Best of the Best - Tactical Warlord.

[Zinovia]

The taclord in our group was debating between genasi and eladrin, until another player chose a genasi swordmage. Not wanting to steal away the uniqueness of the other character, the taclord went with eladrin. There's a lot of fun to be had with a reach weapon and fey step, and the spiral tactician paragon path looks great. He MC'd to wizard also, adding some variety in what he can do.

 

[N8Ball]

I'd like to vote Genasi on this one, but I can't

Genasi would win hands down for perfect stat bonuses alone, so it's pretty interesting to see how people vote on other races. With the choices given you really have to look at feats, PPS and choose between boosting your Str or Int.

One PP that I've always liked (esp for dwarves or in a dwarf heavy party) is Earthfast Brigadier. Unfortunately dwarves have pretty much nothing going for them as Warlords. Too bad, since I always imagined them as rather tactically minded.

 

[kilpatds]

Don't you have to worry about hitting first and the power of the effect later? If you're not hitting, then that 20 Int doesn't do you much good.

Or is there something I'm not seeing here?

A lot of a TacLord's power doesn't require hitting. The bonus to hit (and with feat, damage) on Action points? No attack roll required. Commander's Strike? You don't make the attack. Handing out healing and bonuses to hit at the same time? No attack roll required.

I'd look through the powers to pick out ones where the important part is in the effect... but login to DDI is broken again. In general, yes, the encounter attack powers really need you to hit, so the usual advice isn't to let strength get that low. But even if your strength is very low and Commanders Strike is the only attack power you use, you'll still contribute a fair amount to the party. And you can pick daily powers at most levels that have a good effect even if you miss.

 

[Garthanos]

Of the choices given: Eladrin, because Spiral Tactician.

Cheers, -- N

huh?

oh a paragon path move along.

 

[FireLance]

Don't you have to worry about hitting first and the power of the effect later? If you're not hitting, then that 20 Int doesn't do you much good.

Or is there something I'm not seeing here?

Reasons why eladrin make great tactical warlords:

1. Fey Tactics* (16th level Spiral Tactician paragon path ability) - lets your allies add your entire Intelligence bonus (instead of half your Intelligence bonus) to attack rolls when they spend an action point.

2. Fey Tactics* (Paragon feat) and Second Step* (11th level Spiral Tactician paragon path ability) - lets you teleport a nearby ally when you use fey step. Really good for setting up flanks or just moving an ally out of a sticky situation. Spend an action point and your fey step recharges so you can do it again.

3. Fey Command* (Heroic feat) - lets your allies teleport 1 square when they spend an action point to attack, either before or after the attack. Effectively combines a free shift with the attack.

4. Tactical Assault* (Heroic feat) - lets your allies add your Intelligence modifier to damage rolls when they spend an action point.

5. Combat Commander* (Paragon feat) and Spiral Timing* (11th level Spiral Tactician paragon path ability) - give your allies your Intelligence bonus to initiative instead of the normal +2 from Combat Leader, and allow one ally to reroll initiative at a further bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier.

6. Tactical Inspiration* (Heroic feat) - add your Intelligence modifier to the hit points restored by your inspiring word.

* No attack roll required!

Reasons why your eladrin warlord/spiral tactician should multiclass swordmage:

1. Eladrin Swordmage Advance (Heroic feat) - when you use fey step to teleport to a square adjacent to an enemy, you can make a melee basic attack against that enemy as a free action. And, remember Second Step?

2. Weapon/Implement synergy, as long as you use a heavy blade or a light blade.

3. Borrowed confidence (Swordmage 16th level utility power) - allows you to roll two dice and use either result when you make an attack roll or a saving throw until the start of your next turn. When you really, really want to hit with a power. Spend an action point to attack again, and fey step adjacent to the enemy again for good measure (see Eladrin Swordmage Advance).

4. Waves of languor (Swordmage 25th level daily attack power) and warlord's doom (Warlord 27th level encounter attack power) - One causes every enemy in a close burst 2 to be slowed and weakened (save ends both) and unconscious (save ends) after the first failed saving throw. The other causes the target to fail its next saving throw against an effect currently on it. You really, really want to hit with these two powers (see borrowed confidence).

 

[Greatfrito]

I'd vote Genasi too, having seen one "do its thing" quite effectively.

I've seen a human TacLord played pretty effectively. And while Eladrin does have some really great options, I'd rather give the human some props.

 

[interwyrm]

Eladrin with greatspear.

I might consider mc fighter instead of mc swordmage for feycharge. (Or if windrise, both)

 

[LamilLerran]

I came to this thread to see whether Eladrin or Genasi was winning, and I leave disappointed.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

Don't you have to worry about hitting first and the power of the effect later? If you're not hitting, then that 20 Int doesn't do you much good.

Or is there something I'm not seeing here?

Firelance already answered much of it, but I'll add:

Bracers of Mental Might (1/encounter use INT to attack/dmg instead of STR)
Multi-class fighter (1/encounter +1 to hit)

Lots o' flanking and other ways to get combat advantage for bonuses to hit.

I use Commander's Strike for about 1/3 to 1/2 of my standard actions . . . I don't need to roll to hit.

I have a luckblade glaive+1 (the first magic weapon my character ever picked up) to which I apply augmenting whetstone and use until I've used the daily from the weapon. Then I switch over to controlling glaive +3.

 

[Omen of Peace]

I voted Eladrin because Genasis were apparently on holiday. On a different day I might have voted Human though, they're close to Eladrins IMO.

Spiral Tactician is great but Battle Captain still wins the day for me anyway.