[Path of War] Riven Hourglass still worth picking up on a ranged initiator?

[AnonymousPepper]

Specifically, going playtest Desperado Warlord in a game, so, firearms (specifically, dual revolvers) ahoy, and debating getting into playtest Lords of the Wheel to pick up Riven Hourglass for... probably Scarlet Throne, though Golden Lion is a possibility also.

Pretty much all of the strikes in RH are melee, but its counters, boosts, and stances are really, really good. I figure I can afford to have a discipline where I can't use the strikes, given how good its other stuff is, and how most of my strikes will be Solar Wind and Tempest Gale anyway.

Buuuut looking for a second opinion, in case I'm doing something stupid.

The build will be Armor Master Trench Fighter 3/Desperado Warlord 17 (or maybe 16, and pick up a 1-level dip of something else later? I just don't want to put off initiation too long), currently at level 2, just going Trench Fighter long enough to nab dex to damage. I'll be going down the Solar Wind Style tree to get rid of that pesky fire immunity/resist problem literally as soon as I can.

[Sacrieur]

Riven Hourglass is always worth it.

[Vhaidara]

Yeah, Hourglass is ENTIRELY worth it for the Boosts and Counters. Honestly, the strikes are generally something I could take or leave, but the Counters, Boosts, and Stances are absolutely nuts.

[AnonymousPepper]

Which discipline to trade, though?

[Sacrieur]

Which discipline to trade, though?

Golden Lion, easy.

[AnonymousPepper]

Golden Lion, easy.

Why? Sell that to me.

My instinct is not to because it keys off Diplomacy, a CHA skill, which is my main stat.

[CGNefarious]

If you're ranged then you're more likely to be out of range for your ally boosting/helping maneuvers with Golden Lion. Then again firearms have a much shorter range than Bows, so it might not be as big of an issue. Many abilities also only affect adjacent allies, which will be an issue. It's a great support discipline for a melee class, but I don't think it'd work as well for a ranged initiator.

[Nyaa]

There are six ranged strikes in Hourglass, three of them are good.
If you dip something and your build looks like something 4 / initiator X, with +2 IL trait you can pick all your starting maneuvers sans prerequisites form 3rd level ones.

[Sacrieur]

Why? Sell that to me.

My instinct is not to because it keys off Diplomacy, a CHA skill, which is my main stat.

Because it will spread you too thin and you won't be very effective at anything. Just because it keys off of your main skill isn't a reason to keep it.