Defenders Roundtable (Part II): The Biggest Toolbox
Welcome to the Defenders Roundtable: a comparison and analysis of the ways that 4E Defenders fulfill their roles and do the job of keeping their comrades safe in the heat of battle! In the first installment of the Defenders Roundtable: Breaking Down Defenses, the basic class abilities of Defenders were examined, comparing hit points, healing surges, and armor options that allow them to stand against fearsome foes. Additionally, each of the Defenders’ marking and retribution abilities were analyzed, comparing the power and potency of abilities like Mind Spike, Combat Challenge, and Aegis of Shielding to threaten monsters into choosing the Defender as its target above all other heroes in the encounter.
But hit points, healing surges, and marks are only a small part of the Defenders’ toolbox. Defenders have a varied collection of powers and abilities to weather brutal attacks, as well as protect their fellow adventurers from harm. But the real question remains to determine which of the Defenders has the biggest toolbox and best tools for handling their tough role!
The following is a list of powers from the Heroic Tier for each Defender class. Each of the powers are categorized by how they function during a combat to protect the Defender (or allies of the Defender), and in some cases may appear in more than one category if they have multiple functions.
Damage Mitigation
Defenders have all kinds of attacks and powers, and can dish out some moderately decent damage in a fight. But what makes a Defender excel at his role has nothing to do with the damage they crank out, but everything about the damage they can take from angry monsters! Damage Mitigation is a term familiar to many MMO gamers, particularly those who play “tanks”, and it works just as well in D&D 4E, as the way to best describe Defender powers which absorb, deflect, or counter incoming damage from foes.
Damage Resistance / Damage Reduction
[These powers grant resistance to various types of damage per attack, or reduce the incoming damage from an attack, often by half, or even full reduction!]
- Battlemind – Iron Fist (A), Battle Resilience (Class Talent), Living Fortress (D1), Oaken Resilience (DU2), Aspect of Living Stone (D5/Aug 1), Energy Transformation (DU6), Battle Aspect (DU10), Iron Wading (DU10), Iron Defiance (EU10), Last Ditch Evasion (DU10)
- Weaponmaster (Fighter) – Resolute Shield (A), Brazen Assault (D5), Kirre’s Roar (EU6), Unbreakable (EU6), Body Shield (Fighter) (EU10), Iron Defiance (EU10), Temporary Relief (EU10)
- Knight (Fighter) – Kirre’s Roar (EU6), Unbreakable (EU6), Shield Block (EU8), Body Shield (Fighter) (EU10), Iron Defiance (EU10), Temporary Relief (EU10)
- Paladin – Divine Counter (EU2)
- Swordmage – Channeling Shield (EU2), Fear No Elements* (DU2), Variable Defense* (DU6)
- Warden – Form of Mountain’s Thunder (D1), Form of the Dread Serpent** (D1), Form of the Walking Conflagration** (D1), Form of Winder’s Herald** (D1), Breath of Chaos (E3), Storm Throw** (E3), Form of Paradise’s Bounty*** (D9), Form of the Flame Snake*** (D9), Form of the Scirocco (D9), Form of the Storm Eagle*** (D9), Warding Vines (DU10)
* Versus one elemental damage type
** Resistance to Poison, Fire, Cold, Lightning respectively
*** Resistance to Necrotic, Fire, or Lightning respectively
[Editor's Errata: Added Shield Block (EU8) to Knight (Fighter) list.]
The Battlemind and Weaponmaster are the clear winners in this category, having At-Will attacks which grant damage resistance round after round. Of course, the Battlemind edges out the Weaponmaster due to the fact that Iron Fist grants resistance to all attacks, as opposed to just the foe that was last struck. The Swordmage and Paladins have the least capabilities with damage resistance, with the Cavalier (Paladin) having no capabilities in this regard whatsoever.
Damage Resistance / Damage Reduction Scores:
Battlemind –5
Cavalier (Paladin) –0
Weaponmaster (Fighter) – 4
Knight (Fighter) – 2
Paladin –1
Swordmage – 1.5
Warden – 3.5
Temporary Hit Points
[These are abilities which allow the Defender to gain temporary hit points on their own.]
- Battlemind – Aspect of Elevated Mind (D1), Psionic Vigor (EU2), Empathic Feedback (D5), Surging Durability (DU6)
- Weaponmaster (Fighter) – Battlerager Vigor (Class Talent), Minor Resurgence (EU2), Unstoppable (DU2), Daring Shout (EU6), Defensive Training (DU6)
- Knight (Fighter) – Minor Resurgence (EU2), Unstoppable (DU2), Daring Shout (EU6), Defensive Training (DU6)
- Paladin – Bolstering Strike (A1), Dominator’s Strike (A1), Vice’s Reward (EU2), Virtue (EU2), Righteous Smite (E3), Strength from Valor (E3)
- Warden – Resilience of Life (A1), Strength of Stone (A1)
Defender classes that have the chance to generate temporary hit points round after round using At-Will 
powers have a real advantage here, making the Weaponmaster, Paladin, and Warden strong in this ability. The Weaponmaster’s Battlerager Vigor class feature allows them to gain temporary hit points with a wide range of powers, but the Paladin has a great assortment of powers in this category. Interestingly, the Cavalier (Paladin), like the Swordmage, have no abilities to gain temporary hit points using their own powers.
Temporary Hit Point Scores:
Battlemind –2
Cavalier (Paladin) –0
Weaponmaster (Fighter) – 4.5
Knight (Fighter) – 3
Paladin –5
Swordmage – 0
Warden – 3.5
Regeneration / Self-Healing / Healing Surges
[These powers allow Defenders to gain hit points, spend healing surges, and even gain regeneration.]
- Cavalier (Paladin) – Reaper’s Harvest (D9), Deathguide’s Stance (DU10), Font of Healing (DU10)
- Weaponmaster (Fighter) – Comeback Strike (D1), Boundless Endurance (DU2), Victorious Surge (D9), Defensive Resurgence (DU10), Mighty Surge (DU10), Shooter’s Nemesis (DU10)
- Knight (Fighter) – Boundless Endurance (DU2), Defensive Resurgence (DU10), Mighty Surge (DU10), Shooter’s Nemesis (DU10)
- Paladin – Lay on Hands (A*), Invigorating Smite (E3), Prayer of Two Paths (D5), Unrelenting Punishment (D5), Reaper’s Harvest (D9), Deathguide’s Stance (DU10), Font of Healing (DU10)
- Swordmage – Unicorn’s Touch (DU6), Rejuvenating Strike (E7), Troll Rampage (D9)
- Warden – Triumphant Vigor (DU2), Wellspring Strike (D5), Bear’s Endurance (DU6), Soothing Wind (DU6), Earth Gift (E7), Form of the Stone Sentinel (D9), [Stone Sentinel Form] Form of the Stone Sentinel Attack (E9), Returning Strength (DU10), Spiritual Rejuvenation (DU10)
* Number of At-Will uses equal to WIS bonus
Both the Paladin and the Warden have remarkable abilities to heal themselves during combat, but the Paladins abilities show some advantages here by not be restricted to so many Daily powers. The Cavalier and Swordmage have to wait toward the latter half of the Heroic Tier to gain self-healing, and Battleminds never gain powers of this kind.
Regeneration / Self-Healing / Healing Surges Scores:
Battlemind – 0
Cavalier (Paladin) –1
Weaponmaster (Fighter) – 3
Knight (Fighter) – 2
Paladin – 5
Swordmage – 1.5
Warden – 4
Increased Defenses/Attack Penalties
[These Defender powers increase their AC and Non-AC Defenses, or impose attack penalties on their foes to make it harder to be hit.]
- Battlemind – Twisted Eye (A1), Vicious Cobra Strike (A1/Aug2), Stolen Grace (D1), Mind Snare (A3), Shade Strike (A3), Aspect of Unspeakable Horror (D5/Aug 1), Aspect of Disembodiment (D9), Shadow Ally (DU10)
- Weaponmaster (Fighter) – Weapon Master’s Strike [Heavy Blade] (A), Serpent’s Coil (E1), Defensive Stance (DU2), Shielded Sides (EU2), Blinding Smash (E3), Daunting Onslaught (E3), Shield Edge Block (E3), Dancing Defense (D5), Makeshift Shield (EU6), Hydra Charge (E7), Iron Bulwark (E7), One Against Many (D9), Defensive Advance (EU10), Defensive Resurgence (DU10), Hunker Down (DU10), Mighty Surge (DU10), Phalanx Leader (EU10)
- Knight (Fighter) – Defensive Stance (DU2), Shielded Sides (EU2), Makeshift Shield (EU6), Defensive Advance (EU10), Defensive Resurgence (DU10), Hunker Down (DU10), Mighty Surge (DU10), Phalanx Leader (EU10)
- Paladin – Enfeebling Strike (A1), Dazzling Flare (E1), Fearsome Smite (E1), Guardian Light (E1), Sacred Circle (DU2), Vice’s Reward (EU2), Hallowed Circle (D5)
- Swordmage – Host of Shields (DU2), Ward of Brilliance (DU2), Silversteel Veil (EU6), Dazing Rebuke (E7), Beacon Blade (D9), Armor of Assault (DU10), Impenetrable Warding (DU10)
- Warden – [Second Wind (E)] Wildblood or Earthstrength (Class Ability), Earth Shield Strike (A), Rending Fury (E1), Form of Mountain’s Thunder (D1), Form of the Dread Serpent (D1), Form of the Laughing Killer (D1), Form of the Relentless Panther (D1), Form of the Willow Sentinel (D1), Form of Winder’s Herald (D1), Nature’s Abundance (DU2), Lifebind Attack (D5), Earthguard (DU6), Guardian’s Pounce (E7), Mountain Hammer (E7), Form of Paradise’s Bounty (D9), Form of the Flame Snake (D9), [Scirocco Form] Form of the Scirocco Attack (E9), Form of the Stalwart Mastodon (D9), Form of the Storm Eagle (D9), Entangling Shield (DU10), Sylvan Trickery (DU10)
Weaponmasters and Wardens have massive lists of powers which add bonuses to their AC and NADs, or can impose attack penalties on one or more enemies attacking them. And although the Battlemind does not have quite as lengthy a list, it can still hold its own with a number of At-Will powers that can make them harder to be hit by foes. At the other end of the spectrum, the Paladin has no defense-gain powers after Level 5, and Cavaliers have no powers at all of this type.
Increased Defenses/Attack Penalties Scores:
Battlemind – 4
Cavalier (Paladin) – 0
Weaponmaster (Fighter) – 4.5
Knight (Fighter) – 3
Paladin – 1
Swordmage – 2
Warden – 5
Conclusions
If we run up the totals on the scores of Damage Mitigation capabilities, it shows that there are some serious disparities between Defender classes:
Battlemind – 11
Cavalier (Paladin) – 1
Weaponmaster (Fighter) – 16
Knight (Fighter) – 10
Paladin – 12
Swordmage – 5
Warden – 16
The Swordmage and the Cavalier (Paladin) have few options for handling Damage Mitigation, which will tend to put a strain on the party’s Leader to keep them alive while these Defenders hold monsters at bay. The Weaponmaster and Warden have abilities in all categories of damage mitigation, from damage resistance, to temporary hit points and self-healing, as well as increasing personal defenses and imposing attack penalties on enemies. And while perhaps not as potent as the Weaponmaster and Warden, the Paladin, Knight, and Battlemind are solid damage mitigators, capable of taking serious punishment in a fight.
Check back later this week for the closing installment of this series, where the powers of the Defenders are put to the test to see which of them can offer the same protection to their comrades that they can give themselves.
So until next blog… I wish you Happy Gaming!
About The Author
So now that I’ve read through part 2, I feel even more strongly that the comment I made in part 1 needs to be taken into account. Maybe some of what I’m concerned isn’t being considered will be addressed in your next bit, but I think it provides a slightly skewed picture of the relative strengths of each class if you present marks/punishments at base, but then look at these other critical qualities as being a combination of class features (as with the Battlemind’s DR) and powers.
This is not to say that I’m pulling for the Swordmage to come out ahead, because I’m already on record as finding them sub-par. Still, though, analyzing the defender punishments to include powers that work in conjunction with/overlay their class features seems necessary. Paladins are suddenly marking at least 2 creatures a turn (Ardent Strike, I believe that at-will is; or swapping in the Damage-boosting replacement for Lay On Hands, any attacks against a particular target); Weaponmasters are applying their marks to several targets as well.
Similarly, Swordmages are suddenly applying punishments that do much more than the class-based minimum. Now, I think that’s actually a failing of the class in some ways, since I don’t like the idea that my primary class feature and most of my powers use up the same singular action. Still, I think it provides some legs for the class as the power-level of fights rises, since you’re accumulating enough encounter powers for them to take up the majority of your turns. For that matter, other classes have their punishments altered as well; I have a fighter who uses Wicked Strike for all of his basic attacks, and at Epic that’s a significant damage bump due to how that power is advanced by tier.
I’m an enthusiast of using MMO terms for 4e, and it’s how I’ve explained the system to a lot of new players. While I agree in general terms with all of the analysis you’ve performed so far, I do find it interesting that the Ur-MMO altered how they handled tanks not too long ago, seeking to improve their threat retention by increasing their damage relative to how much they’re getting smacked around.
DPS from a tank does serve as a form of damage-mitigation in all but the most meta and incomprehensible of DnD games. If a creature is marked by a fighter but taking 20 damage a round from the rogue, it’s probably going to smear the rogue and take the lovetap from the fighter. However, if that same creature knows that ignoring the Swordmage will result in 2-3[W] damage, that’s a different story; and if the creature doesn’t know that, and thus dies before his attack connects, the defender has thoroughly done his job. This is partially why I find it interesting that you’ve chosen to go with Shielding Swordmages over the other two varieties; certainly it works best in terms of showing numbers on some of the variables you’ve selected (like health) but that may not be the most effective way to run that class defensively. Burning foes down quickly results in a significant reduction in the damage the party takes, and some defenders trade resilience for the ability to do so.
Again, I don’t question that Swordmage is fragile, probably too fragile. I agree with that thesis, but I still have some questions about the methodology. Very much looking forward to seeing how you close the series out!
A few relevant powers are missing from your lists. Under Damage Resistance, I’d include the Knight’s Shield Block (level 8 feature), which is pretty good and available to all characters of the class. Also, Cavaliers aren’t as short on mitigation options as they seem, since they gain access to Vigor (one of the strongest sources of THP available to paladins), just not at level 2. Then again, if we are willing to spend a level 6 utility slot for that effect, we might also want to look at Deliverance of Faith (Religion Utility 6), a skill power available to all characters trained in Religion. And taking both isn’t out of the question, either.
On a different note, I know you haven’t been considering feats in your analysis, but some of the best mitigation effects come in the form of class-specific feats. In particular, Paladins have Honored Foe (a paragon feat granting lots of THP) and Virtuous Recovery (a great source of resistance). Likewise, Swordmages can take Rose King’s Shield, which turns one of their at-wills into an amazing source of THP.
Well, it’s good to see the Fighter (I’ll never call him a Weapons Master) racks up some good points in this article. It remains my favorite defender class, followed by the Paladin.
@Perico – I’m a little confused about the power you refer to as Vigor. I’ve made like 3 or 4 Level 10 Cavaliers (as well as every other Defender) prepping for this article series, and I cannot find any Vigor power as a selection, or in the Compendium. If you’re referring to the vigor effect of Bolstering Strike, it’s in the Paladin THP list, but is not available to Essential Cavaliers.
Good point about the Deliverance of Faith Utility, btw, but I avoided delving into the Skill Utilities, as I wanted my analysis to be based upon the individual merits of each class, and not on additional powers and feats which could be taken by any of the defenders with the requisite skill/stat/background. Let’s face it, any Defender, trained in Religion from a Background option, could take Deliverance of Faith too, but I wanted to steer clear of that sort of thing for purposes of comparisons.
But now you’re making me want to extend out the series to a 4th article about the general “tools” available to all Defenders which make them better at their role, such as feats and skill powers. I’m sensing another weekend of compendium research in my near future. *sigh* LOL
Ah, sorry, I messed up. The power I was referring to is actually called Virtue. It’s a level 2 utility, making it an unorthodox choice for cavaliers (who lack this slot, and would have to spend their level 6 utility on it). But it’s well worth the effort. It’s really the same as Deliverance of Faith, which is admittedly available to all defenders by spending a background or multiclass. I know the Cavalier in our campaign considers it a must-have, and it should probably be the same for most other defenders.
@Perico – yup, Virtue is incredibly awesome, and it is a shame that Cav’s can’t get it until Level 6 at minimum. And again, it sort of underscores the point that the Cavalier class was built a little strangely for a Defender, and like the Swordmage, was given a very small set of tools to handle damage mitigation.
Btw, I saw your comment on Part I regarding the Swordmage “chicken” tanking, and it is really an excellent tactic playing on the strengths of two of the Swordmage builds in order to mitigate some of the damage a monster can do. Although I would not consider it classic tanking like I would expect a defender to do, because the tactic forces a non-defender into taking some damage and essentially becoming an “off-tank”. But I have no doubt it’s effective, and could work well as long as you’ve got a decent Leader with good healing skills to handle multiple injured heroes.
Editor – you missed the most important point in Perico’s post regarding Paladin feats: Honored Foe and Virtuous Recovery.
HF grants THP when a marked enemy hits you. Given you have at least 2 marks per round, and more often burst 2 or burst 3 with Divine Sanction, this is a good source of THP. At paragon you should be marking 3-6 targets per round.
VR grants resist all equal to Wisdom mod any time you spend a healing surge – which should be at least twice per combat. That’s a DR 4 as a minor action twice per combat.
On the Fighter front, I suggest you add an incredibly important debuff: Glowering Threat (-5 to all enemies in a burst 2 when they attack allies apart from the fighter. Not a mark.)
Very Cool!
I just commented on part one, sharing how I have found fighters and wardens to be among the best defenders. I have to admit – maybe their ranking in categories like these is partly why.
Oh, and on damage mitigation, would you consider the warden’s free save at the start of the turn to be part of that? I mean, it’s a great way to avoid ongoing damage.
And wrt battlerager vigor, two things. 1) Taking that feature generally diminishes some of the fighter’s other defender qualities. They certainly don’t have to, but most ragers use two-handed weapons and only wear chain mail. 2) Any fighter with endurance trained can use an invigorating power to gain temp hp – and some of them are pretty decent (hack and hew is a great multi-striking level 1 encounter power, for example).
-VIC
ps
Unbalancing Dodge is another fighter EU6 that lowers the enemy’s attacks.