I have an Ardent-Battlemind, and I need some ideas for feats

Question

I am playing in 4e, and I had decided to make a level five half-elf Ardent/Battlemind hybrid, with Charisma and Constitution as my top scores. Its main role is defender, with the secondary role of leader, playing off of Mind Spike and Dilettante; Divine Challenge (Paladin) as its main damage/defence outputs. The idea is to have a defender who is able to dart into combat first off, and be able to take hits while healing a fallen comrade. I thus far only have Hybrid Options (Speed of Thought) for a feat. Any ideas on what my last two feats should be?

Answer 1

Be a normal battlemind (following this guide) , and take the shaman multiclass feats spirit talker and mending spirit. It gives you a leader heal once per encounter, without the painful distraction of hybrids.

Having tried to be a hybrid class in a few of my characters, I cannot recommend enough against the choices articulated for the reasons you gave. Alternatively look at this detailed build for a paladin-warlord which seems to be significantly more compatible with your intentions.

You also should choose knight hosptialier as your theme, which gives you a surgeless encounter reaction heal. Between your spirit companion and your theme, and your job as a defender preventing damage, you'll outperform your half-ardent intentions.

Answer 2

Battlemind|Ardent is one of my favorite hybrid combinations, but it's not without its issues, and like anything with battlemind in it, it can't defend until Lightning Rush at level 7. If this game is a level 5 one-shot, I'd steer clear. Mind Spike is incredibly easy for your DM to avoid. If it's starting at level 5, well, then you'll spend less time useless than most battleminds.

As a defender in chain and no shields, you'll have major AC issues unless you Hybrid Talent for battlemind proficiencies or scrounge up 15 WIS for Battle Cleric's Lore via Divine Healer (if your DM even allows that; it's kinda shenanigany).

The key arguments for such a hybrid:

• all-psionic means you don't sacrifice power points.
• Intent Laid Bare solves the battlemind's lack of a MBA and prevents targets from shifting all in one neat package.
• Ardents have multiple fantastic charging powers, which pairs with lightning rush in an entertaining fashion, particularly with a badge of the berserker.
• Ardents have multiple daily powers with fantastic defender implications, beginning with level 5's Invitation to Defeat.
• Between Ardent and Battlemind utility powers, every level has some means of you giving yourself or an ally THP as a minor action.
• A decent heal per encounter

It doesn't add up to anything amazing, really, but it can be solid and fun. Like any hybrid, it requires you to build it well or else risk becoming a huge liability to your party. Well-built, this hybrid ends up being far more of a striker using interrupts to attack twice per round, rather than either a defender or leader.

In terms of feats, beyond expertise of some sort and superior will, nothing particularly stands out.