EK vl 10 melee spell attack combo ?

[Whit]

At lvl 10 the ek can bonus action a melee attack giving the enemy disadvantage vs the EK’s next spell which the EK can cast right after the melee attack. However, if he’s within 5ft of target the EK spell attack is at disadvantage.
How do you use this.
What’s a good non attack spell to use then ? Or is there something I’m missing?

[Iolo Morganwg]

The combo I hear mentioned most is Hold Person, then action surge and attack with advantage.

[djreynolds]

The combo I hear mentioned most is Hold Person, then action surge and attack with advantage.

100% Awesome..... now after 11th level snag 2 of paladin so you can smite...... all crits with hold person

[DarkKnightJin]

My personal favorite combo is Eldritch Strike to give Disadvantage on the save.. then pop a Toll the Dead.
Wis save to avoid the damage, it gets made at Disadvantage.. and the damage die shoots up from d8 to d12 because you've made them lose some HP to trigger TtD's situational effect.
And of course, cantrips that require a save don't suffer from Disadvantage on your end, because you're not making a Ranged attack roll.

[Whit]

@darknight. Wow impressive. So g-f-b early lvls until 10th then ttd with e strike.

However I’m playing adventure league and can only pick +1 book. Either swordcoast g-f-b. Or Xan fir TtD

[Tanarii]

EK's level 7 War Magic requires that the bonus action attack be after the Cantrip cast. So you can't do an attack then use the level 10 Eldritch Strike on it in the same round.

Note this is a change in the Sage Advice compendium, which originally said you could do it in any order, then was changed to say you have to make the attack after the Cantrip. Overall a fairly huge nerf to the War Magic feature for using with non-SCAG save cantrips. (It also claims a DM would break nothing by allowing it in any order, despite this mechanical advantage to doing so.)
http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/SA-Compendium.pdf

[Vaz]

My personal favorite combo is Eldritch Strike to give Disadvantage on the save.. then pop a Toll the Dead.
Wis save to avoid the damage, it gets made at Disadvantage.. and the damage die shoots up from d8 to d12 because you've made them lose some HP to trigger TtD's situational effect.
And of course, cantrips that require a save don't suffer from Disadvantage on your end, because you're not making a Ranged attack roll.

You need Magic Initiate for that do you not? EK don't get access to Necromancy normally. Is it worth the feat?

[Tanarii]

In terms of what the level 10 Eldritch Strike can be used for, the (relatively few) level 10 EKs I've seen mostly use it for: attack 2 adjacent creatures, Action Surge, then Thunderwave, Burning Hands, Shatter or Fireball them (plus usually catch some others in the AoE).

Obviously if your DM allows you to use War Magic to attack first and then cast a Cantrip (SA edit notwithstanding), you can use it to attack then undercut the save of Poison Spray, Acid Splash, Lightning Lure, Sword Burst, Frostbite, Thunderclap, Toll of the Dead, etc.

[Whit]

Vaz. I believe cantrip can be anything. It’s 1st lvl above. Spells. Lvl 1 u need 2 from abj evoc and 1 any. At higher lvls yiu oick only abj or evoc until 8th? Yiu get another any spell choice. Now remember. The lvl 1 any choice spell can be changed to any lvl yiu can use.
So that lvl 1 any spell can be changed to a lvl that you can use later on. Lvl 2,3,4.

[Vaz]

Vaz. I believe cantrip can be anything. It’s 1st lvl above. Spells. Lvl 1 u need 2 from abj evoc and 1 any. At higher lvls yiu oick only abj or evoc until 8th? Yiu get another any spell choice. Now remember. The lvl 1 any choice spell can be changed to any lvl yiu can use.
So that lvl 1 any spell can be changed to a lvl that you can use later on. Lvl 2,3,4.

Completely missed that, good to know. One of my players is becoming an EK.

[Whit]

My first time also.
Would like to know how I can attack using the lvl 10 ability

1. Lvl 10 2 attack’s.
2. Lvl 11 3 attack’s.
Now how do you use the lvl 10 ability with attack’s and casting spell

[djreynolds]

So 1st round, on my turn attack normal... now you have until the end of your next turn

2nd round, on my turn I use action surge, now I have two actions, cast hold person and then attack

[Whit]

Ok so at lvl 10 with 2 attack’s
Round 1 attack 2 times melee and use Eldritch Strike lvl 10 ability give disadvantage to next spell.
Next turn Round 2 cast hold person or toll the bell cantrip then action surge to get my 2 attack’s or just 1?

[Tanarii]

You can do it all in 1 round: Attack Action to attack 2-3 adjacent targets with a melee weapon (depending on level) or non-adjacent with a missile weapon, or mix and match (attack one to two adjacent with your 2H sword, then throw a javelin at another). (Edit: or move between melee attacks.) Then Action Surge to cast a level 1+ spell on them all.

If you don't have Action surge you can Extra Attack a bunch then blow them up with a leveled spell next round. Or hit one the first round with melee attacks, then Cantrip it the next round and get one physical attack from War Magic. Then rinse and repeat Cantrip + physical attack in future rounds. Or if your DM allows war magic in any order, just attack then Cantrip in one round.

[DarkKnightJin]

Considering that EK isn't a full caster and isn't doing things to their maximum potential by doing their Eldritch Strike and then a cantrip, instead of the other way around..
I'd personally let them have that bit of internal synergy with save-or-suck cantrips.
Especially since an EK is inherently a little bit MAD without a Headband of Intellect to bump the Int to a nice level to set that DC somewhere the stricken enemy doesn't just flop over it without much of a hassle.

Plus, it's a single target cantrip, and a single Attack.
It'll be fine.

[ImproperJustice]

Being able to hit an enemy and then follow with Frostbite at disadvantage would be nice.
It would certainly take the edge off their counter attack.