Swordmage: Help grasping the concept, please

[Spatula]

Wouldn't a hybrid have role problems? I have to confess that I don't have PHB3 (though I do have DDI), and so have not read up on the hybrid rules.

I'm not sure what a role problem is, but a hybrid defender/controller would be half defender and half controller... not too different from classes that have a strong secondary role. When the fighter/wizard is in melee, it is marking opponents and being defender-y. When the character is not in melee, it is blasting opponents with spells and controlling the battlefield. A downside to the fighter/wizard combo is (IMO) that you pretty much have to blow your Hybrid talent on fighter armor proficiency, or get killed in melee. Then you need some way to cast your wizard spells through your weapon, or carry around a separate implement.

 

[Prism]

This helps, in that it gives me a good idea of how the swordmage plays. Personal opinion, but this is probably what throws me off about the swordmage: They don't really engage their targets. It may be limiting, but I see a Defender as holding the line, standing toe-to-toe with his foe. The swordmage, as you so well described, does not do this. I'm not sure that I can come to terms with that, as far as playing one.

Points at his mark...."I shall return to you shortly after I have destroyed your allies. If you are still around then I shall be happy to do the same to you. You had better prepare"

However the ensnaring swordmage plays more traditionally in the fact that they look to stay fairly central and engage their marks. The trouble is that the mark itself isn't the best

 

[deganawida]

Okay, I believe that this is starting to sink in a little into my thick skull. I have an additional question, though: Would you all characterize the swordmage as being skilled with the blade, or does he only use the sword to channel arcane power?

 

[Obryn]

Okay, I believe that this is starting to sink in a little into my thick skull. I have an additional question, though: Would you all characterize the swordmage as being skilled with the blade, or does he only use the sword to channel arcane power?

A little from Column A, a little from Column B.

Swordmages are about 50-50 on Weapon and Implement powers. The Weapon ones are more, "I am skilled with the blade and have infused it with this arcane whammy to hose you." The implement ones are more, "I channel the powers of the elements through my sword, etch a rune in the air, and have therefore hosed you."

Awesomely, they use their weapon as their implement, so you only need one Expertise feat, Weapon Focus works on all their powers, and you don't need to buy both a weapon and an implement or else restrain yourself to a specific weapon with an implement property.

-O

 

[renau1g]

Right and if you MC to other implement users I believe you can use your sword as an implement for them as well

 

[Mirtek]

Right and if you MC to other implement users I believe you can use your sword as an implement for them as well

Unless you take arcane implement proficiency (heavy or light blade) you can't. All classes can only use their implement for their own powers and paragon path powers, MC'ing into another class doesn't change that.

You can MC into a class that already happens to use the same type of implement, but if the class uses a different type of implement you have to use that in addition to your standard implement

 

[Prism]

I'd say its a fairly even mix with enough powers of both weapon and implement to emphasize one over the other should you want to.

If you take at wills for example (of which there are 7), 2 do untyped weapon damage (luring strike and booming blade), 3 do elemental weapon damage (frigid blade, frostwind blade, greenflame blade) and 2 are implement attacks (lighting lure and sword burst)

You often find that the weapon attacks are enhanced by some form of magical effect. For example foesnare at level 1 allows you to hit your opponent with a traditional weapon attack and then bind them magically to the ground. Seed of fire at 13th gives you a weapon attack as a primary and then a fireball effect as a secondary attack. Other powers are pure spellcasting implement attacks. Very few are pure untyped weapon attacks with no extra effect, and those that do exist usually allow you to teleport first

The utilities are pretty much defensive magical buffs - concealment, invis, elemental DR, defense bonus's - although there are a few offensive options mixed in

 

[Kwalish Kid]

My assault swordmage is almost entirely weapon powers. That made things difficult in his last fight, when he left his sword behind and had to fight with a dagger for a while. The implement powers are just the occasional boost.

Of course, if the controller in our party wasn't so good, I might have to take a few more artillery-type powers as the swordmage.

I'm playing in an Eberron campaign, so my PC has the dragonmark that gives all his teleport and shift powers an extra square. It comes in very handy.

 

[deganawida]

Okay, so there are enough physical attacks with magical riders to give the feel of a master swordsman who knows some magic? That's good to know.

A couple of other questions, if I may:
1. What is damage like with a Swordmage? I am used to playing a Fighter with a bastard sword who does rather decent damage (and who is aiming at Pit Fighter to complete the rough-and-tumble story I have for him). Will I notice a significant drop in damage, as the powers seem to do less damage than comparable fighter powers?

2. Which aegis is generally recommended most?

 

[Patlin]

I love my Shielding Swordmage. He's all about forcefields and teleports, and rather than trying to take all of the hits myself I reduce the chance to hit and the damage done by the foes I mark when they try to hit my friends. I am frequently able to maneuver such that the marked enemies can't get at me and are stuck with the penalties I impose. There's also a fighter in my party, and he's quite happy to get up into the face of an enemy I have marked and let our powers synergize.

Next game, we will start paragon tier, and a whole bunch of changes have appeared on my character sheet. It may change how I play the character significantly, but I am looking forward to giving it a try. Now that I have arcane reach, my at will close burst 1 attack should be even more fun!