How do combat smiths stack up against other classes?
I don't really like WS in WoE... The main issue is, Combat Smith's main damage output comes from MPT Cart Terminations with Bloody Ice Picks or carded Combat Knives or something. A lot of WS WoEers also favour VIT over AGI in terms of the durability stat, for some reason. While AGI WSes
do provide reductions to after-cast delays on CT, they don't really allow you to survive against heavy-hitters like 2HZerk LKs or Sac Pallies that will wreck you on equal-footing. VIT is almost always the preferred WoE stat in this case, as your only real worry is the occasional AD Creo who will toss a bomb at your face and instantly kill you. And he'd most likely be doing it to more threatening targets like LKs and Pallies anyway. A WS' role in WoE is to cause chaos and to cause massive AoE damage w/ Cart Termination, and pretty much serve as a solid line of Emp defense against sneaky emp breakers and other commonly used tools.
Ok, I'm using a skill simulator to see what can I spend my points on. I'll probably go for the Devotion route, but I can get Devotion, Gospel, and Auto-Guard maxed out with 4 points to spare which I'll probably for Defender. Should I focus on 1 of those two builds you mentioned and use the extra points for something else or can I go for both of them?
Impossible to go for both.
A
lot of people would tell you to go Devotion and ditch Gospel entirely always. Under normal circumstances, I'd probably agree with them - Gospel is also pretty situational and it also removes any buffs on the Paladin - this includes the Shield stuff.
However, Gospel has some insanely nice effects that will make your team probably fellate you should they come out (that's another issue already brought up - it's not always reliable). I'm not going to tell you to ditch Devo over Gospel, that's just retarded, because Devo is THE one tank skill that makes you desirable in almost all cases. As TSO mentioned, there are only two builds that really matter, at least in PvE or MVP play: Devo/Shield and Gospel/Shield. I'll describe the details as I've played both roles extensively:
Devotion + Shield SkillsThis is the stereotypical Paladin tanking skill build. You will be maxing all the shield skills (Shield Reflect, Defender, et. al) as well as Devotion (duh). What you will do in major PvE fights is to Devote yourself to LKs and other key strategic players in the team in order to extend their lifespan. Furthermore, Devotioning yourself to the party will allow you to be the only person a FS Priest has to worry about. If an AoE does enough damage to rape everyone, it only rapes you. In such a situation where the FS Priest has to use 5~8 Blue Gemstones to Resurrect (provided they don't have a Mistress card), they would only have to use one! Furthermore, since most respectable Pallies go for V>everything, you will basically be giving a shitton of eHP (Effective HP) to the team and also increase your team's survivability in a clash. This is probably the skill build we want most of our future Pallies going.
Gospel + Shield SkillsThis is not necessarily a Paladin tanking build. Instead, your role will be to sit in the middle of the party and provide wicked buffs to everyone just by standing there and singing a very orchestral tune. Gospel has the effect of providing buffs out of a random selection. However, the said selection is composed of a ridiculous list of buffs which also include doubling your SP count. Instantly, every champion in the party falls in love with you. By Asura Striking the MVP or mob in the face. Seriously. Gospel is pretty much a temporary godmode for your party. Don't listen to people who say this build is completely useless. It isn't. However, it's a
LUXURY role and honestly isn't something that everyone's looking for. It is definitely something you run when you're looking for laughs, though (like me). PERSONALLY, if I were to run a Pally, it'd be a Gospel/Shield Paladin.
However, there is an exception to this: The
WoE Paladin. The WoE Paladin focuses on using
Sacrifice (
iRO: Martyr's Reckoning), Pressure (
iRO: Gloria Domini) and Devotion to provide minor tanking, tactical debilitation, and damage to important threats in the castle. They have max VIT, obviously, but they also have STR, INT and DEX to some degree. STR is mostly for carrying food and Mastelas and stuff to keep HP up and prime, as you'll be using Sacrifice a lot, and that uses your HP and turns it into damage. So yeah.
Only Trance is maso enough to be willing to tackle the intense mission of 100 RED PLANTS.
Don't remind me. Actually, I changed that to 100
THIEF EGG BUGS. Which I have yet to finish, because lawl, school.
What would you suggest for a Prof/possible High Wizard? =O
Here is the build I made for a High Wizard earlier:
click, Mima-sama approved.
Be aware PvP builds are generally vastly different than MVP/group play builds, and likely there's not going to be much of PvP play for a good long while.
Feel free to ask me about WoE builds.