# Forum > Gaming > Roleplaying Games > D&D 5e/Next >  Armourer Grappler.

## MrStabby

I was wondering if armourer might make a surprisingly good basis for a grappler?  At least at medium levels.

So armourer has a few things going for it.  Really high armour class, should you want it.  If you are getting an enemy and needing to be right up intheir face to do your thing, then this is a big deal.

Secondly being able at level 10 to pick up gauntlets of ogre power means you can transition from a normal melee tank to something more specialised and to still dump strength.

Thirdly, you can get winged boots - a grapple is all the more fun for being able to drop someone from a great height.

Fourthly, your standard mode of operation is going to leave you with an empty gauntlet for at least one hand.  If you want to switch from hitting something to holding them, there is no dropping of weapons s or drawing new ones to switch back.

Fifthly, two attacks- not that special but so useful if you want to grapple and shove on the same turn (for example).

Sixthly - the spells. Enlarge/reduce and enhance ability are already on the artificer list.

I tend to find that one of the big problems with grapple builds is that they are overspecialised - you face fire elementals or purple worms and you run into difficulties - your one thing isn't working.  An armourer artificer should be plenty versatile anyway and well able to have a solid plan B.

Here, I would just suggest playing as a normal artificer till level 10 and then pull this out as a nifty additional ability.  By level 10 you should have maxed Int and can start to take feats to support this playstyle or possibly a few dips in other classes.

I might have just been living under a rock, but I don't recall having seen much discussion of the artificer as a grappler before (ok, maybe not a dedicated grappler but just a class good at grappling).

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## Kane0

Dont forget the Armor of Magical Strength infusion, which you can pick up at level 6 to add Int to grapple checks up to six times per day.

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## stoutstien

Yea at higher levels most artifices can make competent grapplers. I'd prefer battle Smith for the extra shove grapple attempt built in over armorer tho.

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## Dork_Forge

The anarchist in me proposes a Battle Rager/Armorer MC with either a dip or feat to grab Unarmed Fighting.

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## solidork

I played a Beasthide Shifter Armorer that had base Strength of 14 and expertise in Athletics. With Flash of Genius and Armor of Magical Strength I could get up to a +16 when the campaign ended. It wasn't something I did every fight, but when it was a good idea I was pretty effective at it. 

This was my first real attempt to play a "tank" and I was pretty successful.

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## Person_Man

Battlesmith Artificer might be better, because your Steel Defender can Help to give you Advantage when you need it, or extra DPR when you dont.  Plus the at-will Deflect Attack is one of the best defenses around.  But yeah, the basic concept of an melee Artificer with Expertise in Athletics and buffs from its magic items and spells is going to work fairly well.

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