Heavy blade feats

[Teapot Salty]

Hey guys. Two things.

1: Can someone post were I can find all the heavy blade feats grouped in one area?

2: What are the best heavy blade feats?

Thanks, and as always, go nuts.

[Sol]

Hey guys. Two things.

1: Can someone post were I can find all the heavy blade feats grouped in one area?

2: What are the best heavy blade feats?

Thanks, and as always, go nuts.

1) search for "heavy blade" in the feats section of the compendium.

2) Heavy Blade expertise is kind of ****ty, as far as the newer expertise feats go. If you are divine, Devout Protector or Mighty Crusader are probably better. If you're divine, War Wizard or White Lotus are. If you're two-handed, even two-handed expertise might win.

Heavy Blade Opportunity is pretty amazing, but only if your DM actually provokes opportunity attacks. Mine has provoked two from my character so far this year.

Headsman's Chop can be alright.

Nothing else stands out in my head, except maybe for githzerai blade master.

[Dimers]

Heavy Blade Opportunity is pretty amazing, but only if your DM actually provokes opportunity attacks. Mine has provoked two from my character so far this year.

Funny this should come up ... I was just reviewing a battlemind build that invested enough in Str and Dex to take HBO. The trick is to get ways to force opportunity attacks. That build uses the level 16 trait of a paragon path to accomplish it, but this being a team game, it's quite possible that you could get allies to take powers that let you OA. HBO is especially nice for a battlemind or ardent because they can use any unaugmented at-will, and some of those are humongously better than normal classes' at-wills. I can choose to target Will with a weapon attack and daze on a hit, or redirect the attack I'm interrupting with the OA.

Teapot Salty, it's usually true that DMs don't provoke OAs willingly. Heavy Blade Opportunity is great if your DM is an exception. Either HBO or Headsman's Chop can be potent if your party evolves to make the best use of each other's powers/traits. Otherwise, heavy blade feats are suboptimal choices, as Sol said (and Headsman's Chop is just as valid for axes).

I think WotC overrates how good heavy blades are inherently. They're accurate and they're higher-damage than light blades, but they get so much less value from investment than other categories do.

[GPuzzle]

Heavy Blades really shine when it comes down to enchantments. Sure, their feats suck. But they're more accurate than axes and share similar feats and enchantments, which makes them better for Strikers. They also are amongst the premier weapons for Controllers and Defenders due to the Githyanki Silver Sword/Sorrowsong Blade Sword+Psychic Lock combo for -2 to hit at all times. Heck, Firewind Blade is possibly the best Striker weapon in the business and it's only available in Heavy Blade.

Honestly, the best way to milk HBO has been on a Battlemind with Harrying Step and Forceful Reversal and a way to prone the target. It can get pretty ridiculous when you make your OA capable of hitting nearly everything, making you stickier than a Fighter. In fact, I think the most ridiculous is Firewind Blade on a Firesoul Genasil with OAs taken up to twelve using Brutal Barrage.

Should be hilarious.

[Dimers]

I started to write about enchantments for different weapon categories, then realized I'd be wildly speculating. I don't know enchantments well at all. I have this idea that a hero is heroic based on what they can do rather than what their equipment can do, so my brain just discards all that information right after I read it. About the only thing I know is that I like the idea of a carnage falchion :smallsmile:

I'm lucky for 4e's strong support (compared to other editions of D&D) for play that emphasizes the people themselves, in the form of inherent bonuses and powers that vary by weapon category.

[Kurald Galain]

Arguably the best heavy blades are polearms... HBO works great with Polearm Gamble, for example.

[GPuzzle]

The Glaive is best used as an Arena Training Weapon - combining its mix of powerful lockdown and versatility to pick up a weapon with better feats in general such as Hammers and Light Blades.

[Leewei]

Heavy Blade Opportunist and Agile Opportunist combined with a Bard make for wonderful damage. If you're a sword and board fighter, also take the Tide of Iron at-will with the Hindering Shield feat. Add in Vicious Advantage, Worldserpent's Grasp, and Headsman's Chop. If you're a Dragonborn, also take Draconic Arrogance (+Str bonus damage from pushes and prones).

With a little help from the Bard, you'll be getting two at-will attacks each round, knocking back, slowing, and proning your enemy. Every other attack will also grant +5 damage due to your opponent being prone.

Allies can also take Vicious Advantage and Worldserpent's Grasp instead of you -- in fact, it works a bit better this way (if they consistently attack your target).

[GPuzzle]

Uhm... No.

Agile Opportunist takes an Immediate Reaction right now, and you sort of need those to be a good Defender.

[Leewei]

Uhm... No.

Agile Opportunist takes an Immediate Reaction right now, and you sort of need those to be a good Defender.

Errata'd? Drat. As written up, it was originally an OA. Also, was Teapot looking to make a defender? I don't see any mention of a role.

[Leewei]

Oops, I see. I'd written up a fighter build.

Although -- a prone, slow enemy is pretty much wrapped up by the fighter. You'd just need to time the slide to happen after the enemy's action. That way, you get the fighter's mark enforcement if they choose to ignore you, or else the slide-induced attack if they don't. It gets a bit complicated, but still seems viable.

[Teapot Salty]

I appreciate the fighter novelty, but this is fore a ranger, two blade.

[Leewei]

I appreciate the fighter novelty, but this is fore a ranger, two blade.

What race, TS?

[Leewei]

For a Ranger build:

Heavy Blade Opportunist enables Twin Strike on OAs. Fairly nice. Add in Hobbling Strike (convert 1 die of Hunter's Quarry damage to a Slow UENT) Vicious Advantage, Worldserpent's Grasp, and Headsman's Chop.

Agile Opportunist doesn't look so hot on a Ranger; your class will provide plenty of Immediate Action nastiness without investing in this feat.

As above, if you're a Dragonborn, take Draconic Arrogance (+Str bonus damage from pushes and prones).

[GPuzzle]

Basically, you should be going Half-Orc, Longtooth Shifter, Human or Firesoul Genasi in this one.

Half-Orc is great for Bloody Cheese, which was mentioned some posts ago by me. It's only available in Heavy Blade.

Longtooth Shifter Ranger with a team based on proning can take the Moonstalker Path and Headsman's Chop (and throw some Bloody Cheese/Frost Cheese in because why not) to deal 5+Wis+2d6 damage whenever you throw an enemy prone. Great, again.

Human has Adroit Explorer which gives you a free AP. Nothing else needs to be said. Combine it with the optimization I mentioned in this post and in some posts ago and they shine.

Firesoul Genasi has Shocking Flame and Firewind Blade. Nothing else needs to be said. Seriously, it's free damage.

By the way, check LordDuskblade's Thrill of the Hunt guide and some builds such as the Trailblazer and the Time Bomb.

[Teapot Salty]

Despite all of the above advice, which is great for the future, I'm being pretty generic and playing elf.

[Inevitability]

Yeah, something I wonder about... What if you are wielding a longsword in one hand and a battleaxe in another? Would you still be able to use Twin Strike on an AoO with HBO?

[Leewei]

I'm not aware of Elf feats that would help you. I've heard Eladrin have some nice Longsword support.


Yeah, something I wonder about... What if you are wielding a longsword in one hand and a battleaxe in another? Would you still be able to use Twin Strike on an AoO with HBO?

I expect you would. OA with longsword + HBO => Twin Strike with longsword and battleaxe.

[GPuzzle]

Elves have good Scimitar support but Scimitars just suck, in general. The "upgraded Weapon Focus" is nice, though, but when Scimitar Dance is nearly mandatory for a decent build, it probably sucks. When going Dex+Wis as a melee Ranger, nothing beats Githzerai due to Githzerai Blade Master which is free proficiency in the Bastard Sword with a +2/+3/+4 feat bonus to damage. It's pretty great.