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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The_Furious_Puffin" data-source="post: 6803953" data-attributes="member: 11831">I feel like the easiest way to show the difference between expectations for the two is to put a level 16 4e tactical (intelligence based) warlord vs a level 16 4e bard - if you put them side by side it's pretty obvious. The level 15 daily (so the flashiest ability that the characters have) that's highest rated for the tactical warlord is 'Anticipate the attack.' This is an interrupt (so used off turn), and the flavour speaks to tactical planning and cleverness. What it does is when someone tries to attack the warlord, he can fire out a melee attack, and then take a 5 foot step that doesn't provoke. This will negate the attack if the monster doesn't have reach or similar. Then any of the warlords allies adjacent to the target can fire out an opportunity attack with a small bonus to hit.There is no consensus as to what the strongest bard power is but let's look at two of the highest rated by char op. Both are ranged and implement based (so are cast by the bard strumming his lute not hitting someone with an axe). One summons a massive wall of sound that does damage and debuffs for standing in or next to it. Another is 'strike up the dance' which allows you to reposition 1 to 3 enemies and them force them to dance (immobilizing them) until they pass a save while inflicting some psychic damage. Differences are fairly clear imho. In 4e both are healers, buffers/debuffers and enablers but they go about it very differently. Warlords have tons and tons of 'we swing' powers.I'm 95% certain the easiest way to build a warlord is start with a warlock because all the stuff is keyed off at will or short rests, which feels right for the warlord AND gives it a distinct niche from the bard (just as the warlock is different from the sorcerer). The problem is a huge amount of the warlock is tied up in Eldritch blast - though it's quite possible that could very well be replaced by an initially I swing or you swing, then a 'we swing' power or with a 'I swing and these scaling enablers get added to other people' or a bunch of other stuff. But that becomes the key decision. If you peg it al back to melee you can probably even buff Eldritch blast a bit.</blockquote>

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