[4E] I'm the fastest man alive. {Optimization challenge}

[Duos Greanleef]

A friend and I want to play characters based on our favorite super heroes in the upcoming campaign, but we're having a little trouble building The Flash.
We want to build a striker based on high speed and mobility and running without provoking Opportunity attacks or having terribly reduced to hit.

Our ideas so far:
Race has to be elf. They're just the fastest out there at 7 squares. If there's a race I've missed, feel free to use it.
Class: Whirling Barbarian maybe with the swift panther rage +2 speed while raging.
Maybe a monk. (high mobility etc)
Also, feel free to re-flavor any weapons into fists for the purposes of making it mechanically feasible.
Feats: whatever. This is probably the place where we need the most help.

We have all books available to us at this point via the character builder. Level is irrelevant as we would hope to make this character last as long as possible, and would need a leveling up plan.

Thanks in advance ad have fun!

[Dust]

I used to know a really good build for a Battlemind that was basically the Flash. I think it took the Quicksilver paragon path for flavor, even though there were better options out there. Hang on a sec.

[LikeAD6]

Assuming you are wearing light armour, go for Boots of Striding as soon as you can. They are a level 9 feet slot item that gives +1 to speed. Boots of Speed give +2, but they are level 22, so they will take a long time to get.

[Mordokai]

Boots of Sand and Sea add +1 to your speed when wearing no armor or light armor. Fleet-Footed is a paragon feat that gives you another +1 feat bonus to speed.

Boots of speed are I believe epic tier item that gives you untyped +2 bonus to speed and daily power to use another move action. Taking Prison of the Winds epic destiny nets you another +2 bonus to speed on level 21.

Ranger has literally ton of powers(mostly utilities) that increase movement speed. Perhaps your best bet is taking Expeditious Stride, that gives you +4 to your speed and +1 to your shift for one turn. In short, rangers can be much faster than barbarians. My ranger had a speed of 12 on level 21. And that's before powers.

[Dust]

Elf as requested (even though there's better options out there), Quick Battlemind. You can also go Hybrid Battlemind/Monk for some of the movement powers, but this is less fun imho.

Feats
Fast Runner (Speed + 2 untyped bonus while running)
Fleet Footed (Speed + 1 feat bonus)
Fluid Motion (Requires Multiclassing into Monk, +1 feat bonus to speed increasing to +2 at Paragon)

Equipment
Boots of Striding (+1 speed bonus) or Boots of Speed (+2 Speed item bonus) if you can find some way to be a multibillionaire.
Armor of Exploits (Has Expeditious Stride, allowing you to shift twice your speed)


When you go into the Quicksilver Demon paragon path (psionic power) you get sweet stuff like Absorb Momentum (+4 speed for the encounter when pushed/pulled/slid/etc) and lots more mobility/shifting.


Realistically, there's no real reason to have a speed of higher than 10 anyway, but if you NEED to, you can mosey a good 50 squares in a round.

[Duos Greanleef]

Dust, if you have a better race, I'm all ears.
Heh... ears...

[Fox Box Socks]

Razorclaw Shifter Primal Predator Druid Mooncaller. Assuming Fluid Motion and Fleet-Footed, and Boots of Striding, at 12th level you can get your speed up to 18 squares under the right circumstances.

[Dust]

If it was me and I knew the campaign would be lasting? Watersoul Gensai, from the Forgotten Realms book. This lets you, as a move action, shift up to your speed over ground or liquid terrain, through enemy spaces, while ignoring difficult terrain and taking no damage if surface or substance you move across would ordinarily deal damage to you. While it's only a 6-speed race normally, at level 11 you can get a feat for a +1 speed Bonus. And I love the flavor of being able to run across lava.

Also, the Mercurial Mind from Dragon Magazine 177. 680 gold for +1 speed.

[Duos Greanleef]

Ok. This is all very helpful, and I thank you for it.
Everything is increasing my running (the first half).
Does anybody have anything that reduces the -5 penalty to hit after running?

[Mordokai]

Running Shot, elven racial paragon feat. Negate the penalty to ranged attack rolls after running.

[Fox Box Socks]

The Orien Swiftblade Paragon Path from Eberron Player's Guide allows you to run without granting Combat Advantage.

[Kurald Galain]

Race has to be elf. They're just the fastest out there at 7 squares. If there's a race I've missed, feel free to use it.

In case it matters, gnolls also have speed 7.

The wizard L2 utility Expeditious Retreat lets you shift twice your speed.

Dwarves have a feat that gives them +1 speed; if you can be a reincarnated champion, you can put this feat on any other race too. I'm not entirely sure if this stacks though.

[Nerocite]

Half-orcs get +2 speed when charging. Add in Swift Panther rage, and Howling Strike, and you're looking at some serious mobility, just at level 1.

[Fox Box Socks]

Thri-Kreen also have 7 speed, and once Razorclaw Shifters get bloodied, their speed goes up to 8.

[MeeposFire]

Predator druids get a lot of speed boosts and can be very damaging.