Sword and shield is a fun kind of build. High AC, not bad damage output. The real fun comes when you can bully people around.
I don't particularly recommend Vital Strike. It's a feat that works best if you are moving around often and have a huge weapon. You have two smaller, but no less excellent, weapons and will be focusing on standing in front of someone and delivering.
Cleave is a decent feat for you right now, although I advise you to be careful with how you take them. Fighters can retrain feats at every 4th level. This means that when 8th level comes around, you can trade out Cleave (which may by this point have become unuseful) for something that may suit you better (such as Improved Critical or one of the combat maneuver feats.)
This guide to the fighter by kcmorris is a very good starting point for any fighter. You'll find what you're looking for under Sword and Board.
I do recommend the Bull Rush feat chain. Hitting someone with a shield bash and pushing them away towards an ally that they can take an attack of opportunity on them is brilliant use of the battlefield.
Also, if you are set more upon the STYLE of the sword and board as opposed to the actual fighter ClASS, a Ranger can make a very effective sword and board using their combat feats. In particular, a Ranger can take the feat Shield Master without any prerequisites at SIXTH LEVEL. If your shield has any enhancements on it to improve your AC, you get to add that on your attack and damage rolls AND you don't suffer penalties on your attack roll. This can make your shield a more reliable weapon than your sword, and you'd look pretty awesome doing it.
Of course, in the Ranger case, you don't get the full armor proficiency. I you want to stay a tin can, you certainly may. And you should still take Shield Mastery when you hit 11th level, because it makes you better than awesome at what you do.
Hope I have helped!
Very cool. Glad you like the Ranger idea.
If you're going for the Ranger, there are a few ways you could take it. One is a high strength/low dex version, the other is mid strength high dex version. DEX is a requirement for two-weapon fighting. To use the shield, you will be fighting with two weapons, obviously. It's a matter of how many hits you want and how you plan to use your shield.
My take would probably be to still use your Dexterity to qualify for the improved versions of two-weapon fighting later on. If you're cool with only having the one extra attack, put all of your gusto into strength and worry about only getting that one good hit with your shield to push someone out of the way.
Rangers don't get as many feats, but they do get other class features that more than compensate. Get an animal companion and train him well.
Possible build suggestion...
1. Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting (Human bonus)
2. Shield Slam (bonus)
3. Improved Shield Bash, Endurance (Bonus)
4. Spells and an Animal Friend
5. Lots to choose from! Shield Focus? You could also take Diehard, which is one of my personal favourite feats so long as you get the prerequisite for free.
6. Shield Mastery
7. Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
If you want to focus on strenth over dex, replace Improved Two Weapon fighting with Shield Slam, and put TWF in the second level slot. Take Shield Focus (or any other feat) as your human bonus.
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I know the following build id not exactly what u asked for but this is my take on a decent fighter tank.
Race-
Human
-Classes-
Fighter (Lore Warden) 14/ Monk (Monk of the Four Winds / Monk of the Sacred Mountain) 3/ Shadow Dancer (Prestige Class) 3
-Stats-
STR 14 (+6 magic item) = 20
DEX 16 (+4 leveling)(+6 magic item) = 26
CON 15 (+2 racial)(+1 leveling) = 18
INT 14
WIS 10
CHA 08
-Saves-
fort 22
ref 22
will 13
ac 47 (+5 combat expertise)(+3 fighting defensively) = 55
touch 24 (+5 combat expertise)(+3 fighting defensively) = 32
flat-footed 29
to hit with unarmed attacks with weapon finesse 26 (-4 combat expertise)(-1 fighting defensively) = 21
-Traits-
Threatening Defender
-Feat / Level Progression-
F01) Shield Focus, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still
F02) Combat Expertise, Weapon Finesse
M03) Elemental Fist, Dodge, Crane Style
M04) Toughness, Deflect Arrows
F05) Missile Shield
F06) Crane Wing
F07) Saving Shield
F08) Bodyguard
F09) Crane Riposte
F10) Greater Shield Focus
F11) Disruptive
F12) Spellbreaker
F13) Pin Down
F14) Ray Shield
F15) Draconic Defender
F16) Mobility
M17) Monastic Legacy
S18) NONE
S19) Deepsight
M20) NONE
-Magic Gear-
Bracers of Armor(+8)
Heavy Shield (+5 Arrow Catching, Arrow Deflection)
Ring of Protection (+5)
Ring of Regeneration
Amulet of Natural Armor(+5)
Belt of Physical Might (+6 str / +6 dex)
Cloak of Resistance (+5)
-Tanking Method-
Fight with caster standing behind me since any thing that enters my threaten area will not be able to exit my threaten are via Stand Still and Pin Down as well all incoming missile attacks would veer towards me via Arrow Catching. When making an attack action fight defensively and use combat expertise to up personal ac and grant 1 adjacent party member a natural armor bonus equal to the dodge bonus from combat expertise and fighting defensively via Draconic Defender. Use AoO to grant aid another ac to an adjacent party member via Bodyguard and an immediate action grant shield bonus via Saving Shield. Negate 1 melee attack, 1 ranged spell attack, and 3 ranged missile attacks a round via Crane Wing, Ray Shield, Deflect Arrows, Missile Shield, and Arrow Deflection.
Psion, with the fighting style you described, would it be worth it to pick up Combat Patrol? That way you can threaten AoOs out to 10 ft instead of 5.
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@Gwen Smith
No Combat Patrol would be a hindrance since u would lose out on being able to use combat expertise and defensive fighting dodge ac which also means the person next to u that ur protection also losses out on the ac u give them from Draconic Defense. In all u would be losing 8 dodge ac and ur friend will be losing 8 natural ac. Plus u only have so may AoO.