D&D General Good min-maxes (no multiclass)

[EzekielRaiden]

Bladesingers make better tanks than actual defense-specialized Fighters. Of course, it's even better if you start Fighter and then MC to Wizard for the remaining 19 levels. Shield for days, amongst other defensive benefits--and the 5.5e version of blade ward is an amazing tanking option. Start with blade ward up, add mirror image, and then put up shield any time you actually need extra defense.

You don't even need your Bladesong stance to be tanky as heck. Base AC of 15-16, bumped up to 20-21 any time you might actually take a hit, with a functional minimum +1 AC from blade ward's -1d4. Bladesong adds another +3 AC--and if you juice your Int you can get it to +5. Mirror image just puts yet another layer of defense up, preventing hits before they even happen, most of the time.

You're not gonna do a ton of damage by yourself, unless you get a magic weapon. But you're practically unhittable.

 

[Zardnaar]

Bladesingers make better tanks than actual defense-specialized Fighters. Of course, it's even better if you start Fighter and then MC to Wizard for the remaining 19 levels. Shield for days, amongst other defensive benefits--and the 5.5e version of blade ward is an amazing tanking option. Start with blade ward up, add mirror image, and then put up shield any time you actually need extra defense.

You don't even need your Bladesong stance to be tanky as heck. Base AC of 15-16, bumped up to 20-21 any time you might actually take a hit, with a functional minimum +1 AC from blade ward's -1d4. Bladesong adds another +3 AC--and if you juice your Int you can get it to +5. Mirror image just puts yet another layer of defense up, preventing hits before they even happen, most of the time.

You're not gonna do a ton of damage by yourself, unless you get a magic weapon. But you're practically unhittable.

DM ignores you hits everything else. Also you run out of spells fast.
The again if its 4 round combats.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

DM ignores you hits everything else. Also you run out of spells fast.
The again if its 4 round combats.

Awesome! You can exploit that 'til Kingdom come, moving around the battlefield with impunity, and using all your spells for powerful utility effects rather than wasting them on combat stuff you never need to do.

Doing a blade ward and a mirror image near the start of combat is plenty of benefit for four rounds, and the Wizard has Arcane Recovery anyway, so you want to be spending at least a few levels' worth of spell slots relatively early on in the day.

 

[Zardnaar]

Awesome! You can exploit that 'til Kingdom come, moving around the battlefield with impunity, and using all your spells for powerful utility effects rather than wasting them on combat stuff you never need to do.

Doing a blade ward and a mirror image near the start of combat is plenty of benefit for four rounds, and the Wizard has Arcane Recovery anyway, so you want to be spending at least a few levels' worth of spell slots relatively early on in the day.

Or you could be a good wizard instead.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Or you could be a good wizard instead.

You keep saying this as though you can't do both things.

More importantly, the question was about min-maxing. Min-maxing for defense is a perfectly valid approach. That there might be other options doesn't mean this one isn't also min-maxing.

 

[Zardnaar]

You keep saying this as though you can't do both things.

More importantly, the question was about min-maxing. Min-maxing for defense is a perfectly valid approach. That there might be other options doesn't mean this one isn't also min-maxing.

Win maxing in something relevant though.

There are good bladesinger builds built around SCAG and Shadowblade. Just hope DMs not familiar with Tashas.