New to Melee Alchemist, help with Action Economy?

[Ohnomytoast!]

So at the start of a fight i'll generally want to do two things: pop my mutagen and a polymorph extract.

Both seem to be standard actions. Is there a way to remedy that so i dont use up the first two turns of combat not attacking?

Compared to bloodragers and beastkin barbarians who can rage and polymorph as a free action then charge and potentially full attack (something that would take an alchemist 3 turns, with worse BAB) and casters getting quicken (with magus straight up getting a free spell as part of their attack routine) im struggling to see the appeal of the alchemical route, so im hoping im missing something that can speed up my action economy significantly.

[PCScipio]

Drink your mutagen well ahead of time (they last a relatively long time).

[PCScipio]

Drink your mutagen well ahead of time (it lasts a relatively long time).

[avr]

Polymorph extracts won't necessarily stack with a bunch of discoveries that modify your mutagen. Melee alchemists are more likely to fight with just the mutagen rather than polymorphing as well; polymorphing is for when you don't have a mutagen brewed, or for utility. Besides the effects of discoveries, beastmorph alchemists enhance their mutagen further, grenadier alchemists add alchemical weapon effects to their normal weapons, inspired alchemists do tricky things with investigator talents. It works out pretty well.

[Name Violation]

Sipping jacket

[Ohnomytoast!]

Name Violation wrote:

Sipping jacket

Pretty sure that doesn't work for extracts.

...and even if it did, which again, im pretty sure it doesnt from reading other threads, it would only work for instantaneous durations and durations measured in rounds, neither of which apply here.

[Firebug]

Delayed Consumption? Though I personally like to save that for in-combat Restoration, Freedom of Movement, or a cure critical wounds.

Poisoner's Gloves with a familiar that has hands is common.

Sipping Jacket is more for haste or other similar short duration buffs I think. At least until you get boots. Or Greater Invisibility if you can get one off a Medium or cSummoner.

Potion Glutton used to be commonly applied to Extracts, but I think they ruled against that in PFS at least. Locks you into a deity though. I thought there was something non-deity that was similar... Accelerated Drinker there it is.

Two-Fisted Drinker is similar and likely applies to extracts/mutagen. Ask GM.

Cayden Cailean's Blade and Tankard allows you to give up an attack to drink something. Cailean Fighting Tankard makes not having to refill the tankard during combat easier.

What are you getting out of the Polymorph effect, and have you considered the Beastmorph archetype? Or if you are just looking for more natural attacks, consider adding attacks via gear (Ring of Rat Fangs, Helm of the Mammoth Lord) or long duration buffs (Monstrous Extremities from an ally anyway). Also the Feral Mutagen discovery gives you Bite/Claw/Claw if you overlooked that.

[Belafon]

You’re not missing anything.

Someone said years ago: “There are actually two versions of Pathfinder. The one the designers envision where most fights start with both sides spending a round or two buffing and positioning and the reality of pouncing barabarians and save-or-lose, improved initiative, diviner wizards.”

There a plenty of builds that would be fun to play but just don’t work in a typical game where meaningful combat is often over in two rounds. You have to be in a group where everyone is deliberately committing to a slower (lower-optimization) play style.