Best Mount for a Fighter

[Gene,Eric'sUser]

Hi all,

What, in your opinion would be the best type of mount for a defender, specifically for a level 13 battlerager fighter? I'm looking at the Blade Spider or Doom Howler, which seem both seem pretty good, but are there better, more defender-y types of mounts for front-line combat?

Thanks!!

[darkdragoon]

There are a sizable chunk with bonuses for charging.

The skeletal steed is low level but has a rechargeable attack penalty burst.

[tcrudisi]

Easy answer: a barbarian.

You are a pixie, yes?

[Vhaidara]

Barbarian is a bad idea, since you share actions with your mount. Which means that you go from having 2 PCs worth of actions to 1.

Doom Howler and Skeletal Steed don't appear to be standard PC mounts (no listed cost), while Blade Spider is kind of meh (the combined attack is an encounter power that only inflicts ongoing 10 poison, with poison being VERY commonly resisted/immuned).

I would recommend a Wyvern (+2 to all defenses) or a Dragonhawk (roll twice for initiative and keep the higher). Both also have the added benefit of being fliers. An Elephant can also be nice for creating a larger area of control (since you share all of your mounts spaces).

The other nice thing about the ones I mentioned is that, at level 10 (8 for the elephant), they're among the most durable Heroic mounts. Why is it important that they're Heroic? Because Raise Dead scales cost once a creature hits level 11, going from 500 to 5000. So when your mount inevitably gets blown up by some kind of area attack, it's dirt cheap to bring them back.

[Dimers]

The other nice thing about the ones I mentioned is that, at level 10 (8 for the elephant), they're among the most durable Heroic mounts. Why is it important that they're Heroic? Because Raise Dead scales cost once a creature hits level 11, going from 500 to 5000. So when your mount inevitably gets blown up by some kind of area attack, it's dirt cheap to bring them back.

Nice point. I've never seriously considered a mount that wasn't a class/theme feature, so I'm not used to that choice.

[Vhaidara]

Nice point. I've never seriously considered a mount that wasn't a class/theme feature, so I'm not used to that choice.

One of my groups discovered the wonders of Dragonhawks with Bridles of Rapid Action (Roll 3 times keep the highest for initiative, and until you feel the need to dismount you have Fly 8 movement), and it set off a bit of a trend.

[masteraleph]

I'd add- if this is a player you're going to play long term/multiple levels, and it's important to you to have a mount, having a Jade Horse as a backup is never a bad thing.

[Kimera757]

If you're going the dragoon route (only interested in strategic speed), Phantom Steed.

They're so fast (and can cross rivers, etc) that my PCs would ride them into combat to get at the "softies", even though they'd only last one or two rounds because they were effectively minions. The enemies wouldn't target them, but if one happened to be caught in a close burst attack...

The rules for the steeds aren't very well-detailed. Don't they have to be at least Large so Medium characters can ride them? That really messes with fighters, especially the Essentials knight.

But more seriously, anything you can summon and that lasts a long time, and doesn't cost money (there's a bridle that gives the steed lots of resistance to damage, but the steeds cost money). This is because steeds are fragile. I started developing "companion" steeds (they had healing surges) for this reason, also to curb their damage, and finally because the action economy wasn't working. I did not want horses attacking in the same round as the PCs. That's okay for more aggressive NPC mounts, of course.

[Dimers]

The rules for the steeds aren't very well-detailed. Don't they have to be at least Large so Medium characters can ride them? That really messes with fighters, especially the Essentials knight.

Yep, Large is correct -- mount > rider and at least Medium. Only one ability I've seen changes that, a feat to let a Medium beastmaster ranger ride their Medium companion. So only svirfneblin make ideal mounted Fighters (small size and Strength bonus). I find that result really weird.

I started developing "companion" steeds (they had healing surges) for this reason ...

Another great idea! I think I'll have to steal that.

[masteraleph]

The rules for the steeds aren't very well-detailed. Don't they have to be at least Large so Medium characters can ride them? That really messes with fighters, especially the Essentials knight.

Technically they have to be larger than the character riding them. Small characters can make very good mounted characters because of that (they can ride Medium creatures), and one of the best Themes for such characters is actually Fey Beast Tamer, since you get a mount who you can ride around on that scales with level. If you want a goofy (and for DMs, really annoying) mounted character, try a Pixie Beastmaster Ranger with a Raptor companion, and ride around on the Raptor.

[Dimers]

try a Pixie Beastmaster Ranger with a Raptor companion, and ride around on the Raptor.

And pick up the Teeny Target feat for constant cover, since you'll basically always be in an ally's square.

[Yakk]

Suprising Charge feat using a Lance for 3d10 damage with Streak of Light for always-CA on charge.

CHAAAARGE!