Which is better?

[blargney the second]

I love to run power attacking monsters even when there are hordes of them (I set up their statblocks with no/default/full PA ahead of time). ET is a great option for players in my games...

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

A lot will depend upon the style of warrior that you are playing. Do you use spring attack (and bounding assault, etc) a lot? If so, Elusive Target may be for you. You can often set up AoOs in flanking position to trick your opponents into hitting each other (rather than just hoping that your dodge buddy attacks you with a flank). Also, if your armor class is low and you tend to get power attacked a lot, elusive target is great. If you have other feats that let you change your dodge target during other peoples' turns (the combat focus line of feats will do this) or that lets you drop your armor class for bonus damage (Shock Trooper's Heedless Charge or Reckless Rage), Elusive Target gets better.

On the other hand, if you want something that simply always works and doesn't require fancy positioning or risk taking in combat to get the most use out of, Improved Toughness is a very solid choice.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Having used both, I can assure you that Elusive Target is wicked fun.

I agree! That's what would drive me towards taking it over Improved Toughness.

 

[irdeggman]

To quote a classic Nail post: "I suspect you haven't seen a DM make judicious use of Power Attack."

Yup - one example:

Raging barbarian with a great axe (or great sword).

That is a huge damage dealer for melee, as my players have found out. And the one running a goliath barbarian (with racial levels that make raging even more impressive - like gaining "reach") still hasn't caught on to the advantage of raging (and then using power attack), he as raged exactly one time and for his third level feat he was going to take dodge instead of power attack. Oh his PC uses a "large" goliath warhammer.

2nd level dwarf barbarian opponent - 1 blow aasimar cleric down to 1 hit point. Insert look of shock and awe on player's face.

 

[roguerouge]

I'm playing a TWF ranger who has to be on the front lines slugging in a 7 person party (knight, rogue, scout archer, warlock, war mage, cloistered cleric). He died from a power attack critical and this is him retraining and gaining a level. I'm trying to compensate for the manifest deficiencies of a ranger being a front line combatant.

 

[blargney the second]

Grab Elusive Target, take two levels of Swordsage, and call me in the morning.
-blarg