Charging Minotaur Warlord

[Redmask]

Ok, so, I looked all over the interwebs for anyone else who has tried making a charging focused character for 4th edition, but to no avail. I am the leader of a party of 5 11th level characters, and so I decided to try Warlord for the first time. At first I was focused on high AC and healing a lot (because my group likes to get hit a lot). Then I noticed an interesting Power: Iron Dragon Charge. It's a daily that, after using it, allows you to let any other player charge the same target you charge as an immediate reaction. This enticed me, so I picked a few powers, feats, items, and a paragon path to make the character better.

Important Powers:
Inevitable Wave (Standard At Will Level 1)- Until the end of your next turn, any ally who charges the target deals extra damage equal to your int modifier. You can use this attack as part of a charge.

Iron Dragon Charge (Standard Daily Level 9)- Effect: Until the end of the encounter, an ally of your choice, within 5 squares of you, can charge a target you charge.

Goring Charge (Standard Encounter Racial)- Charge and make the following attack in place of a melee basic attack: Attack is Str + 4 vs AC(6 at 11th level, 8 at 21st level). Hit is 1d6 + str mod (2d6 at 11th level, and 3d6 at 21st) And target is knocked prone

Sweeping Gore (Standard Encounter Paragon) Charge and make the following attack in place of a melee basic attack: Attack is Str + 6 vs AC (8 at 21st level) and Hit is 2d10 + Str mod and target slides 2 squares.


Important Feats:

Scale Prof: (for the AC you're going to need from drawing OA all the time)
Greathorn: Increase Dice used in Goring charge from d6 to d8
Opportunity Gore: Use goring charge in place of a melee basic for opportunity attacks, but it doesn't spend the power (can use even if you've used it already this encounter)
Weapon Expertise (heavy blade): +1 feat bonus to attack rolls with heavy blade (+2 at 15, +3 at 25)
Weapon Focus (heavy blade): +1 feat bonus per tier to damage with heavy blade
Powerful Charge: +2 dam when charging and +2 to bullrushes
Impetuous Charger: Allies gain combat advantage against enemies you charge until the end of your next turn.


Paragon Path: Beastbloodied Minotaur Beastly Action: Immediately after you spend an action point to take an extra action, you can charge as a free action


Important Items:
Boots of the Mighty Charge: When charging, gain a +2 item bonus to speed. Also, as a daily item power, you can use any at will or encounter power in place of your standard melee attack.
Jousting Shield: Gain Resist 5 against opportunity attacks you provoke while charging.
Horned Helm: Your charge attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage.
+3 Vanguard longsword: deal an extra 1d8 damage on a successful charge.

Lastly, as a minotaur, I have heedless charge, which increases my ac vs OA while charging by 2.

So, here's the plan for a particularly hard encounter. My initiative is low so I'm usually last of the group to have a turn. When that occurs, I move 5 (speed -1 from the scale armour), and then I charge using Iron Dragon charge to hit the closest and toughest dude. Immediately after, I use an action point to charge someone else, which lets an ally charge him too, and then because of my paragon path feature I can charge that first opponent again, and let an ally charge him too. Each ally charge gets a +2 to the attack because of impetuous charger, and a +1 in general because it's a charge. Effectively I cause 4 basic attacks and 1 daily with one turn and one Action point

Alternatively, I can start with iron dragon charge, and then next turn charge someone, allow an ally to charge, then use the action point to get 4 more charges total, for 6 basic attacks with one turn and an action point. And, if I save up another action point over a couple encounters, I can do that twice.

Let me know what you guys think about other items or feats I've missed that could make this even better.

 

[Mengu]

There are actually many charger builds. They usually tend to be barbarians, avengers, fighters, and sometimes rogues or various hybrids.

Charging Warlord like you pretty much describe is awesome if you have one or more of the above in your party. But if your party consist of a paladin, warlock, wizard, and sorcerer, then your powers aren't going to be very well utilized.

And one item that makes some of your picks obsolete is Badge of the Berserker. Means no opportunity attack.

There are some alternative items too. Boots of Adept Charging will help you position better. And Charger's headress may be better to make sure you land the charge, depending on preference.

Minotaur is decent, but I like Warforged too, mostly for Warforged Juggernaut, if you're making a charger build.

I also like the charisma based inspiring or bravura version of the build. You can pick Impetuous Charger easier that way, though you don't get as much bang out of Inevitable Wave. With resourceful, you may be able to do both, but get a bit MAD.

 

[Redmask]

hmm, well, they sure aren't easy to find. I must have spent a good hour googling different combinations of words that I thought might bring me to a charging build, but to no avail.

My party consists of a monk, a battlemind, a ranger, and a druid (weird combination, eh?) So the idea is to get the monk and battlemind to do most of the charging with me (ranger uses crossbow).

As far as badge of the berserker goes, heedless charge is a race feature, so I already have +2 AC there, and choosing scale prof just seemed like a good idea for how much time I'll be on the front lines. I can also instead use what I have now, a lucky charm, to make sure I hit with that all too important daily, iron dragon charge.

The boots I can see just being a matter of preference and what your dm likes to do, but the headdress is a great idea, I'll likely switch that one in.

I like the warforged too, after looking at it just now, but it just doesnt seem to beat being able to cause 6 attacks with one turn and an action point. Imma stick with my minotaur. And he is an inspiring warlord too

 

[Neonchameleon]

Get the druid rather than the monk to join in the charging fun. One feat gives them an extra +1 to hit and +2 damage on charge attacks. And then there are a whole raft of tricks they can use. Monks have useful powers and little charge synergy.

As for Warlord, Battlefront Leader (easy scale + heavy shield)/Bravura Warlord is the combination you want.

 

[Redmask]

Well... the thing about the druid... his character might have a split personality that causes him to go from one personality to another somewhat randomly, and the second personality is a different class... Yeah, it's pretty insane.

 

[Mengu]

In your group, it doesn't sound like you would have an optimal charge buddy. And ideally you want two, since one can be tied up, prone, etc. Battleminds, rangers, and monks aren't exactly known for their charging. And monks lose a good bit of their punch when attacking out of turn, as opposed to say a barbarian or a fighter.

I think the more generic, give bonuses to everyone type power choices for the warlord would be a little better in this group, rather than a charge enabler. But you never know, maybe psionic handbook will open up some charge options for the monk or battlemind down the road, or your buddies might get all excited about charge enabling, and build toward that with melee training and some charge feats and equipment.