Could someone mind telling me why Duskblade is tier 3? All it seems to be able to do is high damage, unlike Dread Necro or Beguiler. It seems to me that all of the Tier 3s have several things they can do in and out of combat, but the dusblade is useless out of combat. Anyone mind explaining?
Basically the duskblade is a step up from the barbarian (tier 4). The duskblade has similar damage output but can debuff (touch of fatigue, ray of enfeeblement, ray of exhaustion, dispeling touch/dispel magic, enervation), buff (resist energy, greater magic weapon, vampric touch), blast (scorching ray, disintegrate), battlefield control (obscuring mist, dimensional hop, regroup), and utility (swift fly, swift invisibility, dimension door). Being an arcane caster the duskblade can use eternal wands for spells like enlarge person and cure x spells and qualifies for obtain familiar/improved familiar (with the duskblade's full BAB).
Granted the duskblade is on the low end of tier 3 but it's much closer in power and flexibility to the tier 3 warrior classes like the warblade and crusader than the tier 4 warrior classes liek the barbarian and dungeon crasher fighter.