Multiclassing a paladin tank (and party composition in general)

[Osvir]

I can't get enough of my Fighter/Paladin build. Completely different than my Barbarian in PoE1.

 

Unbroken+Shieldbearer, Spear Modal (Engaging Thrust) and Medium Shield (Block is better than The Wall IMO).

 

It's ~5 Engagement targets. But, because enemies will pile up eventually, I run two of this Crusader type.

 

It's bonkers strong. 10~ Engagement targets, nothing gets through, and I can split them up easily to deal woth two fronts, and have Damage dealers with reach or ranged behind.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Osvir

[Gromnir]

I can't get enough of my Fighter/Paladin build. Completely different than my Barbarian in PoE1.

 

Unbroken+Shieldbearer, Spear Modal (Engaging Thrust) and Medium Shield (Block is better than The Wall IMO).

 

It's ~5 Engagement targets. But, because enemies will pile up eventually, I run two of this Crusader type.

 

It's bonkers strong. 10~ Engagement targets, nothing gets through, and I can split them up easily to deal woth two fronts, and have Damage dealers with reach or ranged behind.

if you are maxing engagement, is worth considering a shield bearer votary. there is a powha for the monk which reflects disengagement attacks: blade turning.  disengagement attacks get a serious damage boost, so if you manage to engage five targets, then purposeful disengage after activating blade turning, the foes pretty much kill each other. clarity o' agony, soul mirror and other monk powhaz is also fantastic tanky abilities, but blade turning is potential exploitive at the moment. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

ps clarification: blade turning affects all melee attacks, including disengagement.  we weren't clear. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Gromnir

[Boeroer]

I agree. This is from the beta forum (discussion about monks):

 

This is so hilarious: I made a nearly perfect tank-bot:

 

Nalpasca/Unbroken, large shield, sabre, plate armor, max INT and max RES (for max duration of Blade Turning).

 

Important abilities: Tactical Barrage (more INT), Blade Turning, Soul Mirror, Defender Stance.

 

I told the AI it should turn on the Wall once I get shot. It also casts Tactical Barrage if it's not already active and as soon as melee enemies are in range the AI shall cast Blade Turning non stop. Since the Nalpasca on drugs generates wounds quickly enough to fuel endless Blade Turning and shots from archers and spells from casters will miss often and get reflected and ranged damage, reflex based AoEs as well as melee damage is very low due to high armor, Defender Stance, the Wall and Blade Turning I can stand there forever while they all beat themselves up. Who wants to leave engagement gets slashed pretty nastily by my sabre with +100% damage and +10 PEN. And once I leave engagement under the effect of Blade Turning they get punished even more...

 

I just wiped the whole village just with custom AI settings.

Not a paladin as second class in this case though - but doesn't matter for Blade Turning mechanics. As Gromnir said: this also works with a Votary. It's pretty strong. Maybe too strong. But I have no idea how you could nerf it without rendering the ability useless.

[Yosharian]

Is Paladin/Chanter good too?

[Boeroer]

Yes, very good. I tested a Beckoner/Paladin with Shared Flames + Mith Fyr and it has has some great synergies.

[Yosharian]

Yes, very good. I tested a Beckoner/Paladin with Shared Flames + Mith Fyr and it has has some great synergies.

 

Do you think the Beckoner is a better fit for the Paladin than the Skald, or did you just happen to be testing the Beckoner at the time?

[Boeroer]

I tested Paladin with Skald, Beckoner and Troubadour.

 

But I think the Skald is better with a fighter (a lot more melee crits because of Desciplined Barrage + upgrade). Skalds get phrases when they do crits, so this feels better. The combination of Disciplined Barrage + Killers Froze Stiff (both offer 50% hit to crit conversion - so all in all 75%) is pretty strong.

 

Troubadour/Paladin is nice because you can build a very good support character with Zealous Endurance + Upgrade (AR+ and party-wide regeneration effect) and Ancient Memory (also regeneration effect) and later "Her Courage Thick as Steel" which will give the party a 30pt-damage shield that gets recast every 3 seconds. 

 

I like the Beckoner best because summons are always very powerful - and he summons twice the amount. Since they scale with level now they also won't get obsolete after a while. With Shared Flames + Mith Fyr they also get +45% burning lashes for their attacks (as well as the whole party), that's very powerful. For example six skeletons with +45% burning lash shred most foes quickly while also body-blocking and taking all the heat.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Boeroer

[Veevoir]

 

I like the Beckoner best because summons are always very powerful - and he summons twice the amount. Since they scale with level now they also won't get obsolete after a while. 

 

Do they scale with level or power level? Asking because it means that for multiclass the summons will eventually fall behind as multis get lower power level.

[Boeroer]

They scale with character level.

 

If you are lvl 9 then all of your  summons will be of lvl 9, too. 

[Nemesis7884]

do the kind wayfarer flames of devotion heal in addition to doing damage to enemies or instead of it? I really like goldpact knights - but no aura (

 

What im thinkin about is going either something like devoted-skald with dualwielding, higher perception etc..

 

or what might be nice the heart of the party with a kind wayfarer and a troubador - should be very supportive, versatile, tanky - with high int, might and resolve

Edited April 28, 2018 by Nemesis7884

[Boeroer]

Please look at the thread you opened for that White Flames question, I tried to answer as best as I could (sitting at the table with a baby on the lap).

 

Restrictions from Paladins got removed. Goldpact can have auras now.

 

Devoted/Skald and Kind Wayfarer/Troubadour are both potentially great combos.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Boeroer

[Tommy1984]

Troubadour/Paladin is nice because you can build a very good support character with Zealous Endurance + Upgrade (AR+ and party-wide regeneration effect) and Ancient Memory (also regeneration effect) and later "Her Courage Thick as Steel" which will give the party a 30pt-damage shield that gets recast every 3 seconds.

 

The health regen can be really strong (for a passive bonus), because everything is multiplied. In the beta you can double the healed amount:

 

 

With higher power level and possible item bonuses it should get even higher.

 

I like the Beckoner best because summons are always very powerful - and he summons twice the amount. Since they scale with level now they also won't get obsolete after a while. With Shared Flames + Mith Fyr they also get +45% burning lashes for their attacks (as well as the whole party), that's very powerful. For example six skeletons with +45% burning lash shred most foes quickly while also body-blocking and taking all the heat.

 

Do you know how Shared Flames works (or should work)? It is not explained in the description how long it should last. The bonus is also not shown on companions, but according to the combat log (where you see the damage rolls) the bonus on my companions lasted the whole fight. So it seems to have a relatively long duration or its infinite until the combat ends.

[Boeroer]

If I remember correctly Shared Flames has a base duration of 20 sec.

 

And it adds a 20% burning lash (paladin subclass doesn't matter - all the same).

[TheMetaphysician]

Does the healing from 2 exalted endurance auras stack, the way 2 ancient memory chants do? Or do chants count as passives, exalted endurance as an active ability?

 

Similarly, do 2 mith fyr chants stack the damage boost?

[Nemesis7884]

Please look at the thread you opened for that White Flames question, I tried to answer as best as I could (sitting at the table with a baby on the lap).

 

Restrictions from Paladins got removed. Goldpact can have auras now.

 

Devoted/Skald and Kind Wayfarer/Troubadour are both potentially great combos.

That means all paladins have no longer any negative effects as listed in the wiki? Hhhh then i guess i have to decide between a troubadour gold pact and a kind wayfarer beckoner Edited April 29, 2018 by Nemesis7884

[Boeroer]

Exactly - no drawbacks for any paladin subclass.

 

I mean the only drawback is that not every paladin subclass can multiclass with any other priest subclass - because of disposition-issues. I would have liked to play a Bleak Walker's/Priest of Berath - but the game forbids it.

[Nemesis7884]

Exactly - no drawbacks for any paladin subclass.

 

I mean the only drawback is that not every paladin subclass can multiclass with any other priest subclass - because of disposition-issues. I would have liked to play a Bleak Walker's/Priest of Berath - but the game forbids it.

 

which is kinda weird since they both seem to love acid

[Boeroer]

Sure, but the one favours cruel behavior while the other one condems it.

[Nemesis7884]

what im wondering for troubadour or beckoner if i should go with a goldpact knight or a kind wayfarer... the heal from kwf is nice but companions need to be in range...while the goldpact ability seems really useful because sworn enemiy/rival is really good and usually every enemy group contains often one "big guy" and this would make you more tanky but at the same time it doesn't benefit the group

Edited April 29, 2018 by Nemesis7884

[Yenkaz]

what im wondering for troubadour or beckoner if i should go with a goldpact knight or a kind wayfarer... the heal from kwf is nice but companions need to be in range...while the goldpact ability seems really useful because sworn enemiy/rival is really good and usually every enemy group contains often one "big guy" and this would make you more tanky but at the same time it doesn't benefit the group

 

This is really impossible to answer since it depends on what you personally want to do.

[cactot]

Does the healing from 2 exalted endurance auras stack, the way 2 ancient memory chants do? Or do chants count as passives, exalted endurance as an active ability?

 

Similarly, do 2 mith fyr chants stack the damage boost?

This is a great question, I'd be really interested to find out the answer to this.

 

My guess would be that the healing stacks, but the lash damage from mith fyr and armor from the exalted endurance don't.

[Nemesis7884]

 

what im wondering for troubadour or beckoner if i should go with a goldpact knight or a kind wayfarer... the heal from kwf is nice but companions need to be in range...while the goldpact ability seems really useful because sworn enemiy/rival is really good and usually every enemy group contains often one "big guy" and this would make you more tanky but at the same time it doesn't benefit the group

 

This is really impossible to answer since it depends on what you personally want to do.

 

 

well im more asking about what beta players felt more useful...maybe the wayfarer heal is so low or the range so short its not practical or the armor bonus from gold pact so little that its not worth it....

[dunehunter]

 

 

what im wondering for troubadour or beckoner if i should go with a goldpact knight or a kind wayfarer... the heal from kwf is nice but companions need to be in range...while the goldpact ability seems really useful because sworn enemiy/rival is really good and usually every enemy group contains often one "big guy" and this would make you more tanky but at the same time it doesn't benefit the group

 

This is really impossible to answer since it depends on what you personally want to do.

 

 

well im more asking about what beta players felt more useful...maybe the wayfarer heal is so low or the range so short its not practical or the armor bonus from gold pact so little that its not worth it....

 

 

Wayfarer's heal is not low if you know how to build it, with level 9 naturegodlike Wayfarer/Helwalker max might, I'm able to heal 26 x 2 hp with FoD thanks to high might and well of spring.

 

If you console him Practiced Healer, he can heal 30 x 2 = 60 hp with single use of FoD. That is not low at all.

[Boeroer]

Exactly. Especially because you can do it for only 1 point of Zeal AND crush enemies' faces with the same attack, too.

[Nemesis7884]

hmm ok, any experience on the gold pact skill or the other paladins?