D&D 5E New 5E game - Best Artificer? Best Swordmage?

[Terramotus]

I'm actually going to run a 5E game full time now, after an about-face in my gaming group. Setting is Eberron 100 years later. Essentially Eberron fused with Iron Kingdoms, since the factions map so perfectly to each other. This is a continuation of a game we originally ran using the Iron Kingdoms roleplaying system.

Anyway, we want Artificers for obvious reasons, and we're all in love with Swordmages. Can anyone offer any advice from their own experience about the best and most balanced versions available of the classes from the many homebrew sources?

 

[I'm A Banana]

Eldritch Knight fighters make good swordmages. The cantrips from SCAG are 5e versions of 4e powers. You might also want to consider paladins - misty step works well to mimic the teleporting, and paladins have more "attention-getting things" and spells that help them tank a bit.

Depending on what you want to get out of artificers, clerics (especially arcana clerics or knowledge clerics), wizards (especially if you grab some armor proficiency), or rogues (snap up some spellcasting with a feat or multiclassing) serve you fine. You could also go Bard, if you're open to some re-fluffing (Bards are kind of cleric/wizard/rogues anyway).

 

[Saeviomagy]

My experience with playing an artificer was always
1. I have a pet that is useful but not overpowering (homunculus).
2. I cast spells in combat, usually the same things repeatedly (recharging wands or in-combat buffs)
3. I cast spells out of combat that take some time.
4. I healed
5. I hit stuff a fair bit

1,2,3 are covered by anything that has find familiar OR find steed on it's list, as well as rangers. 2 is most spellcasters (wizards not so much... but you can explain that he rebuilds his gadgets each day, so it still works). 3 is ritual casting. 4 is most spellcasters (although some might need initiate). 5 is everyone.

In short - you can be just about any spellcasting class and make something that is skinned as an artificer, because artificers were always more flavour than substance.

 

[Gadget]

I'm not sure about Artificer, but depending on what you like about the swordmage, the Eldritch Knight (as mentioned by IAB with SCAG cantrips), the Valor Bard, a Blade 'lock, or the Blade Singer Wizard subclass from SCAG.