Iron Chef Optimization Challenge: E6 Appetizer Edition (Round XXIII)

[Zaq]

DeTess, you're a monarch among commoners, and you win Honorable Mention this round. You have my sincere thanks! I'd like to post the next round before this weekend is out, so let's try not to have unnecessary disputes.

Here's a bit of goodwill feedback on The Wanderer! No score, but commentary. It's way, way quicker and less intricate than I usually do, sorry.

Spoiler

Show

Originality: Legit love the use of the 3.0 feats from OA and S&S. I had to look those up. Really don't see a disarm-user every day, but at the same time, if it's gonna work anywhere, E6 is the place.

Power: You take a while before you've got anything spicier than a basic attack, especially since disarming comes at the expense of attacking (unlike Improved Trip, there's no damage on a disarm attack until Snatch Weapon comes online). While it's less crippling in E6 than in non-E6, relying primarily on unarmed strikes without a way to make them count as magical is a bit risky; that said, you're quite competent with manufactured weapons, so that's not an insurmountable weak point.

When the main combo of Grappling Block + Snatch Weapon comes online, the build feels quite coherent. Snap Kick then lets you get an extra swing after using the aforementioned two feats, and that's smooth as butter. Love it.

It would have been nice if you didn't have to wait until 3rd epic feat to get something that allows for decent offense against enemies who don't care about using manufactured weapons, but better late than never.

Your tactical feats make sense and feel like a natural progression.

Overall, the build feels solid when it's in its element. It would have been better to see a little bit of extra attention paid to either forcing your element or to dealing with situations other than your preferred one, but at the same time, you're a dang fighter; there's only so much you can reasonably do.

Elegance: The progression is logical; there's no confusing swerves or other head-scratching moments. I didn't check all your prereqs, but at least your skills seem nice and smooth. I love the core combo, and I love the way it plays nicely with your tactical feats. Thumbs up.

UoSI: The core combo requires so many feats to come online that even a full-blooded fighter (with a human bonus feat!) couldn't fit in the whole thing in E6 before the epic feats start popping up, so yeah, I don't think it's fair to say that this build could fundamentally afford to be anything but a fighter. Good show.

[MinimanMidget]

Thanks for judging DeTess, no disputes from me. I was thinking of trying to put together a judgement for you, but Zaq did it better than I would've, so I'll just say that I really like your build.

[Zaq]

That's a wrap, everyone! Let's move on to the new round.

Build	Stub	Chef	Score
Arog	CE arctic orc fighter 6	MinimanMidget	17.5, GOLD
Demon Leg of Martok	LE human monk 1 / fighter 5	daremetoidareyo	14.5
Halvena Ironhide	LG silverbrow human ranger 1 / fighter 4 / beastmaster 1	Blackhawk748	15.5
Steve ("I Knew He Was Worthy!")	NG human fighter 6	crankykobold	16
Irkle	?? whisper gnome swashbuckler 3 / sneak attack thug fighter 3	MicHag	17, SILVER
Orthos	?? azurin fighter 6	Panosis	14
Pauli T'Chan	NG human noble 1 / fighter 5	daremetoidareyo	15
Severas	LE human fighter 6	MinimanMidget	17, SILVER
Staffilius	CG kalashtar darksong knight fighter 6	Quentinas	16
The Wanderer	LN silverbrow human fighter 6	DeTess	unjudged, HON. MENTION

Thanks as always to everyone for being patient while the gears grind slowly! Congrats to MinimanMidget for a double podium place and congrats to MicHag for a strong showing as well! Honestly, these were all awesome. Extra special thanks to DeTess for not only putting in the work to make a build but then for selflessly withdrawing and judging to the show could go on! Brava, brava!

Still can't believe we had no dungeoncrashers. Was everyone scared that it would be too common, or is there another problem with it I didn't see?

New thread here!

[Blackhawk748]

My bet was that Dungeoncrasher is way to obvious

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Dungeoncrasher is good, but shoehorns you into a pretty specific and well-worn path.

My idea was another grappler, using SA Fighter, Greater Multigrab, and the fact that holding an enemy with just one limb means they lose their dexterity bonus versus your attacks. Throw in Staggering Strike, some extra limbs, some aquatic stuff, and Martial Throw to move around the battlefield and drag/throw people into the water with you. Set the whole thing to Aurelio Voltaire's "Don't Go By The River". I probably would have gone Zhentarim as well, and angled it as the whole thing being also part of a protection racket, with the character acting as the threat that the Zhentarim 'protect' people from and also headhunting heroes that are threatening to meddle. I was pretty pleased with the whole thing, though I wasn't sure whether to go Aventi or Aquatic Human (either way I was taking Jotunbrud)... but finals meant I had no time to actually put it all together.

[daremetoidareyo]

This one was fun. I was expecting demon leg to do better than paulie.