Tactics Primer

Fenris

Adventurer
Could someone please help me by providing advice on standard tactics for mobility, spring attack and whirlwind attack. Each separately (since you must have the lower ones first to get the others). Also, any unusual uses of the feats anyone has come up with. I have ideas about how they would be used but I am still squaring away the new scale of the game and want to make sure I have at least the basics right. If there is a resource for such questions I would be thankful for the address. Thank you all.
 

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Of the three, Mobility is the hardest to figure out how to use. My suggestions...

You can use Mobility actively on a heavily armored character by seeking to provoke AoOs. Combat Reflexes is rather rare in low level play, so this opens up holes in the opposition's threat zones. Particularly useful when trying to force your way through a door or tight space.

Another use of Mobility is when purposefully provoking an AoO through movement, so that you can more safely cast a spell or drink a potion. The +4 AC is not a guarantee of safety, but it helps.

A nice trick with mobility is to move such that you provoke an AoO, say, into a flanking position. Instead of taking the normal attack, grapple instead. This is particularly useful against high AC spellcasters.

Spring Attack is quite straightforward.

The classic hit and run allows you to make an attack without suffering an AoO from your target. If your mobility is very good, you may get a flanking attack without leaving yourself vulnerable to being flanked yourself. Combines well with Tumble.

Spring Attack is a near necessity against monsters with Reach. Creatures with inherent reach are big, and big creatures are strong. So provoking an AoO charging in isn't an attractive choice. If you don't have Spring Attack, a tough fighter can just wait with a Ready Action for the enemy to engage him. The disadvantages of allowing the opposition to choose when to fight should be obvious.

Whirlwind is great when and only when you can get the set up. It depends a lot on the style of your campaign -- in many campaigns Whirlwind is nearly useless. Remember that a regular old full attack lets you get iterative attacks and also allows you the option to hammer a weaken foe dead. If you are regularly surrounded by enemies, they are probably weak and Cleave or Great Cleave will serve you just as well or better. Whirlwind is only a big advantage when you are surrounded by medium strength enemies. Does that happen much? Not really.
 

Ridley's Cohort said:
Whirlwind is only a big advantage when you are surrounded by medium strength enemies. Does that happen much? Not really.
Lucky you if that's true. In my games being surounded by summoned monsters or astral constructs is almost too common.
 

whirlwind + knockdown or improved trip mmmmmmmm yummy

spring attack is just always usefull to have, and if used intelligently allows you to take on foes much greater than yourself... however i dont recomend it if your movement isnt increased in some way, or there are enough twists and bends to keep a large opponent from charging you.
 

Lellindil said:
whirlwind + knockdown or improved trip mmmmmmmm yummy

spring attack is just always usefull to have, and if used intelligently allows you to take on foes much greater than yourself... however i dont recomend it if your movement isnt increased in some way, or there are enough twists and bends to keep a large opponent from charging you.

Another nice combination is whirlwind and improved disarm, especially if you're using a weapon that gives a bonus to disarm, like a chain.
 

The classic spring attack is to combine use of:
1) Glaive (has reach)
2) Improved base speed
3) Move in, attack, then move back out.
4) If your opponent is a melee guy he will then attempt to close with you thus provoking an AoO. Net result is you get two attacks at your highest BAB per round while your foe only gets one.
 

Thanks All

Thank you to all who posted. It never even occured to me to use spring attack against an opponent with reach. Thanks again.
 

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