Estoc or Greatsword for Paladin

[ArnoldRimmer]

I wanted to make a Paladin themed around ice and fire. I'm playing a pale elf Kind Wayfarer. I want to get the Armour from the church in Stalwart and use the White Spire estoc but I'm reading everywhere that estocs aren't great and that a 2 Handed Sword would be better. 

 

Anyone any suggestions as to what to pick... also firebrand is a magical weapon so if I stick with estocs firebrand will use the adventurer weapon focus right?

[Jojobobo]

I tested Firebrand earlier as I was curious, and multiple unrelated Weapon Focuses seemed to stack. Not something I'm looking to exploit, and almost certainly a bug, but if you want to make up for it's crappy accuracy that's currently a way and easy to patch out (though please test it every which way first, I don't want my lazy accusations being gospel).

 

I'd suggest Tidefall personally, it's found in a fiery cave so you can enchant it that way thematically and the wounding lash is great (I think you can still lash it on top of Wounding, it's been awhile). If you can get your accuracy high enough Firebrand is probably your boy (Sworn Enemy, etc.), as it has a naturally higher base damage (20-30) on top of it's Damage 3 enchantment and Annihilation for very damaging crits, butttt... the accuracy sucks so it needs to be accounted for, but but than synergises nicely with Flames of Devotion (with Scion of Flame) too.

 

If you choose the latter have a party composition that focussed on Deflection debuffs, or have a good backup weapon for when the acc of Firebrand just isn't good enough - one of those should see you through. Firebrand is good, but its accuracy isn't, so it'll require more dedication your end to make it work.

[Blades of Vanatar]

Estocs are fine. The White Spire causes disorienting for I believe 5 seconds per Hit. So speed him up to help lockdown a foe. Gauntlets of Swift Action, Durgan Steel, potions of DAOM, etc.... The best two handlers are Greatswords, but there are good Estocs that can be end game weapons. Blade of the Endless Paths is an excellent weapon for example.

[JerekKruger]

I tested Firebrand earlier as I was curious, and multiple unrelated Weapon Focuses seemed to stack. Not something I'm looking to exploit, and almost certainly a bug, but if you want to make up for it's crappy accuracy that's currently a way and easy to patch out (though please test it every which way first, I don't want my lazy accusations being gospel).

 

So if you're willing to invest five talents into it you can get +30 accuracy? That's quite a lot, though whether it's worth five talents is debatable I guess.

[Jojobobo]

 

I tested Firebrand earlier as I was curious, and multiple unrelated Weapon Focuses seemed to stack. Not something I'm looking to exploit, and almost certainly a bug, but if you want to make up for it's crappy accuracy that's currently a way and easy to patch out (though please test it every which way first, I don't want my lazy accusations being gospel).

 

So if you're willing to invest five talents into it you can get +30 accuracy? That's quite a lot, though whether it's worth five talents is debatable I guess.

 

I think so, both WF Soldier and Adventurer were active when I looked so I see no reason you can stack them all up (though as I said, someone should double check this). As you rightly point out though, the Talent investment to get +30 accuracy is a hell of a lot - so it's a little tricky to justify.

[Wolfdrop]

Soulbound and summoned weapons are considered “universal” and are affected by all weapon focuses.

 

I’m pretty sure it’s intentional.

[JerekKruger]

Soulbound and summoned weapons are considered “universal” and are affected by all weapon focuses.

 

I’m pretty sure it’s intentional.

 

But usually they only benefit once. From what Jojobobo's saying, Firebrand is benefit from multiple weapon focuses.

[Jojobobo]

 

A quick test, I consoled these in but I don't see why that would break anything? Using the belt, not the gloves.

 

I don't thin it's so broken given Firebrand's accuracy is so sucky in the first place, but for other Wizard weapons I'm it might be quite busted. Even so - it's still single target damage - Rogue will best it all anyway.

[MountainTiger]

Your screenshot cuts off the total, but it seems to be 64, which is consistent with only one focus actually being applied.

[Ensign]

As the original question hasn't really been answered yet - two-handed swords and estocs are very similar weapons.  In a vacuum, an estoc is going to generally perform better due to its DR, but in a handful of extreme (but important!) cases the two-handed sword will be better (such as against flame blights that are immune to pierce).

The main selling point of a two-handed sword is that it has a couple very powerful uniques available relatively early in the game (the Hours of St. Rumbalt and Tidefall).  It also shares a weapon group with arquebus and war hammer, which are also desirable weapons to use on a heavily armored front liner for various reasons.  Estoc doesn't offer any exciting uniques into closer to the end of the base game (the Blade of the Endless Paths), and is in a more eclectic weapon group.

 

If you want to use the White Spire for thematic reasons, go for it!  Beyond the unique benefits of alternatives it's going to perform about as well as any other two hander.

[Boeroer]

The White Spire is one of the most pretty weapons in the game in my opinion. And Disorienting + 3 Blizzards/rest is a pretty decent enchantment if you have decent INT and MIG.

 

Great swords usually get favored because of the two damage types and more importantly: because they have two very good uniques, and that's Tidefall (highest potential dps of all two handers) and Hours of St. Rumbalt (beautiful combo of CC and damage on crit) which can both be obtained pretty early.

 

Another thought: does the Weapon Focus stacking also work with the Long Pain, Kalakoth's Minor Blights or Rot Skulls?

[Jojobobo]

Your screenshot cuts off the total, but it seems to be 64, which is consistent with only one focus actually being applied.

You're probably correct in that they're suppressing one another, I'm probably mistaken. I'll check again at some point, too lazy right now.