HolyMoo, the stupidest Paladin around!

[B4nJ0]

Hi all! Even if  it's been a while since I enjoyed PoE, this time around I wanted to share a cool group build for my favorite class: Paladin!

 

 

A couple of concepts to share before showing the build:

 

 

1) I do mainly play solo and I have finished the game multiple times, my favorite achievement was 3 crown in 1.x with my favorite class, paladin. I keep playing this class over and over towards basically all the patches, in both solo and parties, always in potd difficulties

 

 

2) talking about paladins, it can seems counter interactive, but the best way to go after dragons and most of the endgame bosses is actually dumping your int. There are multiple considerations to do so but, let's be honest, the big reason is Drawn in Spring. Paladin are actually between the best DPS in game against a single big boy, thx to the NEVER ending duration of sworm enemy, dump int and Drawn in Spring. "Wounding" has fixed damage no matter your INT and stack with itself with consecutive attacks so, the worst your int, the fatest your full damage will be applied, making a Drawn inSspring low int character the highest damage dealer in the game. Couple this with the highest saves rolls of the game and 3x use of second wind (how I like to see at holy hands with a 3 int Paladin) per fight and you have a clear winner against the bad boys and, perhaps, the very best class in the game.

 

 

3) I tend to be a min/maxer at heart so, even if this build is focused around group play, its still pretty close in concept to a pure min maxed solo paladin. This run was done with fixed NPC (eder, aloth, durance) To create a custom save for Dreadfire. I had very mixed feeling about PoE sequel for a long time, but now I have finally chosen to buy it so I wanted a more intensive RolePlay run in Trial of Iron.

 

 

So, enter HolyMoo, the stupidest Paladin around!

 

 

With this sacred, stupid cow (err, Aumaua), I wanted to "fix" some low sinergies between Drawn in Spring and Flames of Devotion. Daggers are not a good weapon to use flames of devotion with and, IMO, the best way to fix this problem is to have some deep burst at the very beginning of the fight with 2 quick switch arquaebus BEFORE entering melee. I tailored the holymoo around the following game mechanics:

 

1) Race: Island Aumaua: in solo wild orlan is a much better race to tank dragons (and, honestly, one of the only 3  good races for solo min/max play along wood elf and moon godlike) but, in a group, I could give up some tankiness to unlock my 2 arquaebus slots and spend my precious talents on a much more Burst oriented path.

 

2) Paladin Order: Goldpact. To me goldpacts and bleackwalkers are no matter what the go to paladin orders, since they are the only 2 orders that dont have cruel has a disposition, wich unlock gift from the machine/effigy resentment for free. The amazing thing of Goldpact knights is that the unique talent enduring flames is ALSO a fixed damage DoT (hi, drawn in spring sinergies). Plus 50% fire damage DoT on flames of devotion  is AMAZING burst at 3 int, and meh on an high Int paladin.

 

3) Paladins are the best boss tank in the game, given the insane fortitude/reflex Achievable. In a party, the HolyMoo is able to trade deflection and overhall better saves (dual wield over weapon and shield with little savior)  for a much better and sinergic burst DPS, compensating with Eder for the Tank Deflection role and Durance for extra Defensive buffs.

 

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HolyMoo

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Difficulty: PotD, Triol of Iron, Expert, v3.06 (suboptimal for solo)

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Class: Paladin (GoldPact Knights)

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Race: Island Aumaua

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Background: The Living Lands - Hunter

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Stats (char creation):

 

MIG: 21 (18Base 2Aumaua 1LivingLands)

CON: 11

DEX: 15

PER: 18

INT: 03

RES: 10

 

Final Stats (no items switch, only Ced Nua rest for your daily fight needings)

 

MIG: 28 (18Base 2Aumaua 1LivingLands 1GiftFromTheMachine 1GalawainsBoon 1Effigy:Maneha 4MaegfolcSkull)

Con: 17 (11Base 3WoodLainTrailsRest 3GirdleOfEoten)

Dex: 17 (15Base 2HeCarriesManyScars)

Per: 21 (18Base 3LilithShawl)

Int: 03

Res: 10

 

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Skills (no items switch, only Ced Nua rest for your daily fight needings) 

 

Stealth: 13 (9Base 1Hunter 1Blooded Hunter 1Dungeon Delver 1LilithShawl)

 Athl: 10 (5Base 2Paladin 1GalwainsBloom 2WoodlainTrailsRest)

Lore: 2 (1Base 1Paladin)

Mech: 2 (1Base 1Dungeon Delver)

Surv: 8 (7Base 1Hunter)

 

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Talents (a=auto, r=recommended, !=important)

 

QuickSwitch (!)

Intense Flames (!)

Enduring Flames (!)

Scion of Flame (!)

Two Weapon Style 

Snake's Reflex ®

Bear's Fortitude ®

Deep Faith ®

 

Reward Talents:

 

The Merciless Hand ®

Gift From The Machine (!)

Flick of the Wrist (!)

Dozen's Luck ®

Effigy's Resentment: Maneha ®

Blooded Hunter

Song of the Heavens

Galawain's Boon (!)

Dungeon Delver (!)

Scale-Breaker

 

Abilities

 

Faith and Conviction (a)

Flames of Devotion (!)

Zealous Focus ®

Lay on Hands (!)

Sworm Enemy (!)

Rightenous Soul ®

Coordinated Attacks

Sacred Immolation ®

Abjuration

 

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Items (*=additional echantments by me, r=recommended, !=important)

 

Weapon set 1: Drawn in Spring (*Durgan Refined, *Burning Lash, *Slaying Beast) (!) & Drawn in Spring (*Durgan refined, *Burning Lash, *Slaying Beast) (!)

Weapon set 2: arquebus (*Exceptional, *Burning Lash, *Slaying  X) (!)

Weapon set 3: arquebus (*Exceptional, *Burning Lash, *Slaying  X) (!)

 

Boots: Boot of Speed ®

 

Head: Maegfolc Skull

 

Armor: He Carries Many Scars (*Durgan Refined, *Superb, *Dexterity +2, *Crush-Proofed) (!)

 

Neck: Lilith's Shawl

 

Belt: Girdle of Eoten Consitution

 

Rings: Ring of Protection ®, Ring of Deflection ®

 

Hands: Gauntlets of Accuracy (!)

 

Quick slots: Potion of Eldritch Aim, Potion of Bulwark Against the Elements Potion of DaoM, Potion of Major Endurance.

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Early important Items:

 

Chapter 1: Any dual weapon with accuracy bonus, Arbalests (plus 1Arquebus from Kana),  Blunting Belt,  Plate armor, Torc of Falcon Eyes, boots of stability and Gauntlets of Accuracy (!).

 

Chapter 2: Sword of Daenesys (!) and March Steel Dagger (!), Boots of Speed (!), Fenwalkers, Stag Helm, Aru-Break, Trollhide Belt, Ring of Protection/Deflection, Arquebus

 

 

Honestly, I had a blast playing the HolyMoo and she is now my favorite Party oriented Paladin I have never played. The basic strat against most encounters was to scout ahead in stealth, open with the 2 powerful Arquaebus attacks and then move in positon as fast as possible with the help of boots of speed. When fighting the big, bad, guys he was still able to tank them while abusing the evergreen combination of Drawn in Spring, low int and Sworm Enemy, rending any other damage from the party more or less an useless overkill!

 

 

A couple of basic observation:

 

 

No weapon focus!?!? 

 

Dagger and Arquebus are not in the same Weapon group and, generally speaking, Weapon Focus does not help Sacred Immolation Accuracy either. The best way to fix this for me was not wasting a precious talent on a single weapon group, and to use Gauntlets of Accuracy the whole game. Gauntlets of Accuracy combined with Zealous Focus and max Per is the way to go to maximize Accuracy of ALL your main attacks (including Sacred Immolation), giving you the freedom to try out /use the weapon you like the most pre Drawn in Spring, wich is a big plus to me. Also, don't forget the daggers come with Accuracy 2 for free, you have Flick of the Wrist on top of that and rending damage work well enough with normal hits 

 

 

0 recovery?

 

Of Course! With a potion of  Daom, this build achieve zero recovery. You can also do so by skipping Two weapons Style and adding Gauntlets of Swift Action in the mix but, As I said, I consider Gauntlets of Accuracy Best in Slot for Paladins.

 

 

Why He Carries Many Scars over, let's say, Ryona's Breastplate?

 

I do consider He Carries Many Scars one of the best armor in the games, and the best one for low INT tanks. With low Int you dont have access to Constant Recovery, so the affix of this armor sinergies really well with the build (plus is a plate armor, has Defiant on top of that and you can achieve 0 recovery on top of it). For Act 2 buy Trollhide Belt ASAP as a momentary Replacement.

 

Why Lilith Shawl over more powerfull options?

 

I know, in a non  solo run you can use the Cloack of Confort (one of the top 3 imba items of the game if you ask me) but I enjoy the old Lilith, especially on a build with high Stealth.

 

 

Now, go and roleplay your super greedy Goldpact Paladin in his quest to achieve the biggest arquebus collection ever! Oh, and last note about arquebus, prioritize a set of them with Kith slaying ASAP for act 2, then slowly work into a pair with the right Slaying enchant for every creature in Eora!

 

 

Hope that you will be enjoying this Paladin concept as much as I did! :D

Edited March 10, 2019 by B4nJ0

[Boeroer]

You mean the second stupidest Paladin around:

 

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/83338-class-build-the-dull-runner-caster-clipper-paladin-tank/

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Boeroer