Hey! I'm interested in making a warrior, but I'm conflicted on which one to choose. I like the idea of making a paladin, but my worries are that they aren't typically wanted in boss runs because they don't offer any party buffs and what not. Do paladins compare to the other warrior classes in terms of damage? If anyone could help me out with the pros and cons of each class now with the new source I'd greatly appreciate it
Paladins are fairly underpowered compared to Heroes and Dark Knights. It is easiest to compare Paladins to Heroes, as they use the same or comparable weapons; to begin with, while Blast (550% multiplier) and Brandish (2 x 260% multiplier) stack fairly evenly, Combo Attack's damage boost affects each hit independently rather than the entire skill, and so is essentially doubly effective when compared to the elemental charges. Moreover, Brandish hits up to three monsters at once, whereas Blast is simply single target DPS, which is applicable at major bosses; at both Horntail and Zakum, multiple target damage is recorded for portions of the boss fight. Other disadvantages that Paladins have include the general lack of elementally weak bosses in the game (off memory, you've got two Zakum arms, Anego and Black Crow that are weak, and nothing else, with Krexel being a special mention as it's actually strong against some elements) as well as a shorter ranged weapon (applicable in a few bossing scenarios - Paladins cannot properly hit Horntail's Right Arm with Blast being one). If a list form of the strengths and weaknesses of each class without too much explanation is what you seek, here it is. Heroes: No risk, medium reward option of the warrior classes Does not require any special attention to play Hits three monsters without sacrificing single target DPS, versatile for both bossing and grinding Highest damage floor of the three warriors Does not come with any useful party buffs Can be used as a seduce target safely Dark Knights: Higher risk, higher reward option of warrior classes Requires attention to maximize damage output due to the requirements of Berserk Hits three monsters without sacrificing single target DPS, versatile for both bossing and grinding Slowest attack speed of the three warriors often results in some players feeling clunky/sluggish while playing Highest damage ceiling of the three warriors Comes with a useful party buff in Hyper Body (though the prevalence of HP Washing is causing this attraction to dwindle) Cannot be used as a reliable seduce target Paladins No risk, low reward option of the warrior classes Does not require any special attention to play Does have the ability to hit six monsters at a time, but sacrifices damage to do so Likely has the fastest grind speed of the three warriors (though I can't speak for certain on that) Lowest damage ceiling of the three warriors Does not come with any useful party buffs Can be used as a seduce target safely the tl;dr of this is that Paladins are just a style option and don't truly have any positives to playing them over a different warrior. Between Heroes and Dark Knights, one is easier but has a lower damage ceiling - the strongest Dark Knight outdamages the strongest Hero, but in many situations, it's the reverse. Heroes are very easy to get to a serviceable state, whereas Dark Knights tend to peak later on, with more expensive gear and higher levels. Warriors are awesome no matter which one you pick though, so go on and make whichever seems the most appealing to you. Good luck, friend!
I really really reaally appreciate you taking the time to provide me with a thorough guide! This has changed my perspective and I think I may be going with a Hero in the future. Thanks so much.
Just a quick note: there was an elemental weakness added to Krex, and many area bosses are weak to elements (Anego, Pianus, Crow, HH, BF) Also, Blast range has also been extended, so it can probably hit that arm now? (top right arm at Zak as well...% is 580 instead of 550 as well)
