DIFFERENCE between Hedge Knight & Swordmaster (you can ignore the hp and resolve difference because they have minimal impact)
Hedge Knight ==> +20 max fatigue, +10 initiative, +20 hp
Swordmaster ==> +10 melee skill, +10 melee def, +5 resolve
m(_ _)m Sorry, I made a mistake here. Swordmaster has 15 more melee def than Hedge Knight, not 10 more.
I find Brawny to be a great perk if I want to use heavily armored brothers: they really need all the fatigue boost they can get. It combines well with some heavier weapons and perks that increase damage as well.
@ Invictus
I totally forgot about this point. I agree. With higher initiative you can act fast when things go wrong, and with higher max fatigue you can use more shieldwall. So Brawny should be better perk than Battle Flow for tanking purpose.