What do I need to turn a battlesmith artificer into a frontliner.

[Throne12]

So this is what my Dm text me about creating a character
Stat array is 18 16 14 12 10 8
Starting at Level 11, get 1 Starting feat, 1 uncommon magic item.
Plus chose 2 from this list
Learn a language
Profency in 1 weapon
Profency in 1 armor
Profency in a skill
Profency in a tool set

He also has a rule you can't pick a class someone else is already playing. The party is
1. Human raised by minatars Samurai build as a hit and run. She bull rush a enemy hits them and keep going.
2. A bard dont know much else he join when I left for the summer to work.
3. A dragonborn warlock I cant remember how hes built.

So how should I build a battlesmith to be a frontliner so I can keep the squishy's safe? I was going to play a wizard but changed my mind.

[Wildarm]

So this is what my Dm text me about creating a character
Stat array is 18 16 14 12 10 8
Starting at Level 11, get 1 Starting feat, 1 uncommon magic item.
Plus chose 2 from this list
Learn a language
Profency in 1 weapon
Profency in 1 armor
Profency in a skill
Profency in a tool set

He also has a rule you can't pick a class someone else is already playing. The party is
1. Human raised by minatars Samurai build as a hit and run. She bull rush a enemy hits them and keep going.
2. A bard dont know much else he join when I left for the summer to work.
3. A dragonborn warlock I cant remember how hes built.

So how should I build a battlesmith to be a frontliner so I can keep the squishy's safe? I was going to play a wizard but changed my mind.

If the stat array is before racials I would pick gnome Battlesmith to get 20 Intelligence. Ride your Iron Defender. Get some magic armor, a magic weapon and a shield with your infusions. Grab Resilient(Dex) and Toughness for feats and you'll have a pretty solid build defense wise.

If you want something more oddball, pick a Hill Dwarf, dip 1 level fighter and use a headband of intellect(dump Int), +2 Platemail(AC 21 /w defense FS) Infusion and a +2 Greatsword. Put your 18 in Con to bump it to 20. Bonus Feat Sentinel to make you more sticky and grab toughness and great weapon master as well. Huge HP pool. Make sure you have Haste up for big fights to get some extra greatsword attacks in.

[Dork_Forge]

Put your 18 in int, 16 in Dex and 14 in Con, for your free feat take Tough, for 4th max out Int and for 8th take Medium Armor Master.

Go sword and board, taking Enhanced Weapon, Enhanced Defense (Armor) and Repelling Shield and use Half Plate.

This leaves you with an AC 22 (without disadvantage on stealth) and 102HP, position your Iron Defender to best use it's Defensive Pounce ability every turn and enjoy wrecking shop with your Arcane Weapon infused sword (I'd recommend lightning in general for the element).

Race wise... it really doesn't matter, you have the stats that you need, you could go Hill Dwarf for another 22hp if you wanted or pick whatever racial ability tickles your fancy.

[Damon_Tor]

Between your buffs and heals, your various defensive infusions and your pet, being able to take a hit won't be your problem. The biggest problem with a Battlesmith when it comes to "tanking" is not having any good way to keep enemies focused on you. You don't have "tanky" control tools like the Ancestral Guardian or Cavalier does. The sentinel feat will help, some.

EDIT: I guess you could use Enlarge/Reduce to make you or your Iron Defender large, just to plug up hallways and provide cover. Use a whip and take the Sentinel feat so they can't just bolt by you.


Starting at Level 11, get 1 Starting feat, 1 uncommon magic item.

You know, at level 9 you get Tiny Servant. See the link in my signature: build a TSAR that drops a set of caltrops directly under the feet of anyone who tries to run by you. Simply animate a single Tiny Servant at the start of your adventuring day, build him a special, safe little station somewhere on your armor and supply it with a buttload of caltrops. Or go all in and make three Tiny Servants and order them to drop caltrops in sequence, one after the other, when someone runs by, so they have to make three separate dexterity saves as they enter the first, second and third square adjacent to you.