D&D RANKING - FIGHTERS (Xanathar’s Guide, Sword Coast)

The arcane archer, cavalier, samurai, and purple dragon knight span from awesome to awful.
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“Time Piece” Silent Partner
“A Young Man” ALBIS
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[@drite7758]

The Cavalier's mark can be used an unlimited amount of times, only the special attack you make can be made a number of timed equal to your STR modifier

[@Hromovlad1]

The Cavalier is broken when combined with the Sentinel and Polearm Master feats add the Great Wepon Master feat and the Great Weapon fighting style for an extra dose of cheese

[@esperthebard]

Good catch

[@drite7758]

@@esperthebard I wonder if you would stay rate it as B. I found the video nice, but i disagree heavily with this one, specially with the Samurai and Cavalier

[@Honyi1]

Hromovlad1 doesn’t the caviller pretty much have sentinel feat built into the class. Like lvl 10 they get hold the line which drops movement down to 0 when someone moves more than 5ft in your reach,

[@croissantdragon24]

@@Honyi1 that's true but that's not until level ten so till then sentinel would be a nice addition but your right, once they reach level 10 it's useless

[@croissantdragon24]

the thing about cavaliers weak early game is that there is a additional unspoken feat: you get a mount and that means not only extra hp but combined with the mounted combatant feat you get advantage on every attack for almost 50% of the monsters in dnd, also who said the mount needs to be a horse? i shall defend my party together with my hulking giant crab!!!!

[@Scorpious187]

I have a halfling Scout Rogue/College of Whispers Bard with the Mounted Combatant feat who rides a Winter Wolf. It's hella fun.

[@nickmoore9919]

I played a hobgoblin that rode a worg and it's one of my favorite PCs I've ever had

[@anthonyrowlodge5357]

@@Scorpious187 imagine a swashbuckler with animal handling and mount based feats and add a potion of water breathing and your mount can be an akhlut.

[@BlitzkriegBryce]

Goblin spider rider!! Use a bow and camp on the ceiling

[@RideShields]

Cavalier is what made my group go from two weapon fighting is useless to its over powered. Duel weilding lances doing two d12 damage at level 4 was awesome.

[@Awoken0]

You're really trying your hardest to downplay the Samurai abilities. They synergize well with each other(& other Fighter abilities) and WIS save proficiency itself alone would be an A tier ability. You don't need houserules to make Strength Before Death work, since you can Second Wind and stay up afterwards. Also, it gets the same ability the Arcane Archer gets to get their main resource back if you start combat without it, but 5 levels earlier which should automatically make it a higher tier.

[@Torthrodhel]

It being 10th level also makes it a lot more multiclass-viable, and what adventurer doesn't want a hint of rogue combined with the ability to give yourself advantage? Every single combat.

[@binolombardi]

Also advantage on all attacks in a round with temp hitpoints added on top is more useful than all of the arcane shot options...

[@dittmar104]

Their advantage skill should really be based on their wisdom score not three uses from level three to twenty.

[@colocado6685]

Esper the bard: *says something wrong about longswords and katanas* All the HEMA freaks: so you have chosen death...

[@helpfulbacchus214]

I feel pain. A deep, historically-rooted pain swelling inside my heart

[@colocado6685]

@@helpfulbacchus214 I just dont give a shit anymore m8. But its fun to see how many people are into historical stuff now

[@rafaelcastor2089]

I'm not going to lie, i do get mad whenever someone does that. For Christ's, or whataver you believe in, sake... If you don't know about a subject, don't talk about it.

[@Kingdomkey123678]

Longswords historically designed to bend and spring back. That’s why the best longswords in history were made from Spring Steel. So no, they were not easy to bend out of shape permanently. Also in real life Longswords are designed to be exclusively to be used with Two hands, much like the Katana was designed to be exclusively used in two hands. Longswords in D&D are actually Bastardswords or Hand and a Half Swords. All those one handed “longswords” you see in media are actually Arming Swords, a type of short sword that was just rather long when compared to other short swords.

[@gabrielecalabrese2906]

You, kind sir, are a man of culture.

[@patheronaetherson2860]

Ah, a fellow man of culture. I salute you

[@battlehymn6389]

I was about to post something very similar. Assigning Greatsword stats to a Katana is absurd.

[@MHMistol]

Battlehymn63 personally if I were to DM a greatsword katana, it’d be more of a odatchi if I know my stuff... it’s essentially a longer katana, just like how a great sword is a longer longsword

[@Kingfisher_2376]

Minor correction but the 5e "Longsword" is actually a longsword (some examples of which are called bastard swords). While optimized for use in 2 hands, it was not uncommon for knights and men-at-arms (armored cavalry) to draw and wield it 1-handed, particularly on horseback or while grappling. Fiore de'i Liberi, Italian instructor and mercenary, has an entire chapter in his fencing manual devoted to the use of a longsword in one hand. Similarly, there are many situations in which Japanese "longswords" (lit. daito) would have likewise required the user to handle them 1-handed. The tachi, a sword mostly used from horseback, generally had to be used 1-handed, but could still accommodate a second hand if the samurai dismounted. Conversely, the smaller katana was mostly carried by footsoldiers; while this left the off-hand available, the weapon's small size allowed for fast, one-handed drawing attacks (iaijutsu)

[@fortello7219]

Wait really? You're going to just say that the "Strength before Death" feature only incentivizes running away? That's ignoring if your multiple attacks cold down then for one, but the fighter has a *built in self heal* as a *bonus action* no less. You can very easily make 3 attacks, and heal, and move if need be.

[@YMDIJ]

Totally, why waste an action to drink potions when you could easily just second wind as bonus action. In fact, second wind should be saved solely for this feature at that level

[@isaacgraff8288]

Strength Before Death, Fighting Spirit, Second Wind, Action Surge. Just to tell someone to screw themself.

[@drite7758]

@@isaacgraff8288 You can't use Second Wind and Fighting Spirit on the same turn since both are Bonus Actions

[@isaacgraff8288]

@@drite7758 forgot about that. Thanks

[@dittmar104]

The mobile feat or simply using one of your multi attacks on a shove attack means no opportunity attack either.

[@xselinisx]

You know, the Samurai is still a fighter..........and a fighter can as a bonus action use Second Wind........so yeah........

[@devin5201]

So in that turn you do second wind, action surge and swing six times.

[@nicolasreinaldet732]

@@devin5201 Then you use battle fighiting spirit to swing 12 times.

[@devin5201]

@@nicolasreinaldet732 I think that one has a once per turn limit.

[@getthegoons]

@@devin5201 and it's also a bonus action

[@dittmar104]

Think Like A Sponge yeah the bonus action kinda kill samurai for me it’s just so limiting with multiclassing. Like it doesn’t work with any class properly. Rogue you can’t use your cunning actions, no ki for monks, no bonus action healing work for Druid ranger or cleric, barbarian gains nothing and paladins would rather just go barbarian for rage and advantage more than three times a rest. I was like: Make elf samurai archer. Dip into cleric and get three attacks at level six. Both the best skills are bonus action. Both the best skills are bonus action? 🤦‍♂️

[@DJenser]

13:31 I found that a far more interesting build was a Battlemaster with the Archery fighting style. You get battlefield control from a distance, but as a fighter, you can still handle your melee business.

[@bobbobby475]

Lemme tell you. Two arcane shots per rest is terrible.

[@elgatochurro]

I should be scaled with proficiency bonus imo

[@jcdenton2187]

It baffles me it got ranked higher than Battlemaster. Arcane Archer is an easy D-F Tier for the scaling problem alone.

[@KINFIN123]

Esper, imma let you finish, but Samurai as a subclass extremely effectively represents real life Samurai. Basically every subclass feature can be related to an actual part of Samurai Philosophy. (In fact, Culture Aficionado Gaijin Goombah just did a video about the Samurai subclass, praising it for this)

[@blakebailey22]

Regarding the samurai, the whole "philosophical poet warrior" stuff is Edo period historical revisionism from samurai who weren't allowed to fight anymore and wanted to impress the peasants while still wanting to look important to society as a noble class. And you've made several mistakes about the katana and longsword comparisons. The katana is more prone to bending because it has a weak spine. While you're right that nowadays "longsword" can describe many different swords, the historically correct description of the longsword is that of a two handed sword that isn't a greatsword. Unfortunately there's no weapon to fit in-between the "short sword" (arming sword) and longsword like a bastard sword. And there's no way a katana would have greatsword stats, a nodachi maybe, but not a katana.

[@poilboiler]

Isn't a short sword more like a gladius? An arming sword is the typical one handed knight sword.

[@Jeikobu]

@@poilboiler There is a lot of funny typing about swords. I would say the gladius is a proper short sword. The arming sword has a longer blade with a handle fit and balanced for being one handed. The bastard sword, also could be called 'hand and a half' sword was well balanced enough to one hand while having enough handle to firmly hold the sword in 2 hands if you needed. A long sword, while light enough to hold in one hand, was balanced around using as a 2 handed weapon. In continuing about the base post by Blake, the Katana was harder, which made it more brittle. Its blade was extra hard while the spine was softer, this made it so that when the blade broke, the whole thing wouldn't snap. Also the Katana does a bit of self correction in blade alignment due to its slight bend, but that is all. Overall, a European longsword is superior given that it can stand up to strain better and has a little bit of a longer reach.

[@genghiskhan6809]

@@Jeikobu Yep. About the only advantage a katana has over a longsword is that it deals more damage. It's harder to fuck up a strike with a katana than it is with a longsword due to how the thing was designed. The greater mass in the katana blade gives it more inertia and momentum in the strike while the slight bend allows the blade self-correct if you make an imperfect strike. Overall though I'd say to compare the katana and longsword is erroneous to a degree. The true comparison in my opinion to the longsword is the tachi, not the katana. I believe this mainly for one fact, the katana was used 200-300 years after the heyday of the longsword in the late 1500's and early 1600's. The heyday of the longsword was during the late 1300's and early 1400's (according to my knowledge. May be erroneous). Not only was the tachi used contemporaneously with the longsword, it has more similarities especially if we're talking about contemporary tachi. Unlike the katana, the tachi is almost the same length as a longsword and like the longsword, it has what's called a distill taper; this means that the blade cross-section gets thinner the farther away from the hilt you get. This means that pre-sengoku tachi have a center-of-balance similar to a longsword. in essence, the tachi was a single-edged longsword with different steel. The reason the katana came about was for 2 reasons. The number of combatants wearing lighter armor increased and siege warfare became more common. Before the sengoku jidai in the late 1400's and early 1600's, armies were rather small and consisted only of samurai and their squires. With the beginning of the sengoku jidai, daimyo began raising large armies of men-at-arms called ashigaru from among the peasantry. the ashigaru didn't wear as much armor as the samurai and what armor they did wear was mass produced and often lower quality. The fact the they wore less covering armor meant that large gaps were left exposed such as the arms, face and neck. On top of that, sieges became more common and as such, longer blades like the tachi became less favored. Side note, if you ever wondered why the katana, wakizashi, tanto and by extension the tachi (as it was the ancestor of all the previously mentioned blades) had scant guards, it was because those were all considered battlefield weapons and as such, the users would often have armor, mainly in this case for their hands in the form of mail or plate-mail gloves.

[@anthonyrowlodge5357]

I'm loving this historical lesson. Thanks fellas, I got to learn something new today.

[@Jeikobu]

@@genghiskhan6809 the katana does not do more damage, if you know your blade alignment, then the benefit of a katana is not as great. Also it really doesnt have more mass in its blade, it actually has a shorter blade than the average longsword. The katana feels heavier because of its balance and not its actual weight. On average both longsword and katana will be in comparable weight ranges.

[@simotricus358]

This is great content. Can’t wait for monk.

[@project4061]

I do think that the Monk subclass will be hit or miss, especially Way of the Four Elements, and Tensei subclasses.

[@avatarmufasa3628]

Im personally more interested in the paladin. Which I believe to be the strongest martial class

[@griffingamer16gaatjeniksaa46]

Maybe I am just stupid but besides from a little healing why would you ever wanna go paladin over Eldritch knight? This is not offensive I am just a very curious and possibly stupid person

[@pranakhan]

@@griffingamer16gaatjeniksaa46 Smites.

[@legendarydigitize2523]

@@griffingamer16gaatjeniksaa46 way more support going on Aura of vitality and circle of power Granting extra boost to saves as well, with such you barely need the resilient feat Not to mention immunity to frightened

[@johngleeman8347]

Combine the Champion and Purple Dragon Knight together for a not nearly as terrible kit. XD

[@elgatochurro]

You're just bad at math

[@croissantdragon24]

i think that the combination of those 2 would be a real nice subclass because both of them have their own potential it was just that the creators gave them only 1 thing per level, so if you combine them you would get a really solid commander kind of fighter who would match the eldritch knight and cavalier and it would also be a fun roleplaying expirience

[@Torthrodhel]

Great idea.

[@Spiceodog]

yoooo that's legit super good

[@dittmar104]

The dragon champion

[@peacefuldawn6823]

21:09 The Longsword *is* a two-handed sword (in real life)! The katana is definitely the Japanese equivalent of the longsword.

[@socialmoth1132]

@coinny22 it's heavier than a arming sword while the arming sword is considered a long sword it's lighter than the katana but there's a lot of variables with time frame and such.

[@HiopX]

two times wrong makes right I guess

[@avatarmufasa3628]

@coinny22 Katanas are 2 handed weapons, there are smaller swords called the Wakizashi, which look similar but are lighter and intended for 1 handed use

[@avatarmufasa3628]

@coinny22 The fact that you get the option to be versatile is in and of itself a benefit. If a sword is restricted to being exclusively 1 handed or else 2 handed, this means that they should be better when used 1 handed or 2handed than a sword that can flit between the 2. Because if you had a versatile weapon that was better than the exclusive weapon, then there would be not point in exclusive weapons. Some examples of this are icluded in armour. For example padded armour is basically a thivk coat, but for some reason imposes disadvantage on stealth despite leather armour (which does restrict movement) not imposing disadvantage. Basically there is never a reason to have padded armour, its there for no reason whatsoever, cause youre given better armour at the start anyway (also studded leather doesnt exist, mini rant over)

[@Jeikobu]

@@avatarmufasa3628 Visually the closest thing to 'Studded Leather' was Brigandine, which itself was rather heavy. Also any leather armor in history would have to be hardened into plates which would end up resembling plate armor.

[@Jpteryx]

Considering an axe and a longsword have the same stats, I wouldn't expect different stats between a European sword and a katana.

[@Lordmewtwo151]

What? An axe is more powerful and a sword more precise. WTH would these two weapons have the same statblock?

[@Jpteryx]

@@Lordmewtwo151 In 5e, yes, a battleaxe and a longsword have the same stats.

[@Lordmewtwo151]

@@Jpteryx That makes zero sense.

[@Jpteryx]

@@Lordmewtwo151 Weapons in 5e are fairly simplified. There aren't many differences between weapons in general.

[@Lordmewtwo151]

@@Jpteryx A valid point. That said, I still think the stats should be distinct in a way that makes sense. Like maybe the axe has a higher damage die or more damage dice, but there is a penalty on attack rolls, similar to Greater Weapon Master and Sharpshooter but baked into the weapon rather than as a feat.

[@cory6266]

I feel like you're undervaluing Elegant Courtier, it lets a Fighter serve as a party face as well as any Bard.

[@dasvinnifala]

I'm playing a Samurai/Warlocks and I'm pretty much the official spokesperson of the group

[@luanlotufo7813]

As a brazilian, it was very surprising to hear portuguese out of nowhere in the video. Keep it coming!

[@esperthebard]

Um bom bardo tem várias sorpresas ;)

[@MinecraftMasterNo1]

3 levels of fighter for the cavalier benefits with mostly pally levels for the better mount from find greater steed is absolutely nutty

[@StuffSayoSays]

That's what I have in mind. Currently playing a lvl 8 Devotion Paladin, with 2 lvls of fighter. Got a Pegasus so might as well get air superiority on my mount. I mean I can fly since I'm an Assimar, but I wanna fly higher with style. LOL

[@avatarmufasa3628]

The longsword isnt even represented correctly. Longswords are also 2 handed weapons. Rarely were they one handed thought it was possible. Katanas did indeed feel heavier, owing to the to the centre of mass being further from the hilt. Given hat 5e already puts all swords as either short or long, the katara already is less variant than longswords anyway, you might as well give it the longswords statblock. Regardless if you want a true 2 handed, have an Odachi and call it a day with the greatsword 2d6 damage. If you wanna show the more consistent strikes from a longsword sized katana though, go for 2d4 instead of a d8. If it was historical swords wouldnt be in 5e anyway, they were sidearms, not main battlefield weapons. 5e has always gon for rule of cool and poelarms would dominate over swords anyday Also, you can always 2nd wind at the 18th level feature then just attack. Either way youll get a lot of damage in and no need to have a healing potion

[@harperthegoblin]

Finally someone else has historical knowledge.

[@Jeikobu]

I was literally just about to comment this. Honestly most swords should have you roll more smaller die as they have more surface area to strike with, while pole arms should have less bigger die as when they hit it is far more dangerous, but if you miss swing or stab they are far less effective.

[@playerone3885]

Polearms are more effective due to being easier to make, more cost efficient, and more effective vs mounted cavalry. The longer the blade the more skill has to go into the heat treat, so instead of having 1 master blacksmith trying to make 2 swords in a week you can have several mediocre Smith and their apprentices churning out spearheads and arrowheads all day. Plus the sheer amount of steel to make 1 sword you could have made 4 or 5 spearheads. Of course this is in a army vs army type setting. A dnd adventure where you’re going 5 on 5? Nothing wrong with swords. Ofc archery would just be king if we wanted to make things realistic. And rapiers have 36 inch blades and weigh as much if not more than long swords. Also just went through a few of my katanas. They actually have >3 inch pob’s (I’m not a huge katana guy so pardon me if the evidence is anecdotal) which is better than my Longsword and a couple of my armings. I mean a katana is 27 inches with a 12-14 in handle that’s a good ratio to balance despite no pommel for counterweight.

[@cory6266]

@@harperthegoblin "Finally?" There's threads about this every other week on 4chan. Expand your horizons.

[@avatarmufasa3628]

@@playerone3885 its also down to the extra reach provided by a polearm. Plus it required less training to be effective with a spear than a sword. As for spears in 5v5, yes still useful. Watch part of a tournament with 4 sword guys and 1 spear guy on 2 teams, the battles was based round the spear guy as the most important. The reasons swords were useful were down to convenience (mostly), they can be worn at the side and carried anywhere. whereas a spear is a battlefield weapon and was carried around if and only if needed. There are other reasons but typically the sword was not the first choice of weapon even if you were rich

[@matthewstudinski2389]

Finally! I've been checking KZbin every day for weeks.

[@deanhoweymusic5385]

Best class breakdowns I’ve seen on KZbin, from one Bard to another

[@robmartinez1627]

What a suprise his favorite Fighter is one that has magic

[@crisrody852]

I was quested to make a lvl 8 character once, and my job was to kill the character of another player in the group. It was a group of 7, I'd have a +1 bow, it'd be in the evening on a forest. After a lot of thinking, an wood elf arcane archer (5) assassin (3) was the right choice. It was way more powerful than expected!!!

[@Honyi1]

That combo is basically a rail gun with your ,sneak attack and magic aroma and now damage all boosted if you get a crit is absolutely nuts, he’ll go wild and take the sharpshooter feat and just basically rail gun everything you fight in the first round of combat

[@dittmar104]

Would have gone hunter ranger five war priests 3. Hunters mark from the shadows and go hide and then get in three attacks with sharpshooter and hunters mark in one round. Just realised war priest get Devine favour so if you don’t mind loosing the spell casting level or the larger die for hunters mark, battle master gives you access to action surge for five attack in one round. Now that is a ‘sneak attack’

[@jarbies004]

i can just imagine the strength before death where a samurai takes his extra turn by using rapid strike, then use his extra attacks, and then use action surges as one last magnificent hurrah. and if he hits every time? man that could be one of the most memorable moments of a campaign

[@theyonlycomeoutwhenitsquiet]

Thanks for your mention of the echo knight. It gives me hope that there will be videos for Ravnica and Theros in a similar manner. Godspeed you proud bard, and take your well earned rest.

[@BOB111780]

Cav is honestly just so much fun to play. Champion just feels like the biggest meme even compared to other fighter sub classes. IDK who thought that a 2/20 chance to crit is comperable to unwavering mark/spell casting/ maneuvers.

[@aquamarinerose5405]

The thing about crit bonuses in 5e is twofold. 1: in 3.5 and Pathfinder, the optimal strategy was to use 18-20 crit weapons which were seen as generally slightly higher damage statistically overall, and using abilities that expanded their critical range even more, In Pathfinder especially, Keen, high crit range weapons like scimitars, rapiers, katanas, etc. were THE optimal strategy in the game because Keen doubled the crit range from 18-20 to 15-20. So... When 5e came around the devs were absolutely terrified to have this happen again. 2: Crit range boosters like this are far better when you can combine them with other abilities. For example, one of 5e's powerbuilds is a Hexblade with Polearm master (And possibly also using Paladin in the same build). This was because a 19-20 crit modifier against hexblade cursed targets and getting 3 attacks in a round meant you had 3 chances to crit, and if/when you did crit you could put 2 different kinds of smite into it for massive damage (and for SOME GOD FORSAKEN REASON you can declare a smite after the attack roll).

[@PyroGobbo]

Endgame with 4 attacks it's decent. Before that it's just meh.

[@Exisist5151]

I know this isn’t a good excuse for it, but since critting on a 19 is always available no matter how many short rests or long rests you take, it is extremely good in gritty realism.

[@BOB111780]

@@Exisist5151 This is actually so true. Ive had a few games where we only ever got to long rest like once every few sessions and champion was really good because you litteraly have nothing to micro. Also as somone pointed out its fun for multiclassing. I still think you can have fun with it but it just feels so weak compared to most other things at the table. Its basicly a worse barbarian. Also leveling it up is super unexciting because you litteraly just get stats for the most part. Its sad because I really like the idea of a fighter based around criticals, maybe giving it some more reward for criting on top of the higher chance would make it a bit more exciting to play at least.

[@Exisist5151]

Weitosch If you are playing gritty realism, think about how the barbarian only gets 3 rages per one week long rest until 6th level and then they only have 4 per week until 12th level.

[@pluckstrummer]

Loving this series! Good analysis, and you can’t beat the MTG and fantasy art. Cheers!

[@grobanlover292]

The Esper formula: Make overly flowery analogy. Compare current abilites to those of arcane spellcasters 4th Edition reference Low grade cuz not 4th edition or magic

[@Radicalalaska]

Im glad other people are noticing too.

[@esperthebard]

Who would want a viable combat strike or spell at 7th level, when you can get +2 to Sleight of Hand or the ability to know if your enemy has a higher Strength score than you.

[@grobanlover292]

@@esperthebard I'm just saying, not everything has to play the same role or get the same kinds of perks. A +2 sleight-of-hand won't help a wizard. But it can really aid a ranger or Rogue.

[@copycrow4486]

@@esperthebard It is kinda fun to poke a little at this, but don't worry. At least for me, I'm getting some kind of detailed look at whatever is. Then I can take my own look at it with the info that you have provided.

[@pistolshr1mp]

I agree with Esper on magic in DnD 5e. Full casters are the benchmark on which other classes should be created on. This clearly has not been done and it shows. Full casters have *built in scaling* - each level invested in the caster increases their main feature's (spell casting) power to absurd levels and we love it. Attempt to provide the same scaling to "mundane" classes - completely overpowered? I have home brewed every "mundane" class by just scaling their abilities - this encourages them to invest in the class and they can feel themselves getting more powerful. In this way a level 10 fighter will completely overwhelm a level 5 fighter just as a level 10 wizard would to a level 5 wizard.

[@k2k4]

Great longman analysis, thank you. I'll consider the echo knight line a shout out, though I'm sure you got lots of other inquiries. I'm looking forward to your wildmount video.

[@ArmegeddonCraft]

For someone who claims not to hate fighters, you really seem to take every chance to avoid giving them any credit. But you know what. You don’t hate them. You just don’t understand them, and you like spell casters too much. You don’t understand the value of the fighter as a class.

[@copycrow4486]

The whole point of Fighter is to be on the front-lines so your spellcasters and such don't die. High-level Champion subclass lets you heal a little bit every turn, so long as you are below half health. Battle Masters offer battlefield control in a way. Eldritch Knight puts that focus on killing things in my opinion. Cavalier is a stead-fast, mobile tank that is all about synergizing with your team. Arcane Archer allows you to fight at a distance pretty well. While Samurai has that nice one-on-one type feel in combat, but, should friends show up, synergy can happen. Our Bardic friend here must take his front-line companions for granted. Because come on, the thing that Fighter lovers can take pride in is not letting an enemy reach the back row. Nothing feels better, in my opinion as a Fighter, than knowing that no one got past you.

[@ridwana4037]

Welcome to Esper the Bard's video. Where the bias is so painfully obvious.

[@jcdenton2187]

As someone who loves Martial Classes in any game... this is a bit painful to see him so drastically undervalue them between the Fighter and the Rogue.

[@Lordmewtwo151]

@@jcdenton2187 I haven't seen the Rogue video yet, but I could imagine your pain, especially if it's as bad as you make it out to be with that class for a few reasons: 1) It is basically the martial equivalent of the bard. This is especially noteworthy in the rp aspect (arguably Esper's favorite part of the game). 2) As far as I'm aware, it is one of *only two* classes known for being able to disarm traps (the other being Artificer) 3) Sneak Attack is no joke (granted, there are creatures immune to it) Personally I don't attach much importance to the first reason listed, but from what I gathered of the nature of this channel, it is the most relevant to Esper.

[@Comicsluvr]

I think that the biggest issue with the Arcane Archer is the 2-shot limit. It seems like it would be good as a low-level MC base with another class. I can see a Lvl 6 Arcane Archer pairing well with a Rogue for the second Attack, and extra ASI or Feat. The magical shot choices seem to mesh well with the Sneak Attack.

[@mattslabb1822]

Love these videos.

[@ronkoster1810]

Im playing a samuari hexblade atm, We maked a homebrew and katana is a 1d8 fitness weapon 1h. He also has a no dachi that is used as a great sword. Really loving the call btw!! O btw u misred the rapid strike *u forgo adv on 1 so if u have 2 atks u get 3 atks and the FIRST atk doesnt have adv. You want to attack and you use bonus action and proc Fighting Spirit>Gain Advantage>Use Rapid Strike>Forgo 1 advantage-Gain 1 more attack> NOW you have 5 attacks. Now, you use Action Surge and go to town with gwm (and like me with hexblades curse/hex) Making it really good!

[@nodarikvatchantiradze7277]

Great video, I'm actually paying arcane archer and agree with you, it's kinda fun, but I usually use the same arcane shots over and over again. About longsword/katana tho. European steel was actually better, with mid carbon content, japanese steel only had low carbon content so katana was more likely to bend, low carbon steel is easier to bend. Longsword was made from mid carbon steel and typically would not bend. Not only was it structurally stronger, also more flexible and it would absorb some energy with bending and reduce chances of it breaking. But I think that longsword stats could be used for katana. Greatsword would be a Nodachi, not a katana. And if someone wants to make late period samurai for a RP reasons I think adding a firearm would be a great option, as it was widely used in late 16th century Japan.

[@Jasonwolf1495]

To me the Cavalier completely misses the point of cavalry. The main purpose of cavalry is to crash into the enemy line, then move out, and strike again. It should not be a tank class, but instead have an ability that while mounted you crash into the enemy and if they get hit by your attack they can't respond with an opportunity attack when you leave. This can be partially avoided using a weapon with reach but even then the Cavalier should be getting bonuses to breaking the enemy line not to holding their own. This one I definitely need to remake, and I'm gonna base it on the greatest cavalry group in the ancient world! (heavily biased here). THE POLISH HUSSAR! Big damage bonuses as you charge into the enemy line, fear effects when they hear you coming and see their allies trampled, benefits to using lances, spears, halberds specifically. Final level, Winged Hussar!

[@drite7758]

I like the cavalier. One of the few subclass that allows a more defensive play style

[@avatarmufasa3628]

I think you missed the point that the cavalier is meant to be the shining example of a knight. Not just a fighter on horseback but represented the nobility and selfless warrior. Its now associated with cavalry, but that wasnt necessarily its initial meaning

[@Awoken0]

Cavalier is more of a knight than a dedicated mounted warrior.

[@MPostma72]

Untill you crash into a phalanx, and never move again.

[@filosfilos4572]

Originally, this subclass' prototype was the Knight subclass, published in an old Unearthed Arcana issue. Since being a knight is more a matter of status than capabilities, they renamed it Cavalier and made some slight changes, but the focus remained on fighting to protect the others, it didn't switch to riding on horseback.

[@DristanRossVII]

You know what the Purple Dragon Knight could've used? A second use of Second Wind at 3rd or 7th level. And then maybe a third use at 15th level. That would've allowed them to actually utilise their hallmark feature and upped their performance significantly.

[@director1336]

Please do Druid soon. I would like to see how the shepherd compares to the other circles

[@ataberkuzun9582]

18th level samurai ability goes really well with second wind. Bonus action heal then action surge and a billion attacks back to back.

[@MrIIGrim]

love all of your videos, monk and paladin plz

[@samwhary5498]

Glad I caught this one nice and early.

[@Capt.Thunder]

Longswords and katanas are both two handed swords. The "longsword" in 5e is more like an arming sword (incorrectly referred to in popular parlance as a broadsword, although it arguably sounds cooler and more in keeping with the dnd naming conventions) or perhaps a bastard sword/hand-and-a-half sword; all of these are smaller than longswords and are known to be used in one or two hands. The longsword should have the stats of the greatsword, and the greatsword should be a reach weapon as it's effectively a sword-polearm.

[@stavros2956]

Nice one Esper, i really look forward to your next uploads. By the way is there any chance of you making a ranking video for Oozes?

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

During the samurai rant where you talk about the katana and long sword everything you said was wrong except for 3 things. The katana is a two handed weapon. It doesn’t have a cross guard. It’s steel breaks easier. Everything else you said seemed pulled out of thin air. Especially about the long sword. Which despite what Crawford tells us are exclusively two handed weapons! Yes even bastard swords are two handed weapons, with just a bit more freedom to take one hand off mid swing. It is a blanket term yes. But a blanket term for two handed swords. So much so I recently found out many HEMA practitioners and experts in historical weaponry say any two handed sword is a long sword. And feel the need to specify EUROPEAN long sword to make the destination from Katanas because Katanas ARE long swords. European long swords just differed DRASTICALLY in design from sword to sword while the Katana went unchanged for centuries. But even if you ignore that Katanas actually ARE long swords from certain perspectives. The long sword stats can cover a variety of swords so drastically different in design and function as European long swords why would a katana be so different to be distinct from long swords in a D&D stat block? Especially when some designs of European long swords are so similar to the design of a katana as a moderately short length curved cutting specialist two handed sword with some thrusting capacities. Really, the only functional difference between a katana and a Messer (a curved long sword) is it breaks a lot faster, is an inch shorter the guard is not a cross guard and you can draw cut from the sheath easier. Also it’s made in Japan. Don’t know why you’d want them to be different. Probably to discourage the use of a shield with a weapon YOU know is designed for two hands but Crawford already fucked up that spears and short swords ARENT used with shields in D&D no matter how prominent they are used with them in reality. I hate that the game encourages me to use a two handed sword with a shield too. I hate even more how it discourages is from using weapons designed to be used with a shield, with shields. But if you make a two handed exclusive “katana” weapon that’s exactly where I would move “long swords” into leaving “bastard sword” in its wake. A katana has no reason to be mechanically distinct form long swords in 5e when they aren’t even that distinct in reality. You just want things to be complicated

[@rowdienights9136]

" ... Crawford already fucked up that spears and short swords ARENT used with shields," what are you saying, that historically short swords and shields or spears and shields didn't happen yet 5e supports encourages it, or that they did happen and D&D 5e doesn't reflect that fact?

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

Rowdie Nights They did happen. The spear and shield with a short sword (or war axe mace or knife) as a back up being probably the most prominent weapon combo in every civilization in European history. Since the battle of agincourt all the way back to Myconian Greece minus one brief detour from the norm that was 1/3rd of Roman history where the short sword was the primary choice and the spear the secondary. It was how people fought! It’s iconic, practical, and prominent in reality. Yet 5e discourages using a short sword and shield in D&D cause longsword and shield or raiper and shield are both superior options (depending on what ability score you want to use) cause they have a bigger damage die than short swords or spears pathetic d6 with no properties useful for being used with a shield. 5e seems to think long swords are used with shields (they’re a good one handed option but a sub par two handed one) and short swords are used for duel wielding, (they’re a sub par one handed option but they can be duel wielded) But in reality long swords are used with two hands without a shield and short swords are used with shields. Which is just not how you see people play. And duel wielding isn’t really a thing in Europe besides with raiper duels but you can’t duel wield dagger and raiper without a feat. (Duel wielding was prevalent in duels elsewhere in the world but they often used curved swords and we steady have scimitar stats) A short sword should be a d8 weapon, and a long sword should be a two handed weapon. Maybe d10 fineness. Or d10 special. Or even 2d4+1 or 1d4+1d6. Or 1d10 but there’s a longsword mastery feat. Any questions? I know it’s hard to explain

[@mortenbrandtjensen6470]

Ahh. Thanks for a good walk through of the fighters. I have been looking for something similar for a couple of months. About the arcane archer, I am still quite curious about what you actually think of the individual arcane shots. Seems like there is a lot of options in combat situations, as well as a few outside combat.

[@SirShawn-qb2fk]

What you said about the longsword getting bent is wrong because it is made out of spring steal which when the sword gets bent, it can spring back into shape and a longsword doesn't require as much finesse as you say. A katana can potentially shatter on strike in real life because it is a combination of steel and iron causing it to be stiff.

[@legendarydigitize2523]

Dude you forgot second wind helps solve the problem to heal before dying after the emergency turn granted by Strength before death You dont need a healing potion and an action on said emergency turn when second wind is like right there in your face on the FIRST level of fighter

[@PandaKnightsFightingDragons]

Wait you really put Arcane Shot in A tier and then said every option was "ok I guess" while complaining about only getting 2 shots after talking about each option?! I think your opinions this video were too heavily biased by thoughts of "past editions were better". Who fkn cares that in 3.5 Fighters could have Vigilant Defender at lvl 1? This isn't 3.5. Unlimited reactions of any kind is a massive fkn deal in 5e and the ability to hold a choke point with PAM FOREVER isn't exactly a small deal

[@Exaurilo]

13:57 Wow. Just, wow. Talk about a spot-on pronounciation of "o cavaleiro"!

[@esperthebard]

Valeu cara 👍

[@EskayRogue]

You said "Katanas are really two-handed weapons" well so are long sword, longswords were never supposed to be used in one hand, I think you might be mixing long sword up with bastard sword.

[@copycrow4486]

I will say that you technically can use a Longsword with one hand, just not very well. Hence why I'd homebrew a single-handed wielding of Longsword to deal a single d6, rather than a d8.

[@jasonwitt7943]

My table follows your “Champion-as-baseline” thought. It’s the first time I’ve seen fighters feel as heroic and efficacious as I always wanted them to be.

[@marcperez2598]

I tend to use Battle Master as as the baseline. Maneuvers are too fun to restrict

[@HozionWalker]

I can't wait for the artificer rate review

[@DunkeysLongLostSon]

13:56 Hey, that was a really good european portuguese pronounciation of "o cavaleiro!" Congrats!

[@justDavidThanks]

Eagerly awaiting monk rating

[@firecult1]

all the cool subclasses with all their cool abilities just remind me, so few games gets to high enough level to use so many of them

[@GreenKnight41]

32:22-32:34 "It sort of seems like the champion's features should have just been baseline features that all fighters get in addition to their subclass" When someone finally says what you've been thinking but haven't had the opportunity to mention.

[@codyschulte9649]

I've seen a player character use the samurai capstone feature, then on their extra turn use their bonus action to second wind which kept them up after nearly slicing my bad guy to pieces

[@paladinslash4721]

My problem with the battlemaster is that superiority dice is a fantastic foundation for all martial classes, but wizards of the coast never really expanded on it. Thankfully Tasha’s guide did add those nice superiority dice to skill maneuvers and the bonus action to draw and throw a weapon. Hopefully we’ll get more.

[@greenhawk3796]

I always forget someone made purple dragonknight. Also, i moved arcane archer to ranger & allow a spellslot to be burned to fuel additional shot uses. It actually fits in just fine.

[@nicolasreinaldet732]

22:20 i was thinking about this today. My conclusion was, 1d8 two handed martial weapond, it has finess and a especial propriety that if your oponent doesnt have armour you deal 1d6 extra damage. This way you have the dificulty to stab with ir ( compared to the triangular european blades ) represented by a smaller damage against armoured targets ( the ones that you need to aim im the week spots ) but its amazing cut throw raw flash is represented when you hit a creature whithour natural armour by being the strongest weapond in thosse ocations.

[@Crouza]

Was about to ask about the echo knight lol. Beat me to it

[@stygiansilver9320]

I love this series even though I think I disagree on a few points. You are a very well spoken person and you have good reasons behind your rating and ideas. I would recommend changing the color of B-Rank things to blue and C-Rank things to white.

[@100dfrost]

Long swords are really 2 handed weapons. I treat katanas as shorter longswords in my campaign. Of course longswords do 1-10, and forthright greatswords do 1-12. Arming swords area one handed weapon (1-8). Good video, thanks.

[@Shichiaikan]

I'll say this about Arcane Archer... as-is, I love it as a 5-level multi-class for a sniper rogue. Absolutely amazing, and simple setup.

[@conradkorbol]

7 level is why you want the class. You can turn misses into hits and you no longer have to worry about your dm giving you magic weapons. Suck it low magic games. I love the class but agree after level 7 the sub class isn’t as good

[@ExeErdna]

@@conradkorbol I agree it seems to have dropped the ball with not giving you more arrows per rest

[@bobbobby475]

Basically I just tasked my DM for arcane shots equal to int mod. Isn't broken for us and I actually FEEL like an arcane archer. Not two shots then I becone a regular Joe. Also my bow/arrow don't need to be magical. Lastly later on I get 3 options for arcane shot. Also arrow damaged is boosted in 3 increments. Level 9 AND 18.

[@Shichiaikan]

@@conradkorbol Good point.

[@schwann145]

It's true that the katana was really a two-handed weapon that was rarely utilized in one hand... But that's equally true for the longsword. The fact that everyone defaults the longsword to a 1h weapon is just lazy game design on the part of the D&D developers over the years (the longsword is not just an upgrade to the shortsword in much the same way that a longbow isn't just an upgrade to the shortbow - but D&D would have you believe that's exactly the case). tl;dr - Longsword stats for Katana is very appropriate. :)

[@jadenlustre4612]

I’m eager to know what Esper thinks of the Xanathar’s Bard subclasses! I’ve been playing a Human (w/ the actor feat and Charlatan background) Whispers Bard for the past 4 months in my friend’s political intrigue campaign and I personally have had so much fun playing as a College of Whispers! And I’m planning on adding a single level of Rogue to just double down on the Stealth and Deception!

[@Lazycandle]

Do you think if the subclasses were more geared twirls one weapon type like how arcane archer is clearly a bow user that fighter subclasses would be more interesting

[@morridin7766]

What do you plan on doing next? I suggest Bard because your called Esper the Bard (I’d also like Monk because that’s my favourite).

[@devin5201]

Karate power!

[@alexandergreen1456]

Can't wait for a cleric video.

[@abarismusic2884]

Whatare yall guys' opinion on the echo knight? Somehow wasn't covered here but i actually quite liked that one

[@bitboi3395]

great video (would like the gun slinger subclass t be in one of your videos tho)

[@johnrogers1573]

I hoped you would have also included Echo Knight. It is a fantastic subclass.

[@graveyardshift2100]

Purple Dragon Knight is perfect for low magic campaigns where you don't have as much magical healing.

[@Vicesplay]

Regarding the katana, there's a weapon that would make all the katana lovers happy. In Eberron: Rising from the Last War there is a weapon called Double-Bladed Scimitar, its a two-handed weapon that elves uses and deals 2d4 damage but you can make another attack as a bonus action for another 1d4 damage. Now the fun part, the elves have a feat that makes this weapon gain Finesse and +1 AC while you are holding it. So, change the name from Double-Bladed Scimitar to Katana and change the name from the feat to something like "The way of the blade", and enjoy all the variant humans 16 dex at first level being samurais.

[@robinthrush9672]

Katanas are most equivalent to a longsword in style. A katana is LESS resistant against bending since it has a soft core. Longswords are made of spring steel and will return to form most of the time.

[@ShadowGeek12]

I feel like strenght before death is an incredibly cool and cinematic ability, a battle nearing its end and the foe brings the fighter down to 0 hp, but before he falls adrenaline surges his bloodstream and starts hacking away at the enemy, using fighting spirit with precise strikes to get 5 attacks, maybe action surge for 3-4 more, instead of wasting a turn to heal you go all out and maybe hope on an ally getting u back up or healing u before your next turn so you dont go down, also free wisdom/cha or int saving throws can be life saving

[@nicolaezenoaga9756]

Thank you.

[@kokaomf]

Esper: *(Spells "O Cavaleiro" in perfect portuguese)* Me: *"Você tinha minha curiosidade, agora tem minha atenção."*

[@seanmcfadden3712]

I wonder how the Echo Knight from Explorer's Guide to Wildemount would fit in. I have ideas of how to fit it into additional settings, such as a setting with magical experimentation. I can definitely see one being in the Ravnica setting as a member of either the Izzit league, the Orzhov Syndicate or House Dimir.

[@thurismundbotheric7598]

I see them as members of the Boros Legion more than anything

[@RecoilGunnerStudios]

I actualy fixed up the PDK with some extra features and improving the 7th, 10th and 15th ones. I gave him a skill at level 3 that only works 3 times per short rest that allows you to command an ally to attack with an extra d6 to the attack roll by forgoing your own attack. Yes if you have extra attack you may forgo multiple attacks to make multiple allies attack. Level 7 you also gain prof in charisma save, level 10 is the same but if you and or an ally kill something during your commands you regain a command next turn and finnaly level 15 just lets you give indomitable to an ally by burning your own charge. I think these changes make him a true battlefield commander and allow you to command multiple allies increasing the number of actions in a party however the weakness is that you cant just spam it otherwise your allies will loose their reactions. But if you have sellswords on your side to command well now you truly are a commander.

[@samtheactualkenku6205]

I honestly do hope you include the Ambition, Strength, Solidarity, and Zeal Domains from the Plane Shift: Amonkhet PDF when you get around to doing the Cleric, since it's official content from WotC. You kinda skipped the Pyromancer Sorcerous Origin from Plane Shift: Kaladesh when you covered the Sorcerer

[@chrisgee8441]

Arcane shot sucks (not even close to an A)... it scales horribly, and the 2 charges never increase. It already requires you be MAD, so the DCs just will never be that great. The subclass sucks. But hey, not my video and you deserve to stand by your opinions. AAAAAAAAAAAnd I've seen the rest of the video... I dunno man, maybe stick to the spell-casters...

[@armaggedon390]

It is NOT a guarantee to have a magic bow by 7th level. This isn't 3E. In 5E the progression does not take in account magic items as they are no longer mandatory for basic competence.

[@Lukos0036]

Katana is just a Japanese version of a renaissance era hand and a half sword. A Katana irl will chip and bend and not return to shape where a longsword of a similar age would bend and spring back to shape. Folded steel is folded as a way of working around occlusions. Stray bits of other minerals, or other grades of steel are common in Japanese smelting furnaces. The bloom they produce is very random and iron deposits in Japan are generally of poor quality. The Europeans did it as well up until they learned to smelt steel in a crucible. Which produces a cleaner but difficult to forge hockey puck of steel. The end product however is a blade that acts like a spring in any direction. By comparison a Katana only springs back in the direction of the cut. Which is why the back half is a softer grade than the front. And also why you would never smash a Katana against another persons armor. The blade is hard but brittle. The back is soft and will bend out of shape. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZCWiGSwnJtraaM

[@josealejandrosalzarmirabal4623]

Can you do a video analizing the monk class and sub classes?

[@leifcatt]

The Samurai were often leaders of regular soldiers, so you might want to add a power like a morale boost or group charge bonus to any soldiers they may have. Of course this would be more likely encountered as a Samurai NPC feature. Samurai were also land holders and acted as governors of areas for their Shogun. The wandering lordless Samurai were actually where the Ronin come from. I know it's D&D the GAME, just some food for thought. We need a new Kara-Tur book, don't you agree?

[@darrenokami]

Are you ever going to do the UA subclasses we currently have? I love the rune knight and i think in terms of ranking its up there with the eldrich knight

[@dee-wreck]

Thank you for answering my concerns re echo Knight XD

[@Raedan23]

Bizzarely, I found the Samurai to be an absolute blast to play as a greataxe wielding Half-Orc. I got my Fighter up to level 7 so far and took the Orcish Fury and Durable feats so I ended up with a character who is able to do stupid amounts of damage, is incredibly hard to kill and has enough skills to not feel useless out of combat. Using Action Surge along with Fighting Spirit gives me more chances to a score a crit and I also found Fighting Spirit to be very handy for when I need to use a longbow since my DEX stat isn't great. Not to mention that level 11 and 15 will give me even more chances to hit/crit and level 18 effectively gives me two uses of Relentless Endurance. All and all, playing this guy is the most fun I have had with a non-spellcaster.

[@inversenexarus9152]

The thing that I like about the samurai subclass is the temp hitpoints and imposing advantage on ALL attacks. One could argue that the samurai makes a better ranged fighter than the arcane archer. As I said in a comment to the last Fighter video I'm using an unorthodox build currently. So my Centaur demigod functions as a skirmisher and controller, javelins, spears and nets. Utilizing my strength of 20 to hit, rather than dex, because Thrown you can choose either. I don't do as much raw damage as our party's Paladin or Barbarian. But my character consistently hits their target. There is something incredibly satisfying about using action surge and fighting spirit in tandem, especially if I use the Centaur ability to make a Charged attack.

[@deantitus9734]

Have you done a video about the fighter subclasses from Tasha's Cauldron Of Everything?

[@dannycat3970]

I think what alot of people are missing about his point about Strength before death is that he's not saying it doesn't work, but that it works *too well* And doesn't fit into the theme of the warrior using his last moments to take his enemies with him

[@starcrafter13terran]

8:14 what a great picture

[@Fistminer]

Spellcasting>Everything ~Esper

[@TFalconwing]

With the final samurai feature, just use second wind...

[@ryannelson7719]

What are your thoughts on the rune knight and are they included in any of the newer vids?

[@jamesadamsfl]

Some good stuff here, but there’s definitely room for improvement. I wish the Arcane Archer had more stuff. A greater variety of arrows, maybe some cantrips or utility spells, and/or not having to wait until the end to get (conditional) additional uses of Arcane Shot. The Cavalier is good, but I’d have liked to see some Charisma abilities from it-like the ability to give Bardic inspiration to your allies or intimidate your enemies-really play into the “Knight in Shining Armor” trope. Or give that to the Bannerette to make it not suck.

[@mycroftholmes2992]

Monks that are combat oriented or not exclusively Oriental in nature. The European Monk, includes things like the Knights Templar, a monastic order used in a militant Roll.

[@josephsage3524]

The katana in 3.5 edition was represented as a master work hand and a half sword( true Long sword)

[@TuckBolt]

Can you do the Renegade from the unoffical heroes and scoundrels of bilgewater supplement put up on D&D Beyond in collaboration with Legends of Runeterra at the same time as the Echo Knight?

[@Artemisthemp]

I'm pretty sure a Erata did some change to Magic Arrow but can't remeber. What about Renegade?

[@LordOfDarkness8296]

You're thinking of the errata that changed Arcane Shot which originally stated that you could apply an Arcane Shot option to a magic arrow that you shot from a shortbow or longbow. This was not RAI so the errata changed it so that you could apply the Arcane Shot option to any arrow shot from a shortbow or longbow, not just magic arrows.