Essentials staff fighting slayer?

[Plane Sailing]

I hear that there was a DDI slayer variant for staff fighting.

Did they do a good enough job with it to make it comparable to big axe or big sword slayers?

What elements do you think they got right and which fall a bit flat (especially if you've seen them in action)

Cheers

 

[Klaus]

The staff adds more... let's call it "control"... to the slayer. At 7th level, when you use Power Strike with a staff, all other enemies in a burst 1 take Dex mod damage. That's a great minion clearer. At 12th level, a Mythic Slayer gains an encounter power that allows him to slide a creature he missed with a staff attack.

Other than that, there's not much to it.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Double Post

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I think there was a staff fighting feat too but it may be just from an earlier article and went well with it


It makes if a double weapon... So adds to ac and allows for the two weapo feats

 

[Mentat55]

I think the biggest benefits of using a staff (as a slayer) over two-handed swords or axes are actually independent of the slayer class features:

1. Staff Expertise -- reach with all melee attacks
2. Staff Fighting -- treat staff as a double weapon with defensive and stout properties, meaning with two more feats (Two Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Defense) you have a +2 AC and a +1 Reflex (alternatively, you can take just Hafted Defense, and get +1 AC/Reflex).

You are still behind in damage (though TWF can slightly make up for that) and accuracy compared to blades. Reach and better AC/Reflex is not a bad upside, though it requires some feat investment.

 

[Neverfate]

I think there was a staff fighting feat too but it may be just from an earlier article and went well with it


It makes if a double weapon... So adds to ac and allows for the two weapo feats

Staff Fighting (Wis 13) makes the staff a double weapon with stout and defensive properties on one end, off-hand for the other. (dra annual 09)

The options that [MENTION=607]Klaus[/MENTION] mentioned come from DRA 391. Like he said, there isn't much to it.

Also, the Staff Expertise feat from the Essentials books will give you Reach 2 with melee attacks. Which is fun. Other than that, it's primarily a normal Slayer.

 

[Zaran]

I haven't got the online builder to recognize staff fighting's benefits.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

You could also just take hafted defense if you don´t want to have a high wisdom...

 

[MrGrenadine]

I'm currently working on a halfling staff slayer in the CB.

I maxed his Dex, and at 11th lvl, with Stout-handed staff, Mark of Storm, Staff Expertise, and Melee training (dex) with a +3 Thundergod staff he's getting +19 to hit at reach 2 for 1d8+18 dmg, (there are some items in play here as well). If I'm in Berserker's Stance and I charge, that becomes +21 to hit for 1d8+18+1d6 and slide 1. And in Mobile Blade stance, I can move 6 as a free action whenever I hit with a melee basic.

I also added Eyes in the Back of Your Head, Lost in the Crowd and Improved Defenses to help him stay where the fighting is heaviest.

Now, this is my first attempt at a Slayer, so I'm not sure how these numbers stack up with Goliaths wielding fullblades (I'll go out on a limb and say 'not so good') but he definitely seems viable and fun to play.

 

[Plane Sailing]

OK, thanks for the extra information. It sounds like a potentially fun option without seriously challenging the built in weapons.