Sword and Board or Great Weapon

[Name2020]

Currently my party and I have just finished a mission and have gained a good chunk of gold. After giving a magic item to my friend I have 257 gold and am wondering a couple things. I am an Level 3 Eldritch Knight with the Warcaster feat. I picked up the Great Weapon Fighting style but was wondering if I should change to a Shield and Sword combo. I was thinking about originally buying a Greatsword from the city market but my team is very squishy with a Bard, Ranger, Cleric, and Druid. Since we just finished a big mission I think we are coming up on level 4 and that means a feat or ASI. Should I go Dual Wielder feat to allow me to use my Longsword and Shield so I still have good damage but can use a shield, along with the Dual Wielder to buff up my AC by 3 and make it 19. I think my parties spellcaster focused composition could use a higher AC Fighter to be the tank. Any advice helps.

[djreynolds]

If you have war caster...

1. You freely dual wield light weapons, the dual wielder feat is letting you dual wield any weapon but heavy.

1a. Two fighting style allows you to add you damage modifier to off hand attacks

2. Anyone can use a sword and shield, if they are proficient, which you are

3. To benefit from great weapon fighting, the versatile weapon must be wielded into 2 hands

4. IMO, since you have war caster, you can do any style.

5. Great weapon master has 2 perks, one of which works with any melee weapon..IE killing or critical hits

[Name2020]

If you have war caster...

1. You freely dual wield light weapons, the dual wielder feat is letting you dual wield any weapon but heavy.

1a. Two fighting style allows you to add you damage modifier to off hand attacks

I am using the Great Weapon Fighting Style so I can't pick another style. The shield gives me more AC and I need to tank better for my party. Plus my Dex is only 12 so light weapons are no. Also Dual Wielder Feat allows you to dual wield non light weapons which mean I can use a Longsword in one hand and a Shield in another instead of a Light weapon and a Shield.

[stoutstien]

I am using the Great Weapon Fighting Style so I can't pick another style. The shield gives me more AC and I need to tank better for my party. Plus my Dex is only 12 so light weapons are no. Also Dual Wielder Feat allows you to dual wield non light weapons which mean I can use a Longsword in one hand and a Shield in another instead of a Light weapon and a Shield.
You can use strength with light weapons unless they are ranged. Your thinking of finesse which still let's you choose str or Dex.
I'd ask DM if you can switch gwf for defense which is going to be a all around good pick for you.

[Name2020]

I'd ask DM if you can switch gwf for defense which is going to be a all around good pick for you.

Not trying to be rude but how would that help me. I thought Great Weapon Feat was for offense. With the extra attack after kills and such.

[djreynolds]

You can use strength with light weapons unless they are ranged. Your thinking of finesse which still let's you choose str or Dex.
I'd ask DM if you can switch gwf for defense which is going to be a all around good pick for you.

Right you can use a hand axe or short sword or rapier or javelin with strength.

You can dual wield any weapon light weapon

Remember, just because you use a greatsword... this doesn't mean you'll have an anaphylactic reaction to going sword and board occasionally or using long bow

Have fun, good luck. Grab GWM it's a fun feat, the killing and critical hit part is passive and will work with any melee style

The is great weapon fighting and great weapon mastery

[stoutstien]

Not trying to be rude but how would that help me. I thought Great Weapon Feat was for offense. With the extra attack after kills and such.
You didn't mention great weapon master in your post only great weapon fighting.

[clash]

You can use any one handed weapon with a shield by default. The dual welding feat is just to allow you to fight with 2 weapons that are not light.

[Guy Lombard-O]

I am using the Great Weapon Fighting Style so I can't pick another style. The shield gives me more AC and I need to tank better for my party. Plus my Dex is only 12 so light weapons are no. Also Dual Wielder Feat allows you to dual wield non light weapons which mean I can use a Longsword in one hand and a Shield in another instead of a Light weapon and a Shield.

This whole conversation seems deeply confused.

For one thing, a shield isn't a weapon, it's armor. You don't need dual wielder to make that work. Dual wielder is about using two weapons, like two battle axes or something, instead of two lighter weapons.

It also seems like maybe you're a bit confused about GWF fighting style and the GWM feat (or at least it seems they got conflated in a couple of the posts). They're entirely different things.

I think the suggestion to switch to Defense fighting style was because of the fact that you are on the fence about whether to continue fighting with a heavy weapon/GWF, or to switch to sword & board. Defense fighting style is equally useful to either option, so you wouldn't be stuck with a fighting style that you're no longer using.

[djreynolds]

As an EK, at 3rd level you have chaimail for A.C. 16. The shield spell, when needed, for +5 A.C.

IMO you don't need a shield to tank, you need to draw aggro. Make the enemy want to kill you. With great weapon master, just killing orcs and goblins will give you a free BA attack.

So take Great weapon master GWM, and when needed drop the great sword, and go long sword and shield.

[Damon_Tor]

Currently my party and I have just finished a mission and have gained a good chunk of gold. After giving a magic item to my friend I have 257 gold and am wondering a couple things. I am an Level 3 Eldritch Knight with the Warcaster feat. I picked up the Great Weapon Fighting style but was wondering if I should change to a Shield and Sword combo. I was thinking about originally buying a Greatsword from the city market but my team is very squishy with a Bard, Ranger, Cleric, and Druid. Since we just finished a big mission I think we are coming up on level 4 and that means a feat or ASI. Should I go Dual Wielder feat to allow me to use my Longsword and Shield so I still have good damage but can use a shield, along with the Dual Wielder to buff up my AC by 3 and make it 19. I think my parties spellcaster focused composition could use a higher AC Fighter to be the tank. Any advice helps.

I have some questions


my team is very squishy with a Bard, Ranger, Cleric, and Druid.

To me this reads like a team that is deliberately not squishy. All of them have some kind of armor proficiency, all of them have middling hitpoints, and all of them throw around healing. This looks to me like a low damage team.


Should I go Dual Wielder feat to allow me to use my Longsword and Shield so I still have good damage but can use a shield

Are you going to be attacking with the shield via two-weapon attack? Spending a feat so you can make a no-proficiency, no-stat-to-damage 1d4 attack is a terrible idea. You have proficiency with shields already: you do not need any kind of feat to wield a longsword in one hand while holding a shield in the other.

To be clear, Dual Wielder is a terrible feat. A total trap even for characters who are devoted to dual wielding. There are almost no circumstances where I would recommend getting it.

If for some reason you really like the idea of attacking with the shield with two-weapon attack, don't get the Dual Wielder feat, just use a shortsword and get +2 STR for your ASI. A shortsword deals on average 1 damage less on a hit than a longsword, which you make up for with +2 STR (and it also gives you a better chance to hit besides). Or you could get the Tavern Brawler feat (which comes with +1 to STR) which gives you proficiency on the shield bash so at least you have a decent chance to land it, and maybe you'll have a reason to use its grapple feature at some point.

[Corran]

I am an Level 3 Eldritch Knight with the Warcaster feat.
I wont ask how you got the warcaster feat, and please don't even tell me. But it's good you have it, it is a good feat for eldritch knights.


I picked up the Great Weapon Fighting style but was wondering if I should change to a Shield and Sword combo.
That's what I'd do. I would go with a shield and a one handed weapon. Change your fighting style if you can to something compatible with S&B.


Since we just finished a big mission I think we are coming up on level 4 and that means a feat or ASI. Should I go Dual Wielder feat to allow me to use my Longsword and Shield so I still have good damage but can use a shield, along with the Dual Wielder to buff up my AC by 3 and make it 19.
Noooo. Don't take dual wielder just for the +1 to AC. Spend your feat for sth else. Maybe a stat (str/dex or int) bump, or alert, or resilient wisdom, or sth else. Lots of cool and better than DW things to pick from.

[Bloodcloud]

A dead enemy does not cause more damage.

I'd keep with the greatsword, using the shield when you're about to take a beating. Do you have booming blade as a cantrip (from sword coast adventurer guide?) That would be great to use for attack of opportunity, since you already have warcaster. Elemental absorbtion is another good spell for you. Eldritch knight has good defensive option spells and no very good offensive ones, so I'd keep the greatweapon.

At level 4, I'd go for upping strenght. Then, at 6, max it. At 8 go for great weapon master feat. That feat is less great early on, because the to-hit penalty will be more of a problem. You also sounds a bit unexperienced, so by that point you'll be better a anticipating the right time to use it.

[Azgeroth]

personally.

greataxe/maul and GWM Feat.

you need more damage than AC. sentinel is another potential pick for a Feat.

i would..

1. go buy a maul or greataxe 1d12! yay!

2. at level 4, i would take a Str bump. because your a fighter, your getting another ASI at 6.

3. at 6, take either GWM , Sentinel, Shield Master. if you find your more S&B than 2h GWF, sentinel/Shield Master. if your 2h GWF, then GWM.

[Willie the Duck]

I am an Level 3 Eldritch Knight with the Warcaster feat. I picked up the Great Weapon Fighting style but was wondering if I should change to a Shield and Sword combo.

Given that you have the warcaster feat, any specific weapon setup is feasible (two weapon or shield and sword isn't particularly doable if you want to cast spells, despite some 'drop weapon on one turn, pick it up the next' shenanigans that work well enough in a white room, but not in-play). Of all the fighting styles to have to have, but not get to use, Great Weapon Fighting is the smallest loss (particularly for a Eldritch Knight, for whom it is only the regular weapon damage dice you would be giving up the opportunity to reroll).


I was thinking about originally buying a Greatsword from the city market but my team is very squishy with a Bard, Ranger, Cleric, and Druid.

Depends entirely upon the type of each of those, plus how much the DM has opponents stop at the big, high-AC tank versus have them rush past and attack the back line. If the later is the case, sticking with a 2-handed weapon and picking up Sentinel or Polearm Master at level 4 might be the optimal choice.


Should I go Dual Wielder feat to allow me to use my Longsword and Shield so I still have good damage but can use a shield, along with the Dual Wielder to buff up my AC by 3 and make it 19.

Dual wielder does not combine with a shield. I know, you are going to respond that a shield is an improvised weapon, but you will have to run that by your DM, and they are probably going to say now (improvised weapons quite often do not count as weapons for triggering various things, and the implications for the always doing so get ridiculous fast).


I think my parties spellcaster focused composition could use a higher AC Fighter to be the tank. Any advice helps.

It depends entirely on how much having a high AC fighter actually helps the party versus a high DPS fighter (or a fighter with a bunch of abilities which keep opponents from engaging the spellcasters (such as Sentinel, reach, Polearm Master, or protection fighting style). Can you tell us anything more about your group, DM and playstyle?

[Mitsu]

A different approach:

I would switch to Sword n Shield and ask DM to change GWF to Dueling or Defense and abuse Shadow Blade spell.

You get Shadow Blade on level 7 + War Magic.

After that I would dip into Wizard to increase your slots for Shadow Blade. At least 8 levels into Wizard + 1/3 level of EK (2) would make you level 10 caster with slots of: 4/3/3/3/2. Giving you total of 2 slots to summon a 4d8 Shadow Blade per day, 6x 3d8.

This way with War Magic you will be able to use Green Flame Blade or Booming Blade + one extra melee attack for total of (3d8 Shadow Blade) 6d8 + 14 + 2d8 + BB/GFB effect per turn. And you can Action Surge for another melee cantrip + attack.

If you get Hasted by allied caster in team (like your Bard) in addition to that (War Magic + Action Surge) you can deal total (with 4d8 Shadow Blade) on level 15:

3x (4d8 + 7) + 2x (4d8 + 7 + 2d8) = 75 + 68 = 143 Nova.

Finish rest in EK for total 12/8 multiclass (Leveling 7 EK/8 Wizard/5 EK. This will also give you 3rd attack as Fighter. With plate armor and shield you will be able to abuse Shadow Blade with 3 attacks per turn + Action Surge.

Wizard will also give you Shield, Absorb Elements, and other good stuff. And you are already proficient in CON save throws so keep concentration should not be a problem. But you can still pick War Caster for OAs BBs.

Just my idea. I wouldn't really use EK without Shadow Blade anyway.

[Damon_Tor]

After that I would dip into Wizard to increase your slots for Shadow Blade. At least 8 levels into Wizard + 1/3 level of EK (2) would make you level 10 caster with slots of: 4/3/3/3/2. Giving you total of 2 slots to summon a 4d8 Shadow Blade per day, 6x 3d8.

Sorcerer makes slightly more sense for this. 8 levels of sorcerer also gets you 8 sorcery points, which can be converted into an extra level 2 and level 3 slot, or an extra level 5 slot, depending on how your day is looking. Wizards have arcane recovery, but it's not as efficient, netting you either a level 3 slot and a level 1 slot or two level 2 slots.

Of course wizard subclass features also tend to be better than the sorcerer. Abjuration is a damn fine addition to an EK, and Divination is great for anyone. Meanwhile sorcerer features are decidedly "meh".

[Willie the Duck]

Of course, given that they already have the spell, any spell-slot granting class should be on the table. War cleric gives you some extra bonus-action attacks. Forge cleric a handy magic weapon for encounters not worth a shadow blade casting. Paladin, well, the casting progression is half-paced, but the combat-applicable benefits should be obvious. Even Ranger would be access to an entirely different suite of spells which would enhance diversity of options.

[Name2020]

I think I am going to go with a Sword and Board as well as a Greatsword. Instead of an ASI I will pick up the Great Weapon Master Feat. And will use the Sword and Shield for Tank and the Greatsword for just raw damage.

[guachi]

If you can't change your fighting style to dueling or defense I wouldn't use a sword and shield for tanking. The +2 AC isn't worth the loss in damage from your GWF.

If you really want to tank, just cast shield while wielding a two-handed sword. I'd much rather be doing far more damage with a two-handed sword than the alternative.

Pick a thing to do. Do it well. That's the best benefit you can give your party.

[djreynolds]

I think I am going to go with a Sword and Board as well as a Greatsword. Instead of an ASI I will pick up the Great Weapon Master Feat. And will use the Sword and Shield for Tank and the Greatsword for just raw damage.

Perfect.

The thing with fighters is you need to be versatile.

Take a guess what you think is coming your way and have the optimal weapon for that fight.

Have fun and good luck. And continue posting on your character.