Mmh... I think it would behoove you to use the Gang Up feat, and probably try to exploit Coordinated Charge. Try to use skirmisher tricks like Aiding Attack on your pet. No archetype is really required.
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All right. You want Paired Opportunists, Outflank and Pack Attack. At third level your companion gets all of your teamwork feats for free.
This combo will allow you to flank while the animal companion is next to you. The flank bonus will be +4. Any critical hits allows both the hunter and animal companion an AoO at +4, so get something with a good crit range and make it keen. An AoO on a flanked enemy is at a total of +8 for both of you.
One of you should get vicious stomp and one of you should get good at tripping. That's another round of AoO's. And the enemy on the ground is at a -4 to armor class. AoO on a flanked prone enemy is effectively at a +12 to hit.
Around 5th level pick up Broken Wing Gambit. When you are attacked by someone you've already hit once, it provokes an AoO from both of you as long as you are adjacent.
Archon Style does similar nastiness
That should get you started.
Any critical hits allows both the hunter and animal companion an AoO at +4
To do this, you need the feat Seize The Moment, which requires Improved Critical, which requires a BAB of +8, as well as Combat Reflexes. Pack Flanking on the other hand requires Combat Expertise.
So, reliably generating AoO via crits will only be possible at level 12 for a Hunter.
Here's a set up:
1st Combat Expertise
2nd Outflank
3rd Pack Flanking, Precise Strike
5th Power Attack
6th Shake It Off
7th Spirit's Gift
9th Paired Opportunist, Combat Reflexes
11th Improved Critical
12th Seize The Moment
For the AC:
1st Iron Will
2nd Weapon Focus: Claws
5th Weapon Focus: Bite
8th Power Attack
10th Combat Reflexes
At 13th and 16th add Improved Critical for claws and then bite.
This way, by level 3, you'll always count as flanking when threatening the same target, triggering +4 to hit, +1d6 damage. That to hit bonus will allow you to use Power Attack effectively despite your 3/4 BAB, so that's next. Shake It Off translates into a +2 to saves for you and your companion. Spirit's Gift is probably the best feat to strengthen a companion.
By level 9 you get mildly useful stuff, but you need it to make full use of Seize The Moment at 12th.
As an addendum: a valet familiar (via Eldritch Heritage) or two levels of Fighter with the Eldritch Guardian archetpye will grant you yet another "character" which shares your teamwork feats.
KutuluKultis was was completely right about using Pack Flanking instead of Pack Attack. I was pulling stuff up from memory instead of looking it up. My bad.
That being said, Seize The Moment is unnecessary. Outflank, which a hunter can get for free at second level, allows your flank partner an AoO when you score a critical hit. You need to also have Paired Opportunist and the aforementioned Pack Flanking to make it all work.
I have a build that pulls this stuff together nicely by level four, but it takes some dipping. The dipping will delay your spell progression, but you stated you were focusing on melee for this character so this might work.
Start with a level of Cavalier. There are a lot of cool choices. You get a free Teamwork Feat. If your animal companion can also be a mount, then you can start right here. You would need to be small and have permission from your GM to use a tiger for a mount. So lets throw that out and go Daring Champion Cavalier at first level and go from there. It works like this:
1st Level: Daring Champion Cavalier--Paired Opportunists, Weapon Finesse(via Champion's Finesse) and Combat Expertise. You can also grab one of the fun Cavalier Orders.
2nd Level: Hunter-- Grab your new fury best friend here.
3rd Level: Hunter-- Outflank, Combat reflexes
4th Level: Hunter-- Pack Flanking-- Go nuts!
Turns out I was wrong about Seize The Moment, indeed.
Eldritch Guardian is a from Familiar Folio. at 2nd level it shares all combat feats with a familiar within 30 ft.
Unless you're really sold on a Tiger, I would take a look at the firepelt cougar. With it's 24 DEX (26 DEX with Animal Focus). Take Weapon Finesse and Agile Maneuvers, then use the alternate advancement so at 7th level it gets +2 DEX/ +2 CON.
A Firepelt gets an automatic trip attack. Technically you don't need agile maneuvers since weapon finesse allows you to use your DEX for your CMB as per the FAQ.
EDIT: Found the FAQ and linked it.
You could start as a wild child brawler instead, avoid the Int requirement and get a couple more HP. Then your 3 hunter levels to get the teamwork sharing.
I'd go human, so you can get CE and combat reflexes or lookout at 1st, then pack flank and bonus outflank at 3, paired opp and teamwork sharing at 4.
You could have the AC take the teamwork feats too, until you get to share them, at which point pay the gold to retrain out of them.
I'd try Str 15+2, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 7. You could definitely drop some int or wis for 1 more str, but I hate doing that personally.
So, now I need 13int for combat expertise right?
How can i build a stat? I know that i need to dump cha but what to choose between srt dex & conI use tiger because of pounce. Is a wolf is better?
Or there's another animal that suit the build?
*tap, tap tap* Is this thing on?
Unless you're really sold on a Tiger, I would take a look at the firepelt cougar. With it's 24 DEX (26 DEX with Animal Focus). Take Weapon Finesse and Agile Maneuvers, then use the alternate advancement so at 7th level it gets +2 DEX/ +2 CON.
A Firepelt gets an automatic trip attack. Technically you don't need agile maneuvers since weapon finesse allows you to use your DEX for your CMB as per the FAQ.
You could start as a wild child brawler instead, avoid the Int requirement
This would work to get Combat Expertise,but unfortunately not with Pack Flanking. Brawler's Cunning only waves the 13 Int requirement for combat feats and Pack Flanking isn't considered a combat feet. Ran into this issue myself. Luckily my PFS character hadn't hit second level yet and I could fix the situation.
Personally I'd dump strength and take one of the dex to damage feats.
It seemed really weird that someone would suggest a martial pet PC have the feats Combat Reflexes and Paired Opportunists without both also having reach.
Valid point. This build has lots of ways to get AoOs, but there is no reason to not take advantage of reach.
Perhaps I misunderstand, and AoOs will come more frequently than just critical hits.
The build I put together doesn't really do much until 4th level and beyond. And it's only theoretical as my character is only second level right now.
At 4th level all you are really getting is the AoOs on crits.
At 5th level I think I should be able to get my AC Vicious Stomp. Combined with the Upending Strike hunter trick, that's a couple more AoOs. By this point my AC will have reach and I'm weighing my options on ways to get reach for my primary character.
By 6th level I should have Broken Wing Gambit and that should give AoOs on anybody I've hit once already this combat.
I'm considering taking Archon Style at 7th level but that may be overkill. Snake Fang may be an option by this point, and that just turns things up to plaid.
The classes are/will be:
Daring Champion Cavalier
Hunter
Hunter
Hunter
Monk(Possibilities are Flowing, MOM, Kata)
Lore Warden Fighter
Lore Warden Fighter
This build should work are a melee hunter, but as I said, it's just theoretical at this point.
Any of this working for you notty235?
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So, now I need 13int for combat expertise right?
How can i build a stat? I know that i need to dump cha but what to choose between srt dex & conI use tiger because of pounce. Is a wolf is better?
Or there's another animal that suit the build?*tap, tap tap* Is this thing on?
Unless you're really sold on a Tiger, I would take a look at the firepelt cougar. With it's 24 DEX (26 DEX with Animal Focus). Take Weapon Finesse and Agile Maneuvers, then use the alternate advancement so at 7th level it gets +2 DEX/ +2 CON.
A Firepelt gets an automatic trip attack. Technically you don't need agile maneuvers since weapon finesse allows you to use your DEX for your CMB as per the FAQ.
What book is allowing the use of this thing as a pet?
Well crap, reading fail twice. Very sorry.
Still think brawler start is nice, 2 extra HP and martial versatility and +1bab. 25pts so: s15+2 d14 c14 i14 w14 ch8.
Reach is good, definitely take combat reflexes for that. Lookout is nice too, but can probably wait for the others. Bardiche has reach with 19-20 threat, so that's my favorite weapon (barring that one old book with the fauchard 18-20).
The mounted axebeak is very strong, but doesn't work for my aesthetics. Primal companion hunter can give any companion reach and pounce. Seems crazy powerful, albeit just for a few minutes per day; eidolon with better stats and base abilities leaving more points for madness. Might be worth skipping the dip to not lose progression on that.
You could start as a wild child brawler instead, avoid the Int requirement and get a couple more HP. Then your 3 hunter levels to get the teamwork sharing.
I'd go human, so you can get CE and combat reflexes or lookout at 1st, then pack flank and bonus outflank at 3, paired opp and teamwork sharing at 4.
You could have the AC take the teamwork feats too, until you get to share them, at which point pay the gold to retrain out of them.
I'd try Str 15+2, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 7. You could definitely drop some int or wis for 1 more str, but I hate doing that personally.
What book is allowing the use of this thing as a pet?
Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition. It's not PFS legal (for obvious reasons), but with a 25 point buy he wasn't playing PFS.
Iirc, firepelt cougars are identical to the small cat in the CRB.
You don't remember correctly. They have more DEX, and more natural armor.
Iirc, firepelt cougars are identical to the small cat in the CRB.You don't remember correctly. They have more DEX, and more natural armor.
Well, in the RotRL (AE) they list Firepelt cougars as Bestiary page 40 which is the page with cheetah and leopard, so it is a reasonable assumption that as an animal companion you would use small cat. Also, there is no entry for specifically a firepelt cougar animal companion with starting stats.
Do you have better information than what you have said already, like starting stats, etc?
-- david
Instead of Wild Child Brawler, consider Snake Striker for almost always on sneak attack. 2 levels of Lore Warden can cover most of your feat needs.
Yeah, I'm betting that's because the druid he's attached to is level 4+.
Crap you're right. I was using Hero Labs to get the stats, but when you look in the book, it is attached to a 4th level Druid. Teach me to use Hero Labs as my only source.