Returning Player - Paladin vs Healer?

[Arcane14]

<p>Hi All,</p><p>I'm a returning player and haven't played since really before TSO (I missed the community so thought I'd come back to try it again with Halas around the corner =) ).</p><p>I had a bunch of questions, and was hoping for some help. I couldn't find direct answers to any of my questions, so I decided to post here. For reference, I've played a handful of classes mid-range, but the highest was a Fury/Warden up to 79, so really this is a comparison between the Paladin and any Healer. This is mostly focused for 6 man groups and solo, but I do want the option of raiding, so any red-flags for raiding would be great to know ahead of time =)</p><p>1) In your opinion how is the Paladin now, overall? Improved and more fun, I hope?</p><p>2) How does the DPS, Healing, and utility compare to a Healer (any, though I'd understand a comparison to Fury/Warden the best)? I know this is strange to ask in this form, but specifics help a lot. For example, obviously the healing is weaker - but I've read they can solo heal some instances (lower level I take it?), can they do that while tanking? Would they fulfill a role in a 6 man group as a supplementary healer, DPS, and offtank? That would be cool.</p><p>3) Essentially, I'm looking for a class that I can solo most of the time with, yet play multiple roles when teaming. I figure a Paladin can Tank, DPS, and Heal, which makes them ideal for filling in any role - note that I'm talking groups rather than raids here, though I do wonder if any raid would ever bring a Paladin for a non-tank role. What do all of you recommend?</p><p>In terms of 'solo' - when I played my Fury/Warden, I loved being able to solo very tough encounters, even heroic 3 up bosses. I really love a 'tough,' self-sufficient character capable of doing a whole lot on his own, and in turn can really contribute towards a group.</p><p>My top three desires for the class would probably be: 1) Ability to solo lots of enemies, or tough enemies (Fury/Warden could do multiple groups, tons of bosses by just outhealing their damage), 2) Utility in a group (Buffs, other roles - with a Fury/Warden I was able to do a lot of DPS while still healing, which was great, though they didn't have as many buffs as other classes), 3) Overall fun (does the class /feel/ strong? Is it fun to play?)</p><p>Thanks a lot!</p>

[Ironcleaver]

<p>Welcome back to the game, I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability. I too just returned to the game not 6 months ago after a year break and turned my paladin into my main character.1) I really enjoy playing my paladin for several reasions. When I first started leveling my paladin again, 5 months ago, I was told over and over again to betray to a Shadowknight or I was doomed; I was happy I didn't listen to them and stuck to the paladin. I did learn that gear dose mean a lot, but as a class they are quite strong and fun to play.2) My old main was my templar, so this is an interesting question. I do not have a warden/fury, so you'll have to extrapolate my responces a little since I played a templar. DPS - In groups on a single target I can push between 4k and 8k on average (depending on group buffs). When it comes to multiple targets I have peeked at 35k (so far) but on average between 10k and 18k. Healing - In groups you will mainly be using your group heal, which is quite strong and is fast enough to cast in combat. Healing will of course be less then a pure healer, but there are times I have parsed higher, but that's more of a issue with the healer. I have had Lay on Hands hit for 17k but averages about 10 to 14k. Utility - paladins have really strong utility but its mainly passive. Group ward, Group spell / combat skill increase, Group potency, Group/Raid heal potency.3) Versatility is the paladins domain. We can tank really well (single encounter or groups), can play backup healer if need be and has one of the better rezes in the game (I feel, with the red raid adornment). This versatile nature dosent change much between raids or groups. When it comes to soloing, like all classes it comes down to gear. I currently have "ok" gear and can solo just fine and far better then a lot of other classes. By this I mean I can easily pull several triple-ups without a worry, and if I attack down-cons<span style="visibility: visible;"><span style="visibility: visible;"><em></em></span></span>, I haven't been able to even pull enough of em to even dent my armor.Overall - Fun strong class. Biggest Issue is power, but that's not uncommon for a class. I also feel we have one of the strongest Myths, best part being the 10% reduction to damage, and if damaged, a 10% returned heal on the remaining incoming damage. Kinda confusing to explain but very strong mechanic.</p>