I am starting a new game, for once I am going with a front line kinda build. Plan is to go from L1 - 15.

So I have chosen the Shifter - Wildhunt - specifically for the ability “no creature within 30 feet of you can make an attack roll with advantage against you”

L1,2 - Druid - Circle of the moon.
L3,4,5 - Barbarian - Path of the Totem Warrior
L6 - 15 continue with Druid (probably)

Pros and cons L1 - 5

Pro - Level 2 Bear with me here…I can be a bear that can not be ganged up on
Con - 1 round to wind up, shift and wildshape
Pro - Level 3 Barb gives me Unarmored defense, this is crazy good with wildshape
Pro - Level 4 my raging bear will be able to attack recklessly and never have the down sides.
Con - a long wind up to get to Shifted/Raging/Bear 1.5 rounds.
Pro - Level 5 - resistance to everything except psychic attacks…usually Wiz save - so my high wiz druid helps a lot there.

The cons are mostly negated if the party isn’t surprised. Unarmored defense makes this crazy…I have high Wiz reasonable Con because of druid and reasonable Dex…

Edit: too many times playing monk.

Also reading through, I need to get to at least L6 druid, gives CR2 beasts and primal strike.