Building a Verminous Hunter

[MindTheGap97]

Ok, I've been told that Hunters make good skirmishers and I wanted to try it out, then I've seen the Verminous Hunter archetype and fell in love with it, I know that vermin animal companions tend to suck, but the mantis looks really cool, it has a flying speed, decent stats, two attacks and grab. Now my question is, would a Verminous Hunter be a good frontliner? We have a 25 point-buy and one of the traits is locked on Finding Haleen (or finding your kin).

I've come up with a rough draft considering a starting level of 4 (the campaign's beginning level).

Hunter-
Alternate trait: Eye for talent

Str-21
Dex-14
Con-12
Int-10
Wis-14
Cha-7

Feats: Power Attack, Outflank (bonus), Combat Reflexes, Paired Opportunists (bonus)
Traits: Finding Haleen (locked), Reactionary(?)

HP: 33 (all FCB here)

Mantis

Str-13 (Eye for talent here)
Dex-16
Con-10
Int-1 (4th level advancement)
Wis-12
Cha-7

Feats: Toughness, Outflank(bonus), Combat Reflexes, Paired Opportunists

HP: 22



Is this all correct? Any suggestion on how to improve the build? Maybe focusing more on Wis and Con by reducing the Strength a bit?

[Geddy2112]

Mantis is really solid for a hunter due to grab and flight. You can boost its strength another +2 by giving it the bear aspect, which is probably what you want as well. The mantis grabs and gives the enemy grappled, letting you power attack it into paste. Have you considered riding ON your mantis? You could take the undersize mount feat and do it now, or wait till level 7 when it is large and then you have a flying mantis. Take mounted combat, grab a lance, and spirited charge into things.

You probably want pack flanking, which allows you and the mantis to flank regardless of position(free +2 bonus to attacks!). Take dirty fighting to avoid the int13 and combat expertise prerequisite, and if your mantis has it it gives a nice +4 to the grab from flanking over a +2. If you are going to be riding each other/constantly adjacent then pick up the teamwork feat shake it off. Other good ones are share healing, bonded mind, and coordinated defense.

Unless you plan on using a lot of spells that allow saves or are really casting focused, then I would leave wis right where it is. You are generally better off focusing on non save spells like buffs and SNA anyways. 10 con is a bit fragile, but with that much strength and your mantis you are going for more of a striker killer build. I would probably dial it back a bit and try for at least a 12 con, as 21 strength with a 2 handed power attacking weapon and your mantis ganging up on something is probably overkill. Fort is a strong save for the hunter, but every bonus helps. God forbid you get knocked down into neg HP, where a 10 con gives you no bonus to checks and at higher numbers it is very easy to bleed out. 12 gives 2 more rounds for an ally to stablize you, a +1 to checks to stablize on your own, and more buffer for you not to be instakilled by a powerful hit.

Reactionary is one of the best traits in the game, although there are other good ones but if you don't want to look or overthink it you can't go wrong with reactionary.