The Darcozzi Forward Observer. Could use some input!

[Boeroer]

It all stacks. I played around with this setup (Marking plus Coordinated Attacks plus Coordinating enchantment) on two front line paladins. They buffed each other (or other party members) with +20 ACC from Coordinated Attacks + Marking enchantment. One had Shame and Glory and the other one had Cladhaliath with Marking and the Coordinating enchantment. When they fought as a double team (attacking the same target), the one with Cladhaliath also got +9 ACC on top from Coordinating (+4) and the accuracy bonus from spears (+5). +20 or +29 ACC from this passive things only is great. It stacks further with Zealous Focus (+6), Quality Enchantments (up to +12) and also Darcozzi's Inspiring Liberation as Torm said. So you might be able to stack +48 ACC on a guy just with passive buffs and +58 ACC with Inspiring Lib. Then you could further use abilities like Tactical Meld and Borrowed Instincts with a Cipher who teams up with your paladin. He would be able to get a bonus of +98. That's quite deadly even for dragons.

 

The buffing with Coordinated Attacks and Marking is very flexible: you can buff whoever you want just by attacking the same target. I also used the Outworn Buckler (and later Little Savior on the other guy) to also stack defenses by +10 for every party member around. Because the two shield's Herald enchantment also stacks. If you give Redfield to somebody else, you can kind of stack defenses to +13 for everybody around. My tinkerings where a bit of inspiration for Torm's refined build now which he tested. Since Torm totally loves paladins I think he's the best to squeeze out all the good things out of this basic idea.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Boeroer

[PrimeJunta]

I couldn't wait for WM2 and started another game with the DFO as PC. And yeah baby it rocks.

I just hit level 7. Struggled a bit to get there because I wanted Shame or Glory as early as possible, and those forge knight were... not easy at level 5 (party at the time was PC, Edér, Pallegina, Aloth, Kana, Durance). Got splattered all over the walls before I figured out a way to beat them, but I eventually did, although I did have to go back and rest once. My current party is --

Front row:

• PC - the DFO. Shame or Glory + Outworn Buckler. Planning on using that Marking pistol you get from completing Heritage Hill as the #2 weapon, currently I have nothing in that slot.
• Edér - built around dual-wielding sabres for maximum hurt. I hadn't tried this before and it's kind of fun; I was planning on replacing him with Zahua once I get around to WM but I'm actually really liking this build so maybe I'll keep him. He wears high-quality light-medium armour (currently some fancy scale mail I picked up from the Endless Paths), and is relatively robust, requires little micromanagement, and puts out a LOT of hurt. He's currently wielding Resolution and Blade of Prix, will probably upgrade one of those to Bittercut when I get it (if I'm keeping him). Secondary weapon is Leadspitter, for use on slash-immune critters.
• Pallegina - got her Tidefall and stacked everything on Flames of Devotion -- Intense Flames, Scion of Flame, Burning Lash - with her. She also provides more Lay on Hands and a Reviving Exhortation plus Zealous Endurance. Secondary weapon is an arquebus. Also a fun build.

Back row:

• Aloth - tried another slightly different build with him: stacked everything on implement damage. He's wielding the Engwithan Sceptre enchanted to the max, has Blast, Penetrating Blast, Dangerous Implement, and WF: Noble. Pretty serious pew-pew-pew damage with him too; spells mostly CC.
• Hiravias - stacked everything on Wildstrike (notice a theme here?). Mostly because I never could figure out what to do with him other than cast spells, just to see if it works. Wildstrike Corrode, Spirit of Decay, Greater Wildstrike. He's surprisingly lethal when wildshaped actually, but I only recently got him so haven't had time to experiment much with the tactical possibilities. Other than that, he's got a wand.
• GM - nothing that special here. Gave her WF: Peasant and that one pretty nice hunting bow from the Endless Paths, Marksman, Pen Shot, and other archer talents. Will upgrade to Stormcaller once I get it.

Overall I really dig this. With the DFO, Edér's and Pallegina's to-hit percentages are almost always deep in the green, it's not unusual to see 90-100%, and they have the damage output to match. The party is also remarkably robust and feels all-round balanced; there's relatively little feel of difficulty swinging up and down (unless I knowingly go after stuff early, like doing Winds of Steel or going after Tidefall) -- and I'm not actually using heavy armour on anyone. (I did have Kana tagging along until I completed Time and Tide, and he was wearing Crucible Knights Officer Plate; I wanted to see how he'd work out in the front line. He didn't. Not all that hurty and not all that tanky.)

[Boeroer]

If you can geht it early, try The Golden Gaze rod on your wizard. It has 2 projectiles instead of one and they fly separately - meaning that it not only looks nice, but also causes 2 penetrating blasts instead of one per shot. If you have Ryona's Vembraces and Penetrating Blast your 2 blasts may have 13 DR bypass each. It also has a spell chance of 5% per projektile to cause Expose Vulnerabilities AoE. I tested this on a wizard build I'm playing around with and found it to be pretty cool - especially if you cast Combusting Wounds first. I really liked the setup. If you use Dangerous Implement you might want to try Veteran's Recovery + Trollhide Belt. It negates the raw damage from firing the implement. Your health will still go down, but your endurance will not drop (as long as the health pool is bigger).

[PrimeJunta]

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep an eye out for Golden Gaze. 

 

I haven't had much trouble with the endurance cost from Dangerous Implement. Fights rarely go on long enough for it to be a problem.

 

I just hit WM and absolutely facerolled the Stalwart ogres with this L7 party -- I recall having a lot more trouble with them with a L8 party I used before. Hiravias is surprisingly effective in spiritshift form actually.

[Boeroer]

Spiritshift is cool - it's just too short.

[JerekKruger]

Spiritshift is cool - it's just too short.

 

Yeah, I really wish it was modal rather than a temporary buff. To balance that you'd need to remove spellcasting I guess, but I just feel druids should be able to be animals for as long as they want.

[Boeroer]

Right! I have the exact same wish: That they make it a modal ability and remove spellcasting while shifted. 

[PrimeJunta]

That'd work for me too. They could even keep the 1/encounter limit.

[Mocker22]

Prime, maybe you already are, but by the time you get Stormcaller I'd respect Hiravas for Wildstrike Shock. Not only is there synergy with Stormcaller but it synergizes great with all of the amazing Shock druid spells.

[PrimeJunta]

I don't respec.

[Vorad]

 

 

I haven't had much trouble with the endurance cost from Dangerous Implement. Fights rarely go on long enough for it to be a problem.

 

 

Later on when 2nd level spells become per encounter or even earlier if needed you can always use "infuse with vital essence" you recover both endurance and health and it remains when combat wears off. I usually use this when I have cleared the mobs and the combat time is about to reset.

[Boeroer]

Whoa! I didn't know that. Thanks for that info. Still learning new stuff.

[Torm51]

It was working incredibaly for me as well.  Until I got in over my head and decided to do Champion of Berath WAY too early.  Got crushed and well I have started again.  I have having serious issues as usual with my stat spread though.  His job is to mark and hold the line.  So high INT and RES and some Con I guess.

 

My spread was

 

Might 15

 

Con  14

 

Dex 10

 

Per 10

 

Int 13

 

Res 16

 

This was working.  I just did a fight too early.  But I am now trying to refine my attributes.  Get rid of the 4 con? split them into res and int? I would have a crap Fort.  I could put 4 into Might.  Better damage and LoH keeping Fort but less HP. 
 

[PrimeJunta]

I maxed out Int for the durations and AoE's, but especially the durations. Just slap on the Exhortations at the start of the encounter and watch Pallegina and Edér wreck things. Dumped Dex as action speed isn't much of an issue for this role.

 

Edér with the speed boots + exhortation is also a seriously effective mage-killer, even without the Marking and Coordination.

Edited January 1, 2016 by PrimeJunta

[Torm51]

I maxed out Int for the durations and AoE's, but especially the durations. Just slap on the Exhortations at the start of the encounter and watch Pallegina and Edér wreck things. Dumped Dex as action speed isn't much of an issue for this role.

 

Edér with the speed boots + exhortation is also a seriously effective mage-killer, even without the Marking and Coordination.

Sow hat did your Attribute spread look like exactly?

[PrimeJunta]

Sow hat did your Attribute spread look like exactly?

 

Happy New Year.

 

Mig 15

Con 10

Dex 6

Per 14

Int 19

Res 14

 

My reasoning? Dex is dumpable because she doesn't need to act much: just being there and pointing is enough, and most of the time the Exhortations wouldn't need to be chain-cast either, as timing is more important for them than speed. Int OTOH is super-important because I wanted the Exhortations (and Lay on Hands) to last as long as possible.

 

The rest I split evenly between Mig, Per, and Res. I could possibly have left Mig at 10 and split the difference between Per and Res, but there it is.

[Torm51]

 

Sow hat did your Attribute spread look like exactly?

 

Happy New Year.

 

Mig 15

Con 10

Dex 6

Per 14

Int 19

Res 14

 

My reasoning? Dex is dumpable because she doesn't need to act much: just being there and pointing is enough, and most of the time the Exhortations wouldn't need to be chain-cast either, as timing is more important for them than speed. Int OTOH is super-important because I wanted the Exhortations (and Lay on Hands) to last as long as possible.

 

The rest I split evenly between Mig, Per, and Res. I could possibly have left Mig at 10 and split the difference between Per and Res, but there it is.

 

Ya I started again and I have a similar set up and you are exactly right.

[Torm51]

Bumping this to see if it still holds up with the new 3.02 patch as a lot of this build relies on stacking ACC from different sources. Does 3.02 make this build less effective because what stacks together and doesn't has changed or not? Haven't gotten that far in 3.02 yet.

[Boeroer]

You can now get up to +18 ACC against all kinds of creatures (except kith) with Survival. But that stacks with all the ACC bonuses from the Observer. So yes - this build still works.

[Lampros]

What is the stat distribution of this build? I am looking at various Paladin builds and checking what is the Perception I need for PotD.

[Lampros]

It was working incredibaly for me as well.  Until I got in over my head and decided to do Champion of Berath WAY too early.  Got crushed and well I have started again.  I have having serious issues as usual with my stat spread though.  His job is to mark and hold the line.  So high INT and RES and some Con I guess.

 

My spread was

 

Might 15

 

Con  14

 

Dex 10

 

Per 10

 

Int 13

 

Res 16

 

This was working.  I just did a fight too early.  But I am now trying to refine my attributes.  Get rid of the 4 con? split them into res and int? I would have a crap Fort.  I could put 4 into Might.  Better damage and LoH keeping Fort but less HP. 

 

 

Ah, it's here. But should put this on the first post!

[Torm51]

So that was my first successful TC run and the build is flawed in that is has no Alpha capability so if you are the last guy left you have no way of securing a kill and will die. It's better if you take FoD and sworn enemy so that you can help in securing kills and still mark. If you find yourself alone have the possible chance of coming out alive and continuing your run. I got lucky and played very well on that run so I was never in the situation. The party was good.

 

My stats were

 

MIG 15

 

CON 10

 

DEX 10

 

PER 10

 

INT 18

 

RES 15

Edited September 20, 2017 by Torm51

[Lampros]

So that was my first successful TC run and the build is flawed in that is has no Alpha capability so if you are the last guy left you have no way of securing a kill and will die. It's better if you take FoD and sworn enemy so that you can help in securing kills and still mark. If you find yourself alone have the possible chance of coming out alive and continuing your run. I got lucky and played very well on that run so I was never in the situation. The party was good.

 

My stats were

 

MIG 15

 

CON 10

 

DEX 10

 

PER 10

 

INT 18

 

RES 15

 

Thanks! Looks like my guy will be a combination of the Bleak Walker build and this one (perhaps trying to do too much with 1 character?) so I can do both damage and accuracy buffing. Would FoD damage be okay even if I dual wielding swords (1 of the swords will, of course, be Shame or Glory)? I am considering whether giving Marking weapons to both my Paladin and Chanter tank - or only the Chanter tank (in which case the Paladin will go Bittercut and another saber).

Edited September 20, 2017 by Lampros

[Torm51]

If you are going to use FoD in melee id go Monsterlash Bittercut build with your Bleak Walker and let your chanter mark. If not you can do what I'm doing in my current run a marking paladin with quick switch alphas from arbalests. A bleak walker will still do the most damage with that build because you get an extra corrode lash with "Remember Rakhan Field" and you can also mark!

 

"Saber 03 from Thor01 north 50m" "thor01 saber03 in 270"

 

Saber 03 thor01 cleared hot! Bang crit on the Alpine dragon!

 

I wouldn't bother to FoD with shame or glory etc.

Edited September 20, 2017 by Torm51

[Lampros]

If you are going to use FoD in melee id go Monsterlash Bittercut build with your Bleak Walker and let your chanter mark. If not you can do what I'm doing in my current run a marking paladin with quick switch alphas from arbalests. A bleak walker will still do the most damage with that build because you get an extra corrode lash with "Remember Rakhan Field" and you can mark.

 

I wouldn't bother to FoD with shame or glory etc.

 

Got it then. I still want the Paladin to be primarily a DPS one; so I will give Shame and Glory or Cladhalíath to the Chanter tank. But 1 Marking weapon user is enough? PotD is scaring me already after having seen my Paladin only have 31 percent v. level 2 spiders!