What makes a great Paladin

[Destron]

I'm hoping we can get some of the great paladins of this server to share some tips for a novice paladin.

What are some over looked strategies that will separate you from the pack of non-existent paladins on this server.

[falkun]

Pre-aggro: While tanking one mob, generate aggro on the next mob so if mez breaks early, it'll run at you instead of the enc/bard.

DPS-less aggro: In a raid, aggro as much as you can the ENCs are mezzing so when mez breaks, it comes after you instead of the squishies.

FoL management: If you use FOL on a mob while not in melee range, as soon as root/mez breaks it'll start fleeing until FOL wears off, even if you step into melee after the spell is cast. So time things so FOL wears off before you break mez/root. Keep the aggro, lose the flee.

If L59+, know when to /camp so you can 90 rez someone and when to stay in and steel aggro so a cleric can camp out.

Learn the pulls. You have soothe and a bow, put them to work.

Stunlock. By 49 you've got 2 stuns and bash. If you've got clarity, every mob should have a full mana bar when it dies. If you don't, manage bash, stun, and holy might so the important spells don't get casted.

[hammertime7795]

A good rogue helps.

[kaev]

Originally Posted by hammertime7795 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

A good rogue helps.

A mediocre Rogue (or two, or three) is simply grand in your group. Between Stun, Root, & the much-abused Flash of Light you can hold agro so well that only a determined caster or hybrid can take it from you on purpose. A Paladin (or, tbh, an SK or Ranger) makes a mediocre Rogue look good. Rogues have the best sustained DPS in the game, with two Rogues mobs just melt.


Caveat: I am not a "great" Paladin, but usually I manage to be competent.

some random musings...

Don't let the Enchanter or Cleric die. Ever. Not even if they're bad.

If you're grouped with a bad Bard, do your best to keep the rest of the group alive and don't put yourself or anybody else at risk to save him from his badness.

If you're grouped with a great Bard pay attention and find ways to magnify his greatness. If things start going pear-shaped don't hesitate to LH the Bard and/or die in his place. A group that works well with a great Bard can accomplish some amazing things.

As with every class in EQ, situational awareness is crucial. Whether you know the other players and the content well, or you're learning new content with a random PUG, or anything in-between, pay attention to everything around you. It's pretty much a rule with me that when I derp tunnel-vision was involved somehow.

Be aware of what your spells can do for the group, unusual group makeups can be a lot of fun. Be creative. Just because you have Paladin & Warrior in same group doesn't automatically mean the Paladin should tank and the Warrior DPS. For example, Root can be used for pulling, CC (rooting caster adds out of LOS to your camp in a dungeon can be huge in a group without an enchanter), stopping runners, and to allow a Warrior to hold solid agro vs. all-out melee DPS, all at the same camp and in the same group.

Learn by watching others regardless of the class they're playing. (My use of Root improved hugely back in the day on live because I spent some time paying attention to the play of a Druid who was popular in dungeon groups.)

Adjust your play to complement the play of your groupmates.

Pay attention to everything around you. Can't over-emphasize that.

[captnamazing]

Snap-Aggro through blinds & stuns, clutch LoH, patch healing, and CC with stuns/roots to save your casters is what makes a paladin so fucking awesome.

IMO, paladins are the best tanks in group situations. They are also fantastic for planar raids.

Paladins also can be RP'd in a very cool way.

[Dokt]

Roleplay as a condescending ace-ho with a penchant for bro jokes and assplay. People love that.

All other points listed above are valid, but add fabulous to it and people will want you. Want you so bad.

[Pint]

Anything that isn't an elf

[kaev]

Originally Posted by Pint [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Anything that isn't an elf

Half Elf looks great, Human pot-helm looks bad, High Elf is a pansy, and Dwarf is so damned ugly even Ogres are embarrassed for them. Only one choice unless you twink with tranix crown or wait for Velious hats, then there are two.

[Ezalor]

Half Elf look cool until Velious dildo chin helmets.

High Elf master race cat helmets. Humans option #2.

[pharmakos]

a paladin can actually solo dark blues all the way to level 50+ if they're so inclined, using root jousting.

get yourself a beefy two hander with a long delay. root the mob you're fighting. only step into melee range every time your delay timer resets. turn auto attack off between swings so you don't waste your swing chances on "you are no close enough" messages.

you can even sit down for meditate ticks in between swings when you get the timing down well enough.

i was soloing dar ghoul knights at level 48 using this strategy.

this strategy even works really well against caster mobs. you might at first think that you'd want to use stuns to prevent their casts, but its actually better to heal yourself through the mob's casting, waiting for the mob to run out of mana. make sure to use junk buffs to stack your buff window so that debuffs and DOTs are on top of your buff list. keep cancel magic and cure poison memorized, and also cure disease if you can spare the spell slot. a solo paladin can easily take out even a yellow con necromancer mob.