Archetypes
For the purposes of evaluating powers and feats, this handbook uses several stereotypical categories of Avenger build. These are not inclusive of every Avenger build, because they are intended to be focuses of discussion, or lenses to use to rate powers. Builds are specific builds, and will generally not be referenced outside of this area.
Chaser
This is pretty straight forward: Go run after things and kill them. If they run away, kill them faster. Builds tend to focus on charge abilities and powers. You might want to MC fighter to pick up some stances to help convince your target to run, so don't dump strength.
Style : Censure of Pursuit
Races : Elves, Razorclaw Shifters
PPath : Moonstalker, Ardent Champion, Zealous Assassin
Array : Str 12, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
Defenger
You're an off-tank. You use woodshed powers to pull things off to the side, where they go at you one-on-one (and suck at it, because your defenses are good). If they run back to the main group, you make sure they just die tired. You use a flail, you have Power of Skill , and you spam a lot of MBAs because you want to keep monsters prone (and frequently one square away from you) just to make SURE they're useless.
Style : Censure of Pursuit
Races : Elves, or rather open.
PPath : Tactical Warpriest (via Healer's Lore for BCL)
Array : Str 10, Con 11, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8
Ninja
This is for people who want to play rogues, but walk through walls and carry a big weapon. A lot of stealth focus.
Style : Censure of Pursuit
Races : Elves, Razorclaw Shifters
PPath : Zealous Assassin, Thurani Shadow Killer
Array : Str 8, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 12
Martyr
This is a build based around abusing Censure of Retribution. You run into the middle of a pile of bad guys, and try and get them to hit you. Then you shift away from them but still next to your target, beat the stuffing out of your it. You really really want to be paired up with a good warlord, both to keep you on your feet, and to give you bonus attacks when your static damage bonus is through the roof.
After the change to monster damage expressions, this archetype is a lot less viable.
Style : Censure of Retribution
Races : Devas, Longtooth Shifters, Dwarves
PPath : Dreadnought, Simbarch of Aglarond, Battle Engineer
Array : Str 10, Con 13, Dex 11, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 8
Crit Fisherman
Here you are choosing the Avenger base class for the Oath feature, then trying to get multi-attack powers from other classes with the goal of throwing so darn many dice each turn that you're bound to crit. Some of you are focused more on even DPR than actual Crit Fishing, but as far as the build elements go, they are all pretty much the same so I'm grouping them all together.
If there is an Avenger build that is overpowered, and will cause your DM to kill your character, it's this one. Your DM might also be annoyed at the blatant "what has the most plusses" approach these builds take in mixing class features.
The traditional Static+Multiattack Half-elf. Strength is your attack stat, or Wisdom at the cost of another feat. Pump accuracy and damage per attack. If you keep strength, you can go Eternal Seeker, and be awesome in Epic. If you ditch it, you can have an armor class and survive till epic.
Style : Unity or Pursuit
Races : Half-Elf for Twin-Strike abuse. Gith for PMC Ranger abuse.
PPath : Morninglord, Paragon Multiclass Ranger
Desty : Eternal Seeker, Martial Champion
Array 1 : Str 16, Con 13, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
Array (PMC) : Str 11, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
Controller Minor
There are a lot of controller effects, and some good feats that will allow you to stack up good save-ends penalties. Unfortunately the March 2010 update nerfed Cunning Weapons, which takes this build out of "can force failed saves" land. So this is a place holder until I can get a real update.
The basic approach should still be to get into melee: many of your powers are Melee Touch, and there are other good save-ends melee weapon powers that will work well with an enemy who can't make saves.
I'd tend to suggest being a Hybrid Swordmage|Avenger, so that you can use your sword for the implement powers. You need Light of Truth, and pick up Fist of Heaven as soon as you can.
The Shining Star
There are several powerful feats, powers, and PPs that revolve around Radiant Damage. Some of them also involve critical hits, so an Avenger becomes an excellent platform for pulling it all together.
Style : Retribution or Unity (Radiant One's 21th level feature is Int based)
Races : Humans, because you're at-will squeezed.
Weapon Types : You prefered Manga sized one.
PPath : Morninglord, Radiant Servant
EDestiny : Radiant One
Array : Str 8, Con 12, Dex 10, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 12
Leader Minor
This will usually be based off the Censure of Unity. You use forced movement and a few other powers to make your teammates better strikers.
Archer
Who said that Avengers are all melee strikers? (Oh yeah, I did. Well, ignore that for a second). How would you like to attack from 10 squares away, rolling twice, adding Dex twice to damage and Wisdom once, spawning extra attacks on crits, all with an extra ~+6(Epic) bonus to hit? If you want, you can give up +1 of that in exchange for doing it while 10 squares up in the sky by going Favored Soul instead of Crimson Hunter.
Style : Pursuit
Races : Elf, Razorclaw Shifter, Githzerai
Weapon Types : Greatbow. Huh.
PPath : Crimson Hunter, Favored Soul
EDestiny : Demigod/Chosen
Array : Str 10, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 8
Central Casting Avenger
This is your basic beige avenger, with all obvious choices taken. Wis gets applied to damage once in Heroic, 2 times in paragon, and 3 times in Epic, basically, along with good power choices at other levels to give you good flexibility, at the cost of specific tricks that might be more powerful.
Style : Pursuit
Races : Githzerai, Elf, Razorclaw Shifter
Weapon Types : You prefered Manga sized one.
PPath : Ardent Champion
EDestiny : Demigod/Chosen
Array : Str 13, Con 11, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8