The State of Hoplites

[Winterly]

I figured as much, as of late I've been ditching the shield in melee battle. I just figured (thought more of) that I'm not playing a hoplite unless I have the shield out.

In reality down blocks aren't going to save you from thrusts xD making shield-walls/hoplites pretty darn amazing with their outranging spears...but warband soldiers have supreme hand-eye coordination to direct a sword/polearm to counter that spearpoint.

[Nagasoup]

I love hoplite it is my favourite class. However, bad thing is warband mechanics does not support realistic combat. Spear/shield is the most widely used weapons in history, but in warband its the least... One downblock can defeat infinite number of hoplites 

Personally I use 18/18 polearm and 1h hoplite hybrid build.

Iron Flesh    6
Power Strike    6
Shield    5
Athletics    6
Weapon Master    6

One Handed    119
Polearm    118

Very versatile build, great anti-cav support, and can hold my own against 2hand duelists.

[Huey Newton]

longspear/pike wiggle more annoying than hoplite

[Zerran]

longspear/pike wiggle more annoying than hoplite

This is basically the reason hoplite isn't popular. Pike outranges you even with the +50 range the 1handed animation gives. Additionally the thrust just seems incredibly slow, even compared to the pike. It also seems like hoplites glance a ton. Would be nice to see this class get some love. Maybe just a buff to 1hand pole speed.

[Glyph]

your build is f*cked up, the 23 STR only gives you 2 more HP, which is of no use compared to the WM you gain it you don't turn your skill points into attribute points. ask you LLJK friend what's better, he'llsay the same.

[Teeth]

Use the ashwood pike without a shield and you'll be the most OP class in the game, like me! Did that weapon recently get buffed or something? Never noticed its stats until a week ago and have been using it ever since with great succes.

On hopliting:

I have done some hopliting in the past and its effectivity should not be underestimated. Too bad I suck with a shield and are better off without it. I did pretty well with a shield though and even in 1 vs 1's. Lots of crazy spinning and feinting, combined with getting double hits in due to polestagger make it pretty viable. I used a warspear though, should've used a red tassel spear.

I've been told the ashwood pike gets additional penalty with a shield because of its above a certain number length. The penalty it gets in speed is like 35% instead of 15% for somewhat shorter spears, these numbers might not be perfectly accurate. So a warspear or red tassel spear (I would go for red tassel, 2 more speed for 1 less stab is definitely worth it, the less blunt damage doesn't matter as a dedicated hoplite) gives you a lot more speed, for a little bit less length which is worth it.

You really need to be able to get two hits in if someone gets polestaggerned and I'm not sure the ashwood pike is able to do that.

In group fighting its really effective anyway, my clanmate Gravoth has gotten insane scores as a lightly armoured hoplite. Also, I greatly respect hoplites as I think its a cool class, its pretty unique, underused and it was realistically the most used fighting style in any pre guns time period. Keep hopliting mate!

[Overdriven]

http://forum.c-rpg.net/index.php/topic,22631.0.html 

Anyway we've been playing with it for a bit and tried out some shield walling and stuff. We have a mix of builds, some focus on 1h with spear support, some with ashwood pike, some with red tassled spear ect. As a support choice they all work very well and in a formation, if we work together properly, it can be quite powerful. But on your own in melee you're generally going to have a tough time even when putting away the shield.

Hoplite is deffo best for support and can be very powerful in that role.

[Gurnisson]

Being a hoplite is jolly good fun. Unfortunately, I would have to reach level 34 on my main before I could possible work as a hoplite. 
Gravoth is a great hoplite with his war spear, and Muffin has done well as a hoplite too. It's basically working with a pike, just trading some range for protection from projectiles. I love working with good hoplites.

About the Ashwood Pike, it's the best weapon of its type, and at that price it's quite ridiculous. Compared with the awlpike it has +1 reach +2 speed +1 blunt -2 pierce and can be used with a shield. And the funny part is that it's 3,5 k cheaper than the awlpike
They should cost about the same, I would say.

[Ujin]

my lawyers will contact you soon regarding the copyrights for the name of the topic.




P.S.hoplite is an awesome class, if i wasn't cav+1h i'd surely go hoplite.

[Teeth]

Yeah I suggested that the ashwood needs a little nerf, at least make the costs higher. I dont really remember in which thread. But nobody seems to care

Oh they will care soon enough, the ashwood pike spreads like a virus, partly because I cant shut up about its OP ness. Really hope they just make it more expensive cause I really love using the thing even when its unloomed.

[KaMiKaZe_JoE]

uses a polearm and shield--resembles cav. needs nerf now

[a_bear_irl]

hoplite isn't fun because it's just one attack direction and no manual blocking, there's a reason nobody plays it for very long kreczor, just ask ylca. you're going to regret looming that pike

[Blueberry Muffin]

I play hoplite for a long while and I find it perfectly viable. It isnt underpowered or underpowered, as anyone with a degree of understanding can utilise it to terrifying levels of efficiency, but not any idiot can just pick it up and pose a threat.. Pully is by far the best hoplite Ive ever seen, but I like to think I can be posed as a challlenge somewhat for any player. Ashwood pike isnt to my liking though, I would stick with a warspear. People think they do the most damage with an ashwood pike, they are however, wrong. Unless something drastically changed in the coding of polearms with spears, I recall that any polearm over 150 length used with a shield gets a 35% damage reduction, the same as a longsword/heavy bastard sword would get with a shield. Which means with the 166 length ashwood pike you get the reduction, but you dont with the 150 length warspear, giving you more damage overall.

If you want a long polearm to use with a shield, use a bamboo spear, its surprisingly effective.

[Teeth]

I play hoplite for a long while and I find it perfectly viable. It isnt underpowered or underpowered, as anyone with a degree of understanding can utilise it to terrifying levels of efficiency, but not any idiot can just pick it up and pose a threat.. Pully is by far the best hoplite Ive ever seen, but I like to think I can be posed as a challlenge somewhat for any player. Ashwood pike isnt to my liking though, I would stick with a warspear. People think they do the most damage with an ashwood pike, they are however, wrong. Unless something drastically changed in the coding of polearms with spears, I recall that any polearm over 150 length used with a shield gets a 35% damage reduction, the same as a longsword/heavy bastard sword would get with a shield. Which means with the 166 length ashwood pike you get the reduction, but you dont with the 150 length warspear, giving you more damage overall.

If you want a long polearm to use with a shield, use a bamboo spear, its surprisingly effective.

I knew it!

In that case, why not use the red tassel instead? 2 more speed for 1 less damage seems worth it.

[SoA_Sir_ODHarry]

I play often as hoplite aswell sometimes i make much kills sometimes i not.
It depends at my team because i get my kills in the big melee bubbels
I played only wit warspear along time but an ashwoodpike let u be in savty distance and u can stab from the 2nd rank although its just very effective against  cav and i think when u play hoplite
as full support and less too make kills by ur own ashwood pike fits better.
bamboo is also good but not cheatabel...
1h/pole Hybrid FTW