Battlesmith Doubts

A question.

At level 5 i get to substitute one of my attacks for the steel defender attack.

Would that not reduce my number of attacks per round from 3 to 2? That is: If the steel defender uses its attack action to attack during my attack, then it has used up its actions for the round.

I can partially see the utility in that i would free up my bonus action for spells or multiclass stuff and maybe i need the steel defender to attack from its position for tactical reasons...

But i would like to understand if i am reading this correctly. For all i know the attack the steel defender makes is supposed to be a freebie and i can order it to attack again as my bonus action.

Also: if i take 1 level in fighter to get so.e masteries but do not take the two weapon fighting... can i tell my steel defender to attack instead of a nick attack from a scimiter or a dagger or a light hammer or whatever?

It seems like i cannot because it says i can subsistute one of the 2 main actions attack, but again maybe i am reading this incorrectly.

Side question: if i had instead of a fighter level a pugilist or monk level, the way i read it is that there is no way to do the unarmed strike as an intelligence attack, even if i was to be using the wraps of unarmed power, correct?

Quote from SimoneSpinozzi>>

But i would like to understand if i am reading this correctly. For all i know the attack the steel defender makes is supposed to be a freebie and i can order it to attack again as my bonus action.

Also: if i take 1 level in fighter to get so.e masteries but do not take the two weapon fighting... can i tell my steel defender to attack instead of a nick attack from a scimiter or a dagger or a light hammer or whatever?

It seems like i cannot because it says i can subsistute one of the 2 main actions attack, but again maybe i am reading this incorrectly.

 That one is... a matter of interpretation. There's no official ruling, and there are reasonable arguments on both sides. (And no precedents elsewhere to work from; it's a particularly esoteric bit of the rules.)

You have to ask your DM on that one.

Quote from SimoneSpinozzi >>

Would that not reduce my number of attacks per round from 3 to 2? That is: If the steel defender uses its attack action to attack during my attack, then it has used up its actions for the round. 

Just to expand on what jl8e said, "actions for the round" isn't really a thing. A creature can can take one action on its turn. Anything that gives it the ability to do things on other people's turns does not affect or interact with that at all.

Quote from SimoneSpinozzi >>

Side question: if i had instead of a fighter level a pugilist or monk level, the way i read it is that there is no way to do the unarmed strike as an intelligence attack, even if i was to be using the wraps of unarmed power, correct?

That's correct, according to the rules as written. The Battle Smith's ability to use Intelligence for weapon attacks only applies to magic weapons, which unarmed strikes are not. Wraps of Unarmed Power are magic, but they are not a weapon.

thanks!