Need melee fighting-style ideas for my elf

[Jalle]

Hello everyone.

I just stumbled upon the homebrewed Elf paragon class found here: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8382
and I'm loving it.

It got a cool gish feel with maneuvers (and a super cool recovery method) with some flavorful class abilities that I like a lot on top.  I asked my GM if I could play one, if my current character dies and he agreed. Only problem is that I don't know which direction I should take it. I want to melee (so it shouldn't be too squishy) because our party's only melee needs company on the front lines (party composition can be seen below). I just don't really have any ideas. TWF seems subpar without sneak attack and expensive to equip (our group has homebrewed the TWF line into one feat though [described below]). Trip might be a possibility but that seems silly without playing a race with a lot of strength (there is a suitable template available through [described below]), and also our melee guy already trips decently. Plain power attack seems to be the best route, no?

Basically I am open to every idea, since it is the class I am in love with and I just seek a fighting style synergizes well with it and its abilities.

Shoot geniuses. I need your divine insight!
 
 
Relevant Information:

• I plan on using the Fire elf from UA to boost INT besides the DEX and leave CHA to rot.
• We play with almost every 3.5 book but stuff from exotic books needs permission. No dragon magazines.
• My current character is level 12 at the moment and if it dies, my new character will join one level lower. therefore it will at least be 11th level but 12th isn’t an unrealistic starting point either. Thus builds that mature around here is fine.
• We use fractional BAB (but not saves for some reason).
• TWF feat line is homebrewed into one feat. All you need to have more attacks with your offhand is the required dex for the next feat in the line.
• The party is composed of me (a martial archer), a focused evoker spamming fireballs at every given chance, a spellwarped sniper (new character but seems weak compared to me and the invokers damage output), and then the said melee guy (falchion wielding barbarian/warblade pouncer/tripper).
• We are allowed one flaw feat. The flaw must be unique somehow while being a disadvantage in combat  (see bottom for examples of such a flaw), so any ideas here are also welcome.
• The template is one my GM homebrewed. He was tired of players picking “OP” templates (mainly half minotaur *evil laugh*) and bought them off, making LA races like goliath irrelevant. Therefore there is just one template now (he seems open to make more for different character concept though): “Monstrous” which offers following traits: one size larger if you are small or medium (STR buff and DEX penalty included), monstrous humanoid type (with the traits included), +2 CON, -2 CHA.
• LA can be bought off.
• We don’t really minmax much but our knowledge of 3.5 is probably above mediocre and people tend to pick decent combination of feats and classes for their character designs. That being said, our wizard is (as mentioned) specialized in evocation (arcane thesis: fireball) and our other caster is a damage dealer as well, so it's not like the cheese is dripping off the table.

   
Example of flaw:
My current archer has two level of ranger which means I only have one favorite enemy: arcane casters (Arcane hunter, CM)). I then got the idea to give him a flaw revolving around hate/fear for/of Arcane casters, and the need to end them as soon as possible:

Whenever he is hit by an arcane spell he suffers non-lethal damage equal to the spell's level and is sickened for one round. Furthermore if there is an enemy arcane caster in any encounter, he is forced to roll a will save. If the save is failed he takes a penalty to attack against every other enemy for the remainder of that encounter or until the caster is slain.

[DancingFish]

You could 2WF with the proper dips - actually just one level of such. A Hit-And-Run (DotU) Fighter grants you a +2 to Initiative and +Dex-to-damage against flatfooted foes. Your bonus feat becomes Aereni Focus (Iaijutsu Focus) and the Fighter Bonus feat is EWP:Gnomish Quickrazor.

Yes, this shoehorns you into fighting with something that effectively is an Assassin's Hidden Blade (and how is that a flaw, actually...), but you can easily obtain a +9d6 to damage against your flatfooted opponents. With spellcasting AND Diamond Mind manevers you shouldn't have problems with actually getting your enemies in that condition. Sneak Attack is - also- a dip+feat away. Simply make that Hit-And-Run fighter a Sneak Attack (UA) variant. Now, that +1d6 sneak attack isn't particularily impressive, but it opens the Craven feat, giving you a +CL SA damage. 2-level dip in the Unseen Seer class, while slowing your maneuver progression by 1 IL, allows you to add Hunter's Eye to your spell list, granting +1d6 SA/3CL.

That's if you want to 2WF.

If not, power-attacking is a sensible option, but you also gain access to Diamond Mind. You could easily (very easily, in fact) optimize Concentration checks and take all the Diamond Mind Concentration maneuvers, making you virtually invulnerable to spells (low fort matters no more!) that offer saves AND taking care of your damage.

Then again, Emerald Razor Power Attacking is probably the easiest damaging tactic to come online.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

" ... TWF feat line is homebrewed into one feat. All you need to have more attacks with your offhand is the required dex for the next feat in the line ... "

More details please?  TWF is a known thing by now, but homebrew can change unforeseen things.


Your party/dm/game sounds kinda around Tier 4 -ish. 
You can easily go something like Battle Sorc with a little support for the twf trickery, and play it a little soft.

bkdub's Elf Paragon link is good stuff, perhaps at the Tier 3 - Tier 2 border.  Adept+ list with focused ToB.