[Aerich]

The whole point of a pally as a frontline tank in HoF *IS* buffs. Guaranteed, a pally can reach a better AC than a pure fighter, no matter the race.

I don't think a F/Ill should be the main spellcaster and backup tank. I prefer to optimize it as a tank and carry a full mage (not just a bard), preferably a mc, as the primary offensive caster. For me, HoF is all about maximizing spell capability and blending it with capable meleers.

I played HoF with a gnomish F/Ill as my main tank. Dispel isn't really a problem because most non-TotL casters don't cast it with any regularity. It worked out fine for me. I also had two other arcane casters (dc F13/M and mc C/M), so I wasn't losing any power there. It made the transition to full time tank when I reached Kuldahar and bought Mirror Image.

The problem with using your bard to cast in combat is that it takes a full round for the singing effects to kick in again. It's not like IWD2 where the Lingering Song feat allows you to stop singing and cast without losing song effects. When in melee against strong opponents, that 10% resistance to melee damage may actually be more valuable for character survival than most spells your bard can cast.