Agree with Danth. The SK is a more versatile and convenient class. Insta-click invis and FD are totally game-changing abilities. Throw in snare, fear and the pet and you have a lot of tricks, especially when it comes to pulling.
But the simple fact remains: you're never going to be a better group tank than an equally well-played Paladin. The Paladin has very few tricks, but in exchange he's incredibly specialized for tanking group content and helping his group run more smoothly. This is accomplished by:
1) CCing adds with Root
2) Helping split pulls with Calm/Pacify
3) Stun-locking caster mobs
4) Patch healing self and others as needed
5) Mana-free heals on between pulls with DW helm
6) Playing ghetto Cleric (Symbol/HP-AC/Rez) in groups without one
7) LoHing self or others during emergencies to prevent a wipe
It's really difficult to convey how much a well-played Paladin can add to an average group. I honestly believe that next to Bards and Enchanters, Paladins have the highest skill ceiling in Everquest when it comes to grouping, simply because you have so many opportunities to make a difference for your group. Example: Good Paladin pays attention and stuns the caster pulled into camp before it lands a nuke on the puller, Bad Paladin doesn't. Good Paladin lands a clutch LoH on the Enchanter to prevent a wipe, Bad Paladin doesn't. Good Paladin root CCs adds during the pull to keep agro off casters, Bad Paladin doesn't. Good Paladin pre-taunts mezzed mobs with Blind and Stun before breaking Mez to protect the Enchanter, Bad Paladin doesn't. Good Paladin pays attention to mob casting message and animations to properly time his stuns, Bad Paladin doesn't. Good Paladin tirelessly spams his DW helm when needed to reduce downtime, Bad Paladin doesn't.
Since bad players outnumber the good, and Paladins have such a low pop to begin with, most players have never grouped with a good Paladin, which is unfortunate, because it's a criminally underrated class. And ultimately, it's a class that really shines for players who are attentive and group-focused. So in deciding between the Paladin and the SK, the question really comes down to: do I really enjoy tanking group content and helping support the group? Or do I like tanking and pulling equally, along with having more flexibility and versatility in general? If the former, go Paladin, if the latter, go SK.
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