New to 4e How do you play a Swordmage

[Zaydos]

Okay I've played 4e 4 times before, 2 as a dragonborn warlord in one person's game (they had a loose understanding of the rules and weren't a very good DM in general [liked sending us against things much higher than our level]), once as a drow rogue (same DM) who managed to beat the 3 or 4 level higher rogue (yay CA), once as a ranger under a different DM who disliked allowing the PCs ranged attacks. So I am (effectively) new to 4th edition.

I know what kind of character I want to play, a swordmage (I like arcane, don't like 4e wizard too much, and the party had a leader and 2 strikers). The more I looked at swordmage so I do want to play one. Currently I have a level 3 shielding swordmage with booming blade, sword burst, sword of sigils, frost backlash, Channeling Shield, and Dimensional Vortex. I'm a little worried I'm ending up with too many immediate action powers (my aegis, my daily, my utility, and one of my encounter powers).

So I guess what I want is some basic advice on how a swordmage plays (notably their mark doesn't require them to stay close like everyone else's so I'm guessing I don't melee my mark) and what's a trap to avoid. I only have 12 Dex, might could up it one to 13 so that I could take Improved Warding and try and eventually get Enlarge Spell.

So thanks in advance for the advice.

[Kurald Galain]

So I guess what I want is some basic advice on how a swordmage plays (notably their mark doesn't require them to stay close like everyone else's so I'm guessing I don't melee my mark) and what's a trap to avoid.

The basic strategy is mark and run: mark somebody, then run to the other end of the room and attack somebody else. If your markee starts chasing you around, then he gets OA'ed by your allies. If he attacks your allies, then either you get to teleport and hit him, or you get to negate most of the damage.

[Krrth]

Pretty much what Kurald said.

The SM I'm playing now is having a decent run using white lotus riposte with booming blade.

Move away from me? Take damage.

Attack me? Take damage.

Don't move and attack someone else? Prevent damage.

Don't move and don't attack? Alrighty, usually works for me.

[Evard]

I found that swordmage works really well while being surrounded by enemies and with the right items you can make shifting very hard for anything that tries to move away from you... I believe there is an item that makes shifting around you difficult terrain.

With a decent starting stats and the right items a Swordmage can deal ALOT of damage while still being able to control a crowd

[Deme]

Offhand, I would say the trick to playing a swordmage is to keep mobile. Your actions, particularly minor and immediates, are precious treasures, so you have to keep your priorities straight. Maybe even make a list, so it takes less time.

[Sinon]

Ditto to Krrth's ditto of Kurald.

One of the more common tactics is Booming Blade: mark Foe1, stay away from him. Hit Foe2 with Booming Blade, make him stay by you.

Currently I have a level 3 shielding swordmage with booming blade, sword burst, sword of sigils, frost backlash, Channeling Shield, and Dimensional Vortex. I'm a little worried I'm ending up with too many immediate action powers (my aegis, my daily, my utility, and one of my encounter powers).

Don't be worried.

With Frost Backlash, you're using your immediate action to protect yourself instead of an ally. That's ok. The point of a mark is to discourage opponents from attacking allies, and, sometimes, it works and they hit you.

Channeling Shield allows you to (essentially) get the benefits of your Aegis of Shielding (reduce damage by 5+) even on an attack by a non-marked foe; even if the attack is on you. (Which does happen from time to time.)

Dimensional Vortex is similar in that it can protect allies from a foe other than your mark, and is even better when used on your mark.

Again, the point of marking is to get the bad guy to attack you and not your allies. When that actually works, these powers give you something to do with that action.

Your build is very focused protecting allies. That's not a bad thing.

[Krrth]

Before I forget, take a good hard look at transposing lunge. Since you're a shielding mage, you can actually negate the entire attack, not just some of it.

[ashmanonar]

If you have access to DDI, there's a great line of feats called White Lotus. They're listed in Dragon 374.

Each feat lets you apply a different effect with your arcane at-will attack powers; one lets you deal damage if hit, another makes the adjacent squares difficult terrain for anything that's hit, another raises your defenses, another applies penalties to their defenses.

Check it out. Quite nice feats.

Because honestly; you're not going to be dealing loads of damage as a shielding swordmage. You're going to be a huge irritant to the enemy. Reduce his attacks, reduce his defenses, keep them marked.

[Zaydos]

Thanks for all the advice. Should I go for a defense raising feat or White Lotus Riposte next level (I'm leaning towards the latter)?

Because honestly; you're not going to be dealing loads of damage as a shielding swordmage. You're going to be a huge irritant to the enemy.

I can handle not being the damage dealer, I like being one (rogue is fun what with the I hit you, I mess you up, I hit you harder aspect; and sorcerers just seem awesome) but I like the idea of being a defender too. Most all the players are relatively new to RPGs all together, so I don't want to be OMG hax anyway, but I'm not too sure of the system so I just don't want to mess up and fail as a defender. If I can be a huge irritant to the enemy I'm happy and I think I can.

My shield stops 8 damage, how good is that at this level? I have a +6 to hit/+9 with weapon powers, and 20 AC; I think those are alright, but I'm not really sure. I have a 19 Int so next level I should be able to get a 20 Int for +8/+11 to hit which should be good at Lv 4... I think.

Again thanks for all the advice. Being an irritant is what I hope for, the others are new players so I can let them have the over 9000 damage level, they'll enjoy it. My only hope is that I can take the hits and help keep everyone alive (I'd probably be a leader except 1) I don't particularly like them, and 2) there's already a leader so I wanted to let them have their role).

[Yakk]

Dimensional Vortex

It's a trap! It is a ranged power, so it provokes from any monsters adjacent to you.

[Artanis]

One thing to remember as well is that while the Aegis is the most obvious means of doing your job, it isn't your only means. A major part of how you protect the allies lies in the fact that you're a secondary Controller. In addition to your Aegis, you also control the battlefield to keep enemies from triggering it in the first place, and you debuff the enemy to keep them from hurting your allies even if they get past your mark.

[Sinon]

My shield stops 8 damage, how good is that at this level?

Yeah. At best you could see people with 10, but that means you had to start with 18 and get a racial bonus? Unlikely especially if you want Int to be highest.

Re: Dimensional vortex
It's a trap! It is a ranged power, so it provokes from any monsters adjacent to you.

Oh, you’re going to be on the run, skirting the edges of the battle. You can find an opportunity to use this power no prob.

That isn’t to say there aren’t other nice ones, such as the aforementioned Transposing Lunge.

[Yakk]

Generally, I drop an aegis on target 1, move to location 2, and swordburst as many opponents as I can.

They can shift away and charge my allies if they want to try it, but usually some of them stick around.

If my aegis target moves towards me ... all the better! Next round my swordburst hits more opponents!

And with that, we end up with shorter than a normal number of rounds, as by the time the striker gets to creature #4, it is bloodied.

[HMS Invincible]

Man, why can't my party's swordmage ever do any of the stuff you guys talk about? He always just moves up to someone and keeps swinging til the target is dead.

How effective is a swordmage who acts like a fighter?

[Krrth]

Man, why can't my party's swordmage ever do any of the stuff you guys talk about? He always just moves up to someone and keeps swinging til the target is dead.

How effective is a swordmage who acts like a fighter?

It really all depends on what else they are doing. For example, my SM does the aforementioned "mark and run". I play mop up on the secondary creatures while preventing the damage from the main baddy.

Powers such as White Lotus, booming blade, and the like help to lock down the secondary opponent.

As a water genasi, my SM can pretty much move around the board as necessary.

In other words, they can be a good combatant but they need to be flexible. Be prepared to run interference for the other party members and they'll do fine.

[Kurald Galain]

How effective is a swordmage who acts like a fighter?

Quite a bit less than an actual fighter.

Fighter is a pretty straightforward class to play, swordmage less so. Some players are more suited towards straightforward classes.