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Despite having an interest in D&D 3.whattever and pathfinder since my teens and having nearly a decade of pathfinder experience, I've never played a fighter. The thought of being some dumb hunk who wails on people turn after turn was never my thing.
About 6 months ago however I started entertaining the idea of a different kind of fighter: A buffing, assisting party leader. Inspired in part by the 4th edition Marshal class (That's what it was called, right?) I began theory crafting something more than a mindless damage machine.
My first fighter, a level 5 human called Brianacus James, has just completed his first session and the results were really entertaining. I'll break down the build by explaining his 7 feats.
Combat adcvice: As a move action I can use this alongside aid another. That plus two to hit for an ally is really good when you stack it with the aid another action. Or you can effect two different players and buff multiple people.
Battle cry: Swift action buff which gives everyone +1 to hit and +4 on saves vs fear. The action economy is brilliant and as a morale bonus it stacks with the insight bonus of combat advice and the untyped aid another
Defiant luck, inexplicable luck and bestow luck: Now I'm rerolling ones for saves, forcing the enemy to reroll crit confirmations and getting a plus 8 to any roll daily, or plus 4 if the roll was already made. And I can allow an ally to take this reroll for himself as an immediate action.
Weapon Focus, Dazzling display: This doesn't have the greatest synergy with my build, after all I could've gone for bodyguard or saving shield. But I needed high charisma for battle cry and I might as well use it. It's pretty decent because the debuff lets me tank better. And it's fun to make my enemies weaker while buffing my enemies
Don't be a dumb hunk. Be like Brianicus.
Fascinating.
Maybe it's because I don't play with imaginative people, or because many of the more interesting feats are coming from newer sources, but it took me a long time to see the appeal of a martial character.
He added 20 ac? How is that possible?
This archetype gives a form of bardic performance and tactician.
Wow...
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Offering more for flavor ideas, I ended up doing something similar along the Bodyguard lines with a tactician fighter/Student of War. I had wanted something different and better rounded in the skills department than a typical fighter or cavalier would be. The teamwork feats I have to share are Swap Places and Harrying Partners.
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I’d recommend looking at Iomedae’s divine fighting style if you want to make a buffing Fighter.