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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Veep" data-source="post: 6707982" data-attributes="member: 6793297">Equipment A short note before the equipment ratings: This guide was written before item rarity ever existed. Although item rarity has affected how magic items in 4E work, I'm going to keep going with the assumption that players have at least some control over common and uncommon magic items, while DMs control rare magic items, artifacts, and alternative rewards. I rate the former, and I have a short section at the end for the rare magic items which a swordmage might particularly want.WotC has listed some alternative rewards as uncommon and others as rare (I'm not aware of any common alternative rewards). I think that's more an artifact of shoehorning item rarity onto non-items than it is a good evaluation of how readily available those non-items are. Many of them are campaign-specific (especially Dark Sun) and are less well-suited for general play or reflavoring than most magic items are.In addition, some DMs will go by the suggestion that alternative rewards "fade" after five levels. Any DM who follows this suggestion devalues alternative rewards considerably. That suggestion assumes that PCs replace their items every five levels. In practice, the expected "wealth per level" assumes that a PC does that for the items with enhancement bonuses, but doesn't do it for other items more than once (maybe twice, if passing up something else).Armor Heroic Tier Armor of Aegis Expansion (AV2, lvl. 2+) - A cheap armor with an encounter power; this lets you protect everyone (including yourself) when your marked target tries to use a close power to get around your aegis. It scales in two ways (based on enhancement bonus and scaling by tier), keeping it effective at higher levels. Armor of Resistance (AV, lvl. 2+) - Resistances are your bread-and-butter as a defender. Try to get a suit which resists a common elemental type for your campaign.Runic Armor (AV2, lvl. 3+) - One benefit of this armor is the item bonus to Arcana, which helps for Sage of Ages optimization. The other is a boost to your damage after second winding. Better for dwarf swordmages, of course.Sylvan Armor (PHB, lvl. 3+) - Simple, but effective. Help keep your Athletics check up even though you're probably not improving Strength, and make it less likely that you'll fail the group Stealth check for everyone.Battle Harness (DMA 2009, lvl. 4+) - You get Quick Draw with a scaling bonus to initiative. Helps swordmages who dumped Dexterity, though it doesn't stack with a warlord's bonus.Parchment Armor (AV2, lvl. 4+) - Many times in a fight, you'll have figured out an enemy's defenses and know that you missed by just a little. With this armor, you can changes those misses into hits. It scales very well, allowing it to affect more attacks at higher levels.Flowform Armor (PHB3, lvl. 4+) - You can't use the augment, but that doesn't really matter. This armor gives you protection against save ends effects, and combines well with save rerollers. It improves at higher tiers when the save ends effects become nastier, improving to light blue.Blending Armor (MME, lvl. 9+) - Ignore the bonus to Stealth; that's mainly giving you a chance to succeed during a group Stealth check. The encounter power, on the other hand, helps you to reposition yourself when you're out of teleports. Paragon Tier Feytouched Armor (MotP, lvl. 12+) - You get the initiative bonus all the time, and the encounter power is quite nice when you've gotten swarmed and need a little time to escape. It lasts for a full turn afterwards, so you also get an attack with CA out of it.Crystalline Breastplate (AV2, lvl. 15+) - Hard to figure out how a crystalline breastplate comes in leather, but I digress. This is an improved form of the armor of resistance since you can change the resistance each extended rest. The one clear disadvantage comes if you fight enemies with mixed elemental types. That's mostly a fear for lightning/thunder, but there are some fire/cold. Very few things do radiant and necrotic.Dawn Warrior Armor (E1, lvl. 20+) - This is an improved form of the other resistance-style armors. The resistance itself is a little lower, but it protects against a wide range and has no drawbacks. It even has a daily power which doesn't require an attack roll (very nice, since most which do require attack rolls have a low attack bonus). Shame that it's from an adventure, so many DMs won't allow it. Epic Tier Tinkersuit (AV2, lvl. 23+) - The item set bonus won't help you, but being able to get a mini-Shield every fight probably will. The property isn't great for optimization, but it is a lot of fun.  Weapons Heroic Tier Farbond Spellblade (AV2, lvl. 2+) - You get access to a strong ranged basic attack presuming you took Intelligent Blademaster or pumped Strength. Sometimes, especially at low heroic, you can't get to your enemy. Now you can do something to him.Aegis Blade (AV2, lvl. 3+) - Its only advantage over a generic magic weapon is the daily power, but it's a great way to draw attention to yourself in a fight, and the fact that it's your aegis mark means it works better for swordmages.Frost Weapon (PHB, lvl. 3+) - Primarily used with Lasting Frost/Wintertouched for frostcheese, but cold damage isn't commonly resisted, so it can also change your elemental powers to cold to avoid resistances.Rhythm Blade (AV2, lvl. 3+) - If you're going to dual wield for Dual Implement Spellcaster, this is your best choice for an off-hand weapon enchantment. Also note that it increases your shield bonus by 1 rather than granting a +1 shield bonus, so it does stack with things like Two-Weapon Defense (if you've got a lot of feats to invest).Master's Blade (AV2, lvl. 4+) - There are a lot of stances available to swordmages from level 2 on. It's easy to be in one, which gives you an untyped attack bonus to your at-wills. The daily power helps when you run into a boss fight so that you don't have to choose between an offensive stance and a defensive one (or two defensive ones if it's really nasty).Weapon of Arcane Bonds (AV2, lvl. 4+) - The power is an encounter power, and it can work at range if you've taken some of the longer range powers. You probably won't complete the item set, which is a shame.Weapon of Defense (MME, lvl. 4+) - Untyped resistance is always nice, even in such a small amount, and the daily is especially useful when you know you won't be using your mark punishment or other immediate action powers.Fey Strike Weapon (D381, lvl. 5+) - This works as a rich man's Farbond Spellblade once per encounter, but the daily is nice for dislodging an annoying artillery or lurker who keeps staying out of range of the melee strikers.Runic Weapon (AV2, lvl 5+) - An at-will way of gaining temps is nice. It's not much each time, but it should save you a surge throughout an adventuring day.Dread Weapon (AV, lvl. 8+) - While it's somewhat unimpressive when first available, the value of this weapon increases as you gain the use of larger bursts and blasts, an increased critical hit range, and the increased penalty to defenses and checks. A generous DM might include attack rolls under checks, per the definition of page 11 of the PHB, but assume defenses, skill checks, and ability checks will be covered.Force Weapon (AV, lvl. 8+) - Force damage is almost impossible to resist, and the daily locks down something you hit for a round. No save ends here.Mithrendain Steel Weapon (DMA 2009, lvl. 8+) - The property is very nice to improve all your teleportation. The daily isn't as good with the clarification on forced teleportation.Mordant Weapon (P1, lvl. 8+) - Daily isn't so hot, but few things resist acid and poison both.Rubicant Blade (D385, lvl. 8+) - The property is very nice to improve all your teleportation, and the daily is good to reposition you and half your party (very nice if some were immobilized away from enemies).Feyslaughter Weapon (AV, lvl. 9+) - This has an excellent property. It's worth buying a cheap version of this in late paragon/early epic to have on hand when you face a nasty teleporting foe. -2 to your attacks and damage is worth it if the enemy can't escape you.Githyanki Silver Weapon (MotP, lvl. 9+) - Turn your damage into psychic damage. Works well with Psychic Lock to give a larger attack penalty to those you hit, and the daily power is great for getting a breather against a nasty enemy, or to put one enemy on pause while you deal with other problems. PROTIP: Grab a Headband of Intellect along with a Githyanki Silver Weapon to improve your attack bonus. Paragon Tier Jagged Weapon (AV, lvl. 12+) - This weapon is a relatively low level way to get critical hits on a natural roll of 19, which is nice. A bit less good in epic now, where Swordmage Implement Expertise becomes available.Farslayer Weapon (AV2, lvl. 13+) - While a Farbond Spellblade has a better range, this weapon allows MBAs at range. It's easier to optimize MBAs (and they don't provoke opportunity attacks), which means this weapon has its advantages.Predatory Weapon (AV, lvl. 13+) - This weapon is as good as a vicious weapon against marked targets, and it gives you an extra mark each encounter when you hit a target. Draw the enemies down upon you.Battlemaster's Weapon (AV, lvl. 14+) - This is another generic magic weapon with a daily power, but the daily power recharges an encounter power in the middle of the fight. Even if you don't end up using it as your primary weapon, it still works as a pseudo-Salve of Power that doesn't cost a healing surge to use.Blade of the Eldritch Knight (AV2, lvl. 15+) - Remember Farslayer Weapon from just above? What if any of your melee attacks could be used at that range? This is also part of the Eldritch Panoply item set, and the first item benefit is pretty snazzy for swordmages who focus on teleportation. It means that assault and ensnaring swordmages can teleport two squares as a minor action whenever they mark someone.Radiant Weapon (AV, lvl. 15+) - The second radiant damage weapon, and the first one that's probably worth using. One of the few sources of an item bonus to damage for all of a swordmage's powers, and it synergizes well with a dragonshard augment.Planesplitter Weapon (MotP, lvl. 19+) - The encounter power gives you a little extra range with any of your melee attacks, including encounters and dailies. The daily power helps with mobility a great deal, and can benefit your entire party. The ability to use Planar Portal when you hold the weapon is just cool, but cool is good.Shadowfell Blade (P3, lvl. 19+) - This weapon gets to be radiant against the majority of creatures who are naturally vulnerable to necrotic damage and has an encounter power which turns you insubstantial for a turn. All that, and it gives you a double attack and movement as a daily item power? Not too shabby. Epic Tier Death Mark Weapon (AV2, lvl. 23+) - It's a vicious weapon against enemies you marked, and it also improves your mobility considerably if you manage to finish a target off. Good for repositioning and then marking again.Brilliant Energy Weapon (AV, lvl. 25+) - The cream of the crop for radiant damage weapons. The damage is lower than its predecessor, but it can change one of your AC attacks into a Reflex attack each encounter. That's between +2 and +5 depending on what type of creature you're targeting. Works best against brutes and soldiers.  Arms Slot Items  Note: With the release of the Dark Sun Campaign Setting, there's a new weapon - wrist razors. Enchanted wrist razors take up the arms slot but don't take up a hand, leaving you with the good warding bonus. Any properties which don't require attacking with the weapon can be very handy. Heroic Tier Bracers of Mighty Striking/Iron Armbands of Power (AV, lvl. 2+/6+) - The Bracers of Mighty Striking work best for assault swordmages who don't otherwise have many melee powers. Iron Armbands of Power are more expensive, but are strictly better than the bracers. If the swordmage focuses on melee attacks, the IAoP improves to blue.Shielding Blade Wrist Razors (D391, lvl. 2) - With this enchantment on your wrist razors, you get a +1 shield bonus to your AC. The reason for its dual rating is simple. If your DM agrees with the interpretation of allowing Rhythm Blade Wrist Razors to function, they're pretty much strictly better (also adding the shield bonus to Reflex). If the DM disagrees with this interpretation, the Shielding Blade is a good substitute.Phylactery of Action (Homm, lvl. 3) - This item is basically too good. A host of nasty conditions, and this allows you to reroll a save each encounter. The one downside is its source (the Village of Hommlet bonus module), which means many DMs won't allow it.Rhythm Blade Wrist Razors (AV2/DSCS, lvl. 3) - This is a very nice way to get the benefit of the Rhythm Blade (+1 AC/Ref) without losing the +3 bonus to AC from your warding.Bracers of Mental Might (AV, lvl. 6) - These bracers allow you to take a power swap feat from another class or to take an out-of-class paragon path and still use its encounter power or daily power each fight. Not much point to them otherwise. Paragon Tier Rapidstrike Bracers (AV, lvl. 15) - The initiative bonus is nice, but the main benefit is getting an at-will instead of an MBA when making an opportunity attack or charging.Rebuking Bracers (AV2, lvl. 18) - Repositioning with a critical hit, and excellent synergy with the Blade of the Eldritch Knight. Between the two of them, you also get the first item set bonus for the Eldritch Panoply.  Feet Slot Items Heroic Tier Acrobat Boots (PHB, lvl. 2) - Cheap boots, and standing from prone as a minor means you won't need to charge as often.Boots of Free Movement (AV, lvl. 6) - Even swordmages can't teleport all the time, and immobilized and restrained stink for you in heroic tier as much as most non-ranged attackers. This gives an encounter power to try to get rid of those conditions early.Boots of the Fencing Master (AV, lvl. 7) - A nice item bonus to your defenses when you shift, and an encounter minor to let you shift two squares (which allows shifting into difficult terrain).Rushing Cleats (AV, lvl. 7) - Not a very good item for most swordmages, but an integral part of the Polearm Momentum builds where it's used to knock targets prone at-will.Boots of Sand and Sea (AV, lvl. 10) - Similar to Boots of Striding a level earlier, but it throws in an encounter power to help you swim for a turn. The 800 gold is minimal at higher levels, and if it helps you once, it has paid for itself. Paragon Tier Feystep Lacings (AV, lvl. 12) - The Reflex bonus is always nice, and teleportation usable multiple times in a day (and without a daily item use) benefits swordmages who have already used their other teleports and need to move to mark or attack.Eladrin Boots (PHB, lvl. 16) - Another teleportation enhancer, and a daily teleport tacked on. The property is why you sought these boots out. They grant a benefit to all teleports, not just teleportation powers, making them useful in conjunction with the Fey Shift feat.Phantom Chaussures (AV, lvl. 18) - While wearing these boots, you gain the warlock's Shadow Walk. That's a huge property, and the daily grants you invisibility for 1.5 turns as a free action, which definitely gives you a defensive boost when running (or teleporting) into the middle of foes.Planestrider Boots (MotP, lvl. 18) - The first property allows you to teleport around corners when you otherwise wouldn't have had line of sight. The encounter teleport means you can move nearly anywhere on the battlefield that you want, every encounter. You just can't guarantee being able to get back out. Epic Tier Boots of Caiphon (AV2, lvl. 24) - A strong property, and for the cost of some damage, unparalleled at-will ground-based mobility. Note that the power is a minor action, not a move.Zephyr Boots (AV, lvl. 24) - You wear light armor. With these boots, make like Peter Pan and start flying. Note that you don't get a hover speed, so you can't stop in mid-air unless something else is granting it.Sandals of Avandra (AV, lvl. 25) - While these sandals aren't as good for letting you move as the Boots of Caiphon, they come with no drawbacks. Your base speed is increased, you're probably shifting 4 squares each turn as a move action, and once per encounter, turn off movement-based OAs and just go to town for two turns.Boots of Teleportation (AV, lvl. 28) - The ultimate in ground-based mobility. Works well in conjunction with most teleportation enhancers.  Hands Slot Items Heroic Tier Gauntlets of Arcane Might (AV2, lvl. 3) - A cheap set of gloves which give a couple temps when you hit a marked foe. They don't have higher tier versions, so it's strictly a heroic thing, but it should probably save a surge at lower levels.Gauntlets of Blood (AV2, lvl. 4+) - Cheap and effective. The conditional bonus't main challenge is remembering that it applies. Antipathy Gloves (AV, lvl. 10) - As a defender, you want enemies to be near you rather than your friends, and two of the aegises (assault and ensnarement) cause enemies to be adjacent to you anyway. With that in mind, the nice part about the antipathy gloves is that they allow you to block up the middle of a battlefield. In cramped conditions, this means that you're making it harder for enemies to reach your allies in the back rows.Strikebacks (AV, lvl. 10) - It's an immediate reaction to use the gloves, but they're usable each encounter. Once per encounter, you'll probably get smacked by a foe you marked and not need your immediate action for anything else. Paragon Tier Gloves of Ice (AV2, lvl. 11+) - Obviously, the value of these gloves is proportionate to the number of cold-based powers you take. If you are taking the Lasting Frost/Wintertouched combo, this improves to light blue.Many-Fingered Gloves (AV2, lvl. 20) - You might notice that there aren't many hands slot items on this list, especially at higher tiers. Taking these gloves means you trade your hands slot for another ring slot... and there are plenty of good rings to use. Epic Tier Foe Caller Gauntlets (D381, lvl. 22) - These gauntlets give you a strong defensive presence. With them, you can typically cancel one attack each encounter with an effect that is equivalent to a combination of aegis of assault and aegis of ensnarement at immediate interrupt speed. Also useful against artillery, skirmishers, and lurkers to bring them into the middle of the fight. Use with ranged marks such as Radiant Shield.  Head Slot Items Heroic Tier Skull Mask (AV, lvl. 5+) - Cheap resist necrotic beats most other choices in heroic. You get more choices in higher tiers. Paragon Tier Circlet of Mental Onslaught (AV, lvl. 11) - The bonus to Will is always nice, and one encounter per day, you get +1 to your attacks. Solid choice.Circlet of Arkhosia (PHB D, lvl. 14+) - As a defender, you hate dazed, stunned, (and in epic, dominated). This circlet gives you the equivalent of Font of Life against these effects. This is great. Helm of Able Defense (AV2, lvl. 14) - It's cheesy and doesn't help against autodamage, but getting an untyped +2 to all defenses until you're damaged can prevent you from ever being hit. Epic Tier Coif of Focus (AV, lvl. 21) - This makes you a solo against daze and stun effects, and for the daily, when you really can't afford being dazed or stunned, you can ignore it at the cost of a healing surge. Less good in LFR where Snap Out of It is popped like candy, but even there, the property is great.Eye of Awareness (AV, lvl. 23) - Generic but effective. Will's probably your low defense, and you don't favor Dexterity, so your initiative is probably low. This addresses both of those problems.Iron of Spite (AV, lvl. 27) - Primarily used for Sage of Ages optimization, this item also gives a little bit of extra damage against melee attackers who aren't undead.  Neck Slot Items Heroic Tier Cloak of the Chiurgeon (AV, lvl. 3+) - Not very useful when worn, but when used as a pseudo-wondrous item, it's a level 3 item which restores a healing surge between encounters to whomever needs it the most. That comes in handy.Amulet of Life (D381, lvl. 5+) - Sometimes, you're just scraping above zero hit points. This lets you get back in the game fast. An improved form of Cloak of the Walking Wounded, since it can be used with any effect that lets you spend a surge.Steadfast Amulet (AV, lvl. 8+) - This is a daily power, but it's reliable and gets rid of nasty conditions. That means it's always got a chance to be usefulCloak of Survival (PHB, lvl. 9+) - Multiple resistances to common energy types is good, and the Endurance bonus is icing on the cake.Cloak of Translocation (AV2, lvl. 9+) - If you're a swordmage who focuses on teleportation powers (including your mark if you go with assault or ensnarement), then this neck slot item gives you a persistent +2 to AC and Reflex. That's plenty strong.Keicha's Amulet (AV2, lvl. 9+) - This amulet lets you pick a useful resistance from a list each day, and lets you share it with an ally in need. It's also part of a nice item set, so if you can convince your friends to join in the fun, you get a lot of skill bonuses and potentially the ability to share surges.Periapt of Cascading Health (D369, lvl. 10+) - One of the stronger things printed in early Dragon. Automatically ending a save ends effect as a minor action is good, but being able to do it once per encounter is better. It even improves at higher tiers, granting you further benefits against save ends conditions. Teetering on the edge of gold. Paragon Tier Drow House Insignia (P2, lvl. 12+) - The property is mostly useless (Intimidate those spiders!) but the daily power gives you concealment for an entire fight.Seashimmer Cloak (AV2, lvl. 13+) - Besides the useful property (worth getting this item once it's cheap just to get around underwater), the daily power allows you to get some protection when you're being swarmed.Wyrmtouched Amulet (AV, lvl. 19+) - For the dragonborn swordmage. With multiple breath damage types, you get multiple resistances. The daily power is more fun than powerful, but it's not bad. Epic Tier Cloak of Invisibility (AV, lvl. 23+) - Another daily power as the only effect, but if you can force rerolls on attacks, you can keep it going for a while. It also makes your defenses very, very high, making your marks more likely to ignore you, and increasing the chance that it'll continue to last.Far-Step Amulet (AV2, lvl. 29) - The daily is nuts for crossing a battlefield, but the key is the static bonus to teleportation distance. It even works with its own power, so you can actually teleport 23 squares with it.Torc of Power Preservation (AV, lvl. 30) - The daily power here is reliable, and lets you use one of your encounter powers twice. Getting an extra use of an encounter power in a tough fight can mean an extra attack prevented, or an extra status effect applied, and reliable means you don't worry about wasting the item daily power if you manage to roll 3 or below.  Rings Paragon Tier Eladrin Ring of Passage (P1, lvl. 14) - A teleport enhancer, and as a daily (post-milestone), you can ignore line of sight for the teleport. It's not very often useful in fights, but during skill challenges and roleplaying, it can be used to great effect.Ring of the Dragonborn Emperor (AV, lvl. 15) - The daily is nice for increasing damage a little, and the breath weapon enhancement is nice for dragonborn, but the ring works best for those who are enhancing Sword Burst to get +3 damage on all the bursts.Bone Ring of Better Fortune (AV, lvl. 18) - The better of the necrotic resistance rings (especially because it stacks with other resistances). The daily is nice for the necrotic effects with a nasty side effect like blind, stun, or surge loss.Foe Binder Ring (D381, lvl. 19) - You've probably grown to hate elites and solos that get around your mark penalty by attacking everything. Now, your mark still doesn't trigger, but at least they still take the penalty (even on the attack against you).Ring of Dimensional Escape (MotP, lvl. 20) - A teleport enhancer, and a nice fallback if someone manages to bring you down. If you can't find a safe spot within 21 squares, you were probably dead anyway. (Incidentally, it's a nice item for DMs to give their big bads. Fall into a pit of lava, and reappear later to fanfare). Epic Tier Greater Ring of Invisibility (AV2, lvl. 23) - The property is ok, but the meat of the ring is in the encounter power. It gives you invisibility for two turns, and after your first milestone, concealment for the rest of the encounter. It compares favorably to the Shadow Band, which is 4 levels higher (and which is rare as of MME, making this the superior choice).Nullifying Ring (AV, lvl. 30) - A huge bonus to saving throws of all kinds, and a daily power which, post-milestone, basically says "you ignore an attack". If the attack still has a status effect on a miss, that's not affected.  Waist Slot Items Heroic Tier Viper Belt (AV, lvl. 4) - Poison isn't the most common damage type, but when it shows up, it's frequently associated with ongoing damage. The Viper Belt protects against ongoing poison up to 5, and has an encounter power to deal with large poison effects.Diamond Cincture (AV2, lvl. 10+) - Even after the errata, getting a permanent boost to Fortitude and the ability to spend surges in the middle of combat as minor actions is nice. Even better if your leader is one of the less-healing kinds, such as a tactical warlord. Paragon Tier Baldric of Assault (AV2, lvl. 11) - This gives you a bit more control along with your aegis of assault. Fun trick with this item - use it to slide an enemy off an edge. If they fall, your aegis of assault attack misses, but they're taking damage anyway. If they don't fall, they're prone for when you land on them and stab them.Belt of the Witch King (AV2, lvl. 18) - A solid bonus to Fortitude, and a daily power that'll probably give you around 30 hit points in paragon and more in epic when you're starting to hurt in a tough fight.Baldric of Shielding (AV2, lvl. 19) - With this item, you get most of the best feature in the Coronal Guard paragon path. It annoys DMs who find that you're nerfing one of their monsters while gaining the temporary hit points to block another one. Epic Tier Belt of Vitality (AV, lvl. 23) - Simple in execution, but effective. Fortitude bonus is always nice, but if you need the other power on a regular basis, yell at your leader.Sash of Regeneration (AV2, lvl. 28) - I hear regeneration is good, even if it's only while bloodied. It means you'll never spend more than two surges during an extended rest.  Miscellaneous Items Dragonshard Augments Siberys Shard of the Mage (L3/13/23) (EPG) - There is no reason for you to take another dragonshard augment (unless you have an elemental theme or energy changer weapon, in which case choose the appropriate shard). This adds more damage to all of your implement powers. Wondrous Items Heroic Tier Ruby Scabbard (AV, lvl. 5+) - There are other scabbards at higher levels, but the basic function remains the same. You get Quick Draw, usable only for the blade you put in the scabbard. Since you don't use a shield, getting Quick Draw for the blade is all you need. This way, you don't have to have your sword out at all times (which, while moot for a dungeon crawl, comes in handy in city fights so you can mark on your first turn). The Diplomat's Scabbard is probably the best upgrade for a defender.Elven Chain Shirt (MME, lvl. 9+) - Here's the second gold item in the handbook (and the only one that isn't rare). As a defender, you want high AC. This gives you an item bonus to AC without jumping through any hoops. Get one of these as soon as you can. Paragon Tier Solitare (Citrine, Aquamarine, Violet) (AV, lvl. 11+) - Each solitaire is weaker after the errata, but you don't need to be holding them to use them, so it's worth throwing 'em in your pack and using them when you can benefit.Keoghtom't s Ointment (PHB, lvl. 12) - While this item is useful for everyone, for a defender, being able to get a healing surge back is nice towards the end of a rough day. The ability to end diseases and poisons makes it better than Cloak of the Chiurgeon assuming either of those effects appear in your games.Elemental Prism (Du 165, lvl. 16) - This wondrous item helps you get around resistances, and as an added bonus, gives you resistance against the original damage type. Since you typically see creatures using elemental damage that they resist, it means more damage to them and less to you. Too bad about the source, though.Battle Standard of the Stalwart (AV, lvl. 19) - All battle standards can be useful, but this one (and BSotV below) both have large bursts and strong persistent effects that are worth spending a standard action to set up. +1 power bonus to defenses (or attacks, below) can prevent a lot of damage over the course of a fight, and for the enemy to undo it, it needs to spend a standard action of its own. All battle standards are less useful when you fight minions, but by this level, you should be able to handle most minions before they can reach your standard.Battle Standard of the Vanguard (AV, lvl. 20) - See above. Epic Tier Bloodcrystal Raven Skull (E1, lvl. 21) - Another great item with an unfortunate source. This wondrous item prevents you from dying while it holds your healing surges, and it works for the whole party. It's listed as a good item for you because, as a defender, you're likely to be the first one to be killed in a fight.Charm of Abundant Action (AV, lvl. 28) - You know that sometimes, you feel like you're spending an action point just to make sure it isn't going to waste at the end of the adventuring day? Now, you can stock up on action points to unleash them in the fights where you really, really need them.  Wondrous Items (Tattoos) Demonskin Tattoo (AV2, lvl. 3+) - Elemental resistance of your choice, every other encounter (actually, a little better, because you typically don't need elemental resistance during a skill challenge).Fireheart Tattoo (AV2, lvl. 4+) - This gives you extra temporary hit points every other encounter (but same as the Demonskin Tattoo, it's really every other combat encounter.) If you're using an action point, those extra temps will probably go to use.Tattoo of the Wolverine (AV2, lvl. 7+) - A benefit that will probably come every encounter - the heroic tier version is probably all you need. +1 to attack is the better half, and that doesn't scale.Backlash Tattoo (AV2, lvl. 9) - Basically the tattoo form of Strikebacks, this is better (any basic attack, triggers on any type of attack, doesn't necessarily target the enemy who did it) and worse (only triggers once per encounter, so you may not have an immediate action to use it).Eager Hero's Tattoo (AV2, lvl. 10+) - The improved form of the Fireheart Tattoo. It's a lot more expensive, but it's worth it. Even the heroic tier version gives you between 5 and 13 temporary hit points at the start of each encounter, and the temporary hit points are increasing as the day goes on and you are probably running out of other resources besides just healing surges.  Rare Items  This section is for rare items that a swordmage is particularly interested in. While they are harder to obtain than common or uncommon magic items, the benefits are worth it.Dice of Auspicious Fortune (D381, lvl. 11) - Even after two rounds of weakening, these dice are still great. The ability to know ahead of time what you're going to roll for an attack precludes the loss of an encounter or daily power, so long as you have an idea of what the enemy's defenses are.Greater Armor of Eyes (MME, lvl. 14+) - If you are blind, you can't teleport. This removes the possibility of blindness and helps you to not grant CA when flanked at higher levels. Horreb Ritual Cube (Du 170, lvl. 18) - Potentially the most broken thing the James brothers ever wrote. Even with an empty one, and ignoring the 0 cost, a +2 bonus to saving throws for a level 18 wondrous item is great. Ioun Stone of Intellect (MME, lvl. 21) - Swordmages lack an easy way to gain item bonuses to damage with all their powers without using a specific (radiant) weapon. This ioun stone helps your damage contribution not feel totally insignificant.Shadow Band (MME, lvl. 27) - Concealment is another way to bump your defenses up so that all the hate you draw doesn't drop you.Opal Ring of Remembrance (AV, lvl. 29) - I generally err on the side of caution when assigning things the light blue color, let alone gold. This is worth gold. A +2 item bonus to all of your Intelligence-based attacks is something that any optimized swordmage wants, regardless of the rest of the build.Ring of Free Time (AV2, lvl. 29) - Resist 5 all adds up faster than you might think. The encounter power gives you a free minor action to mark or activate a utility power, and once you've hit a milestone, effectively allows you to sustain a utility power like Oni's Gift for free.</blockquote>

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