Arcane armor training and armor mastery both require a swift action to use. The Eldritch Knight's level ten ability allows you to cast a quickened spell using a swift action after a critical hit.
So, after spending a level in a martial class, five levels in an arcane class and ten in Eldritch Knight I still can't wear armor if I want to use the EK's capstone ability, huh?
Arcane armor training/mastery takes two feats for 20% reduction in spell failure when wearing armor and then keeps me from casting quickened spells or using the EK's level 10 ability if I use armor or causes me to lose the armor's defense. Did I miss the benefit of having Arcane armor training?
Aracane armor training and armor mastery both require a swift action to use. The Eldritch Knight's level ten ability allows you to cast a quickened spell using a swift action after a critical hit.
So, after spending a level in a martial class, five levels in an arcane class and ten in Eldritch Knight I still can't wear armor if I want to use the EK's capstone ability, huh?
There's always the Still Spell option. Just quicken a Stilled spell q:
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Arcane armor training and armor mastery both require a swift action to use. The Eldritch Knight's level ten ability allows you to cast a quickened spell using a swift action after a critical hit.
So, after spending a level in a martial class, five levels in an arcane class and ten in Eldritch Knight I still can't wear armor if I want to use the EK's capstone ability, huh?
Arcane armor training/mastery takes two feats for 20% reduction in spell failure when wearing armor and then keeps me from casting quickened spells or using the EK's level 10 ability if I use armor or causes me to lose the armor's defense. Did I miss the benefit of having Arcane armor training?
I would suggest you only use arcane armor training on the rounds where you actively casting spells. When you are attacking with weapons and you can trigger your capstone then deal with the arcane spell failure. With a Mithril Chain shirt you are looking at a 10% chance of failure.
As was mentioned previously you can also use still spell to get around it. Have some spells memorized using still spell (or if you are a generalist use your metamagic ability) and use the stilled spells when you are using your capstone.
Eldritch knight has a lot of issues and this is probably one of the lesser of them.
By the time you can cast 3rd level spells you shouldn't be bothering with armor. Between Extended Mage Armor, Invisibilty, Mirror Image and a whole host of other spells you shouldn't even be considering wearing armor. Mobility and tactics are your key strengths. Play smart, don't charge into melee into any position where you can get whacked on. If you can't get into a position where you can kill an opponent with the first strike than get into one where you can strike with little fear of reprisal.
In other words Arcane Armor Training will probably work well in the future but as of now I'm not taking it for any eldritch knight build i'm writing up.
Mage armor +4 AC
Improved Mage Armor +6 AC(not sure if is in PF core but we use it in our games)
most armor can give you a bonus to AC isn't going to be much better then this here, so yes this is all you really need is mage armor spells.
Bracers of armor +4 are basically the same price as a chain shirt +4, but the shirt gives you better AC.
However, the armorless EK can do very well with extended mage armor, a wand of shield, displacement, mirror image, etc. What he gives up in AC is compensated for with being really hard to hit in the first place.
A level dip into duelist would let him add his int. bonus to AC. That could work out nicely with some builds.
Bracers of armor +4 are basically the same price as a chain shirt +4, but the shirt gives you better AC.
However, the armorless EK can do very well with extended mage armor, a wand of shield, displacement, mirror image, etc. What he gives up in AC is compensated for with being really hard to hit in the first place.
A level dip into duelist would let him add his int. bonus to AC. That could work out nicely with some builds.
So what I am hearing is that arcane armor training and arcane armor mastery are relatively worthless. My original idea was to use celestial armor(+5 for the chainmail and +3 enhancement) and let my heavy dexterity build with dex bracers use the up to +8 dexterity bonus for a +16 total enhancement for a lot less than bracers +8 would cost. Even if the enhancement got dispelled I would only lose the +3 enhancement.
If the arcane armor training/mastery is so worthless why would anyone waste two feats on it?
So what I am hearing is that arcane armor training and arcane armor mastery are relatively worthless. My original idea was to use celestial armor(+5 for the chainmail and +3 enhancement) and let my heavy dexterity build with dex bracers use the up to +8 dexterity bonus for a +16 total enhancement for a lot less than bracers +8 would cost. Even if the enhancement got dispelled I would only lose the +3 enhancement.If the arcane armor training/mastery is so worthless why would anyone waste two feats on it?
They're far from worthless. Having to use a swift action to activate may seem like a big deal, but consider this. Prior to level 11 (the first level you can use quickened spells), you really don't have anything else to do with that swift action. That's half the life of a campaign, At 11 and above the value declines slightly, but unless you plan on using a quickened spell each and every round, then being able to wear armor is still worth it.
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Mage armor +4 AC
Improved Mage Armor +6 AC(not sure if is in PF core but we use it in our games)
most armor can give you a bonus to AC isn't going to be much better then this here, so yes this is all you really need is mage armor spells.
Well if you can get Improved mage armor from spell compendium you are likely able to get the twightlight enhancement (from Magic Item Compendium) which eliminates the arcane armor penalty on a chain shirt for a +1 penalty. I don't know a lot of groups that allow Spell Compendium but not MIC.
They're far from worthless. Having to use a swift action to activate may seem like a big deal, but consider this. Prior to level 11 (the first level you can use quickened spells), you really don't have anything else to do with that swift action. That's half the life of a campaign, At 11 and above the value declines slightly, but unless you plan on using a quickened spell each and every round, then being able to wear armor is still worth it.
I didn't mean to imply that the feats weren't good, just that an armorless or lightly-armored EK can still be hard to hit. Add some serious armor, and it's even harder, of course.
The swift action means the EK will either have to forgo using Arcane Strike (assuming he has it) in a melee attack, and hope for a crit, or use it, then lose his chance to cast a quickened spell if he DOES crit. I think I'd allow Arcane Strike to be a free action, so he could do both.
I didn't mean to imply that the feats weren't good, just that an armorless or lightly-armored EK can still be hard to hit. Add some serious armor, and it's even harder, of course.
The swift action means the EK will either have to forgo using Arcane Strike (assuming he has it) in a melee attack, and hope for a crit, or use it, then lose his chance to cast a quickened spell if he DOES crit. I think I'd allow Arcane Strike to be a free action, so he could do both.
Going without armor is a perfectly valid strategy. As you point out, it does eliminate the need for Arcane Armor Training, improves mobility, etc. The interplay between the EK capstone ability, spell casting, and armor, is, I think, poorly thought out. It does only come into play at high levels, tho, so that's something. As long as you're short of 10 levels in EK, you're going to either cast or strike in most rounds, but not both, anyway.
Here's what I will be doing with my Eldritch Knight. While I am level 1, and we are using Pathfinder-only material, I have planned out pretty much what I will be doing with him up to 20th level. Hopefully you can take some of this info as insight and put it to good use. A few of these have been mentioned, but not in depth.
Take Arcane Bond. Choose a Bastard Sword. A Bastard Sword can be used as a Martial Weapon when wielded two handed. Thanks to your level dip into Fighter, this is easily achievable. It gives you a nice damage base and crit-range to work with, as well as being able to enchant it with practically anything you want thanks to the free, "you basically have Craft Magic Arms & Armor" part of Arcane Bond.
Specialize in Transmutation. The enhancement bonus to one of your physical ability scores is very useful at the low to mid levels. Switch it out when needed to one of the other physical ability scores.
Arcane Strike is amazing at the lower and mid-rage levels. It stacks with enhancement bonuses to weapon damage, making it ideal until you can Quicken something more useful.
Take Craft Wondrous Item. As a melee wizard first and blaster/controlling wizard second, you will be wanting all of the stat enhancement items you can get. Since Item Creation no longer requires the expenditure of experience, this is a great boon. If you're starting at a higher level, this is even better as you have more gold to work with.
If you took C.W.I., you want to work towards picking up a Robe of the Arch Magi. This negates having to cast Mage Armor every combat. The +5 Armor Bonus is decent. The SR is nice, as well as the +4 resistance bonus to saves. If you're using 3.5 material, there are even better robes available in the M.I.C. and D.M.G..
Extend Spell is a godsend. Especially with spells like Heroism and Rage, allowing you to go from one combat to the next without having to waste a round or two buffing. Once you can use it, pick up Quicken Spell. Swift action Shields on the first round of combat are amazing. When you have access to higher level spells, it gets even better.
When you reach the tenth level of EK, make sure you have a few ranged touch or touch spells to cast when you confirm those criticals. Energy Drain comes to mind. Anything without a save is great. Hell, an extra 5d6 from Shocking Grasp is pretty decent after an agonizing crit with a Bastard Sword assuming you're properly buffed.
You've got two open feat slots since Arcane Armor Training will not be necessary with the Robes. If you can convince your G.M. to use the E.K. capstone ability as a free action, more power to you. That lets you Arcane Strike, strike in melee, and cast a spell if you crit. All in one round. You also have to keep in mind that doing that isn't as overpowered as some things in Pathfinder, but it still is nonetheless. If the G.M. doesn't let you do it as a free action, don't worry. Arcane Strike's +4 damage at 20th level (You've lost a couple caster levels, don't forget.) is nothing to fret about. With that swift action you could easily quicken a nice buff spell that can ultimately give you a bigger damage boost for multiple rounds.
Hope my lengthy post gives you a few ideas.
What my group has done for the arcane armor feats is to make the reduction in arcane spell failure chance be permanent, rather than a swift action.
I believe that we proposed that during the beta test. Our reasoning mirrors some of what others have said in this post. You are spending feats to gain this bonus, a bonus that would not be game breaking if it was always on.