Bladesinger vs. Eldritch Knight

[Nagog]

So for making a casting fighter, do you prefer a Bladesinger or an Eldritch Knight? Each have their own strengths and weaknesses obviously, but which do you prefer and why?

[Spiritchaser]

You say a casting fighter.

EK casting is decidedly poor

Bladesinger fighting is similarly lacklustre (though with shadow blade it can approach adequacy)

What do you foresee your preferred play style to be? Mostly hitting things or mostly sitting back and playing god?

[Protolisk]

So for making a casting fighter, do you prefer a Bladesinger or an Eldritch Knight? Each have their own strengths and weaknesses obviously, but which do you prefer and why?


casting fighter

Eldritch Knight is the only fighter that can cast. :smalltongue:

It comes down to do you want to mostly stab and only cast sometimes, or to mostly cast and only stab sometimes.

[Spacehamster]

They are so different from each other so not really possible to compare per se, probably enjoy the idea of the bladesinger more tho, but wholly dependent on if you want to be more fighty or more casty. :)

[Nagog]

Eldritch Knight is the only fighter that can cast.

Well yes, but actually no. They're the only Fighter Class that can cast, but they're far from the only caster capable of fighting, which is the way this was phrased.

[clash]

I vote Valor Bard or hexblade warlock for a more middle of the road between casting and fighting

[Nhorianscum]

Bladesinger is like war wizard, but with disgusting knife ears.

EK is a casting fighter with sexy round ears.

My anaconda don't want none unless she got buns.

EK is clearly better.

[Dork_Forge]

Single classed? Bladesinger most likely but the actual preference would be a Bladesinger with a Fighter dip going to EK if the dip was big enough.

[RSP]

Each is good for what they do, so there’s no real answer to “which is better” without more info on what you’re looking to judge. However, the question of “which do I prefer” is easy: Bladesinger. I like options with what my characters can do, and BS provides the most options.

[bloodshed343]

Bladesinger is more powerful by virtue of being a wizard, but it falls behind in melee capability rapidly compared to the fighter, also by virtue of being a wizard.

[Rezby]

Hexblade is better at fighting than a bladesinger, and better at casting than an EK. Clearly, it’s the best option.

[Eldariel]

Bladesinger is awesome overall but sadly Bladesong itself is somewhat limited in uses, which makes Bladesinger more like 3/4th caster that occasionally fights. Sure, if you can short rest with some frequency, it can be nice, but having your defenses hinge on being able to get down'n'dirty kinda sucks. Of course, offensively Bladesinger is very good and Wizard casting is second to none in this game: no other caster has anywhere near the amount of generic Awesome a Wizard carries around. But Bladesinger lends itself poorly to just smacking face; more of a "cast stuff and smack face if necessary"

[Nagog]

Bladesinger is awesome overall but sadly Bladesong itself is somewhat limited in uses, which makes Bladesinger more like 3/4th caster that occasionally fights. Sure, if you can short rest with some frequency, it can be nice, but having your defenses hinge on being able to get down'n'dirty kinda sucks. Of course, offensively Bladesinger is very good and Wizard casting is second to none in this game: no other caster has anywhere near the amount of generic Awesome a Wizard carries around. But Bladesinger lends itself poorly to just smacking face; more of a "cast stuff and smack face if necessary"

True, although I wonder why you refer to them as a 3/4 caster when none of the other Wizard subclasses get spells along with the subclass (as Cleric, Warlock, and Sorc subclasses do)? Wouldn't they have just as much spellcasting ability as any other Wizard?

[Eldariel]

True, although I wonder why you refer to them as a 3/4 caster when none of the other Wizard subclasses get spells along with the subclass (as Cleric, Warlock, and Sorc subclasses do)? Wouldn't they have just as much spellcasting ability as any other Wizard?

I intended to refer to their actions; I'd say they cast 3/4th of the time and fight 1/4th of the time. Of course their casting itself is still the usual Best At Everything fare.

[HappyDaze]

So for making a casting fighter, do you prefer a Bladesinger or an Eldritch Knight? Each have their own strengths and weaknesses obviously, but which do you prefer and why?

For me, it is no contest. The Eldritch Knight is the only one in the running since I refuse to allow the SCAG at my table.

[SLOTHRPG95]

Between the two, I'd generally favor the EK, because I don't think I'd ever really attack with a melee weapon as a Bladesinger unless I were in an AMF or something, which makes it a bit... underwhelming. Compare this to a Swords Bard or War Cleric, both full casters where weapon attacks don't just feel like a last resort. Meanwhile, there are definitely times as an EK where I'd rather lob a fireball than attack three times, meaning I think that EK ends up feeling more like an actual magical warrior to me than Bladesinger.

With that said, Ranger. The answer is Ranger. Sure, the Paladin gets smiting, but it's both a blessing and a curse. It ramps up your damage curve something fierce, but at the cost of burning through all your spell slots, and never actually casting spells. Meanwhile, a Ranger feels a lot more like a warrior who actually uses magic, esp. if they have one or more Druid cantrips from Magic Initiate, Wood Elf Magic, or whatever.

[Nagog]

For me, it is no contest. The Eldritch Knight is the only one in the running since I refuse to allow the SCAG at my table.

What do you not like about SCAG? Just curious, I don't really have an opinion on the book as a whole.

[loki_ragnarock]

Bladesinger is like war wizard, but with disgusting knife ears.

EK is a casting fighter with sexy round ears.

My anaconda don't want none unless she got buns.

EK is clearly better.

I've also come to dislike dandelion eaters, and would second that the EK is better by default.

[SLOTHRPG95]

What do you not like about SCAG? Just curious, I don't really have an opinion on the book as a whole.

I'm guessing it's the SCAG cantrips, that's what most people have a problem with.

[Gignere]

EK is the better casting fighter until level 17 when Bladesinger can use simulacrum abuse to wish spam perma buffs on himself to become the most broken only limited by imagination melee god.

[HappyDaze]

I'm guessing it's the SCAG cantrips, that's what most people have a problem with.

I don't like the cantrips, Variant Tieflings, Ghostwise Halflings, Variant Half-Elves, the Divine Domain, or really much of anything from SCAG.