Why take kensei over stalwart defender?

[Emili]

You don't need OTWF on a kensai, as you really shouldn't have problems hitting - just drop it and put a tactical feat in its place. But yes, the weapon feats needed for kensai are still worth having on another fighter - they're not required, but bonuses to hit and damage are useful to any melee if you can fit them in.

Standard fighter feat choices aren't going to differ that much, outside of the what's needed for the PREs, so you don't really need to see a 'Stalwart' build. You'll save 3 or 4 feats by going SD 3 instead of Kensai 3.

... as long as you're may maintain a +61 to-hit -pre buffed. Anything below that and you're no longer tactic either. You must hit to land tactics. Epic end game require a constant 60+ to 70's to hit to actually make your tactic DCs useful. You're not rolling a stunning, sundering nor tripping DC unless you're hitting first and am sorry if your to-hit is sub 60 you're wasting your time attempting them.

Mine stands at +66 before PA is on and believe it or not I noticed a in game drop in my tactics when I removed Spring attack because I am a mover not a stanf in place (I hate standinging in one place am a fidgity doll I suppose) and I had to place it back.

Yes... I'm sorry if you're sub 60 to-hit unbuffed and planning around tacticals you need to be a monk not a kensei fighter... least with those you have the speed and turn around time to regain and land the tactic quicky, 10 sec cooldown just is not cool on a kensei unless you manage to hit and land the tactic least 60%...

The major concern I have at the moment with Kensei are HP and DR... tactics + PrE take up feat slots where DS can add in DPS and some HP then with stance gain up it all... Then tactics themselves - only applicable on trash mob/orange all of which easily controlled via mana and other means. I no longer get excited 'bout tripping, stunning or even sundering even the epic orange named as usually it's webbed or dancing in a second.

Take Epic LoB - you are not tanking that without 800+ hp. So's a DS, DoS or even barb make the grade for tank and for off tank - switches - is best to have a second DS, DoS or barb ... a twf kensei with more than one toughness feat and are missing keys to tacticals (a goal in the PrE)... Playing a kensei in there you're also at a grave disadvantage as a dps - your boosts are numbered and you're in a prolonged fight which often passes well over an hour... now we're speaking resource management, I have to manage spurts and is worse than managing clerical resources in that quest. The barbs, monks and rangers are actually a better DPS class to take in there... This was why a while back I asked opinion on this forum about an idea if it may be a decent idea to place a timed regen for these boosts - to which most answered no. Then there's gearing amp/dps items like eClaw also sport threat... you find yourself taking things down to adjust to the tank.

IMHO... Kensei is a second class dead PrE in end game at the moment, and I speak of this from the perspective of REAL end-game epics eMA and eLoB - the rest of the Epics ARE NOT. DS is fine in all content as stands, the DPS diefferences are NOT that grave when considering gearing the DS towards DPS in those times when not being AGRO magnet and the PrE is far more survivable. Even if we take a look at something simple as an elite shroud ... that DS has a better chance of running out of the blades post u12.

Keep in mind kensai also get access to rage and madstone that a stalwart can't use while in stance. So the str score is often much higher and the con is usually the same as a stalwart.

Having a lev 20 kensai and stalwart I can say the dps is much more than a few points more dmg.

Are we madstoned on back of eLoB? chances are no... first he's pounding the tank an' usually you do not want to. Do you need these things for trash? Simply put no... Rages are best served by spell or barb.

Kensia is still adding a fair bit more DPS with the additional damage on your weapon for tiers I and II and the increased crit range on tier III.
Total +4 of you compared DS in stance vs Kensei Boost outside improved threat easily made up for with gear in many cases.

Kensai offers more to-hit.
The PrE's saving grace

Kensai offers quite a bit more damage with extra uses of Haste Boost (and Human Damage Boost if you go that route).
Short lived boosts are becomming passe with high HP boss' an' prolonged end fights.

Kensai offers better tactics DCs.
Trash cleaners which any class may do easily... even my SS bard.

If you are comfortable with your HP where it is, but want DPS, Kensai is still the winner for most content I should think.
Except current focus end game are just as many other DPS classes suffice an' fair better.

Stalwart is a little more versatile as its bonuses apply irrespective of weapon or duration of quest, and makes you more resilient.
... an' why DS is a better rounded fighter.

Call me disenchanted or underwhelmed but a fighter should be 'bouts feats... the building blocks of which right now completely suck in providing for this PrE. If you want DPS plenty other better classes provide the same or adequate, if you want tactics - they are pretty back seat an' some of the best be had and maintained on other classes too...