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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Veep" data-source="post: 6707827" data-attributes="member: 6793297">Paragon Tier Battlemind DisciplinesAs a rule, you will never use the Augment 4 of paragon tier powers.  There is just too much for you to be doing with your power points to spend such a large fraction on a single attack.  As such, unless stated otherwise the Augment 4 is not considered in the rating of the power. Luckily, there are a good number of paragon powers with decent unaugmented and Augment 1 versions.Level 13 At-Will Disciplines Brutal Barrage (PHB3): Don't be fooled, Brutal Barrage can be one of the best powers the battlemind has.  However, it's all or nothing.  The power by itself, ignoring feats, items, and so on, is underwhelming: limited damage, and an unreliable prone makes it worse for stickiness than Lodestone Lure.  The optimisations that make it work are not ones that are necessary (or sometimes even good) for a battlemind who doesn't have Brutal Barrage, but if you're prepared to build around it, this is the power that will let you put out striker-level damage.  Your options to make it work include:Brutal Barrage Optimisation Note that not all of these tricks are compatible with each other.Hammer Rhythm: This gives Brutal Barrage a minimum damage of 3 (or 4 for Augment 1) times Con modifier damage.  Crit-fishing: Get an expanded crit range with a weapon mastery feat or Resurgent Wilder paragon path (the latter means you will crit about half the time with Brutal Barrage), pick up a high-crit weapon and other appropriate items (and possibly Two-Weapon Fighting+Two-Weapon Opening) and go to town.Son of Mercy: This paragon path will let you add Wisdom modifier damage to each hit with Brutal Barrage (though only against your Lawbreaker's Doom target).Soaring Blade: The level 16 feature of this monk paragon path (requires Acrobatics training) lets you add Constitution modifier any attack with a heavy blade, and gives even more damage on a crit.Elemental vulnerability: Since each hit with Brutal Barrage will trigger the vulnerability damage, this will scale damage quickly.  Obvious choices are a Lightning weapon+Lyrandar Wind-rider, a Frost weapon+Lasting Frost(+Wintertouched), or a Radiant weapon+Morninglord (+Deva Heritage+Radiant Recovery to get THP every time you hit).Slowing: If you can slow on a hit, many options open up.  You can use World Serpent's Grasp+Headsman's Chop+Gauntlets of Brutality to prone and then add 10 damage to the post-proning hits (+Strength modifier if you're a dragonborn with Draconic Arrogance); Zephyr Blade to add Charisma modifier damage on each (post-slow) hit; or Crippling Crush+hammer to add Constitution modifier damage on each (post-slow) hit. Getting the slow on hit is harder: your options in this regard boil down to Son of Mercy (but only against your Lawbreaker's Doom target), Mark of Storms+Lightning Weapon+multiclass Fighter+Hindering Shield, or Net Training.Proning: If you want to skip slowing, you can still get extra proning damage with multiclass Fighter+Polearm Momentum+Mark of Storm+Lightning glaive or halberd+something to boost your slide by at least one square+Headman's Chop+Gauntlets of Brutality (or again, Draconic Arrogance).Spark Slippers: no longer work as of the June 2011 errata. Dizzying Strike (PHB3): The Augment 1 can be used to rescue allies who are part of a multi-hit attack, and enemy repositioning is never horrible.  This is also you first at-will slide (as opposed to push or pull) with no other conditions (Wrenching Claw requires the target end adjacent).  On the other hand, you're trading the reach and multi-attacking on Bull's Strength for that slide, and this power becomes obsolete at 17, when you will almost certainly prefer to take one of Ruinous Grasp or Entangling Weapon. Intellect Snap (PsP): The damage isn't great, but this is about the control implicit in an at-will daze.  Even better, the Augment 1 can be used to shed dazed and marked, both of which are serious impediments to you - and it attacks Will to boot!  One of the best possible powers for use with Heavy Blade Opportunity -- though the fighter feat Dizzying Mace (-Constitution modifier to hit when on a target you daze) suggests another weapon choice.Kinetic Fist (DSCS): You need good Charisma, but you can pile on extra damage to marked targets, and punish enemies (with no action) who attack you.  If you can spare the power points, combine this with Augment 2 Lightning Rush to really pile on the punishment.Kinetic Shield (PsP): If it didn't take the Augment 4 to keep your standard action, this power would be amazing.  As it is, the only way to sustainably use it would have you doing no damage with either your standards or your immediates.Luring Steel (PHB3): Since this relies on Battlemind's Demand, it's not an extra mark, it just saves you a minor action, which makes it worse than Whirling Defense.   The extra punishment is an effect, which is decent, though it keys off Charisma instead of Constitution, unlike Conductive Defense.  If you have good Charisma, then it's not terrible.Overwhelming Lunge (PHB3): This is just flat-out terrible.Parting Shot (PsP): The Augment 1 is strictly worse than the Augment 1 of Psionic Speed.  While they have slightly different niches, with Parting Shot being more mobility while Psionic Speed is multi-attacks/marking, Parting Shot only stands out at Augment 4, which would almost never use.Unwavering Concentration (PsP): +2 to your defences is a good thing.  You can spam the Augment 1 for a long time, and by the time  you need to fall back on the unaugmented version you'll know which defence is most likely to be targeted.  The Wis modifier can be ignored, since you won't use the Augment 4.Web of Betrayal (PHB3): The unaugmented and Augment 1 versions are terribly weak, but the Augment 4 is really nice: whether it ends up acting defensively or offensively, the enemy is damned.  You'll only be able to use this once or twice an encounter, but if you're prepared to blow that much of your power points on a single attack, give this a look. Level 15 Daily Disciplines Aspect of Enlightening Flame (PHB3): You need a very good Wis modifier to make the Aspect augment work.  The rest of the power is workable, though not compelling.Aspect of the Desert Storm (DSCS): A lot of multi-target damage, some good status effects, and a lot of battlefield rearrangement.  The only finicky bit is trying to get good positioning to begin.Aspect of the Raging Storm (PsP): The initial and ongoing damage isn't anything to brag about, but at least there's a solid element of control with the Aspect augment. Again, Wisdom dependent.  Crushing Wave Strike (PsP): Mostly this power is about the pushing and proning, as the initial attack is nothing special and the damage on the secondary is small.  However, if you're specialising in forced movement or in Brutal Barrage, those choices might carry over to improve on this.Intellect Sunder (PHB3): Forcing a monster to attack you? Decent defending at the best of times, but combine this with Forceful Reversal to make your DM gnash his teeth.Mind Blade (PHB3): Unconscious is the strongest status effect in the game, and dazed (save ends) as a consolation prize makes this a fantastic anti-solo power.  Ideally play initiative games to make sure the party can pile on the hurt before the monster's first saving throw.Paralyzing Fear Strike (PHB3): It's an OA stance power, but it's one of the best. Scaling damage and immobilization on the OA is just what you want.Precognitive Eye (PsP): Mostly this power is about accuracy: a huge accuracy boost to the initial attack, and then an accuracy-boosting stance.  The extra mark and the free shifts are just extra, which is good, because they're not that great.Sonic Burst (PsP): A huge speed, a lot of damage in burst 1... too bad it comes with one of the least valuable status effects. Level 16 Utility Disciplines Extend the Mind's Eye (PHB3): Another Insight and Perception bonus power, the selling point of this one is that it applies to the next check you make, rather than being round-limited.Inertial Barrier (PsP): A zone with resistance, difficult terrain, and forced movement.  It's not overwhelming, but also not bad.Instant Move (PsP): A free move action once per encounter?  Fantastic. The limitation is insignificant. Mind of Endurance (PHB3): Minor action healing surge without your leader, and regeneration when you most need healing.Resolute Recovery (PsP): A move, remove a status effect, THP: this power does a lot.  The problem is that it's a daily, and it's not going to be easy to find a situation where you need everything this power does, which means you'll always waste some part of it.Savage Intent (DSCS): You're a defender that needs to be adjacent to marked targets to do your job; this is a power that helps you be adjacent to everyone you've got marked.  Spend an entire turn sidling up to probably everyone you've got marked and asking, "Do you feel lucky?"Shield of the Iron Mind (PHB3): Attacks against Will and stuff you really want to save against tend to go hand in hand and be whole-encounter deals, and here's a power that deals with exactly that scenario.  The zone doesn't even need to be sustained, so stunned/dazed/unconscious won't mess with it!  The only downside is that it is fairly situational.Sudden Rush (PHB3): The difference between this and the level 6 Psionic Ambush is the unlimited range on Sudden Rush and the combat advantage granted by Psionic Ambush.  Of the two, you'd probably prefer Psionic Ambush, because it's not likely that a target you've managed to mark is going to get much more than 10 squares from you.Teleport Trigger (PsP): Four free-action teleports to share among your party.  That's a huge boost to mobility, and it can never hurt to have. Level 17 At-Will Disciplines Battle Vortex (PHB3): If the Augment 1 added to the unaugmented version, this would be something.  As it is, the problem is that your party will have to position itself very carefully for the conditions of these two augments to represent meaningful control. Cloud of Dancing Blades (PsP): A flat-out upgrade on Whirling Defense, with a Mind Spike upgrade keying off your primary unaugmented and multi-marking with the Augment 1.  A great choice for a go-to at-will.Dancing Strike (PsP): A Charisma-dependent power to boost Blurred Step, and it's the biggest boost you can get outside taking Persistent Harrier or Unbound Nomad.  Unlike Cloud of Dancing Blades, though, it only grants one extra mark, which makes it harder to justify the loss of an at-will slot -- especially since Entangling Weapon is more versatile and fills a similar niche.Dazzling Assault (PHB3): You need the augment 4 to keep your standard, and it's an immediate power to replace Blurred Step, one of your stronger class features.  Pass.Entangling Weapon (PHB3): The meat of this is the Augment 1, which means that a) enemies can't shift next to allies, and b) the effective range of your Blurred Step increases by at least one -- and probably more, because it's a lot easier to boost the amount of your forced movement than it is to boost your own personal slides.Festering Wound (PHB3): It's a minor DPR upgrade, but you get this right before epic, when everyone else's at-wills get an extra [W] and yours don't.  That extra 1d6 will help compensate.  If that was all this had to offer, it wouldn't be that impressive, but with Psychic Lock this starts to stand out more.Gravity Well (PsP): A nice, uncomplicated power that is about making the enemy stay next to you and doing it well.  The Augment 1 in particular is extremely solid, though it (as always) requires you have a good OA.Open the Way (PsP): The short story is that this power fills pretty much the same niche as Lodestone Lure, except that it has no control.  The one thing it really offers is the ability to break immobilization and it works on swarms and other creatures immune to forced movement.  If your DM is throwing these together at you non-stop (more than twice a day or Mental Triumph solves things), and you never have to fight fliers, then the opportunity cost of Open the Way might be acceptable.Ruinous Grasp (DSCS): A good tool for keeping multiple marked enemies adjacent to you and in the right place, with a defensive boost in the Augment 1.Step of the Pursuer (PHB3): Here's an interesting upgrade on your OA: get Blurred Step as well.  The problem is that the shift is very limited in range, with a more than decent chance you won't be able to end adjacent to the target.  The Augment 1 is very situational, and in any encounter where it would be seeing good use, you'd get better mileage out of Mental Triumph. Level 19 Daily Disciplines Aspect of Squamous Horror (PsP): Decent burst damage and forced movement.  Unfortunately, the Aspect augment is pretty much the exact opposite of what you as a battlemind normally want to do.Aspect of Stolen Identity (PHB3): The great part of this power is the Aspect augment, which is not only hilarious, but with MM3-style monsters, damaging and very likely to load on a status effect.Dimensional Ambush (PsP): The damage is good but not great, the mark doesn't last long, and there's not much forced movement.  There's a teleport, but given that you just marked the target, why would you want to move away?  With the right feats or items this can make a decent battlefield rearrangement power, but it will never be a star.Focus Bind (PsP): The most damaging single-target daily at this level, but the Effect... You're giving your enemy a free mark and free movement.  Unless your DM is religious about "marks mean I must attack the defender," don't even consider this.Indomitable Prescence (DSCS): The Hit gives you a decent anti-solo or -elite effect, and the zone helps with your Catch-22.Mind Wrack (PHB3): Good single-target damage against a NAD.  This power has huge synergy with Brutal Barrage, which can push up the ongoing damage by bounds and leaps every time you use it.  Relentless Strike (PHB3): Another very good  OA stance power.  Dazed is a great status effect, though it won't prevent a charge attack.Temporal Regression (PsP): A defender not in play is a defender who is not defending.  Vengeful Mind (PHB3): The best single-target damage on this level outside Focus Bind, with a no-save accuracy boosting mark punishment effect.</blockquote>

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