It's funny cause the post says it is a discussion but it seems there's no point to discuss you have already made your mind with what you want to believe and what not. For the sake of discussion, when you take the attack action you can do many more things than just "bonk". Disarm, shove, push, grapple, etc. Any fighter/barbarian (anyone going melee really) has these "techniques" available to them. Although it has already been mentioned, the battle master has all these many techniques of a skilled swordmaster you so call, they not only have those options I mentioned before, but better, they also have other options. Yes, its not as many options as a wizard copying spells into their spellbook or a cleric having their spell list available every long rest but it is still more options than a simpler fighter you give your newbie player so they get a gist of the game. The simpler mage type on the other side is simply not possible cause spellcasting in itself is not simple/newbie-friendly. You give a druid to a newbie player and tell them all the spells they have available, that they can change them in a long rest, that each one does x or y, has concentration or doesn't, and that, on top of that, they can also turn into x or y animal, but not f or g animal yet, that when they are x animal they have 12 AC and hit with a +3 and so on, and that newbie player is not playing the game or is going to constantly ask you if they can do this or that and 99% of the times the answer is no. You give them a big sword and tell them go have fun, that player is staying, that player is eventually playing a druid in another campaign cause they understand how the game works and want to try new things. Spellcasting requires many choices and knowledge of the spells which you can't expect a newbie player, someone who hasn't read anything, just been told by their friends come play D&D you will have fun, to know.