OK, when do you ever "NOT" use a power and do a basic attack?

[small pumpkin man]

According to the Keep on the Shadowfells writeup, whenever you inflict forced movement on a target, you can inflict fewer or no squares of movement at your discretion.

Repeated here in the Powers article.

If a hit grants you the ability to compel the target to move, whether through forced movement or teleportation, you can move it any number of squares up to the number specified (or not move it at all, if you so choose).

 

[Yaezakura]

Ah... well, the rules certainly do trump my random guesswork. It just seems to defeat the purpose of using Tide of Iron if you aren't going to move the opponent. You have at least one other At-Will ability, which likely has a different effect and is probably the better choice if you aren't wanting to shove someone around.

 

[CleverNickName]

That's it. You use basic attacks when you are given bonus attack actions from Opps or other powers, or in situations where you don't HAVE an appropriate attack power (like a low-level fighter's range attack) otherwise you use your powers.

Your at-wills are your signature shtick.

Fitz

"At-wills" are the new "full attacks."

 

[MindWanderer]

Ah... well, the rules certainly do trump my random guesswork. It just seems to defeat the purpose of using Tide of Iron if you aren't going to move the opponent. You have at least one other At-Will ability, which likely has a different effect and is probably the better choice if you aren't wanting to shove someone around.

There are corner cases where it might be appropriate. For instance, an opponent might use an interrupt ability to shift, and make it so that you don't want to push them after all, even though you're committed to using the attack anyway.