u/HighOverlordXenu

So my Battle Smith died last night, and the DM and I have this idea to turn his Steel Defender into my next character. So I'm building a 7th level Warforged (RFtLW) martial class. Rolled stats are 14/13/11/12/8/14, able to be distributed however I see fit.

I want to focus on unarmed combat (since the steel defender has until now focused on punching things in the face), and to that end my DM has agreed to let me have a variant Eldritch Claw Tattoo - I understand overcoming magic defenses is a big limiter for unarmed combat. Generally I've been advised that with my stat spread I should go Battle Master Fighter over 2014 Monk, but I'm curious what builds I can put together for this.

I always try to equip my militia as best I can. Gambesons, helmets, and eventually chainmail. I have been led to understand that if you disband and then reform a militia unit, it will draw members from the most well-equipped households first. That means to get six full squads of chainmail militia, you need to build at least 36 level 3 double burgages (two militiamen per family, three families per plot).

With the change in the new beta branch incentivising keeping a good number of burgages at level 1 to reduce ale consumption, which burgages are you upgrading to level 3? What jobs are best able to be halted while the militia fights? Surely not just artisans.