[4e] Warlord Essentials and Know your role: Defender

[Gralamin]

These two articles that just came out seem a bit... high powered to me.

Among my many complaints:
Defenders are now able to fight from longer range then Warlocks.
Warlords can grab extending weapons to get the benefits of a Greatspear on a longsword.
Emboldening Presence has no duration listed.
Shrewd Positioning doesn't make sense.
Inspiring Aid means a Warlord can get by with Aid another alone.

[Artanis]

What do you mean by "get by with Aid Another alone"?

For Emboldening Presence, not only does it not have a duration, but it would also stack with itself if they found some way to use their Second Wind more than once.

[Tiki Snakes]

These two articles that just came out seem a bit... high powered to me.

Among my many complaints:
Defenders are now able to fight from longer range then Warlocks.
Warlords can grab extending weapons to get the benefits of a Greatspear on a longsword.
Emboldening Presence has no duration listed.
Shrewd Positioning doesn't make sense.
Inspiring Aid means a Warlord can get by with Aid another alone.

So, yeah. There does appear to be some little formatting errors to clear up before the collected versions of these. Shrewd positioning is clearly missing the word 'beat', or similar. So if you roll higher initiative than your men, you get to re-position them a little.

Emboldening Presence does indeed have no duration. I'm guessing it's to the end of the encounter, and that again, they missed that bit off. (If it was just for 1 turn or so, I'd expect what IS there to be worded differently.) Again, nice though, especially for the charasmatic.

Inspiring Aid is nice. Real Nice. Of course, if you never use your own attacks, you are losing something potentially nicer, but your right, it would mean that you could build a viable character around that tactic. (I don't see that as a terrible thing, though it may well be a very good feat.)

The extending weapon is quite nice, I'll admit. If it had been available a few months back, I might have taken one for my warlord in particular, but maybe not. It's not like it stacks or anything, so really can't see it breaking anything.

I don't get what you mean about defenders fighting at range, though. You'll have to narrow that down for me. :)

[edit] - Basically, with the new, less in an article but more articles style, they may need to remember their editing in the rush, because though I disagree that it's necessarily overpowered, it's certainly badly edited.

[Artanis]

Man, speaking of editing, check the quick rundown table at the end of the feats section. Apparently, the article is about "Heroic Tier Feasts"

[Tiki Snakes]

What do you mean by "get by with Aid Another alone"?

Oh. Yes, the 'getting by with Aid another alone' is on account of the Warlord has a 50/50 chance of giving a colleague a hefty bonus to attack every turn. If you've an ok Charisma, you're talking a +4 to attack every round.

Though only for the one ally, and at the expense of using your own powers.

If you build for it, and have a better Charisma, (Maybe making a +4 mod on that) you'll be giving a +6 to your ally at level 1, half of the time.

I'd really not call it over-powered, as such, but it's definately good, and if you worked at it, you could probably build a viable build around such antics.

Personally, I wouldn't do so, because I'm sure mathematically simply giving them an extra attack is better, (The warlords strike at-will, whatever it's called. Doesn't that include a bonus to attack anyway?) but would definately consider it for my warlord, because it would be a great action to take when allies are going to spend daily attacks.

[Kurald Galain]

Warlords can grab extending weapons to get the benefits of a Greatspear on a longsword.

Yes, but Extending Weapon is a magical kind of weapon, isn't it? That means that the price you pay is that you can't put another enchantment on it.

Inspiring Aid means a Warlord can get by with Aid another alone.

I haven't read this article, but considering how extremely poor an option "aid another" is normally, I'm not sure how boosting it would be such a big deal, really.

[Mando Knight]

Extending weapon or Fey Strike weapon are something I'd look into if I wasn't allowed Blade of the Eldritch Knight (which works for all defenders, not just swordmages).

Improved Aid Another is nice, but Commander's Strike is still something that I'd think twice about passing up.

[Edea]

I haven't read this article, but considering how extremely poor an option "aid another" is normally, I'm not sure how boosting it would be such a big deal, really.

The main deal is that Aid Another's target AC/DC is 10. Always. Since it doesn't scale with level, this is pretty much free +wtf to an ally's attack rolls (especially in paragon and epic), and it makes skill checks hilariously easy to succeed with regardless of the tier you happen to be playing in.

[Kurald Galain]

The main deal is that Aid Another's target AC/DC is 10. Always. Since it doesn't scale with level, this is pretty much free +wtf to an ally's attack rolls (especially in paragon and epic), and it makes skill checks hilariously easy to succeed with regardless of the tier you happen to be playing in.

On skill checks, yes.

In combat, however, it is not at all free: it costs you your standard action. If you don't have something better to do with your standard action than give a bonus to an ally that won't matter 90% of the time anyway, then there's something seriously wrong with your build.

[Mando Knight]

On skill checks, yes.

In combat, however, it is not at all free: it costs you your standard action. If you don't have something better to do with your standard action than give a bonus to an ally that won't matter 90% of the time anyway, then there's something seriously wrong with your build.

Besides, granting an attack plus extra damage with Commander's Strike is generally considered awesome, especially if you're flanking with a big-weapon Striker, such as the Barbarian, Ranger, or Avenger (the latter on its Oath target especially, since they get to roll twice for melee attack rolls).

[Edea]

On skill checks, yes.

In combat, however, it is not at all free: it costs you your standard action. If you don't have something better to do with your standard action than give a bonus to an ally that won't matter 90% of the time anyway, then there's something seriously wrong with your build.

'Won't matter 90% of the time'? I'm not sure where you're getting that statistic, but I'm finding it doubtful that +8-+12 to-hit on another person's attack which can be gained so reliably (in particular at epic) is going to matter only 10% of the time.

Also let's hope it remains a standard action, as Aid Another attempts stack with themselves.

[Kurald Galain]

'Won't matter 90% of the time'? I'm not sure where you're getting that statistic, but I'm finding it doubtful that +8-+12 to-hit on another person's attack which can be gained so reliably (in particular at epic) is going to matter only 10% of the time.

I was talking about regular aid another, which as I said is so extremely poor an option that, I'm not sure how boosting it would be such a big deal.

Even at +10, it means that the warlord and his ally have one attack that hits, instead of having one attack each that hits about 50% of the time, as they normally do. It averages out to the same. That's a solid tactical option, but I don't see it being overpowered. And, mind you, it's solid at epic - at heroic or paragon, it's pretty weak.

[Xallace]

These articles appear to have been recalled, as they aren't showing up on the site for me (anymore).

[Gralamin]

New versions, seem to be up. All of them look a lot better balanced. I was getting worried there.

Things worth mentioning:
Extending Weapon is GONE, there is NO TRACE of it left.
Fey Strike was mega-nerfed.
Warlord Article feats actually make sense now

[Edea]

LOL, Inspiring Aid got nerfed HARD.

[Mando Knight]

Fey Strike was mega-nerfed.

Actually, it looks like it got a bit stronger, to me. Especially if you have any powers that count as melee basic attacks, or Melee Training in something other than Con or Dex.

It doesn't change the fact that WotC should stop releasing articles before their editors wake up.

[Gralamin]

Actually, since I suppose these items are no longer valid content, I can post up some of the old absurdities.

Extending Weapon Level 4
A moment’s thought can cause this weapon to reach out for a
foe’s blood.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per die
Property: This weapon has reach and is considered to be part
of the polearm and spear groups in addition to its normal
weapon groups.
Power (Encounter): Free Action. Use this power after you hit a
target with this weapon. Pull the target 1 square.

This was completely removed. This is decent enough on its own, without hte absurdity of making a longsword into a Great spear.

Fey strike weapon used to have this property:

Power (At-Will ✦ Weapon): Standard Action. The weapon discharges
a shimmering mirror of itself that flies toward your
foe. Make an attack: Ranged 20; Strength, Constitution, or
Dexterity vs. AC; on a hit, the target takes 1[W] + Strength,
Constitution, or Dexterity modifier damage.
Level 23: Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength, Constitution,
or Dexterity modifier damage.

The old Inspiring Aid looked like:

Inspiring Aid
Prerequisites: Warlord, Inspiring Presence class
feature
Benefit: Whenever you take the aid another
action, the bonus granted from a successful attack roll
or skill check equals 2 + your Charisma modifier.

Actually, it looks like it got a bit stronger, to me. Especially if you have any powers that count as melee basic attacks, or Melee Training in something other than Con or Dex.

It doesn't change the fact that WotC should stop releasing articles before their editors wake up.

It went from At-will to encounter

[Mando Knight]

It went from At-will to encounter

Hm. So it did. Still a decent encounter power, especially if you have one of the powers that state they can be used as/in place of a melee basic attack.

[Kurald Galain]

Extending Weapon is GONE, there is NO TRACE of it left.
Fey Strike was mega-nerfed.
Warlord Article feats actually make sense now

Okay, I can understand why people would be upset about that warlord feat (although I don't quite agree with them). However, what is so bad about fey strike or an extending weapon? I'm sure there's one or two weird combos charop can come up with, but overall it doesn't seem so bad. Isn't fey strike just Heavy Thrown with a bigger range?

(edit) ah, the keywords, of course.

[Gralamin]

Okay, I can understand why people would be upset about that warlord feat (although I don't quite agree with them). However, what is so bad about fey strike or an extending weapon? I'm sure there's one or two weird combos charop can come up with, but overall it doesn't seem so bad. Isn't fey strike just Heavy Thrown with a bigger range?

(edit) ah, the keywords, of course.

Pretty much. Fey Strike was at-will, and extended characters to a range at which, say, Warlocks and such, could not fight at.
Extending Weapon means, with one weapon, you can now have +3 Prof, Heavy Blade Opportunity, and a variety of the Spear and Polearm feats. Plus, reach, and a shield. It was basically almost always worth it for the Warlord unless they needed a specific magic weapon.