Viability of a Heavy Cleric

Taranta - Dreamweaver · November 2009

I know, I know, there's already a discussion about a HA+ Hammer cleric, but I was wondering about the overall viability of a Heavy armor build on a cleric. I've been considering beginning to stat my alt (Lvl 23 cleric) towards this, as I already have a reasonable base in Mag., and there is a problem with survivability overall. This is more as a concept build than anything else (no chance I'd keep this as my main)

Pros:
+ Increased survivability against mobs - Even with healing, it takes a bit to get through most enemies, hence why most try to get a barbarian as a pet. This could potentially allow for multiple aggro or less fear in a close in fight.

+ Better Soloing capacity - Clerics seem to be far more squad based than any other class, in my opinion, and they suffer in their ability to solo because of this. Heavy armor would allow for fewer risks when wandering off alone, including death from phys. mobs.

Cons:
- Reduced Damage/healing - As most of this stat adjustment would take away from the Mag. stat, a cleric of this capacity wouldn't be as strong with both their attacks and healing, thereby increasing time in any given fight.

- Less Chance to party - Yeah, you might survive longer, but who wants a strange build for a cleric when you can just get a full arcane and keep them from harms way?

- Weaker equipment per level - Since stats have to be spread over more areas, there's less of a chance to get the "best" gears, and more often than not, the cleric of this build will be using equipment for normal builds of a far lower level.

So...thoughts? I felt it was best to go to the largest number of clerics available here. Would it be worth it as an experiment to try making a HA cleric? Or should I stick with my full Mag. Support build, just like everyone else?

Rillien - Heavens Tear · November 2009

It's generally consensus that HA is best [if best at all] at 90+. Highly expensive, and that's the point where you have enough stat points to somehow make yourself able to wield TT90 wep and wear TT90 HA and AA. If you can't do that, it's not worth it. If you manage to pull it off using tomes and stat bonuses on ornaments [requires a bit of planning], then it's doubly expensive to farm both sets of TT armour. Thing about heavy is that it has horrible mdef, and I'm sure you know magical mobs are much more common at higher levels. Truth is that clerics don't have the hp to absorb the increased magic attacks like barbs or BMs do. With HA you can't afford to put any points in vit, getting all your health off of refines and bonuses.

Having an up to date magic weapon as a cleric is a must, especially if you aren't going to have the full points in mag. So if you have to sacrifice your wep for stat points in str, my advice is to not bother with it. The funny thing about this game is that all sorts of strange builds work out until about level 30 or so, but the mob difficulty scales up and things get very difficult very quickly.

My advice: if you're worried about not having enouhg physical defense to survive the early levels, LA will give you plenty, no need to go as extreme as HA. All those problematic physical mobs? NOt a big deal at all when you have LA + heals.

Now if you want to be cheap [i.e. never needing a restat note] just add a bit of vit and stick with arcane armour instead. Endgame people usually agree that arcane clerics are best, with a healthy amount of vit to maintain survivability.

Sorry if this post was too serious for you; if you're just trying out an experimental alt for fun then by all means play as a heavy cleric for awhile! I'm sure it would give a different feel to the gameplay and sometimes that is more fun than following these "cookie cutter" builds. b:victory

Lenyel - Harshlands · November 2009

Taranta - Dreamweaver wrote: »

+ Better Soloing capacity - Clerics seem to be far more squad based than any other class, in my opinion, and they suffer in their ability to solo because of this. Heavy armor would allow for fewer risks when wandering off alone, including death from phys. mobs.

lol, IMO clerics are the best class to solo anything after venos and charmed barbs...

Nelae - Heavens Tear · November 2009

Yeah, we pwn solo, tbh HA would gimp that ability =P

Taranta - Dreamweaver · November 2009

Lenyel - Harshlands wrote: »

lol, IMO clerics are the best class to solo anything after venos and charmed barbs...

Well...I'm a bit biased, as my main and first character happen to be a veno, and what little I've done on my cleric seems to be much harder than what I had to do on my veno, even before I learned the mechanics of a veno. Damage-wise, a cleric and veno seem to be about equivalent in the 20's, without including the pet, so naturally it would seem easier. I dunno, those were just my thoughts about the whole, including my cleric still being a lowbie.

Rillien - Heavens Tear · November 2009

^^That would make sense. Funny thing is though, for everyone thinking that cleric lvls 1-30 is hard, I'd recommend that they try wizard first and then come back to cleric. With wizzy, you have someone just as squishy and the complete inability to heal until 25 or so. It certainly puts the hardships of a cleric in perspective. We are most certainly one of the most versatile soloing classes once you manage to get the hang of the basics.

Alantor - Dreamweaver · November 2009

So true.

I have started a whizzie as first class. So squishy (full mag-no vit, for dmg) that she is still only lvl 23

Then i started my cleric. One word : AWESOME.

1. soloing : everything except for bosses oc.

Phys. mobs with the right setup are nothing anymore. Cast plume shell, wear Pdef ornaments and Pmobs are a walk in the park.

2. Partying : every party needs a cleric. And if you're any good with skills and have some experience, you will be unmissable and wanted in every party you are invited to.

3. Veno's might have their pet to kill/tank for them, but one wrong aggro and "most" of them die in a blink. Whereas a cleric has enough resists and mostly enough vit+Pdef to survive a bit longer.

Overall, clerics are a well playable and well wanted class. Especially when you go in the higher levels. The higher you go, the less clerics you seem to meet. Which is good for the remaining ones

As for going heavy : the disadvantages outweigh the other in this case.

DeathBanana - Heavens Tear · November 2009

alantor - Dreamweaver wrote: »

one Word : Awesome.

QFT

Skooomu - Lost City · November 2009

Taranta - Dreamweaver wrote: »

- Weaker equipment per level - Since stats have to be spread over more areas, there's less of a chance to get the "best" gears, and more often than not, the cleric of this build will be using equipment for normal builds of a far lower level.

Im a lvl 76 HA Cleric
And I| have no problem with the latest equip Armor wise, my wep isnt lvl 70 its a plus 4 arb with 2 flawless mag shards so its not to bad.
As for me being weaker, no matter we have genies and skills to bounce back on.
And my heals heal me good enough to complete solo modes in twighlight temple so there not that bad xD the bosses take along time but thats ok.
I have been Arcane I have been LA and being HA is my Favoriteb:dirtyb:dirty

Skooomu - Lost City · November 2009

Rillien - Heavens Tear wrote: »

Thing about heavy is that it has horrible mdef, and I'm sure you know magical mobs are much more common at higher levels. Truth is that clerics don't have the hp to absorb the increased magic attacks like barbs or BMs do. With HA you can't afford to put any points in vit, getting all your health off of refines and bonuses.

b:victory

Thats the wonder of hot keys, you can switch to arcane and were it when you want, I do it in pk if i see tempest coming takes like 1 sec xD
I am a leader also with out HA i couldnt solo any of there bosses not to mention a boss in HH2, And the only way you can die is if you arent paying attention =/ or the mob totally overwelms you.

Heres an advantage of a heavy cleric
Most Rednames are Bms or barbs next is venos cuz of the fuuckin nix >.>
so if yer grinding questing or what ever and they come down to pk you, you dont die in 3 hits o.O
Then you hand there fuuckin **** to them D= unless its a barb with a charm....I hate thatb:cry

Deceptistar - Sanctuary · November 2009

i was pretty interested in HA for a while too. Devastated when i realized in simulation you couldnt equip the up to date weapon T_T

Ninnuam - Sanctuary · November 2009

Maybe not TT100 (don't know the mag stat req off hand and can't be arsed to look it up), but you can wear the Requiem blade in your 90s relatively easily. Yuck I know, but it comes with 20-22 free stat points. TT90 weapon is doable as well with some extra work on rings/belt/necky/tomes for the needed extra stats.

Very pricey, but doable. If I had the budget to try it I would give it a shot

Edit: Was bored so I gave it a shot: http://pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=5657ac0d53953bc3

A heavy armor cleric with a lvl95 lunar weapon.

Left the ring and cape spots open, meaning the more stats you could muster on those, the sooner you could wear the stuff. I must say, those are some VERY sexy stats, especially unbuffed lol.

Here's the buffed version: http://pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=1489ca3be368b02b

Quilue - Sanctuary · November 2009

Deceptistar - Sanctuary wrote: »

i was pretty interested in HA for a while too. Devastated when i realized in simulation you couldnt equip the up to date weapon T_T

take a look hahaha..

http://pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=08633525f1e44578

2 archangel's equip for the -chan as well as the -chan bonus and to patch up your mdef so you can socket all citrines.
i don't think it's any better than how your stats are now tho. at any rate, that mag attack makes me cry.
i wasn't sure what the event capes have so i used mantle of the ghost lord.

Deceptistar - Sanctuary · November 2009

Quilue - Sanctuary wrote: »

take a look hahaha..

http://pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=08633525f1e44578

2 archangel's equip for the -chan as well as the -chan bonus and to patch up your mdef so you can socket all citrines.
i don't think it's any better than how your stats are now tho. at any rate, that mag attack makes me cry.
i wasn't sure what the event capes have so i used mantle of the ghost lord.

how bout this? >>

http://pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=05aa79370ae69865

Quilue - Sanctuary · November 2009

(psst..you forgot to add shards to the weapon!)

but anyways, OMG OMG OMG b:dirty

Ahira - Lost City · November 2009

Ninnuam - Sanctuary wrote: »

A heavy armor cleric with a lvl95 lunar weapon.

Left the ring and cape spots open, meaning the more stats you could muster on those, the sooner you could wear the stuff. I must say, those are some VERY sexy stats, especially unbuffed lol.

Here's the buffed version: http://pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=1489ca3be368b02b

Why would a HA cleric wear protection neck/belt? b:shocked

Quilue - Sanctuary · November 2009

sky demon's gives stat bonuses in str, mogwai str and dex. he's leaving the cape slot open tho, so i say you can wear a good stat cape and get away with mdef orns.

Ahira - Lost City · November 2009

Deceptistar - Sanctuary wrote: »

how bout this? >>

http://pwcalc.ru/pwi/?char=05aa79370ae69865

hehe that looked so OP- then i realised you had BM and WB buffs on too! b:chuckle

Its good but i'd probably use less phys shards and more HP shards at end game imo. ^^

Kawakami - Dreamweaver · November 2009

Hmm I haven't had a lot of problems with mobs using arcane and I never used plume shell for mobs unless it's a dire situation, but in PvP it caused some troubles. But if you go from Arcane to HA aren't you going from one extreme to the other ? If I had to choose for anything other than Arcane it would be LA.. Lower phys res but higher mag res and heals/attacks than HA.

Tsutai - Dreamweaver_1278799984 · November 2009

This is a stupid thread I'm a 71 cleric, 268 mag 84 vit and 40 str, I have 2610 hp and 6603 mp. I can solo anything besides things like FB bosses and etc, and I'm AA. Being able to solo as a cleric depends on your skill, when people say clerics can't solo they either haven't been one or failed at their class. >.> Just my opinion. b:thanks

Deceptistar - Sanctuary · November 2009

Tsutai - Dreamweaver wrote: »

This is a stupid thread I'm a 71 cleric, 268 mag 84 vit and 40 str, I have 2610 hp and 6603 mp. I can solo anything besides things like FB bosses and etc, and I'm AA. Being able to solo as a cleric depends on your skill, when people say clerics can't solo they either haven't been one or failed at their class. >.> Just my opinion. b:thanks

Nobody said clerics cant solo, we're just talking about the diff. builds and gear there are.... unless u posted on the wrong thread.

Nairod - Dreamweaver · November 2009

im currently working on a fac right now... im dumping all my points on mag and pretty much nothing else... its fun when i have mana... sucks when i run out... b:shocked

Dark_Fate - Harshlands · November 2009

try to make one on fpw... it fails... 1 reason without mag ironheart fails... u can only do it if u provide event pots to the tank u are healing lmao... + your ironheart it will do great

_DarkSeph_ - Sanctuary · November 2009

Dark_Fate - Harshlands wrote: »

try to make one on fpw... it fails... 1 reason without mag ironheart fails... u can only do it if u provide event pots to the tank u are healing lmao... + your ironheart it will do great

I don't see why you HAVE to be healing a tank 24/7 just because you're a cleric. If you go HA, you're obviously not intending to be a full-support class.

RRARRRRGGHHH - Sanctuary · November 2009

My heavy armor cleric is thus far level 63, and to be honest I havent had any problems with him at all. I am so far building with 3 magic every level for up to date weapons, so the damage isent really that terrible, and the defense is good. I duel wield arcane and heavy armor depending upon what im fighting, and ill use half and half to obtain completely balanced defensive stats. The thing to remember with defense stats is the fact you get diminishing returns on higher and higher defense, so even heavy armor that is two classes below the level you are is sufficient to fight mobs and still have decent physical resistance to them while buffed. I have only died in pve grinding once that I can recall...that was mostly user error, and I never use charms with him. Vast majority of deaths is from TT runs...hes been to 3-3 to help people out before rofl. And in the early 50s even could successfully solo heal in tt3-1. So yeah for pve heavy cleric definitly works out in my opinion...for pvp I think the atmosphere would not favor having to swap armor types, and reduced offense (getting hit with magic with wrong armor on really really hurts alot cus base vit). Oh well its more a fun project for me he he he.

Viability of a Heavy Cleric

Comments

Categories