Solo wise....

[Mayl]

<DIV>I am low level paladin (early 20's)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Putting points into the Sta AA tree if that matters..</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyway, question is more of weapon set up for soloing.  Right now, I go offensive stance but sword/board (well mace/board)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have not had much luck with 2handers speeding up fights, so figure why lose the stats, CA and protection of the sheild</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What set up are folks using to solo..  Solo, I mean fighting stuff around your level,   Not going after ^^^ heroics</DIV>

[Lord_Quaymar]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Mayl wrote:<BR> <DIV>I am low level paladin (early 20's)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Putting points into the Sta AA tree if that matters..</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyway, question is more of weapon set up for soloing.  Right now, I go offensive stance but sword/board (well mace/board)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have not had much luck with 2handers speeding up fights, so figure why lose the stats, CA and protection of the sheild</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What set up are folks using to solo..  Solo, I mean fighting stuff around your level,   Not going after ^^^ heroics</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I have always used a 2 hander for soloing. The increase in DPS is VERY noticeable. You probably don't see a difference because your skills with the 2 handers are too low....you might want to check your skills with slashing, piercing, etc... I highly recommend that you keep them all maxed because if you don't and you happen to get a real nice weapon that you can barely use because your skills are WAY too low...you will be bumming.

[Thor71457]

<P>Hi </P> <P> </P> <P>  I agree with the above  keep on using both ...   Two hand-er  and  one hand-er with board</P>

[Seidhkona]

Since most of your damage as a paladin comes from spells and combat arts, generally the best solo configuration is to use a 1-H weapon and shield -- because the shield, in the hands of a paladin, IS a weapon.  You can get some critical stuns in using the various shield bash spells. And, since we're doing all that damage by casting, you will want to boost your INT some.  I use imbued hex dolls (crafted by tailors) in both charm slots for this, and also select jewellry and armor with WIS and INT on it.  STR and WIS make a paladin's power pool, STR determines how hard your autoattack hits with your weapon, but higher INT means more spell crits and much higher DPS.  You can see this happening by getting the free <a href="http://home.maine.rr.com/eqaditu/ACT/" target=_blank>Advanced Combat Tracker</a> tool and parsing some battles.  Try different configurations to see what works best for you. Another thing that will help your soloability a lot is some nice mastercrafted armor.  If you will purchase an Ash Pick (made by woodworkers, available on the broker) and go out and bash rocks in Thundering Steppes (Nek also, but it is MUCH easier in TS) until you get some steel clusters, you can take that to an armorsmith and get them to make steel armor for you. Start with an Imbued Steel Tower Shield (you will also need a Sparkling Stone, Sparkling Flower, Sparkling Tooth, or Sparkling Fishscale).  Then I'd suggest in the following order: <ul> <li>Imbued Steel Scimitar (get this from a weaponsmith, needs a steel cluster and a sparkling item)</li> <li>Steel Plate Cuirass</li> <li>Imbued Steel Vanguard Greaves (needs a steel cluster and a sparkling item)</li> <li>Steel Plate Barbute</li> <li>Steel Plate Spaulders</li> <li>Steel Plate Gauntlets</li> <li>Steel Plate Sabotons (unless you get the <a href="http://www.eq2i.com/articles/These_Boots_Were_Made_For..." target=_blank>Dwarven Work Boots</a>)</li> </ul> The imbued shield and pants will proc fireballs whenever you get hit, doing extra damage for you.  The scimitars have a ton of INT and WIS on them, and the imbued ones have Gleaming Strike, which will proc for more damage.  There are two kinds of crafted plate armor, Plate and Vanguard.  Plate has more WIS and INT, Vanguard more STA and AGI.  Generally the Plate is better for your DPS and power pool, and I throw in the Vanguard pants because you cannot imbue the Plate Greaves, only the Vanguard ones are imbuable.  You could get an Imbued Vanguard Cuirass also, but it procs a small heal and since you can heal yourself better, it's my experience that you are better off with the extra INT. Take a look on the broker and Examine some Steel Plate and Steel Vanguard to see the stats. Don't even LOOK at the prices there... the broker is way high on these!  To get them affordably, just mine your own steel and many armorsmiths will make the stuff up for you for the fuel cost plus a tip.  I'd expect to pay between 20s and 1g per piece of armor to your smith. I think you will find that if you put the effort into the mastercrafted armor, you will find soloing MUCH easier.  I usually spend some intensive harvesting time at the start of each tier getting the rare metal for my next suit of armor (you can wear mastercrafted plat at 22, 32, 42, etc. so you have two levels to mine in). <div></div>

[Crib92]

Personally, I've found that I can take on more difficult mobs in offensive stance with a 2H weapon.  I will run out of power most times in defensive stance with a challenging foe, but in offensive I can ward and beat the mess out of a mob and end the fight with 80% health or better and good power.  Just get your pulls down.  Try warding b4 pull and hit your big CA's and aoe debuffs up front.

[Majorminor]

<P>For me, when I was "growing up" I read alot that 2hander was the way to go when soloing, but I just couldn't see the big dps increase, and I lost some of the survivability.  Now that I'm all "grown up" hehe, and working on maxxing AA's, as I have geared up better, gotten ahold of some nice 2handers, It's how I solo now.  But ages ago, when I was little I went sword and board in offensive, then If I needed to it was a fast switch to defensive.</P> <P>I think alot of it comes with age, and time playing the class, You kinda learn what you can and can't do, and what might be better for this situation /shrug</P>

[Lord_Quaymar]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Seidhkona wrote:<BR>Since most of your damage as a paladin comes from spells and combat arts, generally the best solo configuration is to use a 1-H weapon and shield -- because the shield, in the hands of a paladin, IS a weapon.  You can get some critical stuns in using the various shield bash spells.<BR><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Nah....set up properly, a 2 hander set up will do more DPS than the 1 hander and shield because you can still do the same damage with spells and combat arts regardless. The one shield bash doesn't make up for the difference either. Unless, of course you happen to find a 1 hander and shield that gives you more int, str and wis than your 2 hander but it would have to be ALOT to do more DPS than the 2 hander does over the 1 hander and shield.

[beliker]

Its a no brainer on normal mobs. Your talking about 60% dps vs 100% dps. I accually use a spear and shield right now because I fancy myself looking like a hoplite. Well also the spear is easily 2 times the damage of any other 1 hander I have, and something like 30% more dps then the 2 handers I can afford. So it does pretty [expletive haxx0red by Raijinn] well. That aside if I didn't have it, and I wasn't tanking heroics in a group then yea 2 hander all the way. They can't hit you back when they are a squishy pile of man parts at your  feet.<div></div>

[Wulfborne]

Honestly, it straight up depends on your weapons that you have available. If your 2-hander puts out the same as your 1-hander due to it being treasured vs a fabled 1-hander, then stick with the 1-hander.Heck, even if it's only barely better, you might wanna stick with the 1-hander just for the added attack (shield bash) and protection.My advice is your you to 1st make sure your skills are up, and then just compare the 2 different weapon set ups using a good parser like ACT to see the difference. Don't just go on 1 parse each, either. Take several. The difference will change dependant on your weapons that you come across, and their procs, so just because one of them works better for you now doesn't mean it always will. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Good luck,~Hawke<div></div>

[beliker]

Well yea if its a fabled 1 hander vs a crafted 2 hander thats ofcourse a no brainer, thats accually the situation im in right now.Same quality just go 2 hander, when shield bash is up drag your shield and 2 hander to the hot bar, click the shield, shield bash them, then bust the 2 hander back out.<div></div>

[Lord_Quaymar]

Yeah...it won't help the OP much atm but I use the Pike of Pain, a Fabled Piercer that sells for 6-8p on my server....best deal ever imho.  It's the best DPS weapon I have been able to find without raiding and completely blows away any of my 1 handers.

[Rast]

I used two handed until I hit my upper 40s, then when sword and board.  Personally, I prefer this method myself and found it easier to solo than with a two hander.  I take a little longer, but my downtime between mobs is usually a little less, so I've been sword and board for about 11/12 levels now and a two hander my hands have not touched.

[Lord_Quaymar]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Raston wrote:<BR> I used two handed until I hit my upper 40s, then when sword and board.  Personally, I prefer this method myself and found it easier to solo than with a two hander.  I take a little longer, but my downtime between mobs is usually a little less, so I've been sword and board for about 11/12 levels now and a two hander my hands have not touched.<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I have 0 downtime between mobs when I solo unless I go nuts AoE'ing a group of mobs and I use a 2 hander. But I have a bunch of FT items too...haven't bothered to add em all up lol.

[Rast]

No FT items here yet, course I am in all mastercafted or worse except my sword (blade of the bixies) or severly outdated.  Maybe I'll try to find me a two hander that is better than my 1hder and see what happens, maybe it has changed since I last used one.

[MeridianR]

I always solo in offensive stance with a 2h.  Normally either - Pike of Pain, Prides Edge, or the Doomblade thingy from Labs which has a nice sorta lifetap proc.The Doomblade thing increases your Attack stat, mainly due to it having higher str then Prides Edge, even though Prides edge has a higher DR.  1h / Shield has it's moments for soloing, and if I actually ever got the PAoD I would use that and the symbol from the princes (since it gives a 15% dps mod increase)<div></div>

[Wulfborne]

Honest question here...Why does everyone mention the Pike of Pain for a 2-hander pierce weapon? I have one too, but I didn't think it was really that awesome. Is it one of the best piercers you can get or something? (I have a Sword of Pain also...is that as good? Stats are similar...)~Hawke<div></div>

[Boli32]

<div><blockquote><hr>Wulfborne wrote:Honest question here...Why does everyone mention the Pike of Pain for a 2-hander pierce weapon? I have one too, but I didn't think it was really that awesome. Is it one of the best piercers you can get or something? (I have a Sword of Pain also...is that as good? Stats are similar...)~Hawke<div></div><hr></blockquote>I have a feeling that woudl be combined with the AGI line </div>

[MeridianR]

Mainly cause it's pretty cheap, and easily gotten.  The better piercing weapon is from the 3 Princes, Spear of the Outer Rim or something.....but not sure how many people here, are in a guild capable of beating the Princes <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /><div></div>

[Majorminor]

<div><blockquote><hr>Wulfborne wrote:Honest question here...Why does everyone mention the Pike of Pain for a 2-hander pierce weapon? I have one too, but I didn't think it was really that awesome. Is it one of the best piercers you can get or something? (I have a Sword of Pain also...is that as good? Stats are similar...)~Hawke<div></div><hr></blockquote>For me, it's way better 2hander than I have, crush/slash wise.  The proc seems to proc quite abit, and for soloing the FT comes in handy, means little downtime, when I'm doing writs.  And the damage and FT are better than anything else I have atm, when I'm just dpsing in a group/raid</div>

[Lord_Quaymar]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Wulfborne wrote:<BR>Honest question here...<BR><BR>Why does everyone mention the Pike of Pain for a 2-hander pierce weapon? I have one too, but I didn't think it was really that awesome. Is it one of the best piercers you can get or something? (I have a Sword of Pain also...is that as good? Stats are similar...)<BR><BR>~Hawke<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>For me, it is the best 2 handed weapon (Sword of Pain too) that I can find without raiding. The stats are VERY nice too...way better than my 1 hander plus shield combined.</P> <P>I only use the 1 hander and shield when I am tanking. Otherwise, it's 2 hander all the way!!</P><p>Message Edited by LordQuaymar on <span class=date_text>12-13-2006</span> <span class=time_text>10:47 AM</span>