DPS Paladin

[Boeroer]

Just in comparison to a tank paladin.

 

Well - if maxed out for FoD shots and Sacred Immolation he is a DPS monster. But only at lvl 13 which is really late.

 

But I really like the combo of burst damage and defense. Sometimes you really need that one foe to go down and a paladin with quick switch and more than +100% burn damage alone on his arquebus does that job really great even before lvl 13.

[PrimeJunta]

Paladins are my favourite class, ATM anyway.

 

Why? Versatility. You can build them lots of different ways -- ranged, melee, support, tank, alpha-strike, various combinations of these -- and more importantly, they give the party fantastic tactical flexibility and staying power: they can revive, liberate, make you hit harder, make you run faster, whatever. One super-important thing about those paladin abilities (Lay on Hands, the Exhortations, etc) is that they're fast. If someone's in trouble, the paladin can save them now, whereas quite often a caster's spell would come in too late.

 

Having a paladin or two onboard just makes the whole game more fun because you have soooo many more options at your disposal.

[Boeroer]

I also have the strong feeling that paladins make every playthrough a lot easier. Had two in my last finished playthrough and they were really great. I would also say two of them in a party are even better than only one. Sacred Immolation alone synergizes well with itself: While you get raw damage from your own Immolation, the Immolation of your buddy heals you at the same time. :D

Edited January 10, 2016 by Boeroer

[PrimeJunta]

Yeah.

 

I'm thinking of reactivating/redoing the Rauatai Bonebreakers when WM2 is out as I really dig their style. The faster phrases on Chanters should make them acceptable crowd-controllers even at relatively low-mid levels so I can keep GySgt Rua onboard, and the new Aumaua Barbarian companion would be a welcome story-companion addition to the squad and would fit in great. 

 

I have some other changes in mind also for Version 2...

[Boeroer]

Maybe I should do a 6 paladin run in the future. 3 Auras, Coordinated Attacks, 3 different on-kill-effects, lots of alpha-shots...

 

Or 5 Paladins with Reviving Exhortation and one Nature-Godlike-2sabres-3CON-Vengeful-Defeat-Barb. Man, I could shoot him myself all the time! 

Edited January 10, 2016 by Boeroer

[robar63]

What is the main point of having Int >15 for Paladin? Is it only for auras?

Why not max dex and con?

 

What is Alpha striker by the way?

[Efiriel]

It's for Aura's, Exhortations and Lay on Hands. Might + Int combo is especially great for LoH, increasing the amount it heals substantially.

 

Alpha strike - first strike made before the combat starts, from stealth. You can have everyone in your party fire a big firearm for a 6-man volley, then switch them all to their main weapons before enemies engage you. Paladins are really good for that thanks to Flames of Devotion - if you use FoD before combat starts, you do not use one of the 2 charges.

[DreamWayfarer]

What is Alpha striker by the way?

An Alpha Striker is a character who specializes in dealing a large burst of damage in the beginning of a fight.

[Raven Darkholme]

INT is also for Sacred Immolation, which you only get at level 13 tho, so you can respec for max INT when you get there.

[PrimeJunta]

What is the main point of having Int >15 for Paladin? Is it only for auras?

Why not max dex and con?

 

What is Alpha striker by the way?

 

Exhortations and Lay on Hands also. Almost all the paladin's abiltiies have either AoE or duration, so they benefit from Int. Some of the paladin orders even have talents which give Flames of Devotion duration-based abilities. Int is almost as important for the paladin as it is for straight-up casters.

 

DEX on the other hand is dumpable for most paladin builds. Damage from standard attacks is pretty bad compared to other martial classes, and all the other abilities benefit more from good timing than the possibility to use them in quick succession.

 

CON also isn't that important because paladins get very high defenses from Faith and Conviction (plus Deep Faith if you pick it, as you should for defensive builds). 

 

INT is really the only must-have. For a Flames of Devotion-based offensive build, PER and MIG are highly desirable; for a support/tank, you'll want RES and some MIG (for the healing abilities).

[KDubya]

I've had success with a team with Pellagrina and my own Paladin where I only had a 10 intellect base, 14 or 15 with some food and an item. I also had an 18 might so the duration of LoH and Sacred Immolation was shorter but the effect was bigger. The exhortations last pretty long at base so you don't need to extend if you have something you'd rather raise than intellect. A base intellect also benefits if the party is primarily melee based as everyone will be closer together and will all fit inside the smaller aura diameter.

 

You don't have to max Intellect to be viable. I would not dump it or anything else on a Paladin though.

[PrimeJunta]

You don't need to max INT or any other must-have stat. You just can't afford to dump it. 14-15 is fine in all cases. 

Edited January 11, 2016 by PrimeJunta

[Boeroer]

You can dump INT alltogether on a paladin and he can still be viable.

But then you have to limit yourself to abilities that don't rely too much on AoE and durations. There are exactly 7:

Coordinated Attacks, Sworn Enemy, Reviving Exhortation, Flames of Devotion, Righteous Soul and Healing Chain.

With those your low INT doesn't matter at all (or not too much).

You can still take Lay on Hands which is helpful even with dumped INT. The focus auras also work, but as a self buff only.

With maxed MIG and good DEX and PER plus the right abilities and talents you can have decent DPS while still having very good defenses - without the need to take one of the defensive talents. You can focus entirely on the offensive stuff. With Sanguine Plate (Frenzy) and the Blade of the Endless Paths (has Marking, together with Coordinated Attacks you will buff your fellow frontliner with +20 ACC passively) you will be a sturdy and dangerous frontliner who also improves his companions' performance.

But it feels more like playing a fighter than a paladin.

[PrimeJunta]

Haha, figured you'd have found a way to make it work. :D