Shadowknight / Paladin comparison [Archive] - EQ2 Forum Archive @ EQ2Wire

Vathranen

11-10-2006, 10:37 PM

<div></div><div></div>I've been meaning to make a post on this for some time now. I've played both a Paladin and a Shadowknight to 70 and raided (a small amount) with both. I played a Paladin to 55 on PvE then went to PvP and started over there. I got my Paladin there to 70 and went back to PvE. Once back in PvE I betrayed my 55 Paladin to a Shadowknight and finished to 70. The Shadowknight is a solid class, as is the Paladin, but there are a few major differences. I'd like to post a comparison side-by-side to dispell some of the myths between the classes. I'm going to try and remain as neutral as I can and not offer any opinions or personal beliefs. Here's a breakdown of what each class gets comparatively: Taunts Single Target are basically the same - a small taunt over time, but the Shadowknight taunt has a disease DoT as well (93-113 every 3 sec for 9 sec at Adept III) Group Taunt are the same - Paladin debuffs divine resistance, Shadowknight debuffs disease resistance. Shield bash with a major taunt component for both classes, basically the same ability. Paladins get Amends which is a buff placed on a group member which gives 42% of their hate to the Paladin. Shadowknights get the Caress line which is a damage shield with a hate increase component. At Master 1, it's 94 points of hate and 54 points of damage every time they get hit. Paladins get Sigil of Heroism which grants 32% of the group's aggro to the Paladin for 15 seconds. Shadowknights get Death March which (at Adept 1) increases the group's DPS by 45% for 10 seconds and makes everyone immune to mez, root, stun, stifle, etc. The spell lasts for 1 minute and is supposed to fire everytime a group member gets a kill. It's basically a 1 minute buff that causes a proc. And both have Rescue and Intervene, just like all fighters. Buffs Paladins buff the group's STR and WIS Shadowknights buff the group's STR and STA Both classes have an 8% chance to proc damage across two abilities, one self only and one group, with comparable damage amounts: -The Paladin variation is a stun and some divine damage; double damage against undead. -The Shadowknight variation is a Lifetap, no stun or special component. Paladin gets a self hitpoint buff. Shadowknight gets no corresponding buff. Combat -Single target DD - Paladin has an interrupt component (Hallowed Judgement), Shadowknight is just damage (Abominable Anger). -Single target Large DD - Shadowknight has a 33% snare (Abominable Wrath), Paladin is just damage (Refusal of Conviction). -Point-blank AE nuke - Shadowknight is a DoT, Paladin is DD with stun. -Point-blank AE melee attack - Shadowknight is DoT, Paladin is DD with group heal. -Paladin gets a melee attack with DoT (Devout Strike), Shadowknight gets a ranged Lifetap (Drain Vitae) -Shadowknight gets a single target STR siphon for 73 at Master 1. -Shadowknight gets a DoT 152 every 4 seconds for 20 seconds at Adept III.-Shadowknight gets a dumbfire pet. -Shadowknight gets an encounter Physical mitigation debuff for 1260 at Adept 1. Paladin gets an encounter DD with interrupt (Brimstone). Both may be cast on the run. -Paladin gets a self death ward spell. This is offset by the Shadowknight Death March spell detailed above. -Shadowknight gets a power siphon (Power DoT on opponent, increases power of caster by 20-33 every 4 sec for 24 sec) (This is the level 52 specialty spell offset by Sigil of Heroism) -Paladin melee attack with extra divine damage and stun, double damage on undead. Shadowknight melee attack that Lifetaps (412-687 disease dmg and heals caster by 228-380 at Master 1) -Paladin gets Consecrate which is a PBAoE DoT (don't remember duration). Shadowknight gets Tap Veins which is a Point-Blank AE nuke dealing 946 damage to all enemies in a radius around the Shadowknight (slightly larger than our normal AE) plus any target that takes damage also heals the Shadowknight for 466. -Paladin gets Lay on Hands, Shadowknight gets Harm Touch. -Paladin gets Castigate which removes all harmful spell effects from himself and deals damage to all nearby enemies which increases based on how many ailments were removed. Shadowknight gets Pestilence which is a DoT on a single enemy - if that enemy is killed while Pestilence is still active it goes onto two other nearby enemies, and so on until everything near the Shadowknight is dead. Pestilence lasts for 16 seconds and deals 139-170 every 2 seconds at Adept III. Healing Shadowknight healing takes place as Lifetaps. I've noted two Lifetaps above plus the two 8% chances for additional lifetap, but they also get a reactive Lifetap that is the counterpart to the Paladin's ward. It has the same cast and recast times and at Master 1 it heals the target for 272-333 and does 185-226 damage to the attacker each time the target is hit and triggers 5 times. It is the only healing ability that a Shadowknight can use on a party member. Paladin gets a single target heal. Paladin gets a group heal. Paladin gets a ward. Utility Paladin gets a resurrect that returns the target to life with 100% health on a 1 minute recast. Shadowknight gets a Feign Death that may be cast on a party member (92% chance of success at Adept 1) that lasts for 20 seconds with a 5 minute recast. Shadowknight gets an Evac with a 30 minute recast. (worth noting here that this evac is like wizard - easily interruptable in PvP, not like the scout evac) Stances Paladin and Shadowknight stances are identical except Shadowknight gets extra mitigation vs. disease while Paladin gets extra vs. divine. Paladin and Shadowknight avoidance buffs are identical except Shadowknight gets +parry from his and Paladin gets +defense from his. Paladin and Shadowknight mitigation buff for another tank is identical. (The spell upgrade is actually useable by both classes). NOTE: All damage values for the Shadowknight I got from my own character in offensive stance with INT 368 <div></div>Message Edited by Vathranen on 11-10-2006 09:51 AMMessage Edited by Vathranen on 11-10-2006 10:02 AM