Mounted combat

[Amdy_vill]

I posted a thread a few day ago. i was asked the question what did i want my mounted fighter to do. i answer rashly but a i thought about it i realized i wanted to optimize it. so i would like to ask the playground what is the best build for mounted combat. I think halfling is the bast races as that lets you move through most environments without giving up your mount.EDIT: also what mounts should be used.

Edit: I am trying to make this playable at the most tables so only things from published books.

build

koblod

Class fighter cavalier 17 ranger 3 beast master


mount pteranodon lv 3-10

tame a larger creature lv11-20

[Easy_Lee]

Are revised rangers allowed? If so, see my signature.

[Amdy_vill]

only things in published books

[Leith]

Cavalier fighter w/ mounted combat feat and a lance. Use a pony if you're going to be a halfling, it has more HP. Or a paladin w/ mounted combat 'cause you can summon your Mount back when it inevitably dies. A multi class is good too but you need at least 5 levels of paladin to get 2nd level slots. A beastmaster is cool but before 5th level it's not really optimal for mounted-ness.

Also get some barding.

[Amdy_vill]

Cavalier fighter w/ mounted combat feat and a lance. Use a pony if you're going to be a halfling, it has more HP. Or a paladin w/ mounted combat 'cause you can summon your Mount back when it inevitably dies. A multi class is good too but you need at least 5 levels of paladin to get 2nd level slots. A beastmaster is cool but before 5th level it's not really optimal for mounted-ness.

Also get some barding.

witch of these makes it the easiest to keep the mount alive. as i know the hardest part about this build is keeping your mount in play.

[Easy_Lee]

only things in published books

In that case, wolf barbarian on a warhorse gives advantage to his mount and can also give advantage to himself. That's a good, simple way to go.

[SkipSandwich]

The best way to get a mount working ASAP is to play a small race and the most durable mount you can find. Pony is a good choice as it has more hp than the Mastiff. Goblins are often described as riding wolves and worgs into battle, so a kind DM may let a Goblin player start with a wolf instead. Wolves have the same hp as a Pony, but a base AC of 13 to the pony's 10, which is a huge help in keeping the mount alive long enough to aquire some Barding for it.

Take Mounted Combatant ASAP, as it let's you tank hits directed at your mount.

In general though, you will want either Beastmaster Ranger or the Find Mount spell, Beastmaster gives bonus hp to your mount, Find Mount makes replacing your mount a trivial inconvenience.

I do not yet have Xanthar's and so cannot comment on the cavalier Fighter Archetype.

[Amdy_vill]

The best way to get a mount working ASAP is to play a small race and the most durable mount you can find. Pony is a good choice as it has more hp than the Mastiff. Goblins are often described as riding wolves and worgs into battle, so a kind DM may let a Goblin player start with a wolf instead. Wolves have the same hp as a Pony, but a base AC of 13 to the pony's 10, which is a huge help in keeping the mount alive long enough to aquire some Barding for it.

Take Mounted Combatant ASAP, as it let's you tank hits directed at your mount.

In general though, you will want either Beastmaster Ranger or the Find Mount spell, Beastmaster gives bonus hp to your mount, Find Mount makes replacing your mount a trivial inconvenience.

I do not yet have Xanthar's and so cannot comment on the cavalier Fighter Archetype.

cavalier helps a lot i have found

[PeteNutButter]

I'm not a big fan of the small race mounted combatants. One of the biggest advantages to the Mounted Combatant feat is advantage on melee attacks against things smaller than your mount. Going small makes your mount typically medium, meaning that huge part of the feat is almost completely lost.

If you use Find [Greater] Steed you can summon your mount pretty much anywhere except the most tight of spaces, so you can keep using it. Human variant is my favorite for mounted builds as it lets you start with the much needed feat without putting you behind on ASIs.

Also worth noting the reach potential is greatly multiplied if the PC is on a large mount while playing on a grid, being able to reach with a lance a total of 32 squares while the medium based creature only has reach to 24.

Also I don't think any small race gives a racial boost to str, which is a problem if you intend to use a lance.

[Easy_Lee]

One often forgotten aspect of Mounted Combatant is that the feat gives the rider advantage on attacks against creatures smaller than his mount. An Eldritch Knight riding a warhorse can enlarge his own mount, provided he takes Enlarge / Reduce at 8th level. A Valor Bard who picked up Find Steed with magical secrets can do the same and target himself with the same spell thanks to Find Steed.

[Amdy_vill]

very interesting. could you take bard instead of paladin and great find mount and also use enlarge on your mount

[PeteNutButter]

very interesting. could you talk bard instead of paladin and great find mount and also use enlarge on your mount

Yes, the big drawback though is you'd be waiting until level 10 before you get that.

[Easy_Lee]

One more idea: standard ranger BM: kobold from volos and choose a pteranodon as your companion. Take Mounted Combatant at four. Riding the pteranodon, you have advantage on all melee attacks due to Pack Tactics, and the pteranodon has flyby attack and a sweet flight speed. Permanent superior flight at level 3 is pretty nice, though it depends on your DM to let you find said pteranodon.

Make sure to strap yourself to it so you don't fall off if you're rendered unconscious. You can redirect attacks against the mount to yourself so the pteranodon should be relatively safe from this. You might consider magic initiate for slow fall at level 8...