A different Shifter - Warblade

[Pupi]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for help and advice to optimize this build whose progression will be equal to Fighter 2 / Warblade 4 / Weretouched Master 5 (pre-errata)/ Warblade 6 (Ecl 13).

As per the title I would like to play a shifter and I decided for the longtooth trait (putting aside the Gorebrute flavor for which I genuinely had an initial weakness). As a lycantrope bloodline I instead chose the Bear since as a fighting style I opted for THW. For feat I would grab these: Power Attack - Improved Bullrush (Bonus feat (Fighter)) - Cleave (Bonus feat (Fighter)) - Longtooth Elite - Improved Natural Attack - Ragewild Fighter (Bonus feat (Shifter)) - Leap Attack - Extra Shifter Trait (Razorclaw) (Bonus feat (Shifter))- Shock Trooper - Combat Reflexes (Bonus feat (Warblade))

I have been gifted with a psionic power, the lion psionic charge, which allows me, together with the right maneuvers, to be able to access pounce despite wanting to give up the dip in lion totem barbarian. I would like to arrive at the right combo of Feats and Maneuvers to optimize a high dps warrior who jumps on opponents or charges successfully.


Do you have any advice for me, which feats to replace, which shifter feats to give up? At Initiator Level 9th, Maneuver Level 5th.. +11 / + 6 BAB I was wondering if at this level I could find something that with Sudden Leap and some boosts would still allow me to carry out all the attacks, perhaps adding the Secondary natural attacks (claw, slam) continuously.

[Paragon]

Well Pouncing Charge (5th level Tiger Claw) is pretty much what you're looking for I think.

[H_H_F_F]

Yeah, pouncing charge will let you pounce. It's not every round, with refreshments mechanics and all, but it's close enough.

As a note, I don't see any (mechanical) reason to start play as fighter. Your first warblade level would still be limited to 1st level maneuvers, so beginning as warblade would lose you nothing and net you 6 skill points and a better list.

[ciopo]

Do consider the wolverine bloodline instead. Especially if your GM allows weretouched II bonus to qualify for shifter savagery, it should bring your bite damage to 16d6 if I counted the size increases correctly

It's a move away from multiple attacks and toward a single bigger attack tho, I don't know if that's desiderable, but it'd also mean you wouldn't need to worry too much about pounce/ full attack on a charge, and also work better with manouvers, because you will generally NOT be using manouvers if you are full attacking on charges, as most of them are standard action

the difference in forms between bear and wolverine bloodlines are, if I mathed right:

Bear:
+28 STR +2 DEX +8 CON

Wolverine:
+14 STR +8 DEX +16 CON (rage included)

[Pupi]

Yeah, pouncing charge will let you pounce. It's not every round, with refreshments mechanics and all, but it's close enough.

As a note, I don't see any (mechanical) reason to start play as fighter. Your first warblade level would still be limited to 1st level maneuvers, so beginning as warblade would lose you nothing and net you 6 skill points and a better list.

Well, it's a build that requires a lot of Feats and the initial dip of two levels in Fighter leaves me with fewer skill points but with two more Feats. Do you have something different in mind?
Considering twf and no rage (except if taking Wolverine as bloodline lycantrope) which feats would you choose?

[Pupi]

Do consider the wolverine bloodline instead. Especially if your GM allows weretouched II bonus to qualify for shifter savagery, it should bring your bite damage to 16d6 if I counted the size increases correctly

It's a move away from multiple attacks and toward a single bigger attack tho, I don't know if that's desiderable, but it'd also mean you wouldn't need to worry too much about pounce/ full attack on a charge, and also work better with manouvers, because you will generally NOT be using manouvers if you are full attacking on charges, as most of them are standard action

the difference in forms between bear and wolverine bloodlines are, if I mathed right:

Bear:
+28 STR +2 DEX +8 CON

Wolverine:
+14 STR +8 DEX +16 CON (rage included)

That would be an interesting idea.
Longtooth Fangs 1d6 - Improved Natural Attack 1d8 - Weretouched I 2d6 - raging with Shifter Savagery would improve the damage BUT the Feat states that it doesn't scale with INA.. :(

[H_H_F_F]

Well, it's a build that requires a lot of Feats and the initial dip of two levels in Fighter leaves me with fewer skill points but with two more Feats. Do you have something different in mind?
Considering twf and no rage (except if taking Wolverine as bloodline lycantrope) which feats would you choose?

All I meant was swapping the levels around, yeah? Warblade 1 / fighter 2/ warblade +3. Everything else stays the same.