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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ECMO3" data-source="post: 8449580" data-attributes="member: 7030563">But this is always true.  Usually those using defense should  be the easiest for the enemy to attack or should  be the obvious guys the enemy will want to attack due to positioning or some other reason.I will point out that in order to win they will eventually need to target you.  You are right though they will go after others and smart enemies being played by smart DMs will even avoid making AOs on you, preferring not to waste a reaction.But that in itself is something you can use to your advantage.  Casting blur on yourself so you can relatively safely move at will is a legitimate tactic.If you have a high AC (20+) blur is  going to save a ton of damage, you are going to need a spell like heal which requires a 6th level  slot to be equivalent.  This is also balanced by the fact that you can't use healing spells in advance, yes that means you don't waste a spell, but it also means you lose an action (or bonus action) in combat and it could be needed when you can't use it because of turn order, movement or a host of other reasons.The big question on in combat healing comes with how a DM treats downed enemies.  Usually when someone goes down in games I DM, most enemies try to focus on that downed character and kill  him before he can get back up.  A lot of DMs. including most of those I play with will focus on standing characters.  This has a huge effect on healing in combat, if you go down against multiple enemies, or enemies with multi-attack there is a good chance you are going to die before you can get healed.I think a more appropriate comparison to blur is false life, because you can benefit from it before you take damage.  Again you are going to have to cast it at 6th level or higher to get the kind of hps you will "save" from using blur, but it does not use concentration.  One thing I have done as a bladesinger is use mirror image and upcast false life while I concentrate on protection from good and evil that I cast on another character (typically  a Monk or Barbarian).  This puts a very strong defense on two caharacters on the front line and PGE eliminates the advantage against the Barb caused by reckless attack.  I also upcast false life on them occasionally as well.I have seen blur used with high AC and shield to make it so characters can't be hit without a double 20.The guys I see play GWM (actually only 1 guy) usually takes GWF.  His play style is offense and he will will even go  with a chain shirt so he can sneak without disadvantage (enabling more offense).It is fun, although as you alluded to, I could whiteroom his build and point out how mathematically terrible it is (and he could to) but that is how  he likes to play, and when he does action surge and manages to hit with all 5 attacks plus GWM plus battlemaster dice it is pretty awesome.</blockquote>

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