Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Particle_Man Aug 04, 2008 15:10:01	Is anything going to be published soon that would give players some tactical advice on how to fare well in combat (similar to chess or bridge strategy books)? Failing that, are there any published (web or print) works that could be adapted to give players a leg up in 4e tactics? I don't know why, but I seem to have lack of tactical abilities and I would like to improve.
#2 kouk Aug 04, 2008 15:30:58	What do you consider as "tactics" in D&D? I think the best thing to do would be to read the rules on combat, your abilities, skills and powers, your allies' abilities and powers, and when you are confident you understand them think about how they interact. Here is some vague general advice though: Know yourself: Probably the most important, this goes along with knowing what all your abilities and powers do and how they interact with other rules. If you have powers that can Slide a target, think about what you could do with that ability. You could set up enemies to be flanked, you could push them off of cliffs, etc. Similarly you have to know "why" your character is built the way he is. Generally it helps to have a goal of sorts in mind for character creation, such as "A great archer" or, "The best healer." If your goals don't actually match the way your character is built, you have some changes to make either to your character or to your goals. Know your Enemy: A lot of "tactics" start before a fight actually begins. Being prepared is a large contributer to victory, 'knowing is half the battle' and all. Making Monster Knowledge checks is extremely helpful in giving you that knowledge, letting you learn about monster abilities and weaknesses. Fighting with an idea of your opponent's capabilities is better than fighting blind. Work together: Your own tactics don't get you very far. You have to coordinate with the entire group to accomplish anything great. Always know where your friends are, not just your enemies. Flank when possible, etc. You may find it helps to also know what your friends' abilities are and what they do by reading the class entries, powers etc. that the other players use. Helping an ally in some way can be just as if not more useful to the fight than attacking the enemy or healing yourself. If both you and the healer are at 1 hit point, it's probably better to try covering for the healer at risk to yourself (if necessary). If the healer survives, he will be able to get you back on your feet better than you can help him get back up on his.
#3 foxen Aug 04, 2008 17:34:03	Here's a thread on the same topic... http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1066395 Fox
#4 gorditobandito Aug 05, 2008 22:24:00	i can offer some expertise and general advice as an avid rpg and tactics fan let me present Rory's RPG 101: in a boss fight ALWAYS eliminate his henchmen first if you are planning on killing a target with your upcoming attack target a creature that has yet to act this round never divide and conquer--focused fire is your friend. your healing surge value is always going to be the same so don't hesitate to second wind early in the battle if you have to that also goes for you encounter powers. unless you are afraid you won't have a rest in the near future, don't be afraid to hit the ground running ALWAYS HASTE YOURSELF FIRST (not yet applicable to 4e but the general principle is that the person casting haste on the rest of the party can accomplish this goal quicker if he himself is hastened). but the idea has its place in 4evfor instance... a healer cannot heal if he's dead, you are the top priority for heals this is another rule that doesn't come up in DnD very much but in games where both attacker and defender get a chance to strike in every round of combat sometimes attacking is a bad move. if you are filling your role as tank without engaging then don't, it makes healing more manageable dragons are harder than their level would suggest status effects are much better than they look on paper. for instance dazed doesn't seem to great when the target doesn't need to move to strike but remember that they will unconditionally grant combat advantage until they are no longer dazed on the note of combat advantage attacks and defenses are scaled to level now. that means that +1 to attacks/defenses may seem inconsequential but it is always helpful. variable damage is not your friend. consider how much damage you can get for sure and factor your dice rolls in as more of a tie breaker. attacks like hellish rebuke or sly flourish may have small rolls but you are better off in the long run because you are applying multiple modifiers to the attack. d12 is not as good as 2d6. aside the fact that 2d6 cannot roll a 1 also remember that you are dealing with probability when you roll a dice. you have an equal chance of getting a 1-12 on a d12, means your mean damage will be 6. 2d6 has a mean roll of 7 and a better chance of getting 5s and 8s as well reliability means predictability. sure your dps may suffer slightly but you have a higher tactical advantage because you can more aptly plan your combat sequences and anticipate your opponents move stack effects. watch out for different effects that apply similar bonuses that are capable of stacking. before you know it you will have a pretty powerful attribute (not necessarily your actual attributes) i'm tired and that is all i can come up with atm