Training a new weapon type

[trist4n]

Hello folks:

I'm a wee paladin of the 11th level (Flonp is the name). I recently was given a 2hs, but I can't hit crap with it. Is there something I need to do other than just be ineffective for several hours to get my 2hs skill up a little quicker?


Thanks for your time!

[Nogdar]

Just hit stuff which ain't green and it'll go up. Don't worry you quickly will start hitting decently :)

[trist4n]

Thanks. While I've got you around I have a few quick questions:

Did I make a big mistake by dumping all my stats into Str. My Sta is only 95 and I just found out that is what is connected to HP?

As a Paladin, is it even worth my time skilling up other weapon types like 1hb/2hb/piercing...?

[flahling]

Think pierce is worth it because of lances in Velious as for blunt it wouldnt hurt to train but my guess is there are better weapon options out there that are slash or pierce. You maybe shouldve put the points to sta yes but end game warriors are the tanks primarily and higher hits when your not tanking will help your damage output if you are taking on a dps role. This is from a non paladin though, but I wouldnt reroll just for 100ish extra HP at 60 just play and have fun. (Im a shammy who dumped points to cha so least you looking better than me and put points to something you get real use out of)

[Frug]

yeah, you just have to tough it out. My lowbie SK is training ALL weapon types just so I don't run into that issue. I take my lowest trained weapon skill, use that weapon until it's the highest skill of all my weapons (or maxxed), then repeat.

[kaev]

Train 2hb, http://wiki.project1999.com/Baton_of_Faith is incredibly cheap (or it was when I was active anyway).

Frug's approach is solid, but you may not always have decent weapons of every type available. When I was levelling my paladin I polished lagging weapon skills while LFG soloing in his 30s and 40s, doesn't really matter if it costs a full manabar of healing to get thru the fight with an inferior weapon and dex jewelry when you're mostly after skill-ups anyway.

[Nightbear]

Max STA is generally the best option. You're missing out on 100-150 HP, and STR on a pally is going to slightly raise the horrible DPS you do as a paladin.

[Frug]

Frug's approach is solid, but you may not always have decent weapons of every type available.

Yeah, I don't, but at level 6 it doesn't matter that much; cracked staves and rusty scimitars and halberds work ok =)

Then, at higher levels as an SK DPS isn't TOTALLY important if I can keep the mobs off the casters/healers.

[Danth]

Frug's approach works if you choose to do that. I take the opposite approach on my characters--I only train weapons that I either use or consider myself highly likely to (1H and 2H slash, only). At level 60 on my Shadow Knight I decided to train 1HB up from zero. It capped within a few hours. As such, there's no particular need to worry overmuch about keeping weapon skills current.

Find a group fighting stuff that isn't green-con to you and attack it. Then you get to train weapon skills in complete safety. A lone Paladin isn't going to out-damage an entire group so they aren't likely to mind if you let them know what you're doing.

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Stamina is the "best" stat at level 60, but ultimately it's still weak--just not so weak as the others. Many players overrate the importance of stats; as a rule of thumb, stats only have good effect in large quantities. 10 or 20 points of something here and there aren't going to really be noticeable most of the time. A 60 Paladin gains about 100 HP from 20 stamina, and since you'll easily buff to well over 4000 HP at 60 (and over 5K with mid-range Velious gear), that means you're looking at a difference of only a couple percent. It isn't enough to worry about. A Paladin with 4300 HP will tank anything a Paladin with 4400 HP can.

Strength is not entirely useless as it provides a significant quality of life boost during the leveling phase--which can be a very long time on a Paladin! I knew numerous weaker-race tanks who went all stamina for endgame min-max and who quit at mid-levels because they got sick of being encumbered all the time. Their "ideal" stats did them no good at all!

Danth

[Nogdar]

As always Danth's insight is good insight and I mostly agree with him. But I'm a perfectionnist and I'd start over and toss the points in STA.

It's up to you really. It's no big deal objectively, but from a min-max perspective, it's not the best option.

Your call :)

[doughboy]

I recall FD'ing on my SK while dotted by a crawler (solb) and I actually went unconcious but still survived (I actually planned on surviving with 1-2%hp). If I had 100hp less I would have died and looked bad instead of badass.

On the other hand, I don't ever recall being in Sebilis+Raid situations where I thought "Damn! If I only had 100 more hp!" against mobs that quad you for 400dmg or whatever statue of rallos zek/Ntov mobs hit for... If anything I was envious of the iksar/troll hp regen.

[applesauce25r624]

would reroll just to change that name :(