What are your favorite archetypes or archetype combinations?

[Wartex1]

Then you'll probably like the Shifter class coming out in November in Ultimate Wilderness. It's supposed to be a full BAB no-spell shapeshifting class.

[Florian]

im not exactly conversant with the occultist. Can you explain how that build accomplishes flexible casting?

On the Fighter side, you have the usual Barroom Brawler > Abundant Tactics > Advanced Weapon Training > Item Mastery Feat thing going.
On the Occultist side, you go for the Trapping of the Warrior, which you have complete at 2nd level, with the archetype giving more free Mental Focus points. Combat Trick let´s you exchange 3 MF for a combat feat, as Barroom Brawler but without use limitation, the Implement Mastery feat allows you to spent MF for additional uses of an Item Mastery Feat, way earlier than is usually possible.
Beyond that and also looking at Warrior Spirit, mixing in Occultist levels will allow you to "supercharge" some items, so you´ll basically run around with a +18 weapon and +13 armor and shield, which is nifty as you don´t have to invest WBL. (See also: Training enhancement)

[Psyren]

I like the archetype system as a matter of game design. It allows players to specialize and in some cases have effective multiclassing while remaining one class. Personally it's not for me. I generally like the base classes as is and don't want to give up what I have to for the archetype. However, there are a couple of exceptions. I like Dual Cursed Oracle for the luck manipulation and Seer Oracle providing a better in my opinion Mystery Spell List than some appropriate Mysteries, especially Lore. Extra Revelation Feat makes up for whatever Revelations you want from your Mystery now as opposed to later when you take the archetype Revelations.

For me it's the opposite, I like being able to give up features. A lot of the time, a base class is composed of various disparate elements just to help spark ideas of the directions where it can go. For example, Inquisitors have a pure martial focus, a party buffing focus, a monster identification and lore focus, a social interrogation focus, and a teamwork combat focus. But if there is one of those I don't find necessary, an archetype lets me drop it to strengthen one of the others, as the Preacher archetype does with the teamwork focus for more party buffs.

Similarly, the Medium class has a 5th-man focus with its spirits but also deals with haunts and seances as a way to introduce those mechanics. But if you know for sure your campaign isn't using those rules, you can pick an archetype like Storyteller or Legend Channeler to drop them.

Then you'll probably like the Shifter class coming out in November in Ultimate Wilderness. It's supposed to be a full BAB no-spell shapeshifting class.

Glad to see more Ultimate books are coming

[grarrrg]

Why the sigh?

It takes away an all encompassing class feature, and then adds one sub-section back as part of the archetype.

Because it looks stupid.
"You lose Mutagen!...Except you DON'T lose Mutagen!"

If they had changed ANYTHING about the ability it wouldn't be as irksome.

[Psyren]

Because it looks stupid.
"You lose Mutagen!...Except you DON'T lose Mutagen!"

If they had changed ANYTHING about the ability it wouldn't be as irksome.

If they had written it any other way people would find something to bellyache about in that too.

[Wartex1]

I just discovered the War Drummer Skald Archetype.

It's pretty boss, sacrificing some of the less useful abilities to better hit things in the face.

[Kurald Galain]

Personally I like archetypes with unique and flavorful abilities (that are not just a bonus to hit or damage). For instance, Bladebound or Eldritch Scion Magus; Spirit Walker or Enigma mesmerist; Maneuver Master monk; Reincarnated druid; or Flesheater barbarian.

Also separatist cleric because of the options it opens.

[Peat]

Zen Archer Monk always look really cool to me on multiple levels.

[Wartex1]

Zen Archer Monk always look really cool to me on multiple levels.

I've used a Zen Archer Monk before. It's really nice, but I wish Flurry of Arrows counted as Rapid Shot/Manyshot for prerequisite purposes, since I wanted to use it with Overwatch Style.

[Kitsuneymg]

On the Fighter side, you have the usual Barroom Brawler > Abundant Tactics > Advanced Weapon Training > Item Mastery Feat thing going.
On the Occultist side, you go for the Trapping of the Warrior, which you have complete at 2nd level, with the archetype giving more free Mental Focus points. Combat Trick let´s you exchange 3 MF for a combat feat, as Barroom Brawler but without use limitation, the Implement Mastery feat allows you to spent MF for additional uses of an Item Mastery Feat, way earlier than is usually possible.
Beyond that and also looking at Warrior Spirit, mixing in Occultist levels will allow you to "supercharge" some items, so you´ll basically run around with a +18 weapon and +13 armor and shield, which is nifty as you don´t have to invest WBL. (See also: Training enhancement)

You need weapon master 4 before you can take abundant tactics, but I see what you're going for.

IMO, Abundant Tactics is a meh way to access AWT unless you start at high level, as you get few extra uses before level 11 (or whenever you can afford Duelist Gloves.) I do like that Combat Trick/mental focus thing and am going to play with it next time I make a character. Does Occultist get past the faq that says +10 is the maximum limit period, even for temp stacking or bane increases or the like?

Here's a thing to consider to: Barroom Brawler has no "replaces existing feat" language. Item Mastery Feats are not Combat Feats and AWT doesn't have daily uses, so language about not reseting daily uses of combat feats doesn't apply. Shurikens are ammunition and each one can be bought and enchanted individually and drawn into hand as a free action. +1 training Barroom Brawler on each shuriken for many uses of the ability. Or just one (or more) of every AWT(Item Mastery(X)) option. Amulet of Mighty Fists should allow you to add multiple +1 training to your fists to. +1 training imp init, +1 training quickdrawn, +1 training toughness, many possibilities. As long as your GM goes with your fists being "held in hand" you're golden. Consider spiked gauntlets as well. I doubt armor spikes or shield spikes would work though.

I haven't dared this level of cheese in a real game yet. But I kinda want to.

[Florian]

Does Occultist get past the faq that says +10 is the maximum limit period, even for temp stacking or bane increases or the like?

The whole class is build around the idea of getting more power out of items by binding them as implements. The entire point is that you can supercharge an item investing MF beyond the usual limits, but by using MF to power other abilities, this will sooner or later degrade back to normal.

[AlmaPenzare]

Unchained Rogue + Hidden Blade + Untouachable + Dimensional Jaunter. At that point you have lost all rogue class featues apart from ones unique to unchained, and half your rogue talents, but you're playing an awesomely enjoyable jack of all trades character with good martial options and good utility through spirits and teleporting

[Molosse]

Gotta say I'm in Psyrens boat. I'm a big fan of archetypes which strip away class features and replace them with more specific, dedicated options. Even if they are a bit weaker/less versatile than the base class. So for me combinations like a Scout/Swashbuckler Unrogue or a Standard Bearer/Courtly Knight Cavalier always give me a lot of fun. Especially when you can throw VMC's on the top.

[Prime32]

Fighter (High Guardian) is a pretty nice recent archetype.

Medium (Kami Medium) gets an interesting change to how its spells work.

Druid (Elemental Ally) gets four eidolons instead of an animal companion, though they can only summon one at once. In theory you could dip Summoner (Synthesist) to make them four Fused Eidolons instead.

[Wartex1]

I can imagine someone saying, "Go Squirtle!" when changing eidolons.

[rahimka]

I had a blast as an Unchained Rogue using both the Scout and Thug archetypes with the Enforcer feat. For extra grease/cheese I also had a Sarenrae religion-trait that let me use a slashing weapon to do non-lethal w/o penalty on the attack roll (still needed a non-lethal property to use sneak attack though) and an Ifrit trait to just Take 10 on Intimidate checks even in combat (to make sure my maxed out skill bonus wasn't tanked by a poor roll)

Great from day1, but by lvl4 the build was an absolute beast, capable of stacking all sorts of debuffs (with no chance to save) on a single 10ft charge attack:
shaken/frightened + sickened + debilitated = -2 to damage rolls, -4 to all saves, and either -6 to-hit (8 against the Rogue), or -4 to-hit & -2 AC (4 against the Rogue)

Then either position for TWF sneak-attack full-attack to shred their HP, or just charge (or LEAP across difficult terrain using Acrobatics boosted by an Unchained Rogue trick) at the next target and wreck THEIR day.

Around level 7 or so, I picked up Dazzling Display and had a high enough Intimidate check to start inflicting Frightened on entire rooms full of enemies at once (talk about action denial). I once used that to keep a 4-5 Elementals at bay for several rounds (while repeatedly failing to shake off the blinding effect of a Glitterdust spell). Good times...