Best Class for an Orc Blade of Ilneval?

[Yakmala]

So, in a recent game I played in, my Paladin got involved in a fight vs a band of orcs being led by a Blade of Ilneval. These are orcs that have gained favor with the god Ilneval through their tactical brilliance on the battlefield and are much tougher than a typical orc.

The regular orcs went down quickly and it came down to a fierce fight between my Paladin and the Blade. The Blade had the upper hand and I was one blow away from falling when I used my Lay on Hands to get back into the fight. My Paladin complimented the orc on his prowess and told him he was wasting his talents as a mere raider and I offered to let him walk away. We ended up saluting with our swords and I let the Blade go.

After the encounter, I told my DM "I'm playing that guy next time I roll up another low level character". Well, that time has come. I'll be playing the reformed Orc Blade of Ilneval, who has now taken up the life of an adventurer. The question is, what class to make him? I can see a bunch of different options.

Battle Master: An obvious choice for a tactical melee combatant, as maneuvers, especially Commander's Strike, can simulate some of the Blade's abilities.

Kensei: Blades of Ilneval are masters with their long swords, doing more damage than average. A Kensei would be good at simulating this mastery.

Ancestral Guardian: Unlike many melee classes, they can actually control the battlefield and protect their party. And the guardians could represent Ilneval's favor.

Thoughts or suggestions?

[J-H]

I think you're going to stick with Barbarian or Fighter on this. Paladin doesn't fit, and neither does rogue or ranger.

Zealot has some really good damage and minor leadership abilities... but I agree that Ancients is a better fit.

If UA is allowed, Brute fighter is nicer than Champion and certainly hits hard. I'm not a big fan of Battlemaster just for playstyle reasons.
You could potentially go Psi Knight, reflecting unusual prowess and athleticism, but would require some "What did he pursue after walking away..." explanation.

[RogueJK]

Based on the lore ("devout strategist"/"tactical expert"/"barking orders at lesser soldiers") and the stat block (extra longsword damage and ability to command allies to make additional attacks), I'd do Battlemaster Fighter.

Take the Dueling fighting style for added Longsword damage. Some of your Maneuvers will also add damage.

For Maneuvers, take stuff like Commander's Strike, Distracting Strike, and Maneuvering Strike, to command/boost your allies.

[Unoriginal]

I also think Battle Master would be the best fit for the Orc Blade of Ilneval's abilities, at least as a start.

[follacchioso]

Orcs are very good melee characters thanks to their Aggressive trait.

You can use a BA to move up to your speed towards an enemy you can see or hear.

This means your BA will be used quite often, conflicting with Barbarian Rage (although it is only one to activate it), cunning actions and BA attacks and spells.

Barbarians are a good choice, because the improved speed and BA dash allow you to get in melee more often, without losing the Rage due to inactivity.

Monks are also a good option - you have more speed than Barbarians, and you can attack with simple weapons and unarmed attacks, which also fits the theme of orc warriors.

Get some boots of speed, or some winged boots for extra mobility and fun.

[Potato_Priest]

First, great way to introduce a PC! That is awesome!

That was actually really my main point. I just wanted to rebut those saying that a paladin didn't fit by pointing out the Conquest Paladin subclass, which is really a tight lore fit for a devotee of Ilneval, the orc god of strategic warfare. The idea of the orc becoming a paladin following in the footsteps of the PC who bested him also tickles my fancy. The downside is of course you'd be playing the same class twice in a row.

War cleric would also be fun!

Whatever you choose, may your PC live to a high level and die with much drama and plot relevance!

[RogueJK]

War cleric would also be fun!

Order Cleric would also be thematically appropriate.

Perhaps a Battlemaster Fighter 5 or 6/War or Order Cleric X multiclass?

Or Fighter 5 -> Cleric 1/3/5 -> Fighter X?

Either way, that Fighter/Cleric combo would get you both the Manuevers/Tactics angle along with the Favored of Ilneval angle.

[rlc]

blademaster obviously makes the most sense, but you can get maneuvers on anybody with a feat, or you can just fluff things as being maneuvers.

in addition to what's already been said, you can be a hexblade or a war cleric with either the battlemaster maneuver feat (whatever it's called) or one of the weapon feats (crusher, etc)
heck, you could be an orc bladesinger (totally legal now, but the implications are funny if you take into account that you used to have to be an elf)

[Witty Username]

I would go with battlemaster, I think. Blade of Ilneval feels more aggressive than a tank. Commander's strike, tripping/pushing attack and maybe menacing attack would be my first considerations.