don't think its possible. Its too much "have a lightning spell here, a fire spell there, some cold over here, and whatever you do, don't theme your character in any meaningful way."

So while its miles away from 3e gish classes, its miles behind something like the Avenger or even the Warden. I know people hate the Warden and all, but seriously? It themes awfully well. Throw together a goliath warden themed off of manipulating and even becoming stone and earth. Its easy to do, incredibly thematic, and mechanically both simple and solid.

In fairness to the swordmage, its "grab bag of elemental damage" theme is probably there because a lot of people like that sort of thing.

But I don't like that sort of thing, and its my vote, so nyah.

 

[Garthanos]

I can only speak for myself:

I hate grab bags of elemental damage. I love theme. The Swordmage is a grab bag of elemental damage class, much like the Wizard.

I like the potential of the swordmage. I think it could have been truly great, and maybe someday as the number of swordmage powers proliferates it will become possible to make characters that avoid the grab bag effect. But right now I don't think its possible. Its too much "have a lightning spell here, a fire spell there, some cold over here, and whatever you do, don't theme your character in any meaningful way."

So while its miles away from 3e gish classes, its miles behind something like the Avenger or even the Warden. I know people hate the Warden and all, but seriously? It themes awfully well. Throw together a goliath warden themed off of manipulating and even becoming stone and earth. Its easy to do, incredibly thematic, and mechanically both simple and solid.

In fairness to the swordmage, its "grab bag of elemental damage" theme is probably there because a lot of people like that sort of thing.

But I don't like that sort of thing, and its my vote, so nyah.

hmmm my group lets people pick a differing damage type when we take a spell...
so a Frigid Blade spell might slow the enemy but the new lightning build of it "Crackling Blade of Enervation" slows the target by dancing lightning along the targets nerves and freezing up their muscles...oh I mean forcibly clenching the muscles in spasmadic jerks ... sorry.

After Shocks Electro Stroke is Frostwind Blade similarly electrified.
Picture the shielding swordmage as using an elecromagnetic field and you can round out just about at-wills to fairly vivid...electromagical fun.

A swordmages shielding there allies... seems to be theirs and theirs alone... shrug I like them quite a bit. Carving holes in space with blades that partake of the other planes.. even connects to the teleporting. They arent walking near planes they are cutting through the barriers...

 

[drothgery]

I can only speak for myself:

I hate grab bags of elemental damage. I love theme. The Swordmage is a grab bag of elemental damage class, much like the Wizard.

I like the potential of the swordmage. I think it could have been truly great, and maybe someday as the number of swordmage powers proliferates it will become possible to make characters that avoid the grab bag effect. But right now I don't think its possible. Its too much "have a lightning spell here, a fire spell there, some cold over here, and whatever you do, don't theme your character in any meaningful way."

A quick look at the compendium suggests you can make a swordmage where all but two powers normally acquired are Fire (1 at-will and a level 25 daily) or Lightning (1 at-will and a level 1 daily). Cold, thunder, and force all have enough powers that you can choose any one of them for more than 2/3 of your normally acquired powers.