Sorry if folks here are still mired in 3.5 but I thought starting a
4.0 discussion is what this eGroup needed.

Well I've seen a Beastmaster at work and I'm impressed two ways.
First that once again R&D is incapable of balance when it comes to
animal companions and that they got out such a class so fast. For
those of you who haven't seen one in play yet it is a melee striker.
Interestingly enough it is a version of melee striker that a
relatively inexperienced player can do, up to now playing a competent
melee striker required a very competent player, not so with the
Beastmaster. I repeatably saw the player make judgment errors that
cost him nothing and he was the only first level at a table where we
were playing high. His wolf pretty much rescued him every time and if
someone in the party went down it was the wolf, not the PC and the DM
was definitely not being sparing in his attacks.
Any body else have similar experiences?

Pete(former druid player and when PHB II comes out once again one.)