Blackguard/Fighter Hybrid Build - Need Help

[killswitch]

Hello all. I'm working on building a Blackguard / Fighter Hybrid for our upcoming LFR campaign, and need some help building up my character - here is what I was thinking so far:

Race: Vryloka
Starting Stats (after racial):
18 STR
16 CON
10 DEX
7 INT (dm approved)
10 WIS
16 CHA

Training: Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate

Feats:
1. Hybrid Talent (Fighter Combat Talent - Battlerager Vigor)
2. Weapon Proficiency (Execution Axe)
4. Armor Proficiency (Heavy Plate)
6. Power Attack
8. Weapon Focus (Axe)
10. Weapon Expertise (Axe)
11. Reserve Maneuver
12. Lasting Frost
14. Wintertouched
16. ?
18. ?
20. ?
21. Martial Mastery
22. Divine Mastery
24. Axe Mastery
26. Cleaving Axe
28. ?
30. ?

Powers (At-Will):
Brash Strike (Fighter) / Retrained to Cleave at level 11
Ardent Strike (Paladin)

Powers (Encounter):
1. Hack and Hew (Fighter)
3. Dread Smite (Paladin)
7. Blade of Light (Paladin)
11. Reaping Lunge (Dread Reaper - Reserve Maneuver in Bloody the Field
13. Appalling Crunch (Fighter) Replaces Hack and Hew
17. Minotaur Charge (Fighter) Replaces Blade of Light

Powers (Daily):
1. Blood of the Mighty (Paladin)
5. Dizzying Blow (Fighter)
9. Thicket of Blades (Fighter)
15. Avatar of Slaughter (Paladin) Replaces Dizzying Blow
19. Relentless Assailant (Fighter) Replaces Thicket of Blades
20. Blood Harvest (Dread Reaper)

Powers (Utility):
2. Bless Weapon (Paladin)
6. Daring Shout (Fighter)
10. Deathly Aura (Paladin)
12. Reaper's Warning (Dread Reaper)
16. Bolstering Stride (Fighter)

Paragon Path: Dread Reaper

That's as far as I've gotten so far.
The point I'm trying to hit on is dealing as much damage as possible within this class, while being very survivable - hence all of the THPs from everywhere. I'm not too sure on some of my feats, and the holes there as well, and if my powers are the most damaging...or even if the Paragon Path is the right one. But I really like the theme.

I'm not a huge powergamer, but I would like some help optimizing the damage output and tankability of this build. Thanks!

 

[Estlor]

Hybrids from Dragon 400 aren't in the builder yet, right? Because I don't think they behave the way you think they do.

For example, you've got a paladin encounter power in your build at level 7. Blackguards don't get to choose paladin encounter powers. So I'll be very surprised if hybrid blackguards do. The understanding I got from the article - and how I expect the builder to behave when updated with it - is the blackguard half of your build has one and precisely one choice for a paladin encounter - dread smite (or another use of it).

Likewise, I don't think you're going to have the opportunity to pick your at-will. I'd wager your at-will from the blackguard half is going to be the at-will granted by your vice. This one I'm not quite as certain about since hybrid warlocks aren't forced to take their pact's at-will (except binders, but the feature calls that out specifically).

 

[killswitch]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I'm unsure on the rulings of the hybrid Blackguard, except, here is my take:

In builder, when you choose Paladin hybrid, you can choose Blackguard powers, leading me to believe the opposite is true. Also, due to the wording in the Blackguard Hybrid article:

"Dread Smite (Hybrid): You can select the dread
smite power whenever you have the opportunity to
gain or replace a class encounter attack power that
has a level. If you already have dread smite, you gain
an additional use of the power if you select it again."

It sounds that the development of the Blackguard followes all other classes in terms of Encounter and Daily and Utility development, and you can choose to select Dread Smite as an option. This is partially what I'm looking for clarification on, and unfortunately Blackguard hybrid isn't in the Builder yet, so I am waiting on that. Otherwise, if this isn't how the hybrid Blackguard works, my hopefully favorite class is an utter letdown. Also, for the choosing a Vice and getting that At-Will, i agree, we may only be able to choose the at-will for the vice, but if the above is true, retraining it will work.

 

[Karmic_vegeance]

While I find it easily possible that the Hybrid Blackguard will only allow you to take Dread Smite for your Encounter power, I have to disagree with Estlor's supposition that you won't be able to choose your At-will.

There is no language, no rules in the Hybrid Blackguard writeup that would require your powers to be so mandated. In fact, the only reason the at-will choice is mandated for the Blackguard is its "Vice At-will" Class feature that is not present in the Hybrid rules. Other essentials classes have similar features to restrict their at-wills to fit the class. In addition, each hybrid that has restrictions on its at-will choice spell it out specifically, such as with the executioner and binder.

I will note however, that the Essentials builds were built for simplicity, whereas Hybrids are by definition complex - it's not impossible that they would open the full scope of class powers for hybrid essentials builds due to no longer needing them to maintain simple mechanics.

Now, as for the build itself? I can only really provide the barest minimum of insight, as I am only familiar with the mechanics of fighters and blackguards and have never played one. There are a few things though.

Feat recommendations: Pick up Improved Defenses at some point, or at least one of the Superior Defense feats (Superior Will is the default, since you qualify). You may as well take Axe Expertise instead of Weapon Expertise (Axe) because the former is flat out better. You will qualify for Armor Specialization (Plate) by Level 11 so you can take that for an extra +1 to AC. Also you should look into some of the domain feats that boost Ardent Strike's power. Power of Strife is especially powerful, giving a scaling boost in damage per enemy within 3 squares of you. It can turn into a massive untyped bonus later on - the only catch is you have to worship Tiamat (or some other homebrew Strife deity).

Keep in mind you're not getting the damage boost from the Battlerager Vigor feature because you're not in light or chain armor. For your at-wills, I'm assuming you're using the Vice of Domination? Brash Strike is a powerful, damaging at-will but Crushing Surge not only gives you more temporary hit points on hit, it gives you them on a miss as well. It's worth consideration, so you can keep fueling your Vice feature when you attack with Ardent Strike (such a shame you can't use it to fuel non-Paladin powers anymore).

 

[killswitch]

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I'm really hoping they get the Hybrid Blackguard on the Character Builder soon, so I can actually build this out, rather than hoping it works the way I think it does.

As for the mentions, I think Improved Defenses will be a good option. I'm mostly looking for boosts to damage. Also, with the using chain or light armor on the Battlerager, I didn't read that - does it still apply in the Hybrid build? I didn't think it did. I would love Power of Strife, but it doesn't fit my character theme to worship Cyric (Forgotten Realms setting).

Mostly, what I was thinking for At-Wills was Wicked Strike and Ardent Strike. Wicked requires the target to be marked, but I would charge in with Ardent Strike, which puts my divine sanction on the target, thus marking it, then if it moves, use Combat Challenge on it using Wicked Strike, if it doesn't move, use Wicked Strike on my next turn, marking it again, and gaining me temp hp; I could also smack with Dread Smite and use the temp hps from my previous hit to fuel more damage. Without Dread Smite, that does about 30 damage at level 1 with a battle axe in two attacks at will, and gaining me THPs. Not too bad I don't think.

I need to test out this build with a straight Blackguard build that multiclasses a Fighter for paragon path options and see which one does better.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Hello all. I'm working on building a Blackguard / Fighter Hybrid for our upcoming LFR campaign, and need some help building up my character - here is what I was thinking so far:

That's as far as I've gotten so far.
The point I'm trying to hit on is dealing as much damage as possible within this class, while being very survivable - hence all of the THPs from everywhere. I'm not too sure on some of my feats, and the holes there as well, and if my powers are the most damaging...or even if the Paragon Path is the right one. But I really like the theme.

I'm not a huge powergamer, but I would like some help optimizing the damage output and tankability of this build. Thanks!

Why are you trying to mix Fighter and Blackguard? Either on its own would be better at doing damage and surviving than the mix is. (That's not to say all hybrids are bad - but the two halves do almost the same thing in incompatable ways).

 

[Herschel]

FWIW the ability score deviation is NOT allowed under LFR rules even with DME.

 

[killswitch]

FWIW the ability score deviation is NOT allowed under LFR rules even with DME.

It's not sanctioned, it's just a LFR setting our LGS DM is running, taking us through the standard modules. It's just to get more players playing.

As for running a Blackguard / Fighter, I like the concept, and as I said before, I'm not a power gamer. I'm also really disappointed with the base Blackguard class, mostly due to the fact that the ONLY encounter power you get is Dread Smite. It allows for no personal customization whatsoever - also why I hate the Essentials character builds. I would like to build a Blackguard that has access to 3[w] and 4[w] encounters and more, maybe I'm missing something, but the standard Blackguard attacks are VERY lacking.