Phalanx Soldier Archetype


Advice


Hey all!

I wanted to get some feedback from players and DMs regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the Phalanx Soldier Archetype for the Fighter class.

I also have some questions:

Are the defensive/shield abilities worth the loss of Weapon Training?

Is going with a polearm with reach a good fit for this archetype?

If you use a reach polearm one-handed with this archetype, does it lose it's reach quality?

Thanks guys!

Sczarni RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32

B-Holder wrote:

Hey all!

I wanted to get some feedback from players and DMs regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the Phalanx Soldier Archetype for the Fighter class.

I also have some questions:

I have been playing one for 11 levels now, and I am having a blast with it.

B-Holder wrote:


Are the defensive/shield abilities worth the loss of Weapon Training?

If you want a defensive fighter, yes. If, like me when I first started out, you want a more offensive build then no. You also are losing Armor Training, so you are going to be slower and have high armor check penalties.

If you are going for a purely defense build then be sure to use tower shields and ignore the more offensive shield feats. If you want to be able to control the combat and have more offense abilities then focus your feats on shield bashing.

If you are NOT going to use a tower shield at all (like me) then you will have two class abilities that are useless to you. Talk to your DM about switching those abilities back to Armor Training 1 and 2.

The abilities of the Phalanx Solider give you good ways to fight as part of a group. One really useful ability even add defense to adjacent allies. Overall, the abilities are worth the trade.

B-Holder wrote:


Is going with a polearm with reach a good fit for this archetype?

Yes. I would buy an efficient quiver asap and buy a wide variety of polearms. Also, keep a spear handy. You never know when you are going to need a polearms abilities and a spear is good when reach isn't an option.

Later, enchant your chosen polearm/spear with the transforative ability. This will be a big life saver, and will allow you to switch between weapons easily.

B-Holder wrote:


If you use a reach polearm one-handed with this archetype, does it lose it's reach quality?

Nope! You still have reach. The only difference is that you can use the weapon with one hand.

B-Holder wrote:


Thanks guys!

Your welcome!

My personal phalanx solider takes advantage of shield bashing feats. The shield is the real weapon for him, with the spear being a close second.

One strategy is to use the Shield Slam feat with a long spear. Start with a shield slam, bull rushing the foe back, then full attack with the longspear. Then, if you can, end the turn with a 5 foot step back. If the foe is stupid enough, they will move 10 feet to attack you, provoking an attack of opportunity. Mix Greater Bull Rush into the mix, and when your shield slam bull rushes the enemy back your allies get free hits. This is just one of the great battle field control options available that the phalanx fighter makes more possible.


Can look into two weapon fighter using a shield as primary and a short sword as the off hand. That gives you some options you might not have thought about and is similar in spirit to the phalanx fighter.

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