Bull Rush... Effective?

[Zadam]

I'm trying to create a tough big strength Fighter in a game I'm in. His dex and int probably wont be high enough to get a lot of combat feats, so I've been wondering what to spend his feats on at higher levels. Improved Bullrush seems a possibility, but I started wondering if its actually worth it? You get to push someone back a certain distance... But you don't damage them. I'm thinking there HAS to be many situations where this might be a good thing, but I can't really think of too many. Can people people post how they have successfully used a Bullrush in a combat in a way which benefited them more than if they had just attacked normally? I'm thinking you should be able to push enemies into pits etc, but you don't really fight around pits all that often. Perhaps pushing them back to prevent them trying to run past you and attacking a weaker character at the back of the party? What about pushing them into a wall? Would that do damage etc?

 

[William_2]

It is a great tactic when there is anywhere for a target to fall- pit, bridge, cliff, roof, etc. Other than that, I don't really know. Always strikes me as a surprising thing to spend a feat on.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It's pretty good if you can take someone, and push them past a line of your allies.

AoOs for everyone! Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!

 

[DanMcS]

Bull Rush is too occasionally useful to be worth the feat. Go with something else on the power attack tree, like improved sunder. Half or better of your opponents will wield weapons, very few of your fights will involve things you can push people into.

In the situations where it is useful, it's very useful, though. Our party got attacked on a ship, and instead of spending two or three rounds trying to batter an opponent into unconsciousness, I successfully knocked him right into the water, and out of the fight. I never expect that tactic to be useful again, but on the rare instances when it works, it's really cool.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Also great for pit fights where there are spikes on the walls. And competitions where moving outside the ring is a disqualification.

I agree... very circumstantial, but when you use it, it looks goood.

 

[Infiniti2000]

It worked pretty well in the Battle of All Alignments.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

Might be good for pushing a foe to within 5' of a powerful ally with multiple attacks. Or shoving an archer to a place where they can't 5'-step-and-shoot, or knocking a rogue out of his flanking position.

Seems like Bull Rush is a good tactic for a strong but lower-level cohort. Then again, it is also a prereq for some tactical feats.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Used it to push a lich into her mechanical clock of doom. Shoved several people over ledges and cliffs.

Beyond that I've found it most useful for pushing enemies into positions that the rogue can full round sneak attack them.

IIRC, there are 2 strength based tactical feats in the Complete Warrior - think one of them gives you some bonuses when used with bullrushing.

Don't really need improved bullrush for any of this to work, but it makes it 20% more likely to happen, which is never a bad thing?

IME, the telekinetic version is fantastic - removes most of the risk from using it.

 

[kjenks]

My 13th-level fighter mutt has Improved Bull Rush because it's a pre-requisite for Shock Trooper. He's rarely used it, relying instead on inflicting damage and grappling.

But there was one memorable incident involving archers on a ledge. Much fun.

 

[Stalker0]

Bullrushing is a fine tactic in niche situations as others have mentioned....but the feat is more of an NPC feat because it is so niche. Although one use of it people haven't mentioned is that if you bullrush someone into a person or wall they fall prone which is nice.

Personally I wouldn't get the feat...the few times you use bullrush are often to end someone (like knocking them off a cliff).... for those I don't mind taking an AOO.