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<blockquote data-quote="TwoSix" data-source="post: 8084538" data-attributes="member: 205">Simplistic answer:&nbsp; Why am I playing an EK at all, when I could be playing a Battle Master with Sharpshooter and Crossbow Expert?Slightly more complex answer:&nbsp; I think everyone has a certain level of optimization, and certain types of optimization, that they're not comfortable letting go of.&nbsp; You can see in the &quot;racial bonuses&quot; discussions that not everyone is comfortable leaving stat bonuses on the table simply to play a different race.&nbsp; You can see that in some early 5e discussions around using a greatsword versus a greataxe, and the minor damage discrepancy between 2 otherwise identical weapons.&nbsp; Your optimization hangup, here, seems to be that it bothers you to play a particular subclass in a non-optimal manner.&nbsp; I sympathize; but I think hexblade is hardly alone in that concern.&nbsp; Ranged attacks' overall superiority to melee has been a major optimization theme/pain point since 5e's release.&nbsp; I also think you're still laboring under the idea that hexblade somehow has some sort of at-will damage lag compared to other melee classes, I simply think that isn't true.&nbsp; 2 invocations (thirsting blade and lifedrinker) keep hexblade on-par with all non-fighter melee well into Tier 3, and none of those classes can both boost their attacks AND their spell/save DCs with the same ASIs, so any minor divergence between hexblade and the other classes is more than justified.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="TwoSix, post: 8084538, member: 205"] Simplistic answer: Why am I playing an EK at all, when I could be playing a Battle Master with Sharpshooter and Crossbow Expert? Slightly more complex answer: I think everyone has a certain level of optimization, and certain types of optimization, that they're not comfortable letting go of. You can see in the "racial bonuses" discussions that not everyone is comfortable leaving stat bonuses on the table simply to play a different race. You can see that in some early 5e discussions around using a greatsword versus a greataxe, and the minor damage discrepancy between 2 otherwise identical weapons. Your optimization hangup, here, seems to be that it bothers you to play a particular subclass in a non-optimal manner. I sympathize; but I think hexblade is hardly alone in that concern. Ranged attacks' overall superiority to melee has been a major optimization theme/pain point since 5e's release. I also think you're still laboring under the idea that hexblade somehow has some sort of at-will damage lag compared to other melee classes, I simply think that isn't true. 2 invocations (thirsting blade and lifedrinker) keep hexblade on-par with all non-fighter melee well into Tier 3, and none of those classes can both boost their attacks AND their spell/save DCs with the same ASIs, so any minor divergence between hexblade and the other classes is more than justified. [/QUOTE]

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