D&D 5E 5E Wizard: BladeSinger vs. dip Cleric, feat help

[Rese]

My character is level 3, and should be level 4 in the next week or two. He's in Verum, which has some homebrew rules, including raising the cap on Int to 22 rather than 20 for my faction. I want to address his "glass cannon" vulnerability. Nenarasto (High Elf: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 19, Will 12, Chr 10, AC 11)

I had planned to dip one level into Cleric for the AC boost, as well as utility. I'd have to put 1 point into Will to meet the 13 min. for MC, but I get an extra point of Int back when I become a cleric of Runetharis, so there's no net cost. From what I understand, multiclassing at level 5 is particularly rough, since you delay learning any level 3 spells. So, I was thinking of doing the ASI at 4, then MC at level 6.

Cleric MC at 6
Benefits: Expertise in two of Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. 3 Cleric cantrips. 2 First Level Cleric prepared spells, plus Command and Identify (1A = +1 and Advantage)
Feats/ASI/Stat increases: Elven Accuracy or +1 Int ASI @ 9, Warcaster @13, Breastplate
Level: 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
**AC: 11 11 11 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
***Int: 19 20 20 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 22
**Init: +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3
**Con
(Conc)
Save: +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1+1 +1 1A

Feats/Ability increases: +1 Int/+1Will @ 4, Warcaster @ 9, +1 Int @ 6, Elven Accuracy or +1 Int ASI @13
Level: 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
**AC: 11 11 11 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
***Int: 19 20 20 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 22
**Init: +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3
**Con
(Conc)
Save: +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 1A 1A 1A 1A 1A

I just learned about the Bladesinger Arcane Tradition in 5e. The Sword Coast Adventure guide is allowed, just it didn't show up in the guides I looked at. I've been playing 4e, but have only played 5e for a little under a month. I'm allowed to retrain my Arcane Tradition, it just costs gold and in character time.
Blade Singer w/ Bladesong active & Studded Leather (switch Arcane Tradition @ Level 3)
Feats/Ability increases: +2 Int @ 4, Elven Accuracy or +1 Int ASI @ 8 Warcaster @12
Level: 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
Level: 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
**AC: 18 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20
***Int: 19 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 22
**Init: +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +3
**Con
(Conc)
Save: +5 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 6A

Blade Singer w/ Bladesong active no armor (switch Arcane Tradition @ Level 3)
Feats/Ability increases: +2 Int @ 4, Red Mage feat @ 8, Elven Accuracy or +1 Int ASI @ 12
Level: 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
**AC: 15 16 16 16 16 22 22 22 22 22 22
***Int: 19 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 22 22
**Init: +3 +3 +3 +3 +3 +8 +8 +8 +8+8 +8
**Con
(Conc)
Save: +5 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6 +6
Red Mage is a custom Verum feat (from The Mages Guild ):
Sigil of the Dane
Prerequisite: The ability to cast an arcane spell. Proficiency with one martial weapon. 1 Loyalty to the Mages Guild.
You are trained in the efficiency of battle magic.

• You are surrounded by a sigil that protections you from physical harm. You gain a permanent mage armor that is 15 armor base.
• Whenever you critically hit with a spell, you can reroll any number of extra dice rolled and take the higher result.
• You gain a bonus to your initiative equal to your intelligence modifier.

Either way, Warcaster seems like a good idea: advantage on con saves to maintain concentration, able to cast spells with both hands busy. The other feats I'm considering are Resiliance (Con) and/or Lucky.

 

[FrogReaver]

3rd level spells are strong. Is a bit of AC, healing word and guidance worth delaying fireball or hypnotic pattern?
4th level spells are strong. Is a bit of

AC, healing word and guidance​

worth delaying polymorph or dimension door?
5th level spells are strong. Is a bit of

AC, healing word and guidance worth delaying Animate Objects or Hold Monster?
6th level spells are strong. Is a bit of

AC, healing word and guidance worth delaying a spell like Mass Suggestion?​

​

7th level spells are strong.

Is a bit of AC, healing word and guidance worth delaying a spell like Simulcarum, Forcecage or Teleportation
8th level spells are strong.

Is a bit of AC, healing word and guidance worth delaying a spell like Clone, Maze, antimagic field, feeblemind​

9th level spells are strong.

Is a bit of AC, healing word and guidance worth delaying a spell like Wish​

​

In short, does the cleric dip come anywhere close to comparing with having access to such spells a level earlier?​

​

​

 

[Salthorae]

I have no idea what Verum is, but that feat is crazy powerful. If you could have this feat you should take it no questions.

If you want to be a combat Wizard you should retrain to Bladesinger definitely.

 

[FrogReaver]

I have no idea what Verum is, but that feat is crazy powerful. If you could have this feat you should take it no questions.

If you want to be a combat Wizard you should retrain to Bladesinger definitely.

War Mage would be pretty solid too - especially with that AC feat.

 

[Rese]

So, between FrogReaver's feedback and talking with a mage in Verum (the online D&D game this character is in), I think staying "pure" Wizard is best.

So, I have a couple of options:
Stick with Diviner, train in Breast or Half plate & shield: AC 17/18, Init +3
at level 8, I could take Red Mage Feat: AC 16 (scales w/ Dex), Init +10 but that would make the other training pointless, slightly lower AC but better Init. Or, I could forgo the medium armor/shield training, pick up Red Mage & level 4, and hold off on raising Int to 21 until level 8.

Switch Arcane Tradition to Bladesinger (studded leather): w/o & w/ Bladesong
AC: 13/17 (scales w/dex & int), +4 (scales w/ int) bonus Conc. saves
at level 8, w/ Red Mage Feat: AC 16/21 (scales w/ Dex & Int), Init +10

Switch to Abjuration. They don't get bonus AC, but the Ward lets them get into melee and is very effective defensively. It would probably make sense to pick up medium armor/shield, or take 1 level in fighter if I go this route

Salthorae, I'm mostly interested in staying back and casting spells, rather than going into melee, just using Bladesinger for the bump to AC and Concentration saves. I would have good AC as Bladesinger, but if something gets through anyway, my HP are still low.

 

[Istbor]

Regardless, a Wizard is going to have lower HP. Bladesinger can help minimize the times you will get hit.
And from experience, having an initiative that high, you are probably going to be able to set the tone for most of the battles you are in. Going 1st is big in 5e.