PVP Templar - A guide to starting out [Archive]

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mrsma

07-17-2008, 09:17 AM

Hello,Started a new Templar as I have leveled my Warden to 73 and want to get back to the lower levels and quite liked the change to a "good" character and a plate wearing healer.So my question/ Request is this - Most of the other class forums have a "sticky" with FAQ or Starting out guide / hints but there are none available here <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Please if someone / group have some spare time could they put fingers to keyboard and list some suggestions for a NEW player starting out. What would be helpfull for me is a list covering AAs for a toon focusing on Group / solo play i;e I know there are LOADS of variants but be bold and say you must fill out the ???? line first then either ??? line or ??? line. Order of spells to cast say lvl 10/ 15 / 22 / 26 / 32 etc, Best armour / loot to try to get. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/d6741711aa045b812616853b5507fd2a.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> PLEASE do not add anything about Raiding spec as I see that being a separate sticky / guide.So in short a noob guide for Templars and what to expect / and how tp spec.Thanks in advance for any helpful posts !!!<img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Rulebritannia - lvl 6 Templar - Nagafen

PRALL

07-17-2008, 04:20 PM

LOL.. you said solo in the Templar forum! {snicker} I'm not the one to start a sticky, as I rarely post or check back here. (Cuts too much into my play time, you see!) However, I will give you a teaser.Like any class, buying special gear is silly before level 20. You'll level quick enough that it's a waste of money. Mastercrafted gear is usually going to do well for you into your 50's. If you are group oriented, look for gear that will increase your heals or heal crit chance. If you can't find either of those for a slot, then find something with in-combat power regen. The theme is to heal for as much as possible while keeping your power up. (Just like with your warden.) Wisdom is still your prime stat for max power. You won't find a lot of temp gear with agility on it, so be sure to get as much mitigation as possible.Quest your butt off, preferrably with a partner that can add some DPS. Grab any and all shineys that you can, as that will help you advance. The higher level you get, the more you are going to need a partner or group. Templars have no DPS, and as the mobs get more hps, it will take you A LOT longer to kill a mob trying to solo. At low levels, this isn't as much of an issue, and at higher levels you can get some AA's that will make it... well... slightly more bearable.Now, on AA's. You will see many theories on this. Everyone thinks they are right, but it's up to you to decide what will work best for your play style. My preference was to position myself for grouping (which nearly mirrors what I might do for raid spec.) In the cleric tree, find the line that raises your melee and heal crit chances (I think that is the stamina line, but I'm at work and can't go check.) I would start there. Then in the Templar tree, I would go down the blessings line. (After that, I maxxed out my cures.) I believe the intelligence line in the cleric tree is good as well. If you want to specialize, the wisdom line is all about spanking the undead. I use Profit Reborn for a custom UI. I suggest you try it, as it has lots of lovely little features that will help you heal a group. The best one being for your cures.Since you have a warden, there isn't much we can tell you about healing you don't already know. With a templar specifically, you tend to cast your heals over time, and augment with direct heals. You will get spells that you cast on the mob instead of the tank that will proc even more heals. Read each spell description and adjust your casting according to whether your group is melee heavy or caster heavy. You get a stun... I try to hit that where I can on big mobs that hit harder. It can prevent one of those 1k+ hits that you'd have to heal.So, while this is a small taste, I hope it helps you. Like I said above in the AA part of my advise, you will get varying opinions on some of this. This is what works for me. No matter what we tell you, you will still have some trial and error.Deacon Sutures WoundmenderAntonia Bayle Server

mrsma

07-18-2008, 04:53 AM

Thanks for your insight. It was informative. Im now lvl 13 and I have noticed 2 things different from my warden obviously apart from leather vs plate......First is - NO SNARE :o( which is a bit of a pain.Second is the difference between HOT and Reactive heals. You mentioned about heals you place on the MOB ?!?! Totally different concept to get my head around but i'm up for the challenge.I was going down the INT line with my amazing 4 AA's but I will follow the STA line first I think from your advice. I have a 28 Guard and they look alot alike so I keep getting tempted to go AGI and STA hehe.I am questing in TD and I think the gear there is as good if not better than MC stuff so I will mix and match as and when. The main problem is all my spells are Apprentice 1 and I'm loathed to spend any cash on spells that will in a short time be worthless (but in order to get to the higher levels faster I think it will be needed, i:e lvl 22 / 32). I dont want to lock untill i get to lvl 32.I have noticed one thing and that is questing in TD means PVP ALL the time and I have also noticed that any fight I get into tends to be a long one I;E they hit me I heal and I hit them and knock off 2 hp....NEXT ! but If im specing for healing then I dont expect to be Battle Melee spec.Thanks again and PLEASE keep the Pearls of Wisdom coming :o)Rulebritannia

zaltar

07-19-2008, 01:02 AM

Hello Mrsmall , I am by no means as experienced as the many long time Templars here however I can pass onsome of what I have learned , I also have a Temp on Nagafen so I may be able to offer some insight . I will do my best to cover situations involving both pve and pvp when talking about the use of skills . I strongly encourage experienced Templars to find and correct any errors in my post and offer their insight . It is a good idea to understand that you will receive different input based on people`s view of how they think the class should be played , there are those who feel the class should not stray very far from simply healing others and those who like to take a different path. Since we all love the class we will respect each others point of view and agree that no matter how we play it the Templar is a clear winner . I like to experiment with classes and try and make use of whatever they have in their arsenal and then apply it to various situations to see how well they perform whether it is for pve , pvp . group or solo etc , so far the Templar has come out ahead .There are many threads here from experienced Templars regarding how to get the best dps , I suggest using the search and studying them carefully. Although popular opinion says Temps cant achieve decent dps , you will learn if you do your research that they can indeed aquire very good dps and this will be reliant upon proper AA spec . Regarding the HOTs that your used to yes it is correct , Templars use reactives and lotto heals in conjunction with their other tools rather than the heal over time skills that your Warden utilizes . Since you mentioned snare first , I`ll adress that issue and then move on to the heals and other tools .Templars have a very good ranged stunn skill with a decent recast time , you can use it to stop runners or simply to immobilize much like a snare skill. The good thing about it is that your damage will not break this stunn so for at least 6 seconds you can beat on whatever or whoever you have stunned and they can do nothing . You can stunn something before it reaches you and use the 6 seconds to cast a few spells or heals also before you get hit .You will get your first version of this skill at level 39 , the name of the skill is "Prostrate "Reactive healsAs a Templar you will receive heals that "react" to either damage being done to you or your group or react to damage that you or your group does to whatever your fighting . When you place a reactive heal on yourself or group member , the heal will activate each time damage is taken.When you place a reactive heal on a mob or enemy player , the heal will trigger when the mob or enemy player takes damage according to a proc % chance . Some trigger from melee weapon damage and others trigger from any type of damage done . Reactives that require you to place the skill on your opponent rather than your allies are called "Impairments " . Also refered to as lotto heals although in my experience these heals have a much better chance of triggering than you do of winning the lotto . Some of your Impairments that you place on your enemy also come with additional features such as the ability to cure trauma , de buff mitigation against divine damage etc . You will also have an impairment that heals you and your group as soon as you kill whatever you place it on , I use this frequently to get a little hp boost right after a fight that way I dont have to spend as much power to bring hp levels up to maximum since the impairment has already been placed and is set to heal as soon as the fight is over with .Another nice skill is called "Reverence " . This skill will heal the target whenever power is used for 15 seconds and can be recast after 15 seconds thus converting a certain % of power usage in to hp . So to reviewTemplars have skills that : Heal when damage is taken Heal when damage is given Heal when something is killed Straight heals that are cast directly on the target Heal when power is consumedCuresYou have a direct cure that cures pretty much everything instant and a group cure that cures the group within aoenote: the direct cure has a 2 second re cast added in pvp , group cure does not cure poison .BuffsTemplars have several useful buffs for things such as hp , mitigation , stats etc and if I`m not mistaken can buff the largest amount of hp out of all the classes . There is also a nice stoneskin type of buff that will absorb physical damage in the way of a proc ward. There are also buffs for increasing damage as well as defense . Other stuffThe Templar has been blessed with a variety of disruption and control skills which are also quite useful in pvp situations including daze , interrupt , sooth , mesmerize and stunn skills . Most of these can be used to prevent attacks as well as give yourself time to cast a beneficial skill , heal or attack . Many of these will "break " on damage to the target however , if you turn auto attack off you will have plenty of time to do what you like including healing yourself or group members, as a rule I keep my auto attack on but if you want to preventbreaking some of these effects you can switch it on and off as you see fit.One of the more popular Templar skills "Sanctuary " will give protection against all control skills that any mob or player tries to cast on you or your group. The only exception to this ( not 100% certain ) is charm skills , but it works against all the others including fear . The "Salvation " line of skills can be cast with 0 power requirement and will allow you or your target to remain alive upon being killed . It can be a little tricky but if you cast this skill right when you are about to die , you will increase your hp and defense a little and remain standing however usually in this type of situation you or your target will require healing right away which requires some power , if you reached that point yourself it generally means that you ran out of power in the first place so you may be in the same boat however , it can be useful for saving a group member at the last minute when you have the power to heal them back up.Emergency reactives " work similar to regular reactives but require 0 power and 0 time to cast , they can only be used every 15 minutes though . Resurrection skills , self explanatory .Lets talk about damage , AA and "say it isn`t so " killing things <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/385970365b8ed7503b4294502a458efa.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />As a Templar you are primarily a "defensive " type of class that is better served by outlasting your opponent rather than by trying to out damage him , your cousin the Inquisitor is the offensive version of you . Your advantage as a Temp is your incredible survivability , you can wear plate armor , can heal yourself in every way imaginable and keep your enemy at bay by using chain control and disruption skills . You will often find that in pvp situations upon spamming all of their CA and draining their power supply because your not going down easy , they will resort to that common skill known as "run away ". hint ( this is the time to use prostrate )I like to think of using Templar damage skills as being more of a consistent method rather than a big burst methodYou are a melee/nuker and can consistantly time those skills to kill whatever you have to by using the smite/melee smite/melee combination. You have a few (dots ) damage over time skills as well that will add to your overall damage , the key is to learn how to time your smites and melee for optimal results. Your routine will also depend on your choice of weapons and delay , I prefer the 1 h type myself so I can have the buckler defense but that does not mean you cant keep a nice Blackscale Maul in your bag for special situations that require a 2 hander .After much to do about Templar dps it seems that the final outcome has been to enable more and more of this through the cleric and Templar AA trees. So what do you get?100% mele crit32% double attacks + 20% more with "Yaulp " on.increased attack speed -Yaulpincreased dps -Yaulpknockback with stunn and divine dmgmelee attack with daze and de buffdivine damage / interrupt proc 40% chance on all attacks20% chance of all procs on all proc items25% increase in smite skill damage28% spell crit15.4% casting speed increaseReduction in casting , recasting and power cost of smitesYes folks they can do slightly more than keep the MT in the green.I found through my own trials with the class that interrupts were the number one problem so I opted to go down the strength line and get the end skill . It works as long as you dont move or get knocked back and the 2 second description is NOT the duration of the skill , the skill lasts much longer and is a passive ability , the wording on this description needs to be changed as it tends to deter people from wanting to utilize this skill. It does prevent interrupts and I am very happy to have it. How players spec AA is a matter of playstyle , some like to utilize the int for nukes and others go melee.I prefer to use the melee options and enhance my smites through the Templar tree but it is all about what works best for you and what your priority is. In short , you can achieve some very good smite damage as well as melee.My recommended set up for the cleric tree would be to utilize the str line and aquire the end skill , utilize the sta line and get the hammer smite skill , dont bother with the wis line or the other end line skills because they take to long to re use . IMHO the only good end skills in the cleric line are the str/ int and if your going to raid the agi skill.You can throw some points in to the agi line if you want to get the double attacks also , the str line 3rd skill bolt ofpower is very effective as well , I have 8 points in that skill and it adds divine damage to almost every attack madeAnother thing to consider is that if you do enable the double attacks in the agi line you get the added benefit of 32% increased shield effectiveness also.Templar tree I would put 20 points in to smite line and get smite wrath 25% increase in smite damage and 20 points in to the blessings line and get the " Blessings " skill which gives a 20% increase in proc chance to all of yours and your groups proc items.A few facts about TemplarsYou are a key class for raiding and are required for certain raidsYou can almost always find a groupEveryone thinks your suppose to be [Removed for Content] when it comes to damage ( keep it a secret so they underestimate you)One of the least played classes in pvp ( changing with the increase in high end raiding on pvp servers )Oh and you can also swim around under water wearing plate armor at incredible speeds while holding your breath as long as you want to and use infra vision to see heat patterns on living targets but hey , this is EQ2 .Thats all for now and remember , a Templar who never runs out of power can be quite invincible .Good luck <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

Oblio

07-19-2008, 04:25 PM

Thank you Zaltar!As a new Templar (27) I have to say your post is the best I have read thus far. You helped me confirm that Templar was the right choice for me. Thanks again!

PRALL

07-19-2008, 04:59 PM

<cite>Mrsmall@Nagafen wrote:</cite><blockquote>Thanks for your insight. It was informative. Im now lvl 13 and I have noticed 2 things different from my warden obviously apart from leather vs plate......First is - NO SNARE :o( which is a bit of a pain.Second is the difference between HOT and Reactive heals. You mentioned about heals you place on the MOB ?!?! Totally different concept to get my head around but i'm up for the challenge.I have noticed one thing and that is questing in TD means PVP ALL the time and I have also noticed that any fight I get into tends to be a long one I;E they hit me I heal and I hit them and knock off 2 hp....NEXT ! but If im specing for healing then I dont expect to be Battle Melee spec.Thanks again and PLEASE keep the Pearls of Wisdom coming :o)Rulebritannia</blockquote>Yeah, no snare. Only glimmer of hope I can give ya there is that I will often stun first on the pull, then get a couple of reactives on the mob before he has a chance to hit me. On the heals, you will get used to it I promise. Templar reactives heal when damage is delt to the target of the spell. You can cast the reactive heal before the tank even takes damage, and it won't be a waste. This allows the templar to be more proactive (funny how that is like the opposite of reactive...) When it comes to the spells you cast on the mob, you would be surprised how much it can help. Placing a spell like involuntary cure on a mob means that when your ally hits the mob, this spell has a chance to react. This spell I mention is nice, because when it goes off on a successful attack it heals the whole group for a decent amount! So, when healing a group.... 1) Keep a reactive heal going at all times. (I judge whether to use group reactive or single-target reactive based on the group and the difficulty of the mob.)2) Keep a mob reactive up. (Now you have heals when your ally gets hit AND when he hits the mob!)3) If that isn't enough, now you cast direct heals. (Always keeping in mind that the tank has priority. If a dumb mage or scout takes aggro, don't sacrifice the tank to heal them. Only heal them when you have more than enough power and time on your hands. Groups that are doing a tough zone usually will bring a 2nd healer for the support classes and backup for tank.)4) Only cast offensive spells when bars are all green. The worst thing ever is to start casting an offensive spell and suddenly see the tank's health bar drop hard. Even if you manage to interrupt your cast and start casting a heal, you're 2-3 seconds too late by now.PVP... hmm.. I can't offer advice on that. That's not my style. However, from the 2 duels I've done I can say that the longest duel ever would be between two templars. Low DPS and healing equals "Oh gods... please run out of power so we can get this over with!" So when it comes to AA's, pick a path and stick to it. I don't see you soloing much as a templar in PVP.EDIT: Bear in mind that this advice can change slightly once you get into higher levels and gain a couple of new spell types. For example, the Glory line of buffs. Placing that spell on 3 people versus giving mitigation or strength on someone (can't do it all with 5 concentration) can be better for healing.

mrsma

07-21-2008, 07:12 AM

AWESOME feedback ! Thank you so much !!!I was feeling a bit depressed about my Templar, now lvl 16. From the sound of it there are some fun times ahead - I want lvl 39 Stun !!!!!!!!================================================== ===========PLEASE CAN WE STICKY THIS THREAD - It is a very very helpful positive thread<img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />================================================== ===========I saw a thread by "Tbiggs" from Blackburrow. He suggested INT + STA. But I dont think that is a PVP server and as such would you still say the best way to go is STR first ? After STR line would you put AA's into STA or SMITE?? I am asking from a as I progess stage rather than I have 140 AAs and where do I put them. This infor would also be helpful.

PRALL

07-21-2008, 12:54 PM

I will not even attempt to give advice on PvP. I'd only be speculating, and I would hate to give bad guidance.Anyone on a PvP server that can impart some wisdom?

mrsma

07-21-2008, 02:42 PM

Good point - Changed title to PVP Templars <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />Looked at other forums and for example noticed that the WIZARD forum as 8 stickies of info from the "starting out guide" to the "Raid spec". We low lvl's that want to give this class a fair crack of the whip need your experienced feedback.Again many thanks so far to Zaltar & Prallic <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/e8a506dc4ad763aca51bec4ca7dc8560.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

Liffy

07-21-2008, 07:44 PM

Been browsing the Templar forums for a few days now when I get a spare moment, as I'm considering rolling a Templar as an alt on Nagafen. The class forums generally are more used by players on pve, and solid pvp advice can be hard to come by. That said, there is plenty of generic advice here tho that is always useful especially for me who knows very little about the class. I've only played on pvp and the Templar is possibly the least played class of all. My Troubbie is 44, and been locked since level 10 and I've never been in a group with a Templar. I'm leaning heavily on other peoples ignorance of the class, to win through! Been looking at suitable races... Checking out the racial traditions with a bias to pvp usefulness, I'm leaning heavily towards a Sarnak which I'd have to betray.. The obvious choice otherwise seems to be High Elf, with Half Elf and Dwarf also looking viable. Again very useful and informative thread! <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

Kyom

07-22-2008, 12:15 PM

Templar are, as a matter of fact, VERY powerful in pvp and a force to be reckoned with. That is both true in single and group pvp.It takes the right specc though but thanks to AA mirrors you can get you can always have a pvp specc and a raid/healing/group specc.One spell that hasn't been mentioned (unless I overlooked it) is <a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Divine_Arbitration" target="_blank">Divine Arbitration</a>. You have to wait until lvl 58 to get it however.What it does is, divide the overall HP amount of your group and spread it evenely. A lot of players shy away from this spell but it has it's very specific and very helpful use.First of all, for pvp players interesting: it is zone wide. Meaning if you have a group member run off and being attacked in pvp you can use this to at least give your friend a bit of a breather, no matter how far away the person is. I do have a macro using DA where I warn the group (so they don't freak out if their health drops) and have it chained with the group heal right afterwards.No target required and the cast time is very fast.Also in group situation where your caster or any other squishy with low hp gets pounded on, it's a very handy spell (obviously due to the HP distribution of your group members).Divine Recovery AA shouldn't be a question to be mentioned as "must have" imo.Now to pvp. With Sanctuary and divine ward we are a pain. Get those up before a fight if you can together with your group reactives.In general in pvp you will want to specc the Steadfast aa which will make you immune to interrupts (you will still be knocked back etc. though) but the negated interrupts, specially against fast hitting opponents, is a must have.Next, it's recommended to either get the full int line for max spell damage or the melee crit/double attack line (or both if you can squeeze it in). But AA specc is a whole different topic and if you search you will find good info on this. We can dish out some very nice dps if you gear up and specc like an SK would (str/int). It will take time and maybe money or patience but building different armor sets is a good idea on pvp servers anyway.SoloUse your stun once you get it and always try to get your hammer out asap. The chance of it knocking back your opponent is very important to have and might be the edge you need to win. Same goes for the hammer smite and/or shield mezz aa. Try to keep your opponent interrupted as much as possible.There are classes we just can't beat due to the shear amount of dps they create or stun locks/stiffle and us having slow casting heals (and reactives being low capped high end). Use potions, mana roots and whatever you can get your hand on to help you during a fight.Against other healers it mostly comes down to who runs out of power first (very annoying fights).Even though we are probably the most atypical pvp class for 1:1 fights we are a lot of fun to play (even though I am a very sucky pvp player -.-). In the right hands though we are a real pita even in 1:1 fights.I am highelf btw and loving the mind over matter racial skill (free parachut buff). Very hand during those many times your scout shouts "freep!" and you have to jump off your birdie <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

zaltar

07-22-2008, 07:47 PM

I wanted to add a little more emphasis on the INT line also since I primarily focused on the melee stuff in my other post and I want to make sure that It`s understood that because the OP asked for our opinions regardless of the many variables involved that I offered my positive experiences using the aa melee options, this does not mean that I think the INT line is not worth using , I answered the post in relation to how I prefer to spec according togetting the most benfits out of 50 points . Kandra`s suggestion for using str/int line aa spec in the cleric tree is also a very effective way to go for a few reasons IMHO , the main one being the skill " Divine Recovery " the INT line end skill . This skill gives you and your group members within aoe a hefty 50% speed increase on all your skill casting speeds along with a 33% re use increase for 24 seconds . In pvp often times speed can be the main factor as far as the outcome of a fight and this skill will allow you to practically spam smites and heals non stop for 24 seconds combined with the increase in spell crit damage from the INT line and the STR line skills that prevent interruptions and increase focus , you can dish out some severe punishment upon the infidels .The STR line skill " Skull Crack " will de buff your opponent of all focus , combat and casting skills for a certain % , daze and interrupt them and it lasts for 20 seconds . This is another good one for pvp because the re use on it is only 30 seconds and each time you hit someone with it they get interrupted and also get debuffed for 20 seconds.The actual damage from it is not to shabby either so when your up close this skill can have great benefits .I love the 3rd skill in the STR line " Bolt of Power " and have 8 points in mine . Bolt adds extra divine damage to almost every attack I make smite/melee and has the chance to interrupt as well and it does work quite well . In pvp , interrupts are king and the Templar has access to quite a few , if your opponent cant cast they cant win.Who are you in pvp ?You are a plate armor wearing class which means you can take a bit of punishment however you can also heal yourself ( alot ) you can also buff up HP ( alot ) and you can be very hard to kill.One of the more successful pvp classes the Fury is also a priest like you , the difference is that the Fury gets a bit more fire power and you get more defense , alot more defense . As a Templar you should use all of your defensivecapabilities to your highest advantage and learn to outlast your opponents . There is nothing I like better in pvp than when a Scout class tries to jump me . 9 times out of 10 they will hit you first , spam all of their attacks and hope to get a fast kill . Sorry but this doesent fly with the Templar , we can withstand ALOT of melee damage , heal up to green and send the little scouts running for their lives or to the evac zone if they live that long .This is a Templar advantage in pvp since most of your other classes have alot of trouble handling Scout classes . One skill that I didnt mention is the "Focused Benefaction " line which grants up to 15 reactive heals when damage is taken , guess what happens when a hard hitting melee class starts whacking on you and you pop this skill on yourself or a group member ? At first I was sceptical about using it because it stunns you while its on but I later tried it and found that you can toggle it on and off as much as you like so your not without the ability to move if you have to , you simply click the skill back off to resume activity . This skill heals extremely fast and for a large amount of hp , its an incredible reactive and works wonders on a group member thats taking damage also . The skill has a small power drain while its toggled on however its not really noticable , you can switch it on while your being hit and watch you hp bar , as soon as its full simply turn it off or in a particularly difficult encounter it will switch off by itself once you use up the 15 triggers . In pvp the psychology of many players is to go for the throat and kill kill kill with the biggest and the most attacksas quickly as possible until you are assured total victory over your enemy , this is done primarily out of panic once an encounter happens and being on a pvp server this can happen when you least expect it , on Nagafen due to the high population this happens quite often , you can be in some deep dark hole somewhere and run in to another player by pure chance . This type of reaction from your opponent can work to your advantage as a Templar , while they are busy going wild trying to spam CAs and blast you in to oblivion , you are consistantly healing yourself and managing your skills and power until they have nothing left . With some of the heavy hitters out there this will not be as simple as it might sound however , if you can keep your head and time things correctly the power of the Priest will unfoldbefore your eyes , you have interrupts use them , you have stunn and daze use them , wait until your enemy has exhausted their resources and then open fire with everything you have . Many classes have big hits but they are only going to be able to use them once during a fight because the re cast is so long on the skills , while other classes dont have the resources to withstand that kind of punishment and need to depend on an offensive play to win , you have a toolbox full of surprises that allows you to be the annoying opponent who refuses to die , learn to stay alive first and the rest will fall in to place . Things that will give you more troubleSince you are naturally better against melee there are a few casting type classes that will be difficult , overall theMage classes will be your toughest fights. In this case it will not be as easy to use a defensive strategy , you haveno ward against charm either so killing enchanters can be like pulling teeth . I recommend running away very fast( joking) .As Kandra mentioned , "Sanctuary " and your magic/arcane ward are your friend . As soon as you confirm a casting type of opponent these 2 skills should go up as quickly as possible , they will block everything except forcharm and keep you from being killed in 2 hits by a Wiz . You do have to be careful with Wizards however becausethe duration of these 2 skills is limited and they will still try and root you and spam heat damage, if your hp drops to low and you have dots on you , it can be really hard to get it back up before they kill you so be careful . Same goes for heavy poison and disease dots , you can cure and cure and cure and they just keep coming so you have to be really careful not to drain all your power curing and healing back up , you will have to be on your toes when dealing with Warlocks and Necros . Shadow Knights are a force to be reckoned with in pvp , if they know how to play the class they will get your hp down to a certain % and kill you with their Touch skill. This is where you have to be faster at casting than they are by using your Divine Recovery and never allow your hp to go below 75-80% , some Templars also like to carry disease remedies with them just in case , I don`t but its up to you .Experienced players will know when you are attempting to cast a heal also and the typical strategy will be to getclose and use a knockback to interrupt you , try and keep your single reactive up at all times and use your interruption skills to keep them from casting . Your "Sign of Pacification " line will daze , your "Complacent " linewill daze aoe , Skull Crack will daze ," Wonderous Buckling" will also mezz for 13 seconds at rank 8 and of courseyou have the prostrate line with the 6 second stunn , all good skills for pvp encounters .Group playI have one thing to say , when the other guys discover a healer in your group you will become target #1A group with 2 Templars or a Templar and another healing class will do very well , often times assured victory.I have been grouped with more than one Templar before and I have to lol at the survivability rate being so highPractically invincible . GearAs far as gear I`ll do that at another time but for now I would recommend anything you can find that adds powerincreases while your in combat .The "Phantom " type of adorns are very good but they cost a fortune due to the high price of the materials required to craft them , when equiped on your weapon they will take power from your enemy and give it to you.Cloaks or other items that give in combat + power regen are helpful.At high Tiers you will find alot of good fabled and legendary weapons and armor that have power benefits also.I also think that the high elf is a good choice for the race = 100% good aligned class and race and the traditionsare beneficial for a Templar.Another tid bit about Templars and pvp ( most classes get a reduction in spell damage in pvp , the Templar getsan increase in damage on certain spells in pvp , however they also take a very small reduction in heals in pvp)Thats all for nowgood luck <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

mrsma

07-23-2008, 05:47 AM

Awesome info again - Thankyou. I will be in TD tonight with my lvl 16 Templar outhealing and then slaughtering all :o)What would be really helpfull would be a suggestion of where to start putting your AAs. Suggestions have been Melee or DPS spec. When starting off with 1,2 3 AAs what line would be best to start off with? I have 6 AAs i think so I want to make the most with them !!How can we sticky this thread to the top???

dancemice

07-23-2008, 11:59 AM

Search the forums, I've probably typed out various guides at least twice.Or check my blog, IF i recall right, sometime last year i did a complete guide there as well, It can be found here<a href="http://www.gamersinfo.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.gamersinfo.net</a> under blogs.-B-

mrsma

07-23-2008, 01:36 PM

Is there a way you can copy the guide to here and sticky it. It would be very very very helpful !!!To have all you experienced Templars post the information in one thread would be awesome and a god send to us up and coming ones.Myself, Liffy & Oblio have all said how helpful this thread has been....Many thanks again

cooperownzyou

07-23-2008, 04:10 PM

well, this was helpful. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />i want to roll a Templar now. thanks MrsMall,you've brought new Templars into playing. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />

Oblio

07-23-2008, 05:24 PM

Yeah still loving the info posted here and loving my Templar. Level 30 now eith 23 AAs and just about get Steadfast. If I would have known how fun this class was I never would have quit the game last year.

zaltar

07-24-2008, 04:17 PM

A word about SteadfastMost people dont choose this ability because they assume the duration is only for 2 seconds.The way Steadfast actually works is that once you stay still for 2 seconds and dont move , the skill activates .As long as you dont move or get knocked back you wont get interrupted.When you get stifled there will be a point during the stifle where the skill will break the stifle effect for 2 seconds and give you the opportunity to cast a spell , you can use this opportunity to cure the stifle effect , heal or whatever.Remember , knock backs will break the skill and cause you to be interrupted . Don`t be afraid to experiment with your AA , the game gives many opportunities to change things around .

Liffy

07-27-2008, 03:48 AM

Very informative thread, answered just about all my questions on pvp AA and skills just from this single thread. Thanks again guys.

zaltar

07-31-2008, 08:14 PM

Well how are things going for you guys ? Im still enjoying my Templar every day and he just keeps getting stronger and better at pvp also .

Liffy

08-03-2008, 03:33 PM

Well I actually thought it would be really easy picking up groups as a Templar, seems I was wrong.. and alot of the lfg traffic Im seeing in the lower tiers is Templar lfg! In group pvp what little I've had, never had a pvp death for myself or any in my group. Solo has been diffrent. Story usually goes something like this, blue/yellow con scout attacks.. Scout blows off most of his power but usually stops short at about 30%.. At this point I've been just healing, yallop off, and auto attacking. When I sense them thinking of running or slowing down on ca's I unload my uber templar dps (lol). I usually get them down to 30% or so and they run for it, stealth and Im left chasing shadows. They then come back with a friend, another scout or in one case a warden. Senario repeated, scout and warden almost oop, I have 40% left, both run. Once this kinda thing happened until I got 5 come back, blues thru to yellows and I get ganked! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Solo encounters with oj scouts atm Im losing most of them especially if bards. If I do get attacked by scouts most of the time its oj's...In all but one case I've been able to easily stand up to yellow con scouts, in the only case I didnt this guy was good, watched his power, used his interrupts and knockbacks at crucial times and I got spanked. level 15 atm, cant wait to get str end ability as most fights for me are lost due to heal interrupts. Feel like Im a walking update solo, but rather go out and do something than spam an lfg macro in QH.

zaltar

08-03-2008, 06:08 PM

I had to smile when I read your post Liffy because this is the typical Scout class response , when they realize you are not easy to kill they run away and Templars arent known for thier incredible running speed . The best way to look at it is that although alot of times they escape , at least you survived and didnt take a death on your recordwhich means that you have a bit of survivability unlike some other classes . When you reach T4 and get the prostrate skill ( ranged stunn ) you will have the chance to stop them and catch up . Interrupts are the bane of the class but just be thankful your not a Shaman , to get heals off in pvp use your Sign of pacification on them first or your Complacent and then pop a heal , your single reactive should be on yourself all the time also and you will find your emergency reactives very useful as well . Once you get Prostrate (39) you will have an easier time by stunning them first and then healing . When I first started the class I remember being annoyed from interrupts and wondering what was wrong , from mobs and players both it would be very frustrating , now I NEVER get interrupted and only face being stifled once in a while . When you fill the str line you also get "Unwavering Resolve " which adds more focus , combined with Steadfast you will rarely be interrupted.Stifles will still happen but just wait for your 2 second window . Once you get in to T 3 and above you will find more and more opportunities to group and in higher tiers if you find players that know the game they will know you have skills they need for doing certain instances etc . Rather than using the lfg , next time your out and you see a few players killing mobs or even engaged in a pvp fight , go up and throw them a few heals when you see their hp bar dropping , they dont have to be grouped with you in order to be healed and its a good way to make contact and many times they will ask you to form a group , you can form a duo with solo players this way also . As far as your dps it`s important to realize that Templars are very AA dependent , also you have to use your smites along with your weapon as a routine . Enhancing the smite line in the Templar tree will cut down on the power cost and enhancing the int line in the cleric tree will add speed and damage . A str/int set up can be very effective for the first 50 points and later you can add more melee benefits with your additional 20 points . Your dot attacks also are very important as well as your de buffs , right now your tier is not quite high enough to have enough skills but once you get them all it will be much easier , defense comes naturally improving offense is the ongoing task of the Templar. Overall I would just say that you need to level up a bit more to enjoy the benefits .

Liffy

08-05-2008, 08:47 PM

Thanks for your response Zaltar.. This has been the first time I've ever played a healing class in this game and I wouldn't say its been an easy ride in the first couple of tiers. I've always played scouts in the past, mostly bards. And always found that stealth has suited my playstyle as I run solo most of the time playing server off times. The single most annoying thing about playing this class is people soon find out they cant 1v1 you so come back with a gank squad lol. Anyway wrapped up monk rent today, reached level 21 and have I think 29 AA. Have gone, STR 4,4,8,6,1. I've put 4 into the smite ability in the templar tree. After that I intend to strike all the way down the int branch of the cleric tree. Not had many 1v1's resonably evenly matched (blue/yellow). Tho well played/geared yellow troubs, brigs and coercers have given me tough fights so far. Up until today I was quite proud to say I hadn't lost a 1v1 against an equal con opponent. Then today I got my butt handed to me by a -3 level SK... I still dont know how it happened, Im guessing he was very, very well geared or had lots of luck with resists. Basically he resisted mark of pawns 3 times before it landed, and resisted at least half my smites both abilities at adept 3. I've got a power drain adorn on my mace, and even with that I went oop far too soon. Was forced to use greater heal at least 4 times on top of my reactive. This guys dps was was like nothing I've come accross before from a -3 opponent. Shrug, power management seems the key to staying alive. Reactives seem the most power effiecent way to keep topped up in the green so try to avoid using my other heals unless necessary. Spent most of the afternoon playing a duo with a Pally that went pretty well, and won most fights unless totally over run by 5-6. Definately find the class more fun when grouped! I do have a few general observations tho so far:1: Managing power, this seems key to winning or losing in some cases. Its the fights where I'm forced to use big heals early on that are the hardest to win. I guess Im still learning the class and have to learn not to panic!2: I do like to keep my skills maxed to my level. When I've played solo, this hasnt really been a problem with the exception of subjugation. This skill is a real chore to level up. I usually only get gains when using Complacement for some reasn which has an insane cool down. Im loathe to use it in regualr play, cos its really useful if I get a couple of scouts on me. atm its something like 10-15 below level, where all my other skills are relitively easy to keep up to speed.3: I really like yallop! but I find I cant use it most of the time, as the small drain on my power can make a significant diffrence in big fights ..

zaltar

08-05-2008, 10:26 PM

<cite>Liffy wrote:</cite><blockquote>Thanks for your response Zaltar.. This has been the first time I've ever played a healing class in this game and I wouldn't say its been an easy ride in the first couple of tiers. I've always played scouts in the past, mostly bards. And always found that stealth has suited my playstyle as I run solo most of the time playing server off times.Templar was my first Priest class as I had played fighter before , it takes some getting used to but once you reach a certain point you will really begin to see the advantage , imho unless you play a scout class none of the others are an easy ride as you level up but thats why I choose them , to offer a bit of a challenge. If your concerned about having an outstanding pvp record then you should group your Templar as often as possible since your not used to playing without the solo tools that your scout has .The single most annoying thing about playing this class is people soon find out they cant 1v1 you so come back with a gank squad lol. Anyway wrapped up monk rent today, reached level 21 and have I think 29 AA. Have gone, STR 4,4,8,6,1. I've put 4 into the smite ability in the templar tree. After that I intend to strike all the way down the int branch of the cleric tree.lol . I have that problem on my Mystic also , dont get me started about things like honorable pvp , its a rare thing if you find it . AA is hard before 70 to spec because all the lines really have stuf you can use , if you are going down the int line once you get Divine Recovery and you pop that during a fight you will be smiting and healing so fast it will make you laugh , remember you will still have to deal with stifles a little bit also even with Steadfast but it will break them at some point. Not had many 1v1's resonably evenly matched (blue/yellow). Tho well played/geared yellow troubs, brigs and coercers have given me tough fights so far. Up until today I was quite proud to say I hadn't lost a 1v1 against an equal con opponent. Then today I got my butt handed to me by a -3 level SK... I still dont know how it happened, Im guessing he was very, very well geared or had lots of luck with resists. Basically he resisted mark of pawns 3 times before it landed, and resisted at least half my smites both abilities at adept 3. I've got a power drain adorn on my mace, and even with that I went oop far too soon. Was forced to use greater heal at least 4 times on top of my reactive. This guys dps was was like nothing I've come accross before from a -3 opponent. Shrug, power management seems the key to staying alive. Reactives seem the most power effiecent way to keep topped up in the green so try to avoid using my other heals unless necessary.I remember being punished by more than one SK that knew how to play the class , you can not under any circumstances allow your hp to get to low or they will use the insta win button ( harm touch ) unresistable massive disease damage . Charming classes that can keep you down are also dangerous however , I just discovered that Sanctuary does in fact work against charm which some of us were unsure of , you have to pop it fast before you get shut down otherwise you wont be able to heal , last night I used it and the little icon appeared in my spell window saying that I was immune to charm effects , its a must have skill for pvp . The guy trying to charm and mezz me took off running when he realized he didnt have me shut down. Sant FTW Spent most of the afternoon playing a duo with a Pally that went pretty well, and won most fights unless totally over run by 5-6. Definately find the class more fun when grouped! I do have a few general observations tho so far:1: Managing power, this seems key to winning or losing in some cases. Its the fights where I'm forced to use big heals early on that are the hardest to win. I guess Im still learning the class and have to learn not to panic! You hit this one on the head , I always say that if I had unlimited power no one could ever kill me . In your advancement choices you can choose either extra power or in combat power regen , both are good . I try and use my single reactive and when you have both of your emergency reactives that dont use any power it will be easier in a close fight , you can pop both of those at the last minute and they heal quite a bit . The power proc adorns help alot and then when you get in to T 8 you will have access to all of the newer power proc items . In lower tiers look for cloaks and other items that give in combat power regeneration . 2: I do like to keep my skills maxed to my level. When I've played solo, this hasnt really been a problem with the exception of subjugation. This skill is a real chore to level up. I usually only get gains when using Complacement for some reasn which has an insane cool down. Im loathe to use it in regualr play, cos its really useful if I get a couple of scouts on me. atm its something like 10-15 below level, where all my other skills are relitively easy to keep up to speed.All of them will be fine trust me , I rarely use complacent and my subjugation is quite high. There are some items for lower tiers that can add to your skills also , look for Orbs , necklace of glowing Orbs , symbol of reanimation ect . There is an Orb for each skill , Subjugation , Ministration etc and they go in your ear slot so you can carry 2 , I think they are all rewards for shiny quests but you can find all of them on the broker . Also you dont have other subjugation skills yet like prostrate , once you get that you will be using it all the time and your Sooth skill should also raise that .3: I really like yallop! but I find I cant use it most of the time, as the small drain on my power can make a significant diffrence in big fights ..I use Yaulp with caution , losing to much power isnt worth the extra dps etc sometimes and it does lower your casting abilty while its on as well .Maintaining power while your enemy drains his should be your bigger concern imho .</blockquote>

mrsma

08-06-2008, 10:05 AM

Well i thought I would give you an update as to my progress.I too have just finished up at Mok Rent and have started the quests in BBM. I have not locked at all so my AAs are not as high as i would like (15 AAs) .Just dinged lvl 22 so will be going to broker to upgrade my stuff. Alot of the TD gear is very good so I hopefully wont be spending too much cash - cash i have not got anyway :o)I actually got a "Hunter Title" yesterday :o) which was taken back when i was ganked by the same chap I killed and 2 of his mates.Going down INT line atm. and not noticing much of a difference so am going to re-spec and go down STR. The interrupts, extra health increase and the end skill will I think be a better use of the AA's pvp wise.After STR line thinking also of going down the Smite Templar AA route. You are right that when building AA's it is a hard decision as to where to put them for maximum benefit. Just about getting the hang of the different heals - I tend to use the single reactive on me and mark of pawns on the attacker. after that I use the single heals as the big reactive group heal although heals for upto 9 attacks takes too long to cast and i get interupted all the time if i try to cast it. By this time my health bar is half and it's a fight to get it back up again (pvp wise).Not grouped too much as I was focusing on at least getting to lvl 22 first. Now I am there I am looking forward to grouping and healing as that was the main purpose of me choosing the class but with the added challenge of PVP :o) . I use a single handed and buckler as I seem to last longer in PVP than with a 2h. The best bit about the templar so far is not so much the skills but the class I choose - Fay. It is sooo funny being ganked by a 4 freeps only to cast my windwalker spell and click sprint and for about 20secs I have 100% run speed with feather fall. NOTHING catches me - ever - even if i am rooted when it breaks i'm gone. Very nice ability.Anyways - would not have enjoyed this class half as much if it was not for the awesome information you experienced Templars have given (especially Zaltar) so hats off to you and thanks you again. Rulebritannia - lvl 22 Templar - was hunter for 5 mins :o)

zaltar

08-06-2008, 04:31 PM

Im glad that I was able to help a little bit , as I said im not a Templar expert but I do have a bit of experience playing the class in pvp .The group reactive is something that I rarely use even in pve instances because its just so slow to cast.Many good skills come in tier 3 , 4 and 5 . Your going to get some (dots) damage over time atks, your stoneskin buff , your involuntary healer line , your prostrate (stun ) , group cure , str/wis buff and in T6 you get some super skills like Sanctuary , Reverence , Forced Benefaction and Divine Arbitration etc . In beginning tiers you really dont even have half of your arsenol of tools that are available to the Templar , they become quite powerful as they level up .I like the added benefits of the buckler myself , if you want to go 2 hand later the Blackscale maul is a real headbanger (lvl 66 ) . For lower tier bucklers I would recommend the Master Crafted which are imbued with the heat damage , at least until maybe T 7 .When it comes to AA on my characters , I generally test all the lines to see what works well since you can re set them free 5 times each . The mirror is a good idea to get at some point so you can keep different set ups without having to pay to respec . Remember the Stamina line is also very good with hammer smite and 100% melee crits and the AGI line with Wonderous Buckling will daze your enemy for a long duration and the line will also give you the double attacks and 32 % added to your shield benefit .Ah . lol I saw your Temp in BB last night I was on my Mystic . If you complete all of the Irontoe Dwarf quests you get a nice item for a charm slot , worth doing imho .Also your going to get hit alot in the 20 - 30 areas like BB , TS and Nek forest if your solo so be prepared , dont get discouraged when you run into players in those levels who seem Godlike , alot of them are very powerful alts that are financed by T8 players and they can make you feeel like your class is useless , dont believe it for one minute .