I've got an idea for a build that (as you can probably guess) uses a dorn-dergar and a shield in combat, and I wanted to get some feedback on how viable it would be. He starts with a 2 level dip into either Slayer to pick up a combat style feat and then switches to Foehammer. The dorn-dergar isn't listed in any fighter weapon group, but from its description it should be able to fit in both the flail and hammer groups (or at least convince the GM to let me use it that way).
20 point buy
18 Str, 14 Dex, 16 Con, 10 Int, 14 Wis, 8 Cha (1 point into Dex, and the rest into Str)
Slayer Two Weapon Fighting
3 Power Attack
Fighter Improved Shield Bash
4 Chain-flail Master
5 Spiked Destroyer
6 Shield Slam
7 Cleave
8 Goblin Cleaver
9 Great Cleave
10 Orc Hewer
11 Strike Back
12 Giant Killer
13 Cleave Through
Sledgehammer (Ex): At 3rd level, a foehammer wielding a hammer gains a +2 circumstance bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush, overrun, sunder, or trip.
Weapon Training (Ex): At 5th level, a foehammer must select hammers and does not gain weapon training with other groups, though his weapon training bonus improves by +1 every four levels after 5th.
His basic focus
Hammer to the Ground (Ex): At 7th level, when a foehammer succeeds at a bull rush combat maneuver, he can make a trip combat maneuver at the end of the bull rush. If he does not move with the target, the force of his blow may still trip his foe, but he takes a –5 penalty on the combat maneuver check to trip.
At 15th level, any creature a foehammer successfully bull rushes is automatically knocked prone at the end of the bull rush.
Rhythmic Blows (Ex): At 9th level, each time that a foehammer hits a target, he gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls against that target. This bonus stacks with each hit against that target, but lasts only until the end of the foehammer's turn.
Piledriver (Ex): At 11th level, as a standard action, a foehammer may make a single melee attack with a weapon from the hammer weapon training group. If the attack hits, he may make a bull rush or trip combat maneuver against the target of his attack as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
The build is all about cleaving and repositioning himself and his
He seems like he would do pretty well against single opponents (use dorn-dergar's range, if anyone gets within 5 ft he can just bull rush them away while damaging them with his shield and armor spikes, can engage in even more positioning shenanigans when he gets an advancing dorn-dergar) and against groups of enemies as well (move up to 20 ft, make an attack, take a 5 ft step toward other enemies if he wants, hit everything else within 10 ft).
I just have a few questions for you.
1. How do you think this build would work? What would you change to optimize it?
2. None of the cleave feats mention anything about having to use the same weapon when cleaving, so would I be able to switch between weapons as appropriate?
2. When cleaving with shield bashes, would I be able to bull rush and move with enemies and keep cleaving from the new position?
