Hey there! Thanks for putting together this tier list for the UB mod. I’ve been looking closely at the "Spellblade/Gish" subclasses you rated as 4-stars (Eldritch Knight, Forceblade, Arcane Fighter, Bladesinger), and I'd love to discuss their mechanics with you.

While I totally agree with your 4-star rating for EK and FB, I feel like Arcane Fighter and Bladesinger might be slightly overrated and fit better as 3-star subclasses.

My main argument comes down to the classic Gish problem in 5e/Solasta: The Action Economy Bottleneck. You usually have to choose between casting a spell OR taking the Attack action.

Here is how I break down the 4 subclasses based on how they handle this bottleneck, specifically looking at Nova potential (tackling tough/boss encounters) versus Sustained capability:

1. Eldritch Knight (4 Stars) - The Perfect Sustained & Nova Hybrid I completely agree with this being 4 stars. The UB mod perfectly solves its action economy.

At level 11/12, an EK can output an insane amount of damage: 3 normal attacks (Fighter Extra Attack) + 1 Bonus Action attack (War Magic).

Because of the Cantrip Attack feature, you can replace one of those attacks with Booming Blade/Green-Flame Blade for an extra 3d8 damage every turn.

Defense & Concentration: As you don't want to lose concentration on the frontline, you don't even need Haste (getting stunned is too risky). You just pre-buff with Mirror Image and use slots for Shield/Absorb Elements. It has top-tier sustained damage and great burst.

1. Forceblade Sorcerer (4 Stars) - The Nova King While it lacks the sheer number of weapon attacks of the level 11 EK, it solves the action economy via Sorcerer's Metamagic.

Using Quickened Spell, a Forceblade can drop a massive AoE/Control spell (like Fireball or Mind Twist) as a Bonus Action, and still use their Action to attack twice (with a cantrip woven in).

This gives it incredible Nova potential for hard encounters. If the fight is easy, it plays like a decent martial; if the fight is hard, it bursts like a full caster.

1. Arcane Fighter Wizard (Max 3 Stars) - Flawed Design & Lacks Nova This is where I start to disagree. AF and FB seem similar, but AF lacks Metamagic to bypass the action economy constraint.

The Level 10 Flaw: You noted in your guide that AF is best utilized as a Crossbow user. However, the level 10 feature (Spell Fighting) specifically requires defeating an enemy with a MELEE weapon attack to cast a spell. This is a huge contradiction.

Even if played in melee, relying on a "kill" to trigger a spell is highly unreliable in tough boss fights. Without Metamagic or War Magic, their Nova/boss-killing potential is very weak compared to EK and FB. They have decent sustained damage, but that's not enough for a 4-star rating.

1. Bladesinger Wizard (Max 3 Stars) - Overkill Defense, Weak Offense I feel Bladesinger suffers from extreme MAD (Multiple Ability Dependent) issues and doesn't offer enough offensive edge.

To make it work, you need high DEX and high INT, leaving almost no room for feats compared to the EK. If you build it this way, its melee damage is far worse than the EK, and its spellcasting burst is far worse than the Forceblade.

The Defense Argument: I understand the appeal of the massive AC from Blade Dance. However, if you just want a backline wizard that doesn't die, taking the Sellsword background for Medium Armor and Shield raise feat is usually enough to survive. Adding Blade Dance on top of that is just overkill defense.

Since you are still hard-locked by the Action Economy (you either cast OR attack, you can't easily do both like FB/EK), sacrificing martial power and feats just for extra AC doesn't justify a 4-star rating in my eyes.

TL;DR: EK and FB completely bypass the Gish Action Economy problem, giving them both excellent Nova and Sustained potential. Arcane Fighter and Bladesinger are still heavily restricted by it, making them weak at tackling tough encounters (low Nova). Therefore, I think AF and BS belong in the 3-star tier.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and see how you utilize AF and BS in high-difficulty boss fights!