Need build help: Gestalt!

[AdamSmasher]

Level nine and the purpose of the game is to build the badest combat machines we can muster. Here's my plan so far, I'm going to try and combine polymorphing in to a Hydra with Karmic Strike, Mage Slayer, and Thicket of Blades.

On one side of the gestalt, I'm going Sorcerer and possibly Abjurant Champion. The other side I think should be crusader, atleast until Thicket of Blades stance. I want to fit two levels of paladin in for charisma to saves as well. For feats, I'm going to need Dodge, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Karmic Strike, Mage Slayer, and Practiced Spellcaster.

The main problems I see are that, once polymorphed, I won't be able to cast any more and anything with concealment no longer provokes.

This build will work mostly on forcing opponents to provoke constant AoOs, which, for a hydra with Combat Reflexes, means nine bite attacks. Melee oponents shouldn't be much of a problem. And if their one attack outweighs my nine, I can polymorph in to a Treant instead and grapple them down with Ferocious Grapple.

Spellcasters will be a problem. I should have them mostly locked down, bite AoOs should be hard to concentrate through and they ca't tumble through Thicket of Blades. If they use Greater Dimension Door and try to get away, I can take readied actions to move back adjacent to them while Flying.

I can use something to get blindsight, which means my main threat will be stealthy opponents with the Darkstalker feat.

So, now that I've given a summary, does anyone have any advice for a better combatant? Tips on maneuvers, spells, or fancy classes to take?

Pretty please?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Eschew Materials, Silent Spell, Still Spell. What was that about not casting?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If you want to grapple spellcasters, use the form of a Behir.

Use the Arcane Swordsage variant in ToB, on page 20 under the 'Adaptation' heading. Your spells/maneuvers will be Wisdom-based, and you'll get your Wisdom bonus to AC regardless of your form. Your spells will be used as though they were maneuvers, meaning they'd be either extraordinary or supernatural and thus never require verbal, somatic, or material components, XP costs, or a spell focus. Their durations and effects will be based on your initiator level rather than a caster level. Keep in mind that you learn arcane spells, which is not limited to any one class list, so any Bard spell, Beguiler spells, Hexblade spells, etc. are all options for you. Get Silence and always have it cast on yourself, so you just have to get close to spellcasters to stop them. Get the spell Hound of Doom from CW, especially if you have a full BAB.

I'd use Changeling (MM3, ECS) for your race so you'll qualify for Warshaper (CW) as soon as you get a high enough BAB. Go Arcane Swordsage 9// Fighter 2/ Psychic Warrior 3/ Warshaper 3/ Crusader 1. Your Psychic Warrior feats should probably be Speed of Thought and Practiced Manifester, and get Grip of Iron and Expansion. Note that you're not restricted to a 1st level stance at Crusader 1, since it only applies at character creation, not if you multiclass into it at a higher character level, so you'll be able to get Thicket of Blades. I'd probably just stick to Behir form and make it a grappling build instead of an AoO build, you'd get to make grapple checks to deal constrict damage plus you'd get six rake attacks, and I'd probably use Power Attack for -2 to hit with Armbands of Might to get +4 damage per Rake.

[Lycanthromancer]

Make a psion//crusader gestalt.

Good Int synergy, you can manifest while under the effects of metamorphosis (which, by the way, doesn't have polymorph's size limitation of one size larger/smaller, allows you to turn into objects, and having a manifester level gives you access to the Metamorphic Transfer feat. Metamorphic Transfer is awesome, as it allows you to use one Supernatural ability of anything you turn into...Beholder antimagic cone, anyone?). Also, you can craft a psychoactive skin of proteus to save on power points for utility forms (for both you and your psicrystal).

Just make sure you get a psicrystal (via Psicrystal Affinity) so you can have two combatants out simultaneously, as well as the vigor, share pain, and schism powers (using Expanded Knowledge or research).

Later on you can get fission and fusion for even more fun.

Also check out the Linked Power feat, from Complete Psionic. This will help you buff without spending your standard actions, so long as you have a swift/immediate action to play with.

You'd be amazed at how good a psion can be as a melee combatant, even without gestalt.

[Draz74]

Good Int synergy,

Huh? Int is a Crusader's #1 dump stat.

EDIT: Unless they're going for a Tripper build or something even more unusual.

[Lycanthromancer]

Huh? Int is a Crusader's #1 dump stat.

EDIT: Unless they're going for a Tripper build or something even more unusual.

...Ah. Maybe I was thinking 'warblade'.

But considering that metamorphosis allows you to dump all of your physical stats, having a good Int isn't at all hard.