Can you design for/around Reach weapons?

[Intense_Interest]

Reading the equipment guide and many of the powers for the "upfront" classes, I found myself lacking in obvious optimal choices for a spear-wielding or glaive or halberd wielding character.

Polearm gamble seems to be a minion-slayer, and spear feats and reach in general feels like not-always-useful abilities.

Is there a build or concept that finds Polearms to be A-OK? Eladrin Tactical Warlords? Strength Clerics w/o Shield prof.?

 

[DerekSTheRed]

I'm planning on playing a Spear wielding fighter for LFR. As such I've been researching the fighter powers that are spear/polearm oriented. The weapon specific powers are at levels 3, 13, and 23. Most of the powers for pole arms use strength and dexterity and occasionally wisdom. You can buy points into only those 3 stats if you wish although I would still put some in constitution for healing surges.

Polearm Gamble requires a 15 in strength and wisdom. Spear Mastery, the epic feat, requires strength and dexterity. If you do plan on buying a high wisdom, take the PP Pit Fighter to get your wisdom modifier to weapon damage.

I plan on taking Armor-Piercing Thrust at 3rd, Silverstep at 13th, and Paralyzing Strike at 23rd. Other possibilities include Dance of Steel at 3rd or Talon of the Roc at 13th.

Hope this helps,
Derek

 

[Kaffis]

Consider: you advance to smack a guy, and stop short of being fully adjacent. Then you smack him, and mark him. Now, he'll take an attack from you whether he closes with you to melee (polearm gamble) OR if he tries to attack somebody else from where he is.

Kind of nifty, eh?

Granted, go for a high AC, because you'll be granting combat advantage frequently.

Edit: whoops. Just reread combat challenge, you only get the attack on the enemy if he's adjacent. Grr.

 

[Henrix]

Polearm gamble seems to be a minion-slayer, and spear feats and reach in general feels like not-always-useful abilities.

Polearm gamble is fine tactic for fighters. Enemies that are hit by opportunity attacks stop moving, thanks to their combat superiority, so often the enemy will not even reach them. It also makes no matter if the enemy tries to shift in.
Avoid using it against rogues, though.

 

[DerekSTheRed]

Of course after reading this thread I will probably go with Rain of Blows at 3rd and maybe Armor-Piercing Thrust at 7.

Derek

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Note that the halberd is an axe-class weapon as well, so it benefits from some (not all) of the axe feats. Likewise glaive/heavy blade.

 

[Torchlyte]

A halberd is also useful against any enemy that shifts as an interrupt.

 

[Victim]

Polearm Gamble requires 15 Wis. So does Uncanny Dodge. So you can at least prevent enemies from gaining an attack bonus from the combat advantage you offer.

 

[On Puget Sound]

Check out Giant's Wake with a halberd, too.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Consider: you advance to smack a guy, and stop short of being fully adjacent. Then you smack him, and mark him. Now, he'll take an attack from you whether he closes with you to melee (polearm gamble) OR if he tries to attack somebody else from where he is.

I don't think it works that way. Polearm Gamble doesn't give you threatening reach, it just lets you AoO someone who closes with you. The fighter feature that lets you interrupt a marked enemy works vs adjacent foes, not foes within reach of your weapon. Though 'marked' the enemy is free to wander off and attack your buddies.

In order for the fighter to fill his 'defender' role, he needs to get adjacent to enemies. There's nothing like the 3e 'tactical reach fighter' in 4e.