Combat Patrol Can Kite?

[CryntheCrow]

You range across the battlefield, dealing with threats wherever they arise.

Prerequisites: Combat reflexes, Mobility, base attack bonus +5.

Benefit: As a full-round action, you may set up a combat patrol, increasing your threatened area by 5 feet for every 5 points of your base attack bonus. Until the beginning of your next turn, you may make attacks of opportunity against any opponent in this threatened area that provokes attacks of opportunity. You may move as part of these attacks, provided your total movement before your next turn does not exceed your speed. Any movement you make provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

So, combining this with Improved Snap Shot, we'd have a patrol with a range of 35 feet at level 20. Now, does moving as part of an attack mean in any direction? You'd assume it means the only movement is for the purpose of facilitating the attack, but it doesn't say that. RAW, I could basically just take a five foot movement back every attack and get a ton of attacks in on someone trying to close the gap, right?

[Brf]

If you step back from your target, it would get an AoO on you.

[Dave Justus]

I would probably interpret moving as part of an attack to be moving to facilitate an attack, but I'll admit that it could be interpreted as you suggest.

However, even if that interpretation is used, you won't 'get a ton of attacks' movement only provokes once, no matter how many threatened squares they leave, so you will only get one AoO per person closing with you.

[Claxon]

Not to mention you can only have 1 5ft step per round. So while you take an AoO and get to move along with it, they never ended their move action and just continue to move and attack you. Or you move more than 5ft and they attack you. It might work against them once to get a free attack, but after that they'll just trip you or grapple you so you can't move away.

[Archaeik]

But this is with Snap Shot, so all AoO's are assumed to be at range. The idea is to never actually let them close with you.

Also, I don't believe you can 5ft step as part of a Combat Patrol AoO, namely because it's off turn and it doesn't say you can.

Combat Patrol lets you move each time it triggers provided that the aggregate movement does not exceed your speed, so the tactic is somewhat viable, but the biggest issue is that a creature's movement counts as the same opportunity, so this really only has a large payoff against another ranged attacker who hasn't invested in feats to prevent provocations and also foolishly continues a full attack after being peppered with a couple of your arrows.

However, it would technically allow you to move your speed away (likely preventing them from reaching you), even though the design was intended to allow you to move toward them for melee.

[kyrt-ryder]

Combine with a Trip Specialist. You trip as they move, AoO when they fall, AoO when they stand, Trip when they move, repeat.

[Lilith Knight]

I built a fighter like that.
He uses a whip to trip from range, and then uses the AoO that they provoke when falling (greater trip) to disarm them so that
A: They are on the ground and not close enough to attack you
B: they don't have a weapon to defend themselves.

It's a different type of support because it doesn't do damage but creates a great opening position to start a fight in, wasting the enemy melee first round and ruining the second. Then if there are casters I can move in towards them and ruin their casting because it provokes AoOs.

[Ravingdork]

Lilith Knight wrote:

I built a fighter like that.

He uses a whip to trip from range, and then uses the AoO that they provoke when falling (greater trip) to disarm them so that
A: They are on the ground and not close enough to attack you
B: they don't have a weapon to defend themselves.

It's a different type of support because it doesn't do damage but creates a great opening position to start a fight in, wasting the enemy melee first round and ruining the second. Then if there are casters I can move in towards them and ruin their casting because it provokes AoOs.

I had a similar build, but with Whirlwind Attack as well. It was a lot of fun being able to disable whole groups of enemies.

[Lilith Knight]

Does whirlwind attack work with combat maneuvers?
I didn't think it did.

[Ravingdork]

It works with those maneuvers that replace attacks, like trip or disarm, but not those that are standard actions in their own right, like grapple.

[Felyndiira]

I have used Combat Patrol with a reach weapon + enlarge to dodge charges before. The moment they move into your range, strafe so that his charge line misses you completely, then make an AoO against them. There are better ways to do this, of course, but sometimes it's the best option you have.

You still won't get multiple AoOs though, since movement only provokes once.

[Bran Towerfall]

add lunge to the equation too

[Torbyne]

Bran Towerfall wrote:

add lunge to the equation too

But lunge only functions during your turn, not until the start of your next.