[4e]Brawling Style: MP2

[Blas_de_Lezo]

I've just noticed the new fighter build in Martial Power 2: Brawler Style, allowing you to grab enemies with your free hand.

I've always considered one-handed fighters with the other hand free being cool, but talking about crunch, is it worth this new brawling style? Do you have any nice and effective brawler style fighter build?

[Hal]

I haven't seen MP2 yet, nor have I looked over the brawling fighter in the character builder, but if their thing is grabbing with their free hand, well, that's disappointing.

Grabbing just isn't all that amazing. It's difficult to land, fairly easy to break out of, and doesn't offer any benefits besides an immobile foe.

Unless that particular feature adjusts those issues, it's not something I'd play. YMMV.

[n00b killa]

There are a bunch of powers that let you automatically grab the enemies once you hit them, and other powers that let you move them while grabed.

It pushes towards a more Controller build.

I also gives you a +1 bonus to AC and a +2 Bonus to For, and there is a feat that further improves your AC by +1 and gives you some other benefit (If I am not mistaken, to Ref).

All in all, I liked the build.

[ShaggyMarco]

There's also a feat that makes them always have to go against your Fort to break free, which can make it really tough to get away with your high Strength, Fortitude bonus, and Class Fort bonus.

I've seen one in play at level 10 (triple-head flail/spiked gauntlet) and he was good about locking down one enemy really effectively, pulling him away from the rest of the party, taking him out of the fight.

There are lots of powers in the build that make Grabbing come with cool things to do (mostly forced movement, damage, or some conditions.)

This build is better at locking down 1 enemy super hard, and not as good as, say, the Tempest fighter, at locking down a bunch of enemies.

[Indon]

It grabs at a more Controller build.

I daresay, Fixed.

[BlckDv]

We've got a Dwarf Brawler with feats/powers that make all escape against Fort, and let her knock grabbed victims prone very frequently. She is awesome at neutralizing enemy mobs that have nasty mobility or move dependent special attacks. Her Dwarf resistance to forced movement and going prone makes her resistant to enemy counter-grab tactics as well. She treats her Fort defense like a second attack stat, buying gear and feats to up it, and it pays off.

[kieza]

There's also a level 29 power called Neck Snap which is...exactly what it says. 2[W] on hit, and once you hit the target is grabbed, and you can snap their neck as a standard action or immediate interrupt when they try to escape. The snap deals 4[W] on a miss, more on a hit.

[Draz74]

I've been impressed with the brawling Powers in general. They look nasty. I drew up a "Heracles" build in Character Editor just to play around with it:

Spoiler

Show

Heracles, level 30
Human, Fighter, Dreadnought, Demigod
Fighter: Combat Agility
Fighter Talents: Brawler Style
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Strength
Divine Spark: Divine Spark Constitution
Practiced Reliability: Stranglehold
Background: Birth - Cursed (Religion class skill)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 30, Con 21, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 18, Con 14, Dex 11, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10.


AC: 34 Fort: 46 Reflex: 32 Will: 29
HP: 220 Surges: 14 Surge Value: 55

TRAINED SKILLS
Religion +20, Intimidate +21, Endurance +25, Athletics +30

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +18, Arcana +15, Bluff +16, Diplomacy +16, Dungeoneering +16, Heal +16, History +15, Insight +16, Nature +16, Perception +16, Stealth +18, Streetwise +16, Thievery +18

FEATS
Human: Improved Grab
Level 1: Inescapable Hold
Level 2: Brawler Guard
Level 4: Brutal Brawler
Level 6: Net Training
Level 8: Weapon Expertise (Unarmed)
Level 10: Pin Down
Level 11: Frantic Recovery
Level 12: Action Surge
Level 14: Crushing Pin
Level 16: Clobbering Brawler
Level 18: Great Fortitude
Level 20: Hip Throw
Level 21: Epic Fortitude
Level 22: Crushing Grab
Level 24: Practiced Reliability
Level 26: Robust Defenses
Level 28: Stubborn Survivor
Level 30: Great Fortitude

POWERS
Bonus At-Will Power: Grappling Strike
Fighter at-will 1: Knockdown Assault
Fighter at-will 1: Reaping Strike
Fighter encounter 1: Bash and Pinion
Fighter daily 1: Seize and Stab
Fighter utility 2: Mighty Leap
Fighter encounter 3: Slamming Rush
Fighter daily 5: Bare-Knuckled Rebuke
Fighter utility 6: Unbreakable
Fighter encounter 7: Stay Down
Fighter daily 9: Staggering Blow
Fighter utility 10: Mighty Surge
Fighter encounter 13: Stranglehold (replaces Bash and Pinion)
Fighter daily 15: Relentless Headlock (replaces Seize and Stab)
Fighter utility 16: Painful Drag
Fighter encounter 17: Battering Ram (replaces Slamming Rush)
Fighter daily 19: Pugilist's Resolve (replaces Bare-Knuckled Rebuke)
Fighter utility 22: Inspired Resurgence
Fighter encounter 23: Gut Punch (replaces Stay Down)
Fighter daily 25: Hold at Bay (replaces Staggering Blow)
Fighter encounter 27: Wrenching Assault (replaces Stranglehold)
Fighter daily 29: Neck Snap (replaces Relentless Headlock)

Looks pretty decent, even though an optimized Brawler would pick Dex, rather than Con, as its secondary stat.

And that last feat was obviously a mis-click, as it does absolutely nothing for the character ... but I can't be bothered right now to figure out what I meant to pick instead.