In my opinion... 

The feat is often overrated.

What this feat can do is make the character extraordinarily good at protracted melee. The bonuses involved can get huge, no doubt about that.

But it's situational. In order to get the most out of the feat, you usually need to spend at least one round locked in a melee with something else.

The problem? A whole round is a really long time.

Let's consider the good options given by the feat. (No one cares about Fight the Horde.)


Channel the Storm requires you to refrain from making an AoO against a particular opponent. Not taking an AoO usually means you
allowed your opponent to pull off a risky move, like ignoring you in
favour of beating on a squishier party member, or charging through
your reach. This is bad. Granted, Robilar's Gambit and/or Karmic
Strike can help generate AoOs, but remember what has to happen for
those to trigger? You need to get attacked. The more attacks you
take, the greater the certainty of your retaliation being enough to
finish your opponent - but what if your opponent manages to make sure
there is no next round? 
Combat Rythm is an even more extreme example of "betting on the second round". First, you need to effectively do nothing for a round. Then your opponent gets to act. If you are still alive, and still fighting the same opponent, that opponent is in trouble. But you ceded a round spent in melee, and again, that can come with the price tag of getting your character's skull opened.


This doesn't mean the feat is bad, or that you shouldn't build around it. But the feat has some glaring tactical weaknesses that make it inapplicable in many situations. Fortunately, Stormguard Warriors are generally full initiators, and can use other maneuvers when the feat won't work.

Final word: Stormguard Warrior can give great results, but it usually means you're re-enacting V for Vendetta's "My Turn" scene.

Is Stormguard Warrior really that good?
There are 4 times in parshat Chayeii Sarah that the events at the well are related:

The first is 24:14 (English from the chabad website) - what Eliezer prays for


  And it will be, [that] the maiden to whom I will say, 'Lower your
  pitcher and I will drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also
  water your camels,' her have You designated for Your servant, for
  Isaac, and through her may I know that You have performed loving
  kindness with my master."


The second is what actually happens (17-20)


  And the servant ran toward her, and he said, "Please let me sip a
  little water from your pitcher." And she said, "Drink, my lord." And
  she hastened and lowered her pitcher to her hand, and she gave him to
  drink. And she finished giving him to drink, and she said, "I will
  also draw for your camels, until they will have finished drinking."
  And she hastened, and she emptied her pitcher into the trough, and she
  ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.


The third is during the recap when Eliezer says what he was looking for (24:43-44)


  Behold, I am standing by the water fountain. When a maiden comes out
  to draw [water], I will say to her, 'Please, give me a little water to
  drink from your pitcher.'  And [if] she will say to me, 'You too may
  drink, and I will also draw water for your camels,' she is the woman
  whom the Lord has designated for my master's son.'


And finally when Eliezer says what actually happened (45-46):


  I had not yet finished speaking thus in my heart, and behold, Rebecca
  came out with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the
  fountain and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me to drink.'
  And she hastened and lowered her pitcher from upon her, and she said,
  'Drink, and I will also water your camels.' So I drank, and she also
  watered the camels.


In 3 of the versions, the woman is presented as responding to a single request for water as immediately offering the man water and the camels water. However, in the actual event (version 2) she only offered to water the camels after he finished drinking.

This series of events is commented on in the Artscroll as being the better way -- had she offered to water the camels at first, Eliezer might have rushed to drink or reduced how much he drank (the chumash on page 113 references the Or HaChaim). Her not initially offering to water the camels is a positive thing!

Why then would Eliezer not retell the events in version 4 as they actually happened? Why change it to be in line with the 2 prayer-versions of immediate help? Why lie and lie in a way which detracts from the wonderful thing that she did?
