On Gishes.

[Bisonopolis]

Also posted on the official Char Op forums, I'll try and keep this one updated whenever I update the other.



Fighter/Wizard

The wizard multiclass offers the fighter three main things: AoE marking, great defensive utility powers, and a small splash of control. The utility powers are especially good; Mirror Image, Displacement, and Shield are amazing on a defender, and things like Stoneskin, Dimension Door, and Expeditious Retreat will come up less often but can be just as swingy. And none of these require any points in intelligence, which is good, as I don't believe a Fighter/Wizard should concentrate at all on int.

Why? For one, stat points are a precious thing at this point. You can't expect to focus on four stats and be successful at higher levels. For another, you're not going into wizard for damage. This isn't 3e; you get plenty of damage out of your fighter exploits. You're going into wizard to be a better defender, and therefore your focus should be on large AoEs, battlefield control (difficult terrain, walls, Resilient Sphere, etc), and spells that deal damage on a miss.

At fourth level you can dip into wizard encounter powers. I'd choose either Color Spray for a big AoE (though it's a blast) or Icy Terrain for a smaller burst that marks and creates difficult terrain. This basic choice progresses through pretty much all the levels of encounter powers; large blasts, or smaller bursts that sometimes come with difficult terrain. The big standout here is Chain Lightning at level 23, but I'm not sure I'd give up Warrior's Urging just to mark every enemy within 20 squares for one turn.

At eighth level you can dip into utility powers, which is where things start really getting good. Right off the bat you can grab Shield with it's respectable +4 AC until your next turn as an immediate interruption once per encounter. At level ten you gain access to Mirror Image which, IMO, is absolutely ridiculous for any defender trying to max out its AC. At 16, both Displacement and Stoneskin can be extremely effective in lowering the damage taken by both yourself and your party members. At 22 you don't even look at the wizard list because you're taking No Surrender, which is that good.

The wizard daily power options don't generally offer anything you'd want. Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Sleep, and Wall of Ice pretty much exclusively make up the list of powers you'd even consider. Only take the daily power swap feat if you plan on paragon multiclassing, and only paragon multiclass for a second utility power.

At level 11 you choose your paragon path. Swordmaster, Iron Vanguard, Battle Mage, and the wizard paragon multiclass are the only ones I'd recommend, in that order. Swordmaster's Steel Blitz and Crescendo Sword recharge your powers, which helps lessen the impact of trading out exploits for spells. Note that Crescendo Sword can recharge your non-fighter powers like Mirror Image. Iron Vanguard greatly increases your ability to push opponents around and synergises well with any difficult terrain you've created. Battle Mage is actually pretty bad, but if you really, really want to take a wizard paragon path it's your best choice with Arcane Rejuvenation. Don't fall into the trap of going into Wizard of the Spiral Tower; you will not have the int or cha to make its abilities worth anything, and Corellon's Implement is not as good as you think it is.

IMO, the best Fighter/Wizard defender multiclass will pick up something along the lines of Arcane Initiate (Scorching Burst), Acolyte Power (Mirror Image), and maybe Novice Power (Icy Terrain -> Frostburn). The inability to pump Int while maintaining the requisite strength and con for your defender abilities really limits your options compared to something like a Fighter/Warlock. But Fighter/Wizard is still definitely doable and actually a good deal more powerful than the core 3.5e version.. it's just that, with the drastic lowering of known powers in 4e combined with the limited synergies found in the two classes, an optimized core 4e Fighter/Wizard gish really doesn't end up feeling very gish'ed at all.

 

[Bisonopolis]

Fighter/Warlock

Many warlock powers are based on constitution. Defenders really like constitution. Fighter/Warlock actually makes a really good gish, much better than Fighter/Wizard IMO. You gain more ranged damage and control and a pretty damn good utility power. Many of your encounter powers will push the opponent two squares or more, making you that much stickier as a defender. Unlike the Fighter/Wizard, the encounter and daily powers you gain are extremely useful is making your a better defender.

The warlock paragon paths will all be useless to you since you don't actually get Warlock's Curse, but paragon multiclassing into warlock can actually be a decent idea. Having both Hurl Through Hell and Summons of Khirad, or Spiteful Darts and Infernal Moon Curse, can be useful enough to warrant giving up your paragon path. I'd still rank it below Iron Vanguard though, as Trample the Fallen synergises extremely well with all your pushing powers and Enduring Warrior / Ferocious Reaction make you that much harder to kill.

Useful Powers: All are Con based, so you'll actually be able to rely on hitting with them.

Encounter:
1- Diabolic Grasp: Good damage at range and you slide the opponent two squares.
3- Fiery Bolt, Frigid Darkness: The first is basically a burst 1 and the second gives your allies combat advantage. Both good damage, both good choices.
7- Howl of Doom, Infernal Moon Curse: The first is a big blast that also pushes anything you hit, which is damn good for forcing enemies to clump around you or to pull back groups heading for your second line. It's like a usable Thunderwave. The second only hits a single target but immobilizes it until the end of your next turn, and has probably the coolest name in the freaking world. Infernal Moon Curse. Yeah. Make your choice on whether you need single-target or AoE controlling power more.
13- Harrowstorm, Coldfire Vortex: And upgraded Diabolic Grasp versus an upgraded Fiery Bolt. Harrowstorm's your better bet, as Coldfire Vortex really isn't that big of an improvement.
17- Nothing: The only con-based power here hurts you when you use it. Pfft.
23- Spiteful Darts: A bigger Howl of Doom, about equal to or better than Warrior's Urging.
27- Banish to the Void: More control splash, but the damage is what you'd see out of a melee basic attack. A questionable choice.

Daily:
1- Armor of Agathys: 10 temporary HP and a con-based damage aura that lasts until the end of the encounter. Good.
3- Hunger of Hadar: This one's interesting in that when you sustain the zone, you make a new attack roll every round instead of dealing automatic damage. This means that every round you're maintaining your fighter's mark. It also blocks line of sight, which can be incredibly useful in the right situations. Great minion killer, great marking tool, great way to force ranged foes to come closer. I really like this one.
9- Summons of Khirad: I'm not listing Iron Spike of Dis because Summons of Khirad is so incredibly useful that you really shouldn't even consider anything else. On a hit you teleport the foe next to you, and you can sustain it until you miss for the same effect for the rest of the encounter. This is one of the stickiest powers you could hope for as a defender. Get it. Keep it.
15- Tendrils of Thuban, Thirsting Maw: It's an Evard's Black Tentacles that you can actually use. Just be aware that as soon as they make their save they won't have any problem getting out of the effect; the radius is rather small and it doesn't create difficult terrain. Thirsting Maw only hits one target and doesn't do as much damage, but it heals you until they save.
19- Nothing: The only con-based power here pushes enemies away from you. Stick with your fighter exploits.
25- Tartarean Tomb: Good damage and it can take a foe out of the fight even on a miss. Having an extra entombing effect is always good for the party. However, keep in mind you're giving up Supremacy of Steel or Reign of Terror by taking it.
29- Hurl Through Hell: Great damage, great control. Better than No Mercy and Storm of Destruction, possibly better than Force the Battle depending on your build.

Utility:
2- Ethreal Stride: It's not too amazing, but the small increase to defenses makes it usable if you really want a low-level teleport.
6- Dark One's Own Luck, Fey Switch, Shroud of Black Steel: All good powers. Dark One's Own Luck lets you reroll any roll you make, whether it's a saving throw, attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. Being stunned as a defender is very, very bad for the party. Shroud of Black Steel gives you a decent AC boost for the rest of the encounter, but the speed penalty may not be worth it for non-elves who aren't using scale. Fey Switch is situational, but it's probably the best power you have to save your strikers when they get surrounded.
10- Shielding Shades: Take zero damage from an attack as an immediate reaction. It's as straightforward as they get and it only gets stronger as you fighter higher-level enemies. There's no reason not to take this. You're a defender. This is a power that you want. This is a power that you'll take.
16- Nothing: Your power choices here all revolve around staying out of melee, which is the exact opposite of where you want to be.
22- No Surrender: It's still that good.

Iron Vanguard with Summons of Khirad, Shielding Shades, and Spiteful Darts seems to be the winner here. You can argue for hammer rhythm with all the con synergy you have, but honestly I'd rather stick with a pact blade short sword to make sure my Summons of Khirad keep hitting.

Dire Radiance vs Hellish Rebuke: You need to pick one of these when you take your first warlock multiclass feat. They're both "don't attack me" powers and as such both counter-intuitive to what you want to do. Take Hellish Rebuke as it can at least trigger off a different creature attacking you. This is one situation where I really wish you could stick with Eldritch Blast.

 

[Cadfan]

You know, no one will ever listen to me when I say this. But if your goal is "character who fights in melee while dropping damaging spells on his enemy and buffing with magic," there's a perfectly good cleric class sitting right over there in the corner looking lonely. I know, I know, its totally not the same and all that, except that it IS kind of...

 

[Bisonopolis]

You know, no one will ever listen to me when I say this. But if your goal is "character who fights in melee while dropping damaging spells on his enemy and buffing with magic," there's a perfectly good cleric class sitting right over there in the corner looking lonely. I know, I know, its totally not the same and all that, except that it IS kind of...

Well, sure, but how is "Cleric 30" any fun?

 

[VannATLC]

Nice write up, Bison.

And ZOMG!

Zelda reference!

 

[Lore Raithbone]

How does AoE marking work? You can only mark one target at a time; i.e. if you mark 20 kobolds only the last one marked is the one marked.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

How does AoE marking work? You can only mark one target at a time; i.e. if you mark 20 kobolds only the last one marked is the one marked.

I am pretty sure you can mark multiple foes. I think there was an example mentioned elsewhere, some kind of close burst defender power?

 

[VannATLC]

Fighters mark on a hit.. which is a hit on anything.

They can have as many marks as they want.

Paladin's can only Divine Challenge one thing at a time though.

 

[Tuft]

How does AoE marking work? You can only mark one target at a time; i.e. if you mark 20 kobolds only the last one marked is the one marked.

Nope. The PH says that a creature can only be subject to one mark at the time. That is, the target can only have one mark on it at any time. The PH says nothing about how many marks the fighter can dole out. The only limit is that the marks only last for one round, so to keep several creatures marked, you have to use an area attack on them every round. You don't even have to hit.

Perhaps that is why you cannot swap in at-will powers through multi-class-feats. Imagine a fighter with Thunderwave at-will, marking everything in a close blast-3 every round...

Reminds me of the City of Heroes MMO, where one of the the best ways for a Tank to grab synthetic aggro was to jump into the middle of a group with a not necessarily high-damage, but continous point-blank area of effect power running.

And: Even if you cannot grab aggro by throwing a new AoE every round, you have the question of sustainable or lasts-until-end-of-encounter powers, such as Stinking Cloud or Web. They are both attack powers, after all... So, if a Fighter multiclassing into wizard throws up a Web, does he Combat Challenge everyone that runs into that web until the end of the encounter? They are subject to one of his attacks.

 

[Tuft]

Fighters mark on a hit.. which is a hit on anything.

They can have as many marks as they want.

Paladin's can only Divine Challenge one thing at a time though.

Nope, you don't have to hit. Quote: "Every time you attack an enemy, whether the attack hits or misses, you can choose to mark that target."