D&D 5E Totally underwhelmed by 5e bladesinger, am I missing something?

[FormerlyHemlock]

Why mirror image over blur? Blur adds +2 to AC but requires concentration. I usually save concentration for Slow or Haste, Mirror image does not, also, if I take a hit, the hit will most likely hit a mirror image. Seeing that 90% of the time I've actually gotten hit was on a critical, Mirror Image will soak that damage for me.

It sounds like you might be doing Mirror Image backwards. You're supposed to determine the target first, then roll to-hit. If your AC is high enough, it's quite likely that any hit on a Mirror Image would have missed you, which means the Mirror Image is wasted.

Three illusory duplicates of yourself appear in your space. Until the spell ends, the duplicates move with you and mimic your actions, shifting position so it’s impossible to track which image is real. You can use your action to dismiss the illusory duplicates.Each time a creature targets you with an attack during the spell’s duration, roll a d20 to determine whether the attack instead targets one of your duplicates.
If you have three duplicates, you must roll a 6 or higher to change the attack’s target to a duplicate. With two duplicates, you must roll an 8 or higher. With one duplicate, you must roll an 11 or higher.
A duplicate’s AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier. If an attack hits a duplicate, the duplicate is destroyed. A duplicate can be destroyed only by an attack that hits it. It ignores all other damage and effects. The spell ends when all three duplicates are destroyed.
A creature is unaffected by this spell if it can’t see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blindsight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with truesight.

Since a Bladesinger is probably boosting Int instead of Dex, Dex is unlikely to be over 16 and the Mirror Image's AC is probably no more than 13. If the Bladesinger has AC 19-20 (plus Shield), that means an orc with +5 to-hit will hit the wizard 10% of the time (35% without Shield), but will hit the Mirror Image 65% of the time. Much of the time, the Mirror Image isn't even saving you from any real hits before all the images are gone!

Mirror Image would be useful against dragons and such to prevent those hits, except that dragons have blindsight and so are unaffected by it.

It's a good spell on paper due to having no concentration requirement, but I've found it underwhelming in practice and not an attractive way to spend one's action, at least for characters who are already pretty tanky.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

To those who want a 50/50 fighter/wizard hybrid:

I really like the synergy of a Sharpshooter Eldritch Knight 11/Rogue 2/Wizard 7. Not only do you wind up with exactly 10 levels of spellcasting (50% wizard), you still get three attacks (75% Fighter), a little bit of bonus Rogue damage, Arcane Strike (disadvantage to your enemies' saves), and the ability to abuse Greater Invisibility + Cunning Action. (Can sub in Fog Cloud or Darkness instead of Greater Invisibility if you're feeling cheap.) Plus a couple of wizard subclass features, which could be Portent or Undead Thralls or Malleable Illusion or whatever specialty strikes your fancy. It has a lot of the good old Fighter/Mage/Thief flavor that we all know and love.

You don't have access to actual 5th level wizard spells like Wall of Force, but I still like it better than a strict Battlemaster 11/Wizard 9 split which does know 5th level spells. I guess I just really love Cunning Action, and I'm happy to spend spell slots on Animate Dead/Shield/Polymorph/Conjure Minor Elementals/Evard's Black Tentacles/Banishment/etc. instead of Wall of Force.

 

[Flamestrike]

Legendary resistance and turn wasted.

Not too many stock humanoids (it was a hold person remember) have legendary resistance.

And ablating a legendary resistance isnt 'turn wasted' at all.

 

[Flamestrike]

Why mirror image over blur? Blur adds +2 to AC but requires concentration. I usually save concentration for Slow or Haste, Mirror image does not, also, if I take a hit, the hit will most likely hit a mirror image. Seeing that 90% of the time I've actually gotten hit was on a critical, Mirror Image will soak that damage for me.

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If you get hit and Haste drops, Bladesong likely ends as well (pretty sure you have to be able to move to bladesong, although different DMs might have a different call here). Its dangerous in the extreme to be running haste on yourself in melee.

Also, Blur doesnt add anything to AC. It imposes disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Blur and mirror image are a little redundant. You simply close your eyes before attacking (this totally negates mirror image but makes the attack be made disadvantage... which is already the case for attacking a foe with blur active).

Open your eyes as your turn ends, after making your attack.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Not too many stock humanoids (it was a hold person remember) have legendary resistance.

And ablating a legendary resistance isnt 'turn wasted' at all.

My argument was as valid as yours before.

 

[Flamestrike]

My argument was as valid as yours before.

Its not.

Hitting the NPC BBEG with attacks (even ones that simply ablate his legendary resistances should he have them) is better than spending rounds buffing ones AC.

Monks are particularly good at this with stunning fist and multiple attacks.

 

[Flamestrike]

I'd probably still rule mirror image working in this instance since you will be looking at the mirror images beforehand, deciding on one to attack, and then closing your eyes. It may be that you attacked a mirror image except now you have disadvantage to hit it.

The mirror image spell states: No ruling required.

A creature is unaffected by this spell if it can’t see, if it relies on senses other than sight, such as blindsight, or if it can perceive illusions as false, as with truesight.

No ruling required. Its always been the case that you can simply close your eyes (and attack at disadvantage) vs a foe with Mirror Image up if you want.

Seeing as disadvantage doesnt stack, it makes Blur + mirror image a little redundant.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Its not.

Hitting the NPC BBEG with attacks (even ones that simply ablate his legendary resistances should he have them) is better than spending rounds buffing ones AC.

Monks are particularly good at this with stunning fist and multiple attacks.

If you think so.

 

[neogod22]

If you get hit and Haste drops, Bladesong likely ends as well (pretty sure you have to be able to move to bladesong, although different DMs might have a different call here). Its dangerous in the extreme to be running haste on yourself in melee.

Also, Blur doesnt add anything to AC. It imposes disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Blur and mirror image are a little redundant. You simply close your eyes before attacking (this totally negates mirror image but makes the attack be made disadvantage... which is already the case for attacking a foe with blur active).

Open your eyes as your turn ends, after making your attack.

Well if you close your eyes to attack, it's the same as looking away, you give yourself disadvantage and give your attacker advantage. Also, it doesn't prevent you from hitting the mirror image, because you're attacking where you think the enemy is. The only things that can actually circumvent the illusions are, Blindfighting, tremorsense, and true-sight.

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[neogod22]

If you get hit and Haste drops, Bladesong likely ends as well (pretty sure you have to be able to move to bladesong, although different DMs might have a different call here). Its dangerous in the extreme to be running haste on yourself in melee.

Also, Blur doesnt add anything to AC. It imposes disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Blur and mirror image are a little redundant. You simply close your eyes before attacking (this totally negates mirror image but makes the attack be made disadvantage... which is already the case for attacking a foe with blur active).

Open your eyes as your turn ends, after making your attack.

Wrong, you don't have to be moving to stay in bladesong, it's not rage. The conditions that end it are, incompacitated, don medium or heavy armor, or a shield, or use two hands to make an attack with a weapon.

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