Tactics: Pushing Assault

[harmor]

Anyone got any tips? Never used this feat before.

Pushing Assault:

When you hit a creature your size or smaller with a two-handed weapon attack modified by the Power Attack feat, you can choose to push the target 5 feet directly away from you instead of dealing the extra damage from Power Attack. If you score a critical hit, you can instead push the target 10 feet directly away from you. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunities, and the target must end this move in a safe space it can stand in. You choose which effect to apply after the attack roll has been made, but before the damage is rolled.

Running around with a Falchion and Lunge.

[Movin]

I would not advise it, but I tend to not do melee combatants all that much.

Pros:
1. Clears a square away from you, lets you keep the big nasty with a club from full attacking you so long as you can dance 10ft out of its normal reach.
2. the feat does not specify on which attack in a round that you need to use it, so you can full attack then nail them on the last hit.

Cons:
1. your size modifier limits what you can push, so unless you happen to grow to colossal size your dreams of punting an ancient dragon will remain just that.
2. the feat specifies that the creature must end its forced movement in a "Safe space it can stand in" So sparta kicking people off walls, out of windows and other such creative uses of the good ol' Boot to Tha' Head need not apply.
3. Needs rules for Goblin/Gnome bowling, as the rules imply that if the enemy has no "Safe space to move" that is stays where it is and that right there is just all sorts of lame.

Hope that helps.

[harmor]

Its like a Bull Rush, but not. It would work better if it gave you a Bull Rush attack like the shield special ability.

[Movin]

APG has several critical feats that let you do a combat maneuver on a crit, I think there is one for bull rush. Perhaps you can look into that if you are interested in melee attacks with a bullrush rider.

[harmor]

Gah...critical feats start at +11 BAB...not any time soon.

[Shadow_of_death]

Quote:

the feat does not specify on which attack in a round that you need to use it, so you can full attack then nail them on the last hit.

Right here, with reach (or lunge I guess) you can keep from being full attacked while still getting full attacks. Reach plus lunge works even better, add enlarge person for extra fun.

[Jabbersnatch]

harmor wrote:

Anyone got any tips? Never used this feat before.

** spoiler omitted **

Running around with a Falchion and Lunge.

I'm late to this thread, and I'm not sure how useful this would actually be in practice, but I had the idea that Pushing Assault could be used in combination with any kind of reach and Combat Reflexes to make you difficult to close with. Even with just a longspear, an enemy attempting to move from more than 10' away into one of your adjacent squares would be vulnerable to an AoO, which could then push him back a square (or two). You'd obviously have to hit with this AoO, but the larger your reach, the more chances you'd have.

I'm not entirely sure how this interruption of the enemy's move would work, i.e. would it end that move action? But even assuming they could still move afterwards, with combat reflexes you could push them back as many times as you have an available AoO and hit with it.

This might be somewhat silly though, since it is a strategy for a melee character (albeit one with reach) to prevent being in melee range. Also it could be bypassed by Spring Attack, missing/using up your AoO's, etc.

[Mynameisjake]

The best use for this feat is to help insure that a character with a reach weapon can actually get advantage out of using one (via AoO), even after an opponent closes the distance.

For Ex:

Opponent closes range or combat starts with bases touching. Character takes 5' step backwards to put opponent into threat range with reach weapon. Character hits and pushes opponent back 5'. Now there is 10' between them. Opponent must use move action and take AoO to close back to normal attack range.

Note: If you also take Furious Focus, your attack won't be penalized for Power Attack, although the AoO will.

[Cheapy]

I thought about using this with Greater Trip and a guisarme. When they provoke an AoO, you use a Trip Attempt on them.

Then when you trip them, you use the AoO to use Pushing Assault on them, thereby pushing them away (since it's undeniably before they are considered prone), and tripping them at the same time.

[waiph]

normal weapon: Take a swing and knock them back (furious assault to ignore the PA penalty) then you can hit them again with Lunge, maybe push them again. or smack them for more damage on the Lunge attack, and then use your 5' step to retreat further so they can't Full attack you.

Push them into range of an Ally to 5' step and Full attack them. or push them away from your archer/caster so they can shoot/cast safely.

It's also good for hall fights, push the enemy back a couple squares, and your ally behind you can close and attack him as well.

Reach lets you push them so you can push them out of 5'full attack range, more-so with lunge, or push them back repeatedly with each successful AOO as they keep trying to approach, which would be HILARIOUS!!!

I personally am a huge fan of this Feat, SO much better than it's cousin Bleeding Assault with does less damage than PA and can be healed.

Also cool for an unarmed strike. Monk with a flaming AMF...
FALCON...

[45ur4]

CaGM

EDIT:

harmor wrote:

Gah...critical feats start at +11 BAB...not any time soon.

Nevermind, CaGM requires 12th, but still funny CaGM with reach weapon and combat patrol and unexpected strike and combat reflexes and instantaneous rage (3.5)...

[Maddigan]

harmor wrote:

Anyone got any tips? Never used this feat before.

** spoiler omitted **

Running around with a Falchion and Lunge.

It's a good defense against Come and Get Me. You drive the barbarian back out of melee range, then use Lunge to hammer him without allowing him to get Come and Get Me Attacks.