Best Weapon for a Swordmage?

[Remathilis]

My genasi swordmage is using a broadsword from Adventurer's Vault (+2, 1d10, versatile)

 

[Arivendel]

Well if you ask me i would say double sword, the AC becomes +1 but then you get the bonus of Defensive, add to that two weapon defense for the extra +1 so you can retain the +3 to AC you wanted.

The reason i mention Double Sword is because i like to multiclass into Ranger sometimes.

 

[Caliban]

Generally, you want to use a Versatile blade - usually a Longsword or Bastard Sword for the +3 proficiency bonus.

The advantage is that you can take a two-handed grip when attacking for +1 damage, then using a free action to take a single-weapon grip to get the extra +2 AC.

Only downside is if you get hit with an Immediate Interrupt or Opportunity Attack - you will be down 2 AC while you attack.

 

[Engilbrand]

It all depends. For me, I created a Stormsoul Genasi Swordmage with the Shard of Myrdoon. The Shard is a spear with a lot of lightning powers. From what the players saw in the few rounds that he pounded on them, they really liked it. The Warlock now uses it.
Basically, choose a weapon that has some kind of overlap with your main abilities.

 

[inati]

I'm a big fan of the Khopesh for my swordmage. The Brutal property has paid big dividends for me in my games.

Using a spiked shield is an interesting proposition, but wouldn't that require two feats (one for light shield prof, one for spiked shield) in order to gain the benefits? +1 AC/Reflex combined with a 1d6 weapon seems to be a terrible waste of feats and weapon selection for a swordmage.

Where are people getting this '+1 damage' from for two handed grips? I don't recall this being anywhere in 4E...

 

[DracoSuave]

Where are people getting this '+1 damage' from for two handed grips? I don't recall this being anywhere in 4E...

It's the 'versatile' ability of some weapons.

 

[inati]

Wow, and here I've been missing out on that rule for months. Thanks

 

[Gloombunny]

Using a spiked shield is an interesting proposition, but wouldn't that require two feats (one for light shield prof, one for spiked shield) in order to gain the benefits? +1 AC/Reflex combined with a 1d6 weapon seems to be a terrible waste of feats and weapon selection for a swordmage.

The spiked shield's entry doesn't say anything about needing other proficiencies as a prerequisite. It looks to me like you just spend a feat on Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Shield and now it's a shield that you're proficient with, so you get the AC/Reflex bonus. (But you wouldn't get anything from a regular light shield.)

 

[Baumi]

The spiked shield's entry doesn't say anything about needing other proficiencies as a prerequisite. It looks to me like you just spend a feat on Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Shield and now it's a shield that you're proficient with, so you get the AC/Reflex bonus. (But you wouldn't get anything from a regular light shield.)

I'm quite sure that you need to learn the light shield proficiency before or it would be quite unbalanced, since you don't need any prerequisites (Shield Proficiency needs Str 13) and it is simply superior to a regular shield thanks to the attached Weapon and the same defense-bonus.

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

The Eladrin Swordmage in my Saturday group went with the longsword and took the Eladrin Soldier feat for added goodness. And since the vast majority of her attack effects have the weapon keyword, she gets the +2 damage bonus on pretty much everything, and with the +3 attack bonus from the weapon, she also does a pretty good job of hitting her targets, and her general damage output is on par with my Human broadsword'n'board Fighter.

So based on that, I'm gonna have to suggest a longsword if you want that +3 AC bonus. She almost considered a bastard sword, but felt that if she was going to spend a feat, she might as play to her race.