While many knights focus on the fundamentals of melee and ranged combat, there are those who are trained to view the bigger picture on the battlefield. These knights use their training and tactical acumen to overcome challenges that would overwhelm mere brute strength and skill at arms.
The tactical guardian is an archetype of the knight class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The tactical guardian mainly focuses on STR for martial combat, CON and INT for their class features, and CHA for optional features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Armor Proficiencies, Defend Ally. 2nd – Stand Firm. 5th – Deft Shield. 8th – Shield Buffet. 15th – Steel Defense.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A tactical guardian is not proficient with heavy armor or tower shields.
Strategic Training (Ex)
A tactical guardian gains 6 skill ranks + a number of skill ranks equal to his Intelligence modifier at each level, instead of the normal 4 skill ranks + Intelligence modifier at each level. Furthermore, Knowledge (geography) (Int) and Linguistics (Int) are all class skills for the tactical guardian.
This ability replaces defend ally.
Tactical Awareness (Ex)
At 2nd level, a tactical guardian gains a +1 bonus on initiative checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 2nd level (to a maximum of +5 at 18th level).
This ability replaces stand firm.
Tactician (Ex)
At 5th level, a tactical guardian receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a standard action, the tactical guardian can grant this feat to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every two knight levels the tactical guardian possesses. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these bonus feats. The tactical guardian can use this ability once per day at 5th level, plus one additional time per day at 10th level and for every 5 levels thereafter (to a maximum of four times at 20th level).
This ability replaces deft shield.
Cooperative Combatant (Ex)
At 8th level, when a tactical guardian uses the aid another special attack, he may affect one additional ally per point of Intelligence bonus. For each ally that a tactical guardian aids, he can pick whether to grant that ally the +2 bonus on its next attack against the opponent or the +2 bonus to AC against the opponent’s next attack on that ally, and can grant different allies different bonuses.
This ability replaces shield buffet.
Battle Insight (Ex)
At 15th level, as a swift action, a tactical guardian can grant his Intelligence modifier as an insight bonus on the attack rolls made by a single ally within line of sight that can both see and hear the tactical guardian. That ally gains the bonus until the end of the tactical guardian’s next turn. The tactical guardian can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier.
This ability replaces steel defense.