Ranger should have been Martial Controllers

[Imp]

I like the concept of roles, but I don't really see why any must be unsuitable for a given power source.

Oh, Arcane Defender: I suppose you could go some sort of 'mystic knight' route with this. Or, you could have a character who's magic transforms him into super-durrable combat forms. Or an Abjurer who uses wards to protect the party, powering them with his own vitality - he wouldn't stand in front and take attacks, he'd let anywone who wanted to stand in front, and take the attacks aimed at them. Arcane magic can prettymuch do anything, so it's just a matter of coming up with 'spells' that defendery things.

For this I've always favored an arcane shapechanger that assumes forms or aspects of forms of creatures from other planes – the self-buff specialist; Tenser and his Transformations.

Since I favor it, it means they'll never write up such a class, so that's as close to existence as it'll ever get. But there it is!

 

[Moon-Lancer]

The only other class I think is really suited for the controller role is druid.

seconded

 

[SSquirrel]

Sorcerers where wizards with different numbers of spells known/per day.

They're an artifact of bards being given a more flexible casting system than wizards.

In 4E all classes have the same numbers of powers per day. While WOTC is sure to make a Sorcerer class, the archetype is redundant.

I don't disagree with you at all that the archetype is redundant. I just meant that if they try and keep the feel of the 3rd ed Sorc they would definitely be strikers.