Need some advice for end game Giantslayer feats

[Bob Genghis]

I've been playing a 13th level Ranger/Sacred Huntmaster Inquisitor/Fighter/Mother's Fang Cavalier/Living Monolith/Mammoth Rider in a Giantslayer campaign, with a huge wolf companion.

I'm mostly melee focused, but used to start fights off with ranged combat since they usually started at really long range.

Recently though, I've been mounted with 60 speed, the fights are starting closer, and I'm thinking of retraining a feat into more melee focus.

I have a feat slot open, and I'm considering retraining a 2nd feat if needed

My options are:
Broken Wing Gambit (no retrain necessary)
Shield Focus and Unhindering Shield (with a +4 buckler)
Seize the Moment and Improved Critical (longbow, since both my melee weapons are Keen)

My AC is 29 (33 vs Giants). That seems low for my current level, 13. I almost died to a cyclops critting me (with some help of some other hits in the same round) a few levels ago. I'm getting a buffering cap for sure. I could raise this to 30/34 if I don't go the shield route, 35/39 if I do.

But I've been really focusing on getting crits with my companion, to trigger opportunity attacks, which makes my companion tripping easier. One of the two offense options would aid that.

Here are my feats that I can't/won't retrain (some are bonus feats and locked):
Power Attack
Iron Will
Endurance
Toughness
Combat Reflexes
Combat Expertise

Pack Flanking
Outflank
Paired Opportunist

Boon Companion
Mounted Combat
Skill Focus: Ride
Trick Riding

I could retrain out of one of these:
Rapid Shot (I would probably choose this to retrain out if needed)
Quick Draw
Deadly Aim

Could anyone advise? Whichever route I take will block the others, as we've already been told we're going to gain a max of one more level, and I'll be going fighter 2 to get Mounted Skirmisher.

[*Khan*]

I would retrain the archery feats to more Teamwork feats like:
Coordinated maneuvers, improved duck and cover, escape route, harder they fall, intercept charge, precise strike, seize the moment, tandem trip...! just to add some examples.

[SmiloDan]

How good is your attack roll? Do you use Combat Expertise to boost AC at all? Can you take Dodge? Ironskin? Do you have or can you take one or more traits to improve AC? I think there is a Fighter-only armor one and a Combat Expertise helping one. Would Diehard keep you from dying, or make you more likely to keep on fighting when you should lie down and get healed?

Do you use lance and shield?

Can you get additional or improve existing defensive magic items? Armor (fortification?), Shield, Ring of Protection, Belt of Str/Dex/Con, Amulet of Natural Armor?

You only have 6 classes. Have you considered multiclassing some more? LOL ;-) On a more serious note, are any of your spellcasting classes high enough in level to cast useful defensive spells? Are there any ways to add a second ability score to AC, like Cha when paladins smite?

[Bob Genghis]

I really wanted tandem trip, I just didn't see how to fit it in. Are you suggesting maybe I retrain deadly aim to it (if I have the time in town)?

I only have Combat Expertise to qualify for Pack Flanking, to flank with my wolf whenever we're threatening an enemy. It was a bonus feat from Mother's Fang Cavalier level 1. I've never used the AC bonus from it.

I've never used a shield or a lance til now, just 2-handing a greatsword most of the time, with a composite longbow and longspear as backups.

I have +3 mithral fullplate (with plans to get an enchant equivalent to +2, but probably won't happen due to money and lack of time in town), +2 amulet of natural armor, a +1 ac ioun stone, and a +1 deflection bonus from my ring. As of now, my AC is 29. I have an enh bonus to dex of +2

I have the budget to either add +1 to my ring, or to get the +4 buckler (I can craft magic armor, but cannot craft cheap wondrous items)

6 classes too many? If I have time to retrain again next level, I'd probably add unchained martial artist monk just for the hell of it, then take combat reflexes as a bonus and train the old combat reflexes to mounted skirmisher, to have 7 classes that are all contributing to my overall character. A better alternative would probably be Mammoth Rider 2, though. Fighter 2 if I can't retrain before the end of the campaign

My attack roll usually sits around +22-24 vs most enemies / +28-30 vs giants (first iterative)

I can only cast level 1 spells. For ranger, I always cast longstrider on my mount, and for iniquisitor I've been casting Heightened Awareness and Divine Favor

[SmiloDan]

14 classes would be too many! ;-)

The +4 buckler sounds like the best option, especially if you are still using a greatsword. Does it have to be mithril to get rid of the -1 to hit, or just be masterwork, or something else?

Is your BAB +12 at level 13? With Combat Expertise, you can take a -4 to hit to get +4 to AC, possibly more depending on how many ranks in Acrobatics you have. It might be worth using against low AC opponents.

[*Khan*]

If you are getting improved unarmede strike, then grab vicious stump...

Fortification armor is nice as mentioned earlier. Prone opponents due to trip are also an excelent defence.

[Bob Genghis]

My bab is +11 when I'm medium size, and for 3 fights a day as a swift action I can enlarge via living monolith and my bab goes up to +12

Thanks, I'll probably do that in a fight once I get a rough guess of enemy ACs

As far as I know, there's no way to remove the -1 to hit for the buckler

Good call on Vicious Stomp! So many feats to get, wish we could get to level 15 instead of only 14