PITA hybrid defender concept

[Dausuul]

You can build an effective swordmage|warlock even if you dump intelligence. It's best to do human for that since it's frustrating to have only one at-will.

You can use Lashing Asp for your swordmage daily (no int roll) and flamewall strike for your swordmage encounter (also no int roll).

Interesting. Are there enough such swordmage powers to sustain this build over the long term? I built a PC like this once--a warlord/wizard hybrid with Strength 8, using only the warlord powers that give attacks to other people--and it was very successful, but giving attacks to others is kind of the warlord's special trick.

 

[Nullzone]

Personally I've always seen the Battlemind as being the "Yeah, good luck actually doing damage to me" type of defender. They also have the most punishing mark violation imo, so it makes the monsters that much more locked into that defender. It's a little boring at low levels though, you almost have to bump straight to H3/P1 to see the cool stuff that makes them so fearsome.

The Swordmage|Wizard or Swordmage|Warlock is still delightfully frustrating to a DM, but more because almost everything the DM does to him has some sort of retributive effect; he has the choice to either hit the defender and take damage, or violate marks and take damage. For a defender they also have scary amounts of damage output, particularly as large monster groups are concerned.

 

[interwyrm]

It's a little boring at low levels though, you almost have to bump straight to H3/P1 to see the cool stuff that makes them so fearsome.

I haven't found this to be the case. In LFR I'm playing a Human 2 Warlock|Battlemind. The at-wills I've got are eldritch strike, hellish rebuke, and concussive spike. I typically do the most damage at the table, am as survivable as the defender, and get to have fun pushing enemies around. I've got options for ranged, melee, and a blast to deal with swarms.

I don't think 3rd level will bring much more, but 5th will give me hunger of hadar which is pure gold with the forced movement. 7th brings lightning rush for off-turn frustration. At 13th, I plan on using forceful reversal to knock prone whatever attacks me, and then unleashing brutal barrage on the foe on my turn... with headsman's chop... and an action point. Should be 8 x 16 damage.

tl;dr I don't think it's boring.

 

[Ajar]

For my PITA hybrid defender, I went with a human ensnaring Swordmage|Warden. He's the stickiest defender I've seen in play. I can keep my aegis on one enemy, mark another adjacent enemy for free, and I have powers that let me add a third mark for a turn if needed. We hit level 6 recently.

For "sticky" powers I have Booming Blade (damage if they move away) and Weight of Earth (slows), along with Form of Winter's Herald (squares within 2 of me in all directions are difficult terrain for my enemies), Theft of Alacrity (save ends immobilize followed by save ends slow), and Treacherous Ice (enemies can't shift out of squares next to me).

For feats I've got Sudden Roots (my opportunity attacks inflict slow), Grasping Ensnarement (target of my aegis is slowed when teleported), Impaling Thrust (turn a crit into a normal hit to immobilize), and I don't remember the others. I spent Hybrid Talent on Swordmage Warding to keep my AC up without heavy armour.

On the utility front I've got Dimensional Warp and Breath of Chaos to get out of awkward situations. For items I went with an Aegis Blade (for when you absolutely, positively have to mark every single mother****er in the room) and Amulet of Life (encounter, spend two healing surges when you could spend one) since he takes bucketloads of damage on account of having the worst bad guys locked down a lot of the time.

This build doesn't punish enemies for respecting my marks, because I want them to respect my marks. Often I force them to respect my marks by preventing them from moving away.