Artificer Subclass Tier Rankings in D&D 5e
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- Опубликовано: 14 июл 2024
- MONSTERS OF DRAKKENHEIM is 300+ pages of eldritch horror inspired monsters for 5e by the Dungeon Dudes! Coming to Kickstarter March 26th, 2024: www.kickstarter.com/projects/... We discuss the 4 subclasses offered to the Artificer in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. We look at which ones we think are mechanically the strongest and what our community thought of them.
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TIME STAMPS
0:00 - Sponsor
0:56 - Intro
3:37 - Alchemist
11:35 - Armorer
23:29 - Artillerist
33:31 - Battle Smith
41:08 - Community Rankings
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Игры
Artificer: all the stress of a cleric's spell preparation coupled with the anxiety of picking a warlock's invocations.
With all of the fun.
And that's why I love them. They are the nerdiest class
Counterpoint: Warforged Iron Man
And that's why its my favorite class
Agreed, so many areas to fine-tune.
Battlesmith being the rebel child by not having a name that begins with "A."
Right! It always bugs me LOL.
That's because the Battlesmith is the Intelligence version of the Hexblade for that Great Weapon+Elven Accuracy melee Gish goodness. I have a player currently playing an Eldritch Knight/Battlesmith and it's been pretty impressive.
They could’ve gone with something based on “automaton”!
Let's rename it: Attacksmith.
@@LarsaXL how about Autosmith?
When Battle Smith first came out, my first thought was "This is what the Beastmaster was supposed to be."
Id play that
Only Artificers I've played with have made battle smiths. Sadly, I didn't really like either character, OR either player. So. Bad experience for me
@@only2comment98damn, so you're judging the subclasses by what seems to be bad players?
Reminder: Small Battle Smiths are small enough to climb on their Steel Defender and use it as a mount. :D
And nothing stops you from reflavoring as a motorbike for example. That how Ace Horsepower was the funniest to play in our steampunk themed one shot
Gnome with a gun riding robot gorilla
So you are talking about pixies, right?
I appreciate that Gnomes and Halflings are classified as Small, but a Gnome can stand four feet tall. A character that size riding another small creature would be very awkward, like a clown on a monkey bike.
Yips in kobold
@@lordzaboem The Steel Defender is Medium. It checks out.
Artificer was such a great addition imo. Adding INT instead of STR to infused weapon attacks meant that it wouldn't suffer the same issues of being spread too thin like the Paladin. Plus it's a other INT based class which was badly needed.
If you think about it this way Hexblade is basically Paladin done right, lol
What do you mean by spread too thin?
That is only for 2 subclasses.
@@snazzyfeathers Paladins are MAD, or Multi-attribute dependent. They need Str and Con to be a front line fighter, but are also a Cha based spell caster. Compare this to Rogues or Wizards who really only need one stat to be effective (Dex or Int) and can place the other stats however they want (still, never dump Con).
I wouldn't personally say they are spread too thin, but understand the criticism. With the other classes, there is more choice available to have different stats and abilities, where the base stats of almost all Paladin builds tend to be very similar.
@@bskec2177 Paladins op man, if they weren’t MAD they wouldn’t be a playable class
The Protector cannon seems to be hugely underrated. Giving out Temp HP as a bonus action every turn can really break a combat.
Agreed, one of the main reasons I will ban any Twilight Cleric. However, the protector cannon can be destroyed, and it doesn't scale for better or worse.
I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't expand on it.
UN...DER ...RATED! Top 3 healers. In a single combat is likely to keep your entire party up through what would otherwise be a total party wipe while never burning a spell slot...
100% agreed, playing an artillerist and it is a bit annoying seeing the difference between me dealing extra damage and me adding to the partie's survaivility is so much heavily in favor of the later option
I made my first Artillerist build the classic "blow 'em up from range" type, but my next video (and final video of the No-Dip Artificer Build Series) is going to use the Protector Cannon... and man, it's wicked good.
Kenku alchemist creates potion of flight.
Tears
Ha ha ha ha
Awwww that is so wholesome!
Kenkus in my group's world regain their minds and creativity while flying. Our alchemist always makes potions of flying for the Kenku Paladin.
@@moodyfingers7301 I really like that!
@@moodyfingers7301 that is so goddamn adorable, how can one comment be so wholesome?!?
The Artillerist comes with an option to have actual Heal-bot.
I’m surprised they didn’t bring up the other Eldritch Cannon options. I played with an Artillerist Artificer who used the temp up option and it was absolutely busted. 1d8 + int mod of temp hp doesn’t seem like much, but the fact that you can use it every turn as a bonus action for an hour can make your party insanely tanky. The hit points don’t stack, but it’s still great for successive turns and it can even be used out of combat to give people temp hp before the combat even starts.
@@jtroxler8 They're very different... that's why I'm doing two different builds for my channel. Just released the Force Ballista video... next build out will be the Protector.
@@Bilbrons-and-Dragons I look forward to seeing your video. And yes very different and when you can just use a bonus action to give temp HP that makes it so much harder for your team to go down.
(FYI RUclips unsubscribed me Bil)
@@leodouskyron5671 Oh? Is there anything I need to do on my end to bring you back? :-)
@@Bilbrons-and-Dragons you are fine even if I don’t always agree with some of your breakdowns you are 👍🏿 I just want to have RUclips stop kicking me off smaller D&D voices. 😂
Playing an armorer, you can get winged boots as an infusion. And truly become iron Man
That's only for old Artificer isn't it? Official artificers can't do that afaik.
@@trustme3321 Why not? It is still on the list of infusions.
That’s what I did in my stream! The Armorer is very cool!
@@tinkerer3399 Because it’s not on the official list (ie. Not Wayfinder’s Guide)?
@@trustme3321 no at level 10 you can replicate winged boots
I've always wanted to make an Artillerist who makes tiny, legged cannons that climb on themselves and latch around their shoulder like Predator
Now those are cookie robots!!!
I did this with my gnome artillerist. I was allowed to create a seat an ride behind the head of the party barbarian, so I spent all my infusions turning him into a Gundam with flight, shields, weapons, and two cannons on his shoulders. Then I would “fly” him around the battlefield firing my magic gun like a really large back rail gun at anything that got in our way.
@@scotlandnoonan1015 This sounds like one of the most epic character combos of all time, both visually and thematically
@@BrandonNeedles Thanks, it was one of the most fun character interaction builds I’ve ever had. DM even allowed me to “fuel” the gundam with a modified alchemy jug that would 2x per day would bestow a random minor magical benefit at the loss of being able to create mayonnaise. (I derailed an encounter too much by doing that once)
@@scotlandnoonan1015 Master Blaster
I thought they got weirdly fixated on the artillerist force ballista and forgot that the protector can throw out 1d8 + INT temp HP TO YOUR WHOLE PARTY! EVERY ROUND! AS A BONUS ACTION! Seriously, the only limit is that they have to be within 10 feet, there's no limit to the number of creatures.
yeah especially in a scary fight i find that Temp HP helps to eat away damage your enemies do to your tank or the weaker characters
I like the idea of the alchemist more than the alchemist. We could’ve ( & should’ve) gotten more than 1D6 worth of options for potions. I was hoping for all sorts of different poisons and potions to brew. Sorta like how the wild mage gets a D100 table of options.
Agreed. The very limited selection of potions combined with the decoupling and nerfing of the alchemical homonculus make it much less interesting and useful both in and out of combat. Nevermind the fact that giving potions in combat will be dependent upon the DM.
I also think the elixir mechanic and how to prep and use them really screwed them over. It's just such a clunky and poorly implemented feature despite supposedly being the main flavor sell of the class.
@@TheEmperorGulcasa yea to me it feels like a PHB subclass with how rushed it feels
@@jwall1646 It really is a shame because the idea of the potion brewmaster who can whip up powerful enhancements or poisons or whatever is a cool one. Even the subclasses idea of a weaker more utility kit focused potion maker isn't awful. They weren't even too far off making it at least solid. But I think they either didn't think through some of the practicalities of potion delivery or they just didn't want to change the baseline potion mechanics.
I wouldn't say that the D100 table belongs to the wild magic sorcerer, it really belongs to the DM. Wild mage has to live with the results! Speaking on behalf of my wizard that just returned his Wand of Wonder to the magick shoppe, I'll go with a little consistency when the chips are on the table.
Alchemist feels like a sidekick class. Warforged armorer is a story in and of itself. Kobold battlesmith riding a steel defender? Tiefling with flames of phlegethos artilerist? Don't forget guys that the artilerist can use the spell storing item for shatters or scorching rays and 10/day use that AND two cannons
Idea for supreme tanking with the battle smith:
1 be a small race
2 take the mounted combatant feat
3 give your steel defender your spell storing item with warding bond
4 have your steel defender cast warding bond on you
5 ride your steel defender into battle
Now you have a bonus to AC and saves and only take half damage from all sources. Your defender takes half the damage you do but can heal itself. And enemies can’t target your mount because of the feat.
that sounds incredibly fun
While I didn't mount my defender I used this same idea to cause it's to be dual DPS tanks
@@MrMakoto2 Check out the Battle Smith video I did for my No-Dip Artificer Build Series. BS might be the very best of the Artificers.
and now your a cowboy on steel horse you ride
I have a character like this but I never thought about using warding bond with it. I'll have to take a look at that.
I'm playing a warforged alchemist now who's one of my favourite characters ever. His lab is built into his body, with a potions dispenser in his abdomen (I named him Keurig). Each of his elixirs, aside from the mechanical effect, delivers some random emotional effect too - no mechanical impact, it's just for roleplay hooks. So you could get an AC bump and a dose of paranoia, or a 10' fly speed and a hefty case of the munchies. (Mostly I used the DMG madness table, toned down a bit.) He himself is a jittery wreck thanks to years of having caffeine, alcohol and who knows what else pumping through his system.
It's not the most powerful option, but it's great fun to role-play, and with the right group, great for everyone else's role-play as well.
Reminds me of Gutrot from Ben 10.
I love the name
Playing an Artillerist: I made a Toolbox of Holding that also acts as my Eldrich Cannon.
You made Coco from RWBY?
Kaboom? - Rico
@@starsgears9200 I was so going to say that.
Sounds like you put all your eggs in one basket.
But you have a basket that can fit a LOT of eggs.
Who needs a self-destruct when the first time it takes damage it explodes onto the astral plane!
I am running a game where one of my players is playing a Armoror and another is playing and Ancestral Guardian Barb. They have the combo of both hitting an enemy making them have disadvantage on all attacks due to the interaction between Thunder Gauntlets and Ancestral Protectors. I have learned not to throw single big enemies at the party lol
The only other subclass or class with a "true taunt" like that is the Cavalier Fighter. Extra Attacks means that any combo that has two or more PCs with a hard taunt mechanic lets them basically disable 2 or more foes.
Hah! I have that combo in the Rime of the Frost Maiden campaign I'm running
That barbarian is MADE for single enemies.
@@benjoffe948 There is also the classic combo of sentinel and polearm master. If you hit with the bonus reaction you can end an enemies turn before he gets to attack. Then on your turn attack and back up 5 feet. Great Weapon Master is also good with this setup as you can get the +10 damage on all attacks even the bonus action attack, though you might not want to use GWM for the sentinel hit.
I would talk to them and tell them you treat that like sentinel, their abilities do not overlap.
Sentinel explicitly has langue to prevent actions like this, and it isn't unreasonable for this abilities to have this over lap. If you as the dm are still having fun though, than go for it. Remember DMs are players too and your fun should not be discounted.
Armorer basically, depending on the campaign, can have a level 3 character with 18 AC. With a shield you get 20, and with Magic Initiate and taking shield you can easily get 25. The class is bonkers and I really wanna play this.
All that plus no disadvantage on stealth for the infiltrator suit. It's a dope af subclass
Magic Initiate is a good idea. My Armorer multiclassed into War Wizard for the extra defensive options and spell slots. I infuriate my DM by being next to impossible to tag with my Cloak of Distortion.
You're forgetting the enchanted defense infusion, which you can add to an armor or shield for +1 or +2, that then doubles at level 10.
Battlesmith with 14 dex and half plate is just one AC should and you can choose a much wider variety of weapons, including ones that you find in the campaign. With mythril half plate you also lose the disadvantage and can take boots or cloak of elven kind to get advantage on stealth. Imo, battlesmith is way better.
@@xySuperManxy I took magic initiate for my variant human battlesmith, but I kind of wish I just had Artificer initiate instead since they already get great cantrips and a free fairy fire every day would be sweet. An extra tool to have expertise in at level 6 is nice, too.
@Brian, a respectful disagree on the Battlesmith being way better. You get a very good taunt mechanic with Armorer and can attack with int (just like Battle smith) also a +1 ac is huge in 5e the reason warforged are one of the best races.bonus action temp hp and extra infusions and a superb spell list as compared to a (admittedly pretty good) robot battle dog. I would take Armorer in most cases except multi classing into Bladesinger or EK
As a Gnome Battle Smith I can't speak high enough on the Steel Defender Reaction.
I have felt like a battlefield General. It's fantastic.
Also, as a small character, you have access to probably the best mount in the game as it's immune to exhaustion. Are you ranged or melee?
@@danboud8135 I did a Kobold battle smith that relied on fire bolt. A Kobold riding a steel fox into battle shooting fire at everything.
I’m gnome battle smith and I rock a magical shotgun. You literally become the biggest threat. I dish out some dumb damage
How many creatures can you have? Or automatons i should say
@@danboud8135 I have Both a have a Standard 1d8 pistol and a Staff of Striking my DM Rolled.
Alchemist as a combat medic works really well with the Homunculus Servant infusion since they can use it to deliver important Touch spells from up to 120 feet away.
What I love about the artificer is that it doesn’t need to be as high-tech as it first seems.
I am planning on playing a gnome battle smith, who is basically a druid. He knows healing spells, and enchants items. Best of all, his steal defender can be flavored as a cute earth elemental or treant, that lets him ride on its back.
An artillerist could be a wizard, who has floating glass-balls around them. The balls can shoot fire or project an aura of protection, and I always liked the idea of floating balls of destruction under your control. (I know they can’t technically fly, but ask your DM if you can make them float 3-6 ft above the ground)
An alchemist could be a witch, or a sage that brews potions and enchants weapons (you could basically play Deckard Cain from Diablo)
With the armorer I had a bit of trouble coming up with what it could be in a fantasy world, probably because I’m getting such an Iron Man vibe from it. But you could be a shaman that protects its body covering it in an armor made of stones and rocks, maybe barks. You can’t be iron man, but you can be stone man.
All in all, the Artificer is an awesome class with even more awesome subclasses. The flavor and gameplay possibilities are just glorious.
Love these ideas! I played a Lizardfolk Artillerist whose inventions and arcane turrets were mostly made by weaving copper wire around the bones thematically appropriate creatures (a cobra, a pseudodragon, and a turtle for the turrets). He also cast Cure Wounds by injecting his allies with a healing salve from a viper's fanged skull. He was a TON of fun to play!
This step away from the "arcano-punk" Eberron-ish aesthetic (which I do like) the Artificer has always seemed to have in my mind is refreshing, particularly with your Artillerist example. I'm imagining a wizard who blurs science and magic together so effectively it's difficult to tell one from another, and so you get to RP both simultaneously. Brilliant.
For Armorer I thought of having a magical knight, with runes engraved on their armor, granting them extra strength.
For a fantasy based armorer, I loved the idea of replacing limbs, so I made an artificer armorer who lost his legs, but got fused (against his will) with a magical armor that can replace his legs, but also serve as a funnel for his magical ability.
I love the idea of a warforged armorer, flavour it as some sort of rock golem or living tree and just whack people, or use the magical gems on your chest or arms to shoot lightning
As someone in the party with a Battle Smith: Steel Defender is a blessing. It has saved my cleric's ass so many times.
I often send my Steel Defender over to our bard to protect him from attacks, if I haven't sent her to the frontlines for pecking/kicking the enemies.
As that Battle Smith in my party we joke that my Defender lives off eating the Nat 20s he screws up on our DM by throwing that disadvantage at him
Am I the only one that feels we need something like a ¾ caster that caps out at 7th level spells? I think artificer would have been a great candidate for something like this. Being a ½ caster really feels like it hampers the class and leaves it below par at later levels. Having access to level 7 spells would close that gap while still limiting it's maximum end game power
I can see that! There are certain classes that feel like their magical potential extends further than the 1/2 caster boundary.
@@dcoffinh Back in 3.5, an interesting 3/4s caster was the Factorum, though I suspect if we ever see it again it will be as a Bard subclass.
Deffs needs a 3/4 caster subclass at least.
Only real advantage artificers have is being able to outfit your party cheaply if you have downtime.
I agree, I think Artificer would would have benefited from 7th level spells to put it on par with other classes.
yeah past 10th level it doesn't have too much to offer
kobold with mounted combatant riding on his steel defender. always having pack tactics and with mounted combatant you can force attacks on to you and with deflect attack can force disadvantage while the attacker is within 5ft of you
So basically you have Foresight on at all times. Nice.
@@KCSutherland well, you still have sunlight sensitivity and steel defender has only 1 reaction so only 1 roll is at disatvantage and only on attacks within 5ft of the steel defender which is 99% melee attacks. so not quite foresight but a budget version of it
and you can play a close combat lance without the disadvantage.
and since dungeons are mostly not in bare sunlight, you should be good with the sunlight sensitivity
@@SwissStrawberry i would prefer a javelin with returning weapon so i have a ranged option and also you are immune to disadvantage because pack tactics cancels it out
@@kelvinvoorneveld7265 but the lance gives you that sweet sweet d12 to roll. and also if you have a small or tiny enemy you gain advantage because of the feat. if you need advantage against medium creatures, just use enlarge on the steel defender and enjoy the extra dmg and fun to show them the fearsomeness of a kobold :D
You screwed over the Artillerist by not talking about the protector that is what is op about it free hp is dope
Not to mention the flexibility of switching between different cannon types with a spell slot, which, by the mid and late game, is almost certainly a more valuable use of a 1st level slot than any 1st level spell would be. Give everybody the temporary hit points at the beginning of the day (and potentially again immediately after a fight if you want) and then switch to whichever offensive option you expect will be most appropriate before you start a fight. Really helps to make up that difference from the fact that a half caster needs to bring something to the table besides their spellcasting in order to remain relevant, especially as the campaign progresses. The Alchemist just doesn't do much in or out of combat, other than contribute half as well as any full caster.
@@dylandugan76 the fact there is no limit to the number of creatures that can receive those temp hp shouldn’t be understated either. You can buff a small freaking army with this ability.
@@logancuster8035 a small army of 8 creatures since the range is 10’, and all character player options eat up 5’ of space in squares, and RAW states creatures *cannot* share space on the battle field.
@@markfarnsworth3340 But then they move, and another 8 come in range...
And they are 9, one of them has the protector in hand.
Giving your main tank character a Protector to carry can negate a huge amount of damage in a fight, which always stays with them - even if you have to split the party.
Can’t believe they didn’t mention that the armor replacing limbs is like darth vader
Yes. Villain time.
They did 👍
Automail
This is really handy if your DM arms your nemesis with Sword of Sharpness. Those things lop off limbs daily.
Armorer: Oh, that's alright, I'll just have a new weapon in there for the next time we meet!
@@Skarpo89 oh you are a genius
I just wish the alchemist potions had more unique effects instead of being washed down versions of existing spells
Agreed it definitely is lacking at later levels. I mean between levels 1 to 6 its okay, but after that it kind of falls flat. You would think your Alchemist would improve their elixirs to be more potent and have more elixirs available to them later on
@@snazzyfeathers maybe they should have gone a similar rout to the spirits bard, where you unlock new potion options as you level up, so they could be more powerful without having balance issues
@@ariagrumpy8254 interestingly I commented essentially exactly the same thing re the comparison to spirits bard on a different thread in this video. If lots of people are coming to that conclusion, it is surprising wotc didn’t think of it
I wouldn't mind a bigger list, but honestly if they just added a damage based potion and scaled it, it would be fine imo.
Elixirs to restore spell slots would be amazing
I think it could be an interesting thing to watch them collect all the D tier subclasses and do a 'Here is an idea to make it not suck" I know that the Beast Master Ranger got a wonderful revisit in Tasha's.
Kelly's hair is pretty awseome
For real his hair's fuckin on point
Yeah - very sexy guy who just woke up vibes.
The fourth Bee Gee
I was trying to resist saying that. I watch these guys for the content, and I'm reluctant to disrespect these guys by focusing on appearance, but I got a kick out of that gorgeous hair when it finally came out from under the hats!
@@elizabethrowe5960 I recall Kelly being grateful when he got some nice comments about the beautiful moustache he had for a bit, so it should be all good
Oh, and as a separate comment I just wanna say that Artificer is actually the best half caster in the game. Here's why:
- Spells prepared instead of spells known.
- Casting at level 1.
- Player decided magic items.
- A subclass for every role. (And if you like smite or sneak attack, be battle smith for arcane jolt)
- Spell Storing item. (If you get there, its 10 free casts of cure wounds, invisibility, see invisibility, like, literally everything 2nd or lower, sure lvl 11 to get it but so good.
- More attunement slots than EVERY other class.
You forgot two things:
- The only half-caster that learns cantrips.
- The only caster that can swap out cantrips.
@@Revoltine Without the optional features yes, but the wizard can get the optional feature Cantrip Formulas to swap their cantrips after a long rest
@@maid_of_heart3261 which book gave you that feat. I don't remember reading it...
@@DLOFT002 It's not a feat, it's an optional class feature introduced in Tasha's
They can also use their reaction to give bonuses to party members without using spell slots.
An underestimated feature of the Artillerist is the Protector subtype for the cannon. 1d8 + Intelligence modifier can really help everyone out. It can do this an infinite number of times and it can just give the frontliners additional durability and basically lets them shrug off any lower damage and prevents wear down. Personally, with that, I find the Artillerist to be a strong A and not a weak one.
I think that they missed a trick with the Artillerist. You can have your tiny cannon ride on the shoulder of the party tank and be a flamethrower! Still an A subclass :).
predator or doomslayer?
@@christophermonteith2774 doomslayer, predator would be the force ballista..
@@SkarmoryThePG good point
you can also use Catapult on it to launch it into a group of enemies and then use the flame cone. does hurt it but its a fun tactic
Recently strapped my tiny flamethrower to a teafling druid, that had wild changed to a rat to help scout some sewers. I'm playing a wood elf artificer. I had to be just far enough behind with some disguise self or no trace, and boom. I keep my druid safe, and get to burn some nosy whiskers if they don't give us the info we need.
Love the content, very clean and thorough. Started getting into DnD in January, started DM'ing in February. My favorite channel hands down, you guys are great
Check out Matt Colville
Just finished a Curse of Strahd campaign as an Alchemist. One of the things I found was that the Alchemical Savant feature is surprisingly powerful in the context of Healing Word specifically. It was a guaranteed 9 HP restored on a roll of 1 with 18 INT because it basically allowed you to add double your ability modifier to the roll. Then, being able to follow that up with an Experimental Elixir that grants 2d4+INT healing and an additional 2d6+INT temp HP from Restorative Reagents, all without falling afoul of spellcasting restrictions, I was often a stronger healer than the cleric... With the limitation that as a partial caster I couldn't keep my spell slots free to be 100% reliable. But I'll keep as bragging rights that our party did manage to kill Strahd and I left the room with more HP than I entered it with.
I do think that the Experimental Elixir is not quite enough to balance against the benefits that the other subclasses get, though. It doesn't even make thematic sense. What, am I just blindly dumping ingredients into a pot and hoping for the best? They do become very strong when they start adding Temp HP, but the Alchemist's strong spellcasting focus would probably have been better served with either more spell slots, or some way to recover spell slots, because I always felt like I was the one forcing the party to rest so I wasn't completely out of gas all the time.
Elixirs would be fine if they lasted for 24 hours instead of to the next long rest and scaled with the spell slot used so they're essentially something you do with all your remaining spell slots right before you take a long rest.
My gut reaction to the artificer was disappointment and I never thought I'd play one. But after watching this video I took another look at the class and now I'm incredibly hyped about it. Thanks for the new perspective!
lots of fun choices both in subclass and infusions. just wish we had more infusion slots
I felt the same way! Then I did my No-Dip Artificer Build Series for my own channel, and having run the numbers, it turns out the base chassis is frickin' eye-popping. Some people have called my Infiltrator build the strongest ranged martial out there, and the Artillerist I just did BLOWS AWAY my Elite DPR Baseline (of Fighter + Fighting Style: Archery + XBE + SS)!
Bottom Line: Artificer is SO GOOD.
@@Bilbrons-and-Dragons Checking it out. You sound just like Treantmonk lol
@@jackdizzy123 Ha ha, that's a heckuva compliment! Many thanks :-)
I wwas disappointed with the full release artificer because I had planned a character with the UA artificer alchemist that focussed on the many handed pouch and the homunculus servant. Unfortunately the many handed pouch was removed and the homunculus servant is now a feature of a different subclass.
But the class is still bomb.
My all time favorite character build in 5e has been, by far, my Warforged Artificer Armorer. Having every infusion and armor feature be flavored as being incorporated into my warforged's body as this self-improving sentient terminator is just endlessly enjoyable on every level.
Reminder that a level 10 Armorer Artificer can achieve 30+ AC.
How so? Plate armor (18) + shield (2) + Enhanced Defense/Repulsion Shield (2)... what else contributes? Besides Cloak/Ring of Protection, which aren’t in the Artificer infusion list at level 10
@@crabs4sale825 Haste and the Shield spell as a reaction. I think that gets you there.
@@jshiroff Armorers don't get shield as a spell, battle smiths do tho
@@jackdizzy123 magic initiate
There's a common misread that I think you're using for that calculation. The Armour Modifications ability doesn't allow you to increase the number of times you can use a particular infusion, it increases the number of your known infusions that you can have active at the same time. You are still locked to each infusion only being able to be used once. So no, you can't have 3 Enhanced Defence infusions running.
Armorer and Artificer is hands down my favorite subclass/class in DnD. Such a great addition to the game
With the eldritch cannon you can do what i did and strap it to your Tortle shell and make a Blastoise.
Interesting. I had alchemist rated higher, specifically when using the Homunculus to apply your potions. The action economy + concentration economy is impressive.
Can the homunculus servant apply the elixirs to other people? I'm playing an alchemist and I never thought of that
@@matthewmiller1847 good question. The answer is DM discretion because there is a ton of contradictory sage advice. The confusion is mainly around the idea drinking a potion isn't "use an object" to avoid "fast hands" allowing bonus action potions. Technically there is no "use a potion" action in the PHB, it's only described in the DMG, and then sage advice has said it's it own thing. Since it isn't listed for players, it obviously wont be listed for a Homunculus, hence DM discretion. My DM, and most DMs I've met with, allow it. I would sell it in two parts. 1. Is the creature capable? The Homunculus can provide the help action, which means they are capable of assisting on complicated tasks. 2. Is it appropriate? If your artificer is an alchemist, wouldn't they design their intelligent creation to deliver potions? Tasha's literally describes some Homunculus as a floating cauldron, which I think fits the idea thematically.
@@Valwryn00 I definitely think my DM would allow it. My homunculus is definitely capable too. It is shaped like a hummingbird with a propeller instead of wings and the bottom of it carries vials while the "beak" is a syringe used for injections. Whenever I cast a spell through it I flavor it as the homunculus injected the spell through the syringe so I don't see why I can't deliver elixirs the same way
@@matthewmiller1847 I am very confused by Valwryn's response, but the truth of the matter there is nothing stopping your summons from administering potions. An artificer using a Bonus Action refers to giving the Homunculus a specific order that the summon can perform with their own Action, rather than using the Bonus Action to administer the potion themselves as per Fast Hands. That means that the actual administration of a potion happens with your summon's Action, and can be applied the exact same way as it would with a player using their main Action to administer the potion to another creature, so it works in accordance with DMG rules.
More shenanigans like that allow your pets to attune to equipment and use magical items, and can benefit from the Spell-Storing Item feature at level 11. You can literally give your Homunculus a Spell-Storing ring of Cure Wounds, Melf's Acid Arrow or Shatter to cast in combat for you.
@@Deltajugg I knew about the spell-storing item with the homunculus but I haven't reached that level yet (if I do at all). Weird I thought of that interaction and not my elixirs. I definitely plan on using Melf's Acid Arrows or Cure Wounds for spell storing though.
So excited. Alchemist is probably my favourite subclass. I’m also aware it isn’t very good- will be cool to see your insight in it! :)
Same
It isn't "very good" in a generalist sense. I'm not a big fan of Alchemist but the Artificer is my second most played class, and I can say that the subclass will shine best under a certain type of campaign and a certain type of DM.
It's not the subclass feats that fail it but the weaknesses in the 5e gameplay mechanic, IMO. Incorporating a crafter archetype with crafting-related feats as part of its core but lacking a dedicated crafting system and a rather tedious material search and collection system throws half of what makes the subclass down into the abyss. Couple that with what's left of its feats just being mediocre on its own without the crafting-centric half of the subclass and you're left with subpar performance in non-homebrew campaigns.
In terms of flavor the Artificer is definitely my favorite especially a Warforged Artificer and with Tasha's changes being able to take their +2 to con and add it to intelligence instead its really great. An armorer or artillerist warforged being able to basically build a cannon directly into their arm is great for flavor ahaha
@@Revoltine I think that the main potions mechanic is a bit lacking. I would’ve really liked to have seen a mechanic like the spirits bard, where at higher levels you’ve got access to a larger table of potions. The fact that you are an alchemist and you can’t learn to create more/different potions just feels odd.
I don’t think the crafting mechanics are great and they don’t help, but I think the subclass just lacks the extra little bit of something.
Definitely agree that artificers are pretty great though!
@@maybevoldemort8995 Maybe there are revised alchemist UA builds out there that have an expanded potion list. It is definitely lacking at later levels.
The bless potion that stacks with bless spell is too good.
:O
The Armorer is my personal favorite Artificer subclass, but I feel like it’s worth pointing out for the Battle Smith that it gains proficiency with martial weapons which mends really well with the Artificers ability to ignore requirements when attuning to magical items.
I just know when I ran an artillerist I was out tanking and out damaging the two paladins in the party and I had a blast playing it.
13:46 In Fallout 4 there is a Brotherhood of Steel npc who is basically the head engineer that is in charge of power armour maintenance and upgrades etc. She is actually missing her legs from the mid-thighs down so she is almost always in a power armour frame for mobility and such. Could be a cool idea to steal for your Armourer, provided you are starting at level 3 upwards.
Fullmetal Alchemist anime's Elric brothers have certain mobility challenges to overcome ..
Imagine talking about the Battle Smith getting Smite spells, Aura spells, Extra Attack, a free Steed, and mini Divine Smite, only to then describe it as a new take on the Beastmaster Ranger
I don’t have to imagine it, that’s what we did. It’s the beast master ranger we all wish we had gotten.
It’s more akin to Beastmaster in that it is baked into the subclass rather than a spell any artificer can take and is more useful than the mounts from Find Steed. Rangers get spells like Zephyr Strike and Lightning Arrow which are smite adjacent. Any Paladin can be played without a steed/mount, but Beast Master and Battlesmith can’t (not effectively).
The best part about the artillerist’s cannon is that you can serve as a mount for it when it’s tiny, especially if you just say you built a shoulder perch for it! Go full predator from AvP with their shoulder cannon
Or flavor it as attached to/replacing an arm.
Become Mega Man!
@@Mrryn a pirate with a peg leg, but it’s really a cannon 😂
@@AlexanderBaird If you wanna be cheeky, strap it between your legs and pelvic thrust to fire.
Bonus points if you multiclass Bard 😂
@@Mrryn I remember a Doom Patrol villain who basically did that. He was called Codpiece.
I loved playing a Battlesmith. Loads of versatility and probably the best with a firearm. The steel defender friend is so useful, especially if your character is small and you have it as a mount.
Fun fact: The Artificer can gain a bona fide Familiar (not a Homunculus) without dipping in another class or taking a specific feat. Not bad.
hooray for tattoos!
@@rixaxeno7167 Indeed! Buuuuuuut I'm expecting an errata on this in 3... 2... 1...
spellwrought tattoo is quite handy!
@@MrMakoto2 How come it doesn't show up in Tasha's? I'm afraid that my DM won't allow it because of that. Could be that they nerfed it.
Its on page 135 of TCoE. I don't own a copy but I'm looking at a PDF file
While alchemist isnt the most powerful, getting greater restoration or heal (a 6th level spell for a half caster) for free is great for a half caster. Granted it is a late game ability, but it's great in a pinch.
I think one of the successes of artificers and what the developers should take with them is how the artificer's subclasses change so much compared to many of the other subclasses. For artificers it's your subclass that define your identity more than the baseclass itself, while many subclasses, especially the weaker ones, just add a little cool trick here and there that you can do.
you guys have very quickly become my favorite D&D youtubers, great work!
I wish for the Alchemist you didn't need to use a spell slot to choose which elixir you make
Yeah the potions don't scale either which really seems like an odd oversight.
Could 100% be a sixth or tenth level feature that they get to decide which one
Yeah, randomness is never good. Not being able to choose which potion you produce by default is not tactically advantageous or strategically reliable. It might be forgiveable if the potions had overwhelmingly powerful effects for the level, but they're honestly pretty mediocre to begin with and don't scale up at all.
@@dylandugan76 I agree. Maybe at first it would be okay to be random but at a later level like say level 6 you improve as an Alchemist and can make more stable better potions
The only random potion is the first one. Spell slots let you create additional potions, not affect the one free potion
I think that the idea of the alchemist throwing fireballs and explosive concoctions could be its own subclass for the artificer, named suitably as the demolitionist
Such a great base class, hard to go wrong. I played an Alchemist and dear lord the sheer amount of utility combined with a beefy healing word is A+.
Btw, don't think that feature was given enough credit. Adding your int as flat numbers to your healing on a healing word will regularly be the difference between ally taking a hit and going right back down and ally being able to tank their next hit. The bonus damage on your cantrips and such is nice but it's the bonus healing that is really really good in practice.
Can you please do a “How to play” for the artificer class as whole? Make one from the ground up to level 5 and show how everything is used and what to take. The class is so confusing and as a new DM, I need to know this class better
I love the Artificer, so versatile. This is the true jack-of-all-trades class. Each subclass is so different from the others. No other class is so well defined by it's subclass.
I don't know how I missed that Mage the Ascension book in the background over all the other videos I've watched before now.
You have no idea how much anticipation I've been waiting with for this video from you guys!
Evocation Wizard: Who are you?
Artillerist: I'm you but better (puts on sunglasses as the turret explodes a building behind them)
This was the one I was waiting for! I love playing Artificers!
Alchemist's 5th level ability deserved a little more attention. Healing Word healing d4+10 is strong as hell
Agreed.
Not to mention mass healing word!
By the time you have say 20 in intelligence (in order to get that +5 bonus twice) any enemy that hits you or a party member is probably going to be doing at least 14 damage per hit. That little bit of extra healing is not going to make much difference.
@@dnddetective Not everyone plays completely Point buy, and builds with a maxed stat from lvl 3-4 are not unnusual based on tables I play/DM. Even so, it's consistency. By that logic no healing is ever worth it, but trying to play with no healers/support is a nightmare.
@@dnddetective okay, but at 5th level your healing word is better than any clerics outside of maybe life domain. You're really saying that you don't like healing word at all, which is a pretty controversial take.
I am usually not the tiers guy, but you are making and delivering them in a very enjoyable way :D Good stuff!
I have an idea for an artificier focused on magical scrolls/runes. He'd be an alchemist making magical ink that would channel his magic, and runes written with it could direct it to create specific effects, which are just spells. Flavor can do anything.
Artificer is one of my favorite classes in the game. It has so much utility and variety that I never feel restricted about what role I can play in the party. My favorite is the Armorer specifically because of its 9th level ability, but a close second is the Battle Smith, because let's be honest who doesn't love a robot dog sidekick
The iron defender RAW can grapple or shove as a bonus action( as long as you made it with hands) the fact that it is a rebuildable construct makes this playstyle one of the strangest and maybe one of the strongest of the wildly diverse grappling builds availible in 5e.
I had a blast with the Alchemist with a small modification approved by my DM. Your potion creation is NOT random, you choose what you’re making. And they scale with your level.
I"VE BEEN WAITING SOO LONG FOR THIS THANK YOU SO MMUCH!
Also, Kelly's Hair looks amazing
Thank you i have wanted too see this video for a while and im happy to know your guys ideas on the artificer and there subclasses.
Love my Alchemist! The extra spell list isn't all that exciting, but making all the spells and elixirs based on recipes is a load of fun and lends a LOT to interacting with the campaign setting: writing a menu for my elixirs is always a blast.
It gets to the point that when my DM needs to slow down the pacing, all he needs is to ask what I'm doing, and out comes the pots and pans!
Haha, Sounds like your Dm is having fun
Along with the rest of the party
The steel defender is immune to exhaustion. Make it a quadruped and have it pull your kart through the night. Mobile sleeping.
I had not thought of that. Thank you!
Ok, that's golden
You can sleep in a moving cart over a bumpy fantasy road?
Yeah, yeah, I would probably allow it too if I were the DM. If I were the player and the DM objected, I would totally understand.
@@lordzaboem i can barely sleep in my bed with no sound.
But ive had friends fall asleep in concerts where i could FEEL the sound waves.
So i guess some people just buily different
Better yet, be Small and ride it into battle
thanks i appreciate the detail and length of your videos
Absolutely amazing as always!
So pumped for these
I love my hobgoblin armorer. Even when he's out of spellslots, being a level 3 with a +1 weapon feels pretty good.
Ya'll missed a bit with arcane jolt, you and your defender can both use it on hit as the defender isnt running on your turn it has its own turn immediately after you. So at 15 you hit once and heal someone for 4d6 attack again then command defender with ba. Defenders turn it walks up and hits letting you heal for another 4d6.
Omg, I didn't even realize this and I've been playing a Battle Smith for over a year now. This totally changes how I'm going to use my Arcane Jolt from now on. I guess I didn't think of it, because my DM lets me intertwine my steel defender's turn with my own. So all along I've sort of just been thinking of her as my bonus action, and not my bonus action to activate something that has its own action.
my favorite part about the class is how much it encourages flavoring, like everything from how the form the spells take are left somewhat vague to the different subclasses, like how the steel defender can take any form you want it to
Spell storing item + homunculus does work for giving your homunculus one spell of 1st or 2nd level that has a casting time of 1 action. Cure wounds makes it a literal healbot. Concentration free invisibility, faerie fire or heat metal.. It also works with steel defender
B or not, Alchemist is my favorite still. I really enjoy the theme of fancy and somewhat random potion shenanigans. Also shooting out potion "spells" out of my custom "revolver gauntlet" (reskinned magic crossbow since all Artificers want/need a magic weapon of their own creation for some base class features).
I'm sorry. Mechanically Alchemist SUCKS. Which other subclass has to spend spell slots to activate their primary ability? Now if you're enjoying it then it is awesome! You do you friend
@@khyron96 if players are creative Alchemists can be very fun to play. Just because they're not a tank or does a ton of damage doesn't make them a great class. The humonculos alone is damn useful, especially if you use the ring of spell storing to deal damage to enemies and your elixers to to tip onto other players to give them a boon or a top up heal (or if you bought greater healing potions those are handy too) with your bonus action is extremely versatile, something the beatmaster & familiars can't do. Ring of spell storing might not be worth it for a battle smith but the option is there, especially when you can make that ring so early in the game without having to hunt for it in a dungeon praying your DM gives it to you.
great content my bruhs! Thank you for such thorough in depth strategy discussion... keep the juices flowing guys :D And dont forget to rest, and maintaining mental health
Thank you guys love your videos and I'm playing an artificer artillirest which is rediculously powerful for a half caster the artificer has fastly become my favourite class to play again thank you guys for the entertainment and some of videos have made me a much better DM
i like playing small character as battle smiths, because then you can ride your steel defender. you have a literal tank. its great.
Especially as a kobold with pact tactics ;)
@@buckhunt6832 except Tasha’s removed pact tactics from the Kobold race as I recall.
@@donalddouds6033 are you required to use the Tashas version?
@@buckhunt6832 hard to say but the pack tactics for a player race was deemed a tad broken (much like the Mystic class from UA). Ultimately it is up to the players and DM as there really aren’t rules, but merely guidelines.
@@donalddouds6033 anything can be broken if you try hard enough I feel like. Like the players that want to break the game, WILL break the game eventually. If it's their goal, they will accomplish it
Just starting up a new campaign with an artificer artillerist this weekend!
Great breakdown. So excited i decided on this class for upcoming campaign because I wanted to play an Alchemist and instead found all these amazing builds.
This is so timely! I’m just starting a campaign as an artificer this Sunday! I was originally planning to go Armorer, but looking at party dynamics I’ll probably end up Alchemist.
Battlesmith is my favorite subclass in the entire game. It really lets me feel a bit like a spellblade but with a techno/steampunk theme, and with the Repeating Shot infusion on my heavy crossbow I can reflavor it into a rifle that all of my spells come out of.
begging Monty to go a single video without mentioning Sharpshooter, Polearm Master, or Great Weapon Master
Another great breakdown. Thanks guys.
I played a changling alchemist who was an artist, all of their spells and infusions were created by him mixing paints and chemicals then literally painting them into existance
Hey that’s a cool idea actually!
I think the alchemist has great roleplaying and problem-solving potential, which makes it hard to rate as it can really help a party, but it depends a lot on the player imo
Playing a Herengon Artificer (raised by Dwarves). Just leveled up to 3rd, so watched this video to help decide which subclass to choose. Leaning toward Artillerist, although Armourer is not out of the running yet. Thanks for the great comparisons!
Been waiting on this for a while! I play a Battle Smith in my long-term campaign and enjoy it so much. With armor infusions you really don't miss the tankiness of other classes
Do you think you are tanky enough to be the meat shield for a party full of casters?
I was debating it vs an armorer or just rolling a barb, fighter or pally.
Their hair game was on point today.
I am currently DM'ing for an Armorer Artificer. I've added some flavor in some of the items available to my player in that she is able to create items for her party. She just recently gained the ability to create magically infused ammunition for the use of our parties gunslinger and I think I will eventually incorporate the ability to infuse and enhance the gear of our other party members. I am looking to foster a sense of team work among my players by providing them each with items and abilities that help to bolster each others abilities and I've been enjoying watching them discuss how to use these items. Just an idea for any DMs of artificers out there!
This could not have come sooner. I just started diving into Artificers yesterday.
I am about to make an Artificer thank you for this video it really helped me understand the subclasses and I was able to choose the one that best suits my characters build.
Love your sense of style Kelly, the ranking is also good 😛
It seems as if you shouldn't use autofocus on your camera.
It sucks when the focus is on the books behind you. :(
Playing a Vedalken Armorer and loving it!
Absolutely love the concept of an artificer. Played one for a two-shot and loved it
So no part 4 for the wizard tier list ya Killin me guys ya Killin me 😭😭
It'll come, but it's at the end of the alphabetized list.
@@bigdream_dreambig A definitely comes before W. They should have started with Artificer, but instead they withheld to cover it under tashas rulings... they also decided to put off the tashas wizard subclasses until last for part 4... but instead of just finishing what they started, they moved onto a whole other class. It's kinda bogus and people are allowed to be a tad salty.
@@Orl-Lurk Not bogus at all. First they covered all official non-Tasha's subclasses alphabetically by class, and now they're covering all Tasha's subclasses alphabetically by class. Perfectly ordered and logical. Anyone who's "salty" is just throwing a tantrum because they didn't get what _they_ wanted first.
@@bigdream_dreambig Well, they only said multiple times across the 2 videos that they'd do 4 parts to the wizard, but instead of mentioning up front that they would not only be covering bladesinger and scribes last of the wizard videos, but last of ALL the videos, they just glazed right over it and carried on.
Go back a couple subclass reviews. They never even mention finishing wizard after they do EVERY tashas subclass review first. Ordered alphabetically/chronologically? Sure. Logically? Stretching. Shafting fans of Bladesinger or Scribes? Definitely.
@@Orl-Lurk No stretch at all. Go back _more_ than a couple reviews. They've said through all the subclass videos -- not just the wizard ones -- that they would do the Tasha's subclasses after they finished the others. They're not "shafting" anyone.