Force empowered rend

with the new battle smith you can command your steel defender to do a force empowered rend  you can use either your extra attack or bonus action? or is it both . it reads kind of weird.

I think it is either. You can technically do both in the same turn, but the Steel Defender only has one action so no matter how many times you command it, it will only attack once.

It is two different command options.

• As a Bonus Action, you can command the Steel Defender to take any available action (attack with Force Empowered Rend, Help, or something else).
• As part of your Attack action (leaving your Bonus Action free), you can command the Steel Defender to use Force Empowered Rend. Other actions are not options.

I don't know if TarodNet slums in the Artificer forums, but Ranger, Beast Master's Primal Companion Actions is similar. It did get me thinking that a Hasted Steel Defender would have two actions available and would either Dodge (no commands), Dodge + Attack or Action (one command received), or Attack + Action (two commands received).