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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 6907116" data-attributes="member: 82106">The converse problem was that with even fairly reasonable optimizing, and CERTAINLY with significant optimizing, classic 4e strikers put out FAR FAR more than those numbers. To the degree that you could expect a really top-notch optimized striker to put out easily enough damage once per fight to take down 2 standard monsters (IE one elite). Bloodying a solo on round one was certainly well within reach. This was FAR beyond what WotC had envisaged. Indeed the Slayer, seen in that light, is pretty close to being spot on the design curve. It can pump out enough damage on a routine basis to mostly chew through standards at the expected rates, and if you emit an alpha strike you can probably burn down a standard in one round, or so. Yes, if you play up into the upper half of the level range you'll have to fish hard and use classic 4e 'stuff' to keep to that performance, which arguably may not have been fully intended. OTOH the laughable ease with which decently optimized, heck even just kinda haphazard, epic PCs can dispatch the earlier grades of epic monsters tells me that maybe it IS what they intended. Its not that I disagree with you on the judgement that a Slayer is boring and feels underpowered at high levels, they do, but presumably what WotC would say about that is that, had they continued with Essentials as a product, that they'd have mapped out monsters, items, and other elements that would have redeemed that. I mean what else COULD they say? We don't really know what that might have looked like, though I don't really think WotC had anything in mind either at the time. Anyway, frankly what I found the Slayer to be excellent for was to be a 'guest character'. We kept the character sheet around and leveled him up now and then so when people showed up and wanted to jump in and play they could just run the Slayer. It worked fine for the several people that played it at various times, though I don't think anyone considered it a very interesting option. Still, it was not too bad for someone that wasn't really up on the intricacies of 4e and needed to hack on stuff. Of course a bow ranger would have worked pretty much as well, modulo needing to be aware of when to fire off your various off-turn attacks.</blockquote>

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