Best Character to Pair with Artificer Infusions

[adso]

I need to make a replacement character and want to make use of one of the Artificer's more interesting infusions. While things like +1 AC or hit/damage are probably more powerful, they're not very interesting. The Artificer in question is only level 6 or 7 and one or both characters will likely die before he reaches level 10, so only the low/mid-level infusions will be available. This character will likely enter the party at level 4 or 5. Of those, I think the ones that are most interesting are Boots of the Winding Path, Returning Weapon, Repulsion Shield and maybe Radiant Weapon, though I'm willing to entertain other suggestions. Basically I want to make a build that highlights and/or relies on the infusion as much as possible.

For the Boots, I'm struggling to make a build that doesn't use a bonus action and makes good use of an escape. On thing I've considered is a Shoving build that basically just knocks the target prone and then ports away so that they can't retaliate and basically just be a battlefield control nuisance. But it's somewhat tough to make work on a Barbarian with rage competing for your bonus action. Returning weapon is difficult because there just isn't much support for it in 5e and I struggle to find a reason to use throwing weapons over just melee or real ranged ones. Repulsion shield is kind of cool, I was considering a hobgoblin Abjurer with Moderately Armored that specializes in battlefield control and defenses. Would also be an interesting build for boots of the winding path since wizards have little use for bonus actions in general. Radiant weapon is less interesting to me, but could be interesting on a paladin or Zealot barb that the artificer convinces that it is some holy relic to bribe him to be a bodyguard or something.

Any thoughts are appreciated, and role doesn't really matter since this campaign has a rotation between about a dozen characters, so the party composition changes every week.

[Evaar]

If you can pick up Booming Blade, it combines well with those boots. You want to watch for targets who want to move and/or be in melee, walk up and smack them with Booming Blade, then bonus action leave. Now if no one else is in reach it has the choice of activating the rider effect or not using its melee attacks.

You would want a class that isn't reliant on Extra Attack for this. It could be done with Wizard, but not that easily. Arcana or Nature Cleric can pull it off (Arcana to get Booming Blade and grab Shillelagh with Magic Initiate; the reverse with Nature). Druid can do it as well, but of course not in Wild Shape. Any Pact of the Tome Warlock can pick up the right cantrips for this as well; if you take Medium Armor Proficiency you get to use shields as well and can throw that Repulsor shield on top.

[ff7hero]

You don't have it listed, but I think the reloading crossbow infusion is in your level range. If so, being able to use a hand crossbow and shield is something I've always wanted to do.

[adso]

If you can pick up Booming Blade, it combines well with those boots. You want to watch for targets who want to move and/or be in melee, walk up and smack them with Booming Blade, then bonus action leave. Now if no one else is in reach it has the choice of activating the rider effect or not using its melee attacks.

You would want a class that isn't reliant on Extra Attack for this. It could be done with Wizard, but not that easily. Arcana or Nature Cleric can pull it off (Arcana to get Booming Blade and grab Shillelagh with Magic Initiate; the reverse with Nature). Druid can do it as well, but of course not in Wild Shape. Any Pact of the Tome Warlock can pick up the right cantrips for this as well; if you take Medium Armor Proficiency you get to use shields as well and can throw that Repulsor shield on top.

I kind of like this as a lockdown/battlefield control build. I might combine that with the Hobgoblin MA Abjurer idea from earlier if I can convince the artificer's player to give me a second infusion for the Repulsor shield. I think the only downside here is that it's replacing a Bladesinger that relied on booming/green flame blade so it's not that different mechanically, but I think spell selection would be reasonably different if I focus more on battlefield control rather than buff spells.


You don't have it listed, but I think the reloading crossbow infusion is in your level range. If so, being able to use a hand crossbow and shield is something I've always wanted to do.

That could be fun! Although the artificer is already using that one on his pistol so it might seem a bit derivative. Definitely one to keep in mind though.

[stoutstien]

I have to recommend the unbreakable arrow for general game play.

[Evaar]

I kind of like this as a lockdown/battlefield control build. I might combine that with the Hobgoblin MA Abjurer idea from earlier if I can convince the artificer's player to give me a second infusion for the Repulsor shield. I think the only downside here is that it's replacing a Bladesinger that relied on booming/green flame blade so it's not that different mechanically, but I think spell selection would be reasonably different if I focus more on battlefield control rather than buff spells.

The challenge of doing this with a Wizard is the ability scores. Shillelagh won't work for you because there is no way, as far as I know, to get it to key off Intelligence. So you'll need a weapon you can hit with using either Strength or Dexterity. Given that you don't have much for armor proficiency (though it sounds like you'd take Medium Armor Proficiency as a feat), it will likely be Dexterity.

The lure of doing an Arcane or Nature Cleric is that your attack is Wisdom based. Same for a Tome Warlock.

So like I said, it can be done, but it's going to be a fairly steep hill to climb. Plus if you're looking to differentiate yourself from a Bladesinger Wizard, it's hard to go wrong with using a completely different class and spell list.

[Neorealist]

The recently released UA with the artificer 'armorer' subclass includes a melee weapon option which keys off of intelligence for attack and damage. Seems like it'd go pretty well with a number of SGAG cantrips if you are able/willing to switch your sub-class into something more iron-man-like.