Help with Ardent/Slayer build!

[rypta]

Hey guys, I'm dead set on playing an ardent/slayer build in an upcoming Eberron campaign. 

Some basic info: Rolled stats are 17, 16, 15, 14, 14, 12.  Flaws and Traits are okay.  Starting level 5, standard WBL.

I've been thinking about Monk 2/Ardent 2/Slayer 1/Ardent +9/Slayer +7 and taking the dominant ideal alternate class feature at ardent 10 with freedom, conflict and time domains.  However, I cannot make up my mind on feat selection.  I've gone back and forth between focusing on unarmed combat, and taking pole master for flurrying full attack psionic lion's charges.  The problem is I'm playing a charger in another campaign and don't really feel like going there again.  The unarmed combat route only seems really viable with expansion, but being 30ft. tall really isn't something I want to be doing flavor-wise.

Where else can I take this? 

[Emy]

Where else can I take this? 

Multipouncing, maybe?

[rypta]

Yea I had looked briefly at multipouncing.  Going Telflammar Shadowlord I'd probably take 2 levels of swordsage needed for assassin's stance + all the feat requirements for Shadowlord, it really leaves very little room for other things.  I do like that it takes advantage of the mobility of the class.  Along those lines I had also thought about taking the mage slayer and pierce protection and concealment feats with double hit and standstill and focusing on taking enemy casters out of the picture.  I'm not sure if that is too small of a niche to fill though.

[rypta]

I can't quite get away from the unarmed version. 

STR:15
DEX:16
CON:15
INT:14
WIS:17
CHA:12


1. Monk 1: Weapon Finesse(Monk Bonus), Combat Expertise(Flaw1), Alertness(Flaw2), Iron Will(Human), Linked Power
2. Monk 2: Monastic Training: Slayer(Monk Bonus)
3. Ardent 1: Tashalatora, Weapon Focus: UAS(Conflict Mantle)
4. Ardent 2
5. Ardent 3
6. Ardent 4: Superior Unarmed Strike
7. Slayer 1
8. Shiba Protector 1
9. Slayer 2: Practiced Manifester: Ardent
10. Slayer 3
11. Slayer 4
12. Slayer 5: Improved Natural Attack
13. Slayer 6
14. Slayer 7
15. Slayer 8: Snap Kick
16. Slayer 9
17. Slayer 10
18. Ardent 5: Psionic Meditation
19. Ardent 6
20. Ardent 7

Powers from Freedom, Conflict, Time and a 4th mantle I haven't decided yet.
20th Ardent manifesting, greater flurry, large 16th level monk unarmed damage.
Reduces MAD with WIS and DEX being most important. 
Decent full attacks which should be simple to use reliably with hustle and dimension hop.

Any suggestions?

[PhaedrusXY]

I'd dump Tashalatora and all the focus on unarmed strikes, and just use a reach weapon. I've played around with similar builds and reached the conclusion that unarmed strike was just a distraction, and costs too many feats to optimize. There was a recent thread about making an Ardent/Elocater that you might check out. Although it has a slightly different focus, some of what's in it might be useful.

[rypta]

I actually saw that thread and liked what you were doing, but I tend to play my characters aggressively, so I'm trying to make the build offensive and highly mobile.  Going unarmed strike seemed like the best way to do that.  I definitely agree that it takes a lot of feats though.  I don't think my DM would appreciate multipouncing, so I'm not sure where else to go.