Hoplite Viable?

[Gash]

I play Hoplite with Civilian.

You need a team or firebuddy to have fun with Hoplite builds.


I always carry a sword and throwing javlins to take out those who think they can just keep down-blocking forever. 

[WaltF4]

Patch raped walts effectiveness

Not sure what to make of this 

I do not think my build was nerfed more that other very high agility, single weapon proficiency builds. For what it is worth, my latest generation had a lifetime kill to death ratio of 2.33, my best yet, and a win rate of 56% when I finished level 30. So I think you can make spear and shield work well enough to be useful to your team, but there are almost certainly better things you could be doing.

[KaMiKaZe_JoE]

I know hoplite works, but do yall think it's feasable for me to go hoplite + xbow?

I'd need about 130 wpf in xbow, maybe less. That's the only requirement for a good xbower, besides the strength to use the weapon. Thoughts?

[1slander]

I imagined the hoplite gameplay as being played out as such -

Exhaust throwing jarids, move in on target, still shielded - once within range throw shield on back and fight as polearm user.  I find having a shield to hide behind is awesome for arrows and such, but one of my favorite builds was pure polearm which I never used a shield unless mounted.  This would allow me to safely throw from behind a shield, use the shield in group combat to poke enemies with as a team, then of course the abaility to just use a polearm like a 2 hander.

It is certainly not as effective as a 1 hander and shield when using a shield, but it's a different style all together I guess.  But I guess the polearms I am used to like say the Glaive are not usable with a shield anyhow.

[zagibu]

You'd probably have to take the military scythe. It's not a bad weapon. Can be quite good even, when fully loomed. The hafted blades can also be used with a shield, but their thrust quite sucks. If you don't need a side swing, the battle and military forks don't get a penalty when used with shield...

[hotcobbler]

I'm a throwing focused hoplite hybrid right now. I use warspear and shield right now, and it can be effective in a group. It's also pretty cheap. 1v1 you just hope your team shows up and wait for the shield to break, or put that baby away and go 2h. That's about when you usually die.

I try to play total support, throwing javs and axes at intervals. I also tk a lot (sorry everyone). All in all I die a lot and everyone has a good time killing me.

[Korgoth]

This is the plan for my Hoplite build.

I'm using the Huscarls Round Shield with a Double Sided Lance. When I get to level 30 I will have enough Strength to get Power Throw 7 for Throwing Lances. I will use the Throwing Lance as melee until I need to use my 1 handed sword then I will throw it and hopefully get one kill and charge at the enemy with my 1 Hander .

BASICALLY JUST LIKE THIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTXlWYdodnc

Level 30

Strength 21
Agility 15

Converted 2 (1 Time)
Ironflesh 0
Power Strike 7
Shield 5
Athletics 2
Riding 0
Horse Archery 0
Power Draw 0
Power Throw 7

One Handed 100
Two Handed 0
Polearm 100
Throwing 70

[Spawny]

This is the plan for my Hoplite build.

I'm using the Huscarls Round Shield with a Double Sided Lance. When I get to level 30 I will have enough Strength to get Power Throw 7 for Throwing Lances. I will use the Throwing Lance as melee until I need to use my 1 handed sword then I will throw it and hopefully get one kill and charge at the enemy with my 1 Hander .

BASICALLY JUST LIKE THIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTXlWYdodnc

Level 30

Strength 21
Agility 15

Converted 2 (1 Time)
Ironflesh 0
Power Strike 7
Shield 5
Athletics 2
Riding 0
Horse Archery 0
Power Draw 0
Power Throw 7

One Handed 100
Two Handed 0
Polearm 100
Throwing 70

Looks nice, but I have a feeling 2 athletics is really going to hurt you. Fun thing with 7 PT - Use throwing lances with your shield. If in melee mode, they can't really tell if it's a double sided lance or a throwing lance. They engage and the second they back up a bit to far, hit x and toss that lance in their chest.

[Krakatit]

Looks nice, but I have a feeling 2 athletics is really going to hurt you. Fun thing with 7 PT - Use throwing lances with your shield. If in melee mode, they can't really tell if it's a double sided lance or a throwing lance. They engage and the second they back up a bit to far, hit x and toss that lance in their chest.

Well when i see someone with doublesided lance i always asume that it is a throwing lance.
Ppl fear throwing lances too much to think that the enemy have only harmless doublesided lance

[Korgoth]

I actually have 5 Ath but when I made the stats I had skill points I forgot to put in

[Spawny]

Anyway, I was thinking of using this build next gen on my current 21/15 1h/shielder:

I would go for this:

Level 30 (4 420 577 xp)
Strength: 15
Agility: 21
Hit points: 60
Converted: 2

Ironflesh: 5
Power Strike: 5
Shield: 5
Athletics: 7
Riding: 0
Horse Archery: 0
Power Draw: 0
Power Throw: 0
Weapon Master: 7

One Handed: 140
Two Handed: 1
Polearm: 110
Archery: 1
Crossbow: 1
Throwing: 1

Gear:
Elite cav shield/Knightly heater shield/Huscarl shield (which ever suits my mood)
War spear or double sided lance (the latter for more thrusting power)
Masterworked sidesword
6k mail
2k boots/gloves
3-4k helm

Compared to my current build, I lose 2 PS, but I gain 2 athletics and a proficiency of 110 in polearms at the cost of 8 wpf points in 1h. Gives me more versatility and a tad more hp.
Currently I have riding at 5 too, but I love playing siege and horsies are quite useless there.

Another option would be 12/24 with (obviously) more athletics and WM. 12 strength is enough to use all 1h weapons but the warhammer and the armours up to 48 body armour. I'm just not sure if a masterworked sidesword will still do enough damage (36 cut on swing) to prevent glancing blows all the time. If it doesn't, it kinda wasting 3 heirlooms as I would have to run around with a steel pick as a secondary weapon.

Comments?

[Torp]

I'm going for a 1H/polearm hybrid shielder without throwing.

basically i use war spear when in 2 (or more) vs. one, as it is good support, but i use 1h when in 1 vs 1 (or more) situations.
It works just fine, and i like it

[Tigerclaw]

I think a lot of hoplites forget that some of the high damage polearms actually have a damage penalty when used with a shield, which means that the War Spear, for example, actually does more damage when paired with a shield then an Awlpike due to the Awlpike's penalty.

[Polobow]

Fun - Very
Viable - No (any average player will counter your hoplite by downblocking forever thus rendering you useless)

If they downblock forever, other people can hit them. If they attack your ally, change his mind with your piercing pointing stick. Always turns the plates angry.

[Gorath]

If they downblock forever, other people can hit them. If they attack your ally, change his mind with your piercing pointing stick. Always turns the plates angry.

That's group situations.  Viable means capable in 1v1 in my mind.  After all this is a FPS mechanic styled PvP game.  If you're not competetive in 1v1 you're not truly viable.