Paladin weapon/shield vs 2hs
 

To preface, I've never played a paladin before at any point, but with velious around the corner and the eventual hybrid penalty removal, I decided to make one.

I got to level 20, and about to head out to Unrest. I picked up a Ghoulbane and Sarnak Battle Shield and figured I was set, until someone laughed at me for using sword/shield on a Paladin, which I didn't understand.

Apparently Paladins should be played as 2hs or 2hb? Is this a well known fact that I wasn't aware of or was it just one person's opinion?

Interested in some thoughts on this and likely other options and suggestions on weapons or shields if my Ghoulbane and Sarnak shield aren't necessarily ideal :)

I think people tend to play to the undead side of the pally/cler side. People stay in unrest for so long because of undead procs and nukes. I'm not sure how it stacks up dps wise, but 150dd proc factored in with a couple stun casts can would be pretty nice way to solo as a pally.

Keep the shield on, your group will thank you when the cleric isn't suffering so much...at later levels particularly you're going to have a lot less HP than your ogre warrior pals.

Skill up 2h weps if you're soloing and/or bored :p

2h is ultimately going to be superior for dps and aggro generation

2HB (like Baton of Faith or Granite Face Grinder) are the best DPS weapons you will have until your epic.

Shield is useful to bash interrupt casters like Festering Hags and the sort. Also it's another slot for more stats/HP if you are needing it when tanking.

In a group, there's not much difference between the two as your DPS is negligible and the stat increase from a shield isn't huge either. But I'd opt on shield/sword until epic'd for bash purposes.

You've got FoL/stun for aggro generation.

Lets not forget how many rogues have their epic at level 1 and many are crap at evading.

Give the cleric a hand, keep your shield on - let the dps classes do the dps.

always sword and board in groups, always two-hand when soloing

will this change when 2 handers get their damage bonus? Thats in velious, is it?

Yes. Paladins will go from meh on red to god mode top teir class in velious in red. I'm seeing all the paladin rerolls coming out now

the 2h bonus patch won't come out until 9-12 months after velious releases