Bullrush build help.

[SorrySleeping]

I'm helping one of our newer players with a build since they have asked for system and I just wanted to make sure I gave them everything I could find. They are playing a Warlord from Path of War, so their combat options are fine meaning they can go hard on the bull rush without gimping them otherwise.

Traits:

Bred for War, +1 to all CMB
Snowstride, bullrush creatures two size categories larger than you instead of one

Feats:

Improved Bull Rush Obvious Feat
Greater Bull Rush Obvious Feat v2.0
Quick Bull Rush Get to Bullrush during a full attack
Guarded Charge +2 to bull rush when charging
Bull Rush StrikeFree bull rush on critical hit. Not the greatest, but something.
Shield Slam Free bull rush on shield bashes. Player doesn't want to go the Shield Slam/Shield Master route, but is still considering it

Magic Items:

Dwarven Boulder Helmet, +2 to bull rush but staggered the next turn.
Gaunlets of the Skilled Maneuver, +2 to a single CMB (I assume it doesn't give a bonus to CMD)
Pauldrons of the Bull, roll twice and take the better on any bull rush, +2 to CMD not CMB
Aristocrat's Gloves, Once/Day 40ft range bullrush with a +5 bonus
Boots of the Vengeful Behir, 3/day bull rush as if one size larger (useful with expand person) but requires a standard action to activate which doesn't ever seem worth it.
Belt of Thunderous Charging, +2 to charging bullrush
Anything that boosts generic attack rolls like Ioun Stone

Misc/Path of War/Psionics:

Warlord can grant half Charisma to a bullrush check using a gambit as a swift action.
Golden Lion gives many boosts to help with attack rolls.
Primal Fury/Piercing Thunder gives many maneuvers to use with charges, some granting attack bonuses.
Giant Slayer feat gives bonuses to attack rolls when charging. +1 per size category the creature is larger than you.
Seize the Opportunity, make a bullrush (or any attack action/combat maneuver) instead of a normal attack with an AoO
Piercing Thunder Trample, free bullrush/overrun before or after a charge.

[avr]

That's a lot of bonuses to making a bull rush. But - since moving an enemy back is only occasionally useful - what's the payoff for succeeding? Why is this character so specialised in pushing an enemy a short distance away?

Random suggestions on that: spiked destroyer adds an armor spike attack, painful collision adds a bit of damage when you knock one enemy into another, there's a couple of ways of adding Str mod damage. I'm not sure any of those are worth it but I think it's worth mentioning.

Edit: something like Scott's build is obviously an answer to the same question.

[Scott Wilhelm]

For Shield Slam, I like Thunder and Fang.

Father Maxwell MacKenzie
Human
1Fighter1: Weapon Focus Klar, 2 Weapon, Power Attack BAB+1
2F1Ranger1: Freebooter, BAB+2
3F2R1: Weapon Focus Earthbreaker, Thunder and Fang, BAB+3
4F2R2: Shield Slam, BAB+4
5F2R2Inquisitor1: Improved Bull Rush
6F2R2I2: BAB+5
7F2R2I3: Paired Opportunist, Greater Bull Rush, BAB+6
8F2R2I4
9F2R2I5: Harder they Fall, Bane

So this character 2 weapon fights with Earthbreaker and Klar (a shield). Every hit with the Klar earns a free Bull Rush. With Greater Bull Rush, all allies get an Attack of Opportunity. With Paired Opportunist, the Character gets an Aoo, too!

A neat tactical trick this character could play is with a flanking buddy that has Combat Reflexes. When this character gets his AoO, that can be another Shield Bash/Greater Bull Rush, triggering more Attacks of Opportunity, looping for as long as their Combat Reflexes last. In that situation, definitely put Bane on the Klar.

A variant on this would involve levels in Paladin with the Holy Tactician Archetype. I consider the Swift Girding Spell essential for wearing Heavy Armor.

Since we're talking Inquisitor, we can consider the Teamwork Feat Harder they Fall. If an Ally Aid-Anothers him, Maxwell can Trip or Bull Rush opponents of any size. Since this character already has Combat Reflexes, he should really take Broken Wing Gambit giving him an Attack of Opportunity whenever he is attacked.

To your list of Magic Items, I'd add the Belt of Impossible Action, which lets you perform Combat Maneuvers neverminding Size Restrictions.

Another way to go with this would be a Phalanx Soldier Fighter. Fight with a Polearm and Shield. I like the Lucerne Hammer. Tenderize people with your Reach Polearm, and when they come too close, Bull Rush them away with your Shield. Alternatively, you can Great Cleave with your Polearm and Shield at the same time, using your Shield on opponents adjacent to you and the 'Hammer on the ones 10' away. Or you could 2 weapon fight with Halberd and Shield. With that, I'd want to work in like Hamatula Strike and Armor Spikes. He's a veritable Swiss Army Knife!

[SorrySleeping]

avr wrote:

That's a lot of bonuses to making a bull rush. But - since moving an enemy back is only occasionally useful - what's the payoff for succeeding? Why is this character so specialised in pushing an enemy a short distance away?

The party has two semi-frail casters to protect, and an animal companion and another melee to use Greater Bullrush with.

The player also wanted to try and make a combat maneuver "viable" and chose bull rush. They wanted to be a tank/protector of sorts with their combat maneuver.