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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Veep" data-source="post: 6707819" data-attributes="member: 6793297">RacesRaces from the Monster Manual are not included in this guide; if a race from Dragon is not mentioned, it should be assumed it is not a good choice.  Battleminds aren't really dependent on their secondary stats, which means there are very few absolutely terrible choices.  In this guide, the best rating is reserved for races that help shore up a shortcoming in the class (generally, either a way to deal with status effects or a way to help with opportunity attacks).Boost to Primary and Secondary Stats Dragonborn (+2 Con/Str, +2 Cha: PHB/HoFK): With your healing surges, Draconic Heritage is a major boost to durability, and dragonbreath has good defender feat support.  You need to multiclass to get it, though, as dragonborn have poor psionic support, and dragonborn feat support that isn't related to dragonbreath is thin on the ground.  Dragonfear would be a nicer option, but most battleminds will find it impossible to hit with it.Dwarf (+2 Con, +2Wis/Str: PHB/HoFL/NCS): Dwarves make fantastic front-liners, and battleminds are no exception.  The resistance to forced movement is fantastic for a defender that needs to stay adjacent, and the savings of minor action Second Wind is huge for a class that wants to use it every encounter.  It doesn't really matter what subrace you choose.Half-elf (+2 Con, +2 Cha/Wis: PHB/HoFK): Your choice of secondaries, and half-elves have the single best solution to the battlemind's problems with OAs in Dilettante.  Mul (+2 Con, +2 Wis/Str: DSCS): Incredible Toughness is a great tool for shedding some dangerous status effects, though Mul Vitality is practically wasted on you.  Your choice of human and dwarf feats is just icing.Satyr (+2 Cha, +2 Con/Dex: HotFW): Lure of Enchantment is some nice added movement to any power, and Light of Heart and Pleasant Recovery are nice if not gamebreaking.  The feat support has nothing very attractive, however.Tiefling (+2 Con/Int, +2 Cha: PHB/HoFK): Tieflings have flat-out some of the best feat support in the game (including access to pre-nerf Melee Training and an initiative improver for Charisma-secondary batleminds), Infernal Wrath is a free Catch-22, and it's got stats everywhere you might want them.Wilden (+2 Con/Dex, +2 Wis: PHB3): The feat support is not fantastic, but Nature's Sentinel is probably the best racial battlemind feat, and the aspects are situationally useful. Boost to Primary Stat Genasi (+2 Con/Str, +2 Int: FRPG/Dragon 397): Other than the Con boost, genasi don't really bring a lot to a battlemind.  The elemental manifestation you probably want to look at is Earthsoul, since Earthshock is a decent minor action attack that can exhibit some nice defender-appropriate control.  Goliath (+2 Con/Wis, +2 Str: PHB2/Dragon 397): Stone's Endurance makes for a very tough defender, +Str helps with feat prerequisites, and the +1 to Will slots into your class bonus NAD.Halfling (+2 Con/Cha, +2 Dex: PHB/HoFL): With military rapiers and picks receiving a huge boost as the go-to Small weapon, a halfling defender is now a much more practical option.  Where halflings really shine is on the defensive, so if your DM respects marks unfailingly, give halflings a thought.Half-Orc (+2 Con/Str, +2 Dex: PHB2/HoFK): Furious Assault is a nice damage increase, and points in Dex never hurt.Humans (+2 to any: PHB/HoFL): Feat taxes mean that extra feat is great, and the extra power helps offset the limited selection you get with psionic augmentation classes.Minotaur (+2 Con/Wis, +2 Str: PHB3): The racial support and features are geared around melee basic attacks, which is not the battlemind's forte.  However, Minotaurs do have the best heroic-tier solution for the OA problems in Opportunity Gore, so give them careful thought if you know your campaign won't run until high levels.Revenant (+2 Con/Cha, +2 Dex: Dragon 376/397): There's tricks you can do with Revenants who just cannot die, and then on top of that your choice of racial feat support.Warforged (+2 Con, +2 Str/Int: EPG/Dragon 397): Like the Goliath, a Str/Con tough guy.  The feat support for Warforged is a little worse, but Warforged Resolve is better than Stone's Endurance, especially with Immutability. Boost to Secondary Stat Only Changeling (+2 Cha, +2 Dex/Int: EPG): Famously some the worst feat support in the game, and it brings nothing of use to a battlemind.Deva (+2 Wis, +2 Int/Cha: PHB2/Dragon 397): Both secondaries, and Memories of a Thousand Lifetimes is very handy.  Drow (+2 Cha/Wis, +2 Dex: FRPG/HoFK): Cloud of Darkness is your best option, but the need to stick close to your allies will make this harder to use.  It can work with some effort, but there are other, easier choices.Eldarin (+2 Cha/Dex, +2 Int: PHB/HoFL/NCS): The bump to Int isn't fantastic, but Feywild Advance is the best upgrade for Blurred Step that doesn't revolve around  a particular choice of psionic study or paragon path.  Either of the Moon or Sun Elf subraces will give you access to skill bonuses a little more synergistic with your class, and Sun Elf Wizard Implement Proficiency will give you implement proficiencies (including a weapliment!) if you need them for multiclass/theme/Dilettante reasons.Elf (+2 Wis, +2 Dex/Int: PHB/HoFL/NCS): Elven Accuracy is the only real reason to choose an Elf, but it is a good reason.  The problem with the subraces, though, is they take Elven Accuracy away from you.  If you're a Wis-secondary battlemind with Perception trained, the Wood Elf Sense Threat is worth considering, but by and large you will want to stick with Elven Accuracy.Githzerai (+2 Wis, +2 Dex/Int: PHB3): Every single racial feature is perfect for a defender, and there's some solid racial feats to boot.Gnome (+2 Dex/Cha, +2 Int: PHB2/Dragon 397): Gnomes have something better to be doing (presumably).Hamadryad (+2 Wis, +2 Cha/Int: HotFW): Tree Mind is very nice for a defender, and Oaken Vitality on a Con-primary class is a good way to say goodbye to most Endurance checks.  Hamadryad Aspects is also good, with Wooden Form giving you yet another source of resistance.  A very reasonable choice.Kalashtar (+2 Cha, +2 Wis/Int: EPG/Dragon 397): Both secondaries is good, and Speed of Thought kalashtars get a fantastic feat in Battlemind Duulora Initiation. Longtooth Shifter(+2 Wis, +2 Str: PHB2): The Str bonus is useful, but a Con-primary defender is going to have a bit of a problem getting to bloodied the usual way, and the feat support just isn't geared towards battleminds.Pixie (+2 Cha, +2 Dex/Int: HotFW): Pixies don't offer quite as much to battleminds as other defenders: the "in the attacker's space" trick to hinder shifting realy provides the same benefit as Blurred Step.  However, the fly speed is a huge boost in terms of evading OAs, which is a big deal for Lightning Rush.  Tentatively, I think they're a good but not overwhelming race, but post in the thread if you've had play experience with a pixie battlemind.Razorclaw Shifter(+2 Wis, +2 Dex: PHB2): Pretty much the same story as Longtooth Shifters, but you trade the Str bonus for a more defensive shifting.Shadar-Kai(+2 Wis/Int, +2 Dex: Dragon 372/397): Teleport, insubstantial to take the edge off attacks, and decent defensive boosts.  A solid choice.Shade (+2 Cha, +2 Dex/Int: HoS): The lost healing surge will bother you less than anyone, but One with Shadow is pretty much useless.  There's a few good racial utilities (Shadow Monsters and Shadow Jump), but what battleminds really want is a good level 2 utility, and Fleeting Shade, while not bad, just isn't something you really want.  Hard to recommend.Shardmind(+2 Cha/Wis, +2 Int: PHB3): Your choice of secondaries, and Shard Swarm is a decent power with some useful feat support.Thri-Kreen(+2 Wis/Str, +2 Dex: DSCS): The racial power is useless to battleminds.  For insult to injury, it is the current champion of least feat support.Vyrloka (+2 Cha, +2 Str/Dex: HoS): Lifeblood is good and it should trigger for you reasonably often.  Sadly, the level 2 racial utility is not a great substitute even for the battlemind's poor options -- in fact, none of them really stand out.  Still, you get necrotic resistance and boost to very handy stats.</blockquote>

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