D&D 4E 4E Strategery discussion

[phil500]

So now that a lot of us are playing Keep I want to know what you think about the strategies involved in combat.

The tiefling warlord from http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20080522a made me wonder: whats all this shifting about? other than gaining flanking, whats the value of shifting?

Is the warlords daily as insane as it seems? (3d8+3 dmg, you and each ally within 5 squares gets +5 attack bonus to target until end of encounter). I can see a tough boss battle coming down to whether or not the warlord's power hits. If I had to roll a level 1 warlord, i would take action surge (feat, +3 to attacks if you are making the attack with an action point) and use it every time I used my daily.

compare it to the ddxp cleric's cascade of light, for example (3d8+4 radiant damage, target gains vulnerability 5 to all your attacks (save ends). weak.

As for wizards: what has been better, sleep or melfs acid arrow? Is sleep a good crowd controller, or has it dissapointed?

Also: ask/discuss any cool strategy points you have come across, as player or DM

 

[PeelSeel2]

I think sleep is weak sauce.

That being said, the player in KOTS used the wizard with sleep and chose it over the other daily. He used it twice in the session and everyone thought it was real valuable. I have to admit in the last battle it did interfere with my dragonshield attack and it made the wyrmpriest ineffective for what I wanted to do. I think it bought them time.

So my opinion may not matter on it.

 

[Victim]

Moving peole around can make area attacks much more effective or less effective.

 

[Gargoyle]

So now that a lot of us are playing Keep I want to know what you think about the strategies involved in combat.

The tiefling warlord from http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20080522a made me wonder: whats all this shifting about? other than gaining flanking, whats the value of shifting?

Is the warlords daily as insane as it seems? (3d8+3 dmg, you and each ally within 5 squares gets +5 attack bonus to target until end of encounter). I can see a tough boss battle coming down to whether or not the warlord's power hits. If I had to roll a level 1 warlord, i would take action surge (feat, +3 to attacks if you are making the attack with an action point) and use it every time I used my daily.

compare it to the ddxp cleric's cascade of light, for example (3d8+4 radiant damage, target gains vulnerability 5 to all your attacks (save ends). weak.

As for wizards: what has been better, sleep or melfs acid arrow? Is sleep a good crowd controller, or has it dissapointed?

Also: ask/discuss any cool strategy points you have come across, as player or DM

On a miss, the Lead the Attack exploit causes no damage, just grants you and your allies a +1 power bonus to attack rolls agains the target.

On a miss, the cleric's Cascade of Light prayer still does half-damage, but causes no vulnerability.

So I think taking the Action Surge feat for unreliable daily powers is a fine strategy.

But I'm not sure Cascade of Light is that much weaker than Lead the Attack because while it doesn't have the "reliable" keyword, at least it does some damage on a miss...and because vulnerability seems pretty cool on follow up attacks, especially if you spend an action point to get an extra attack before they make the save.

 

[MindWanderer]

Elven Accuracy and Elven Precision would help as well. So would Tactical Presence (especially combined with Action Surge), Kensei Control Action, Shadow Assassin's Action, Battle Mage Action, and the Sword Marshal's Disciplined Blade are all great, if class-specific, ways of helping to ensure a hit with an important power.