In Defense of the Paladin

[Splorf22]

/GU Combined: Elementalbone skeleton in 1168s, 99k @85dps --- A sepulcher skeleton 55k @57dps (55.26%) --- Snoogan 41k @35dps (41.15%) --- Save 3k @3dps (2.65%) --- Azzudnam 1k @1dps (0.95%)

First, their dps isn't terrible. I'm not going to call that great, either, but its not THAT bad. Snoogan is a 60 epic paladin with VoG and a RBB (so not even haste capped). In comparison Sakuragi is good for 55 or so (and getting the warrior epic/sky belt is WAY harder than the equivalent paladin gear). Second, a good group is putting out 200+ dps. Adding a warrior is good for a 10% dps boost - nontrivial, but not make or break either. This was my first outing on a paladin, and already I figured out a ton of stuff to do:

• Buff both the enchanter and shaman with reso/naltron because we had no cleric. +600HP definitely saved both of them at one point or another
• Stun at the end of the slow tick, thus making a 75% slow into an 80-85% slow
• Chainstun so I took 0 damage until the mob was slowed
• Chainstun casters so they didn't get a single spell off
• Heal myself a few times during downtime, although I wasn't really taking much damage. But I think I got about 5 torpors the whole night, making Azz free to DPS
• Hold aggro effortlessly with flash of light, divine might, FD procs, and the L4 stun. I didn't even use the taunt key [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]
• Heal the enchanter when he got in trouble
• Stun the enchanter's pet on charm breaks
• Root for a little additional CC every now and then
• DA pull to effortlessly burn off a few harmtouches
• LoH to save the situation every now and again
• 90% Rez (cause we did wipe once when calm wasn't lasting as long as we thought it did)
• Deepwater helm spam on our shaman when we rezzed him through the door

I don't think we would have done as well with Sakuragi, and that is versus a 60 warrior with the epic, vp offhand, sky haste, and vog/shaman dex. At lower levels with worse gear and worse buffs, the paladin would come out way ahead. I certainly don't regret making a warrior; Paladins are pretty mediocre in raids IMO. But for 3-6 man groups I think they are quite solid.

P.S. We scored the Fluid Hat Trick with one veil, one hoop, and one reaper!